Mainstream Horror Goes a Little Gay...

Just in time for the Halloween season, there's a new film debuting this month. Well, technically, it's four films, each from the mind of a notable director of twisted scary movies. Dubbed Chillerama, it's most certainly not for the faint of heart or anyone with a distaste for the somewhat perverse. But if you're fine with porn stars, killer sperm, Hitler, and zombie spoofs, then it just might be up your alley. And the first film happens to be more than just a little gay-friendly.

Somewhere between the fictional worlds of Grease and Twilight, I Was a Teenage Werebear fits in quite neatly. In this musical comedy takes lycanthropy in a whole different direction. Set in the 1960s, it's the story of closeted teenager Ricky (Sean Paul Lockhart, a.k.a. Brent Corrigan) who runs into a rebellious gang who turn into a leather daddy "werebears" (one played by Ron Jeremy) when turned on by other guys. I'm serious. I kid you not. Don't believe me? Check out the trailer:


Now I have to give kudos to Sean for being one of the first porn stars to successfully make a leap from adult films to regular cinema. (Some of you might remember him as the merman from Another Gay Sequel.) While the other films sound just as weirdly amusing, I'll confess I'm slightly disappointed in one of them. And that would be The Diary of Anne Frankenstein. It's not because of the storyline (a comedic version of Hitler trying to create the perfect human killing machine); it's because when I first heard about it, I thought it was a different Diary of Anne Frankenstein. Unlike the one in Chillerama, the off-Broadway play of the same name seems a lot more hilarious. I just wish I had seen it when it was playing, but at least there's the video interview for Under the Pink Carpet:


That would've made this a truly must-see movie in my eyes! Still, I'm sure this film won't disappoint. You can catch the world premiere this coming week on Thursday, September 15th, at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Other dates are being added to the official website as they are arranged. I'm sure such a risque film might not necessarily make it to a theater near you, but you can always wait for it to come out on DVD and watch it later.

Graduating from Paranormal Television...

With a new year there are bound to be some changes. Some are good or bad while others can only be described as indifferent. While we loathe change it is inevitable. Even in the paranormal most things eventually come to an end. At least that's true with television. This weekend marks one such final curtain call. Fans of the A&E show Paranormal State were likely caught by surprise when Ryan Buell announced he won't be returning for another season of the series.

"It wasn’t easy coming to this decision," Ryan said on his blog. "There are a lot of factors involved. The main one, of course, is that I’ve become a different person. I have different goals and views on things... But now it’s time to move on to other possibilities." While he is closing out the chapter on his televised ghostly exploits he reassures everyone that his days of investigating haunted places are far from over.

"I have other projects that I’ve had to sit on because I’ve been so preoccupied with 'Paranormal State'... Deciding to do 'Paranormal State' was a big commitment. It took over our lives.” Without the hectic filming schedule, Buell said he'll be able to focus on many other things he has wanted to give more energy to including private investigations and UNIV-CON. "There are some truly exciting and remarkable projects coming up, so please do not take this as a permanent goodbye. It’s simply time to close one door and enter a new path in life."

In many ways, this is a wise decision. And I don't mean that in any derogatory way. I respect Ryan for having the clarity to step away gracefully and forge ahead with other planned pursuits. It's far better than clinging to a single achievement and becoming that tired old one-trick pony. Yes, it's disappointing to me for paranormal television to lose its one openly non-heterosexual personality. But this isn't something for me or anyone else to decide. It's purely Ryan's own decision. It's his life, after all, and he's the one who has to live it as he sees fit.

Perhaps one of the more amusing points Ryan made was this:

"Do I believe in the paranormal? Yes. I have received much criticism for standing up for what I believe in. People claiming that I’m crazy for believing in ghosts; some investigators thinking I’m crazy for believing in demons; some people who convinced themselves that I faked evidence; some people who just thought I was plain nuts as a whole."

