Kamis, 31 Mei 2012

Please Ignore My Evil Doppleganger

I am being haunted by the living again and I find this type of haunting far more irksome.  Give me a nice ghost anytime.  This particular crazy, haunting human has been haunting a few well known bloggers.  She's been haunting autumn forest of Ghost Hunting Theories and Dr. Heckle.  She is a doppleganger sort of haunter and has been travelling the Internet pretending to be us.  She claims to be Jessica Pinot and she is clearly quite mentally ill and not getting the medical care she needs.  She is posting bizarre things around the Internet and claiming to be me.  She's even got a blog that looks just like mine but makes no sense at all.  It is like bizarro Ghost Stories and Haunted Places.

So, if someone named Jessica Pinot and claiming to be me pops up saying bizarre things on your blog or website. Or if some crazy lady says she is from Ghost Stories and Haunted Places saying obscene and mad nonsense, it is not me.  I am not Jessica Pinot.  I am not the crazy, naked person wandering the Internet spreading mayhem.  She is just my evil Internet doppleganger.

Rabu, 30 Mei 2012

Barbri: Experience.Failure.


Let me preface this blog entry by saying that I am no gunner. I do what I have to do to get by, and I do what I personally have to do to ensure that I know what I have to know.

Thus, I'm (obviously) taking Barbri to prepare for the Bar this summer. Barbri has been great and has a lot of great features that they tout at every damn available opportunity. Two days ago, I heard about the amazingness that was Barbri AMP. According to Barbri people, AMP is the bomb.com. AMP is Jesus' little brother. Super serial, you guys! In fact, Barbri's president Mike Sims has even talked about the awesomeness that shines out of AMP's every orifice: "BARBRI AMP gives our students a tremendous advantage on the Multistate Bar Exam, one of the most challenging parts of the bar," said Mike Sims, President of BARBRI. "The score increases realized by students who used BARBRI AMP can make the difference between passing and failing the bar, especially when you consider that many people fail the bar exam by just a few points," added Sims.


So I get online to access it yesterday, and what happens? Nothing.



That's right....nothing. The page won't load. My classmates and others throughout the United States are having shit fits because they want ALLZ THE INFO now. I would very much so like to access this as well, although my want arises particularly due to my pecuniary interest in this product. Today Barbri fired off the following two emails:




I understand how there is shittons of other material out there with which we can study effectively. But when I'm paying $2600, which is almost $50 per day (and others are paying even more in other states), I'd hope you could figure this shit out in less than 24 hours. Additionally, when you make promises about how much it will help improve my Bar exam score then don't deliver....well, that's just shitty.

Hopefully Barbri will get its act together with regard to its server, because they're going to have to deal with a whole lot of pissed off, newly minted lawyers with a (probably not valid) excuse as to why they failed the Bar exam if they do not.

Not me, of course. I handle my problems with booze, not lawsuits.

Minggu, 27 Mei 2012

Older But Not Wiser

Keith

(b. 28th May 1952)

Is now officially an old man

Many thanks to all my followers who have given me so much support over the last two years


Sabtu, 26 Mei 2012

Annabelle, The Cursed Doll

Dolls scare the hell out of me so this story gave me nightmares. I'm not entirely sure why, but cursed dolls are particularly scary to me.  This is the story of an over sized Raggedy Ann doll named Annabelle. Annabelle was a gift given to a young nurse named Donna by her mother. It wasn't long after Annabelle was given to Donna that Donna began to notice Annabelle moved about the apartment on her own. Donna and her roommate, Angie, began to notice that they would leave for work and when they came home the doll would be laying on the bed in a different position. The women started arranging the doll purposely in one position and they would find it with its arms crossed or legs moved. This went on for some time and after a while the doll became more active. It would change rooms. Once, they even found the doll kneeling. This is a position that is impossible for a raggedy anne doll on its own.

Over time the doll began to leave messages. The messages were left in pencil on parchment paper. The women had never owned parchment paper so its origin was as mysterious as the messages themselves. The notes usually said "help us" or "help lou". The women began rigging the apartment to check for intruders. They thought that maybe someone was tricking them, but there was no evidence of break ins. One night they came home to find blood on the doll's hand.

Finally, the women contacted a medium to talk to the doll. The doll said that she was a little girl who had died on the property who was lonely. After this, the women contacted paranormal experts Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Warrens believed the story about the little girl was trickery to gain sympathy and that Annabelle was really possessed by a demon. This belief was confirmed when Angie's boyfriend was attacked physically by some unseen spirit in the apartment. The attack left a series of deep marks on Lou's chest.

After this, a priest was called in to do an exorcism. The exorcism seemed to work and the Warren's offered to take Annabelle home with them. On the way home, Annabelle caused the car to veer off the road almost killing the Warrens. The Warrens dosed the doll in Holly Water and the activity stopped for a time. Soon after, Annabelle began to be active in the Warrens' home and they had to move her to their Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut. They keep a website that documents their experiences with Annabelle at http://www.edandlorrainwarren.com/. The doll has remained active since its placement in the museum and is even thought to be responsible for some deaths since that time.

Bar tips: the MBE notebook

Barbri is fantastic, but I also need to work on personal organization and educating myself outside of the scope of Barbri. Which is why  I'm creating a new line of posts in which I seek organizational tips from fellow Bar students/lawyers, as well as give a rundown of my organizational process, so to speak.

Topic of the day: creating a Bar MBE notebook.

I actually plan on having two notebooks: one for MBE and one for essay. But since this is the world of MBE, I'll stick to that one (for now). For those of you who aren't taking the Bar this summer but will in the future, I'm not sure how much you know about this exam. I knew of the subject matter, but no one differentiated (to me, at least) which was on the MBE and which was on the essay portion before this summer. Which leads me to my notebook breakdown, subject by subject (and a couple of other relevant tabs):

1) MBE Practice Tips 
2) Constitutional Law
3) Contracts
4) Criminal Law/Procedure
5) Evidence
6) Real Property
7) Torts
8) Practice Exams/Answers

There are six subjects on the Multistate Bar Exam--actually seven, if you consider how Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure are TOTALLY different cups of tea, but whatever. Lawyers don't go to law school to learn how to count (although Criminal Sentencing Guidelines are apparently exempt from this statement). 

Disclaimer: this binder is going to be REALLY big. I've actually got to go buy a binder that I find adequately intimidating enough to handle all my Bar nonsense. I'm also investing in the good tabs: the ones with front pockets, in case I actually sit down and define all the words I need to flip through on a daily basis. Or in case I'm a dumbass and forget to hole-punch necessary items the first go around, and need somewhere to stick those notes so I don't lose them. 

At any rate, these tabs will handle the following information, although I'm not sure if I want to get some of those smaller Post-it tabs (the good ones) to ultra-compartmentalize it:

1) Outline of the subject--this will be the precise outline (2 pages or less)
2) Relevant definitions
3) Chart/Template I'm modifying, based on this amazing site's example
4) My kitchen sink outline
5) Quizzes I've taken on this subject
6) Supplemental material from the web

As you can see, this can get overwhelming quickly. On the other hand, I feel extremely motivated when I can see my progress right in front of my eyes, which is why this will probably be the best approach for me. I understand not everyone learns the same way, which is why it's important to realize your strengths and weaknesses, and then plan accordingly. 

Have I overlooked anything? Do you have any tips for me that have been helpful to you? 

Jumat, 25 Mei 2012

Barbri, Day 5 (aka: OMG, I'm starting to see legal questions in everything)

Today was Barbri day 5, as indicated in my title. While I realize that many argue that the word excruciating is one that precludes degrees (much like someone can't be "very unique" or "a little bit pregnant"), I personally think that there are degrees to excruciating, like thumbtacks v. bamboo shoots under the fingernails. Or like 7 hours of Barbri review given by the same guy who sounds exactly like Lewis Black. Which I would classify as REALLY FUCKING EXCRUCIATING.

I don't mind listening. I don't mind sitting attentively. And I don't mind the lectures. What bothers me is the mind-numbing monotony of it all. But that's what I've paid for, and I'll squeeze every damn penny of of the endless monotony.

