More News from Our Weird World...

It's been a while since I've posted anything, much less the stranger side of the news. Here are a few of the oddest stories I've encountered during my study break.

This Water is as Hot as...

Everywhere, people are trying to save money, especially in government. In Redditch, Worchestershire, the council discovered it can save £14,500 annually in pool heating costs for Abbey Stadium by using a greener (and creepier) heat source. Ongoing discussion revolves around the crematorium next door and the heat wasted from incinerators which could do the job quite nicely. "I'd much rather use the energy rather than just see it going out of the chimney and heating the sky," council leader Carole Gandy told the Guardian. "It will make absolutely no difference to the people who are using the crematorium for services."

Next Time, Remove the Price Tag...

Welsh asbestos remover Neil Simons was sentenced to five years in jail following a string of robbery attempts in Llandaff, Cardiff. Simons first robbed a gas station brandishing an ax and wearing a Halloween mask. . . which he purchased from the same station three days prior. A second robbery attempt nearby was interrupted by a customer. Simons, 30, told the court he felt shameful for his actions, becoming desperate to pay off a £20,000 debt (including money demanded from a drug dealer who had sold him cocaine). Public defender Kieron Malloy told Wales Online “The fact his son bought the mask then returned to the same petrol station wearing it, shows it wasn’t a sophisticated crime.” Here's the CCTV footage:


Getting High on Death...

White powder isn't always snow, flour, or even cocaine. Yet three robbers in Silver Springs Shores, Florida, saw a couple urns and thought they discovered the latter, so much so that they snorted what turned out to be the cremated remains of a man and two Great Danes. 19-year-olds Waldo Soroa and Jose David Diaz Marrero, along with Matrix Andaluz (18), stole electronics and jewelery from the home along with the remains of the owner's pets and father. Realizing their mistake and fearful of fingerprints, they tossed the urns into a nearby lake.

The Blood-Bound Gang...

If you're on Team Edward, it's no surprise that vampires are a sexy, popular topic. From The Vampire Chronicles to Twilight, the increased popularity of blood suckers has evolved into its own subculture, says Sociologist D. J. Williams. The Idaho State scholar (interviewed by Reuters) was consulted for a vampire documentary and has been researching this and similar alternative lifestyles for many years. The important aspect Williams points out is that self-identified vampires are largely misunderstood. (That in itself almost sounds a little emo.) People like Jeffrey Dahlmer give the community a bad name. "They see themselves as normal, regular people in normal regular jobs: they are teachers, lawyers, accountants, they may be parents," Williams told Reuters. "They have normal lives but there is this aspect to needing to take energy from time to time and in certain ways."

A Tale of Two Murderers...

A skull stolen from the allegedly-haunted Old Melbourne Gaol in the 1970s has surfaced again amid questions of its true identity. Originally said to be that of famed outlaw Ned Kelly who was hanged and buried at the gaol in 1880, others speculate that it could belong to murderer Frederick Bailey Deeming (alleged to be "Jack the Ripper") who was also hanged at the gaol 1892. The skull closely matched the death masks of both killers so researchers are pleading for descendants of Deeming to come forward and supply DNA for testing.

Weirdness Around the World...

It's time again to explore some of the strange news stories plucked from the headlines across the globe.

They Were Dirt Cheap...

Judith and Mitchell Fletcher of Tampa love to find a good bargain at a yard sale. While in Brandon they spent $8 on a Halloween decoration skeleton in a box but upon returning home they realized it wasn't made of plastic or ceramic. They alerted the police in Hillsborough County and a detective had the bones examined, determining they were from a real for-medical-use anatomical skeleton valued at $3000. It is illegal in Florida to own real human bones so the couple has lost out on their bargain purchase. The local sheriff's department is contacting area universities with the serial number found on a femur in an attempt to find the rightful owner. The box of bones remains unclaimed.

Dial P for Paranormal...

A recent examination of West Midlands Police records in Coventry, England found that burglaries and altercations aren't the only reason local residents call for help. Over the past five years they have received calls concerning UFOs, ghosts, aliens, and other anomalies. Three calls were even received by people experiencing "paranormal thoughts". A total of 18 calls involving the supernatural are documented, most involving ghost sightings. So when you see a spirit, who you gonna call?

Yeren Hot Pursuit...

The search is back in China as scientists gather once more to search for the regional Bigfoot-like creature known as the Yeren, or "wild man". The Hubei Wild Man Research Association is seeking volunteers and benefactors to help raise $1.5 million for their new expedition. With over 400 sightings of the hairy creature and previous expeditions in 1977, 1980, and 1981 yielding hair and stool samples along with large bipedal footprints they are eager to find conclusive proof.

Bewitching Times...

