The Ghost and His Mullet

The Flora-bama sits on the boundary between Alabama and Florida near some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.   It is a unique cultural experience.  Stepping into the Flora-bama is stepping into the deep Southern culture that lives along the gulf submerged in bayous and sand.    It lingers in a place where rural Southern culture and massive tourism merge together.   It is a constant party that only stops for the occasional Hurricane.  It is also haunted.

The story of the ghost of the Flora-bama is a sad story.   Orville Stickenbacker was a shy boy that lived his entire life in Orange Beach and the surrounding area.  He had lost both his parents and didn't have very many friends.  Orville worked at a shop in Gulf Shores selling nick nacks to tourists.  He took his role in Gulf Coast culture seriously and tried to dress the part.  He wore brightly colored tropical shirts and had a pet hermit crab named Jezebel.

When Orville turned twenty-one he did what anyone would do and went to the bar.  Of course, Orville didn't drink, but he enjoyed the activities at the Flora-bama.   On Orville's first night at the Flora-bama, it was the night of Flora-bama's famous mullet toss.   On Orville's first night at the Flora-bama he fell in love with the mullet toss and he even won the toss.  It was the most fun he had ever had.

The next year was not kind to Orville.   Orville began to get sick.   He found a lump when he was taking a shower and began losing weight.   People noticed Orville's steady decline.  They begged him to go to the doctor, but for some reason, Orville refuse.   He grew sicker and sicker and Orville did nothing.  He wasted away without medical attention.  No one can say why he didn't go to the doctor.  Maybe he wanted to die, maybe he couldn't pay the hospital bills, but forever reason he just wouldn't get help.  

The next year Orville went to the mullet toss with his pet hermit crab, Jezebel in his pocket.   He participated in the mullet toss but did not win, so he asked if he could toss a fish.   He tossed the fish and with that action began the now famous fish toss at the Flora-bama.  When the night ended and all the fish and mullets had been throw, Orville walked out onto the beach.   He walked into the ocean and drown himself. 

People say that Orville still haunts the Flora-bama.  He sits on the back deck watching people throw mullets and fish.   He is often seen wandering the beach and walking towards the waves.

 *Story taken from "Alabama Ghosts" by Holly Smith

The Ghost of The Dorsey House

The Dorsey House is located just outside of Port Huron Michigan.   My family has been eating at the Dorsey House since it was a carriage house populated people traveling across Michigan by horseback.  The restaurant has a long history and that history is peppered with just enough sorrow to merit a ghost story.  You wouldn't know it now.  The restaurant is cozy and warm.  The food is good and the staff is friendly.  The restaurant feels new, because it has been rebuilt.   However, a ghost named Ira still hides in the shadows there, waiting to scare children in bathrooms and torment the staff late at night.

According to local legend, Ira was a violent sort of fellow who was prone to fighting.   During one of his scraps at the old Dorsey House, he was killed in the parking lot.   Since then, his spirit has lingered at the restaurant.  The old Dorsey House was pulled down in 1995 but that hasn't stopped Ira from haunting the new eatery and stories of his haunting persist to this day.  I asked our waitress about Ira and she indicated that doesn't particularly believe in ghosts.  Despite this, she says the restaurant is riddled with things she can't explain.  The water turns on and off by itself and lights flicker and go off.   Others have reported seeing strange lights and mists in the historic restaurant.   I saw nothing there but good food and happy faces, but my son says he saw a strange light in the bathroom.   Young eyes are prone to exaggeration, but my son's story reminds me of my favorite part of ghost stories.   They stimulate the imagination and spread on the wings of legend keeping them alive long after the living are dead.

Law School Exam--A student's imminent domain

Every law student I know has a specific study style, but almost all of them I know do some of the following shit during final exams, and almost certainly has a setup during said exam that looks strikingly similar to the one I've shown below. Allow me to guide you through the preparatory setup of a law school exam.

A:  the last chance at a hot drink before your final begins. At best, your Starbucks is lukewarm, and all the caffeine has rendered your tastebuds nil, but you've somehow convinced yourself that this caramel macchiato is going to give you that boost you need to succeed. (Good luck with that)

B:  your trusty laptop, which is probably on its last legs of life since you've inadvertently spilled yesterday's Starbucks on it. Watch for this awesome machine to suddenly shit out on you in the middle of the exam.

C:  Earplugs. To try to drown out the commotion that the obnoxious fucker (probably you) is probably going to cause during the exam.

D:  some sort of food that not only crunches when you eat it, but that gives off a fucking noxious odor that makes the people around you (whose stomachs and systems are also filled to the breaking point with caffeine) want to simultaneously barf and kill you. You dumbass motherfucker.

E:  5-hour energy. Taken when you start flagging--generally 1/3 of the way in. Need I say more?


F:  the Diet Coke you're going to pop in the middle of the goddamn exam right as I've come up with something brilliant to say. This, of course, will make my mouth water, and also make me lose whatever train of conscious thought I had going.


G:  see D, only this is SUPERSIZED, so you want to make sure to eat it in the middle of the exam and make AS MUCH FUCKING NOISE OPENING THE BAG AS POSSIBLE.

H:  the sole pencil you have for the Scantron whose lead will probably break halfway through filling in the bubbles. You probably even had to bum this off of someone else. Because who uses pencils?

I:   the eraser you've somehow managed to keep since you were a 1L purchasing school supplies. It will be in the bottom of your bookbag, probably covered in some kind of foreign substance.

J:  pens. Because you're almost definitely going to have to write something by hand, even if you don't want to.

K:  six fucking colors of highlighters. Because you're apparently still of the mindset that you should use the highlighting system generally only utilized by first week 1Ls before they decide to stop reading altogether.

L:   the watch you've finally remembered to bring after the last time you got COMPLETELY fucked by the proctor administering the exam.

M: the space reserved for the test that is probably going to make you want to vomit a little bit.

Now, if you look closely at the picture, you'll notice two things enclosed outside of the desk, but no less prevalent in the preparation of a law student for final exams. 

N:  the non-prescribed pills that the law student has been popping for the previous 72 hours prior to the exam. Adderall to pick you up, Ambien to put you down (after the exam, naturally), and God knows what else.
O:  RedBull almost certainly chugged down as if it was the breastmilk obtained from the teat of knowledge....except it's not and it probably isn't going to sit well with the 17+ other types of caffeine you've been swilling for the last umpteen hours.

