Nothing to See Here...

So far, most of my trip has been dodging rain showers, therefore I haven't quite been able to film anything outdoors. And I'm heading out on a journey starting this evening, so perhaps I'll get to it eventually. Worst-case scenario, I'll record a clip in the final days of my voyage when Marc is at work and I'm flying solo.

I would type more, but I need to prepare for the trip... and these bloody Francophone keyboards are tricky to get used to!

One of Those Crazy Months...

And suddenly, three weeks vanish. Who knew?

It has been a busy time, so I regret having neglected this blog, but hopefully it's not becoming a permanent thing! Working on final details with the book (which is still coming out this fall... September), travels, other little side projects here and there... all these things have distracted me. Life has distracted me.

Last weekend, I tagged along with SIGHT of Ohio to an event at Akron's Civic Theatre. I presented the history for a paranormal investigation, opened to the public. It was a good turnout and I enjoyed myself... but with fielding so many questions and doing so many things, I didn't have much chance to explore for myself. That's the downside of being involved behind the scenes at an event: you can't participate. Still, I usually don't mind that. Sometimes, I want to sit back and enjoy a nice ghost walk or presentation, but there are times I'd rather be involved in the production itself and left out of the details.

In just a few hours, I'm leaving for Ottawa for three weeks, with a brief stay in Montreal thrown in for good measure. It won't all be a vacation, but it'll be an adventure. And, time and energy permitting, I will be blogging from there this time! But to spare you all the boredom of merely reading about these places and things to do, I'm thinking I just might give video blogging a try. So if all goes well, expect a taste of haunted Ottawa... perhaps even a brief Montreal clip too.

Otherwise, I'll be back in mid-August... hopefully with updates and new information!

Travel is Fatal to Melancholia...

After successfully eluding the blogosphere for neigh two weeks now, I think it's about time I spilled about my trip up north. While some photos of my trip are on my Flickr page, I haven't divulged any other details. If I continue to put it off, people might actually think I had a terrible time. And that would be far from the truth.

Honestly, I've learned that greyhound might be an inexpensive form of transportation, but you truly do get what you pay for. my trip to Ottawa lasted nearly 18 hours, most of which was spent crammed uncomfortably in a seat with zero legroom. With layovers and stops, sleep was not a possibility. I did nap briefly, but that was all. If anyone is considering a long trip, I highly suggest shelling out the extra money for Amtrak. It might take just as long, but the difference is night and day.

In some ways, Canada feels like a different world. Take the good parts of the United States, add a splash of Europe, and there you have it. Upon arriving in Ottawa, it was time to check in at Home Sweetland Home Bed & Breakfast. It's housed in a beautiful 1895 home in a quiet neighborhood near the University of Ottawa. Brian and Sid were wonderful hosts, and open about their ghostly inhabitants. After a much-needed shower, we chatted for a while before dinner time. I had forgotten to eat that day, so I needed some kind of fuel to make it through the rest of the day.

I was lucky to have a terrific sidekick/tour guide (and then some), Marc, along with me for the journey. There is no possible way for me to condense the entire week into a few words. The weather was perfect (aside from that one evening rushing back in the rain, soaked to the skin), as was the scenery and company. As far as ghosts are concerned, not much happened at the inn. I did hear a loud bang on what seemed to be the outside wall of the room late one night, but I can't be sure what it was. A paranormal group did investigate prior to my visit and recorded a bit of evidence, though I diidn't have the same good fortune. Then again, when you travel light (and don't exactly want to spend your first time in a city surrounded by death), it's not so easy to document everything.

The two of us also attended the Haunted Walk of Ottawa, a daily event operated by a wonderful little company. I had some great conversations with both employees and participants, managing to snap a few photographs of some of the buildings as we went. The city holds a plethora of strange, eerie, and interesting historical tales. Earlier in the week, Marc and I stopped by Bytown Museum and the staff relayed some information about its ghosts. Hopefully, on my return trip, I'll be setting my sights on an investigation there. They were kind enough to give me the contact information for going about that... and, considering I didn't get much investigating in this time, it would make up for it. But I did get a few souvenirs: a copy of Ghosts of Ottawa and a mug from the tour gift shop.

There was simply too much to see in one week: Sparks Street, Parliament Hill, Gatineau, dozens of museums, the Rideau Canal, Rideau Falls, the Ottawa River, and so much more. Trying to see everything at once would've been too overwhelming. Part of me feels I've missed out on a great deal of things, but that side is comforted by knowing I'll return again. I was tempted to see if the walking tour was hiring, but decided against pressing my luck. but yes; if I found employment in Ottawa or nearby, I would be extremely tempted to live there. A safe, clean, friendly, bilingual city. And some of the best memories of the recent past happened during my week there. great conversations and revelations, nice restaurants, being flirted with by a female mallard duck (long story... you had to be there), walking across Alexandra Bridge (beautiful view and not the slightest fear of heights that day... wonder why), a late lunch at the wonderful Le Twist in Gatineau (if you go to Ottawa, you MUST go there... great staff, good food, and gay-friendly/-operated), sleepless nights not brought on by insomnia or stress, beautiful things to look at...