On one hand, I can relate wholeheartedly to what he says. And then there's the section I highlighted in bold. Well... for the record I don't think that belief in demons or angels makes someone crazy. Do I agree with people when they label something as demonic or angelic? Not really. I believe more in a sense of good and bad and find it perplexing when virtuous or evil behaviors are assigned a non-human entity. Humankind is quite capable of both. Though I imagine that my own view is colored by my own religious beliefs... or lack thereof.

As Ryan Buell spends the next few days in front of a camera for the last episodes of Paranormal State, I wish him all the best. And here's to hoping for more interesting adventures in the future.

Death by the Acre...

Two weeks ago I wrote about Sydney's first cemetery beneath present-day Sydney Town Hall. At that time I mentioned that a number of bodies exhumed were re-interred at Rookwood Necropolis. The interesting thing about this cemetery is it's the largest multicultural burial ground not only in Australia but in all the Southern Hemisphere. In the three square kilometers (over one square mile) of grounds approximately one million souls have met their final rest. Though some may not be so peaceful. Rookwood is also said to be the most haunted cemetery in the world.

An ideal spot for a new cemetery at Haslem's Creek (now Lidcombe) was chosen in 1862. The 200 acres were far enough away from Sydney as not to worry about encroachment (or so they believed). By 1879 the government needed to purchase an additional 577 acres to make more room. Originally a railway led to the cemetery for funerals but that ceased in 1948 after automobile funerals won out in popularity. Four of the five stations were demolished, with the last one being sold to Reverend Buckle in 1951 who dismantled it and reconstructed the depot as All Saints Church of England in Canberra's suburb of Ainslie. Yet many buildings remain, including a dozen chapels, three florist shops, and two cafes. It's practically an entire city for the dead.

Some of the oldest sections of the cemetery are overgrown with abundant indigenous plants as well as many various horticultural specimens. The Friends of Rookwood Inc. offers a variety of historical tours covering some famous and fascinating people buried throughout the cemetery. And undoubtedly one of the most interesting people you will find among the headstones is William Davenport.

The Davenport brothers, Ira and William, were highly acclaimed in their time as Spiritualist mediums. Born in Buffalo, New York the duo toured the United States for 10 years and met a great deal of skepticism from Houdini and others intent on exposing their magician's tricks as fraud. At the age of 36, William passed away from Tuberculosis on July 1, 1877 at the Oxford Hotel in Sydney. Ira returned to the US until his death in 1911 at which time he was buried in Mayville, New York.

As far as wandering souls are concerned, there is some debate about how haunted the cemetery really is. And we don't just mean last year's horny Satanist. If you ask tour guide Robyn Hawes she'll tell you there are no ghosts at Rookwood. Yet for decades haunting rumors have persisted. Allegedly both visitors and employees have experienced paranormal phenomena in Rookwood. Perhaps it's caused by a lonely convict of Davenport himself making one last appearance to better his reputation? Or is it just that pesky belief that all cemeteries must be haunted? Either way it's worth a visit just for the old Victorian headstones.

Return of the Dead Guy...

Hollywood is filled with stories of death. There is a long-standing history of tragedy on stage and screen. And with it comes ghostly tales from the earliest days to modern times. Yet not every strange story is of the dead and famous. Sometimes it's the celebrities themselves who encounter things that go bump in the night. Even gay ones.

This was certainly true for actor Carrie Fisher, known best as 'Princess Leia' from the original Star Wars Trilogy. A close gay friend, republican operative Robert Gregory Stevens, visited her in February 2005. He enjoyed a good party and was quite fond of recreational drug use, something Fisher had battled in her past. He slept in her bed, allowing his female assistant to have the guest room of Fisher's beautiful old home in Beverly Hills. On the night of February 25, he returned very late and the two fell asleep after midnight. Bruce Cohen arrived early the following day to take Carrie to tango lessons. To her horror, Stevens had passed away in the night. She woke up beside the corpse of her friend.

Being carted away by the coroner was not the final exit of Stevens from Fisher's home. His death sparked a string of strange phenomena in her home leading her to believe his ghost remained behind. There were footsteps and light switches with minds of their own. The activity gave her another breakdown. Drugs seemed to be her only escape. After some time, the paranormal activity ceased, though Fisher can't be sure he has left for good.