Not enough hours in the day.....

The end of school is rapidly approaching, and I'm confronting life with all the grace of a lumbering wildebeest and the social skills of a velociraptor.

I have three finals in the course of a week, six memos to finish for ONE clinic, final hours for a judicial externship, a 10 page paper for the aforementioned judicial externship, and OH MY GOD WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE..................

My heightened surliness was recently remarked upon by my mother, Mad Maxine, who has a velociraptor approach in every avenue of life (thus making her observations that much more poignant).

Max: you've gotta relax a little bit. You've been bitchier than ever lately. What calms you down?
Me: Tequila.
Max: No, seriously.
Me: I am being serious. Tequila.
Max: Okay....
Me: So what do you suggest?
Max: Tequila.


If you need me, I'll be under my desk clutching my bff bottle.

Spring Fling Blog Hop Winner Announced

The Winner of the Spring Fling Blog Hop Is BookAttict from
http://bookattict.blogspot.com/ .    Thanks to All Who Participated and Thank You for Stopping By!

Ms. Book Attict has won a free copy of my haunting paranormal romance Death's Dream Kingdom and a $15 amazon giftcard this week for the blog hop. 

Death's Dream Kingdom is the story of a woman who is ordinary in every way. She's an average mother and wife and is happy living every day mired in the ins and outs of the mundane, until she is murdered. After her death, Cera finds herself lost in a nether land somewhere between life and death where demons, ghosts, and old gods roam the streets preying on the living. In this strange world, Cera is told that she is everything but ordinary. In death, she alone can help heal the rift between worlds and help bridge the gap between life and death. Caught somewhere between her desire to live again and the desire to find heaven, Cera fights those that would pull her into the politics of the netherworld. But the will of the Fates is stronger than Cera's will and Cera quickly finds herself pulled into a quest that will drag her to hell and back and into the arms of an ancient demon lover. She will find that she is a child a Fate and that she alone can challenge Death himself for dominion over his kingdom.

 The Spring Fling Blog Hop

1.	SER's Awesomness!	43.	Michelle Clay (INT)
2.	Selena Blake	44.	Carly Fall - Where Fantasy Meets Romance (INT)
3.	Josee Renard	45.	Laura Kaye (INT)
4.	Eliza Gayle	46.	Bitten by Paranormal Romance (US)
5.	theJeepDiva (US & Int)	47.	Guilty Pleasures
6.	Dani Harper, PNR author - Way Past Normal (INT)	48.	Book Monster Reviews (INT)
7.	Best Erotica Books (INT)	49.	BookSpark (INT)
8.	Romance Book Junkies (US)	50.	MyBookAddiction
9.	Alice Anderson	51.	Close Encounters with the Night Kind
10.	http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=5398161	52.	http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=5865959
11.	Not Your Momma's Book Blog (US)	53.	Sara Daniel Romance Author
12.	Reading Between the Wines (US/CA)	54.	Dianne Duvall - Paranormal Romance Author (INT)
13.	http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=5400387	55.	H. D. Thomson (INT)
14.	Cocktails and Books (INT)	56.	http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=5894236
15.	Serenity Woods	57.	Xandra James (INT)
16.	Gabrielle Bisset (INT)	58.	Tami Brothers ~ Live, Love, Write! (INT)
17.	Kassanna	59.	Kharisma Rhayne
18.	Jennifer Zane- Author (INT)	60.	LilyElement
19.	Casey Crow (INT)	61.	Mimmi's Musings
20.	Delighted Reader (US/CAN)	62.	Jessica Scott
21.	Ann Cory (US) ebook prize	63.	The Romanceaholic (US/INT)
22.	Book Savvy Babe	64.	Cherie Marks
23.	Sarah Gilman	65.	Mercy Bordeaux (US)
24.	Lissa Matthews	66.	After Dark (INT)
25.	Miss Vain's Paranormal Fantasy (INT)	67.	One Writer - Two Names (INT)
26.	Minding Spot (US)	68.	Malia Mallory (INT)
27.	Riverina Romantics (US & CAN)	69.	Steph (Int)
28.	Sandra Bunino	70.	Shannan Albright
29.	Tiffany Snow	71.	H.B. Pattskyn (US/INT)
30.	Amanda J. Greene (INT)	72.	http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=6088150
31.	Dark Haven Book Reviews (INT)	73.	Froggarita's Bookcase
32.	Romance Book Club Blog (US/CAN)	74.	Terra Harmony
33.	Blackraven's Erotic Cafe (INT)	75.	Nina Whyle
34.	Blackraven's Reviews (INT)	76.	Kat Halstead (US)
35.	AJ's Reading Nook (INT)	77.	June Kramin
36.	The Readers Roundtable Romance Reccers (INT)	78.	http://www.inlinkz.com/displayurl.php?id=6183081
37.	Dark Divas Reviews (INT)	79.	Ghost Stories and Haunted Places
38.	Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy	80.	Telling Tales (US & CA)
39.	Romance At Random US	81.	Reading On The Wild Side (US)
40.	Diane Thorne - Erotic Paranormal Romance Author	82.	The eBook Reviewers (US)
41.	Tina Folsom (INT)	83.	Shawntelle Madison - Author (INT)
42.	Natasha Blackthorne (INT)	84.	Leila Brown

Can Ghosts be Captured?

Nganga was originally a word referring to a spiritual healer in the Bantu culture.  It continues to have that meaning in that culture.  However, as Nganga has taken on a different meaning in  Haitian, Cuban, and Brazilian Voodoo cultures.  It refers to an iron pot containing a large number of items such as bones, often a skull, chains, nails, bullets, and feathers bound together with chains and padlocks used to contain  spirits.   The spirits can be good or bad and the reason for their containment can vary.   The older the spirit the stronger the power of the nganga.