Which brings me to my next point: OMG I'M TURNING EVERYTHING INTO BAR EXAM QUESTIONS (I'm also highly considering making some of my favorite movies into examples on how to get through portions of the Bar, starting with Kill Bill and Mulan. Trust me, there are shittons of legal scenarios I can use to construct a bonafide badass outline to get me through the Bar and help me remember. And perhaps I will...). Back to my point: tonight I was reading Above the Law, as I'm apt to do, when I ran across this gem of a quote from New Jersey's (Republican/stupid/aneurysm-inducing) governor with regards to his state defying a federal law against certain types of betting:

"We intend to go forward," the Republican governor said. "If someone wants to stop us, then let them try to stop us. We want to work with the casinos and horse racing industry to get it implemented...Am I expecting there may be legal action taken against us to try to prevent it? Yes," the governor said. "But I have every confidence we're going to be successful."

What realm are we in? Obviously Constitutional Law. What is this concerning? States' powers. What is the rule? Supremacy Clause--federal laws=supreme law of the land. And who will win? Duh: the motherfucking government. Apparently I learned a new word this week: federalism.

Although I think "motherfucking federalism" has a much better ring to it. And would be awesome if repeated in a Lewis Black voice.

Nick the New Guy's Lawyer


From: NICK UALTAR
Subject: RE: Legal Enquiry.. Case Evaluation



I solicit your representation on behalf of Prodromou Textiles Limited.I need your counsel in litigation to collect a debt owed by a delinquent seller in your jurisdiction. 

Our company purchased Machinery equipment of $1,400,000.00. 50% of the amount was paid as it is required before delivery i.e $700,000.00 and till now they have failed to execute their own part of the contract and giving unreasonable excuses.

Payment to the seller was made in January of 2012 and calculation shows that delivery is above 3 Months late, The regular purchase agreement requires seller to effect goods not later than 60 days upon payment or legal action may be enforced if delivery delay exceeds 90 days.

Find Below the location of the delinquent seller for you to run a conflict check. Kindly send your retainer agreement for my review thereafter. 

Markey Machinery Co Inc
7266 8th Avenue South, 
Seattle, WA 98108


Our Board of Directors awaits your retainer agreement after the conflict check and look forward to your prompt response at your earliest convenience.

Regards,
Nick Ualtar
C.F.O
Prodromou Textiles Limited
Houghton Street
London, WC2A 2AE
United Kingdom.
Tel:+447035954192
Fax: 448091740719 

Kamis, 24 Mei 2012

Barbri, Day 4 and other shit

Today I did the 3 hour, 100 question MBE practice test. I got 57 questions right. Which means I got 43 wrong. Of the six subjects:

1) Contracts kicked my ass. So did Evidence and Torts. Like, made me want to cry kicked my ass.

2) I only got three Real Property questions wrong. Which makes me question whether I took some kind of red pill and wandered into a Matrix-type rabbit hole. As opposed to Adderall, which is clearly the blue type of pill you see at law school all too often.

3) Con Law and Criminal Law weren't so bad, but I'd like to do better.

After I got my ass kicked thoroughly by Barbri today, I went home to analyze the damages. Obviously I wasn't too torn up, and I (surprisingly) wasn't too mind-fucked to pursue outlining for this next week. Obviously aliens have taken over my body.

I also went for a sprint/walk tonight. Something I officially gave up FOR LIFE. (Because, let's face it, biking is so much better and I'm a slow ass MF.) I've figured that if there's the possibility of me failing the bar and finding out ON MY BIRTHDAY, I'm at least going to look hot while reveling in my misery.

Or hot while celebrating. No matter the outcome, I plan on looking hot.

Except when I ugly cry (which is going to happen, either way). 

The Ghost in Ateneo de Manila University

Ateneo de Manila University was one of the oldest, and one of the most popular university in the Philippines. The main campus of ADMU is in Quezon City, just beside the Katipunan Avenue and near Loyola Memorial Park and Barangka Cemetery.

Anyway, we are not going to discuss everything about ADMU, however we will talk about the other side of this known university. I'm talking about the scary ghost stories which turned to urban legends. Actually, it is common to a wide and old university to possess such things that terrorizes students. Even though some of them believes, yet there were others who just ignore the rumors till they experience it, and finally they became one of the believers. Like UP, this university also has many buildings inside the campus. Each one has its own respective use, also, each has its own story.

Stories

[Taken from Internet:]

The Department of Communication Building

This building stands at Seminary Drive near the Manila Observatory.



It is considered to be the most haunted building of all in the ADMU, but most of the classes here have been moved to the newer Social Sciences building. They said, there was some what a portal inside the its studio where spirits enters our realm. The banyos (comfort room) in the Comm Dept are really spooky.

First Version:

There is this story that as a janitor was about to close the building, a guard pleaded him to use the banyo. The janitor agreed, and the guard went to the second floor to use the said room. After the guard left, the janitor checked the room, and found it completely magulo (messy). There were handprints of human waste all over the room. He immediately left the building and talked to the guard, who was clueless about the event. When the guard turned around, he was shocked to see that there was also a print on the guard's back.
Second Version:

The janitor, who had just finished cleaning the bathrooms, was about to lock up the building when a security guard asked if he could go inside to urinate. The janitor agreed and let the guard in. Minutes later, when the guard emerged, the janitor double-checked the second floor bathroom–and was met with the sight of the tile walls and floors covered in streaky handprints of human excrement. He ran back downstairs to confront the security guard, who was absolutely clueless. When the security guard turned to leave, the janitor was shocked to find another handprint, clearly pressed on the back of the guard's white uniform.

The two versions show the same story. Both have similar attendees - the janitor and the security guard.

[Taken from Internet:]

Other Haunted Buildings

PIPAC
Some say that a janitor haunts the building. He died when the air was sucked out of the building tp clear the chemicals.

Gonzaga Hall
The stairs are similar to the Sacred Heart. No matter how hard you try at night, you always end up at the Second Floor Landing!

Bellarmine Hall
They say Fr. Eliazo is always there.

High School
There is also a portal in the middle of the HS Covered Courts. In the middle of Court 4. Also There are reports of a ghost in every odd numbered batch of Days With The Lord.

Sacred Heart Novitiate Building
In the Sacred Heart Novitiate building, the story of the "stairs" is one that forces retreat-goers to go around in the "safety" of groups.

Legend has it that late one night, a group of students went downstairs to go "exploring" after the others had gone to sleep.

The frightening thing was that no matter how long they kept going down the flights of stairs from the 3rd floor dorm hall they occupied, they could not seem to find the ground floor landing.

Even more sinister was that they kept passing the same eerie painting of Christ at each floor landing, over and over again.

Source:
http://www.pinoyexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?t=404620
http://www.pinoygizmos.com/index.php?topic=4720.0;wap2
http://www.spot.ph/gallery/1693/10-scary-stories-set-in-manila-schools-65279-/article/49643#pid=27679

Rabu, 23 Mei 2012

Barbri, Day 3

Today's Barbri preview focused on Constitutional Law and Evidence and OH MY GOD I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING AND WE'RE ALL GONNNNNNNAAAA DIIIIIIEEEEEEEE.

But for reals, it was (again) totally demoralizing, although definitely not surprising, with regard to how little I know. Completely.

Notes from today:

1) Got to see the Criminal Law teacher again...he reminds me of Steven Colbert, and makes my day better. Particularly when he uses the mnemonic device BARRRRRRK (okay, I added a few extra Rs in the there, but he is totally awesome).

2) As a side note: mnemonic is THE WORST AND HARDEST WORD IN THE ENTIRE WORLD TO SPELL.

3) Also got to see the majorly awesome Torts prof again, but he wasn't as organized for Constitutional Law and it gave me the sadz.

4) Went and printed off study tips for approaching the MBE. Panic attack is likely to ensue any moment now.

5) Constitutional Law is going to suck, and I don't care what the guy said--I'm not going to be the majority of people who get 24/33 correct because I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO REMEMBER ALL THIS INFORMATION AND STUFF IT INTO MY HEAD AND MAKE IT STAY THERE. (I'm pretty sure this info leaks out of my ears at night.)

Tomorrow we are set to take a 100 question, 3 hour practice test. Lots of people aren't showing up to the school tomorrow because they can do it at home. I know better than this. I would sleep until eleven, play with shiny things, cuddle with my dogs, and then take eleventy billion hours to try to get through it. So I'm dragging my happy ass to the school tomorrow, because if I don't have the discipline to take it at home, you bet your sweet bippy that I'll have the discipline to haul my ass somewhere that ensures I do. And no, that's not sarcasm.

