Mexican UFOs, Aliens, Starchild, Flying Humanoids, Oh My!

I just cannot freaking give this subject up. Something about Mexico calls to me and it's not white sandy beaches, Margaritas or authentic cuisine, it's the freaking alien/UFO thing connection.

Josiah: Undead Cowboy Released Today!!!

If you've been reading my fictional short stories (tab above), you might wonder if after two nonfiction books, I might try my hand at horror writing. I decided not to try my hand, but to throw in my feet, legs, arms, head, body... I took the plunge!

"Josiah: Undead Cowboy" is the first in my "Midnight Arroyo Series" of western twists on classic horror themes. This 99-cent novel is now available on
Kindle and Nook today! Don't forget, Kindle allows it to be downloaded to your Droid, IPad, home PC--you don't need a reader.

There are some very unusual and exciting twists in this vampire story. It even includes the ghost realm and the condition of vampirism, as well as what it's like to be an undead cowboy trying to do right and fighting his instincts, going up against some vampires in the abandoned gold mine.

The story was inspired by a trip to an old dead mining town where I saw a cowboy sucking on a cigarette and leaned up against a wall, booted ankles crossed, hat pulled down, pale eyes glowing. He didn't seem quite human and the town felt completely barren. That combination made me go "aha!" Hence, Josiah was born.

The other books in the series will also feature a hero whose head you get to climb inside of and whose experience you get to share with strange creative twists and bringing to life some creepy western locations I've been poking around.

The next book should be out in about two months (a zombie theme). Expect the hero character to pop up online and get his own blog, just like Josiah's.

Please consider hitting Amazon or Nook and enjoying a summer read. I hope on my next road trip/ghost hunt to be inspired for the third book in the series--perhaps a werewolf one or a classic slasher theme... one never knows!

"Finding Bigfoot" Animal Planet

"Finding Bigfoot" is premiering tomorrow night (Monday) on Animal Planet. This new series follows BFRO group (Bigfoot Field Research Organization) as they look for my favorite furry cousin. I've waited freaking forever for a Bigfoot Hunter show. I'm hoping this is close to what I imagined which would be what GH did for ghost hunting by taking us into the woods at night to hear shit and think we see shit and jump like a bunch of city boy pussies.

Tune in if you have Animal Planet. Tomorrow night's premiere episode is Northern Georgia where footage was taken of a BF running across a road.

***Do not forget that tomorrow "Josiah: Undead Cowboy" the first in my "Midnight Arroyo" western horror series is for sale for 99 cents on Amazon and Nook.***

Adventure Sunday: Ghost Hunt Gear!

(Humvee Vest $27.95 Amazon NOTE: Chest sold separately)



(Laptop bag $39.99)



($34.24 Vivitar Pocket IR/night vision camera)



(give your team some gifts--you get 40 of these finger flashlights that make it very convenient to leave your hands free. $8.39)

I am packing all these things. I thought I'd share my secrets!

Versatile Blogger Award

I admit to snagging this award before, but I love the connotations of having this award posted. Oh yes, I'm oh so versatile. I can put my feet behind my head.

I want to thank one of my favorite bloggers I've found when I was doing my creepy blog stalking lately, slowdeath77 from Horror Smorgasbord (I'm Norwegian and I love horror--could this blog be any better suited for me?) for giving me this super award.

I'm supposed to name 7 things y'all don't know about me. What a joke! (Quit laughing, yes, I know I have no self-editing skills). Let's go for the more titillating stuff...

1. I absolutely love having someone nibble on my neck and play with my hair--makes me insane!
2. Best date ever? A cheesy roadside carnival.
3. I used to chase boys in the neighborhood with strawberry lipgloss on and tackle them and kiss them and tell them it was a love potion. Oh hell, I'd still do it if I didn't think I'd get arrested.
4. Shooting baskets for hours at a time, playing HORSE, is a favorite activity.
5. I drink from the beer bottle, even in classy restaurants.
6. I know how to do acupressure of the feet and can make a person helpless.
7. The best restaurant has outdoor dining and little sparkly lights and no loud band.

Now, to give it to 5 other bloggers I've found recently and enjoy:
Bubba's Place
Terror Titans
What Lies Beyond
Zombies Everywhere
Red Shoes Chronicles

Time Travellers Caught on Pics???

Internet crazy fun--the concept of people finding old photos showing time travelers wearing or holding things that are not of their era.

Now, the dude down below looks really vastly different than his companions of that era. Look at the sunglasses, the hoodie looking coat, the hatless head? All of it is of the time period, but he just doesn't fit in with his crowd, kind of like me at a West Virginia family reunion.

Below is the pic and a picture of Lady Gaga amongst nuns; all of the same time period, she just is a different type of person of our time period. I'm guessing Mr. Hipster below is just too hip for his friends (or too young for that crowd). There is also a picture of Larry King amongst Hips Hop Dancers; same time period, different types.

Inspirational Saturday: Fate & Destiny

Fate: The belief that the order of things is predestined and unavoidable.
Destiny: Predetermined course of events.

I get asked about destiny and fate often. What is it with people wanting to hand over their past, present and future to some sort of organized plan? Perhaps it helps to take personal responsibility out of the equation.

