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    "Hello. I’d Like to Have an Argument."


    2009 - 03.19

    Posted in beliefs, opinions, paranormal, people, rants, skepticism, thinkers, thoughts | Comments Off

    It’s been another one of those crazy weeks. People disappearing, people popping up out of nowhere, health problems with people around me, and the usual insanity I call my life. And then, I made the mistake last weekend of answering a question on an online forum: do you believe in ghosts? I said more than just ‘yes’.

    In hindsight, it was a bad idea. Many people respond in grunts, syllables, or not at all to statements that they know will lead to arguments or complaints. One-word responses leave little to fight over. But some people just like arguing.

    What followed was a prolonged attack since, apparently, stating that I’m a “paranormal investigator” automatically means I speak on behalf of every parapsychologist, researcher, professor, scientist, writer, ghost hunter, and anyone else (alive or dead) in any way connected to the field. The same old arguments rehashed a billion times flung at me, demanding ultimate “proof”. But, of course, it wasn’t in a polite discourse; it’s the typical heckling of someone who, no matter what is presented to them, remains convinced that you’re an idiot.

    I see we haven’t changed much since the Puritans. Witch hunts are still happening. Different is bad. In only a few sentences stating my opinions, I instantly turned into Frankenstein’s monster. What do you do? If you walk away, you’re supposedly admitting “that they are right”, but if you stand and defend yourself, you’re “absurd”. It’s a lose-lose situation. But it comes from speaking your mind and being a part of this field. Opening your mouth makes you a target of torch-bearing townsfolk rallying to “burn the witch”.

    I hate arguing. Especially when it’s pointless or when someone belittles your words because “they know everything”. Real stupidity comes from believing that you’re omniscient and omnipotent. Only wise people know that they don’t know everything. but I let it go on for a while before stopping and thinking, “what the hell am I doing?” Discussing something with someone who can’t see beyond their own window to the world is the most wasteful thing anyone can do.

    I like letting people make their own informed opinions, as everyone should. Don’t just spit out what someone else told you; review everything and form your own opinion. And if it’s different from someone else’s, big friggin’ deal! Guess what? Everyone has an opinion, a belief, a perspective. Being loud doesn’t mean you know more than someone else; it just means your mouth opens wider.

    Humankind has the capacity to become rabid dogs. People like to gang up with viciousness to feel inflated about their own superiority. But, when the attack is on them, everything is very different. That’s just mean! Well, that’s just human nature. Evil doesn’t come from supernatural demons, it comes from the depths of humankind. Humanity has a tendency to be inhumane. And it circles itself; call it karma if you wish, but the stream of putrid words we sometimes spill out come back at us in a different form. And when they do, we have no right to complain. We did it once ourselves.

    Agreeing to disagree or seeing another viewpoint is a challenge for many people. But we all see the world differently. Every man or woman is the product of his or her collective beliefs, experience, and thoughts. More time is wasted on pointless back-and-forth banter than actual reasoning. In a way, it’s comical. If people could see the humor in it, of course.

    I guess what bothers me most is, being an open-minded person, I expect to be treated as I treat others. I could be cruel and nasty many times, but I choose to let most things slide. I try to make people think and reason, prepare for what is coming, yet it is labeled “non-conformity”. So what? I’m not a conformist. I’m an individual. If I’m the only one not running with the herd, it makes me an independent thinker not an anarchist. Different is good; different brings about revolutionary thought and ideas. If it weren’t for outcasts, nothing would ever change. Ideas are what separate us from our inner animal. If being a non-ape makes me a bad person to somepeople, I’ll settle for that.

    Someone Else Said It Best…


    2009 - 03.16

    Posted in authors, celebrities, opinions, quotes, thinkers, thoughts | Comments Off

    Most modern thoughts are not entirely unique. We borrow from our contemporaries and, occasionally, think up ideas which have already been hatched. Yet some words are timeless. Long after the speaker or writer is dead, we remember them.

    As a slight departure from my usual ramblings, here are just a few of my many favorite quotes spoken by great minds. No truer words were ever spoken.