In other news, I think I'm going to be taking a nice weekender for Memorial Day, and may even get the chance to yell FREEEEEBIRD in a setting that's suitably appropriate. White trash nirvana? Oh hells to the yes. Am I okay with this?

FREEEEEEEEEEBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRD!!!!!!!!!
(duh)

The Ouija Board

Hollywood loves to make adaptations.  It loves adaptations of television shows, books, video games, author's lives, etc.  The recent rage in adaptations appears to be board games.   This summer the first of many board game based movies was released in the form of Battleship.  The duo that directed Alvin and the Chipmunks will be directing an adaptation of Candyland.   A movie adaption of Monopoly is supposed to be about the sub prime mortgage crisis and finally a low budget adaption of Ouija will round out the board game movies. I could care less about the other movies, but the Ouija Board is always interesting in movies and it has been in many horror movies.  It has already been the primary focus of a Filipino horror film called Ouija.  From the Exorcist to Paranormal Activity the Ouija Board has brought doom on the masses, but is it really as evil as it is in the movies?

The Ouija Board was first created during the spiritualist movement of the late nineteenth century. It was designed as a tool to help communication with spirits. Elijah Bond and Charles Kennard were the first to patent the device. In 1966, the device's patent was sold to Parker Brother's who still own it. Ever since its creation the Ouija Board has been controversial. The most famous case of demonic activity with Ouija Board was the case that was later the inspiration for a book The Exorcist. I've blogged about this case before. A little boy named Robbie and his aunt attempted to contact a deceased relative and the resulting demon possession was legendary.

I remember my first experience with the Ouija Board was fairly typical. I was at a slumber party and one of the girl's brought out the board. We all took turns asking questions. I can't remember them all. They were mundane girly questions like "will Billy Bob ask me to the dance," or "Will I be a doctor when I grow up." At the end, the girl who brought the board out told the spirit thank you and said that she would give it all her Halloween candy as a way of saying thank you for all its help. She put her bucket of Halloween candy by the board and we went upstairs to play light as a feather stiff as a board. When we returned, all the candy was gone. The wrappers were still there. They were still sealed, but the candy was gone. I'll admit, this could be some kind of slumber party prank, but I don't know how this girl, who was pretty clueless pulled it off.

Almost everyone you talk to has a Ouija board story and almost all of them are bad. Mine was quiet and stupid, but almost everyone I talk to about the board agrees that it opens doors that shouldn't be opened. My grandmother passed away a few years ago, which had lead to much contemplation on her life. She was a woman who always dabbled in the supernatural and believed firmly in ghosts. In fact, she had a relationship with a ghost named Alonk that lasted years via the Ouija Board. She forced my mother and her sister to help her continue this relationship. Alonk told her he loved and sent her love stories. It really creeped my mother out, although my aunt grew fond of Alonk.

There are a million Ouija Board stories. One local story, involves a teen that used the board regularly. One night the sofa he stored the board under burst into flames, burning down the entire apartment complex he lived in. Another story I found in a book, describes a young man's interaction with a spirit via the board. During this interaction, the spirit said the board was specifically designed to communicate with those in hell. Only spirits that had been damned could be contacted using the board.

I have heard a few good stories about the board. One woman at a paranormal meeting I went to said she talked with a playful girl spirit that had lived in her house before her. She said the interaction was positive and helped bring peace to herself and her daughter who had been afraid of the ghost before the conversation via the board. I know that some people must be having positive experiences with the board, because it still sells very well. There is even an online version of the game now that allows you to play alone using your mouse. However, the overwhelming bulk of the stories are terrifying. Which brings me to the question. Is the Ouija Board a gateway only to evil or can it be used for good? Are people being swayed by the abundance of negative stories or are there any possible good uses for this tool?

Selasa, 22 Mei 2012

Barbri, Day 2

Barbri Day #2 is over, although I do have some "homework" I apparently need to go over. Today was a lot worse than yesterday, namely because it went over Real Property and Contracts, and I very much so suck at both of those subjects....particularly Contracts.

Guy teaching the courses (same guy for both, both on a video) was funny. He reminded me of Louis Black. Without the cussing. Which may have made Contracts a whole lot more fun and memorable, but alas, I'll never know.

However, there are a whole lot of points I think I should make regarding today:

1) There were dramatically fewer people in my class today than yesterday, namely because they figured they could see the same videos from home. I cannot do that because (a) I have the attention span of a gna---oh, wow, look at that shiny object! and (b) I will never get around to watching all the video or take the video seriously when I could be doing a multitude of other, more worthy things (like sleeping, or eating, or sleep-eating).

2) Real Property sucks just as much now as it did 1L year, but Real Estate Transactions played a MUCH larger role in this section than anyone else let on it would. Ergo, I'm thankful I took the latter course, even though I shudder every time I hear the word mortgage.

3) Our class should really devise a system of shutting our books and letting the daily administrator know  when we are finished with our preview test, so we don't spend an extra 15 minutes Facebooking inside a classroom instead of getting out early and Facebooking from the privacy of our own homes.

4) I've GOT to start packing a lunch, because one of these days, I'm not going to be so lucky about snagging a parking spot when I leave and come back to school.

5) Okay, people. We get it. The dude just repeated himself four fucking times. I see how you might think that's funny. Personally, I think you should probably just write it down over and over again, so you might remember it for the Bar. Because, you know, if he's saying it seventeen times, IT MIGHT BE IMPORTANT.

In addition to these notes, I think it's fair to say that this course is pretty damn good. I'm learning a lot, and even though I emerge each day with a headache, I figure I'm getting my money's worth. I've also taken up bicycling again (8.5 miles today) to deal with the stress of studying, and also so I can look decent in a majorly fucking hot swimsuit I plan on wearing at the end of the summer.

Is anyone else taking Barbri? What do y'all think of it so far?

Senin, 21 Mei 2012

Another Fabrication Lawyer


From: info.trescherfabrications@linuxmail.org
Subject: Re: Debt collection/Litigation case  

We are a London based engineering company, specialising in all aspects of steel fabrication. And we humbly request to retain your legal service in collecting a debt owed us by a company in your area. Due to the need for expansion and numerous projects executed by my company at that time, payment of $700,000.00 for steel products/equipments was made to the seller in December of 2011 and our calculation shows that delivery is about five Months late. The regular purchase agreement requires seller to effect delivery of goods not later than 60 days upon payment or legal action may be enforced if delivery delay exceeds 120 days.


Litigation will be our last resort. Please find the details of the seller below to allow you run a conflict check. In the absence of any conflict, forward me your retainer agreement for review.


Pioneer Industries
7440 West Marginal Way S.
Seattle, WA 98108 


Upon receiving your retainer agreement, i will have a telephone conference with you, informing you of more details of the transaction.

I am of a strong opinion, that once i coordinate our correspondence with your firm to the seller, they will have no option but to send payment through your firm's trust account to us.



Sincerely,

Theo Trescher.

Trescher Fabrication Ltd
RA1 & 2 Bermondsey Trading Estate
Rotherhithe New Road
London 
SE16 3LL

Tel:+44 702 403 5402.

Barbri, Day 1

1) Barbri started today. This means I get to officially learn what's actually *relevant* for the Bar....since the past three years have apparently MEANT NOTHING.

2) We started off with a Torts practice exam. FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK.

3) To the douche sitting behind me: BURN. No, really. I'm tired of you already being a douchebag, particularly since we're only one hour into the effing course.

4) It's a beautiful day outside. And I wish I were floating in a pool somewhere, tanning my pasty white legs (who am I kidding? They would burn in a heartbeat).

5) Happy birthday to my fantastic boyfriend, who is now a quarter of a century old.

Minggu, 20 Mei 2012

Sabtu, 19 Mei 2012

A Funny Old Game

Last Wednesday was Manuscript Meeting night at Nottingham Writers' Club. This is where people can read out a short piece and get feedback from the other members who have a wide variety of knowledge and experience. Two efforts stood out for me.

