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    Scooby Doo, Where Are You?


    2008 - 07.01

    Zoinks!

    I kid you not. Police in Queensland, Australia are hunting down Scooby-Doo.

    An unidentified man dressed in a Scooby costume gallivanted onto the track during the final race at the Ipswich Cup on June 14th. The costume was rented from the aptly-named Hidden Identity Costumes at Cleveland in Redland City using a stolen driver’s license and hasn’t been returned. The owner stated, “he has definitely lost his $40 [deposit]“.

    Police have yet to track down the man, making this Scooby-Doo one of Australia’s most wanted. Anyone knowing the identity or whereabouts of the prankster is asked to contact Ipswich police.

    Not even Shaggy can get him out of this mess…

    The Great Outdoors and an Aussie Breakfast


    2008 - 06.13

    As of this afternoon, I will be taking a brief leave of absence for a couple days. I’m heading out with TOP-Org, a paranormal investigation group, to spend the weekend camping at the haunted Beaver Creek State Park near East Liverpool in Columbiana County, Ohio.

    The weather is threatening to make it a damp affair, but I’m trying to remain optimistic. I’ve decided to travel light in lieu of the weather forecast, so I’m leaving most of my equipment behind. it will be more for relaxation… and perhaps an eye-witness encounter, if I’m lucky.

    I’ll be returning on Sunday and will fill in all the interesting details. But for now, I have to discuss breakfast…

    In an astounding seven days, my package from my dear friend Joel in Australia arrived on my doorstep. It was much more than I expected, in a very nice and sweet way: a flash drive, photo card (the most important part!), a beautiful Australian opal watch.

    And yes… there was Vegemite inside!

    As an unfortunate American, I shall have to put my own perspective on the taste experience which is Vegemite. I’ll admit, I was a bit frightened when Joel mentioned something about “suppressing my urge to gag”. Nevertheless, I took the French bread I baked yesterday, slathered on a good dose of the brown goo, and crossed my fingers…

    I now understand why I was told to use it sparingly.

    it is a very unique, salty, almost charred-smoky flavor, with a hint of veggies. Imagine beef bullion, vegetable spread, and a hint of Guinness blended into a paste. I’ll admit, I felt as many Aussie children must while tasting it for the first time, hearing their mothers saying, “It’s good for you.” I managed to eat both slices (without gagging, of course) and will be sure to eat it on a regular basis (they say we have to taste something 15 times to acquire a taste for it, so it may be a few weeks).

    Obviously, the typical American would wretch at the first taste, but I’m a trooper.

    And with that introduction to fine Aussie cuisine over for the day, I must get back to work. Noon will be here before I know it!

    Footy Roots, Otherworldly Ambition…


    2008 - 05.15

    Pop star Robbie Williams may not be the only celebrity with his eyes to the sky.

    Saxon Pepper was voted off Big Brother Australia this week. The unemployed 22-year-old truck driver had moved to Adelaide from South Australia shortly before being cast on the show, feeling the need for change in is life. The program has had an impact on him, giving him more perspective on different types of people and teaching him more about diversity.

    He even befriended party boy Corey Worthington, known for his infamous MySpace party in Melbourne.

    One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is his interest in the paranormal. He would like to find a way to prove the existence of UFOs and alien life. He even has Roswell tattooed on his arm.

    “The idea that there’s something else out there just excites me,” Pepper told The Age. “People are ignorant if they dismiss it as a silly thought.”

    I guess he has plenty of time to do that now…

    …Somewhere in Dreamland Tonight…


    2008 - 05.13

    They say that truth is stranger than fiction. I can officially say that is true now.

    Moments ago, I checked my email. Joel wrote me. This weekend has been particularly rough on him with depression.

    Around the same time I experienced the dream mentioned earlier, he was discussing with his boyfriend the idea of coming to the states for an internship or volunteer opportunity next year to see if that could perhaps lift his spirits and lessen his seasonal depression.

    I’m not joking.

    And I’m honestly speechless.

    Now this makes me wonder about the other dreams involving an Australian college campus and relaxing by a small pool in a tiny backyard with him.

    Perhaps saying I have no psychic powers was a premature statement….

    I’ll See You Somewhere in Dreamland…


    2008 - 05.13

    I had the most bizarre dream last night… and I have no idea why.

    Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten a lot of details but the basics are still etched in my memory.

    I believe it was set somewhere in the US. The sun was shining down in hazy rays at an outdoor location. My friend Joel appeared out of nowhere, which was quite a surprise considering Australia isn’t just around the corner. He wanted to tell me that he was moving to the states. Permanently. I believe he said that he needed a change of surroundings. Before I could ask him all the details, I woke up.