Let's look at something practical and real world like divorce. Should our fates be to have troubling relationships and our destiny be to divorce, then why is it that one hundred years ago, divorce was rare and now it is so common? Has something about the universal fate/destiny system been changing? Is some omnipotent poser of human's comings and goings bored and wanting to stir up the pot? Or are we, the people making decisions, changing? Are women able to support themselves and no longer have to stay in a bad relationship? Are men now free to leave and see lots of women as is their deepest desire?

Ultimately, we aren't fated to get hit by a car and become paraplegic and then become an activist for physically challenged people's rights. We have an event happen and we make a decision to work with what we are stuck with or fight it and become depressed and angry, withdrawn and irritable. The former person has healthy relationships with people who admire his attitude and is out meeting and coaching new people every day, and the latter drives everyone away and becomes a bitter lonely person. So, was there a fate for a person who becomes paraplegic? No. But, the grumpy pants guy might tell you that the universe hates him and the optimistic industrious fellow might tell you that he had a moment in his life that called him to action.

It's not that you were meant to be where you are, you are a product of a combination of unexpected events beyond your control and the very real portion of that, your own response to what's happened, your own control in the situation.

If there is fate and destiny, it's involved in the person and not the circumstances.

Lonely on a Friday Night--Join Me Here!

Hey, I'm in tonight. I'm gonna dink around with my new IR pocket camera and maybe do a little J&G parody for y'all. Also, gonna really horror up my bookshelves in my living room since that's where I write my horror novellas. It's another lonely night. Come and hang out. Chit Chat. Remind me that the world didn't end and I'm the last person standing, er, sitting.

Digital Cable: What a Total Waste!!!

I admit, my life revolves around the cable company. I suck off the teet of Cox. I also hate Cox! (yes, Cox, not Cocks). So, cable telephone, cable internet, cable entertainment. Or, more correctly, cable faux entertainment. It only gives the impression with the controller and the special box that I'm getting something. I'm getting about 5 channels I like and about several hundred that blow!

Please, FCC, force cable channels to charge ala carte. I just got digital cable because I got the little speech about how it'll be cheaper than just having the regular cable. Hmm... Only channel worth shit? National Geographic!

Here's just a sample of the wonderful lineup-I kid you not!

108--OFF AIR
109--COXR2 (ads) Arizona exterminating
110--DAYST (fucking televangelist crapola--can you say "snake oil?")
112--INSP (inspirational--yeah, gag me with a spoon! Totally!)
113--EWTN (a nurse in a monk's robe giving us some kind of talk? Looks like a bad SNL skit)
114--BYU-TV (need I explain what BYU stands for? I'm in the fucking west!)
115--MCTV (community meetings)
119--SHNBC (selling shit--QVC wannabe)
122--TPC (Pentagon channel, WTF?)
123--ACTV (State government--yippee!)
124--CSPAN (need I explain?)
125--CSPN2 (apparently one was not enough!)
126-CSPN3 (huh?)
129--JWLRY (selling jewelry--I hate jewelry!)

I won't bore you anymore than I am. Channel surfing? It's channel cruise ship riding! If this is digital, why the fuck can't I assign my channels so I can at least not have Biography at 135 and Green at 103 and Syfy at 50? Oh fuck! I randomly hit a number and I'm back to the nun in the brown robe and the cross that looks like something a hip hop star would wear to the MTV awards.

I'm done surfing (steamboat riding)!
I wouldn't wipe my ass with these channels!

**Don't forget tonight is Lonely on a Friday Night on the blog from 7 pm EST onward. I'll be in so, drop by and chat**

Have Fun With Pics

My buddy, Barry at Gnostalgia, gave me links to site that let you play with your picture. I was obviously in a goofy mood and had a total blast. It's very addictive. Yes, I am Queen of the Dorks! (But aren't these cool???)
Photo505 and FunPhotoBox

New Ghost Adventures--Drinking Game Time!

("Salt Lake City" Brian Wilson)

So, Zak and the boyz are going to the first hospital that is the most appropriate place for Zak to taunt, a hospital literally named for him. "Tooele Hospital" in Salt Lake City is tonight's episode.

The drinking game?
Rules:
1. Stay home
2. Take a gulp for every "bro," "dude," "man," every time Zak thinks he's being touched by the unseen and every time Aaron unhinges his mouth in horror.

Tonight's drink?
I'm stealing this drink title from a guy online with a great sense of humor. Instead of "Sex on the Beach," make yourself a "No-Unholy-Impure-or-Animalistic-Practices on the Beach"

Remember, it's Lonely on a Friday Night, so please feel free to jump on and say "howdy," I love to chat while watching the Zak Baggy pants and the Scooby Douche Team.

Ghost Hunting in a 3-Dimensional World! Our Team POE

I'd like to thank Red Shoes for being yet another intelligent blogger who brought up a subject that made me think about an avenue of ghost hunting I haven't shared with ya'all much.

Since starting a new group called POE (Paranormal Observation and Experimentation), I've begun thinking outside the box even more about ghost hunting. Oh hell, y'all know I was outside the box before, now I'm kind of outside the known universe (which is technically the right location).

