They’re here! I finally got them all done. It’s broken up into three parts, which I’ve placed in descending order. They are a little lengthy, sorry, I ramble. Also if you are going to watch these at work, watch the volume. I drop the F-bomb once or twice. I also say the S-word I’m just a potty mouth when I talk!

There are a few little blips here and there in the videos, nothing terrible. I think I was doing too much multi-tasking while uploading these to YouTube and it caused those blips. That or the server’s processing of the video added them in. This isn’t ghostly phenomenon, they aren’t in the originals

So our heat wave is continuing, and yes now they are officially saying it’s a heatwave because it has now been three consecutive days over the 90 degree mark, which is apparently the official requirements for a heatwave. Tomorrow we are supposed to get some rain, so hopefully it will break.

On Saturday I ended up watching the “Army Wives” marathon on TV while dissertating all day. The following image pretty much sums up what I spent at least half of the day doing, the first half was spent writing up this data into an appendix.

This was actually one of the smaller stat sets believe it or not. I have graphs like this with between 60 and 100 plot points. Eeegads! I hate the idea of putting this stuff out there before I’ve finished and defended the dissertation, but I don’t think anyone will figure out what this is or what it means. Simply put, it’s like the old “Sesame Street” skit “One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other,” though in this case it’s some of these things are not like the others, and that’s what is important for my work

Sunday I ended up taking it easy because I had a headache, and therefore I didn’t get much done I’m afraid. The ghost blog was on the list for that day and I did get the videos recorded, now they just need to be edited together. I recorded the first part Sunday night, and as usual rambled on longer than YouTube’s time limit allows. However because something funny happens in the video, I’m editing it into two parts. After I finished that, well then some stuff happened I wasn’t too thrilled about. So I made a third video explaining what went on and some changes to any upcoming ghost videoblog projects. I’ll get these edited as soon as I can and up. Thanks for your patience, I know people want to see them.

Today the dogs were going nuts at the backdoor and I finally looked outback, noticing some people were walking around in the fields I didn’t recognize, so that meant they shouldn’t really be there. It turned out they were from “EyeWitness News” and were here to do a story on the tomato recall. They interviewed my BF for the six’o'clock news. As it turns out, NBC came too, but he’s not going to be on until their 11′o’clock news. I teased him because he didn’t even put on nice clothes or fix his hair or anything.

I figured you’ve already seen me in motion, it’s only fair you see him! Here is the clip from our local news with him. You get to see the farm too, kinda. Where they are walking and talking to him is right behind our house.

This weekend in the Philly area we are breaking into the 90s in a big way. So far we’ve gotten into the 80s, but it’s been followed by cold spells usually. This is our first official code red weekend with alerts for possible heat related deaths. Always fun! Walking outside is like walking into a sauna.

I’m going to try and record the first part of the ghost videoblog tonight. I’ve actually tried twice in recent days to do it, but had various issues. First I rambled too much and futzed around on camera and didn’t feel like trying to edit that stuff out, I would rather it be a seamless video. So I’ve made up a script to follow, well bullet points, to keep me on track.

The second problem I’ve had is that the ghosts seem to be camera shy! I was trying to see if I could get them to come around, but they don’t seem to like the camera at all. I then got to feeling I was pestering them, so I decided not to do anything last night and leave them alone. Of course then they were active. Figures! I’ve also decided to do the ghost blog in two parts, one just me talking about them and the history of the house, the second the more fun part

So I finally found some inspiration for my first video blogs! I’ve actually recorded several videos for one on the two videogames I’m currently obsessed with, the Wii Fit and Singstar. I just need to now sit down and learn the editing software. Actually all I need to do is learn how to mark, clip and merge clips. Gosh it sounds so simple!

The other video I decided to do was a video about the house and in particular the ghosts. I thought it would be fun to talk about them as well as possibly call them. One has a knack for showing up if you call his name. Too bad my Ouija board is in Virginia! My original plan was to do this at night for the atmosphere, but I’m starting to chicken out with the night thing honestly. I have enough trouble being downstairs alone late at night as is because they’ve been coming around a lot lately.

Okay so since I’ve got a lot of incoming links to the blog because of the soap site stuff, I figured I’d use this post to talk about myself. It will let people who might be new to the blog get to know a little about the guy who ran that page, but they may not have really known aside from his name and that he watched soaps.

First off, let’s just talk about the elephant in the room shall we? I am a 32 year old man who for 14-some years ran a website dedicated to soap operas. In case you never figured it out, yes I’m gay. It wasn’t something never outright addressed by me on the soap page, but if someone really wanted to know the answer they could have easily found out with some exploring. I tried to, but a few times failed, to keep anything political in nature off the page and keep it a neutral place, with only soaps being the issue.

So yes, I’m gay. Now contrary to what some might believe, I’m not here to molest your kids, statistically your straight relatives are more likely to do that. I’m not here to ruin your holy sanctity of marriage, statistically you along with Britney Spears are doing a damn good job of that on your own. I was not molested, I was not abused, I did not chose to be this way anymore than you chose to be straight. If you want to argue whether or not it’s a choice, please go down to your local zoo and argue with the animals there, as some of them seem to make the choices too.

