March 2020 - These Curious Times
In this edition, TCT News covers an attack from Gaia TV, hosts a contest for two free tickets to an investigation at the Oman House in Beverly Hills, and editors Tammye McDuff and Andrew Perry decide to be cute and write each other's biographies.
In this edition, TCT News covers an attack from Gaia TV, hosts a contest for two free tickets to an investigation at the Oman House in Beverly Hills, and editors Tammye McDuff and Andrew Perry decide to be cute and write each other's biographies.
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The World’s Trusted Source for Paranormal News
March 2020
TCT Cameraman ATTACKED By Gaia TV
Managing Editor Andrew Perry minutes after the attack.
All Things Paranormal
Tammye McDuff
The paranormal genre has exploded
with dozens of television shows, horror
films, social media groups and ghost
hunting crowds all over the world. All
Things Paranormal [ATP] is a weekly talk
show on Dash Radio [@dashradio] where
myth and paranormal meet science,
religion and truth. The show is hosted
by Frankie Fronk and Britt Griffith and
began as an outlet to inform others,
interested in the paranormal, on what to
do and what not to do in a paranormal
situation.
Fronk’s interest in the other side
began when he was a child, which
seems to be the start for most of those
interested in ‘the beyond’. Fronk lived in
a very charged house in a small town in
Wyoming called Worland, “I had many
experiences in that house growing
up,” stated Fronk, ”There were so many
incidents that it caused my parents
concern and we moved out of the house
when I was 11 years old.” He says after the
move the occurrences became less but
even to this day he still feels called to the
house through vivid dreams.
Fronk left school in 1989. He began
his spiritual journey spending time
discovering different religions and their
origins – ultimately leading him to join a
Seminary in upstate Maine. “I lived in the
Monastery for a year with the full intent
to become a Franciscan monk. While
studying for the order, I ran across an old
book that discussed ‘the Rite’ …. Which is
the Catholic practice of performing an
Exorcism. The book told the history of
this practice during the dark ages due to
a large breakout of demonic activity.”
Fronk was fascinated with the true
study of exorcisms “I researched and
read everything I could get my hands
on. I discovered the falsehoods and the
differences within religious practices. This
caused me to delve further into the study
of all types of religion from the Dark Ages
to today’s modern interpretations. It was
my personal quest to find the similarities
of these religions, and I did find them.”
Fronk left the Monastery and
moved to Salem, Massachusetts for the
sole purpose of learning the Dark Arts. “I
quickly discovered the falsehoods in the
practices of witchcraft, which is neither
dark or light, since life is neither black
or white, it is only the intention of the
‘Fronk’ Continued Page 6
TCT Staff
TCT Cameraman Arturo Gutierrez
was attacked by Gaia TV at the
Conscious Life Expo on February 8.
While trying to set up an interview
with Gaia TV, an elderly bald staff
member with Gaia pushed Gutierrez
without any warning, and only while
assaulting him did anyone say there
was no filming allowed.
“There’s been some issues with
some disgruntled people who’ve
been on the show and they (Gaia) felt
that whoever came in filming was
not representing the general media,
but the group of disgruntled show
presenters,” said Dawna Shuman, one
of the organizers of the Conscious Life
Expo.
“I was just gathering some
footage,“ said Gutierrez. “At first, I was
just filming a band that was in the
lobby, and after a while I noticed that
Andy (Managing Editor Andrew Perry)
A Personal
Encounter With
Peggy the Haunted
Doll
Dee Dee Mason
“Hi Peggy” …. That is how I started
my first conversation with Peggy the
infamous haunted doll who now resides
with Zak Bagans, the Executive Producer
of Ghost Adventures, the number one
paranormal show on the Travel Channel.
Bagans acquired Peggy from
paranormal investigator Jayne Harris.
Harris is the owner of Haunted Dolls,
and says that the powers of “Peggy the
doll” have been running amuck on the
internet, causing anyone who sees her
picture to be overcome with feelings of
dizziness, nausea, and even chest pains.
Featured on “Deadly Possessions,”
an episode of Bagans’ series, Peggy is not
for the faint of heart. It’s said you can be
affected by Peggy by just looking at her- in
person or in photos. As a result, a viewer
disclaimer was aired before the show.
The doll now has her own room with
a few other dolls to keep her company.