We have a list going of theories and experiments that could be pursued. One of my preoccupations at this point is with space. Not outer space. Just 3-dimensional space. We think of ghostly activity in terms of this; I'm standing here and across the room something sounded. Me: Here/Ghost: There. What we're missing in this scenario is all the negative space in the room. We need to fill that space in so we can discern movement, currents, formations, coalescing, et cetera. One experiment I would like to do is in a sealed room with no air flow or human movement, piping in fog and colored lighting so we can discern if something is disrupting that space.





I was considering the potential use for Kirlian Photography (you know, aura photos). On a usual Kirlian photograph, you have a person place their hands on metal plates that produces an electrical impulse and then reads the electrical "corona" around an object (the person). In the case of ghosts, putting their hands on metal plates might not cut it, but if we created a sort of upside down handle to dangle in the room with conductive metal strands hanging from it, anything that passes through it with conductive potential creates a coronal discharge that can be seen on the screen.

We can make some assumptions about the phenomena if we know what its properties might consist of, whether that is mass or electrical.

The objective of our group is to come up with new and unusual ways to start observing and experimenting with phenomena and one of those ways is to adapt to each situation with a different game plan and to start thinking outside our known universe.

Oh,and my ghost hunting vest arrived in the mail and I just had to pose in it. It's perfect! I can hunt in the dark and not fish around for my equipment. I'll know just what pocket everything is in and it's mesh--so nice and cool. I do promise, however, to wear a shirt under it! More on this vest on Sunday's post!

Too Horrifying to Discuss: Singles Sites

I'm curious by nature and even more easily amused by social trends. I did not buy a pet rock or a mood ring when they were "in." I did not rush out to buy my Calvin Klein jeans even with a thick-eyebrowed, underaged Brooke Shields telling us nothing came between her and her Calvins. No, I still don't own a cell phone. I feel like I will have finally become part of the Borg collective when that occurs.

So, for my own perverse pleasure, I put myself up on a dating site. Oh, don't worry, it was quite anonymous. Still, I wanted to see what the reaction would be and what the dreadful come-on's would be. Oh, they definitely satisfied my need for cheese, total hot oozing cheese. Here's my favorite message that came my way within the first hour I was on the site (oh, and sorry this didn't come with antinausea medicine):

My Sweet Angel, Thank you for the wonderful evening in my dream's what a romantic night as we strolled along the beach line, hand in hand the moon kissng the water's edge smiling down on the both of us in sheer delight.As we gazed in each other's eyes knowing deep in our mind's and in our heart's destiny's finally found us. As i kiss you on the cheek and walk gentlely into the night knowing i had made a friend for a life time.
(Apparently the guy above cut and pastes this ill-written, ill-spelled, dementedly intriguing message to all the ladies, probably in some auto-program so he can sit back and finish his beer with his hand down his pants while he watches wrestling).

I have a tendency when I'm curious about something to poke around and check it out. This singles site was one such thing. In the future, I'd seriously like to interview some furries and vampires and people with interesting lifestyles, but for now, I'm focusing on the shark pool that is "free sex," ahem, I mean "dating."

Okay, so how fucking lazy of a single can you be? The site leaves you the ability to email within the site someone you're interested in. About three dozen of the emails (came within 2 hours' time) were a subject line of "hi" and nothing in the body of the message. This is like fishing by scattering the surface of the lake with fish food. No sinking a weighted line with a wiggling worm. Oh no, just try to get the most women in one massive emailing. Yeah, I got so intrigued, I wanted to email them back and say "what the fuck was the content of this email??? Was it supposed to be the subject line, because I'm not a dog that comes when you whistle, you fuckwit!"

For purposes of observing the hunt, I put that I was looking for email buddies. Then, I get an email from a dude who says "on your profile, you say you want an affectionate guy, but you're wanting an email partner. How the fuck am I supposed to show you how affectionate I am if I'm emailing you?" I just replied, "I think you email shows it quite clearly."

Another man asked me out for drinks. I told him no, I'm sorry, but right now I just want to keep it on an email level. He says, "well, there's a lot of sharks out there, so I could help you. I know a lot about this singles thing. I'd hate to see someone take advantage of you. You probably should go have a drink with me so I can tell you how to avoid the creeps." My reply was, "Thanks, but isn't that kind of like the wolf training the hens on safety on the farm?"

Okay, so I shut down the account after my curiosity was appeased. It's dangerous out there. These are our breeding population. Be wary. Be very wary....

KII: Useless Tool

I've learned over time the KII meter is absolutely useless as "proof" of paranormal activity. Not only does the meter not go off when things occur, but it often goes off when it has no paranormal stimulus, i.e. a regular room in a home not known to be haunted and when no one has asked for interaction with the other side. Under trial and error, I learned that the turning on of air-conditioners and heaters can set the damn thing off, even 15 feet away!



Here's what I compare it to: Someone tells me that their thermometer read "96.8 Fahrenheit." I now know that a temperature was recorded. Do I know if that was a temperature captured on a rectal reading? Oral? Tympanic? Ambient room temperature? The device is made to measure temperature, but the source of that temperature must be determined to know if you got a low human temperature or a toasty room temperature.