Two 15-year-old boys were arrested in India for the murder of Nanika Hesa, 40, on Friday. The pair, who believed the tribal woman was a witch and had killed their family members through the use of black magic, hacked Nanika to death with a bhujali, decapitated her, and threw her head into a river in Kalinga Nagar. Both boys confessed to the crime and are being held at a juvenile facility in Berhampur.

Death by Fear...

A man in Milwaukee was sentenced to 9 years in jail and 5 years probation for the murder of Marzella Woodson by scaring her to death. Following an argument where Justin Owen, 21, accused his friend of stealing a handgun, the man fired several shots into the house where he lived back in May. Marzella, 58, heard the gunshots and hid on the floor with her grandchildren and suffered heart failure from the frightful experience.

Could Some Spirit Please Hand Me a Towel?

I never quite know where my research of rumored hauntings and unusual places will lead. Sometimes an unassuming ghost story will lead me to a secret gay life of a former owner. But it can also lead to a totally surprising turn of events connecting many different things in a synchronous (and humorous) way. Just this past weekend a little background research I was doing led me to the last thing I would have expected: paranormal television meeting toweled gay men.

I honestly don't watch any paranormal reality shows on a regular basis. I will watch an episode here and there just to hear about some various haunted places when the mood strikes me but I've probably seen a total of 2% of all the episodes of every ghost show out there. When a strange trail of news leads me to a show I do tune in, though. Case in point: last year when TAPS went to Florida to check out some haunted buildings. Here is the second half of Ghost Hunters Season 5 Episode 4 "Club Dead" (first aired on April Fool's Day of 2009, strangely enough) where TAPS heads to the Ybor neighborhood of Tampa and investigates the Trelles Clinic (click here for the second part):


Owner Fred Schwartz mentions that he and his partner Vince Pawlowski are renovating the building into Ybor Resort & Spa, which opened just a few months after the episode aired. Now they didn't go into detail on the show about the new business. But I will. Ybor Resort & Spa is "Tampa's largest all-gay private club and resort" with "large boutique hotel rooms" and a "clothing optional steam room with private zones". There is also a "large dark room with an intricate maze and a sling room". I know what you're thinking... but I'll let the St. Petersburg Times speak for me: "If it sounds like a bathhouse, don't describe it that way to the owners. Technically, and according to the city, the Ybor Resort & Spa is a hotel and a men's health studio. Sex and nudity in public areas is not allowed."

If you watch the beginning of this Ghost Hunters episode and who all is present at the first location (and not at "Trelles Clinic") one person stands out for a few reasons. Who is it? None other than Britt Griffith. Why is this so interesting? In case you missed it, you might want to look back at the recent controversy over a slip of the tongue he had on a paranormal radio show. Now I'm not saying he elected not to do the second half of the show due to the nature of the new business. The irony is extremely amusing, though!

At the end, Jason and Grant said that to be certain it was haunted it would require several investigations to make certain that there is something paranormal happening there. Somehow I don't see any follow-ups from TAPS in the near future. Unless, of course, it's the all-nude Halloween special.

Infantile Behavior...

Another interesting week draws to a close. Keeping busy with a plethora of things, checking up on friends, and receiving my first onslaught of negativity from an unexpected (well, expected... but not expected) source. Shocking? Slightly. Crushing? Not at all. I know who I am and what I believe, and this year has been educational about the definition of friendship. If not marching to someone's drum or telling people what they want to hear makes me a bad man, then hooray for being rotten!

But it's an interesting world out there with plenty of views. And while a lot of the news is on the depressing side, there are some things that aren't so dire and jaded.

Take, for example, Jose Alvarenga of Paraguay who opened his infant son's coffin this week to find that he wasn't dead, as doctors had told him. While it's good news for the new father, it doesn't bode well for doctors and staff at the unnamed hospital in Asuncion. If you can't tell dead from living, perhaps medicine isn't the proper field for you.

Then back to the United States, where in Florida sightings of what is described as a "baby Bigfoot" have been reported in the Baker County area. While it might be an orangutan, the mystery creature has an apparent sweet tooth. Among the witnesses was a bear hunter who lost a few jelly donuts too the furry caper. Subsequent attempts too lure the pint-sized furball out in the open with confectionery treats have failed.

That's all for now when it comes to abnormal childlike behavior. Bear with me as I struggle with graphics, barrel ahead toward autumn and Halloween, and blaze a few trails in the world, as well as my own life...

Taking It to the Bank...

The fight has ended for Florida's Seven Sisters Inn. This past week, the two historic Ocala Victorian houses became the property of the bank for $100,000 at a foreclosure auction. Bonnie Morehardt and Ken Oden bode a tearful farewell to their business, though they still own the small cottage behind the properties.