As you can imagine, the return trip was unwelcomed.

There are only so many ways to say "I'm glad I went". But I can't say it enough. The past few years have had rough times and stressful moments, yet this marked a major turning point deep inside me. Sadly, it has also marked a period of apathy toward blogging. Perhaps all these years of babbling about silly, stupid things or humorous morose moments in the world drained me of my death obsessions. or maybe, when things in your life suddenly are positive, you're not so eager to think about the afterlife and death. I'm sure it's just needing a break from the literary meanderings of my mind. It's not easy to poke fun at the world when you don't feel like thinking about everything else. Things truly are looking up in my life. While part of me wants to get back to the humorous news stories and quirky paranormal bits, I feel sapped of the energy. Priorities have tilted. I miss life and the living. Being chained down to a computer, researching and relaying morbid things isn't as high on my list. I feel the need to branch out more, expanding my horizons.

And so, therein lies my current quandary. I know I need to take the time to get back to blogging about the standard posts for which this blog has become known. Still... I'm a bit too happy to do it! Living life is far more enjoyable than writing about it. Experiencing people, places, cultures, history, and everything inbetween gives greater pleasure than glaring at the glow from a laptop. And once that ball begins rolling, it's hard to turn the path around. Somewhere, I'll achieve balance again. Perhaps once the afterglow I've been basking in wears off. For now, life takes some precedence over death. Ghouls must go to the back of the line; I need more living to recharge myself, and to figure out not only where exactly I'm going but how on earth I'm going to get there...

Another Prolonged Departure...

Well, it's the weekend! That means I'll be signing off my computer for the next week as I head to northern places. Time to gather my gear, cross that now-fenced Canadian border, and get to Ottawa! So far, it looks like I'll be able to do a bit of investigating at the bed & breakfast. I'm assuming that's what "no problem" meant. Otherwise, I have a long list of other places to check out.

Unfortunately, my laptop decided it doesn't like wireless connections anymore, so I'll have to fill you all in when I get back. If I come back! (Yes, sounds like it might be tempting to "lose" my return ticket, but I have things to do back here in podunk Ohio, so I must...) I'll have pictures for Flickr (hopefully some paranormal stuff too) and probably plenty to spill about. And who knows; maybe other news will happen while I'm gone!

I hope all you dear readers who've tolerated my long absences enjoy the first week of Pride Month. And I shall be back on June 8th with news... if I'm not exhausted from the trip!

Time Marches Like a Mountie...

I may seem quiet, but in reality, life has been insanely busy. I have a ton of editing work to do on another project (not my own... someone else's) as well as the other more mundane trivialities of life. And this month is going by too fast in some ways... not fast enough when other matters are concerned. But I won't complain. There is enough goodness in my life that even the minor issues fail to bother me.

I do have some things to look forward to, and one interesting matter for this blog which will be an all-time first. In a few weeks, I will be posting about an allegedly haunted bed & breakfast I stumbled across. But unlike my other posts where I either interview the innkeepers via phone/email and give my opinions from afar, I'll have some first-hand experience. That's right: I'm crossing that Canadian border to report directly from the inn itself!

Relatively-speaking. I'm not so sure I'll be connected to the internet during my stay... or even that I'll have the time to give a play-by-play. But at least afterward, I'll be discussing the adventure. I'll reveal the identity of the B&B at that time... though this tantalizing view of the front is a hint...

Yes. This is, indeed, turning into an interesting year. And here I was just hoping for a book deal. Who knew things would get this interesting?

Quand en France... Ou Québec...

(Mes excuses à l'avance pour cette écriture... je ne suis pas francophone complètement...)

Bien que je n'aime pas des climats plus froids, une certaine partie de moi a été toujours attirée à certaines régions du Canada. Le Québec se range haut sur ma liste, et donné mon arrangement doux de la langue française, je prévois de l'explorer pour moi un certain jour bientôt. Évidemment, je ne peux pas résister ajouter quelques endroits hantés à mon itinéraire. Mais y a-t-il des fantômes au Québec?

La réponse, après l'effort approfondi cherchant les spectres, est oui. Tandis que le nombre d'histoires de fantôme est petit, ils existent. Et les spiritueux de cette terre sont considérablement variés.

