Weird World News...

It's time again to break from reality and take a peek at some of the more bizarre things that have happened in our world.

Three Cheesus Pizza...

The Holy Trinity might need to be re-written as dough, tomato sauce, and mozzarella. Last month in Brisbane, a pizza emerged from the oven at Posh Pizza bearing the likeness of Jesus.A fluke or miracle, the unlikely image quickly became the talk of the town. While many see Jesus, others see a variety of famous bearded men (including Viggo Mortensen and Christian Bale). ''It's open to interpretation as many of these crazy, out there things are,'' employee Maree Phelan, who made the pizza in question, told the Herald Sun. The store auctioned the vacuum-sealed pizza on Ebay, raising $153 ($164 US) for charity.

Your Plasma or Your Life!?

Aaron Homer, 24, was sentenced to three years of probation in an Arizona court last month for stabbing his roommate, Robert Maley. The incident occurred following an argument over sucking blood. Homer and his girlfriend Amanda Williamson initially claimed self-defense when police arrived following a report of gunfire at the apartment. The couple later admitted to stabbing 25-year-old Maley after he refused to let them suck his blood. Homer told police he became enraged when Maley made fun of the couple for being pagan and into "vampire stuff." (Police report available at Smoking Gun) Maley fled the scene, fearful of arrest on outstanding warrants.

Homo Erectus Flamboyantensis?

Have scientists found an early case of homosexuality? Here's what infoMania's Brian Safi has to say:

On Wings of Fear...

I'm officially another year older today. It's been quite a chaotic year so far; my free time for blogging has dwindled more than expected. It's not just coursework that takes a chunk of my time away. I've been doing a fair amount of side research for two books and helping with editing a local ghost book due out later this year. Still, I've managed to get out and poke around the Cuyahoga Valley a few times. With the weather improving, I hope to enjoy the fresh air more once the last few weeks of this semester have finished.

The one place I've visited most often lately is Indigo Lake. There is a good reason for that, recalling events which happened several years ago during a late-night investigation of the trail. It was here I had one of my most unexplainable moments. Standing at the top of the hill and peering down the trail into the woods, I saw a distant pair of eyes. They weren't quite normal eyes, more like two glowing embers from a campfire. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, these amber lights suddenly became the eyes of something human-like: a black shadow of a man walking toward me. As he strolled forward, he stretched out his arms horizontally on each side. Yet there was something odd about those arms. Feathers drooped down on both sides, as if he were wearing some sort of bird costume. While I didn't feel any fear, my friends who were there that night did, and they quickly fled down the hill. Not wanting to confront whatever it could be by myself, I turned and followed them. I still regret that in many ways.

Could it have been a Native American dressed as a Thunderbird? Or perhaps something else? I'll never know. But my sighting seems reminiscent of a few of the known reports from Ohio and West Virginia of that enigmatic creature dubbed the "Mothman." Believe it or not, there have been reported sightings as close as Stow, Ohio, in recent years. Does this mean I had an encounter with the creature? Well, probably not... but I can't rule out the possibility.

A few months back, I finally took the time to read the book that started winged-creature hysteria in the Ohio Valley. In The Mothman Prophecies, John Keel told of his personal experiences in and around Point Pleasant, West Virginia, including the collapse of the Silver Bridge in 1967. A fictionalized version of his book was adapted to film in 2002. While it touched on some key points, the book is entirely different. Keel came across as a very reasonable, rational man who, after encountering several unexplainable individuals and occurrences, formed several theories of what exactly might be happening. It's much more than glowing eyes and premonitions. He delved into his own conclusions concerning UFO phenomena, men in black, and unexplained circumstances, namely the existence of ultra-terrestrials. He didn't believe in alien visitations, government cover-ups, or spooky specters; he felt that some higher intelligence co-existed with us on this planet, unobservable save for the occasional glimpse.

What is most fascinating about the book is how so many "paranormal phenomena" could be accounted for by these beings. Poltergeist activity. Shadow apparitions. Premonitory dreams. Spook lights. These weren't ghosts, but effects produced by these ultra-terrestrials. Given Keel's explanation of how they attempted to make sane people appear crazy and lead people off course in finding the truth behind the phenomena, it could make a lot of sense that some ghosts are just a cover story. We may never know for sure, though. Keel passed away on July 3, 2009. In over 40 years of research, he never was able to find concrete, absolute answers; in fact, he felt those answers would never be found.