I learned about the Nganga on a show called Oddities on the Discovery Channel.   Such an object made me wonder if a spirit or ghost could be captured and contained in an object.   There are many circumstances in which objects are said to be haunted.  Robert the Doll and the Crying Boy Painting are classic examples of objects that are said to carry malevolent spirits with them.   However, it is an entirely different thing for something to be haunted and something to be created to contain a spirit.  Movies seem to love this idea.   Thirteen Ghosts shows a man capturing ghosts for his own malevolent purposes.  Ebay certainly loves this idea. Pendants and objects containing ghosts and spirits are prolific there and many of them sell for $666.00.  According to The Black Arts, by Richard Cavendish this is a believed possible by those who practice ritual magic.  Apparently many people believe this possible or at least want other people to believe it possible because these items seem to be quite prolific on the Internet.

However, despite my research I haven't found any stories by those who have bought or found Nganga or other man made spirit containing objects with interesting ghost stories.  You would think that if ghosts or spirits could be forcibly contained such stories would be more prolific than the number of people selling objects like this.  I really have no experience in these things so I can't conclusively comment one way or another, but I have to wonder if the Nganga on the discovery channel really did contain a ghost or spirit.   The stars of the show were certainly creeped out enough by the Nganga that they wouldn't keep it in their shop.   I'm not sure what I think, but I know the idea is very creepy and I certainly wouldn't want such an object anywhere near me.

Doctor's Lawyer

From: Dr. Richard Abramovic

Subject: Potential Litigation matter

Date: April 22, 2012 6:30:08 AM PDT

Reply-To: ejroth1958@hotmail.com

My name is Dr. Richard Abramovic and I provided a client of mine Mr Robert Garcia a business loan in the amount of $394,000. He needed this loan to buy some equipment for his business in 2009. He is based in yourJurisdiction. The loan was for 24 months and interest rate of 8.75%.Thecapital and interest were supposed to be paid on December 15th 2011 but Mr. Garcia has only paid $91,100. Please let me know if this fallwithinthe scope of your practice so that I can provide you with the loandocumentsand answer any other questions you may have.

Aswang in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan

Story

April 18, 2012, just few days ago, many news were posted in internet about ASWANG roaming in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan after several animals went missing in their village. Every night, residents of Brgy. Villegas, scours the street armed with spears and machetes.

[Taken from a News Website [1]:]

Dog hunted, caught on suspicion of being an 'aswang' in Pangasinan MANILA, Philippines -- A white dog was hunted down and caught after it was suspected of being an aswang, or a mythical ghoul that changes shape and has vampire-like characteristics. But it was later set free by residents of Barangay Villegas, Pozzorubio in Pangasinan province, TV5's France Noguera reported on location at Aksyon Prime on Wednesday. The white dog was suspected of being one of two "aswangs"--one colored white, the other black--that preyed on members of the the village, which is four to six hours away from the Philippine capital. Villagers became suspicious about the dog's real persona when they saw that it was colored white and was found near a ricefield where the aswang supposedly fled after being hunted down by a dozen or so spear-wielding residents. The ricefield was later burned to ward off the aswang and discourage the supernatural being from ever coming back, residents interviewed by TV5 said. One middle-aged female resident even tried to take a video of the aswang to "prove that it exists," she told Noguera. However, her efforts were in vain. For his part, Pozzorubio mayor Artemio Chan said the "aswang" was just a reason being used by criminal elements to rob homeowners in the area. - - - - 18-Apr-12, 6:49 PM | TV5 and InterAksyon.com

[Taken from a News Website [2]:]

Priest wants stop to 'aswang' hunt MANILA, Philippines – A Catholic parish priest in the town of Pozorrubio in Pangasinan has urged residents to put a stop to a monster hunt and instead strengthen their faith in God. Fr. Hurly John Solfelix said he is planning to include in his sermons that there is no such thing as an “aswang,” a vampire-like creature in Philippine folklore. Residents of Barangay Villegas in Pozorrubio believe that such a creature exists after several animals went missing in their village. Armed with spears and machetes, the residents have been scouring the streets in search of the “aswang.” Police, meanwhile, have advised residents to avoid leaving their homes at night as it may give robbers the opportunity to steal their belongings. Chief Inspector Satur Ediong said the residents should leave the pursuit to the cops. The residents once again took to the streets last Tuesday night after some of them allegedly saw the creature. “Dati ‘di ako naniniwala hanggang sa nakita ko kanina,” said Rino Igoy, one of the residents. Police, however, continue to warn residents that it may only be a modus operandi by criminals who want to take advantage of unattended homes. - - - - Report from John Germono, ABS-CBN News Dagupan Posted at 04/18/2012 5:57 PM | Updated as of 04/19/2012 1:09 AM

Resolution

[Taken from a News Website [3]:]

‘Aswang’ in Pangasinan not true, says Archbishop Cruz MANILA, Philippines—Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz says the aswang (Philippine ghoul) believed to be lurking in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan that have kept residents sleepless for a number of days was not true. In a phone interview with Radyo Inquirer 990AM, Cruz said that he thinks the residents would not say such things unless they had not actually experienced of felt strange phenomena. The question was whether the strange phenomena could actually be attributed to aswang, Cruz said. “These are often not true and are instead caused by other things such as animals that are uncommon in the area, but people still attributed it to the aswang,” Cruz said. He said it was likely that people attribute strange natural phenomena to the aswang because it was already ingrained in our culture. “Especially in Capiz province where the aswang is already taken for granted. But in truth, science has not proven their existence,” Cruz said. When asked about Christianity’s belief in evil spirits and demons that can possess humans, Cruz said that they have not been sufficiently proven except in cases of exorcism. Cruz recounted a particular exorcism experience he had while studying in Rome, Italy. He said he saw a person being possessed and was levitating from the bed somewhere in northern Italy. Cruz said he personally saw the exorcism which he described as hair-raising. “The priest blessed the person and then he fell back down on the bed,” Cruz said. He said the church accepts there are evil spirits but these were not used just to scare people. The particular person who was possessed in Italy was believed to have molested women and had abandoned his children, Cruz said. “It’s some kind of penalty” probably to teach people a lesson, Cruz said. Asked whether the aswang could be removed from Filipino culture, Cruz believed that globalization and the advancement of civilization might slowly end people’s belief in the aswang. Cruz said that one of his friends jokingly suggested giving contraceptives to the aswang so as to stop them from proliferating. He said parents might also be blamed for the persistent belief in the aswang by scaring their children so they will come home when it gets dark. It could also be possible that thieves made up the story about the lurking aswang in Pangasinan so they could have opportunities to steal, Cruz said. He added Filipinos love to believe in folklore which was why the business of selling “anting-anting” or sacred talismans in Quiapo was booming. When asked about the annual Halloween festivities where evil spirits are believed by most Filipinos to be more active, Cruz said it was actually a time when most people travel back to the provinces and reunite with their families and visit departed loved ones in cemeteries. “Halloween has become more like a family affair,” Cruz said. In other countries, Halloween has become commercialized and more of a recreation just like the Easter holidays, Cruz said. He said the Filipinos belief in the aswang was in the culture and not just in the religion. Although culture cannot be removed immediately, it can be changed over time, Cruz said. “Culture is already part of the life of a person, that’s why it can be very hard to remove,” Cruz said. - - - - By Matikas Santos 990 AM Radyo Inquirer, INQUIRER.net 7:51 pm | Thursday, April 19th, 2012