    “Logic, n. The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human understanding.” — Ambrose Bierce

    “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” — Lewis Carroll

    “It’s the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter.” — Marlene Dietrich

    “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas A. Edison

    “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” — Albert Einstein

    “The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.” — Albert Einstein

    “We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” — Benjamin Franklin

    “I have found little that is ‘good’ about human beings on the whole. In my experience most of them are trash, no matter whether they publicly subscribe to this or that ethical doctrine or none at all. That is something that you cannot say aloud, or perhaps even think.” — Sigmund Freud

    “An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools.” — Ernest Hemingway

    “As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” — Carl Gustav Jung

    “The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.” — Carl Gustav Jung

    “Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.” — Carl Gustav Jung

    “It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them!” — Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

    “I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.” — Edgar Allan Poe

    “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” — Socrates

    “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.” — Mark Twain

    “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” — Mark Twain

    “Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.” — Mark Twain

    “It takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you to the heart: the one to slander you and the other to get the news to you.” — Mark Twain

    “It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.” — Mark Twain

    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” — Mark Twain

    “There are three types of lies — lies, damn lies, and statistics.” — Mark Twain

    “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” — Mark Twain

    “…gratitude is a debt which usually goes on accumulating like blackmail; the more you pay, the more is exacted. In time, you are made to realize that the kindness done you is become a curse and you wish it had not happened.” — Mark Twain

    “Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination.” — Mark Twain

    “The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple.” — Oscar Wilde

    “There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” — Oscar Wilde

    “A true friend stabs you in the front.” — Oscar Wilde

    “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” — Oscar Wilde

    What the Surgeon General Forgot to Tell You…


    2009 - 02.05

    Posted in chip coffey, danger, demons, ghost hunting, ghosts, opinions, paranormal, thoughts, websites | Comments Off

    Teenagers becoming possessed after paranormal investigations. People becoming obsessed to an unhealthy degree with EVPs. Evil spirits coming through Ouija boards. These are just a few of the topics tackled by the Southern California Paranormal Research Society (SOCALPRS) on their website, Dangers of the Paranormal.

    The aim is to show the downside to ghost hunting. The situations are a tad bit extreme, wouldn’t you say? Now, most of us who have been on and conducted investigations don’t lie awake at night overcome with paranoia that something horrible will happen. More often than not, nothing happens. In the words of Mad Magazine’s Alfred E. Neuman, “What, me worry?“

    In my 13+ years in the field, I’ve never been so much as slapped. Perhaps they’re afraid I’d slap back. Maybe I’m just lucky or put up a good defense without realizing it. My head hasn’t spun around and spit out pea soup. I’ve never been mauled by a demon dog. No vampire bunnies bit me. No hand has ever tried to strangle me through a television set. And the one time I used a Ouija board as a child, my sister moved the planchette to spell out a woman’s name of who I would marry.

    Oh, dear sister. How wrong you were…

    Does it mean there aren’t any concerns to be had? Hardly. Abandoned buildings and remote locations pose physical risks to health and safety. I’ve known people who have been temporarily possessed, had cameras smacked out of their hand, and been hit by unseen forces. Some of it might have been a bit of a stretch for me to wrap my brain around (especially the seemingly sane people who’ve told me their car was attacked by cults or Bigfoot, without any evidence to substantiate the claim), but I keep an open mind. If my best friend starts speaking in tongues in front of me, who am I to judge?

    At the same time, the horrific accounts you hear about on this and other sites are few and far between. If it really were so hazardous to your health, none of us would dare do it. More often than not, this is the most boring field to enter. You sit. You wait. Nothing happens. You doze off listening to 12 hours of blank audio tape. You spend $50 bucks to stay overnight at a “haunted” business and don’t even get a stupid t-shirt. The only time hairs raise on the back of your neck is when that creepy guy with the lazy eye won’t stop staring at you and breathing in your face with pizza-tainted breath.

    So, I may chuckle a little at the site. But I’ve known better than to stay in certain locations when I feel very uncomfortable. Maybe common sense has kept me in the clear for all these years. Yet it is good to err on the side of caution. Good judgment is sound advice. It’s better to know the extreme (and occasionally absurd) than walk into the field blind as a bat. It is my nature to find humor in everything. So when I come across a site listing dangers including “insomnia” (hey, I have that naturally), “unexplained financial difficulties” (you spent five grand on a thermal camera instead of paying a bill?), “arrest” (I told you not to trespass), and “mental problems” (I know people who qualified long before becoming investigators) among many others as hazards of the field, I can’t resist a little ‘tee-hee’.