A KII meter simply tells you that there has been a spike in the electrical field, but the source of that electrical field is often times undetected. It doesn't mean we don't have a very natural source, i.e. an electrical device within the building, but I can guarantee you that you will find a correlation with the turning on and off of the air-conditioner system. Having the breakers turned off is a good start, but a surge can occur and be picked up by the device from sources you can't see or hear. To make the jump that because this device can periodically be set off means there's a ghostly interaction is a huge jump in explanatory style and one that is illogical. When you see J&G having a happy conversation with a ghost via KII, what you're not seeing on them are the battery packs for their mics, their walkies, cell phones, and other devices, not to mention the sound/film crew's devices.

If see electrical surges as proof of ghosts, there's not a damn thing I can do to convince you otherwise. We all have a different belief system based on how much we have to gain by that belief, whether it's passage to heaven, my way is righteous and others are wrong, or ghosts are amongst taking the form of measurable electrical fields.

The alternative is this interesting device that ignores the range of man-made electrical implements. Now, I'm intrigued!

This One Is For Bubba! PINK!

Hey, guys, give Eric "Bubba" credit for coaxing another bikini color out of me. Pink! A cute little number with monkeys on it.

Thanks Halloween Express!

I got a nice and unexpected award from Halloween Express online. This smart and bountiful Halloween store gave me some cred for what a wicked awesome blog I have. Here's what they said:

Ghost Hunting THEOR1E5 is quite an amazing and very eclectic blog site created by author and self-proclaimed ghost hunter Autumn Forest.  This site has just about every aspect of the paranormal addressed in a sassy, irreverent and take–no-prisoners kind of way.  The site is easy to navigate and is divided up into several subcategories so you can easily find what you are looking for.  Some of the categories featured include ghost hunting, ghost stories, theories and the hilarious section featuring Dale the Doll.   Dale (who is brought to life by ventriloquism—or ?) has a few videos documented as well as crazy adventures of his own that are definitely worth checking out.  If you are interested in exploring the world of the paranormal, ghosts or just want to hear blogger Autumn poke fun at some paranormal TV shows—this is a great site to feed your ghostly curiosity. 

Hey, thanks Halloween Express and don't be surprised if I haunt you--I tend to buy Halloween gear year-round since I'm a horror writer and hope to turn my home into a dark and inspiring crypt!

Starchild Skull

I've got a lot of eccentric and unusual preoccupations. One of them is the Starchild skull, which from time to time, I need to check in and see what progress they've made in understanding its origins.

The Starchild skull was found in 1930 in the Chihuahua region of Mexico. It is a 900-year-old strangely deformed skull, giving rise to lots of theories as to whether it was human, alien, or hybrid of the two.

I wanted to see what's up with the DNA testing. So far, it would seem that Starchild's mother was a human. However, a coding section of the DNA was not attributed to any human DNA varieties found in the DNA banks that are our archives for our people.

Is this a deformity?


(progeria)


(hydrocephaly)

Here's some observations...



Any way you look at it, this is a remarkable skull and could actually help science, whether it's dealing with DNA mutation or hybridization. I'm going to keep following it because, like the crystal skulls, it intrigues me.

Oh, and apparently my son thinks this reporter for CNN might be the missing creature. He calls him "Starchild" every time he sees him. What do you think? Family resemblance?

Adaptability in Ghost Hunting

J&G have us believing that you walk into a client's home. You do a breezy interview, note the hot spots and stories, set up the equipment and then promptly pair off; Amy and Adam, Tango and Steve, Jason and Grant. You walk around. You ask some questions. You sit back and get that KII meter going. Same ol'/same ol'.

Every case is different. I would never be a professional exterminator and go into a home and set up rat traps. I'd find out if the problem was termites, cockroaches, silverfish or other. When I discover a baby's room, I might not spray toxic chemicals. I'd look for pathways and patterns for the critters so I can keep more raccoons from getting in the attic.

Adaptability depending on the terrain, reactions and the circumstances!

When you've done the proper pre-screening (this can involve extensive questionnaires and a few weeks to a month's worth of logging activity by the clients), you then get a picture of just how you might want to approach the situation.

It gets even more hairy when you arrive at the home to find out that the kid's room where the activity is happens to also be the home office where two computers, a router and modem and more equipment stay on day and night. Depending on what you find, you have to be ready to change your game plan.

Does this haunting seem to be aggravated by a particular member of the family? You might decide to sit with that person and do a little EVP session at a table with no one else present. You might also consider taking them out of the home so you can test just how much is dependent on their presence.

House has a really high baseline EMF? Try doing a little EVP session with the power on and then with the breakers thrown.

One room not getting any action? Focus on that room.

Why not track it with something often times better than vision--hearing! A simple fishing wire string with a jingle ball hanging by a tack from the ceiling--these can be placed going down a hallway where footsteps are heard. If the windows are closed, people sitting still and air turned off, you can track something that actually makes the balls jingle. What can we figure out from this? You'll understand if you're dealing with a residual sound or an actual entity propelling itself through the course.

Try novelty. In some cases, all the begging, pleading and goading might not work. But, what if you sat down and rocked on the floor and talked to a dolly with the recorders going? What if you and another team member spoke a made up language? Hmm....