Sources:
[1]http://www.interaksyon.com/article/29751/dog-hunted-caught-on-suspicion-of-being-an-aswang-in-pangasinan
[2]http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/04/18/12/priest-wants-stop-aswang-hunt [3]http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/179371/%E2%80%98aswang%E2%80%99-in-pangasinan-not-true-says-archbishop-cruz

The Possessing Doll of Naic

Stories

[Taken from Internet:]

Ang Manikang Sumasanib Ang susunod na sulatin ay batay sa mga nakalap na kwentong-bayan, "patotoo" mula sa mga nakaranas, at/o mga salaysay na bagaman walang matibay na sandigan, maiging lumaganap hindi lamang sa kabihasnan, kundi sa mga liblib na kanayunan ng Naic. Samantala, upang mapangalagaan sa kung anumang maaaring maganap, hindi ilalantad ang kanilang mga tunay na pangalan. Sa gitnang bahagi ng Kalye Pelaez, isang berdeng bahay ang matatagpuan. Bagaman ilang dekada na rin itong natatayo, hindi naman ito napapabayaan, at regular pa ring ipinaaayos at pinapipinturahan. Dahilan ang mga orihinal na may-ari ay sa Amerika na naninirahan, ang nasabing bahay ay pinauupahan na lamang. At sa lahat ng nanirahan, sari-saring kwento ng kababalaghan at katatakutan ang sa kanila'y maririnig--mga kaluluwang tulung-tulong na nagbabangon sa tulog; kaluluwang nagbabantay sa sanggol; mga tumutugtog sa lumang piano; humihila ng silya at lamesa; atbp. Subalit isa sa mga makatawag pansin sa mga kababalaghan, sa lahat ng lumang gamit na naroon, ay ang antigong manika na 'di umano'y sumasanib... naghihiganti. Tag-init, taong 2002, gabi noon at walang kuryente. Sa pagiging bukas ng mga noo'y nakatira sa bahay, maraming kabataan ang nagkakatipun-tipon, nagkwekwentuhan at nagkakatuwaan. Samantala, hindi naiwasang pag-usapan ang mga kwentong katatakutan gayong makailang bahay lamang ay may patay na nakaburol. Isa sa mga nasa bahay noon ay si Kano. Kilala si Kano sa baranggay bilang isa sa mga astigin at tigasin. Bahagi ng katuwaan, kinuha ni Kano ang isang manikang maraming taon nang hindi nagagalaw. Hindi lalayo sa tatlong talampakan ang taas ng manika, na ayon sa mga nakakita'y tila may sarili nang buhay. Sa ibang perspektibo, masasabing ang manikang iyon, kasama ang iba pang manika sa bahay, ang silang matatagal nang naninirahan sa bahay. Ginalaw at pinanakot pa ni Kano ang manika sa mga kasamahan. Sa 'di sinasadyang pangyayari, naputol ang kamay ng manika. Mabilis naman ang mga sumunod na pangyayari. Biglang-bigla, hindi na maigalaw ni Kano ang kanyang buong katawaan. Pilit man siyang kumilos o magsalita, wala siyang magawa. Nagtagaktakan ang pawis ni Kano. Nagulat na rin ang lahat sapagkat wala nang tigil ang pagpatak ng mga luha ni Kano. Pilit na pinakakalma ng mga kasamahan si Kano. Nang maisip na may kinalaman ang nangyari sa manika sa sinapit ni Kano, sinabi ng mga kasamang humingi ng tawad si Kano. Nang sa isip ay makahingi na ng tawad si Kano, unti-unti na ring nawala ang kung anong pwersang bumalot sa kanya. Ayon kay Kano, hindi niya rin maipaliwanag ang nangyari sa kanya. Sinabi naman ng albularyong agad na natawag, ang espirito ng manika ang nagalit at pilit na pumapasok sa katawan ni Kano.

The Posssessing Doll The following story is based from collected folklore, "evidence" from those who experienced, and/or from interviews, though it doesn't have a strong source, the legend still spread not only in cities but also in distant villages of Naic. In the other hand, to protect them for something that will happen, their real names are not revealed. In the middle part of Kalye Pelaez, a house painted in green is to be found. Although it was built decades ago still it was standing, the house was not neglected, and it was cared and repainted regularly. The said house was being leased because the original owners were living in America. And to all those who had lived there, various mysterious and frightful stories can be heard from them -- ghosts who help waking individuals from sleeping; ghosts guarding babies; those who played old pianos; those who pulls chairs and tables; and many more. But the most known mysteries, of all the old things there, was the antique doll which was said to be the one who possesses... avenging. Summer, year 2002, it was at night and there was no light (electricity). The previous leasees, being open to everybody, many children got together, having conversation and horrifies one another. Meanwhile, telling horror stories can't be avoided especially there was a weak few houses away. One of the people in the house was Kano. He is known in barangay as one of the bravest and strongest. As part of their game, Kano took a doll which was not been moved there for years. It's height was almost three feet, which according to those who saw it, the doll seemed to have it's own life. In other perspective, you can say that the doll with the other dolls in the house was the oldest who lived there. Kano moved and used it to scare his companions. Accidentally, he broke the hand of the doll. What happen was very sudden. Abruptly, Kano can't moved his whole body. Whenever he forced to move or talk, he can't do it. His sweat downpours. Everyone was shocked seeing Kano never stop crying. They insisted to calm him. When they thought that the doll was the reason of what happened to Kano, they told him to say sorry. When Kano do so in his mind, slowly the force covering his body gone. According to Kano, he can't explained what had happened to him. The albularyo who was called immediately, said, the spirit of the doll got mad and forcely went inside Kano's body.

