Here Kitty Kitty Kitty

I think it is so great to see some of the great predators (somehow) returning to their original habitats without human intervention through relocation and breeding programs. This guy (or girl) managed to infiltrate a huge chunk of private private property without being seen. By anyone. This huge cat had to cross highways and interstates and ginormous chunks of open land to arrive where he (she) is living now.

The conservation officer, who was called to the scene, was reluctant to label this animal as "mountain loin" because he feared local residents would use their rights to seek out and destroy the animal if if wandered onto their property.

There still exists, in parts of our country, the innate desire to kill any predatory animal that weighs over sixty pounds to keep the human population safe. In reality, where I often visit, I've found that unless you have a toddler that enjoys long nocturnal walks without the company of his parents, a chicken coup with shoddy fencing, or a pack of ankle-biter dogs that will attack anything 40 times its size and are allowed to run unsupervised at night, then you should be okay.

These cats are beautiful and perfect in design to control the pests that plague your garden or fields. While I am most defiantly not suggesting that you buy a mountain loin from a breeder to let it loose on your property for rodent control, I am also asking anyone who sees one of these glorious cats: to please let it be.

They were here first.

Here Comes Irene!

Okay. So The Weather Channel is freaking me out. First an earthquake and now this storm? With a bastardized version of my name, no less. The Martin Luther King Jr. dedication has even been moved back until October, possibly. Al Sharpton is going to be pissed. This is a major weather event.

The New York City public transit system could be compromised; the power grid infrastructure of the entire Eastern seaboard could suffer catastrophic outages. The storm surge might reach unprecedented levels. I am worried about my friends and Josh's family right now. Where are the evacuees heading? How will everyone, who wants to leave, get out?

I'm actually giving a guest presentation next week at school for a former (and awesome) instructor. The subject of her class's project is preparedness for the Zombie Apocalypse and I am presenting "How to Build an Effective Bug-out-bag."

I remember when the Last weekends of Summer were fun; when I didn't have to work, that is. This whole Summer has sucked, weather-wise anyway, and now this crap. People are getting all biblical, and stuff. It's weird.

Anyway, goodnight!

Don't Say I Didn't Warn You: Because I Warned You

I thought I would get a bit of a jump-start on my campaign to expose some of the people that wish to belittle, demean, or damn us all to hell.

Meet Rose Evangeline. I'm not sure if that monicker is fictional or was handed to her by God (possibly both?) but I am sure of this: she probably hates you. This lady has gone out of her way to post bible quotes on the OUTfest page to inform us of what God thinks of our little party. She later goes into a diatribe concerning the poor, innocent little children that will be forced (FORCED) to witness the very "sin that has warped this nation for many, many years."

I wonder if she is referring to the hatred and persecution suffered by millions of humans at the hands of homophobic males (and females so jaded by their own lack of influence that they attack the lowest common denominator to boost themselves up a bit).

"Please understand that it is the sin that saddens me not the person." Then perhaps you should visit the facebook page for SIN. Talk to the sin, lady.

Or perhaps she, herself is the homophobe. She goes on to say, "I am not perfect anymore then [sic] anyone else. I know what dangers lie ahead because I too once walked that path, thinking it was okay and natural." Methinks Rose wears a 40 pound ceramic angel on her head as penance for de-flowering her roommate in a drunken haze. Ah, memories...

"God bless you and keep you." You too, Rose. Although I think you might need that blessing a bit more then (just kidding, than) me. I am comfortable with who I am and don't feel the spiritual need to seek out those I deem less holy.

My advice to you, Dear Rose, is: pick up a ladle and help feed some of the folks that lost their jobs and homes over the past year. Use your compassion for good and not evil. Contact me, Rose (if that IS your real name); I can steer you in a couple of positive directions where help is desperately needed.

"My Boy Hit Big Balls with Bat!"

I have never cared much for baseball; sitting in the stands is always great fun but I cannot remember the last time I sat down to watch a game on TV. I don't really follow any particular team and couldn't possibly care less about the curses of Bambino and Goat.