The bottom line is there is no cookie cutter way to go about this and if an outside-the-box investigator goes about this, each hunt can provide something new in understanding phenomena, knowing what incites it, coming up with new testing methods and--(say it with me--you hear it enough here) "furthering the field!"

National Geographic Channel & Paranormal

I am thrilled to now get the National Geographic Channel. I've been watching videos online from the channel of fantastic paranormal shows over the years and wanted it soooo badly, but I couldn't justify digital cable for it, but I made a deal and I'm happily in charge of like 400 freaking channels (300 of them Spanish or golf--hee hee), but I'm thrilled to get this channel. Here's a taste of some of their fantastic offerings:

Beast Hunter: Just like it sounds--a man in search of all kinds of mythical and cryptid beasts.

"When Aliens Attack" and "Area 51 Declassified"

Mysterious Science: Subjects like stigmata, Phoenix UFOs, Earth pole shift, and many more.

Naked Science: Parallel universes, and lots of other cool science topics.

I'm very excited about this channel. I've been sneaking on and watching their videos about paranormal subjects like infrasound and ghosts and neutrinos and ghosts.

Want to see some great stuff? Click on here and type in "ghosts" and see what you get!

Here's ghost particles...

Creepy Things You Don't Think About: Underwear

This is a new series about creepy things you might not think about.


(Mormon Underwear)


(Amish underwear)


(Victorian Underwear)


(old lady underwear)


(horror underwear)

Just thought I'd give you some images of creepy things you may never think about. I am ever the optimist, so I promise to make it up to you...


(Victoria Secret underwear)

Arizona Travel Recommendations

So many people are intrigued by the desert. I can understand. It is a completely different land than most folks in the country ever see. So, how do you come and visit the state without ending up like something out of "Hills Have Eyes?"

First, let me tell you a little about AZ. The most surprising thing is that 70% of AZ is owned by the government, i.e. military, state parks, historic sites, and Reservations. So, we can only live on the other portion of the state. When you drive through AZ to go north or south, east or west from the major cities, you are going to be driving through some very barren country with no signs of humans. It is gorgeous, picturesque and majestic. You can literally see 180 degrees of sky and see mountains 50 miles away. So, don't be surprised how unusual it feels. It's not just the desert, sand, scrub brush and our famous saguaro cacti, but the mountains in much of the state are naked rock that turns blue and purple depending on the sunlight. There is also a huge swath of green in AZ up north in Flagstaff to the White Mountains and parts of Tucson. In fact, Flagstaff is much colder with much more snow than where I grew up in the DC area. So, variety is huge in this state.

So, where do you go if you want to visit? Depends on your interests. I'll try to give you a region so you don't have to travel the whole state to see it all, but get what you want out of one region.

Resorts/pampering/golfing/fine dining/shopping: Paradise Valley and Scottsdale.

History of the Old West: Tombstone, Bisbee. These two towns are just a few miles apart and both love their tourists. Tombstone is ideal if you want to do the total campy Old West stuff, riding in a stagecoach, mine tours, pictures in costumes, saloons, people in reenactment costumes. Bisbee is wonderful for antique shopping, mine tours, and cozy B&Bs. On your way down by car from Sky Harbor Airport, consider stopping at "Rawhide" a reenactment town on the way to Tucson. Old Tucson has some great old west atmosphere too. After going through Tucson, you head on towards Tombstone and then Bisbee. You will see amazing desert and beautiful sights.

National Parks: Head north! Stop at Montezuma's Castle. This Indian site in the hillside is truly breathtaking. Stop in Sedona for the most amazing sight anything a citizen could ever see. It's filled with New Age shops, UFO tours, soft Spanish guitar music, and margaritas. Hike around the energy vortexes. Stay in a creekside cabin. Keep heading north to Flagstaff and you have two courses you can go: a. Go to Williams and take the train to the Grand Canyon or b. Go east and check out Meteor Crater and the Petrified Forest.

That's just a bit of the state. There's so freaking much to do here that I've been here pretty much since 77 and have not run out of new finds!

Super 8 Coming June 10th!

June 10th--I don't have a date, but I might have to hijack someone! I really, really can't wait to see this one!!! 1979--great year! I will be all sentimental. It looks as though Spielberg and JJ Abrams really got the era. It actually looks like it was filmed them. How can you tell? Did you ever see a retro movie that has crisp bright newly pressed clothing and squeaky clean refurbished cars? Yeah. It does not give the old vibe. Sure, back then, things were new too, but a little aging makes it somehow seem like an old movie.

What the frag is it about? I have no clue. I did love "Cloverfield" and I have a bit of a crush on JJ Abrams (his talent, not necessarily him personally).

Man, I can't wait to see this. How many days is that??? 17? Jeez! H-U-R-R-Y!

Post Apocalyptic Art!

When I was growing up, I dug up Civil War (and pre-Civil War) relics, mapped them out, cleaned them, put them into the display cabinets. I dreamed of being an archaeologist. I was enamored of abandoned sites where there was no life where there once was. I grew up to write horror stories. The combination makes this particular archaeology meets apocalypse art a dream come true. This is brilliant!! I just adore it this showing. Probably would be my favorite art show ever if I were to see it in person.