If your still with me, I’ve been in a monogamous relationship with my boyfriend for over 6 years now. We live in New Jersey and in our very own haunted house! Yup, I’ve made several postings about it, you can read about it on the blog in the paranormal section. I’ve seen, heard, felt and yes been touched by the ghosts. I’ve always loved ghosts and the learning about views of and beliefs in the afterlife. I never expected to actually end up living in my very own haunted house. Growing up I always wanted to be either a parapsychologist or an archaeologist, because I also enjoyed learning about how different people buried their dead, which by the way IS what I’m studying now. Seeing a theme here?

We share our house with two dogs and five, yes five cats. I know, it’s a virtual zoo here. The dogs are my terriers Princess Bumbles and Nikko. Princess is a westie and I got the Bumbles part from “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” Nikko is a cairn and is named after the captain of the flying monkeys from “The Wizard of Oz.” The cats are Lance(alot), Galahad, Moo Kitty (real name Gawain), Percy (Percival, also called Orange Kitty) and Grim (short for Pilgrim, finally breaking away from frickin Arthurian names!).

Many people might who might have read my pages always noticed I went on my vacations in January. Yes an odd month to go. That is because it’s when my boyfriend was off work. He works on a farm, yes a farm. It’s a family business, so they are closed in the winter months and it’s his only chance to get away. So for the past six years we had our vacations then, which were always cruises. Oh and yes, I kept running the page as much as I could while I was on a cruise ship. Talk about obsession!

Seriously though, I made some amazing friends through the page, people I know I’ll be friends for with life. One of my oldest internet friends Ive probably known for ten plus years and we till try to see each other at least once a year when her job brings her anywhere nearby. Other friends are a few years old, but they are whom I would take weekends to see in New Orleans or what not the past few years. Two also just came to stay with me, they are who I went to New York back in February with. We all talk almost every night online.

A little other fun facts about me. I love horror films, I have since I was a kid and rented out the local video store’s selection the summer between 4th and 5th grade. I’m more into the old school slashers and anything supernatural. The new horror flicks I find to either be really bad remakes of 80s stuff, Japanese movies or basically just a guts and gore fest that is too much for me to take. Growing old, and advances in film make-up, has made me a bit squeamish.

I also love videogames and have since a little kid. The first videogame system I ever had was the Intellivsion, followed by various Sega systems. Once upon a time I used to run a fairly popular Sega fan page, but gave it up a long time ago. I still love videogames and have pretty much every system out there. I’m just now finding the extra time to start playing games again regularly. I have been trying to stay away from on-line gaming until school is done, that’s just another distraction for me!

I also love Broadway shows, something I really didn’t get into until more recently and thanks to various friends. The odd thing is, growing up I was in the band and orchestra and we always, I mean always, did an Andrew Lloyd Weber show at least once a year. Well we played a medley of the music from one show. So I don’t know why I didn’t get into them earlier. I’ve seen Mamma Mia, Phantom, Hairspray, Xanadu, Wicked, Evita, Scrooge, La Cage, Aida and . . . umm . . . I think that may be it? I am sure I’m missing some.

I guess that is enough for now. I was going to try and link to various posts in the blog that I’ve done over the years, but I never got around to searching and choosing the ones I liked. I guess if any fun fact here sparked your interest you can peruse the various categories on the side bar or the linked ones in this post for more info.

-Dustin

Another quick update, when I have a chance I’ll sit down and type out what we’ve been doing all these days with photos. This one I had to share now though.

Today in Jamaica we went to Rose Hall, which is a famous historic plantation house known best for Annie Palmer, called The White Witch by the people and slaves at the time. You can probably google her and Rose Hall to get the full story. The short version is that she was an English woman who married one Richard Palmer and moved into Rose Hall, which was a house in the Palmer family. Annie was raised with a haitian nanny, who schooled her in voodoo. She tortured her slaves with spells as well as good old fashion be-headings. She also killed her first husband with poison, her second by stabbing and pouring hot oil in his ears and the third she strangled with the help of a free slave lover of hers. She also cast a spell on the lovers lover Millicent, as she was jealous, and killed her. The free slave lover, enraged, killed Annie Palmer at the ripe old age of 29.

Clearly there is a lot of negative energy in this house, and it apparently hasn’t been stayed in since 1963, when the last guests who were brave enough fled in the middle of the night. The told us on the tour that many people capture spirits on their film, and they had examples of many of these photos in the museum area. I snapped the following photo of Annie’s own bed, which many others have captured odd images. If you look on the left of the headboard I at least clearly see three faces. The first is very large and kind of looks like George Washington lol. I showed the BF it on my camera, but he couldn’t see well because of the sun and just said it was probably the light reflecting and knots in the would. Well it could be, but it is a pretty neat effect if it is. To the left of George and at the top I see what looks like a woman’s nose and lips. Below that some kind of evil pair of eyes. You can click on this photo to blow up the original photo.

Annie Palmer and her dead husbands? Believe it or not!