Every 15 minutes or so a tour group
was talking to someone, trying to set
up an interview. So, I started walking
towards him.”
“As soon as Andy said “paranormal”
while trying to explain the paper,
that’s when that guy swooped in,” said
Gutierrez.
Prior to this, the film crew had
done several interviews.
“By the time of this incident, I just
suspected Andy was just trying to line
up another interview,” said Gutierrez.
“So, like all the other interviews we did
that day, I started filming.”
Managing Editor Andrew Perry
was the reporter for this two-man
crew. “Y’know, I have heard of Gaia
before, so I was really hoping to line
up an interview,” said Perry. “After this,
I’m convinced there’s something shady
going on with them.”
TCTN will continue investigating
the circumstances behind this assault.
Watch the video on www.
thesecurioustimes.net.
The infamous haunted doll
‘Peggy’ is currently ‘owned’ by
Zak Bagans, Executive Producer
of Ghost Adventures.
will invade her space at the Wengert
Mansion on East Charleston, Las Vegas,
Nevada, otherwise known as The
Haunted Museum where Bagans keeps
the majority of his cursed objects along
with antique furniture; a multitude of
film memorabilia and items from well
documented criminal cases.
I first met Peggy on Friday October
‘Media’ Continued Page 7
INSIDE
Editorial ... 2-3
Our Editors ... 4
Reviews ... 5
Investigative ... 6-7
Contest ... 9
WWW.THESECURIOUSTIMES.NET
Editorial
TCT NEWS
(714) 450-5582
Managing Editors
Tammye McDuff
Andrew Perry
Subscribe
Join us at
www.thesecurioustimes.net
Got A Story?
TheseCuriousTimesNewspaper@
gmail.com
Why Support TCT
News?
Ever read or hear a ghost story, or
alien encounter, or a miracle story, and
then find out later it’s not sourced well,
that it’s merely someone just telling a
story, and therefore not credible?
We hate that, too!
We know that people experience
these things. We know that there’s
more to our existence, that people
see things along with witnesses. If
the supernatural exists in such a
way that people can observe it with
any of their five senses, that means
this phenomena has an effect on the
natural world, and therefore can be
observed, even scientifically observed.
But we are not scientists, we are
journalists. That’s why we created TCT
News, to hold these stories up to the values
of journalistic integrity. We are looking for
video and photographic evidence. We’re
looking for corresponding witnesses, log
entries, documents, anything that can
prove whether or not a story has merit.
If that’s something that you
appreciate, that is why you should
support us. Subscribe to us at www.
thesecurioustimes.net. If you are
a business owner, sponsor us and
advertise on our website and in our
paper. Thank you for your support,
and as always: Stay Curious!
Where Royals were born: the 1,000 year old Kukaniloko birthing site of Hawaii.
The Birthing Stones of Hawaii
Carolyn Ncube
Years ago when Kukaniloko was open
to the public and access to the birthing
stones was completely unobstructed,
I visited this sacred place often. I felt
compelled to share the history of this
site with others because the best way
to preserve the past is to bring it to the
present so that future generations will
benefit from this knowledge.
One day, I decided to make the trek
up to Wahiawa to visit the stones and pay
my respects. As a mother, especially one
who had recently lost a child and nearly
lost her own life because of it, I had a
special connection to this place.
After giving birth to each one of my
three children, I realized how much my
body, all female bodies, are machines
meant to do what they’re supposed to
do. Once laboring mothers come to this
reality, faith stamps out fear, and the
business of bringing precious life into the
world is the only thing that matters.
Motherhood is such a powerful thing
that civilizations worshiped fertility
goddesses, while others feared the power
women had to bring life into the world
through physical pain and suffering and
yet survive to love their children with an
ironic mix of ferocity and tenderness.
Civilizations that feared women’s
power to build nations created laws that
subjugated them and continue to do so
today. Hawaiian culture was far from this
thinking.
When visiting Kukaniloko, I would
2
reflect on these things, and I would say
silent prayers of gratitude to all of the
women who labored and delivered great
hope for their people at this place, and I
would honor the wise men that stood
watch and guarded their women as they
did their important work.
Upon one visit I noticed a couple
rambling up the path to look upon the
stones. I knew I would have a significant
encounter with them. As always when I
meet couples for the first time, it took me
less than five seconds to know who loved
whom more in the relationship.