Dans Blanc, sur l'île Greenly, le conte d'un marin naufragé errant les rivages survit. Des soirées brumeuses, il erre la côte à la recherche de ses compagnons. Les touristes peuvent également visiter la Caverne de Rossignol (Rossignol's Cave) où les formes brumeuses et les voises désincarnés dérivent des anciennes mines d'amiante. Ou, peut-être, allez aux automnes de Montmorency (Montmorency Falls) et voyez "le dame dans le blanc" tombez dans les eaux ci-dessous. Habillé dans une robe de mariage, elle répète le plongeon mortel chaque dimanche matin.

Pour votre propre aventure paranormale, regardez Les Visites Fantômes de Québec (Ghost Tours of Quebec) et prévoyez un voyage pour chercher les fantômes du Canada du nord-est.

Stories of the Strange...

I have missed quite a lot of odd news over the past month. Luckily, there's a never-ending supply of the odd around our planet. Here are just a few strange stories from various news wires.

Are Curses Really Talent?

Simon Cowell is the man everyone seems to love to hate. Now, he's upset the wrong girl on the wrong day. While filming an episode of Britain's Got Talent, one contestant took her dismissal a bit too seriously. She returned to the stage, placing a hex on all the judges, stating, "You're all doomed." Following the witchy woman's departure, the crew experienced the worst session ever. But was it the curse or just a lack of talent in Birmingham?

A Predestined Payoff...

Jorma Hogbacka, a 60-year-old retired welder from Ontario, is now $14.5 million dollars richer. But the St. Catharines man isn't at all surprised. A psychic told him he would be rich beyond his wildest dreams just four years ago. Hogbacka doesn't have any major plans for the money and says he feels like it's "another day, except I have a big cheque." Surele he won't be the ony one cashing in on this bit of luck. if the psychic comes forward, she undoubtedly stands to make her own windfall.

Strangers in the Night...

While singer Robbie Williams is hunting UFOs, something strange has been happening in the comfort of his own home. On numerous occasions, Williams has awakened to find cuts and scratches on his back. The marks generally disappear within a few days, but he didn't think it strange until mentioning it to friends recently. Some people have suggested it to be encountered with demons, ghosts, or succubi. Or perhaps he simply rolled over on his cat in the middle of the night...

Smudge Them Out...

After the past eight years of Bush and Cheney in the White House, there is probably more than a little bad karma left over within its walls. But not anymore: last Monday, hundreds of people met at Dupont Circle to burn some white sage. The act, known as smudging, follows shamanic/Native American tradition of dispersing negative energy from an area. As the crowd sang "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", wafts of the pungent smoke drifted toward 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to rid it of "evil spirits." Fortunately, the evil entities had already vacated the building...

Cream, Sugar, or Spooks?

British scientists believe they've found a clue to explaining paranormal activity by the cup full. A Durham University study of 216 coeds this month revealed that students drinking large quantities of caffeine (at least seven cups per day) are more prone to hearing unexplained voices. According to the researchers, caffeine consumption could have an effect on schizophrenic hallucinations, though they could not confirm repeatable tests or that participants actually consumed the levels of caffeine stated in the study. Really. Over two hundred college students claim caffeine is their one vice that leads to hallucinations? I find that hard to swallow...

Cursing Like a Sailor...

Doctors in Canada are baffled. Rosemarie Dore has lived all of her 50 years in southern Ontario, yet after suffering a stroke two years ago, something is different.

She now speaks with an east coast "Maritime" accent.

Soon after recovering, her family noticed the differences. Dr. Karin Humphreys of McMaster University said it involves "a change in some of the very precise mechanisms of speech-motor planning in the brain's circuitry.” The unexplainable change in accents was highlighted in the latest edition of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.

While cases of foreign-accent syndrome (FAS) are extremely rare, they do occur. An American named Tiffany Roberts made headlines in 1999 after developing a British accent, described by The Telegraph as "a cross between Eliza Doolittle and Sybil Fawlty". Later in 2004, Lynda Walker of England suddenly dropped her thick accent following her stroke and began speaking like a Jamaican.

The most curious aspect of some of these cases is that some of these people had never been exposed to the accents previously.

Can the stopping and restarting of the heart really change who we are as a person? Or is this something that traditional science simply can't rationally explain away?

Choose Your Own Adventure...

First, the bad news: I will not be posting a "Queer Paranormal Road Trip" this week.

No, I have not run out of places (quite the contrary). Instead, I'm taking the time to ask for a little assistance from around the world. An open call for help from my dear readers.

You might think I'd be content with having the dozens of tales I possess at the moment, but no. I know there are more gay/lesbian ghosts and gay/lesbian-owned haunted places! Some might possibly be in your own town... or personal experiences you have had over the years.

So, do you have a story? Do you know of a haunted place with a queer spook? Have you stayed at a gay-owned bed & breakfast and had an unusual experience? Noticed any rainbow flags flying at places on ghost tours?