The Eighth Day

A collaborative exhibition by
Colby Vincent Edwards,
William Franevsky,
and Jarrett Scherff

contact.
colbyedwards@gmail.com

Dale the Doll: Ghost Hunt!

Well, the Human took me on a ghost hunt. Of course, first she had to put me in the trunk so when she picked up one of the team, he got to be indoctrinated into the "open the trunk and find Dale" club.

Whatever!

I'm telling you the town of Tombstone, Arizona is one freaky place. I didn't like the feel or smell of it. It was all wrong. Dolls know these things. We're sensitives. What? You don't believe me? It's true! We pick up on all kind of bad mojo and that Birdcage Theater was filled to the brim.

The Human left me all alone by the damned hearse. You can't imagine the sounds that thing made all night long! Even the humans were commenting on it, but still they left me there. And, let me tell you something, I don't like being bait. They dared ghosts to move me!

Freaking hell!!!

I managed to survive the investigation, but I did see and hear things the others couldn't. If those humans could, they sure as hell would have ran like babies from the place! See, being a doll has its advantages. We can't be held guilty for not telling them the dangers because we're not supposed to talk.

I have no idea where the Human will take me next, but it better sure as hell not be a haunted doll museum. Now, that would scare the polyfill stuffing out me!

Why Americans Can't Lose Weight

In the pursuit of the typical American goal of losing weight, it dawned on me why weight loss is so hard for my culture of people. Yes, you could say we are whiny babies who want everything NOW! We are impatient, immature, and self-indulgent.

But, that's not the case.

My father came to America in the 1920s in a family of immigrants from Norway who knew that you work hard, you get stuff, whether it's recognition, promotion, money, or "things." We were all raised on the immigrant song of "anyone can make it, with some elbow grease." Americans don't take the vacations due them, they don't take siestas in the afternoon like others around the world who take a power nap, and we don't close down our job place at 4:30 to go to the pub. For an overworked culture, we have acquired a lot, including weight!

So, why is weight loss so hard for us?

It goes against every freaking principle we were raised upon!

Look at this way: You work hard, late nights, weekends, going the extra mile and you get more cash, bigger home, faster car, designer wardrobe.

What is the message to us from cradle to grave?

Work hard--get things!

What happens when you work to lose weight? I know quite well as it's a third job for me every day. I workout hard. I sweat. I take time out of my work schedule. I'm sore. I'm tired. I'm cranky, but I put tons of work into it. On top of this hard work I'm putting in, I have to take away "things" instead of acquire "thing" rewards, i.e. I now have to give up my latte, my candy, my bagel with cream cheese.

Work, work, sacrifice, sacrifice.

Not a lot of incentive, huh?

Sure, a hot body is one goal that we dangle before us, but the cost of acquiring this "thing" is dependent on not only continuing the hard work and the sacrifices, but indefinitely, as well. This is another reason why long-term weight loss is such a bitch.

If you went to work and worked hard and sacrificed your personal time and life to make it somewhere in your company and your company said, "along with working weekends, folks, there will be no 401K contributions and, oh yeah, no vacation time, but we promise if you keep doing this, you will get a title, but to keep that title, you'll need to keep sticking to his work deal the rest of your life."

We'd say "no fucking deal!"

How does a typical American counter that frustration of permanent sacrifice?

The only time when man manages to get past the American work ethic is in his personal ethical/spiritual world. A man can work hard at his corporate job and attain things and still be a good Jew and avoid the "unclean" meats. An ad executive can create campaigns for large corporations and live in downtown LA and still be an animal activist who will not eat animal flesh. In these cases, these are not sacrifices, they are parameters for their character/spirituality.

Sometimes, it's easier to know what you WON'T do, instead of what you WILL.

For instance, I don't do drugs. Nope. Nada. It's a parameter I put on my life. I'm hardly going around thinking, "damn! I can't do drugs!" I just don't define myself as someone who needs drugs to get through her day or life. I like to face it boldly and stick my tongue out at it. Someone else might have a parameter that "I don't hit my children," "I open doors for others," or "I pray before bed." These definitions of our personal parameters/spiritual substance/commitments are about our character and not about our acquisitions and do not feel like sacrifices, but realities of our day to day life. By not doing drugs, I'm not trying to obtain something, I'm trying to avoid something--addiction/debt/ill health.

So, in the weight loss realm, let's shift ourselves from sacrifice to character and ideals, parameters and self-definition. Every time you floss your teeth and wear your seat belt, you don't curse and fight that reality. It's just a part of who you are as someone consciously living and doing what you believe to be the healthiest decision. So, henceforth, re-word your journey to not focus on what you can't have, but what you "won't" have for reasons of spirituality, ethics, or self definition, i.e. "I won't have sugar and white flour." "I won't sit still all day without a 30-minute walk." This shift changes you from whiny brat having a fit over losing his favorite yummy treat to righteous health-conscious person who would never put such poisons in his body.

(In case you're wondering why I'd post about weight loss--it goes hand in hand with my adventure ethic. I hike, I explore, I climb, I seek knowledge and to do so, I must be in excellent health. For everything we do every day, our health is the only thing that can propel us from an idea to an actuality. They go hand in hand).