Carrie went on Celebrity Ghost Stories during its first season to tell her story. Her experience is followed by a few other noteworthy people: gay cult filmmaker John Waters and Golden Girls star Rue McClanahan. Here's the full episode. Carrie Fisher's story is first. Immediately after it is Waters and his childhood experience.

I'll Be Looking at the Moon, But I'll Be Seeing You...

There's a bit of sadness as this week draws to a close in Las Vegas. A landmark in the city for decades faces the final hours of its existence. After 31 years, the Liberace Museum will be closing its doors indefinitely on Sunday due to low turnout.

The memorabilia, including his glitzy disco ball of a Rolls Royce and famous piano housed within it, will be placed into storage for now. Although the museum, which was opened by the famous pianist himself on the day I was born, will no longer serve the public the organization will continue channeling its money into the Liberace Foundation.

Over 2,700 students have been given scholarships since 1976 when Liberace began his foundation "to help talented students pursue careers in the performing and creative arts through scholarship assistance and artistic exposure." It was a scholarship which first allowed Liberace to attend the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and helped launch him into the musical career for which he became famous around the world. The foundation relies largely on donations to sustain its collection and grant programs. For anyone interested in donating please visit their website.

The adjacent Carluccio's Tivoli Restaurant formerly owned by Liberace will stay open, thankfully. After Liberace's death in 1984 the building stood vacant for a year until the Carluccio family purchased it and re-opened the musician's restaurant. It remains largely as Liberace left it which could be why his ghost has been witnessed on many occasions. The museum might be saying goodbye but Liberace--his legacy and, perhaps, his apparition--still lives on in Vegas. If you have a chance to stop by the museum before the doors close for good drop in for a bite to eat at the restaurant. You may have a chance to pay your respects personally to the glittery former owner and world-renowned entertainer himself.

Going Gaga for Ghost Busting...

What's worse than being stalked by paparazzi, hounded by the media, and never having peace and quiet away from the public eye? Experiencing all this and more by the dead instead of the living. At least that seems to be the attitude of pop singer Lady Gaga.

Earlier this year, Gaga invested in some paranormal equipment and a few news sources reported that the singer asked a paranormal investigator to "cleanse" her backstage area before a show to get rid of any possible negative spirits or energies. Now she has upped the ante, doling out over $47,500 for electromagnetic field detectors. The UK-based Grazia Daily reports that she also has a team of investigators check out each and every hotel and venue before she will agree to go there.

“She believes in paranormal activity and won’t take any risks when she is on the road," an unknown source stated. "It’s important to her to be safe from spirits.” The songstress has already said in the past that she believes she's the reincarnation of her aunt Joanne who passed away when her parents were teenagers. "And when my mother was engaged to marry my father, they were staying in his house, where he grew up, and a light came into the room and touched her stomach and went away," Gaga said in an interview. "She believes that Joanne came into the room and sort of OK'd her for my dad and that Joanne transferred her spirit into my mom."

The pop diva has spent lavish amounts of money on various things in the past and recent reports say she's looking at buying a castle in the United Kingdom for her next big purchase. Perhaps that's not the best investment for someone so paranoid over spirits! Good luck finding an old fortress without any ghostly legends, Gaga.

They See Me Drollin', They Hatin'...

Paranormal investigator and fellow Ohioan Anita Brown has found herself in the center of some praise and a little scrutiny this week after taking to Examiner.com to write about an often-ignored subject: hate in the paranormal community. In her article 'Paranoia, homophobia, and racism on the front lines of the paranormal field' she speaks out about some homophobic remarks made by a few individuals but mostly one member of the television show Ghost Hunters: Britt Griffith.