Info

I haven't researched informations regarding this yet. Naic is part of the province of Cavite in Southern Tagalog region.

Sources:

http://www.filipinoes.net/filboard/thread-3384.html

My Son's Ghostly Encounter

I took these pictures of my sons using my iphone and these ghostly encounters are entirely fabricated by the new iphone app Ghost Exposure and the older one, Ghost Expose.  I compared these apps to see which I liked better, but which look more realistic?

I love my iphone.  It is my favorite gizmo.  I live with it attached to me.  I've used it to play scrabble, blog, check email, take family photos, and remind myself to pick my children up from school.  Over the years, I reviewed iphone apps here before, but I thought it might be fun to revisit  my favorite and compare it with a newer app that does the same thing. Ghost Capture and Ghost Expose are both very similar apps.   They both allow you take pictures and add ghosts, zombies, or goblins to your photographs.   I prefer ghost capture because it has a larger selection of ghosts to add to you photograph.  It also allows you to adjust the transparency of your ghost to make it more solid and more diaphanous with the touch of the button.  However,  it is harder to use and for instant photos with quick ghostly additions I would prefer Ghost Expose.  I also think Ghost Capture creates more realistic photos by providing more realistic ghost options.  For example, the pig demon ghost is just silly.    So what do ya'll think?  Which photos look better?

Both of these apps are available on itunes and both have free versions.  They are both tons of fun that will entertain your children for days and have fooled my coworkers and friends far more times than they should have.  One of my friends wouldn't believe the photo below was faked.  Both apps have their flaws, but both are a good time waiting to happen.

Minnesota Law Firm Get Burned and Sues the Bank

Ouch. You can read the full article here.

The Unlucky History of Friday the 13th

Happy Friday the 13th.  I am reposting my origins of Friday the 13th post to help celebrate this wonderful day.  I hope your 13th is as luck as mine has been!  Friday the 13th is considered the most unlucky day of the year. Most people aren't entirely sure where this bad luck comes from, but fear of Friday the 13th can affect as many as 1 in 4 people. The fear of Friday the 13th is known as triskaidekaphobia.


"It's been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do," said Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina.

So where does this fear that can cripple a nation come from? There really seems to be no consensus on the origin of Friday the 13th. Everyone has a story, but most of them are different. The fear comes from an unknown source. Here's a look at a few of the Friday the 13th origin stories I've found.

One folklorist traces the origins back to Norse mythology. There were 12 gods who had a dinner party in Valhalla. A 13th guest, Loki, was uninvited. Always the trickster, Loki tricked the god of darkness, Hoder, into shooting Balder, the god of joy. Balder died and darkness descended on the earth. Joy was lost to man and from then on 13 was considered unlucky.

In 1307, on October 13, 1307, King Phillip IV of France ordered every member of the order of the Knights Templar executed on charges of high treason and heresy. King Phillip owed the Templar's a good deal of money and they had amassed an enormous amount of wealth on their crusades. It is thought that the order was actually to strip the Templar's of their wealth. The Templar's were tortured horribly and forced to confess to crimes they didn't commit. They all died, but as the grandmaster died he cursed King Phillip and the day making Friday the 13th unlucky for future generations to come.

Many believe the fear comes from the number 13 itself. According to numerologist, the number 12 is associated with completeness. There are 12 months in a year, 12 zodiac signs, 12 apostles, 12 Olympian gods, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 hours in the clock, 12 labors of Hercules. The list goes on and on. The addition of the 13 ruins perfection is utterly bad and unlucky. In many stories, the 13th guest is always a bad sign. Think Judas at the last supper and Loki in the above story. It is the number 13 that lends the curse to Friday the 13th. Combine that with the unlucky Friday, when Jesus was crucifies and Adam tempted Eve and you have a recipe for an unlucky day.

It is clear there are many reasons to fear the dreaded Friday the 13th, but for me Friday the 13ths have always been lucky. So have a happy Friday the 13th, watch one of the 12 million Friday the 13th movies (I like the one in space), and wish me luck on my lucky day.

Mature Times

I thought I'd try my hand at writing an article.

So I wrote a piece about a little-known actor and sent it off to a newspaper in Canada. Having received no reply after a few weeks I sent it to Mature Times, the magazine for the over fifties which you can find in most libraries. They hadn't room for it in the paper but they have put it on their website at www.maturetimes.co.uk/leisure-and-lifestyle.html. It is dated Thursday 12 April 2012.

Those of you who are (ahem) old enough may remember the guy. He was a star of the first TV programme that I can remember and I still have the hardback annual from 1958.

Sandra's Attorney

From: Ms.Sandra Christine Jumonville

Subject: ***SPAM*** Legal Inquiry / Legal Help .

Date: April 5, 2012 

Reply-To: sandrachristine@zing.vn

Dear Counsel,

My name is Ms.Sandra Christine Jumonville. I am contacting your firm in regards to a divorce settlement with my ex-Husband (Billy D. Rogers), who resides in your jurisdiction. I am currently on assignment in Asia. We had an out of court agreement for him to pay $548,450.00 plus legal fees. He has only paid me $144,000. since, i am hereby seeking your firm to represent me in collecting the balance from him.

He has agreed already to pay me the balance but it is my belief that a Law firm like yours is needed to help me collect payment from my ex-Husband or litigate this matter, if he fails to pay as promised. Please reply me via this E-mail: { sandrachristine@zing.vn }

Sincerely,

Ms.Sandra Christine Jumonville

My Vacation Pick of the Year: A Haunted Cruise

Haunt Jaunts, run by the fabulous Courtney Mroch, has been one of my favorite blogs since I started writing about ghosts.  Her blog and her writing has inspired me from the beginning.  Not only is she an amazing writer, but she is an interesting and charismatic person that I have been lucky enough to ghost hunt with, so when I found out that Courtney would be hosting a haunted cruise I was beyond thrilled.  If I can, I'll be taking this cruise into the paranormal.  This cruise through the Bermuda Triangle will feature haunted destinations and ghost hunting presentations.  It will be everything the paranormal enthusiast could ever possibly want.  Below you will find the information I gathered on the cruise from a press release:

Haunt Jaunts, Courtney's travel blog for restless spirits, is expanding its reach into the paranormal tourism industry. In addition to covering the best places to take a haunted vacation, it’s now offering a way to experience them, via a cruise into Bermuda Triangle territory during Halloween week 2012.