What was the Mothman? Who were the Men in Black? Many of us will never find adequate answers. It's a complex web of incidents and misinformation. So many people hold firm beliefs which explain these and other mysteries in their own mind, but they refuse to allow room for any alternative ideas. That's the greatest problem with the unexplained: not allowing for other possibilities. When people ask us to keep an open mind, too often they suffer from closed-minded viewpoints. As of this moment, no person alive has absolute indisputable proof that any theory of ghosts, monsters, UFOs, etc. is the correct answer for what is happening. Perhaps this is because we look for our own version of proof instead of answering the real question: what is it? We assume we know what these creatures/things/experiences are, then search for answers to coincide with these assumptions. When the results don't add up, we try again instead of re-analyzing the initial idea.

I recommend Keel's book to anyone curious about not only the Mothman, but paranormal activity in general. Just keep an open mind--a really opened mind--as you read it. It just might change how you see everything.

Paranormal Reading: A Buell Book Commentary

Again, I've let my blogging fall on the wayside. There has been so much going on—exams, university work, research for books—that I keep forgetting to set aside time to write. But it has been worth it. I have over 100% in my psychology course and very high marks in the other classes. I'm assisting in research for a book due out this fall and starting early research for a book I'll be co-authoring next year. Let's just say my days of dabbling in local ghosts are far from over...

I have taken the time to catch up on some reading over the past few months. I do plan to keep the trend going and talk briefly about them on this blog. After Ghost Hunters (which is currently being borrowed by my psychology professor... I knew I liked her for a reason), I finally sat down to read Ryan Buell's book Paranormal State: My Journey into the Unknown. In many ways, the book was a pleasant surprise... though at times it left me shaking my head.

Having read a few books written by people in the limelight, my hopes weren't too high for Paranormal State. If I were to judge purely by the television show, I would say that Ryan and I are polar opposites. After reading the book, however, that view has somewhat changed. In reality, from what Ryan says about his view on the paranormal, we think quite a lot alike. He's not the demon-obsessed religiously-superior fanatic. His approach toward the paranormal is rather neutral and unbiased (to some degree: we all have a certain level of bias) and he's a staunch skeptic with psychics and mediums (unless proven otherwise, as he says he was wth Chip Coffey, Michelle Belanger—who wrote an excellent foreword—a fellow Clevelander, and Lorraine Warren). The procedures for membership indoctrination into PRS is impressive. While his "brief histories" in the book were lacking many key figures (How could you leave out J. B. Rhine?), I like to believe that the in-depth classes required for all members covered them.

In these respects, Paranormal State brought me to admire Buell. Yet there were many instances where I was disappointed. The first was quite simple: for a Journalism Major, I expected the writing to be more of a journalistic caliber. At times, it read like typical, casual conversation trying to blend in with the in-crowd. Parts almost read like, ". . .and I was like, 'Fuck, dude, that's so lame!'" (paraphrasing, of course) It was hard to ignore a certain amount of egotism woven into the passages as well. While at times he was extremely unbiased in his observations, there were still hints of superiority. A few times I felt he crossed the line into blatant name-calling:

"I love ghost hunters, but sometimes they can be really thick and immature . . . The spirits do not need a bunch of overweight, fashionless ghost geeks walking in and asking for the spirit to do parlor tricks for their amusement." (p.142)

That's not to say I felt the whole book deserves to be written off based on a few momentary lapses in neutrality and humility. I could relate to his very brief mention of "coming out" to others in the field. Having walked that tightrope, I know how difficult it can be to address your sexuality with those you admire and work with. Buell is well-read (I was shocked at how many of his recommended books were on my list of best books), and his hard work and dedication shows. For those reasons, I can let the arrogance slide. If you want a fast interesting read, I do recommend it.

I'll be tackling more books, hopefully this week, including The Mothman Prophecies and a book by Michelle Belanger. I have a few more days before getting swamped with work again. As the weather improves, I hope to get out there and check out some places as well. But for now, back to the grindstone...

No Bones About It...

Almost every regular person is afraid of something. Spiders or growing old, abandonment or the dark. They range from the rational to the irrational. Some fears can be life saving while others hinder living a normal life. Yet it's something that makes us unique individuals.

You could say that I have a certain level of phasmophobia (fear of ghosts). I've been startled on more than one occasion during an investigation by something I cannot explain as 'of our natural known world.' That doesn't mean I haven't been terrified by mundane, comical reality though. A bat, boom of thunder, or a cat in the right circumstances have all made me jump. Then of course, there are some of you who are quite aware of my fear of heights (batophobia) and bridges (gephyrophobia) which has had some hilarious results.

