SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS

Where is Power and Light when you need them? Last Tuesday power was out for several blocks on the south side of Grandview. And then it took three full days to get everyone back on. This isn’t Chicago in a monster heat wave, folks. Who dropped the ball? And don’t tell me it was ghosts.

HIZZONER

His Honor the Mayor made a great speech today about cleaning up Wilson’s Creek out by the interstate. “Creek” would be too kind a word. It’s more of a drainage ditch and is in need of a thorough cleaning and re-vamping. Which is what townsfolk are saying about the mayor’s image and perhaps that’s why he’s taking on easy-to-please-the-folks-with-civic-projects like Wilson's Creek right now. Just an observation.

ROOM WITH A VIEW

My real estate agent friend thinks this photo is a double exposure. See below. He’s not ready to give up on selling the house yet. That’s the spirit, I like a man with convictions. He’s more concerned about that little gap between the roof and the attic ceiling, as well he should be. Enough with the ghost talk. What was I thinking?

Handyman’s Special

So back to the House on Elm. Whispy things appeared on a couple of my first pictures. They looked like “light leaks” to me – except this isn’t a film camera where light could leak in. Professor Payne said they might be ghosts. He didn’t know for sure. So I went back to the house… camped out for a few hours, let the dust settle… and, ah… see the photo below. More than whispy things. Way more. But frankly, it looks like a double exposure. Except how do you double expose on a digital camera? And I swear I didn’t futz with the print.

I thought about showing the photo to my friend of a friend who is the real estate agent on the house. He’s having trouble selling the place anyway because he says it needs so much work. Do I show him the photos or not? Maybe he’s reading this. Maybe someone will tell him to read this.

The Pentagon Papers

Why has the family of one of Grandview's slain soldiers petitioned the Pentagon for an investigation into the incident... Stay tuned.

THERE GOES AN HOUR OF MY LIFE

Spent an hour at the Grandview cemetery with night vision goggles on. Other than a dent across my forehead the size of the Grand Canyon… nada. As I suspected. Took my friend Jake’s infared camera along, too. For some reason it refused to work. Great. Could’ve been at the Wes Anderson midnight film festival at the R.U. Student Union.

Note to graveyard groundspersons: Nice job on the lawn trimming around the tombstones. Could someone at Parks and Rec hire these folks for the Grandview Southside Baseball Park? It’s looking shaggy around the edges.

DRAINED?

Jake pointed out that maybe, just maybe, the reason his camera didn’t work is because the battery was drained by the ghosts in the cemetery. Apparently they’re fond of doing tricks like that. Well, who’s to say?

TAKE TWO

Okay, in the name of fairness, I’m going to try another experiment. And because I got a phantom guy on film once, I want to see if I can get another phantom on film. All in the name of science. I’ve read up a little more on infrared cameras and how to use them. I’m going to put the camera in a room with the door closed, let the dust settle (because apparently dust can look like ghost orbs). I’ll also check around for bugs, too. Don’t want mosquitoes and gnats masquerading as long lost dead Uncle Wilbur. Then if something semi-bright jumps around randomly on the camera’s monitor… well, we’ll see.

I’d tell you where I’m setting the camera up (an empty house) but it’s on the market to sell (a friend of a friend of a friend is the real estate guy) and I don’t want to discourage sales. If it turns out the place is filled with ghostly beings, I’ll be printing the address right here in big letters.

CAVEAT EMPTOR

I’ll say this much. The house is on Elm. And I’m going to Professor Payne again to look at the images. Stay tuned.

PENTAGON PAPERS cancelled

Moving ceremony on the town square today for returning Vet Matt Murphy. And Col. Richard Sanchez has dropped his inquiry.

BLOODY MARY MANIA HITS ROCKLAND U

Just when you thought it was safe to knuckle down and start doing research on your Elizabethan Pirate Ships paper for Professor Wagner… big time distraction comes along in the form of Bloody Mary Mania on the Rockland Campus. Couldn’t even get to the Admin Building because of the crush on the sidewalk around the ambulance taking away the latest “victim” of this… well, this what?? Come to your senses, people. Stop with the mirror games. Sidebar: I noticed Melinda Gordon and Professor Payne sneaking in the building and then down the hall to… to what? Investigate? Are you guys playing Detective?

SHADOWS AND LIGHT

Decided to play Detective myself and see where this Gordon/Payne thread would follow. It led to the cemetery. Late one night I noticed that Ms. Gordon was sitting near a gravesite in the dark talking to herself. That’s certainly her prerogative. A few days ago I spotted her in the middle of the street lost in thought, which nearly led to her getting creamed by large vehicle. But I’m starting to suspect something’s up.

I’m thinking it’s also time for this disclosure: Last week when the Town Council rep gave Ms. Gordon an award for her heroic action (quickly moving some of Grandview’s youngsters out of the way of a falling statue), I took photos of the ceremony. And a few of the photos have a… a what? A guy who appeared in only two shots and then was gone – vanished into thin air. It’s not a reflection. Look for yourself… the picture is posted below…

NIGHT VISION

I talked to a few of my fellow students around campus and word has it that Ms. Gordon has helped out the girl who was traumatized by the Bloody Mary ritual. Nice. Perhaps another award from the Town Counsel could be arranged. In the meantime, I borrowed an infrared camera and night vision goggles and went over to the graveyard myself to check things out. Just in case. Will report back with findings. If there are any. I have low expectations.