Western Horror Fiction

I kicked off my western horror novella series "Midnight Arroyo" on Kindle and Nook. Luckily, on Kindle they can be downloaded to your PC or IPAD or droid devices.

"Josiah Undead Cowboy" is about a cowboy in the early 1900s in Arizona Territory who is thrust into some unusual circumstances, making him the eternal guardian of a ghost town and the vampires within the mines. It involves Native American legends, gold, and magic. The series will be covering the horror classics with a strange western twist including gold and an arroyo (wash) that runs through all the towns of the series, tying it all together in a strange and undead way. It's only 99 cents and you can't go wrong. Right now, I'm working on the second in the series, "Sheriff Kai: Zombie Outlaw Killer."

Be a Dork: Stephen Hawking Rap Song

What can I say? I'd like to make up a hip hop routine to videotape to this one. It's on my to-do list. I fucking love this!

Science and the Paranormal

I've said it often and believe it with all my heart; even if ghostly activity is launched from the spiritual realm as many believe, it still presents itself within our world as images, sounds, feelings and smells and therefore it does interact with the scientific realm.

It is in that realm this we will be able to weigh, measure, and interact with whatever is the cause of ghostly phenomena. By testing scientific theories, we can exclude some possibilities from the list and narrow the field until we figure out how it uses our physical world to show itself and perhaps lead to longer and more reliable interactions.

Some theories of things that may contribute to, activate, or agitate ghostly activity:

Ions
Geomagnetic storms
Earth's magnetic fields
Geology
Feng Shui (a building's layout and the layout of items within)
Seismic activity
Leylines

How about potential tools for detecting paranormal phenomena and their efficacy?

Ionizers
Fog machines
Laser grids
Video
Still photography
Audio recordings
EMF meters
Magnetometers
Thermometers
Compasses
Trap cameras
IR
Full-spectrum cameras
Geiger counters
Seismic equipment/motion detectors
Kirlian photography

These are only a few areas I want to investigate and create testing methods for the right locations to see what conclusions our team can make.

We need to look outside the usual assumptions about what this phenomena is and how it works. Why not look at it like a hunter would? How can we track it? Is there a way for it to leave traces of itself? Jason on “Ghost Hunters” show tried the old powder on the floor trick which would be wonderful if we're dealing with an invisible man, but probably not so much with phantom sounds of footsteps.

However, for us to feel the effects of a paranormal presence, we do get goosebumps and the sense of being touched and tugged, so it's entirely possible that running a fog machine and perhaps a colored light in a room with no air flow into it and no movement from those present could show us something forming with enough concentration to disrupt air patterns. This three-dimensional world we live in allows for the empty space between us to be a place to study.

Thinking outside the box.

Our research team will be called POE (Paranormal Observation & Experimentation). Expect me to talk about our research and studies in the coming future.

Adventure Sunday: Blind Roadtrip!

Nope, I am not suggesting that you blindfold yourself and take to the driver's seat, although you might do better than the cell phone addicts on the road.

I'm talking about the ultimate adventure. Pack an overnight bag. Get in the car. Pick a direction. Drive. Wander. Have lunch in a strange town you never would have stopped in before. Pick the diner it looks like the locals use. Don't you dare use a chain restaurant! You can tell by the FoodTV show, "Drive-ins, Diners and Dives" that the best food is had at diners! This is all about poking around the unknown. See sights. Wander. Get out and walk around. Take a road that looks interesting. Keep going and then, when you feel the urge, stop and rent a hotel room. No reservations. In a town you either never went to or never thought to stop and sleepover in. Ask someone at the hotel desk if there's a museum in town or a tourist attraction. Do it the next day.

Simple and completely unique way to spend your weekend. Have fun! Report back!

Ghost Book

"Was That a Ghost?" by Sharon Day

I am asked all the time, "hey, this thing happened to me, was it paranormal?"

I've helped numerous people through the process of determination. No matter what the case, I took them through the same 3-point system to come out the other side with a "probably" or "probably not" result.

This 3-point system I named "Trinity of Relevance" and it involves context, belief system and explanatory style. Those three components determine what might have colored your experience and perceptions or shown it to be strikingly authentically paranormal.

I decided to put the process in a book with quizzes and lots of real life examples to help people through the Trinity of Relevance and into other realms such as haunted objects, haunted homes, those with latent psychic abilities and other paranormal oddities.

I am proud of my book. I do not profess to know everything about how the paranormal world works. Anyone who tells you what a ghost is, how it works, why it works, is passing on nothing more than tales told from one generation to the other.

The truth is, we may not know what comprises the paranormal world and how it works, but at some point, it interacts with our physical world and we can see, hear, smell and feel it. It is a truly unanswered puzzle, but we can make some assumptions about it by how weakly it communicates, how little it can really touch us, and how fleeting its interactions are. Armed with such knowledge, we are no longer afraid of the paranormal world, but are avid observers and journalists of its wonders.

The book is found on Kindle (Amazon) and Nook (Barnes & Noble).

This is my legacy in the ghost hunting world and contributions made on the basis of experiencing the paranormal, being a logic-based person, and foremost a paranormal investigator, counselor and a psychic. In fact, much of what I teach in the book are also the principles by which I teach those with anxiety disorders how to recover themselves and their lives. These are tools for daily living for an effective and rewarding life. One can never go wrong with more life skills.