Griffith appeared Wednesday on Live Paranormal's Home Brew hosted by Rain City Paranormal and spoke very candidly about investigating, the show, and himself. The article points out some offhand remarks he made throughout the show. The most controversial of which involved dropping the other F-bomb. ""You get on the east coast, the west coast," he declared, "and they're all anti-gun pussy faggots." One of the show's hosts came to his defense on the issue saying that while it was a "poor choice of wording" we should remember that " we are ALL human" and he doubts it was Britt's intention to harm anyone intentionally. Griffith also commented yesterday on the article, speaking in his own defense and clarifying all of his remarks. On the gay slur, he said, "Well they are anti-gun, wish i would not have used the F word there, sorry for that cause i love the gays. i am a lot of fucked up things, homophobia [sic] is not one of them."

Now, I don't know Britt personally and we never have crossed paths. I can't say he's a racist, homophobe, or anything like that. The F-word is used a lot by people and hasn't been as blacklisted as the N-word. But does he "love the gays"? Well, I don't have a clear answer to that one either. I don't know if he has gay friends. But even Sarah Palin has remarked that she has gay friends. That must be akin to being Mel Gibson's Jewish friend, I would think. If you strolled around Hillcrest in San Diego I would think it highly unlikely to find many gay men who had straight friends who would refer to anyone as "p*ssy f*ggots" and take it lightly. Any way you look at it, the way the word is used is not meant to be pleasant. And the phrase itself implies a stereotypical and weak gay individual.

I know a lot of people (myself included) who've experienced unabashed and blatant homophobia in the paranormal community. When people don't realize who is listening (or their sexual orientation) they definitely stick their foot in their mouth. What most people fail to realize is that you never know who is straight, gay, or bisexual just by taking a quick look around or spending a little time around them. We don't all wear tight shirts and eyeliner while waving a rainbow flag. It's fine to be who you are, believe what you want, and say how you feel. Just remember that words can be weapons with more impact than a semi-automatic.

I'm one of those rare people who don't feel compelled to hate. To me it's a wasted emotion that takes away too much energy better spent on positive things. No, I don't even hate Britt. It is a free country where you can be a tree-hugging hippie or a gun-toting tea-bagger (if only they realized what a poor choice of wording that is). But I will say one thing: this may not bode well for his advancement on Ghost Hunters International. When you're dubbed a celebrity all eyes are on you. During the show, Griffith said, "I'm very blue-collar, I'm R-rated. If four-letter words offend you, you know how to turn the sound off." Unfortunately, that's not quite how television works. When you're Joe the Paranormal Investigator nobody outside your little corner of the world cares what you say. When you sign a contract with a network or film company everything changes. You now represent a show and a company. Words need to be filtered better. Read through any contract and you'll see that proper conduct and ethics are a requirement. A lot of people find out the hard way that the industry isn't too forgiving. Just look around at some people who've been fired or "relieved" of their positions on television and you'll soon realize there's an unspoken reminder from behind the camera. You can be replaced. You're a dime a dozen.

The news has reported several incidents in recent weeks regarding the effects of homophobic speech and actions. This was undoubtedly a case of very bad timing and the need of a good publicist. Words aren't always just words. Anything you say can and will come back to haunt you. And that's far more terrifying than any haunted house.

Supernatural Spotlight: Ryan Buell

It's been a while since I've mentioned Paranormal State here on my blog. I know it'll sound terrible but I rarely ever watch any television at all, even the paranormal shows. There is a certain level of drama set up in every episode (not to mention the suspense before every commercial break, which could either be an amazing discovery or turn out to be a ploy to make you believe there's something exciting waiting after advertisers fill your head with products you probably don't need). But--especially in light of recent events--I felt it was high time I said a little about the star of the show and founder of Paranormal Research Society, Ryan Buell.

Hailing from Pennsylvania (so practically my next-door neighbor) the 28-year-old is known across the country for his "directors log" speeches on the hit television show which is entering its fifth season on A&E. He was just 19 when he founded the paranormal group at Penn State where he majored in journalism and anthropology. It wasn't long before he was launched into the media along with his team and psychic medium Chip Coffey from Atlanta. Some people love him while others loathe him. Like anyone who steps into the limelight he became easy prey for rumors and speculation, praise for his work and scorn for finding so much demonic activity in houses and businesses.