One fellow read out his entry which had come second in one of last year's club competitions - a short story suitable for radio. This was a tale about a gambler who starts out winning at the casino and has beautiful girls hanging on each arm but then ends up having to sell his furniture and lock himself in his flat to escape his creditors. The description of the atmosphere at the gaming house and the final tension when the debt collector is hammering on his door was excellent and I couldn't find much fault with his effort. The reason that I'm telling you this is that my own entry actually won this competition. I think my friend may have been a little unlucky and, on another day, the placings could quite easily have been reversed.

The other piece that excelled was read by a newcomer who has written a series of short stories all set in the same fictional seaside town. As I listened to him narrate one of these tales I could imagine this one also being being read out on the radio. It was a sinister story with bizarre characters and snappy dialogue. The whole room was blown away by this brilliant work of fiction but were surprised to learn that he has no intention of being published. All we could do was persuade, advise and beg him not to let it go unheard but he seemed unmoved and quite happy just to write for his own (and our) pleasure.

So how do I feel after listening to one story that I thought deserved a better fate than runner-up to my own and another from a chap that seemed so cavalier about his undoubted talent? Bemused. Humble. A bit insecure. Just goes to show what a funny old business this writing lark is.

The Haunted ebay Painting

Haunted objects have always held particular fascination for me and I found this story particularly creepy.   I have always wondered about the haunted items on eBay, but this haunted item, known as the eBay painting seems to have turned into a legend.   The ebay painting's official name is  "The Hands That Resist Him.."  The painting  was done by Oakland, California artist Bill Stoneham in 1972.    The painting was made notorious by a ghost story on eBay.  The painting was first shown in the Feingarten Gallery in the 1970s and it received a bad review.  It was later purchased by actor John Marley of The Godfather.  Mr. Marley passed away and the painting was bought by a California couple.   In February of 2000, it was listed on eBay with the following information.  This is the original text from the eBay auction: 


WHEN WE RECEIVED THIS PAINTING, WE THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY GOOD ART. A " PICKER " HAD FOUND IT ABANDONED BEHIND AN OLD BREWERY. AT THE TIME WE WONDERED A LITTLE WHY A SEEMINGLY PERFECTLY FINE PAINTING WOULD BE DISCARDED LIKE THAT. ( TODAY WE DON'T !!! ) ONE MORNING OUR 4 AND 1/2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER CLAIMED, THAT THE CHILDREN IN THE PICTURE WERE FIGHTING, AND COMING INTO THE ROOM DURING THE NIGHT. NOW, I DON'T BELIEVE IN UFOS OR ELVIS BEING ALIVE, BUT MY HUSBAND WAS ALARMED. TO MY AMUSEMENT HE SET UP A MOTION TRIGGERED CAMERA FOR THE NIGHTS. AFTER THREE NIGHTS THERE WERE PICTURES.THE LAST TWO PICTURES SHOWN ARE FROM THAT 'STAKEOUT'. AFTER SEEING THE BOY SEEMINGLY EXITING THE PAINTING UNDER THREAT, WE DECIDED, THE PAINTING HAS TO GO.PLEASE JUDGE FOR YOURSELF. --- BEFORE YOU DO, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING WARNING AND DISCLAIMER. ----WARNING: DO NOT BID ON THIS PAINTING IF YOU ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO STRESS RELATED DISEASE, FAINT OF HEART OR ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH SUPERNATURAL EVENTS. BY BIDDING ON THIS PAINTING, YOU AGREE TO RELEASE THE OWNERS OF ALL LIABILITY IN RELATION TO THE SALE OR ANY EVENTS HAPPENING AFTER THE SALE, THAT MIGHT BE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PAINTING. THIS PAINTING MAY OR MAY NOT POSESS SUPERNATURAL POWERS, THAT COULD IMPACT OR CHANGE YOUR LIFE. HOWEVER, BY BIDDING YOU AGREE TO EXCLUSIVELY BID ON THE VALUE OF THE ARTWORK, WITH DISREGARD TO THE LAST TWO PHOTOS FEATURED IN THIS AUCTION, AND HOLD THE OWNERS HARMLESS IN REGARD TO THEM AND THEIR IMPACT, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.------------ NOW THAT WE GOT THIS OUT OF THE WAY, ONE QUESTION TO YOU EBAYERS. WE WANT OUR HOUSE TO BE BLESSED AFTER THE PAINTING IS GONE, DOES ANYBODY KNOW, WHO IS QUALIFIED TO DO THAT? THE SIZE OF THE PAINTING IS 24 BY 36 INCHES, SO IT IS RATHER LARGE. AS I HAVE HAD SEVERAL QUESTIONS, HERE THE FOLLOWING ANSWERS. THERE WAS NO ODOR LEFT BEHIND IN THE ROOM. THERE WERE NO VOICES, OR THE SMELL OF GUNPOWDER, NO FOODPRINTS OR STRANGE FLUIDS ON THE WALL. TO DETER QUESTIONS IN THIS DIRECTION, THERE ARE NO GHOSTS IN THIS WORLD , NO SUPERNATURAL POWERS, THIS IS JUST A PAINTING, AND MOST THESE THINGS HAVE AN EXPLANATION, IN THIS CASE PROBABLY A FLUKE LIGHT EFFECT. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BID ON THE ARTWORK, AND CONSIDER THE LAST TWO PHOTOGRAPHS AS PURE ENTERTAINMENT, AND PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THEM INTO CONSIDERATION, WHEN BIDDING. AS WE THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO BLESS ANY HOUSE, WE STILL WELCOME INPUT INTO THAT PROCEDURE.
 
The first bid on the painting was $199 and it eventually sold for $1025.  The buyer was Perception Gallery in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The legends that spread around the painting were viral.  People who viewed the painting on eBay claimed that just looking at the painting on the eBay listing made them sick and others claimed that terrible things happened to them from viewing the painting on eBay.  One Native American medicine man claimed he could feel evil seeping out from the painting and that he needed to cleanse his house with rosemary after his viewing of the painting.  It is interesting to note that the first owner  of the painting died within a year of purchasing the painting and the reviewer who gave the painting a bad review also met a bad end within a year.   The owner of the Feingarten Gallery also died shortly after showing the painting.

Since the eBay auction that made Stoneham's work famous, he has painted two other paintings in this series which can be viewed on his website at http://www.stonehamstudios.com/ .

Many believe "The Hands That Resist Him" is actually cursed and haunted, but others think that this painting is a classic example of the viral nature of Internet urban legends and the power of mass hysteria. Either way, the painting does have a creepy quality about it that makes you wonder what those scary little children are up to.  I certainly wouldn't want this painting in my house.   I'm way to superstitious to put this painting on my blog.   Not to mention the fact that I'm already blaming  all the bad things that have happened  in my house this morning on those stupid creepy children.  Glass broke?  Obviously stupid creepy children's fault.  Son fell and hurt his arm?  Obviously stupid creepy children's fault.   I lost my car keys? Stupid creepy children did that.  Clearly, the painting is cursed.

Rabu, 16 Mei 2012

Larson Law


From: Alexa John
Subject: SV: 
Date: May 16, 2012 12:21:32 AM PDT
Reply-To: Alexa John



Thank you for your prompt response in regards to seeking for an attorney to assist us with a  collection case. We request your representation to enable us pursue a debt been owed by a company in your jurisdiction. We do appreciate your time in reviewing our request. We believe that once our presence is established in your state via a legal representative our debtor will have no option but comply with payment request and accompanied with legal actions.

I represent NCC Construction and we are based in Vallgatan Sweden. We are authorized to buy and sell with foreign individuals that deal with construction and machinery Equipments all over the world. We got your contact information from the online Lawyers Directory as a result of our search for reliable firm to provide legal services with collection. We believe that a normal scenario will require a phone call or demand letter from you to our debtor if your services is retained. Although we believed that litigation should be applied as a last resort as we intend to preserve the relationship we have with our debtor for the main time.

We understand the concept of running a conflict check that is why we are providing our debtor located in your region for your conflict check.