    But on a serious note, there is good information to be found out there. The site has interviews with investigatiors, demonologists, and everything in-between. Here are some very good words of advice and answers from Chip Coffey’s interview. It best sums up my own thoughts on the field and I couldn’t have said it better myself (and yes, believe it or not, I have the ability to be serious on an investigation… sometimes):

    "I’m Here to Make Sure You Don’t Say Anything Controversial…"


    2009 - 01.29

    Posted in blogs, gay, gay ghosts, opinions, rants, thoughts | Comments Off

    An interesting thought was expressed back in December on a blog, Ghost Theory, about my website. One of the stories of a gay ghost was pulled out from the bunch and brought into the limelight. The story, of a ghost said to pull down the zipper of male employees, raised questions and concerns of reinforcing stereotypes and being a bit off-color.

    To be honest, I know some people will see it as ammunition reinforcing their views that gay men are loathsome creatures hellbent on seducing any male in their vicinity. But others will have a good laugh about it. Some may even find it fascinating. In fact, each person who reads about it will take away from it something different. That’s the beauty of individualistic thought.

    Some could say that I should eliminate it. That it’s too “negative” for the gay community. I can’t find it within myself to do that. I’m not a fan of censorship. to do so would be an attempt to paint a perfect, idealistic view of the community free of anything bad or “distasteful” (as some may say). But that’s not reality. It’s not true. Just look around at the world: there are murderers, rapists, thieves, and rogues in every walk of life, every sector of society. In every category we create for ourselves (rich, poor, black, white, Russian, American, gay, straight, etc.), there are good, bad, or ugly people. Why pretend they don’t exist?

    Perhaps there’s a little James Whale in me: the sarcastic oh-dear-I’ll-never-work-in-this-town-again attitude of non-conventional thought. Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with that. I ruffle a lot of feathers and I’m not always politically correct. But there is only one way not to offend anyone: never say anything. Never express an opinion. Never have a viewpoint. Never hold any convictions.

    I am sometimes guilty of being a fence-sitter and not taking sides or joining a rally cry. That happens when I either a) don’t have enough information to form an opinion; or b) see the gunfighting getting downright dangerous and would prefer to stay out of the crossfire. In those cases, I try to keep my opinions to myself. They are rare instances, but they do happen. More often I treat everything with a healthy dose of humor. This is often directed at both sides. In most instances of life, there is no “right side” to be on. There is truth to be found in all sides of most arguments.

    I have always taken great pride in being unique, seeing outside the box, and not conforming to the mainstream world around me. I like what I like because I enjoy it, not because anyone wants me to like it. And that view expresses itself in all aspects of my life. My tastes range from the traditional to the bizarre, which is probably why I gravitate toward the paranormal. It goes without saying that even in the supernatural vein, I aim for the strange. But I make no apologies for that. I like paving new paths and marching to my own dysfunctional drummer inside my head. I giggle at what makes some people cringe. I thrill in the pursuit of the weird.

    And so, horny ghosts stay in my work. I make jibes at people not for being different, but for turning a sunken dinghy into the Titanic. I point out unusual things unknown to many. And that’s all a part of who I am. As Bette Davis once said, “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.”

    Scrooged…


    2008 - 12.15

    Posted in christmas, holidays, opinions, people, thoughts | Comments Off

    One week left until Christmas. I can’t wait… for it all to be over, that is.

    Perhaps it sounds rude of me to not extol the glories of the holiday season. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Caroling through snow-swept neighborhoods. Glittering lights and jingling bells. But that isn’t Christmas anymore. It’s a nightmare of rudeness, bombardment by family, and the worst fright of them all: American consumerism run rampant. That’s right: the absurd notion that the holidays mean nothing more than getting the biggest, most expensive gifts.