Cat Seance

Night of the Living Dead: Why It Works

If you haven't seen "Night of the Living Dead" (enjoy it above)

If you have seen it, have you ever wondered why so many decades later, we can still hold such a fascination?

Let's look at the elements:

A home-movie like feel. You can almost hear the reel projector, can't you? Black and white and bleak. Can anything else be more depressing?

It feels as if this could actually happen. The countryside is one you're familiar with. The simple task of visiting a grave, arguing between siblings, all familiar mindless events. It moves almost boringly slow the first minutes, if it weren't for the Twilight Zone kind of spooky music hovering lightly in the background.

There's no huge onslaught like in "28 Days Later" where the hero wakes up in an abandoned hospital and encounters hordes of ghouls. This is just one stumbling man in a graveyard. Then, it becomes strangers looking for a haven, trying to make a plan for something no one could foresee.

There were no brilliant scientists to rig up electricity to kill the monster like in "The Thing." These are folks using what's around them, just like we would, and trying to figure out what to do without the help of the outside world to tell us what the fuck is happening.

The drama in these situations, like in real life situations of dire circumstances, depends on the mettle of the people involved. Remember that plane over PA on 9-11? It could have had a hundred different scenarios, but in this case, it included putting up a fight. Some characters in the situation, like the older man in this movie, crumble and show their true character. Others become heroes like the young couple. And, everyone has that one basketcase relative, like Barbara, who is going to totally lose it and get a good slap.

This movie had ghouls and feasting, but not in a gratuitous manner like, say, "Dawn of the Dead" remake. You spend much of the movie inside the house not sure what is occurring outside. Upon occasion, we get a glimmer of wandering dead of different sizes, ages, state of being. We see them gnawing on bones, nibbling on intestines, but only brief glimpses, no full-on "here it is," but instead "what am I seeing???"

I love this movie. I think that the fact Romero didn't give us a happy ending shows a certain amount of class. This was like the Indie movies of today, done by talent, smaller budgets, and really original visions that may not scream "box office" but definitely scream "classic"!

Inspirational Saturday: Disputing Assumptions

Sit down some time and write a list of 10 things you've always assumed about yourself; 10 negative things...

1. I'm lazy.
2. I'm immature.
3. I'm irresponsible.
4. I'm inpatient.
5. I'm not smart.
6. I'm a baby.
7. I'm not talented.
8. I'm plain looking.
9. I'm boring.
10. I'm awkward.

This was an exercise I did over 20 years ago. I did it at a very stressful and insecure time in my life. I had no idea how many of these things I carried around. I stopped and asked myself first, who made me believe/assume these things?

The answer became "my family of origin and my husband." The way they treated me, the way they approached me, the things they complained about, the way they neglected me, told me that these were the things that were all wrong about me. Yes, that was my list above of assumptions about myself.

I then sat down and put my beliefs on a witness stand and, like a lawyer, I disproved the points with examples that they weren't true.

1. I worked hard to upkeep a house and keep my son on a regimen, caring for the health of my family and the cleanliness of my home, as well as my own self. I had my son in several play groups, was going back to school to get my degree in my field of study. I constantly took on new projects and ran a self-help group, wrote articles, gave lectures and workshops... Okay, okay. That was not a true or valid assumption!

On and on I went disputing these self assumptions with the truth. I had to revise them in the end. They went something like this...

1. I'm industrious and willing to work hard for what I want.
2. I take on my adult responsibilities unquestioningly.
3. I can be counted on to be in charge of my child, my home, my career, my health.
4. I'm a multitasker and I can get a lot done in a short period of time.
5. I'm highly intelligent. In my major, I had a 3.9 GPA.
6. I'm childlike and fun, but also very responsible.
7. I'm a writer, artist, craftswoman and creative.
8. I'm easy on the eyes.
9. I'm interesting and complex with lots of hobbies and knowledge.
10. I'm graceful; I dance, I modeled, I was a gymnast/diver/freestyle skater/skateboarder. That takes grace.

Give this exercise a test some time. It's crazy once you realize that things you assume have no substance. It's like introducing yourself to someone you never knew was in there.

Lonely on a Friday Night: Join Us!

I'm in all evening. Chit Chat as you wish. I'll know if you check in. :-)

URBEX: DESERT GHOST TOWN

Julie and I have a book "Abandoned Places: Abandoned Memories (Desert Edition)" on Kindle and Nook. Kindle allows for download to your PC, IPAD, Droid or other device. We went to 12 locations in the desert that were abandoned, photographed them and I did psychic reads from an item at each location and shared them in story form. We are continuing to go to other abandoned sites for further editions of the book.

Fairbank, AZ

On a recent trip to this ghost town in the AZ desert, I took some pics. I tried to keep the pics of the place down to a minimum, forcing me to take shots that when I see them, I will always recall how that place felt. The town was frontier feeling and in a quiet little valley. It was surrounded by very bone dry desert, everything bleached by the sun. Parched. Here's how I saw Fairbank, AZ...









**DON'T FORGET LONELY ON A FRIDAY NIGHT HERE THIS EVENING**