International Construction
8101 Occidental Avenue S
Seattle, WA 98108-4210

This particular seller owes $600,000.00 and the delivery is overdue as our purchase agreement requires seller to effect goods not later than 90 days upon receiving payment. We happened to have ordered for 6 Excavators (caterpillar 2010) on November 15th 2011 worth $1,200,000.00. and they requested we pay 50 percent of the funds before they start processing our products for shipment to Sweden. One month after receiving the deposit they notified us that they had ran out of supply for the excavators we had requeseted and they will be sending back our funds. We have not received our money from this company; we have sent out demand letters and phone calls, but they have not given us a clear date on when we will be getting back the $600,000.00. Its over four months now and we will like to take serious legal actions against this company

I want you to kindly send me your retainer agreement for review, Once my board of directors agree to your terms and conditions I will forward you supporting documents i.e, bill of sale. It is not my company policy to give out documents when we have not reviewed your retainer agreement.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

Lexohn Larson
Sales Director
NCC Construction
Address;170 80 Solna
Vallgatan 3 Sweden

Selasa, 15 Mei 2012

Free Kindle Copy of Death's Dream Kingdom


I'm working on Haunted South Alabama and the sequel to Circe this week so I will be blogging slowly.  I hate to leave my blog completely naked while I work so until I get my lazy rear end blogging again, I'm going to give away free copies of my urban fantasy novel, Death's Dream Kingdom on Kindle.   If you would like a copy, just email me your email address at jessica.penot@gmail.com.  


Cera is an ordinary wife and mother who enjoys the simple things in life, until the night she is murdered. In death, Cera finds herself trapped in a shadow land somewhere between the land of the living and the land of the dead, where demons, ghosts, and old gods roam the streets preying on the living. It is up to Cera to find out why the line between the living and the dead is fading and how the rift between worlds can be mended. Pulled into a quest that takes her to hell and back and into the arms of an ancient, demon lover, she finds that she is a child of the Fates and that she alone can challenge death himself for dominion over his kingdom.

Senin, 14 Mei 2012

Ferdinand Marcos

Ferdinand Marcos, the 10th president, for me, is a lifetime famous influencial politician not only in the Philippines but, perhaps, all over the world. Influencial in a sense that he opened the minds of Filipinos for another unity (well the first was against Spaniards), which also began the protest of other countries against their own dictator or the like. Being a dictator for almost 21 years (1965 - 1986), he became the most powerful in the country. His wife, Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, became as well an influencial first lady, known with her hundreds of pairs of shoes and sandals collection.

However we're not focusing on his own life as a leader, but we're going to talk about urban legends connected to him.

There was this legend that still persists in Ilocos Norte:
- That Marcos is alive.
- That he is kept living by embryonic fluid in some secret facility.
- That his skin is nice and fresh and that he walks among us but does not look at all like the original Marcos.
- That the "corpse" in Paoay is really just wax.
- That his gold certificates are still being encashed, etc., etc.

Ferdinand Marcos is ALIVE?!


It was rumored that Ferdinand Marcos was still ALIVE. It was very outrageous! His devotees were making stories hoping that the dictator is still alive till now.

The wedding depicted here is unknown. I don't know who the persons here were.
[Taken from E-mail:]

A Woman in her forties was invited to stand as principal sponsor in a wedding to be held in one of the big churches in Manila. The bride and groom had told her not to be shocked when she sees one of thier special guests, who was supposedly a long lost kumpadre. So she went to the wedding and there she saw the man, walking very oh so slowly along the aisle. She thought then that if the man were really alive, she'd at least expect him to be confined to a wheelchair, either because of old age or his reported illnesses or both. But the man was walking all by himself, albeit a cane and some bodyguards surrounding him. Then came the signing of the marriage contract, and the woman had thought of checking if the man and his famous signature would match. They did. She later learned that his being alive is top secret, and is known only among the man's followers. The man is none other than Ferdinand Edralin Marcos.

Ferdinand Marcos is made of WAX?!



The corpse of the once powerful dictator now lies inside a refrigerated glass coffin in a mausoleum, wearing a barong tagalog and black slacks. He will remain there unless the government will sponsor a burial with military honor.

Anyway, in Filipino burial tradition, a corpse must not wear shoes, however previous Pres. Ferdinand Marcos wear black shoes, as if, its covering something. His whole body look like not a real biological body but a body made of WAX.

It was not true. His family claims that the corpse looks waxy because it has to be waxed periodically for preservation.
Sources:

http://spoonlagoon.blogspot.com/2008/10/pinoy-urban-legends-20.html
http://lisawallerrogers.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/ferdinand-marcos-restless-corpse/
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/philippine-urban-legends-093005285.html

Aswang in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao

News


[Taken from a News Portal Website[1]:]

Barangay residents fear 'aswang' attacks
Wednesday, May 9, 2012


MAGUINDANAO -- Residents in a barangay here are terrified over reports of attacks by an aswang, a vampire-like creature in Philippine folklore.

Alex Lumenda said his eight-year-old child went to the back portion of their house in Barangay Makir, Datu Odin Sinsuat to urinate when he heard the child crying for help around 10 p.m. Sunday.

Lumenda said he rushed to the area and saw the creature grabbing his child, who was able to escape. Neighbors woke up due to the commotion.

The creature is described to have long hair and nails, blazing eyes and long fangs.

It was also learned that the goats of Lumenda's neighbor was devoured by the creature. Twenty residents claimed witnessing this before the creature disappeared.

Meanwhile, another aswang attack was reported, this time on one alias Juvy, a resident of the barangay.

Juvy showed bite marks on the hand and scratches on the shoulder, which were said to have been inflicted by the aswang.

Mayor Lester Sinsuat is urging members of the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Units and barangay tanods to patrol the area at night and keep a tight watch over residents. (Edgardo Fuerzas)

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on May 10, 2012.

[Taken from a News Portal Website[2]:]

ASWANG, umatake raw sa isang liblib na barangay sa Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao


Nagsasalitan ngayon sa pagroronda sa gabi hanggang sa madaling araw ang mga tanod at ilan pang mga civilian volunteer sa barangay Makir, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.

Ito ay dahil sa kumakalat na balitang may gumagalang aswang sa kanilang lugar at ilang mga residente na ang nakakita at nabiktima nito.

Unang sinalakay ng aswang na tinatawag nilang “Maning” sa salitang Maguindanaon, ang isang ginang sa Sitio Gubat ng nabanggit na barangay.

Balot ng takot ngayon ang mga residente sa isang barangay sa bayan ng Datu Odin Sinsuat sa lalawigan ng Maguindanao sa pagsalakay ng ” Maning” isang salitang Maguindanaon na ang ibig sabihin ay aswang.

Sa kuwento ng mga residente sa lugar, kinagat ng aswang ang naturang ginang sa kamay at kinalmot pa sa braso.

Nitong Sabado lang, isang walong taong gulang na bata rin ang sinalakay ng naturang aswang.

Humingi ng saklolo ang naturang bata matapos na makakita ng taong may mahabang buhok at mga kuko at nanlilisik pa ang mapupulang mga mata nito.

Nabatid pa na may mga alagang kambing na rin sa lugar ang namatay na pinaniniwalaan nilang nilapa ng aswang.

Sa ngayon ay may nakahandang mga sibat ang mga tanod sa barangay bilang paghahanda sa muling pagsalakay ng naturang aswang sa kanilang lugar.
ASWANG, attacks in a distant barangay of Datu Odin Sinsuat, aguindanao


Tanods (Night guards) and some civilians volunteered to patrol Barangay Makir, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao alternately from night till dawn.

This was because of the spreading news about the roaming aswang in their place, and many residents had seen and was victimized by this monster.

The aswang, named Maning in Maduindanaon dialect, first attacked a woman in Sitio Gubat of the said village.

Now, the residents of a barangay in the village of Datu Odin Sinsuat in the province of Maguindanao was covered with fear to the attacks of Maning, which in Maguindanaon means aswang.

Base on the stories of the residents, the said woman was bitten in the hands and scratched in the arms.

Just this Saturday, an 8-year-old child was attacked by this aswang.

The child seeked help when he saw a person with long hair and nails, having glinting red eyes.

They also heard of a man, owner of the goats in their village, was killed by the aswang.

As of this time, the tanods of barangay had ready their spears for the next attack of the aswang.