    The heart of Christmas is dead. In its place is greedy materialism wrapped in a phony red bow. Good will toward men went out the window with George Bailey and Clarence the angel in pursuit of some shred of hope. The little things–the scent of pine boughs, being with loved ones by a roaring fire, and yuletide feasts–are forgotten memories of a bygone era. Simple pleasures no longer exist.

    It’s depressing and infuriating to see people clamber for bargains, trinkets, and gadgets, pushing and fighting over meaningless objects. And that, I’m sorry to inform you, is what all these “deals” are: empty nothingness. Something to be forgotten in another month. Another toy to add to the pile and keep children from realizing they have an imagination. Another gizmo to impress people with nothing better to do with their time than keep up with the Joneses. Piles of junk that will one day line another methane-manufacturing landfill which will serve as the foundation for another useless chain store selling more of what is buried inches beneath the feet of its shoppers.

    Yes, there are things I would truly like to have. But the important things I wish for most can’t be found in glittery wrapping paper beneath a tree. They can’t be bought or sold or picked up last-minute in the final shopping rush. Good company. A sense of belonging. Time. Love. Understanding. Just like that G-scale train set or airplane ticket to Sydney, they’re not bound to appear this year suddenly on the 25th.

    I live in a bitter world of materialism. Not by choice, but by surroundings. There are many good people out there, yet many choose to hibernate through the chaos like myself. I still believe these intangible gifts are out there and I see a peek of them from time to time. Yet they’re the least likely gifts any of us will receive. They require honest effort, not a padded wallet. They come from the heart, not from a cold store shelf.

    The greatest gift we can ever give is care. It can be as simple as the phrase “I’m sorry” said in honesty. It’s telling someone how much they mean to you instead of what they can buy you. It’s setting aside those few free minutes in your day for someone special. It’s giving a hand to someone who needs a little help or politely opening that door for someone. The smallest efforts make the greatest impact.

    Instead, I watch the crowds hurry along with blind eyes in pursuit of plastic treasure.

    Bah, humbug.

    Thar She Blows…


    2008 - 12.12

    Posted in beliefs, ghosts, opinions, paranormal, religion, thoughts | Comments Off

    In the past few months, I have been bombarded with conflicting views and beliefs ranging from pure science to total mysticism. People bring up interesting points about the supernatural, some strong in their convictions and crusading for a new path in either extreme. Coupled with the experience of watching countless organizations spring up and start at the same square all others have before, it makes you think. And it makes me remember my own journey at a younger age.

    Watching everyone paving trails and bolstering their “new” views reminds me of a quote I stumbled across several months ago. If anything, it sums up my stance better than anything else.

    “I used to want to change the world. Now I just want to leave the room with a little dignity.”

    The paranormal realm is comparable to the Greek king Sisyphus repeatedly pushing a massive boulder uphill only to watch it roll back to the bottom. Each new investigator enters the scene with delusions of grandeur, only to end up in the same rut pushing another rock. It wears you down until many people either give up or lose ambition. Most never achieve pop star status. Irrefutable evidence becomes the elusive great white whale. Ghost hunters turn into bearded Ishmaels with EMF detectors.

    The sad truth is we may never find Moby Dick. No amount of believing or disbelieving will change that. It becomes a bitter curse. The cold, calculable world of science takes a toll on our beliefs.

    Yet I like to picture life with some magic and mystery left in it. Many people hold some religious principles to be true without hard science. Are they wrong for doing so? Hardly. It is a human condition to have some form of faith. Faith holds society together. It gives reason to hope and avoids complete chaos. Just imaging a world absent of beliefs and faith. No consequences in the hereafter. No morals. No good triumphing over evil. Every man and woman for himself in a blind, unscrupulous fight for survival. It would mean a real Armageddon with disastrous results.

    The existence of ghosts may rely on faith, but that doesn’t make it a sect, necessarily. Spirituality deals with the intangible. Ideas, thoughts, and principles. The pursuit of spirits is about perceivable phenomena: touch, smell, sight, and sound. While belief in ghosts may be a form of religion, the pursuit is perceptibly different.