Given his background in Catholicism and the religion's disbelief in ghosts, it's possible to postulate that a demon is more acceptable to the Catholic psyche than the spirit of a dead person. Every belief system labels good and bad in a different sense. However, this hasn't been the only dark shadow looming over his life. Buell has spent the last few years with a buzz murmuring through the audience regarding his personal life. People always want to know the little details and that can detract from anything else about who you are as an individual. The paranormal investigator has finally broken his long-standing silence on his private life and the paranormal in a new autobiographical book, Paranormal State: My Journey into the Unknown.

So... is he or isn't he? You know what I mean. "I’ve decided to share my sexuality and struggle over faith," Buell wrote in his new book, publicly announcing his bisexuality, "in hopes that others will no longer feel as though they are alone or that they can’t be religious." There has been an outpouring of both support and condemnation on his Twitter page as one might expect. He recently made a $2500 donation to The Trevor Project which promotes the acceptance of GLBTQ youth. This marks the first time anyone on paranormal television has openly acknowledged being anything other than straight. And he seems to go about it in the right way.

Sadly, there is the risk that like so many others who have "come out" in a public forum Ryan's sexuality could become the forefront of all focus and attention. Hopefully once the frenzy dies down everyone will realize the one thing so many of us try to get people to understand: we haven't changed. We don't suddenly bust into Barbara Streisand and wear make-up. Being gay, lesbian, or bisexual is just another identity or label like being tall, French Canadian, or near-sighted. It may make part of our life different from our heterosexual counterparts but it is not all we are. As a paranormal investigator who happens to be gay, I can understand why Buell has been quiet about his private life. I've been fortunate to be accepted by nearly everyone in the ghost hunting field I've worked with over the past 15 years but that doesn't mean I haven't experienced plenty of homophobia and rudeness as well. We all hope for the day when making a statement about our sexuality will be answered with a "so what" instead of shock and awe.

Kudos to you Ryan for having the courage to speak up. And I believe I speak for him as well when I say, "Now, let's get back to the ghosts, shall we?"

The Real Fame Monsters...

What with everything happening personally lately there have been some news stories I missed out on mentioning. Yes I'm still doing my best to survive out in southern California. And it seems to be rough for a lot of people lately. Not just living daily life but also dealing with the paranormal.

Take popstar Robbie Williams, for example. After his switch from singing to stargazing in search of life beyond Earth, Williams purchased a magnificent home on an alleged ley line in England believing it would increase the likelihood of a close encounter. So far no visitors from outer space have popped in for tea at Compton Bassett House. The singer is now putting the 7.5 million manor up for sale and, according to some reports, is willing to sell at a loss. According to the Daily Mail, Robbie is planning on living permanently in Los Angeles, California possibly to continue his extra-terrestrial hobbies... or the other strange and unexplainable creatures found on this side of the United States. I should know. I see at least one anomaly a day... and I can't always tell if they're human.

And now, a current pop chart singer is finding herself in a supernatural bind. Gay icon Lady Gaga is allegedly being haunted. Not by ex-boyfriends or crazed fans, but negative spirits. A paranormal specialist by the name of Dan Webb reportedly sold the diva $5000 in ghost busting gear to help her while on tour. According to some accounts, the negative "spirits" are following her everywhere she goes. At first, Gaga (also known as Stefani Germanotta) thought she could be suffering from schizophrenia but became convinced her problems were of the otherworldly kind, which led to her asking Webb's firm to cleanse the offstage area where she was performing in London.

Has Gaga gone ghost-busting? Nobody knows for sure. But just for a little fun, here's a music mash-up of Lady Gaga and the theme music from that classic 80s movie Ghostbusters:

Closeted Beyond Belief...

Some people make a living forming declarative statements without holding back fear of ridicule or offensiveness. But even such individuals can struggle with telling everything. And this weekend, a well-known skeptic and disbeliever in all things supernatural who built a career on being blunt made one of the biggest leaps of his life. It came in the form of two words, written in a post on his blog.