[Taken from a News Portal Website[3]:]

Aswang, sumalakay sa Datu Odin Maguindanao
Posted under mindanao,news,regional by leo on Wednesday 9 May 2012 at 5:39 am


(RMN Cotabato)

Balot ng takot ngayon ang mga residente sa isang barangay sa bayan ng Datu Odin Sinsuat sa lalawigan ng Maguindanao sa pagsalakay ng ” Maning” isang salitang Maguindanaon na ang ibig sabihin ay aswang.

Sa kuwento ni Alex Lumenda ng barangay Makir , Datu Odin Sinsuat, ang kanyang 8 taong gulang na lalaking anak ang sinalakay ng aswang apat na gabi na ang nakakaraan habang ito’y naghuhugas ng katawan sa labas ng kanilang bahay.

Bigla umano itong sumigaw at humingi ng saklolo sa ina kung saan sa paglapit nito ay nagulat din sa nakitang mahaba ang buhok at mga kuko at pula ang mata.

Sinubukang habulin ni Lumenda at ng kanyang mga kapitbahay pero hindi na nila ito inabutan.

Sinasabing unang sumalakay ang aswang sa sitio Gubat barangay Makir kung saan isang ginang ang kanyang kinagat sa kamay at kinalmot sa braso.

Maliban ditto, maging ang alagang kambing ay kinagat din ng aswang at kinain ang apat nitong paa.

Sa ngayon ay todo ang pagbabantay ang ginagawa ng mga residente at may mga nakahanda silang gulok at sibat sakaling sumalakay muli sa kanilang barangay ang nasabing aswang.
Aswang, attacks in Datu Odin Maguindanao


Residents of Datu Odin Sinsuat in the province of Maguindanao was covered with fear to the attacks of Maning, a word in Maguindanao which means aswang.

One story by Alex Lumenda of Barangay Makir, Datu Odin Sinsuat, accounts the attack of an aswang to an 8-year old boy who was, at that time, taking a bath outside their house.

He suddenly yelled and seek help to his mother. As she arrived there, she was shocked to what she saw - a long hair and nails, and red eyes.

Lumenda and his neighbors tried to chase the monster, but they failed.

It was rumored that the aswang first attaked in Sitio Gubat, Barangay Makir, wherein a woman was bitten in the hands and was scratched in her arms.

Moreover, even Lumenda's goats was bitten, and its four legs were eaten.

As of now, residents are vigilants and they have bolos and spears with them in case this monster attacks again in the said Barangay.

[Taken from a News Portal Website[4]:]

Aswang sa Datu Odin, Maguindanao, 3 araw ng wala
13 MAY 2012


TATLONG gabi nang hindi umaatake sa Barangay Makir, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao ang aswang na di umano’y gumagala sa lugar, ayon kay Barangay Chairman Norodin Abas naniniwala s’ya na aswang ang naturang nilalang, hindi rin ito magnanakaw tulad ng sinabi ni DOS Mayor Lester Sinsuat, hindi na rin kasi anya nakakapambiktima ang mga magnanakaw simula nang umatake sa lugar ang tinatawag nilang “Maning.”

Una rito ay nabulabog at nabalot ang naturang barangay dahil sa umanoy pagsalakay ng aswang sa lugar kung saan dalawang beses itong nambiktima.

Patuloy pa din hinahanap at tinutugis ng mga residente sa lugar ang nasabing nilalang na ilang araw na din umanong pagala-gala sa kanilang lugar.(JR MAE AVILA)
Aswang in Datu Odin, Maguindanao, 3 days gone


Its been three nights passed, and the monster isn't attacking any more in Barangay Makir, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. Barangay Chairman Norodin Abas believe that it was an aswang roaming in the village, not a thief like what DOS Mayor Lester Sinsuat told. Thieves also stopped victimizing when this monster they called Maning attacks in the said place.

First reason might be the disturbance and fear the monster had caused to the Barangay wherein two victims were attacked.

But until now, residents were still chasing and searching this monster who was said to roan in the whole place.
Source:

[1]http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2012/05/09/barangay-residents-fear-aswang-attacks-220691
[2]http://www.mindanaocross.net/home/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=221:ndbc-news
[3]http://www.rmndzxlmanila.com/2012/05/09/aswang-sumalakay-sa-datu-odin-maguindanao/
[4]http://brigadanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17240:aswang-sa-datu-odin-maguindanao-3-araw-ng-wala&catid=15:gensan-city-&Itemid=39

Minggu, 13 Mei 2012

Haunted South Alabama

I've been a little slow in blog posting this week because I have been working on my next History Press Book, Haunted South Alabama.  The journey I take in writing a collection of ghost stories is always interesting.  I begin with an outline I submit with my book proposal package, but as I bury myself in research, I often discover ghost stories are not what I expect them to be.  For example,  all the internet sites and stories I'd heard about the haunting of Space Camp said there was some kind of explosion there that lead to a haunting.  After I went to Space Camp and did my research for Haunted North Alabama, I learned this couldn't have been further from the truth.

With Haunted South Alabama,  I thought I would be focusing on the ghost stories in old forts along the beaches and in Montgomery.    What I've discovered is that there are enough ghost stories in Selma alone to fill a book.  I didn't know much about the history of Selma, Alabama.  It was one of those rural Southern towns I could have passed by entirely without noticing, but now that I've heard its history and learned more about it, it is filled with enough ghost lore to keep me there for weeks.   I've found the ghosts of Bloody Sunday and a wonderful headless lady ghost.  I've found an old mill with dark spirits and the lady who told me these stories is willing to tell me more.  I'm thrilled.   Hopefully, I will be traveling to Selma to collect more stories and I'll be even more busy over the next month or so.   I really can't wait to keep writing, but sadly my book adventures do keep me from the blog.   Hopefully,  I'll have something else to post here soon too. 

Jumat, 11 Mei 2012

Fabrication Lawyer (has a nice ring to it)

From: info.trescherfabrications@linuxmail.org
Subject: Re: Debt Collection Case


Thanks for your response,

  We are a London based engineering company, specialising in all aspects of steel fabrication. And we humbly request to retain your legal service in collecting a debt owed us by a company in your area. Due to the need for expansion and numerous projects executed by my company at that time, payment of $700,000.00 for steel products/equipments was made to the seller in December of 2011 and our calculation shows that delivery is about five Months late. The regular purchase agreement requires seller to effect delivery of goods not later than 60 days upon payment or legal action may be enforced if delivery delay exceeds 120 days.


Litigation will be our last resort. Please find the details of the seller below to allow you run a conflict check. In the absence of any conflict, forward me your retainer agreement for review.

(Local business to be placed here)

Pioneer Industries
7440 West Marginal Way S.
Seattle, WA 98108


Upon receiving your retainer agreement, i will have a telephone conference with you, informing you of more details of the transaction.

I am of a strong opinion, that once i coordinate our correspondence with your firm to the seller, they will have no option but to send payment through your firm's trust account to us. As i learnt is the procedure in the United States of America.



Sincerely,

Theo Trescher.

Trescher Fabrication Ltd
RA1 & 2 Bermondsey Trading Estate
Rotherhithe New Road
London 
SE16 3LL

Tel:+44 702 403 5402.

Kamis, 10 Mei 2012

Attorney for Tec Int'l Co. Ltd

From: Reiji Ryouya
Subject: Re: DEBT COLLECTION



Thanks for the responds, debt owe $345,375.00USD,  our firm is  Tec Int'l Co.,Ltd. , We like to know if you have conflict that will prevent you from representing our firm against Angus Electric Inc. We have explore all avenues to resolve this issue amicably, unfortunately we have not progressed as expected.

 Debtor Infomation

(Some local company, from your jurisdiction, will be placed here)

Angus Electric Inc
(Angus Electric)
4809 80th Street Sw,
 Mukilteo WA

Please advice us on your retainer fees for collection regarding this matter and send us  engagement letter.

Regards
Reiji   Ryouya
Tec Int'l Co.,Ltd.
6-40, Shin Ogawa-machi ,
Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo
ZIP 162-0814
PHONE (03)3235 FAX (03)3235

Selasa, 08 Mei 2012

Fact or Faked: The History of Ectoplasm Done Wrong


I don't watch much paranormal television, but I've been housebound lately and my television consumption has increased.  I was watching Fact or Faked:  Paranormal Files today and something they said made me angry.  I wanted to say, "Read a book!" to the hosts of this show, but reading seems to be a lost art.  The hosts of this show wanted to investigate the ectoplasm claims from the early 20th century.  They said that although tons of research was done on this, no one had shown ectoplasm was a hoax.   Ectoplasm was conclusively proven to be a hoax in the 1920s and it was a disgusting and vile hoax at that.  Here is a post I did on the revolting history of ectoplasm two years ago.