    Talk about bizarre! I know I tend to have off-the-wall dreams from time to time, but I just can’t figure this one out. Perhaps my longing for Australia twisted around in my mind… or perhaps it’s from my worrywart tendencies hoping he’s fine.

    Or perhaps dreams simply aren’t intended to make sense!

    A Penultimate Resting Place…


    2008 - 05.06

    More than just houses might be disturbed in Southport

    This suburb in Queensland, Australia is facing change. Queen Street, the oldest in the community, will follow a new proposed rapid transit route. There is a decision to be made: do they lose 60 homes, 100 graves in Southport Cemetery, or half the road?

    The cemetery was established in 1880… around the time an interesting ghost story first appeared in local lore: the ghost of a giant.

    Pioneer Tom Cowderoy first encountered the apparition while returning home along a footpath near the present-day street. He described it as a “large apparition, coloured a greyish white,… higher than the tops of the trees.” Cowderoy stopped to watch the spirit for a while before his fear became too great. He walked onward, avoiding any glances at the spirit, until he finally peeked enough to notice the ghost was actually following beside him. He quickened his pace and didn’t look back the rest of the journey.

    And no, Cowderoy did not drink.

    Who knows. Perhaps this little bit of excavation could reawaken the old spook. Let’s just hope they don’t disturb too many graves and create more Gold Coast hauntings of a shorter stature…

    Just Say No to Food Discrimination…


    2008 - 04.25

    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!

    Stop to Smell the Roses…


    2008 - 04.22

    Once again, it’s time to celebrate Earth Day: a day of environmental awareness around the globe. Though it may have come under fire in recent years, its message is poignant. With the current debate on global warming, this is a good time to contemplate the state of out environment and the impact we have upon it.

    No, I’m not some insane, radical “tree hugger” who is hellbent on bringing down the corporations and creating hippie communes around the world. Yet I do see carelessness constantly and an very mindful of out effects on the planet. Pollution is still a critical problem and our dependence on fossil fuels is a major issue. We all need to seriously take a look at our lives, and try to do something, however small, to avoid turning the world into our own private toxic waste dump.

    We are very much a throw-away society. Everything ends up in landfills. We burn coal, oil, gas, and petrol to an insane degree, forgetting that it isn’t replaced overnight. Even if we don’t care about the pollutants thrown into the atmosphere and water supply, we’ll soon run out of the fuels we use. By the time we wake up to that fact, it will be a desperate scramble to find alternative means of energy.

    Of course, there are efforts around us to change. Australia is experimenting with solar power in the Outback, using the heat of the sun to power a wind turbine that could eventually power thousands of homes. On the east coast of the United States, people are using the tidal currents to power turbines to supply power to businesses. Modern windmills are sprouting up all across the globe to harness power for communities. Electric and hydrogen-powered cars are becoming a reality.

    If you want to do your part without taking much effort, start small. Instead of driving two blocks away to visit friends or go to a small store, take a walk instead. When going to the grocery store, avoid plastic bags… purchase an inexpensive, reusable canvas grocery bag instead. Replace a few incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent ones. When you’re not home, unplug your televisions and electronic devices to save on wasted standby power. Plant a tree.

    Take a moment from your day to see the world around you in a different light. Doing little things now just might save you from severe alterations in your lifestyle in the future…

    The Ties That Bind…


    2008 - 04.20

    Good people make life worth living. No matter what happens in life, some of the friendships we make outlast everything negative we can go through. I usually don’t take the time to thank my friends enough, so here’s yet another opportunity… at least for the ones of whom I have photos.

    I have to start out with Joel, since he is both the farthest in distance (Australia) and the closest to my heart. I’ve known him for about two years now (has it really been that long?) and he’s been the truest, most incredible friend I have ever had in my entire life. We can talk about anything with each other without fear of ridicule or embarrassment. Never once has he even remotely upset me, nor I him I hope. He has been there through some of my darkest hours with nothing short of awe-inspiring devotion. Because of all of these things, he is like the brother I never had (though far cuter then I would normally have had for a brother). Even though his seasonal bouts of depression may cause him to close down from time to time, he’s the one person I never want to lose from my life.