“We’re really excited about our first ever group event,” Courtney Mroch, Director of Paranormal Tourism for Haunt Jaunts, says. “I love cruising and have long been wanting to branch out into group events. When Tracey Steslow from A Suite Cruise of Cruise Planners contacted me about doing a paranormal theme cruise, I was immediately on board with the idea. Pun intended.”

Mroch and Steslow researched cruises and decided Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas sailing out of Miami on October 29, 2012 was the one for them.

“It was pretty much a no-brainer,” Mroch says. “We’d be on a ship at Halloween. We’d be in the Bermuda Triangle on Halloween. That’s exactly the sort of thing Haunt Jaunts is all about. On top of it all, Key West, one of the cities that’s touted among the most haunted in the nation, was one of the ports. Even the prices were fantastic. It was the perfect cruise for us to offer.”

And that’s how the Haunt Jaunts Halloween in the Bermuda Triangle Cruise with special guest investigators Ghost Eyes Paranormal was born.

“I am excited to be a part of this,” Steve Vaughn, founder of Ghost Eyes Paranormal, says. “How can you say no to being in the Bermuda Triangle for Halloween? It is a true honor to have been asked to speak at this event. I look forward to meeting everyone and sharing what I know throughout the cruise. Halloween cannot get here fast enough.”

Mroch will be conducting a “Bermuda Triangle: Legends and Lore” presentation while aboard ship. Vaughn will be conducting a discussion about all things paranormal investigation, including techniques and equipment.
And as far as the prices Mroch mentioned? They really are reasonable. They start from $400.53 per person double occupancy, or $801.06 per cabin, for an inside cabin. That includes room, all onboard meals, as well as all onboard entertainment, Haunt Jaunts events, gratuities, taxes, and even a $25 per stateroom ($12.50 per person) onboard credit to spend however the cruiser wishes. (Photos, drinks, merchandise, etc.)

Ports of call part of the four-night roundtrip from Miami cruise include Nassau, Bahamas; Coco Cay, Bahamas (Royal Caribbean’s private island); and Key West, Florida. More information can be found on the Haunt Jaunts site, www.hauntjaunts.net, on the Halloween Cruise 2012 page, www.hauntjaunts.net/halloween-cruise-2012.

Wooo pig sue me

I've created a picture which I think adequately sums up my feelings about Bobby P. and the things he's done, but in case it doesn't make it clear, here are a few thoughts I've had surrounding this incident:

1) 20 THOUSAND DOLLARS? Fucking seriously?

2) Bobby Petrino (who almost certainly has a wrinkled ass)???? DOUBLE FUCKING SERIOUSLY????

3) People whining about Bobby Petrino need to consider the enormous legal problems he may have created for our university.

4) Football programs do not grow because of one person. It is a collaborative effort, and Bobby was not God of Football (see: Battle of the Boot, 2011).

5) DAMMIT, BOBBY!

Ghosts and Dying

In one of my previous posts,  Robin's Egg Bleu of  http://robinseggbleu1.blogspot.com/ suggested that I do a post on the deathbed visions of ghosts and spirits that the terminally ill often report seeing.   The American Medical Society believes these visions are hallucinations and this is the typical scientific take on such visions.   However, many respected doctors and professionals have found holes in the scientific approach to these phenomena.   According to Volt, in the book Fringeology,  Dr. Kubler-Ross who was most famous for changing the way people looked at Death and Dying with her book On Death and Dying, was one of the first people to address deathbed visions.   In her work with the dying, she found that it was common for the dying to have visions of a bright white light and visions of spirits, ghosts, and the other side.  She found these visions so common and inexplicable that she dedicated much of the end of her life to exploring them.  She couldn't embrace the common belief that they were hallucinations because the patients were often brain dead when they had the hallucinations.

Other physicians have found similar things.   My husband once had an encounter with a man on the brink of death who had terrible visions of hell.   I've known people on the brink who saw angels and ghosts.  At the end of life, visions of the other side are common and remarkably similar.   Visits from deceased loved ones are common.   There have been cases of those on the brink of death being visited by loved ones and friends they thought were alive, but found out later were dead.  According to Steve Wagner of About.com, deathbed visions are very common.  He says, "Only about 10 percent of dying people are conscious shortly before their deaths. But of this 10 percent, it is estimated, between 50 and 60 percent of them experience these visions. The visions only seem to last about five minutes and are seen mostly by people who approach death gradually, such as those suffering from life-threatening injuries or terminal illnesses."

Regardless of people's beliefs prior to their deathbed vision, the visions are surprisingly similar.  It doesn't matter if you believe in ghosts, God, Allah, or nothing at all, on the path to death your visions will seem much like everyone else's.   All of this evidence suggests that at the moment of death, we are granted a brief glimpse of the other side.  Often, this vision can take the form of ghosts that come to guide you through the process of death.   The dying describe these ghosts as comforting.  They are there to help.  They are guides, friendly faces in a dark time.   Scientifically, these visions can never be confirmed as real, but as someone who believes in ghosts, it is hard for me to believe that the dying are seeing anything but the kind faces who have gone before them, guiding them home.

Pat Zimmerman's Attorney

From: Patricia Zimmerman

Subject: Re: Legal Representation.

Date: April 10, 2012 

Reply-To: patriciaizimmerman@gmail.com

Dear Counsel,

I am seeking legal representation from your law firm regarding a breach of divorce settlement agreement I had with my ex husband who now resides in your jurisdiction. We had an out of court agreement for him to pay me $578,000.00 plus legal fees. He has only paid me $78,000 ever since this agreement was reached. So it is my belief that a Law firm like yours is needed to help me collect my due settlement from my ex-husband or litigate this matter if need be.

I need legal advice and assistance to know the best way to handle this issue. If this is your area of practice, please contact me to provide you with further Information.

Regards,

Patricia Zimmerman.