During the time contemporary to and following World War I there was and explosion in what was then called spiritualism or mentalism. Spiritualism is a religious movement revolving around communicating with the dead via a medium. This explosion was brought on by the massive number of people that died in the war and of sickness during this time period. One of the more bizarre activities that became prevalent in this movement was the explosion of ectoplasm. Ectoplasm is a term used to define a physical manifestation of the supernatural and it usually came out of the medium's nose, mouth, or ears. The term, defined by Charles Richet, meant spiritual energy externalized by psychics. It was for many years used as absolute confirmation that the supernatural was tangible and provable. It was supposed to be the physical remains of a ghostly presence. Ghosts were there and they were real and the medium could prove it by showing ectoplasm.

Ectoplasm was so believed in that it was featured in respectable scientific journals and it's existence was confirmed by the great minds of the time including William Butler Yeats and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was so believed in that Scientific America sought to do a study on it and offered a $5,000 reward to anyone who could demonstrate the release of ectoplasm in front of a scientific panel. This reward lead to the beginning of the end of the scientific validity of ectoplasm.

What was discovered was both revolting and eye opening. Although many techniques and materials have been used by mediums to produce ectoplasm, the medium examined by this panel was found to be storing a sheep gut and fat mixture in a sack in her vagina which she expolsed at the appropriate time to make it appear as if she was expelling ectoplasm. Further research into other psychics revealed many other grotesque techniques for producing this fraudulent material. Some women learned how to regurgitate on demand and swallowed yards of muslin and cheese cloth which they would vomit on command. Others stored materials in their rectum.  After careful study, not a single medium that could produce ectoplasm was shown to be doing it by supernatural methods.

Although this story is disgusting. It is more about the disgustingness that is possible within humanity when exploiting the needs of those suffering from the lost of a loved one than the vileness of the actual act. Although I love a good ghost story, it is always amazing to me how much more horrifying live people can be than ghosts. Ghosts have never been shown to leave real ectoplasm, but it is amazing how many mediums were shown to be literally pulling it from there asses.

So, to all those Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files fans out there, the Fact of Faked team did not prove anything that wasn't already shown to be fake in the 1920s by Scientific America.  I don't mean to say I don't enjoy Fact or Faked.  I obviously do or I wouldn't have watched it enough to do this post. In fact, I really like Fact or Faked quite a bit.  I love the skeptical approach to the paranormal.  I was just surprised at the lack of research that went into this one particular case. 

Is there a Ghost in Hospitals?



About



Many Filipinos believe in ghosts, and hospitals, being the place where there's always death, of course, they will think that a single hospital is home for a hundreds of ghosts.

There was this text message which could be an example of ghost in hospitals. No one knows if it actually happened or not but, for sure, it was just for the sake of enjoyment. Yet, it created goosebumps to the readers.

By the way, there was a legend in University of Sto. Tomas about a doctor (not a nurse) who has a similar story as this.

Story



[Taken from a text message]

Once there was this nurse rushing faster going to the elevator. A child was running after her, that's why. Inside the elevator, a middle-aged man was standing, noticed the nurse looked frightened.

Why do you look so pale and scared? He asked.

Haven't you seen the little boy after me? The nurse replied. He is wearing a red tag bracelet on his right hand. If he is wearing a blue tag then he is alive, but he's wearing red, thus he is definitely dead. She continued.

After she explains everything happened to her, the man raises his hands showing something, and suddenly says . . .

Like this?

The nurse because of horror, became insane.

[Taken from Internet:]

A UST doctor decided to ride the elevator down to the hospital morgue. There was only one other passenger inside. Noticing a patient trying to catch the lift, the doctor immediately shut the door. The other passenger asked her why she refused to wait for the patient. She explained that the “patient” was wearing a red band on his wrist and she'd been warned that only corpses wore such bands. The passenger approached him and lifted his arm. “Tulad nito?” (Like this?) he asked, showing the crimson tag dangling from his wrist. [Click Here]

[Taken from Internet:]

I found this Visayan Version of the same story as the others posted here.
Naay usa ka-doctor na musakay unta sa elevator, kilid lang sa ER ... Anway, pag-abli sa elevator naay duha ka-tawo sa sulod. Ang usa nag-tindog ug nag-sul-ob ug laboratory gown. Ang usa naa sa sawog, kay nakuyapan. Gidagan ni Doc ang taw na nakuyapan sa ER na naa ra kilid. Kadtong na-uli-an na ang tawo, iyang gipangutana na-unsa to siya, nisulti siya na naa siyang nakit-an nga patay na pero naglakawlakaw pa, ug nag-sul-ob ug orange tag. (this orange tag means you're dead and your body is now in the morgue waiting for disposal). Nagkatawa ang doctor kay basin nag-binuang ra. Mibalik siya sa may elevator ug misakay pag-abli. Naa tong tawo na kuyog adtong nakuyapan. Nagstorya sila bahin adtong nakuyapan ug nakakita daw ug ungo tong tawhana. Pagsulti ni doc na nag-sul-ob daw ug orange tag ang iyang nakit-an, gisaka sa tawo sulod sa elevator ang iyang kamot ug misulti, "parehas niini?" Namugnaw siya kay mao tong tawhana na iyang gi-declare na Dead on arrival pipila ka oras na nilabay. Ug siya, nakuyapan.

There was a doctor who decided to take a ride in the elevator near the ER (he was waiting for the elevator to open that time). When the elevator opened, he saw two men inside. One of them was standing, wearing a laboratory gown. The other one was lying in the floor unconscious. He brought the unconscious man to ER which was near the elevator. When the man woke up he asked him what happened, then he answered that he saw a dead person still walking wearing an orange tag in the wrist. (This orange tag means you're dead and your body is now in the morgue waiting for disposal.) The doctor just laughed at what he heard from the person. Then he went back in front of the elevator and took a ride when it opened. There again the person who was with the one who fainted. He told that person the reason why the man lost consciousness - that he saw a dead man. As the doctor speaks about the person wearing an orange tag, the person raised his hand and said, Like this?. The doctor felt cold because that person he was with was the same one he declared dead on arrival some time ago. And he fainted.

[Taken from Internet:]

The Elevator


Gem is working as a nurse in a big hospital. during that time, gem was on a night shift, where hours would seem like eternity. To keep herself from falling asleep, she and her nurse friends would talk about a lot of things-especially ghost stories-to perk them up while doing their charting.

Then one night, the nurses got too busy to chat-someone died in the emergency room,a group of people were admitted due to a vehicular accident, another patient is in a critical condition. The nurses were prepared for such emergencies and were able to attend all those needing medical attention.

Gem had to go to the pharmacy downstairs to get some medicine for her patient. She hurried to the nearby elevator to the ground floor. She was on the fourth floor. Gem saw that there was already a man inside the elevator when she got in. She didn't know the guy, but she was happy that she had someone to ride the elevator with. As the elevator reached the second floor,the doors opened. They saw a little boy, about five years old, waiting to get inside the elevator. But before the boy could get in, Gem hurriedly closed the elevator doors and pressed again the ground floor button, leaving the boy behind.

The stranger was puzzled and asked gem why she did what she did. "why didn't you let the poor boy ride with us?" the man asked.

"He looks like the boy who died here the other day. We tried to save him, but we couldn't. The second floor houses the pediatric ward and that's where the boy died," explained gem who was a bit winded.

"How can you be so sure that it was the same boy? Is it because he's wearing the same tag as mine?" the stranger asked as he raised his arm to show gem the hospital tag attached to his wrist.

Gem was taken aback. She thought she was going to faint.

She stared at the man this time, finally noticing that he was in a hospital gown. She suddenly recognized who the man was- he was the one who was in a critical condition an hour earlier, but died on the operating table.

The elevator doors opened as it reached the ground floor. Gem ran blindly away from the lift and never looked back. She got the medicines she needed and hurriedly went back to her patient. but this time, she didn't take the elevator. Instead, she took the stairs. Never again did she ride the elevator during night shifts.