First Coast Community Bank expressed regret at having such a fate meet a property on the National Register of Historic Places. They still are hoping to find new owners to continue the business and purchase the place. But for now, the seven other staff members are left hopeful to return to work.

On the day before the auction, a book flew from a shelf inside the bed & breakfast. Ghostly happenings have been on the increase since the tense times facing the inn. Even the spirits are upset by the recent turn of events, but hopefully after the bank has had the opportunity to make sure the historic inn is in top shape, a new owner will move in... one able to appease the disquieted spooks.

Ghost Property Going Bust?

Foreclosures still plague the United States as our economy maintains its frightening slump. Everyone is susceptible. In Florida, one allegedly-haunted bed & breakfast is the newest victim. But if a group of ghost hunters has their way, the house won't face any wrecking ball.

The Seven Sisters Inn on Ocala's Fort King Street was built in 1888 and remains one of the few magnificent Victorians still standing in the area. The owners, Bonnie and Ken, ran the guest house for 20 years before facing a financial crisis. A failed sale led to the banks demand for total payment, which could not be met. in October 2008, foreclosure proceedings began.

But they're not going down without a fight. Southeastern Paranormal Investigations (SEPI) has helped create a website, Save the Seven Sisters Inn, where visitors can sign a petition and make donations to help the cause. The National Register of Historic Places lists both houses for their historical value. Charity events are being planned in hopes of doing anything possible to avoid disaster. A buyer is desperately wanted by the owners for the two-house B&B, which is priced at $1.3 million.

An episode of Ghost Hunters was recently filmed at the structure and hopes are high for it attracting paranormal investigators in an effort to save the building. Events are still happening at the inn, including the Seven Sisters Haunt in April, so it's not dead just yet. Allegedly, the haunted activity is tied to the land, not necessarily the houses. In the 18th century, a hospital was built on the grounds and treated many injured soldiers who apparently refused to leave.

For an overview, here is part of the Ghost Hunters episode, aired this past fall:



Click here for Part Two of "Ghosts of the Sunshine State".

What If God Was One of Us...

God has some real explaining to do.

God Lucky Howard (yes, that's his real name) was arrested in Tampa, Florida for selling crack cocaine. Outside of a church!

Police have been hot on God's trail since April. Last month, they obtained a warrant and found an additional 22 grams of cocaine in his home. He was arrested on June 21st and remains in jail.

Let's just hope he doesn't have a son named Jesus. That could spell disaster.

Buy Your Own Bottled Spirits?

Most of us prefer to buy bottled spirits at a liquor store. But now, you can buy a different form of bottled spirits online.

Jon Deese of St. Augustine, Florida is selling bottles. What's in them? Well, ghosts... or so he claims. He says he contracts with "ghost catchers" from around the country who catch spooks in bottles which he offers on his website, Ghost in a Bottle.

"They’ll go in and catch them from haunted establishments, cars, hotels, maybe even graveyards," says Deese.

How do they get them in there? That's a good question... and not one that Deese is willing to elaborate on. But he does tell his customers to open them at their own risk. While some say it makes for a nice conversation piece, others have claimed unusual activity when they opened the bottle.

Twenty dollars for a haunting? Surely it's a bargain price.

A Book of the Dead

"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
-Mark Twain

Yes, you heard correctly yesterday: I actually read a book! It has probably been two years since I've taken the time to sit down and read. Probably not so wise for a writer. Reading is just as important as practice writing.

Though I have no intentions of becoming a critic or reviewer on this journal, I felt the need to pass word on about this book and its author. It's not very often that I find myself reading at 1:00 AM, so tired that I can't remember which character is which, yet I glance ahead and tell myself, "Just one more chapter... it's a short one."

I hunted it down after first hearing about it somewhere. I had to look in a few bookstores before finding it. And then what did I do? I glanced at the first two lines, told myself I'd read it next, and forgot it for two years.
Deadline, by Steven Cooper, has to be one of the funniest books I've read in quite some time. You wouldn't think a story about a murdered gay investigative reporter who loathes his job could be funny, yet it is. Just because Damon Fitzgerald finds himself dead, that doesn't mean he's ready to give up on the bigger story. In his view from the afterlife, he recounts the events of his life, personal observations, and glimpses of the afterlife in a celestial version of heaven.

It's very fast-paced... and one of the few books I've (literally) read within a 24-hour period. I have to laugh, though... the author is an Emmy award-winning investigative reporter living in Orlando, Florida. It makes me wonder if he's ever felt these things toward his job. He's also the author of two other books: With You in Spirit and Saving Valencia. I've read reviews of both of them and they are certainly on my "to get" list.