My Taxes, My Rules

The unseasonally warm weather last week meant that most of the students spent their spare time outside. (I suspect that many of them should have been in lessons but that's another matter). This left the main building feeling like the Mary Celeste with empty corridors and a deserted student lounge. My fellow supervisors thought this was great but I wasn't so sure. I'd rather have them all cooped up inside where I can keep my eye on them.

The alfresco lifestyle brings its own problems. I've had to confiscate footballs and skateboards as well as warning some of them about water pistols and frisbees. There are ample playing fields at the back of the college but the picnic areas seem to be the preferred spaces for larking about. You would think it was a primary school instead of a sixth form college.

There must be something in a teenager's head that makes them query every reasonable request to behave responsibly. Maybe their brains are wired in such a way as to cause them to question everything. Perhaps it's evolution's way of ensuring that the human race progresses and never becomes satisfied with the status quo. Being a firm fan of creativity, I can't really complain too much about their inquisitive nature. I believe, however, that it's important to channel their curiosity into something that is productive rather than rebellious. I'm not a teacher or a student counsellor so I try, in my own small way, to use my experience of the outside world to apprise them of the expected code of conduct. After all, it's our taxes that are paying for their time here.

Caught In The Act

Because of the way the college building has been designed I can look over the balcony from the top floor and see what's going on three floors below. This is very useful when trying to keep an eye on things. I do have to avoid jumping to conclusions though.

A few days ago I was at the Arts Department end of the college. On the ground floor is a theatre and sometimes rehearsals spill out into the corridor outside. I looked down from the fourth floor to see a young lad lying on his back with a girl sitting astride him. Now salacious displays like this have been going on under the stairwells and we've had to put a stop to it but I quickly realised that this was all part of some drama. After a while the lad spotted me staring down at him, threw me a lewd smirk and gave me the thumbs up. He seemed well pleased with his choice of curriculum.

A few days later, from the same vantage point, I spotted some students arranging a few tables together. One of the girls then lay down on top of a large plastic sheet and allowed her colleagues to roll her up inside it and place her precariously across the tables. Curious, I continued watching while a couple of lads read from their scripts. It appears that the girl was meant to interrupt their dialogue by throwing the sheet aside and exclaiming something. Unfortunately, the first thing she saw on bursting out of her cocoon was me, whereupon she forgot her lines and said, “Ooh! There's a man looking at me!”
And there was me thinking that the whole point of being an actor is that you want people to watch you.

A Satisfactory Outcome

A couple I often see around college are quite distinctive in their manner and appearance. I often see them around the recesses and stairwells doing things to each other that really shouldn't be seen in public.

The other day I had to go outside and remind them that smoking is not allowed at the picnic tables and that they should remove themselves to the smokers' area at the corner of the main building just a few yards away. This they did without fuss and I considered that to be the end of the matter.

Less than ten minutes later I spotted them, still smoking, at the same table so I went outside and asked them which part of my original request they hadn't understood. As they had so openly defied me I also asked for their names. The lad mumbled his and I managed to catch it on the second attempt. The girl was more reticent and kept asking me why I wanted this information. My intention was to check the database to see if they had a record of ill discipline but I didn't feel inclined to explain this until she had surrendered the information. A condition of attending the college is that all students respect the staff. Eventually she told me and I went back inside.

About ten minutes later I was in the refectory recalling the incident to my own supervisor when the couple approached us. They wanted to apologise and wondered if I was taking the matter further.

Result!

I told them I had no intention of reporting it any higher and explained that my annoyance was due to their ignoring my original request. My supervisor also explained to them that the college is required in law to have a designated smokers' area and if any student is found in breach of the rules a letter and a fifty pound fine can be sent to their parents. At this they appeared horrified and explained that they had become engaged in a conversation with some other students and had drifted back to the picnic area without realising. A lame excuse I thought but I let it go. I haven't had any more trouble with the pair since.

Moral of the story? No good deed goes unpunished.

I did it. I volunteered and was subsequently elected to run a law school event (hereby coined "LSE"). Said event was to raise money for a good cause, something I constantly thought about as I was organizing said LSE.

Now, for those of you who are not yet familiar with my style, I'm an A personality. I like to meet people. I like to talk to people. I like to be in charge. I also don't mind helping out or delegating, provided things are run in a cohesive manner that doesn't result in my wanting to rip someone's my hair out. For the most part, if something isn't being done properly (or at all), I'd rather just do it myself. It's my nature, and while annoying, it's highly effective (because let's face it--law students aren't exactly the most dependable of people). That being said, if someone is doing their job, then I'm of the mindset to HAVE AT IT.

So....this LSE is technically the pet project of one of the organizations on campus and consists of having to rely upon a shitton of people actually showing up at this event to volunteer. That's strike one, in my opinion. Depending on a group of lawyers and law students to be somewhere to dedicate their time to an altruistic task? UNHEARD OF.

Strike two was the fact that I was working with someone I believe to be Cray-Cray to the Maximus (and by maximus, I mean in my gluteous maximus). My opinion? This crazy coot is out to get me. Fucking great. (And I'm not imagining this shit--we go way back.) Worst part? She acts like she doesn't hate my guts.

So I bust my ass for three weeks, all the while having to deal with backbiting and assholery and general indignities that many would argue are grounds for justifiable homicide. And I take it, because BY GOD, I AM GOING TO DO GOOD FOR CHARITY. I get liquor (since we know that's the main draw). I organize everything. I decorate. I bedazzle.

In short, I rock this goddamn event with every fucking fiber of my fabulous glitter-emoting body.

It was a success, although the event didn't raise nearly as much money as I would have liked (let's just say this--with the hours I put in, I'd have liked a feast thrown in my honor, with a roast beast).

So, where is strike three, you are wondering? Well, friends, that came after the event. When CrayCray scheduled a meeting to discuss the event. The event SHE DIDN'T EVEN FUCKING ATTEND. In all actuality, it was a "Let's Shit on Dr. Juris" meeting. And SHIT THEY DID. Comments like "undermining authority" (when I was in charge, mind you) and "poor time management" (when everything was accomplished and rocked out with its proverbial....well, you know what I mean) were thrown around with great relish. At the end of said meeting, I was told I would have to hand over all my notes and intellectual property associated with the event for next year's planning.