I do, however, enjoy those late Summer nights on my porch when Columbian Park shines out like a beacon and echos with boisterous energy. The laughter of kids sneaking away from the game to steal a smooch from their sweetie, the crack of the bat, and the roar of proud parents in the crowd are all sounds I enjoy for some reason. It is that time of year again: time for the Colt World Series.

For one month in August each year, my little corner of the universe is the place to be for all things baseball (for 15 to 16-year-olds, anyway). I walked over to the Frozen Custard for a supa-yummo Vanilla Diet Coke and met a tiny woman in a huge T-shirt that said the word "LAOS", and nothing else. I asked her about baseball games and she replied, "my boy hit big balls with bat!" We shared a good laugh, high-fived, and we went our separate ways. Wow. Laos. That is one dedicated mamma.

For the next couple of weeks, I will have multiple chances to sit outside, forget this oppressive heat I hope), and watch the lights. I'll take in the sights, meet people who traveled half-way around the world to watch a game, take in the sounds of cracking bats, hear the cheers of happy moms and dads, and bid farewell to a very long Summer, indeed.

Big Bag of Goodies: Doomsday-preppers edition

Another assignment for my composition class, this piece contains information that preppers and non-preppers alike should have at their disposal. Stocking your home with food-stuffs and flashlight batteries is all well-and-good, but what if your house is on fire? While meant to be a bit little fun and a little bit serious, this essay is, in no way, professional advice and should not be taken as such. Always consult an expert before beginning your disaster preparations.

The Bug-out-bag: Preparation in a Knapsack


Be prepared; you never know when you might have to leave your home in a hurry. In an emergency situation, you might have to rely on what you can carry for an extended amount of time, possibly on foot. If the power goes out: you can’t get money out of an ATM, your credit cards become worthless, and the fuel stops pumping. At this point, you might consider packing a bag and heading for the proverbial hills.

Humans only require three main necessities to survive short-term: protection from the elements, clean water to drink, and enough food to keep you moving. I keep all three in my bug-out-bag (BOB) and always have it packed and ready to go in the event I need to leave my home. The lack of shelter and decent clothing can kill in hours, water in days, and food in weeks. Always be prepared.



The first basic necessity to have on hand is a collection of tools to ward off the elements. One tool I keep in my BOB is an emergency blanket which is a light-weight piece of Mylar, sixteen feet wide and eight feet long. The blanket can be used as a sleeping bag or a shelter against rain, wind, snow, or cold. It folds up and fits inside a tiny pouch that takes up very little space in my pack. Some emergency blankets, like the one I have, are easily modified into a wearable poncho.

Another tool I carry to aid in separating me form Mother Nature is duct tape; though heavy for its size, the tape’s true worth lies in its versatility. Duct tape is quite useful in shelter construction; you can use it to lash tree limbs together for a Tee-pee or lean-to frame (just add blanket, you’re warm and dry in ten minutes). In addition, duct tape makes a great patch for clothing and shoes; once again: warm, dry, and alive.

The last tool I keep in my BOB for shelter is an assortment of lengths and gauges of rope. The smallest rope I carry is thread; you can stitch a hole in your clothing (or forehead) should the need arise. The medium size rope, twine, makes a great stand-in for a broken shoe or boot lace; it’s also perfect for drying clothes that might get wet. The largest gauge rope (I use a ski-rope for durability and weight concerns) can aid in building a shelter in the event duct tape can’t do the job. In adverse weather conditions, humans can succumb to the elements in the matter of hours without clothing and shelter so be prepared.



Now that shelter and clothing are covered, we can move on to water. In a crisis situation, our most abundant resource could become tainted or scarce so it’s best to have items on hand to first purify, then filter, and finally store potable water. For purification purposes, I pack iodine and chlorine tablets. Iodine is best used in standing water from a puddle, pond, or even the tank on the back of the toilet. In contrast, chlorine is best used in running water from streams or rivers.

Filtering water may become necessary if only the only available source is muddy or filled with debris; which is why I keep coffee filters and charcoal briquettes in my bug-out-bag. Coffee filters remove sand and glass shards just as well as they remove grounds from your morning cup-a-Joe and also remove biological contaminants such as bacteria and mold. A small bag of charcoal briquettes can be crushed and used to filter out more harmful substances like poisonous chemicals and larger, living organisms.