    Should everyone believe in ghosts? Not at all. It is not my life’s ambition to play Jesus and attempt to convert masses of people to some new religion. I lay my views and opinions out on the table allowing anyone who wants to look and gather from it what they wish. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. If you want to know the answer to the existence of ghosts, find out for yourself. That has been my stance for many years and will not change. I’m not a prophet. If anything, I’m a tour guide.

    At least by directing supernatural tourists, my dignity remains relatively unscathed.

    Deck the Halls with Bows of Drama…


    2008 - 12.11

    Posted in celebrities, drama, opinions, psychics, television, thoughts | Comments Off

    Every so often, I take a peek at the fascinating drama happening in the paranormal community. The bickering and name-calling, often surrounding people in the media. (Hey at least it’s not about me, for once.) After a brief glimpse months ago at a thread surrounding Chip Coffey, I decided to revisit the mudslinging and see what had been said. If I’ve learned anything it’s that time is a wonderful thing. Truth sorts itself out miles down the road.

    Now I try to be open-minded to all sides in arguments (which creates issues in itself), and I’m far from a perfect person. I get caught up in the wave of dissent and make a few blunders. I do my best to keep a sense of humor, though, and avoid lambasting people with definitive statements. I see all sides of everything.

    For those not “in the know”, a woman accused members of Paranormal State of faking results. Wow… isn’t that a first? I’m hard pressed to find any group or show that hasn’t met controversy. Are the allegations true? Honestly, I have no idea. Depending on who you ask, you’ll get a different answer.

    While allegations are often plausible, it’s the after-effects that end up revealing clues. And in this case, it does strike me strange that someone feeling jilted by free publicity would begin charging people to visit her haunted home. Is it proof positive? No, but a red flag goes up.

    People have misconceptions about television and those who appear on a screen. I have known writers, filmmakers, actors, and other individuals in the public eye. Yes, what you see isn’t always exact reality. “Improv” can be scripted. Troubles brew on the set. And often, the visible people face the brunt of it all. Anyone who knows the behind-the-scenes workings can tell you that it’s a totally different world from what appears to the viewer. Even in “reality television”, nothing is as it appears.

    An old friend of mine stepped away from the movie world for good in recent years. Seeing all I witness, I know why. It’s not about being a bad actor or not finding work. It’s about sanity, avoiding rumor mills, and wanting a normal life. And there is no fault in that. If he wants to work at a restaurant and come home to his other half, it doesn’t mean “he couldn’t cut it” or “has a pathetic life”, as some could suggest. Fame has its price. Getting out of the downward spiral and nightmarish hellstorm while you can is wise.

    But back to Chip, Ryan, and the drama.

    So, what do I believe? I think that there is a lot the general public doesn’t know about every single show and film ever made. I believe that truth is relative. And I still have faith that truth wins out over all else. Not a satisfactory answer? Sorry. I have heard so many things about so many people over the years. I’ve watched message boards fill up with rumors while knowing the truth. I’ve been called a liar, fake, and charlatan. I have tried to tell the truth to defend people only to be told I was “making it up for fame”. Then, when truth finally rears its head, people magically forget that someone had their facts straight.

    I know the burning questions people want an answer to: is Chip a fraud? Is Ryan vain? Is the woman a greedy sod? I’m not here to answer those things. I’m here to find amusement in humanity. Our petty babblings and stupid assumptions. I play devil’s advocate to test the waters. I have psychic friends who have come under attack (actually, every single one has). I also have friends who felt jilted by celebrities. It bothers me to be forced into the middle, so I refuse to do it. A friend of mine from Florida emailed me about a psychic on television who “stole” his television show idea and ran with it. Since the show is currently on air, I’m not saying another word. But I avoided commenting back about that. They’re both adult men and can duke it out themselves. I refuse to take sides with either one. Why? Because I don’t have all the facts. I get along with most everyone and intend to stay that way. I’m not here to say which psychic is better than the other.

    To be honest, I like Chip. And I give him credit for holding his own with all the trash that goes around. Does that mean that everyone I know, associate with, or befriend likes him? Hardly. But so what? I’m Switzerland. I indulge all sides in their say. Switzerland harbored refugee Jews and laundered Nazi money. Do I agree with everyone? No. But in this world of name-calling and mean words, I tend to keep quiet about my own views. Trying to be friendly with everyone is one of the most difficult tasks in the world. Yet one thing holds true: often, the people who accuse others of certain behaviors and deeds are guilty of the same things. That’s why I smile. it’s merely a suppressed laugh.

