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    Infantile Behavior…


    2009 - 08.22

    Posted in bigfoot, childhood, death, florida, friendship, news, paraguay, people, personal, rants, united states | Comments Off

    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…


    2009 - 04.12

    Posted in bed and breakfasts, business, florida, foreclosure, hauntings, news, paranormal | Comments Off

    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?


    2009 - 03.19

    Posted in bed and breakfasts, business, charities, florida, foreclosure, ghost hunting, ghosts, hauntings, paranormal, television, youtube | Comments Off

    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…


    2008 - 07.01

    Posted in church, crime, drugs, florida, news | Comments Off

    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?


    2008 - 05.27

    Posted in bottles, florida, ghosts, merchandise, news, united states | Comments Off

    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


    2008 - 01.18

    Posted in authors, books, deadline, florida, steve cooper | Comments Off

    “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.