We have been having an Indian Summer lately, it’s been very warm, oddly warm. Well today that all changed. The rain and cold came in last night and today it was down right nippy out. It wasn’t November weather, but we are definitely in October finally. Brrrrrr! Goodbye shorts!

Keith is coming this weekend and tomorrow I have to take Percy Cat to the vet in the morning and meet friends for dinner and a movie in the city in the afternoon. They picked out some event at a local theater where the movies’ producers and director are coming out. The movie really isn’t my cup of tea, but whatever. It should be interesting. It’s the Darjelee Letter, or something like that. Owen Wilson, Adrian Brody, Jason Schwartzman star in it and play three brothers reconnecting after years.

My schedule tomorrow coupled with Keith being here Saturday-Monday has me scattered. . . . actually mentally screaming in my head. Ahhhhhh! I feel like I have so much to do, I’m not sure where I’m going to find the time to get it done! Keith’s gunna be playing some videogames at some point to occupy him while I take a work time out.

Saturday night we are hitting Eastern State Penitentiary to do “Terror Behind The Walls.” I think this is my third trip doing it, I’m expecting it to be a blast. The second time was better than the first, so this can only be better than the previous two! For those who don’t know what this is, they turn one of the oldest (actually I think it’s the oldest) and most famous prison’s in the country into a giant haunted house. It really is fun, and the atmosphere of the prison ads to it. It’s also considered one of the top 10 haunted house attractions in the country, and the prison itself is often featured in various “real ghost stories” type specials on travel channel and discovery.

The weekend after I am going to New York City Saturday night to meet up with Emily. We are going to see Xanadu on Broadway. We are in Xanaduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.

I hit the Halloween store today and I’m not buying anything else! I’m serious, I’m done done done! I got what I needed, I forbid myself to buy any more decorations. Otherwise I’ll end up on one of those Discovery or TLC shows as one of those people with too much time on their hands decorating their homes! So anyways I got the extra tombstones, as well as this ghost thing to hang in the attic window. It actually moves up and down, which I thought would be fun. However it howls at the same time, which would keep us up all night. So I just have it hanging and off for now. Oh I got a strobe light for the attic as well, so I have a red pulsing light up there now! Spooky! I finally got a Jason Vorhees mask and machete, so I’m making a “Jason” scarecrow to hang up this weekend. The final decorations will probably be some carved pumpkins when I get a chance.

Speaking of ghosts . . . . we had some contact with the otherside last night. Of course I’m sitting around watching “Stir of Echoes” when all this happens, which didn’t add to the situation. The living room got REALLY cold, the dogs groweled at something unseen . . . then I swear something touched my hair! I wasn’t very pleased. I checked my “ghost detector” on my phone, and it was off the charts.

Finally tomorrow I have the pleasure of getting up at the ass crack of dawn to kid sit. I have to accompany the BF’s nephew to his middle school flea market. He wanted to participate, selling donuts and pumpkins from the farm, but needed a grown-up. Everyone but me was taken, so I got volunteered. I’m going to regret agreeing to this I’m sure, especially since it goes for 5 hours! I’ll be taking my Nintendo DS or PSP with me. I’d love to take my laptop and attempt to work, but somehow I know that isn’t going to happen.

I can’t believe I have to go back to Middle School. I hated it the first time I was there!

-Dustin

So Emily came over after all for movie night. We watched “Poltergeist,” because she never saw it. Now we are about to watch “Halloween,” as she’s never seen it either. Kids! She’s never seen any of the “Star Wars” films either. Can you believe that?

I also showed her the ghost detector and called the ghost out to make her see it works. Unfortunately I made the mistake of telling her the ghosts name. Now she keeps calling the ghost to give her high fives. I told her it’s going to push her over if she doesn’t stop it.

-Dustin

So not much news to report. I went out looking for movie editing software, only to come home empty handed not knowing which one to buy. I researched the products on the net and am glad I did, the one I was going to buy is apparently crap! I also downloaded a trial version of another one I saw (Sony Vegas Movie Studio) and am going to give it a try and see how easy it is to use and stuff. I have found the webcams can be a problem, sometimes the audio doesn’t want to sync with the video. I’ll have to experiment with that, killing background processes on the laptop and other open applications to see if that helps. Hopefully if I can make something I’m happy with (yeah right) I’ll get it up soon!

In other news, my mom sent me this link to Travel Channel’s “Most Haunted” website. You can download their “Ghost Detector” on your phone. Of course she didn’t know it’s 99 cents a month. I got it anyways, hell it’s 99 cents a month (plus data rate charges, but I have a media package add on I hardly use aside from the text message park, so I’m fine). I wanted to see how it works. It of course works on the principle that ghosts give off electromagnetic frequencies, and phones can pick them up. Honestly I don’t know if I REALLY believe it works all that well, but it does seem to register the normal hot spots in the house from time to time (IE the upstairs area!). To be really accurate I probably need to shut down the computers, routers and anything that gives off a wireless signal (not easy since we have a wireless alarm system in the house!) I’ve been trying to film it to put online, the problem is every time I start talking about it and how it works, mentioning ghosts and hauntings and stuff, it goes off

-Dustin