I’ll share more about this strange
ability in future posts, but for now, I’ll say
that in every relationship, there’s one who
loves more and one who loves less. There
is a giver, and there is a taker. One love
feeds the fire. One heart burns desire. I
knew, in this couple’s case, who did most
of the crying … It was her.
The young woman approached and
asked me about the birthing stones. I told
her briefly what I knew of the history
as she half-listened and wandered off
to position herself on one of the stones
trying to mimic what she assumed was
the act of childbirth. Seeing her do this,
the young man laughed out loud and
told her that it wasn’t her best side, which
made them both burst out in further fits
of completely inappropriate laughter.
I was not only floored at their
complete disrespect, I was livid. I knew I
had to do something with the knowledge
I already had about their relationship
dynamic, and so I asked, “So you guys are
Origin Behind Letter “X” on Your Palm
STAFF REPORT
Ancient knowledge of palmistry,
is discerning the lines and symbols
associated with our personalities and
future prospects in terms of career, life,
marriage, money, and health.
The popular ancient practice of
foretelling the future through the
study of the palm traces its roots
to Hindu-Vedic astrology. Based on
several scriptures around the world,
it’s been deduced that in 5th Century
BCE the Hindu sage Valmiki authored
a book containing 567 stanzas, the title
of which translates in English as ‘The
Teachings of Valmiki Maharshi on Male
Palmistry’.
It is believed that from India, the
knowledge and practice of palmistry
sprawled across the world, through
China, Tibet, Egypt, Persia and to several
other countries in Europe.
It is said that it was the Greek
scholar Anaxagoras, who, during his
time around the Indian sub-continent
learned about Palmistry and later
shared the knowledge with Hermes.
Aristotle found the treatise regarding
the matter of palmistry at one of
Hermes’ altars, which he then displayed
to Alexander the Great. The latter took
great interest and began inspecting the
character of his officers by evaluating
the lines on their palms.
Egyptian scholars suggest that
Alexander The Great had a unique
marking on his palm, which was rarely
found in anyone else in the world. It
is speculated that only three percent
of the entire population claims the
marking of the letter ‘X’.
STI University in Moscow, Russia
revealed their research paper on “X Palm
Mystery and Spirit Science Formula”
which studied more than two million
people across the world to understand
the link between the letter X and the
destiny of subjects. They reveal that
everyone with letter X on both palms
were remarkable people.
People with letter X on both hands
are strong in character and their
destiny is always straight forward and
rarely requires planning. While some
people may plan for success all day long,
people with “double X” palm don’t need
any plan to succeed. It’s just a matter
of time for them until their destiny
automatically shapes into a unique
energy cycle which makes the person
“one of the greatest among the rest”.
These people have great sixth sense
or intuition. The can sense, danger,
infidelity, and disloyalty. Over time they
form a special energy cyclone around
them, which people simply cannot
intrude on. Trying lying to them, they
always discover the truth and if you
Photo by Ancient-Origins.net
trying to have a baby, huh?” Surprised by
my question, the young man shot out
his response like a cannon, “Oh, HELL NO!
We’re nowhere close to that point! We’d
have to get married first, and that’s a long
way off!”
His woman’s face clouded over at his
insensitive admission, and while I didn’t
revel in her great disappointment and
embarrassment, I was amazed by how
spot on the assessment was...she was
definitely more in love with him than he
was with her.
“I was just curious because if you
lay on these stones, you’re going to get
pregnant soon.”
Upon hearing the white lie I told
to get her off the stone, the young man
freaked, yanked his woman up, and
dragged her away quickly back to their
car. I imagined that their car ride back to
town was either dead silent or the exact
opposite.
William Shakespeare aptly wrote in
his play The Merchant of Venice, “To do a
great right, do a little wrong. And curb the
devil of his will.” I had no idea if what I told
them about the stones being charged
with the power of fertility was true, but
I needed to stop her offensive action
before her ignorance brought upon some
more severe cosmic reckoning. I would do
it all over again if I had to.
Maybe, just maybe, through that
experience, the young woman was able
to find another relationship path that
would lead to a shared destination. There
are no coincidences - only synchronicities.
do them wrong they will unleash the
hounds o f hell on you. They might
forgive, but they’ll never forget.
