The Occult Section

Normally we are pretty snarky and mean here, especially when it comes to anything that has to do with any of the ten bazillion paranormal reality TV shows out there right now. However when I bumbled across this story I knew there would be no place for snark (especially because of the whole, y’know, cancer thing). Ryan Buell, star of “Paranormal State,” will be speaking at his alma mater in February about the struggles with being Catholic, bisexual, and on TV.

Ryan Buell

Ryan Buell, founder of the Paranormal Research Society, director of the A&E show, Paranormal State, and Penn State alum, will be coming back to Dear Old State to give a presentation as a keynote speaker for the College of Communications’ Office of Multicultural Affairs.

His presentation will be entitled, “Faith, Spirituality, God and Sexuality: Coming Out While Starring in a TV Show,” and will discuss his feelings about coming out as a bisexual man and the struggle he had trying to balance his feelings with his Catholic faith. His 2010 memoir, Paranormal State: My Journey Into the Unknown also goes more in-depth with his feelings.

Carmen Frost, event coordinator with the Office of Multicultural Affairs, invited Buell to speak with the Penn State community, and to help them gain a better understanding of what LGBT people go through.

“Regardless of our different beliefs — Republicans, Democrats, Independents — we are all human beings with feelings, hopes, and dreams for our future,” she said.

She also hopes that with Buell’s presentation, the community will come out with a greater understanding and empathy towards the LGBT community, as well as towards “all human beings who have different beliefs or lifestyles than what they are accustomed to.”

Buell’s presentation will take place at 8 p.m. in the auditorium of 100 Thomas on Thursday, February 21. There is a suggested donation of $5 for students, and $10 for the general public, which will benefit the LGBT Resource Center and Multicultural Affairs. Seating for the event will be on a first come, first serve basis. The Facebook event can be found here.

image Karolina Wojtasik

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There’s a lot going on here, so I’ll just cut to it. A woman in Georgia claims that a ghost stole her resume, which she valued at $5,000, a print out of her criminal history (which she valued much more conservatively, at $10), and a blouse (with no apparent value assigned to it, causing me to therefore assume it must be priceless). Naturally, with such valuable items disappearing from under her nose, she did the most logical thing and called in the police.

The official police sketch of the culprit.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Police in Georgia may need some supernatural help to solve the case of a missing resume that a woman claims was stolen by a ghost.

Debbie Michelle Zamacona, 40, reported to police that her resume, a list of her criminal history and blouse were taken from her home last month, the Augusta Chronicle reported.

When asked who she believed may have items, Zamacona told police she suspected the thief was one of two ghosts.

She said the spirit of her late mother often visits her, but that she occasionally also sees a black spirit roaming near her home.

Zamacona estimated the value of her resume at $5,000, and her criminal history list at $10.

A man who said he was Zamacona’s husband told the Huffington Post that he was able to find a copy of her resume on her computer. He said she suffers from bi-polar disorder.

From another related article:

She had a bit more trouble figuring out the value of the items taken, telling police she “wasn’t good at math” when she rattled off the $5,000 estimated value of her resume.

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So, if you want some haunted real estate and you’re not into buying a rickety home in France off of eBay, consider purchasing the historic Longwood Village Inn. This Florida inn is up for sale and has quite a history.

Complete with palm trees!

LONGWOOD, Fla. — A 19th century inn, said to be haunted, is up for sale in Longwood. The sellers said they hope that one minor detail won’t scare off any potential buyers.

The Longwood Village Inn was built around 1885 and is considered prime real estate because it’s right next to the SunRail station under construction.

The inn hasn’t changed much since its heydays of the late 1800s. Now a for-sale sign sits in front the historic building.

The 30-room hotel is now an office building and sits directly across the street from the Longwood SunRail station.

City leaders said it’s prime real estate. They said they estimate the city tax base will grow by $600 million after SunRail operations start next year.

The building’s one of the few 19th century buildings in the state and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. And it’s said to be haunted.

Legend has it the owner, George Clark, died in the back of the building in 1925. Some believe he and other spirits still roam the halls.

“You hear the giggles, and I think it’s sometimes little kids because it used to be an inn before,” said Nancy Melendez, who works in the building.

“[We hear] tapping on the walls. We’ll be just working, regular day, it’d be like 2 in the afternoon, and we’d hear like. ‘tap, tap, tap.’ It’s so weird.” said Crystal Peterson, who works in the building.

The sellers hope that is someone interested in turning it back to a bed and breakfast will be willing to pay the $2.2 million asking price.

Since putting the building on the market a month ago, the sellers said they have received dozens of calls from tourists and paranormal seekers, but only one call from an interested.

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This is a fascinating story that I frankly don’t know how to process. The location of the body of 32-year-old King Richard III, who died in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field, has been unknown for centuries. Fast forward to 2009, when Philippa Langley allegedly sensed the exact spot where his body was (underneath a parking lot) and funded an excavation. A body was discovered and just recently has been confirmed as that of the king. Is Philippa Langley psychic? Or is there something else afoot (and if so, what?)?

A 3D reconstruction of King Richard III’s face

A WRITER told yesterday how her intuition led archaeologists to the lost remains of King Richard III.

Edinburgh-based Philippa Langley was researching a play on the king, known as Crookback because of his deformed spine, when she had a hunch she was standing on his grave.

She funded a dig of the site – a council car park in Leicester.

And DNA results have now confirmed a body found there was that of the 32-year-old king, who was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

It matches the genetic make-up of two living descendants of Richard.

The skeleton also has a curved spine, confirming contemporary accounts.

Philippa, who is secretary of the Scottish branch of the Richard III Society, recalled the visit which prompted the dig yesterday, saying: “It was a hot summer and I had goosebumps so badly and I was freezing cold.

“I walked past a particular spot and absolutely knew I was walking on his grave.

“I am a rational human being but the feeling I got was the same feeling I have had before when a truth is given to me.”

What are your thoughts? While this entire story seems kind of unreal, it’s fascinating to me how it’s all played out.

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If you’re in the market for a haunted house but don’t have the cashola to invest in real estate, consider this fixer-upper in France. Its owner is selling it on eBay with a starting bid of 1 euro. Let’s see….how to put it in real estate terms. It’s cozy, charming, rustic, with a lot of old fashioned details, and is quiet and isolated from all the hustle and bustle of ever day life. The owner is motivated to sell!

In regular, non-real estate speak, it’s a dilapidated house where a murder supposedly took place 50 years ago whose owner seems to be eager to get the hell out.

A HOUSE which has been described by its owner as being haunted, has been listed on eBay for just 1 euro.

A mime is a terrible thing to waste.

On the French version of eBay, Maud69620 – who listed the house – has stated the house is haunted by spirits after a murder allegedly took place there during the 1950s.

While the murder was never officially confirmed, as their bodies were never found, the former owners’ bodies were discovered to be buried in a nearby field.

Paranormal incidents have reportedly been witnessed in and around the house, including random knocks on windows, strange voices and murmurs, weird noises and moving objects.

The house is located in Arbresle, in the Rhône-Alpes region of France and is a 110sqm home on a 350sqm block of land.

While many have questioned the authenticity of the eBay auction, the owner has stated is it real and anyone who believes in the spirit world should contact her.

So how did the listing do? Either Maud69620 was able to close the deal quickly or removed the auction entirely, as there’s nothing on her eBay profile. Hmmm.

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