Grinding Out the Troublemakers...

Many places are rumored to have a ghost or two. But does such a statement warrant a lawsuit?

That's the question tossed around in court down in Miami County, Ohio these days. It revolves around the Staley Mill, built in 1818 by Elias Staley and his clan. The Troy grist mill was featured in the book Weird Ohio and has become an attraction for would-be ghost hunters and bored teenagers. One descendant, Melissa Duer, is determined to stop all this.

Duer filed a lawsuit against people responsible for both the book and a website, Forgotten Ohio. She told local reporters that both her and her husband have been physically threatened when telling people to leave. Melissa has hired off-duty law enforcement and a $35,000 watch dog. A judge ruled earlier this month that Weird Ohio did not paint the grist mill or the family in an unfavorable light. Trespassers were not the responsibility of the author, nor was any emotional distress" brought on by the work. A contributing author and the website owner, Andrew Henderson, may be held responsible for some of the expenses Duer is seeking due to the website.

So, writing down what other people have been saying for decades is, apparently, a very bad thing. It's not so easy to sue someone for saying a place is haunted verbally among friends (probably because it's not easy to track them down). Writing down a rumor that is merely a rumor isn't against the law, in my opinion. Stating it as emphatic fact, however, with intent to libel, is. Freedom of speech covers most literary work, with the added disclaimer almost every book has. So, why go after a storyteller and not the trespassers? Because it's easier to blame one than punish the many guilty parties.

As a writer and teller of paranormal stories, there is always inherent risk that someone will break the law to see a place for him or herself. All we can do is be responsible, let people know that they need to get permission to enter a property (which might be common sense, but isn't so common), and hope for the best.

In my opinion, Duer would be better off turning the mill into a ghost tour location and charging people for visiting it. Aside from suing people, what could be more American than earning a fast buck?

Put the Crystal Ball Down and Come Out with Your Hands Up...

Last month, new age practitioners breathed a sigh of relief in Vermont. A 1966 ban on fortunetelling was lifted in the town of St. Johnsbury on August 21st. Among the many acts deemed illegal by the former law were tarot reading, palmistry, and even feng shui.

Many communities across the country, from Oklahoma to Washington, D.C. to Florida, have similar laws on the books in an effort to prevent fraud. Arguably, these could also be considered infringements of freedom of religion in many cases.

Last year, Livingston Parish in Louisiana officially outlawed fortunetelling. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania discovered a forgotten law and cracked down on tarot readers, crystal gazers, astrologers, and psychics, closing businesses across the city.

Yet Scientology, with its belief in alien beings forming humanity and returning to earth one day, remains protected by religious freedom.

We may all have our opinions of different practices, but everything from psychics to ghosts to voodoo is a part of our culture: our human makeup. If Ebay can sell a grilled cheese Virgin Mary effigy for thousands of dollars, is there really anything inherently wrong with someone asking for a few bucks for a palm reading?

It may not last as long, but there's no worry of mold from it killing you...

Just Say No to Food Discrimination...

Yesterday, I was killing some time with friends at World Market. We were browsing the international foods section when I felt compelled to seek out Vegemite. After a long search over countless aisles, I found Marmite, but no trace of the Aussie staple!

Apparently, while a US ban on Vegemite was only rumoured years ago, no one imports it here anymore.

Hello! It's made by Kraft Foods! How fair is that?

Supposedly, it's because it contains folates, which the FDA only allows in breads and cereals (and, ironically, my sister was told to take by a doctor because it's good for growing babies). Not to mention the other nutritional benefits of the brown goo...

I did my own digging with the FDA and found that it lacks nutritional information and "the common or usual name of each ingredient"... but US customs makes no mention of a ban on their site.

Not fair! I've wanted to try Vegemite for years! Perhaps someone in Oz will take pity on me and discreetly send a small jar. If it really is banned, I definitely want "illegal importation of Vegemite" on my criminal record, just for a laugh!