I've heard that the best way to conquer fears is to face them. For the most part, I have, be it investigating haunted places, crossing high bridges in major cities, or looking out windows from skyscrapers. Yet there's one fear I've had since childhood (which, interestingly enough, is not a named phobia) which I have avoided at all costs... until now.

Skeletons.

In my early years, I experienced a recurring nightmare. I was in a narrow alley, with brick walls on three sides. On the fourth side, blocking my only means of escape, was a gang of several animated, grim, menacing skeletons slowly closing me into a corner before I woke up in a panic. Cartoon skeletons or illustrations don't bother me. It's the real (or at least life-like) skulls and skeletons that give me the creeps. Technically, this should be called "osteophobia" (quite literally 'fear of bones'), but the closest category for it is necrophobia: fear of death and dead things.

It sounds absurd, I know. They're inside all of us, so you would think something as common as a skeleton (while normally covered with flesh) wouldn't be such a big deal. But for me, it can be. But now, I get a chance to face this fear daily. In my effort to gather creepy, odd, and supernatural artifacts I now have a child-sized resin skull sitting on my bookcase.

To be honest, just glancing over at it is a bit unnerving at times. Even though it's not real, I can't bring myself to face those empty eye sockets in my general direction. I'm sure that in time, it will desensitize me enough that I won't be as uncomfortable in the presence of bones. It reminds me of a conversation from the movie Clue between Professor Plum and Mrs. Peacock.

"What are you afraid of? A fate worse than death?"
"No, just death. Isn't that enough?"

What is it about our immortality that is so frightening? Death is inevitable; no one can escape it. Yet it scares us and can become an obsession. Skulls are undoubtedly the strongest symbol of our limited life span. To gaze at a skull is to face your fate. If we know it's coming, why is the knowledge unbearable for many of us? Perhaps the answer is the unknown aspect. Is it a new beginning, the door to an afterlife, or just lights out? Yet the skull will not answer the question...

Dessert Can Be Deadly...

As some of you might know, Ghost Adventures recently traveled to Salem, Massachusetts; this week Travel Channel aired the episode filmed at the famous Witch House (better known as Jonathan Corwin House). It's the only remaining structure in Salem with direct connections to the world-famous Salem Witchcraft Trials. Of course, humor ensues when Zak meets witchcraft. I'm not sure asking random people on the street if they are witches is good form. But this is Ghost Adventures, after all, and we're used to an unlimited amount of intentional (and unintentional) laughs.

A lot of the places I recognized from my past trip to Salem for a book signing and pleasant stay with psychic medium Jeffrey Justice. Even before I heard this episode was coming out, I had been thinking about my trip. I do miss Essex Street and all the history. So, I did a little shopping and finally made a few postponed purchases with connections to my trip: a few herbs from Hex: Old World Witchery and some dinnerware from an artist I discovered at the delightfully morbid Life And Death in Salem. After all this time, her work still called to me.

While browsing the shop, waiting to visit Jeffrey on one of his breaks, a pair of empty eye sockets stared back at me from a dinner plate. It was part of the "Skull and Cross Utensils" design series of refurbished restaurant ware created by ceramicist Meredith Host. While the artist lives in Missouri, she received her Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from Ohio State University in 2008. Some of her work is quite unique (if not downright comical), though I'm partial to her depictions of skulls, bones, and organs on stark white plates, bowls, and cups. There's something about serving a slice of Death By Chocolate on a plate decorated with a grinning skull that seems too fitting for me.

So I broke down and began my collection this week with a set of four dessert plates. I'll warn you now; the dinnerware is highly addictive. Perhaps it's my odd sense of humor, but I love the idea of skull plates and zombie brain bowls laid out on a table. I'll slowly add to my collection provided I can resist the temptation of breaking the bank to fill the cupboards. Unique, well-crafted, morbidly-amusing things are so hard to find. Not only that, I'm a picky person. When I find something that screams "I must have that" it's a rare surprise.

I couldn't mention macabre dining without touching on another delight from "Professor Paranormal" himself, Loyd Auerbach. While I am eagerly anticipating his book, Haunted by Chocolate, to be released, you can find some spooky treats on the related site. His decadent "Ghost Drops" are available by mail, or you can schedule a chocolate tasting for an event or party.