For water storage, I have two items that never leave my pack: a 700 milliliter canteen (strapped to the outside for space reasons) and a collapsible water bladder. This canteen has an adjustable strap and can be worn in a number of ergonomic configurations to ease travel. The collapsible water bladder sports an antibacterial lining and takes up very little space when stowed. In a pinch, the a-fore-mentioned Mylar blanket also doubles as a rain-collection device to conserve filtration/purification supplies. Clean drinking water is vital to short-term survival on foot so be prepared.


The final (and most delicious) sundry that resides in my ever-ready BOB is food: MRE’s, trail mix, and energy bars. My favorite food source (and the most valuable) is the MRE, or meals-ready-to-eat; they are freeze-dried meals normally used to feed members of the armed forces in combat conditions. The meals are light-weight, take up very little room when field-stripped of their packaging, and boast 1,700 calories per ration. In addition, MRE’s taste pretty good which can be a great comfort to those of us who turn to food in a time of crisis.

My second choice for bug out food-stuffs consists of a variety of trail mix. Also light-weight, trail mix contains a decent amount of calories, protein, and fiber. Another benefit of carrying trail mix: you can eat and walk at the same time.

My least favorite of all survival foods is the dreaded energy bar, these things are just terrible. High in calories and other essentials, low in size and weight, this “food” is literally the bottom of the barrel when it comes taste. If I get to the point where I am forced to eat energy bars to stay alive, I’m not sure I’ll make it. (Does anyone want to trade lunches?) A high-calorie diet is a definite must-have on the road if you wish to continue walking it so, please, be prepared.

The bug-out-bag I keep packed “just in case” has evolved over the years since its conception but the basic necessities still remain. If I ever need to leave home in a hurry during an emergency, my BOB contains the items I will need to survive, at least for a while. I have tools to keep me safe from weather, the means to provide clean drinking water, and food to keep me moving. I am prepared; are you?

Author's Note: I did not cover protection because information concerning my chosen methods of protection and weapon details are best kept zipped up tight in my bug-out-bag but know this: you do not want to try to take my bag. Period.

Ghost-hunting for Dummies

The following piece is an essay I wrote last week for advanced composition class. Keep in mind, there was a particular formula I had to follow for the assignment so some aspects of paranormal investigation (obviously) have been omitted. However, I do enjoy writing about subjects that capture my interest and thus give you......

A Ghost-hunter’s Guide to the Galaxy

The Sy-Fy Network hit series, Ghost Hunters, makes the process of paranormal investigation look easy. The show opens with three T.A.P.S. members discussing the next case followed immediately by a music-backed montage of the team packing equipment into their vans. The next fifteen minutes of the program features clips of team members first touring then investigating the supposed haunted location using a variety of equipment and methods. T.A.P.S. members then spend about five minutes discussing their findings with the property owner; the entire case is summarized and edited into twenty-two minutes of footage.

In reality, quite a bit of time and resources are required to conduct these investigations and they are planned weeks or months in advance. A well-organized paranormal investigative team must thoroughly research the proposed location, then develop and execute a plan of action based on available resources, and finally come to a conclusion regarding the property’s “haunted or not” status. Consider the following a ghost-hunter’s guide for beginners.

The first, and most tedious, step in preparing for a paranormal investigation is conducting research on the property utilizing a number of sources. One excellent place to find information on a specific location is the Internet. Many haunted attractions have websites dedicated the history of the property and may include recent activity experienced by occupants, owners, customers, or ghost-hunters. Paranormal message boards can also be useful in obtaining information, however, an experience researcher does not solely rely on the Web.

Local libraries contain more reliable resources such as obituaries, death certificates, and coroner's reports; these records contain names of people who lived an possibly died at the location. Libraries also house years of newspaper archives which can be quite useful to determine information such as: whether the property was ever use as a hospital, morgue, or funeral parlor.

The most reliable source of information on a specific property is the United States Government. If a paranormal team has 120 days and a member with excellent clerical skills at their disposal then The Freedom of Information Act is their “Golden Ticket.” If the paperwork is completed without error using the proper terms the fruits of labor should include every document ever filed concerning the property in question and all persons connected to said location. A professional paranormal team should not arrive at an investigation without first completing their homework.