    And for those of you who want answers, I’ll give you one. You’ll probably never know the real answers to these questions. Is psychic X legit and psychic Y a fraud? Find out for yourself. Judge people by their character and compassion and not popularity or rumors. Most of us are undecided on the truth behind psychic ability. Yet I have had things told to me by psychics which ended up being true. I’ve also had horrible readings that were nothing but trash. I’ve known arrogant psychics who saw themselves as demigods and hesitant ones who worried about every word they said.

    Am I a little biased with who I like? Of course. Aren’t we all? I’m not perfect nor am I entirely neutral. Those are two impossibilities in humanity. And I am human… last I checked. I can be lead astray. I make errors in judgement. I put my foot in my mouth. But at least I’m sensible enough to admit it. If I laugh at the world’s stupidity, shouldn’t I laugh at my own?

    A Picture is Worth a Thousand Groans…


    2008 - 12.03

    Posted in opinions, orbs, paranormal, people, photos, psychology, thoughts | Comments Off

    Give someone a ghost photograph and they’ll be amused for a brief while; teach someone to take paranormal photographs and they’ll discover new levels of self-induced paranoia…

    Or so I’ve learned.

    The number of “Oh my god! I took a picture of Satan in my oatmeal! Do I need an exorcism?!” photos I end up receiving can, at times, be mindboggling. Blurry, dim, and/or erroneous digital pictures can create a fount of possibilities in our minds. Of course, most of the time it really is all in your head. Hand me any picture taken anywhere and I can point out at east one “face”, and probably a dozen other objects – from skateboards to dragons to tubas. Are they paranormal or paranoia? Well, hopefully neither… but often the latter.

    Then there are the dozens of “orbs”, usually taken in either basements or attics (coincidence?), I muddle through, trying to find the politest way to reply. Dust… oops, I mean “orbs”… happens. Old, dirty houses have dust! Even your cleanest home has particles flying around in the air. And outdoors, pollen and insects are an orb hunter’s dream come true! Don’t believe me? Experiment a little Shake a flower or an old pillow gently in the air and snap a photo.

    So, to the many people capturing remarkable digital photos of orbs, faces, devils, witches, ectoplasm, faeries, dead celebrities, and alphabet soup flying through the air, I have one bit of advice: test out a few mundane possibilities before dialing 9-1-1. Photograph shadows, breath, dust, insects, and deer before giving yourself cardiac arrest.

    Baa Baa Black Sheep…


    2008 - 11.15

    Posted in fame, opinions, paranormal, personal, publicity, rants, thoughts | Comments Off

    (or “Being a Loathed Maverick Without Running for Political Office…“)

    For most of my life, I have felt like a casual observer of humanity on the outside of an aquarium looking in at the inner workings of social interaction and human behavior. I guess it comes as no surprise that I still often feel like an outsider on the fringe. Some of my beliefs aren’t in line with majority views. I march to my own drummer, even when it meets with resistance.

    This is certainly true in the paranormal community. I don’t try to pass off every round photographic anomaly as an orb. I’m not an avid “Ghost Hunters” viewer and I don’t offer ghost housekeeping services or magical cleansings, which may or may not work. I hold myself to the same level of scrutiny as I find from both believers and skeptics alike. And often I clash with both peers and critics.

    But that’s part of the job. They say that if you can’t handle a rejection letter, you have no business being a writer. On the same token, if you can’t weather harsh criticism with the paranormal, it might not be your best choice of career or hobby.

    I remember sitting in the waiting area at Cleveland Scene Magazine years ago, waiting to have my picture taken to accompany an article being published. As I read a newspaper (Tip: if you want to appear ignorant of your surroundings, pretend to be reading or watching television), the secretary began discussing the latest news with a colleague.

    “So, what happened with this ghost hunting article Chris was writing about?”

    “He said it was stupid. A bunch of weird people wandering in the dark talking about seeing spirits. The head guy was okay but some of the others were crazy.”

