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    Strange, But True News…


    2009 - 03.04

    Posted in advertisements, faeries, funerals, movies, new york, news, psi, religion | Comments Off

    It’s been a while, but here are some news snippets from the past few months collecting dust in my bookmarks. About time I did this again!

    The Fork-Bending Truth…

    Think the movie Push with its government psychics is a bunch of Hollywood hocus pocus? Think again. Retired Colonel John Alexander recently spoke to Maxim about his experiences with psychokinesis behind closed US Intelligence doors. His experiences made a believer out of him, though they aren’t as spectacular as movie special effects. It’s enough to make you want to concentrate on your cutlery.

    It’s Called a ‘Wake’ for a Reason…

    Back in December, Gregory & Carr Funerals in Sydney came up with a new way to attract business. Customers purchasing pre-paid services were entered into a drawing to win an espresso machine. Coffee does tend to bring people together. Just ask any of the hundreds of coffee shops across the globe. But prizes for dying? Too bad the recipient won’t have the pleasure of enjoying the brew.

    Fairy Troubles…

    Petersfield may not have a chance to celebrate mythology this spring. Some council members worry that the event, geared toward children to raise funds for Rainbow Trust, might promote “occult activities”. Sorry, kids, we know you’re gravely ill but we can’t have these metaphysical displays of imagination influencing adults.

    Paging Dr. Venkman…

    Dan Ackroyd has let the cat out of the bag. Plans are underway for a cast reunion of Ghostbusters for a third film. According to the actor, the script is in the works with filming expected to begin this fall. Akroyd himself is a believer in the paranormal. Let’s hope they don’t ruin it… maybe they can give George Bush a cameo as “the ghost of Homeand Security”.

    It’s Not Polite to Stare…

    A Detroit casino billboard has people talking… and a few unnerved. The advertisement, depicting a pair of gold-colored eyes staring down from a black background shook up a few people, and has one reverend crying “Satan”. “It looks like a demon glaring at you,” stated Rev. James Smith of Romulus, “nobody with kids in their car should be forced to look at that. No Christian should.” It’s awful pompous to think the devil would find anything worth having in Detroit these days.

    Who Would Jesus Arrest?

    The NYPD is facing legal action for placing an officer on desk duty in 2006. And rightfully so, since Dominic Maglione’s only offense is seeing a demon and promoting the “word of God”. he was hospitalized in 2006 for starving himself “because he was too busy praying”. Maglione, an evangelist proclaiming himself “godlike”, underwent psychological examination and was found to be bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, and suffering from “hyperreligiosity”. I’d say these neurotic behaviors make him fit in quite well on the New York’s police force.

    Closing in on Queer Phantoms…


    2008 - 10.27

    Posted in gay ghosts, ghosts, halloween, hauntings, new york, news, paranormal | Comments Off

    We’re in the final stretch now. Only four more days until Halloween (or Samhain, if you prefer). It’s a week of ghosts and goblins for many of us. Of course, spooky things are a year-round focus. But this is the time when the average person pays closer attention. And that includes the media.

    Today, Edge New York is running an article. Yours truly had the pleasure of being interviewed about Queer Paranormal and discussing a bit about the concept of it and my current focus. Reporter and comedian Scott Stiffler also chatted with a few haunted places to get their own take on the queer side of the supernatural. Perhaps a few more New Yorkers might stop by Urge Lounge this holiday season… for spirits of a different variety.

    The article, ‘Are There Gay Ghosts?‘, is available online now and will be available on all of Edge’s partner sites across the country.

    And remember… if you go out to party this week at any bars or clubs, or even celebrate All Hallows Eve at the home of friends or family, keep an eye out for anything unusual. Not all the spirits around you may be costumed guests or bottled vapors. You might be in a haunted building without realizing it…

    A Trouserless Observance…


    2008 - 08.04

    Posted in clothing, holidays, new york, products, underwear | Comments Off

    It’s time once more to celebrate clothing… or at least what we wear underneath it. Yes, it’s National Underwear Day!