The second step in conducting a successful paranormal investigation is to develop and execute a plan based on the completed research; organizing the team’s resources is paramount. The first resource to organize in the plan-of-action is people (the living, not the dead); different people have different strengths and should be utilized accordingly. The team’s public relations/human resources specialist should be: contacting members to find suitable dates for pre-hunt meetings and drafting a docket of participating investigators; communicating with the owner/proprietor of the location to schedule a tour and obtain a list of “house rules”; and organizing transportation/rally points and departure times for team members. This person is responsible for assuring all dates, times, and information are correct so the investigation is not wrought with confusion.

The next resource to organize for an effective plan is equipment. The “Tech Manager” should use the information obtained through research to decide what devices will make the trip and where/how that equipment will serve the team best. Some devices are not suited for some investigations based factors such as: whether or not electricity is available (battery charging issues); if the location is in a noisy area (possible audio contamination); and total number of investigators attending (devices should not outnumber people).

The final and most important resource is, once again, information obtained through research. A team’s P.R./H.R. guru can use gathered information to assign specific duties to members based on an area in which they excel. The “Tech Man” should know where to place specific equipment for the best possible chance to obtain evidence of the paranormal based on the research files. Conducting an investigation without a game-plan sets the group up for failure.

The final step in an effective paranormal investigation is developing a hypothesis regarding activity and evidence discovered by the team and usually takes place over several days. The first task to complete is a post-investigation meeting that should happen immediately after the hunt comes to an end. Participating members, one at a time, will rehash the night’s activities and experiences while the remaining team members take notes. Experiences are then compared and possible natural causes for the phenomenon are discussed and noted. Notes are collected and added to the case files for later reference by the evidence review team, which brings us to the next step: evidence review.

The review team will spend the next week combing through every photograph, video, and audio file. Photographic evidence is reviewed first as it takes the least amount of time and the least susceptible to scrutiny. Videos are review next so reviewers can make notes on which team members were where at what time and compare any evidence with the case notes. Audio is reviewed last as it is the most time consuming and previously taken notes are needed to identify speakers and create time-stamps for relevance.

The final case meeting, which rounds out the entire process, is usually held a week after the investigation. At this meeting, the evidence review team reveals any obtained evidence to the rest of the group. Case files are reviewed and discussed at length and a vote is called. Each team member casts their vote aloud along with any final comments on the case and a decision is made: haunted, not haunted, or inconclusive. The investigation process is now complete.

Like many jobs featured on reality programs, the experts make paranormal investigation look easy. On the contrary, some of the most important (and time-consuming) steps die a quick death on the cutting-room floor during the editing process. Any team that stumbles blind into their first investigation is setting themselves up for disappointment and failure. Highly effective ghost-hunters often utilize three steps to ease the investigative process: research; plan development and execution; and conclusion. Happy hunting.

Your Argument is Invalid: Here is a picture of a Bunny with a Pancake on its Head

I am a bit fascinated, and not a little, by the fact that some people are so conflicted between their self-proclaimed righteousness and their own hatred towards people they claim to care about, that these people become defensive as they question their own belief system while waging a personal war against the core of my own being.

Case-in-point: while I neither identify myself as a member of the fundamentalist faction of the GOP nor a supporter of the socialist movement of the left, I do have a well-researched and non-partisan base in the issues facing the nation and world today.

I have currently, people in my life with whom I’ve always enjoyed a good banter or debate regarding anything from: welfare reform to human rights to animal rights to conspiracy theory. However, certain people (until recently) of said circles, have begun to pass judgment on my way of thinking things through and where I choose to volunteer my time because I have no particular party association (as most should not, in my opinion).

In the past months, I have received accusations regarding but not limited to: if I believe so vehemently in one cause and express interest in one issue then why do I not support the political party associated with furthering that cause?; you can’t possibly believe in operation “apple” and operation “orange” at the same time, that’s ludicrous; and my absolute favorite, “why are you so damn moderate? Get off the fence already and make your choice”.

My concern usually lies with the cause in question first, the political proponents for and against those causes second, and to the party in which they belong, not at all.