    Then, there’s Alex, my straight-but-not-narrow-minded ghost hunting friend who moved to Tennessee. Our friendship started out as almost a non-friendship. He told a rude joke that offended me, and I mentioned it to his wife, Theresa. It turned out to be a misunderstanding: they had a lot of gay friends, and he overly apologized for it. From then until the day they moved away, they were my dearest friends. And then, of course, there was that strange and shocking night online which shall remain unmentioned (let’s just say he’s an unpredictable boy). Even though we aren’t close anymore, I still miss the both of them. Good and interesting company is always hard to come by.

    I couldn’t compose this list without mentioning Bill. After all, he has tolerated me the most over the past few years. I met him through my paranormal website years ago. Since that time, he’s become my best local friend, though at times I am the butt of many of his jokes. He’s an odd mix of goofy humour and bitterness, with a dash of humanity thrown in every so often for good measure. I’ve watched him go through some rough times and life changes over the years and have been there as best as I could be. Ans he’s seen me through a few colossal mistakes, such as my last ex. Though we may not always see eye-to-eye on matters and we do occasionally need a little time away from one another, he is truly a good friend. I guess you could almost say he too is like a brother to me… a nitpicking older brother, that is.

    Chris is the second person I met through my website. Well, technically not the second. I met him before Bill. He was very enthusiastic about the paranormal in a time when I was feeling a tad bit burnt out with paranormal groups. He’s been through more than his share of, shall we say “interesting life moments”? We lost touch for quite some time but became reacquainted in the past few years… around the time he began dating Bill. He’s the one person I know who tries his best to smile no matter how rotten the situation, all the while wearing his heart on his sleeve. He can be both good-hearted and a tad bit stubborn. Materialistic, yet spiritual. Yet he seems to be growingly more comfortable with himself, which is always a wonderful thing. He is my second ‘best local friend’. And just like Bill, we may not always be in agreement or share the same opinions, but I wouldn’t have him any other way!

    Lastly is my newest friend of the bunch, Evelyn. I met her only within the past few months via the paranormal group I belong to. She’s beyond interesting, with more interests and opinions than you can shake a stick at! She can be tough as nails, but she’s always a joy to be around. We both seem to use humour in place of sanity… life isn’t very survivable without a lot of laughter. Like most of us, she has problems, but doesn’t use them as an excuse. We have a lot of similar interests, which always helps too! She’s slowly becoming one of my regular local pals, though I liked her from the first moment I met her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be my “date” on so many occasions! No, not in that “pretending to be straight” way… in the “I don’t want you to feel like you’re going stag” sort of way!

    As always, I’m leaving some people out. Colleen, Tommy, Dana, etc. I’ll have to work on getting some more photos so I can do a sequel.

    One Foot Closer to the Grave…


    2008 - 04.15

    Today, I turned 29.

    It has been a decent day thus far. The weather is more pleasant than anticipated by the local news, much to my surprise. I spent part of the morning renewing my state identification, just so Homeland Security won’t pester me about having ‘my papers’. And so I begin my slow approach to 30, without the risk of being arrested for a lack of identification…

    …and unfortunately, without a cake or a stripper… lol

    I still don’t quite feel older. Then again, I don’t necessarily act it either. Most birthdays for me have just been another day. It’s not that I’m against the celebratory aspect (sometimes, I seriously am amazed that I’ve survived life this long), but when you have friends spread out far and wide, one big party just isn’t entirely possible.

    So far, my life has been interesting… at times tumultuous. Though I often believe I’m boring, I have accomplished much in the past decade. I have been to London; visited Paris twice (though the second time was almost kicking and screaming). I have lived in several cities (including Shreveport, Louisiana) with rather interesting people. I have been on local news several times (and no, not for anything illegal). I inadvertently slept with a celebrity. I wrote and published a book. And above all else, I have made some incredibly wonderful friends along the way.

    Of course, it hasn’t all been pleasant. The failed suicide attempt years ago which should have killed me. A horrible car accident which I walked away from unscathed. Being on TWA Flight 800 not long before it exploded on takeoff. The loss of a friend to suicide. Losing almost everything I owned twice by moving to a different location. A handful of heartbreaks.

    There have been many instances which could have turned me permanently bitter, yet I haven’t allowed them. I may rant and rave about life, society, and people, but I still remain optimistic and hopeful.

    Where will the coming decade take me? It’s uncertain though I do have goals: to see a film I’ve written made into a movie, to write a few more books, to spend time in Australia and maybe, just maybe, gain citizenship. Most importantly, to live life to its fullest.

    The Cajuns are wise people: they cry when you are born to acknowledge all the pain and grief awaiting you throughout life; your funeral is cause for celebration, rejoicing your accomplishments and newfound freedom from worldly burdens. Life is tough. And sometimes we are fortunate just to see tomorrow.