    Just then, the journalist and photographer came over to whisk me away to an empty room to snap a photo of me holding a flashlight and “acting” like I was looking for something. I flashed a polite smile to the secretary as I passed; a look of embarrassed dread crossed her face. Minutes later, I returned to the waiting room to head out.

    “I’m so sorry about what I said,” she pleaded.

    I brushed it off. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve been called worse. And I know it seems a bit strange to most people, but I still find it interesting.”

    I showed her my website, explained my own skepticism, and let her glance at my few photos. She played a few EVP’s before shutting down her browser.

    “Okay, I’m creeped out. I can’t listen to any more!”

    I left feeling content that she now knew I wasn’t some lunatic with a flashlight.

    The desire for fame can be blinding to beginners. Everyone, it seems, wants to be a Kennedy but doesn’t want to face possible bullets. And they do come flying in the form of quiet remarks or swift attacks. It can be as subtle as offhand comments behind your back or patronizing statements passed off as fake surprise or enthusiasm (and many fail to detect it). At other times, comments are directly thrust in your face, defiantly declaring you a fraud or psychopath.

    This is an extremely controversial topic. The more exposure you gain, the more open to attacks we all become. Just looking at the latest TAPS jacket-pulling debate is proof of that. Is it fake? I don’t have an opinion. It could be or couldn’t be. But I’m not here to judge and burn bridges. I will say this much: the truth will come out eventually. If it end up being fraudulent, I’d focus my blame on pressures from behind-the-scenes. People fail to realize the level of control producers and management exert on television and film. Once you’re a celebrity, you no longer have the final say in anything. You’re just a pawn. Every word is monitored while contracts are dangled over your head like blackmail letters. It’s a tough, cruel world.

    Even if you haven’t achieved ultimate fame, people smile at you with concealed daggers waiting for a chance to plunge it into your back. Paranormal investigators scratch and claw at each other to prove themselves worthier of positive press. Instead of teamwork, it’s a dog-eat-dog world. Belittling others becomes the norm. Dramas become more frequent than any found in booze-soaked gay bars. Ultimately, most investigators lead a nomadic existence after years of battling these petty forces.

    And so, here I am: the black sheep. Not much has changed in over a decade. The same battles and nitpicking surrounds me. Newbies still become overnight experts. Seasoned researchers fight bitterness and apathy. The world keeps spinning yet some feel the need to make themselves the axis. Every day feels like going into battle, and the comrades are few and far between.

    Somewhere along the way, we forgot why we’re in this. The paranormal takes a backseat to popularity and oneupmanship. It takes a tough skin and strong sense of humor to survive. But no one ever said it was easy to be different. Unpaved roads are never without a few bumps. But the view from afar—the view from the outside—is so much better.

    The World Is Watching…


    2008 - 11.04

    Posted in election, opinions, presidency, united states, voting | Comments Off

    …quite literally. It is election day in America and this could very well be the most important election of recent history. Come tomorrow morning, we will either have the first multi-ethnic president this country has ever seen or the oldest in our nation’s history.

    Many of us will be anxiously awaiting the results (and breathing a sigh of relief that the phone calls and television ads have subsided) as the world turns its eyes to us to see what decision we make.

    Though it is election day, I have not voted and will not vote today. Is it because I’m a bitter, jaded curmudgeon who believes the process is futile? Not at all. In reality, I already voted weeks ago via absentee ballot. For me, my part in the process has been over for a while. But for the majority of America, today is a shining moment to make their voices heard.

    We often forget that voting is a privilege. In some countries, the government domineers the people and keeps them silent. If we had such a history, perhaps voter turnout would be at a higher level. People become lax, apathetic, and careless. These principles are what foster dictatorial rulers.

    No matter what your views, remember the importance of the election process. If you fail to take the time and cast your ballot, you become part of what is wrong with the country. Passiveness becomes a harbinger of oppression. And when politics go awry, you revoke your right to criticize.

    If you have voted, congratulate yourself on being part of the solution instead of part of the problem. If you haven’t, there’s still time to make a difference.

    The world is watching. What you decide to do today can effect the course of history.

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