Variations:



Actually there are many variations on how the story was delivered in text message.
  • Some tells, that the man saw the child running after the nurse then she abruptly closed the elevator's door before the child can enter, then asked: Why didn't you let the child to enter?.
  • Some it was a little girl instead of a boy.
  • Another was instead of a female nurse, it was a male; or instead a nurse, it was doctor of UST.
  • Again others didn't mention if the man inside the elevator was of middle age.


  • As I found this article in a website, that this story was once featured in a Philippine ghost story book, I wonder if this actually came from a real experience of the girl named Gem. The first time I had heard this story was from my friend, then I received a text message from another friend with the same story.
    Source:

    http://forum.wl.igg.com/viewthread.php?tid=54877 - - [True Philippine Ghost Stories - Haunted Hospitals. PSICOM Publishing Inc.]
    http://hccc.friendhood.net/t161-visayan-myths-and-urban-legends

    Senin, 07 Mei 2012

    I'd like to rearrange...your face

    Things that really bother me while taking final exams:

    1) Deep sighing
    2) Vibrating phones (turn those bitches OFF)
    3) Loud typing--is it necessary to batter your computer?
    4) People that leave 40 minutes into exam (and it's three hours long)
    5) Going blank (this one's totally on me--fault completely my own)
    6) Rustling food bags--open it, get it over with, and for the love of God, please don't smack
    7) Tapping and other random bodily twitches
    8) People that make a big deal about leaving the room or asking a teacher a question
    9) People who are apparently too stupid to quietly pack up their shit to leave

    10) AND YOU, MOTHERFUCKER, slurping your goddamn Route 44 drink, WHEN IT'S OBVIOUSLY FUCKING EMPTY. 


    I hope you fail....
    I hope your girlfriend breaks up with you....
    I hope you're diagnosed with a condition that makes it impossible to drink from a fucking straw. 

    Sabtu, 05 Mei 2012

    The Maiden's Ghostly Bell

    Frommer's describes the great bell in Da Zhongsi as a bell so vast and beautiful it could "bring out the hunchback" in anyone.  The temple that was once called the Awakened Life Temple is located just outside of Beijing.  Since 1743, the temple has taken a new name.  It has become know as Da Zhongsi or The Great Bell Temple.  The Great Bell that resides in this temple is carved with over 200,000 characters in Chinese and Sanskrit and weighs more than 47 tons.  The bell is a huge attraction and is the 2nd largest bell in the world.  It is rung only once a year at New Years and is also said to be haunted.

    According to Lafcadio Hearn, there is an old story attached to this bell that goes back over 500 years.    During this time the Great Emperor Yongluo who was said to be the son of heaven, from the Ming Dynasty, commissioned the construction of a great bell.  He ordered the bell be made of brass, gold, and silver so that when it rang it could be heard for over a hundred miles.  He commissioned the work from a master bell maker and  the work began.  Sadly, the construction of this bell seemed to be an impossible labor.  The bell maker worked night and day  and hired all the master molders of the empire to create this goliath creation.  Yet despite the most brilliant artisans and the best materials, the metals rebelled against each other and would not mingle.  Twice the master bell smith tried to make the great bell and twice he failed.

    Yongluo heard of the bell smith's failure and grew angry.  He send him a letter that said:

          "From the Mighty Yongluo, the Sublime Taizong, the Celestial and August -whose reign is called "Ming"- to Guanyu the Fuyin:  twice thous hast betrayed the trust we have deigned graciously to place in thee.  If thous fail a third time in fulfilling our command, thy head shall be severed from thy neck.  Tremble, and obey."

    The bell maker had a beautiful daughter, Ge-ai,  who he loved above all other things in the world and she heard of the words the emperor had sent to her father.  She loved her father greatly and set out to save his life.   She went to a fortune teller to see if there was anything she could do to save her father's life.   The fortune teller told her that the gold and brass in the bell would never meet in wedlock unless it was bound by the blood of a virgin.  Ge-ai didn't think long on this, but she went straight to her father's foundry.  There she found him preparing to cast the third bell.  As the metal poured, she leaped into the liquefied metal and vanished.  As she fell she cried out to her father that she died for love of him.   Ge-ai's father tried to leap in after his beloved daughter, but he was held back and all stood speechless.   Nothing of Ge-ai remained but a single red slipper.

    The bell was cast and never had there been a bell of such beauty and size.   When it rang, it could be heard for more than a hundred miles and people said that in its ring they could hear the sound of  Ge-ai crying out.  She cried out for her lost life and  for her single, lost slipper.


    Jumat, 04 Mei 2012

    Kamis, 03 Mei 2012

    The Eager Beaver

    It is my fondest wish that people who do this:


    A. Go color blind
    B. Fall off a cliff
    C. Break both hands in a tragic chainsaw competition accident
    D. Flunk their patent law test
    E. All of the above

    See how I highlighted JUST ONE THING? Because everything highlighted=nothing highlighted.

    Moron.

    Zombie Repellent for May Monster Madness

    As the May Monster Madness Blog Hop continues, I wanted to remind everyone that protecting yourself from one of my favorite monsters, the zombie,  is easy.   I have written about this before, but this is an important safety tip you can't remind people of too often. All you have to do is drink trappist ales.

    I have always been deeply concerned about the possibility of a zombie apocalypse.  I have also wanted to prepare for this apocalypse.  However,  I am lazy and cheap and most options for preparation seem difficult and expensive.  Buying guns and ammo is expensive.  Fortifying your home is expensive and it just sounds like a lots of work.  Cardio is exhausting.

    This is my answer to all zombie problems.   Buy or brew trappist ales.  Trappist beer is a wonderful thing. There are seven breweries in the world that carry the official Trappist seal, and every single beer they brew is a masterpiece. All of these beers are brewed by actual Trappist Monks in monasteries. They are my favorite beers and if I have to sacrifice something for zombie safety,  thank God it is drinking one of these every day.  My personal favorite is Chimay Blue Ale.  Be careful,  this is a high gravity beer with an alcohol content of 11.5% and it may get you tipsy a little quicker than your average beer, but it is a worthwhile sacrifice if that is what is required to save yourself from zombies.

    Selasa, 01 Mei 2012

    May Monster Madness



    Daph from Daph's Dark Little Corner has won my May Monster Madness Giveaway!  You can find her at http://earthdancedaph.blogspot.com/ .  Thank you so much for participating and I hope everyone who stopped by enjoyed the hop!


    Welcome to the May Monster Madness Blog Hop.  May is in bloom and it is six months until Halloween.  The wonderful Andrea Walls and Emma from Little Gothic Horrors have  put together a fabulous blog hop to celebrate the season.   For all those of you hopping to my blog for the first time, welcome to Ghost Stories and Haunted Places, a blog for all things haunted and haunting.  For this blog hop I have put together a goodie bag of assorted haunted and monster items.   First, I will be giving away copies of my books, Haunted North Alabama and Haunted Chattanooga. To add a little bit of monster to this Monster Madness giveaway,  I will also be including a copy of my chilling new horror novel, Circe. Circe features a monster so devious it slowly drive my protagonist insane and will make this Monster Madness that much more mad.  Finally, I will be including a lovely handmade pendant made by the brilliant labyrinth creations (http://labyrinthcreations.blogspot.com/).   This handmade piece of Halloween monster fun is utterly unique.   If you would like to win this goody bag of  treats, just comment below and leave your name and email address and follow my blog.  For extra chances to win you can go to the two links below and "like" my books.  You get one extra entry for each "like".

    http://www.amazon.com/Circe-ebook/dp/B0068QDD9U/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1335719865&sr=8-4
    http://www.amazon.com/Deaths-Dream-Kingdom-ebook/dp/B004YXMFYS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1335719865&sr=8-2

    Here is a little bit of information about my novel, Circe, so you know what you might be winning.  

    Dr. Black is a good man with a few vices. When he goes to an old institution in rural Alabama to complete his internship, he will face his darkest demons and his his worst temptations as the mysteries at the heart of the institution pull him into world of black magic and monster from his darkest nightmares.


    There are lots of other blogs participating in May Monster Madness!   Travel to them to enter to win a variety of fun goodies and read a lot interesting monster blogs!