"I'm gay."

It was a major leap for 81-year-old James Randi, best known for his "Million-Dollar Challenge" offering a hefty prize to anyone proving parapsychological phenomena. He has written various books on psychic fraud and paranormal hoaxes and helped found the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP). For some, he's a hero. To paranormal enthusiasts, he's a naysayer. Yet no matter what your stance is on ghosts might be, he is now a brave man. After watching the film Milk and realizing the shift in climate and attitude toward sexuality, Randi broke his 70-year silence.

I applaud Randi for his public announcement. While we may disagree on various points and hold differing views on a variety of topics (and agree on many points at the same time), what he did took a lot of courage. When you're in the public eye making such a simple statement about who you are as a human being can be the biggest challenge in your life. You face ridicule and the possibility of losing disapproving individuals in your life. The world suddenly views you not for who you are but who you love.

Whether you're a skeptic or a paranormal investigator, admitting who you are and saying those two words is the ultimate example of speaking the truth. But it's up to the individual to make such a statement on however public a scale. Some people believe the more visible and famous you are the more important it is to come out of the closet. I personally understand the reservations that come with these things and while I may not be thrilled when someone decides to keep their private life private I can respect his or her reasoning. It's a sad truth that most people decide to keep quiet as not to face the small-mindedness of society which could destroy life as they know it. Like a haunted house, people fear the unknown and that with which they are not familiar. Rumors and misinformation are accepted as fact. Stereotypes are taken to be reality. Fact and fiction blur.

So now, the skeptic community has James Randi and Derren Brown. But who do we have in the paranormal community? Well, Ian Shillito makes one. Where are the others? Where are the big-name paranormal celebrities in the North America? Does the predominance of straight, white, Christian males on ghost hunting programs make coming out too terrifying? Quite possibly. Hopefully, that too will change. As Harvey Milk said in his final audio recording, "If a bullet should enter my brain, let the bullet destroy every closet door..."

Someone Else Said It Best...

Most modern thoughts are not entirely unique. We borrow from our contemporaries and, occasionally, think up ideas which have already been hatched. Yet some words are timeless. Long after the speaker or writer is dead, we remember them.

As a slight departure from my usual ramblings, here are just a few of my many favorite quotes spoken by great minds. No truer words were ever spoken.

"Logic, n. The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human understanding." — Ambrose Bierce

"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." — Lewis Carroll

"It's the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter." — Marlene Dietrich

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." — Thomas A. Edison

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." — Albert Einstein

"The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits." — Albert Einstein

"We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." — Benjamin Franklin

"I have found little that is 'good' about human beings on the whole. In my experience most of them are trash, no matter whether they publicly subscribe to this or that ethical doctrine or none at all. That is something that you cannot say aloud, or perhaps even think." — Sigmund Freud

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools." — Ernest Hemingway

"As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being." — Carl Gustav Jung

"The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely." — Carl Gustav Jung

"Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible." — Carl Gustav Jung

"It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them!" — Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity." — Edgar Allan Poe

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." — Socrates

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." — Mark Twain

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." — Mark Twain

"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it." — Mark Twain

"It takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you to the heart: the one to slander you and the other to get the news to you." — Mark Twain

"It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them." — Mark Twain

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." — Mark Twain

"There are three types of lies -- lies, damn lies, and statistics." — Mark Twain

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." — Mark Twain

"...gratitude is a debt which usually goes on accumulating like blackmail; the more you pay, the more is exacted. In time, you are made to realize that the kindness done you is become a curse and you wish it had not happened." — Mark Twain

"Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination." — Mark Twain

"The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple." — Oscar Wilde

"There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." — Oscar Wilde

"A true friend stabs you in the front." — Oscar Wilde

"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." — Oscar Wilde

Walking England's Most Haunted City...