I want to know.

It doesn't matter where in the world the place is, I'm looking for something anywhere I can find it. Australia would be nice... Spain, Canada, Portugal, France, Brazil, Germany, China... anywhere at all. The United States as well. Anonymity is not a problem. And keep in mind I'm looking for places open to the public. Private residences aren't preferred, but they will do in a pinch.

Just drop me an email and tip me off. No harm, no foul.

In the mean time, happy hauntings...

I Saw It With My Own Third Eye...

Colleen Leduc pulled her daughter, Victoria Nolet, out of Terry Fox Elementary School last week in Ontario, Canada. She no longer trusts the school system after an incident involving a teacher... and a psychic.

In the city of Barrie, 50 miles north of Toronto, Simcoe County District School Board contacted the Children's Aide Society to investigate an allegation of sexual abuse against the 11-year-old student last week. What could possibly prompt such a drastic measure, you ask? Why, the word of a psychic, of course.

Victoria's Educational Assistant recently visited a psychic. She was told that a student of hers, whose name begins with "V", was being sexually abused by a man between 23 and 26 years old. Mrs. Deluc was called into the school urgently, notified about the information, and handed a list of behaviors her daughter was exhibiting that coincided with victims of abuse.

The only problem is Victoria is severely autistic and nonverbal, and those behaviors are common with the disorder. And never mind the fact that she doesn't have any contact with males of that age range.

Oops.

The school board claims they were merely "following protocol" and "in all cases this (information) must be reported". CAS found no evidence of abuse and dropped the investigation, yet Mrs. Deluc is still infuriated. She demands an apology and is considering legal action against the school system.

So a family can be investigated for abuse on the whim of a psychic, yet it takes extreme measures for someone to be diagnosed with a mental disease? That sounds fair to me...

Queer Paranormal Road Trip: Banting House Inn

If you're looking to take an extended trip to Toronto for a weekend this summer, one gay-owned bed and breakfast should be on the top of your list. In fact, it has been ranked one of the Top 10 Places to Stay in Toronto.

Believe it or not, Banting House Inn is right in the heart of downtown Toronto. Yet it's immense property and towering trees make you feel as though you're in an oasis within the city. The seven guest rooms each have their uniqueness (such as the Wedgewood Room and the Oscar Wilde Room) and the off-street parking is an added bonus! Of course, there are some possible reasons to visit... of a more supernatural nature.

The brick home was constructed in 1899... and apparently, one of it's first residents never left.

It is possible that the apparition occasionally seen by visitors is none other than Sir Frederick Banting, who once resided at the homestead. Banting was a Nobel Prize winner in 1923, made famous for his work with Dr. Charles Best which lead to the discovery of insulin. (His later home in London, Ontario houses the Canadian Diabetes Association and a museum, not to confuse the two "Banting Houses".)Banting perished in a plane crash in 1941, at the age of 49. It was also used as an animal research facility, and a few guests have reported hearing dogs barking or running up and down the hallways.

But that hasn't deterred anyone...

So if you're looking to visit Toronto and are curious to stay at a haunted inn, Banting House is the perfect spot. Even if you don't have a paranormal experience, it is certainly worth the trip.

A Day Against Hate

Today marks yet another observance of International Day Against Homophobia. It was first designated by Fondation Émergence on June 4, 2003 in Québec, Canada to promote harmonious relationships among people of all orientations, end discrimination, and show the consequences of homophobic acts. It's perfectly fitting for Québec to take this initiative: it was the first province to forbid discrimination based on sexual orientation in 1977. This day marks a time for both celebration and awareness. Though tolerance seems better than in years before, there are still many milestones to pass.

Homophobia comes in many forms: from the casual derogatory use of the words "fag" and "gay" among teenagers to public hangings of homosexuals in various countries. It stems from societal and individual inabilities to grasp differences among people... and in turn, view them as a threat. These beliefs can even lead to internalized homophobia, where gay and lesbian individuals begin to view themselves as inferior or worthless. The self-loathing can eventually lead to suicide.

This year's focus is on health issues, including depression and suicide, blood and organ donations, addiction, and AIDS. Medical institutions and employers still have been known to discriminate against individuals based on hiv status and sexuality. People still equate AIDS with homosexuality. And the risk of suicide in both teenagers and adults hasn't ended.

We can all do our part to help end the hate. Encourage teachers and employers to discuss homophobia. Ask businesses, organizations, newspapers, and media sources to publicize this day and make a firm stand on tolerance. Contact your political representatives and tell them to support diversity and follow through on past promises. Persuade parents to talk openly and non-judgmentally about homosexuality with their kids. Find the courage to "come out" in some way and let others know they aren't alone.

Or just feel free to kiss someone in public...