Gaze into My Crystal Balls...

The people of Bossley Park in Sydney can finally put to rest the brutal murder of Malissa Mayfield in June of 2006. Though her murderer, David Shepherd, is currently serving a 19-year sentence for the crime, his accomplice and de facto wife, Angela Wells, is also finally behind bars. Wells was also the best friend of the strangled victim.

Shepherd had a power over Wells, which he claimed was of a mystical sort.

He was psychic.

The three formed a bond from their interest in the occult. And Shepherd told Mayfield he could use his gift to rid her house of "evil spirits". How could he manage that? Simple: he simply needed to have sex with her and POOF, the bad entities would go away!

If I had a dollar for every time I heard that...

Wells was sentenced to three years, though she will be eligible for parole in only 18 months. Quite a light sentence for someone who lured the victim into a sense of calm over the phone and drove her husband to and from the home on the night of the attack. The tables were turned when Shepherd attacked Wells on June 28, only thirteen days after the crime.

Had any of them really put their psychic powers to good use, they probably would have seen it all coming.

Blogging Beats the Blues...

Feeling down? Stressed from work? Just can't seem to feel well-balanced anymore?

Don't take a pill. Just turn on your computer.

Researchers at Swinburne University in Australia have finally realized what many of us already realized: blogging helps combat depression and stress. Though some have argued that blogs and online journals are wastes of time, studies have shown that writing about life, emotions, and other matters online may have positive impacts.

A survey followed 130 bloggers over an extended period of time. Many of them suffered from self-esteem issues and emotional distress in their beginning days. Within two months, there were noticeable differences. The writers reported feeling happier, more socially integrated, and slightly less stressed. Though it may be similar to a diary, the public aspect is most important in its effect.

People see who else reads their work. They can feel a part of something. They get comments, words of encouragement, and other feedback. They don't have to feel alone and isolated.

It's almost a form of free therapy.

We many not be able to find the full effects of blogging on the human psyche for years to come. But it can't hurt... as long as you keep a few things in mind:

-Be careful what you say about other people. They may stumble across your writing. Only say what you wouldn't mind them knowing.

-Do not discuss work- or school-related things, or at least do so with caution. People have been fired for things mentioned on blogs... and students have had issues with teachers who have stumbled across their writing.

-Illegal activity is still illegal. Just because you mention it in cyberspace doesn't mean someone can't track you down. You can get caught that way.

-Blog for the sake of blogging. Don't write to become famous or please other people. You will find people who share common interests by just being yourself.

Come Out with Your Hands Up!

Apparently, Benedictine Monks find better ways of passing their time than singing chants and restoring old manuscripts. We only bother to notice something strange when the police get involved.

And so it happened in Wuerzburg, Germany. A monk was arrested for stealing adult movies.

Gay adult movies.

A clerk noticed the 49-year-old man trying to smuggle movies out of the store. He fled, throwing the films in the trash on his escape. After catching him and examining his room at the monastery, authorities found a treasure trove of about 230 gay porn films.

I doubt his buddies at Maria Laach Abbey were very pleased. It's the most scandalous news to come from the monastery's 900-year history since its controversial Nazi relations in World War II.

Maybe he should have just gone with winemaking instead. Who knows... after a few bottles of a nice potent potable among his colleagues, he may not have needed any fantasy films...

Bridges to Nowhere...

I am horribly afraid of heights. To say that I suffer from acrophobia is a gross understatement.

At times, it can be comical. I remember walking a trail in Mohican State Park years ago with a fellow ghost hunter. We found ourselves on an abandoned stretch of trail and there was a small bridge ahead. Over half the planks were missing. It spanned probably all of seven feet, with a two-foot drop to the water below, which may have been two feet deep at most. I was shaking, terrified, as I made three separate attempts to cross. It didn't help that she was laughing the whole time.

Still, I love the beauty of bridges. Not modern concrete slabs with no character, but old bridges. They have a certain charm... a thoughtfulness of design that is absent in our modern world. We spend far too much time concentrating on our destinations instead of the journey now. That could explain our carelessness about history. Why we destroy old bridges, buildings, and landmarks without batting an eyelash.

In fact, many of our historical structures are facing eradication because of this apathy. In my small town alone, I have watched old bridges wiped away, century homes leveled for developments, and buildings which have stood over 60 years razed for parking lots and ill-constructed retail chains.

It isn't getting better, either.

Take for example the Bellaire Toll Railroad Bridge spanning the Ohio River between Belmont County, Ohio and Marshall County, West Virginia. it is slated for demolition this spring. The current cantilever through truss bridge has stood at the site since 1923, though a bridge has existed at this point since the Civil War era. It has fallen into a state of disrepair and has severe structural problems, though these could be repaired if anyone cared enough to preserve it.

But no one will. Even though it's one of the largest examples of its kind left in the country.

Just up the river in Bridgeport, Ohio is another bridge expected to meet its demise in the coming years: the old Wheeling US-40 Truss Bridge, built in 1893. It is quite a beautiful-looking bridge though it is in need of restoration. After 115 years, anything needs a little face lift! Still, it has a certain ornate beauty not often found in steel bridges and I have yet to find anything similar anywhere else.

To be honest, I don't hold much hope for these and many other structures across the United States. We are a throw-away society. If something can be built faster and cheaper, we will replace it (and it doesn't hurt if the government gives you more money for building new than restoring the old). I'm surprised at times that we still have the White House.

100 years ago, no one bothered to care about preservation in America. Buildings came and went, though sound structures were often left for us to still be delighted with today. Some old houses fell into disrepair and were demolished. One of them was the home of John Hancock. It wasn't until someone tried to find his house and found an empty lot instead that anyone really noticed that perhaps (and only perhaps) some things were worth saving.

We haven't come very far... and we still have a long road ahead. Perhaps in another century or two, we'll wonder what happened to the World Trade Center site... and why a shopping mall sits atop its remains.

Another Kent Ghost...

Apparently, Marvin Kent has more than one connection to haunted places.

After the construction of the Kent Depot, he created his glorious mansion in 1884 on the hillside overlooking the town. Marvin's son, William, moved into the large brick house along with his wife, Kitty. Within two years, tragedy would strike and effect their lives forever.

It was the year 1886. The Kent family was planning another elaborate Memorial Day celebration, as had become their custom. As the evening drew nearer and guests filled the house, Kitty climbed the stairs to the third floor ballroom. There was a slight chill to the air and to please her guests, she lit the kerosene stove to warm the space for an evening of dancing.

Unfortunately, something went horribly wrong. The stove burst into flames, throwing fire onto Mrs. Kent. Family members ran to her rescue after hearing her agonizing screams. The flames were doused and she her horrible wounds were treated as best as was possible. She lingered on for a few days before passing away. Since the Kent family owned the local newspaper, they kept the affair private and away from the press. William later remarried and continued living at the home until his own death.

For almost a hundred years, residents and college students have reported an apparition gliding past the upstairs windows. it is believed to be Kitty, dressed in white, wandering the rooms by candlelight. The third floor has been closed off for many years, so the presence of anyone is next to impossible. Unfortunately, no one has been permitted to fully investigate the ghost. It is now a Masonic Temple and cameras and camcorders have not been permitted in the upstairs rooms.