I am waiting for the perfect moment to crush these audacious demands didn't have the heart to tell them I had deleted it all with a thank you Lerd and good riddance.

No really, my heart is three sizes too small.....and I'm pretty sure it's not going to experience a miraculous growth spurt any time soon.

Probably the best email I had with regard to this event was a professor who was helping out: I'll stick to what they gave me and frequently remind myself that it's for a good cause. To which I replied:

That's what I've been doing for the past two weeks. 

Can Children See Ghosts?

 I have often heard it said that children are more in touch with the paranormal than adults.  Children are certainly more receptive to the idea of ghosts than adults and ghost stories can spread through a group of children like wildfire.   One could argue, that children are more open to the wanderings of imagination than adults and that they are prone to believe in many fictional things with a fiery passion.  They lack the skepticism that has grown in a more mature mind and they are prone to report encounters with the paranormal because of these factors.  Yet, my new baby has recently made me revisit the question of children and ghosts.

My little one spends a considerable amount of time staring at nothing and laughing and smiling.  He'll stare at a spot on the couch that is empty or a place behind my head where nothing is happening.   I have to ask myself, is it possible he sees things I don't see?  I found an interesting study on Ghoststudy.com that evaluated the very questions I have had.  The study was done by Nicole Leader who presented several surveys to parents of children of various ages in order to determine if children were in fact more receptive to the paranormal world than adults and if so, at what ages does this ability peak and fade.    The results of the study found that most parents did believe their children were more receptive to the paranormal and that children's encounters with ghosts usually began between the ages of six months and 4 years. Children seem to be naturally born with the ability to see and communicate with ghosts, according to this research.   The study also found that over time children cease to communicate with the other side. A few children maintain their abilities into adulthood, but this is rare. The researcher believes that this may be caused not only by a lessening of ability to communicate with the other side but also by parents steady discouragement of such communication.    The research also found that children most commonly have contact with the ghosts of deceased loved ones.  If you would like to read the entire study you can at http://ghoststudy.com/new8/studies/children.htm .

Another paper I read discussed a child psychologist who indicated that at least a third of his patients believe they see ghosts (Mark Hall via HubPages.com).  This paper focused more on the terror created by children's connection to the other side and ways to banish such terror.   If what it suggests were true, perhaps the reason children have a more profound fear of the dark is because they are more able to sense the unseeable spirits that lurk in the shadows.  As adults, we have shed our connections with the other side and have lost our fear of things we can no longer sense.

   When I worked as a child therapist, I certainly found that children are sensitive to many things that adults have learned to tune out.  Children are deeply observant on a level adults are not.  They lack the inner dialogue that distract adults from being completely present in the now and that opens them up to observations adults, who are lost in their own thoughts, are not able to make.  For example,  if I saw eight children and their parents in one day, every child would notice and comment on my new tattoo while most adults would just focus on the business that had brought them into my office.   To me, this very trait in children would make them more open to encounters with the paranormal.

I'm not alone in this belief, any kind of review on the topic of children and ghosts seems to show a consensus that if ghosts are real, children see them more frequently and are more open to them than adults.  What does this mean?  It means that if your child is afraid of the dark or says there's a monster in the closet, maybe next time you shouldn't completely ignore them.  Maybe they are just seeing something you can't and hearing whispers you are unable to understand.

There May Yet Be Hope

I was in the student lounge on the top floor when I spotted a lad who I've had confrontations with in the past. I was certain he should be a lesson at that time so I checked on the database and found that to be the case. I decided not to challenge him until I was sure. Sometimes we get fobbed off with 'I'm feeling ill', 'I don't have to be there', 'I'm doing coursework' etc.

I went down to the ground floor and checked with the teacher.
“Yes he should be here,” she said. “And I'm pretty angry with him.”
“Would you like me to drag his sorry carcass down here?” I asked.
“Yes and tell him from me he's in for a damn good bollocking.” (Her exact words.)
I vowed to do my best, bearing in mind that this particular chap is quite a large individual, has been quite surly with me and the other supervisors and sometimes looks like he might get violent.

I found him still in the lounge sitting with his mates. I was quite prepared for him to refuse to cooperate, in which case I would have to point out he would be making things worse for himself. It also crossed my mind he might punch me.
“Mr ***, you need to come with me.”
“What's this about?”
“I'll explain on the way.”

To my surprise he followed like a lamb. As soon as we were outside the lounge I informed him.
“Your English teacher sends her regards and is very much looking forward to seeing you.”
At this point he cottoned on and began making his excuses. Apparently they were having a test. He hadn't done the work, was bound to fail and just decided not to turn up.
Then I told him the truth. “Actually, I think she's going to roast your ass.”
I suggested that it would have been better to have seen his teacher and come clean. He admitted that might have been the wiser option.

This was amazing. This was the first proper conversation I'd had with this guy and he seemed quite chatty so I decided to try and connect with him.
“So how is the photography going?” (I know this was on his timetable.)
“I've dropped it. They told me I was no good at it.”
“That's a shame.”
“Well, I didn't do any work for that either and I missed a couple of photo shoots.”
“So what are you concentrating on if not photography and not English either, going by today's evidence?”
“Nothing. I'm leaving at the end of the year. I'm going to be a barber.”
I didn't see that coming. I told him I would be sorry not to have the pleasure of his company next year. I meant that sincerely. I'm sure he could do well at college if he applied himself but maybe he'll make a success in his chosen career. He might even change his mind and stay on – just to confound me. I wished him luck and left him to face his teacher.

Still Loving It

I'm still loving my job at the college and it's giving me an insight into the surprising ways people behave. You expect them to do one thing and they do another. As a writer this is fascinating.

Having spent most of my working life in industry this is a completely new environment for me and I'm having to try and find my own way of coping with the challenges it brings. I've found myself applying the rules and boundaries that I learned while I was a rugby coach and referee. If I ask people to do something (or, more often than not, stop doing something) I expect them to obey more or less straight away. I don't mind them querying my motives but I expect their body language to indicate that they intend to comply with my request. If they just stand their ground and argue the toss this makes me less inclined to be tolerant.

As it is now the Easter holidays I thought I'd share some of the incidents with you over the next few days to give you an idea of what we have to cope with.