To expound further on personal, verbally violent attacks on my character and beliefs, I give you another case-in-point with-out details to protect the guilty. I recently brought to light a fatal flaw in a public figure’s main philosophy; the influential politician propagates (backed by millions in funds collected via donation and public, tax-funded coffers) that high school children should not receive any information regarding reproductive health including the risk of STDs and unplanned pregnancy.

One of many public/political figureheads supporting an abstinence-only (until the holy sanctimony of marriage, as it were) approach to education, this “hero” is proving the movement wrong by her offspring producing, not one but two, grandchildren conceived out of wed-lock because they lacked the vital information of how babies come to be. A person very close to my heart viewed my findings on the subject “hateful” and “judgmental”, then made those opinions know on a public forum via a bastardization of the biblical verse, “judge not, lest he be judged” coupled with derogatory name-calling.

This person continued to bombard me with a diatribe of seventeen-plus individual messages labeling (not only my views but my own self-worth) the aforementioned phrases as judgment on my character. This person went on to claim that the judgment and labeling of people were nasty characteristics (without any sense of irony), professed that tolerance and understanding were the true paths to enlightenment, and exploded with rage and hate when the word “hypocrite” was introduced to the conversation.

There are times that I wish people would simply have the courage and self-esteem to defend their argument by saying, “I don’t agree with you” and rebut with a valid reason containing arguments found through research of their own rather than revert to name-calling, labeling, and hypocrisy. Just be honest and say what you obviously feel “I hate your guts and no argument you produce, regardless of lucidity and reason, will ever be accepted by the likes of me.")

On a side-note, I should add that something about my personality rubs about one out of one-hundred people completely the wrong way. I accept this fact as truth and have discovered there is usually little-to-nothing I can actually do to make those people change their minds.


All I can do is tread lightly (walk on egg-shells, so-to-speak) and attempt to not upset that 1% of people that wish me a quick and painful death. Though I am well-trained in this self-censorship, I rarely reap any benefits from this behavior.

The people who have pegged me as a target for their ridicule and hateful lashings seem to always circumvent my efforts and find another outlet to bludgeon my beliefs, my life-choices, my passions, my likes, my interests, my spirituality, and the very core of who I was, am, and who I hope to be, in a (what I can only assume to be) vain attempt to break me so they can feel just a little bit better about themselves for a little while.

As promised...

Porch Time

Thanks to a break in the God-forsaken heat wave, I am able to spend some time on my porch tonight. My porch is one of my favorite (and newly remodeled) rooms in the house for a couple of reasons.

The first being: my cats love it out here. I currently have six cats living in my home and it can be a daunting task to keep all of them happy. With school, volunteer work, and projects for Lafayette Paranormal Research Society, I keep quite busy. Opening the door to the porch so my precious babies can take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the neighborhood is the easiest way to keep cat poop off my floors and my school papers, along with other documents of importance, in one piece (the youngest, Cassius, has a penchant for paper shredding, eating). In addition, I like to see my babies happy.

Another reason I enjoy “porch time” is the opportunity to air out the house. This Summer has produced so much gross weather that windows and doors have remained shut for, what seems (and smells), like decades. I find it difficult to sleep in a stuffy house; the outdoors smells oh-so-much better. The final, and most important, reason I like to spend quality time on my porch is the fact that I greatly enjoy people-watching. At least once a night (or day) something ridiculous takes place and on my porch, I have a front row seat for the action. In early summer, I witnessed a team of con-artists attempting to get motorists to help a young woman feigning an injury. When I called B.S., they quickly fled the area (I wonder if they were the same three criminals that killed that poor boy).* Last month, a seedy group of characters dumped their trash (along with one wallet filled with counterfeit currency) on my lawn in broad day-light.** There is never a dull moment in the vicinity of Kossuth and Main.

In short, I love my porch and I’m out here as much as possible (weather permitting). I look forward to the fall when I can enjoy it more often but until then, I will settle for little breaks in the weather and not look a proverbial gift-horse in the mouth.

* Featured in my blog in the post “Scenes”

**Featured in my “Notes” section on facebook under heading "Pay-back"