    This year marks the sixth annual observation of the holiday, sponsored by Freshpair.com. In past years, Times Square was filled with men and women wearing nothing but their skivvies, but things will be toned down for 2008. There will still be celebration, a runway show, and underwear giveaways to people passing by in New York City.

    And if you like your underwear to be a bit creepy, perhaps get yourself a pair of ghost satin boxers, skull low-rise boxer briefs, or Waxx brand skull briefs (from the fittingly-named Dead Good Undies).

    After all, what is underneath our clothes can be quite terrifying sometimes…

    The Land of Unbelieve…


    2008 - 07.21

    Posted in atheism, childhood, new york, religion, skepticism, summer camp, supernatural | Comments Off

    Remember when summer camp meant ghost stories by a campfire, swimming, games, and group hikes?

    Better toss those archaic notions out the window, you narrow-minded fools.

    Camp Inquiry is a new, different sort of summer camp. Sponsored by the Center for Inquiry, is an environment void of the supernatural and religion. Skepticism and critical thinking are encouraged. Aliens, bigfoot, and urban legends are debunked by experts and the kids, ranging from 7 to 16 years old, are taught to demand proof.

    While religion isn’t openly discussed, it seems to be a topic left for free time. The majority of the children are either atheist or secular humanist. The camp provides a stark contrast to Bible study programs, allowing them to discuss their disbelief without fear of ridicule.

    Austin and Jordan Fischer, brothers from New York City, learned of the camp from an advertisement in Skeptical Inquirer and Free Inquiry (magazines coincidentally published by the Center for Inquiry). “All the other [camps] are team building, physical stuff, a lot of playing,” said Jordan. “This is more intellectual.”

    Thankfully, cooperation, exercise, and imaginative fun won’t be ruining the summer months for these kids.

    While I’m all for encouraging children to make up their own mind on many philosophical matters of life, this just doesn’t seem “unbiased” to me. Teaching children thought, reason, and science is a wonderful thing, but what lines do you draw? Do you tell the seven-year-old that he’s a moron for believing in Santa Claus? If a child wears a cross, is he or she shunned by the counselors or deprogrammed? Does the child who believes she saw a ghost have to go in for a brain scan?

    What’s so wrong with leaving a little mystery and imagination in the world? And does science really have the answer to every, single, solitary question possible in the universe at this moment in time?

    In the Middle of the Night…


    2008 - 07.21

    Posted in billy joel, celebrities, ghosts, new york, news, supernatural | Comments Off

    Billy Joel said the song “River of Dreams” came to him in the night. However, he wasn’t imagining things on a separate occasion at his former home in East Hampton, New York.

    In an interview with Details magazine, Joel admits to having seen an apparition. “…I walked into my bedroom and I saw what looked like a woman brushing her hair in front of a mirror. She was very old-fashioned-looking—it looked like a 19th-century woman in a dressing gown. It was quite realistic. It was quite three-dimensional. I wasn’t dreaming. I saw this. It lasted for about a minute,” said the singer.

    While the artist is a self-confessed atheist, he admits that as he grows older, there are more things he cannot explain about the supernatural aspect of the world.

    The house was sold to comedian Jerry Seinfeld in 2000. If he has had a similar experience, he hasn’t bothered to mention it.

    Supernatural Spotlight: Jeanne Barrack


    2008 - 06.30

    Posted in authors, gay ghosts, new york, pennsylvania, spotlight | Comments Off

    As Abraham Lincoln once said, “…sexual contact is a harp of a thousand strings.“

    I’ve been meaning to write about Jeanne Barrack for quite some time now, but I haven’t had the opportunity to write one of my regular Monday posts in weeks. She stumbled across me entirely by accident through this blog… and I’m quite glad she did!

    Barrack is a former New Yorker (and I won’t hold that against her), music therapist, singer, and romance novelist. She married her high school sweetheart and, after chasing dreams across the country, settled in the mountains of Pennsylvania.

    When we typically think of romance work, images of Fabio carrying a frail, scantily-clad woman pop into our minds. Yet, Barrack has broken that mold and aimed her sights on the paranormal. One of her latest books, The Sweet Flag, tells the tale of a gay ghost hunter and his encounters with the ghost of a gay Civil War soldier.