While I normally hate congested urban places, some part of me loves London. The ultimate irony is looking back over my journal writing in 1998-99 during my trip to the city, you might not think it:

January 6, 1990 - Day 12
"Well, this magical mystery tour is almost over. Two more days. I'm glad they're in London or I'd have to kill someone. [The teacher/tour guide] Fred's been quite bitchy lately. Glad he's gone to Africa. Depending on energy, I might go out or just call Simon [my friend from Soho]..."

I didn't get to see any haunted places. I was trapped with a bunch of fellow students who acted more like stereotypical, obnoxious American tourists than even I could have expected. I only spent time with my friend Simon once during the entire trip. I was utterly broke by the final days. I ordered prawns at a pub near the hotel and refused to eat them because they were "staring at me". And the leader of the group turned out to be a stingy 'dirty old man' we all grew to hate. But the city itself, with all its flaws, was a breath of fresh air. It just felt like home. And all these years later, that female voice from the Tube still echoes inside my head: "Next stop, Marylebone... Marylebone..."

I highly recommend a visit there to anyone in the United States, or any other country for that matter. It's a whole different world. And there are more ghostly legends than you could imagine. But don't make my mistake: spend some time looking for spooks. Dozens of books about London's ghosts, from the Underground to pubs, are everywhere. London embraces its haunted heritage, and no one should miss out on that creepy aspect.

If you do find yourself in London, I recommend a ghost tour or two. While taxi drivers and business owners have plenty to say, it's good to have a broad range of tales encompassed in the span of a few hours. And one group, London Paranormal, offers a wide range of walking tours and paranormal events throughout the year. Its founder is a name you might recognize from one season of Most Haunted: Ian Shillito. Or perhaps you've read on here about The Scary Marys and remember him from it. And if you happen to be in the city during the month of October, there's always the organization's London Ghost Festival.

Is it gay-friendly? You better believe it. Ian's a fellow "out" investigator, so there's no need to worry about being yourself. And London has a few gay ghosts to boot, along with other places throughout the UK, some of which I've chronicled in the upcoming book Queer Paranormal. You can bet that my next trip across the pond will include several stops in England. Ghosts and legalized gay marriage: who could ask for more?

News That's Beyond Bizarre...

To end the week on an interesting note, here are some unusual stories from our weird world. And that's no hat trick...

The Whisperer and the Ghost...

Yes, Jennifer Love Hewitt, star of Ghost Whisperer, does believe in ghosts in real life. In fact, she recently had a conversation with her dead grandmother, thanks to psychic James Van Praagh. She told OK! Magazine, "She just wanted to say hello and tell me that she was looking out for me. It was really nice." I'm sure Hewitt was an easier audience for Van Praagh than Barbara Walters.

Please, No Pictures...

The hunt for Storsjöodjuret, the infamous lake monster of Sweden, continues. But there is one slight snag for cryptozoologists: cameras have been banned by the council from being used on the shores of Lake Storsjön. Under-water surveillance has passed through local ordinance four times, but if you're planning an impromptu jaunt with a digital, you had better think twice. Who needs evidence, anyway?

Those Bloody Lesbians...

Perth was shaken in 2006 by the slaying of a 16-year-old girl. The two assailants, Jessica Stasinowsky and her lover Valerie Parashmuti, both pleaded guilty this week to bludgeoning their roommate to death with a concrete block. Apparently, the deed turned them on and they proceeded to make out while standing over her body. Parashmuti, 19, belonged to a vampire cult which engaged in the ritualistic drinking of blood. Their motive? They thought the girl was "annoying" and believed she was flirting with the girls significant other. Thus perpetuating the belief that lesbians are tough, vicious creatures...

Was Darby O'Gill Delusional?

If you're seeing faeries outside of the nearest gay bar, you might be suffering from Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS). British doctors estimate as many as 100,000 people in England may suffer from CBS. The disturbance causes hallucinations of people, objects, and even little winged human figures while the sufferer remains otherwise of sound mind. Scientists say it is caused by a lack of visual stimulation, not mental illness. Theories for ending CBS vary from stimulating the fingertips to holding your breath to (in extreme cases) medication. In the case of visual hallucinations of leprechauns, I might recommend looking for that pot of gold anyway...