    Make no mistake: this tale is certainly not for the faint of heart. She certainly knows how to get into the mind of a gay man… If you’re looking for something supernatural as well as steamy, this is definitely a must-read!

    Queer Paranormal Road Trip: The Urge


    2008 - 06.19

    Posted in gay bars, hauntings, new york, paranormal, road trips, united states | Comments Off

    When it comes to diversity, New York City has everything for everyone.

    New York’s gay community gained notoriety during the Stonewall riots, when abused gay men and lesbians turned the tables on the corrupt police force, pinning them inside the Stonewall Inn and forever altering history. Since that time, Chelsea and Greenwich Village have been known to be gay meccas, yet all of Manhattan is quite welcoming of people of all sexual orientations.

    In the East Village, you can find one of New York’s many gay bars. The Urge, on 2nd Avenue at 2nd Street, has everything you would expect in a nightclub. There’s a beautiful central oval bar, drag shows, DJs, dancing, and male strippers. And if you believe tales from the owners and patrons, it also has ghosts.

    While undergoing renovations, something seems to have been stirred up in the walls. Poltergeist activity has plagued the club ever since. While the spooks haven’t kept the customers away, it is commonplace for the occasional drink to be dumped over by a mysterious force. No one is quite sure who could be haunting the establishment, yet the possibilities are endless.

    After all, the building was once a funeral home.

    Whether you visit NYC for the shopping, nightlife, or unquiet dead, there’s something for everybody. Just remember that no matter how lively the atmosphere can be, the dearly departed could be right over your shoulder…

    Supernatural Spotlight: Daniel Hecht


    2008 - 06.02

    Posted in authors, books, daniel hecht, new york, spotlight, united states, vermont | Comments Off

    Every so often, it’s nice to escape reality and lose yourself in a good book. And if you’re looking for something interesting to read with a paranormal slant, you might want to look for Daniel Hecht in your local bookstore.

    It has been several years since I received that unexpected email from the author, notifying me about a new series he was writing. Although he is a fiction writer, he carefully researched paranormal investigation techniques and practices and had assistance from several experts to be as realistic as possible. I was asked for an opinion on his work, and was quite impressed.

    Hecht wasn’t always a writer. The New York native actually began as a musician. It wasn’t until 1988 that the writers bug caught him and changed his paths. Though he now writes full-time, his interests are varied. He is also the executive director of the Vermont Environmental Consortium, working to preserve the natural landscape of the state he currently calls home.

    His paranormal book series centers around Cree Black, a female ‘ghost hunter’, empath, shaman, and healer. She is both ordinary and extraordinary. As she and her associates travel around the country, they find themselves dealing with paranormal events and trying to solve the mysteries surrounding them.

    The series will eventually expand to fifty novels, but there are only three published at this point: City of Masks, Land of Echoes, and Bones of the Barbary Coast. From New Orleans to San Francisco, Hecht brings the past to life… and tantalizes us all with the world of the dead.

    If you love a good thriller, I highly recommend them all.

    Grounded for Life…


    2008 - 03.20

    Posted in electricity, new york, news, schools, science, teenagers, united states | Comments Off

    New York has more than its share of strange people. But not all of them are intentionally weird.

    A 12-year-old boy from Pulaski has been causing problems at Lura Sharp Elementary School. Whenever he would work at a computer, it would freeze and crash. An awards show was nearly canceled when the slide projector near him malfunctioned. Once he was moved away from the hard drive, things went smoothly.

    Is he a troublemaker with a eye for technology? not at all. Somehow, he effects electronic devices in his general vicinity. The trouble isn’t limited to school, either. At home, his Xbox 360 would freeze up every time he tried to play it.

    School officials gave Joseph Falciatano, a.k.a. “Magneto Boy”, a special wristband to wear, grounding him and any possible electrical field, and have had no further problems. An expert in static electricity was called in and has yet to discover the cause of these unusual problems.