These people are sharp, intuitive,
have a great knowledge and the
memory of an elephant. They are easy
to adapt to changing circumstances
and have the tendency to make no fuss
about the things around them.
No-one or no-thing can bring
harm to those lucky few who have
the ‘X’ on their palm.
The Partially Informed Philosopher
The Landmark Forum, Part 1 of 3:
Finding Zen in Three Days
Andrew Perry
Ah, the Landmark Forum. For a
long time I had resentment towards
my boss stemming from my wrong
answer to his loyalty question. I
apparently answered it wrong; and
they transferred all my duties. Guess
what? That resentment is now a thing
of the past! And it’s all thanks to a
transformational and surprisingly
satisfying weekend with the
Landmark Forum.
The Beginning of
Resentment
Five years ago one of my boss’s
lackeys barged into my office just as
I was about to leave for the day. At
that point, I had been a city employee
for ten years, serving in a largely PR
capacity, as that was the area of my
college coursework. Because of my
10 years of experience, I was friends
with residents, business owners, city
councilmembers, community leaders,
and reporters because I often wrote
about them, filmed them, wrote
speeches for the council members,
and so on. I was on my ‘A’ game, and felt
like an accomplished man. Then she
walked into my office like an assassin,
with a dagger aimed not at my heart,
but my career, if I answered her riddle
incorrectly.
This is what she asked me
verbatim, “[The boss] sees that you
are friends with residents, businesses,
city councilmembers, community
leaders, and reporters. He wants to
know that the people who work under
him are loyal. Are you loyal to the City
Manager?”
Taken by surprise by her audacity,
but also careful about the ethical issues
this question raised, I responded, “I’m
loyal to the City.” This was apparently
the wrong answer, and she struck what
she and my boss thought was a fatal
blow.
My boss stripped my duties,
changed my job description and
banished me to the basement two
months afterwards. All I needed was a
red stapler (an Office Space reference,
if it escaped you).
Five Years to Stew
It’s been five years since that
incident. That lady is long gone.
Multiple employees had complained
about her, making public a long series
of unethical outbursts and behaviors.
But [my boss] is still there, making
sure I have no work or that my work
is minimal. Simultaneously, I became
super involved in the union, as that
was the only thing that had kept me
employed.
I think most people would
understand that as I stewed in that
office, I grew to hate my job (or lack
thereof).
A Change in Perspective
And then I attended the
Landmark Forum, and it changed my
perspective. If I could distill what the
Landmark Forum is: through practical
applications, your ego will shrink away
until at some point, you will find ‘zen’,
for lack of a better word. You will be
inspired to live life, and take action for
the things you want to change.
You’re probably saying, “Easier
said than done.” That’s the beauty.
What the Landmark Forum excels at
is making sure you actually do it. At
first, it’s scary to take ownership for
your actions. But with the homework
and the inspiration to take action,
that weekend will be one of the most
rewarding in your life.
The only criticism is the final
night – Tuesday night. The forum
leader pressured us to bring family
and friends, and the reasoning behind
it made sense. I would caution about
having family and friends fly from long
distances, because Tuesday night ends
like an aggressive sales pitch. If you’ve
ever been to a timeshare presentation,
it’s like that. Please Landmark, just
advertise like regular businesses!
This article is the first in a series of
three articles. I’m not going to lie, this
will ultimately be a positive review,
but it’s also going to be dead honest. I
was a skeptic, and I no longer am one.
But I have a few pieces of constructive
criticism. In the end, however, the
Landmark Forum is a good thing.
To prove it, for the first time in
years, I actually LOVE going to work!
Editorial
Social media, the British press and the Crown Prosecution Service have
all been blamed for their treatment of the star, while celebrity well-wishers
have been attacked for hypocrisy and politicians have mooted a
reform of the media.Caroline died by her own hand February 18, 2020.
Is Social Media the Modern
Day Monster?
Dee Dee Mason
Ethics in the media is a tricky
subject. Fake news can be a wrecking
ball personally and professionally. Let’s
take a deeper look into the dark side
of these ethics and that proverbial
aforementioned ball that can quickly
turn into a death blow.
You may have heard the tragic
news about the recent death of Caroline
Flack, host of the very popular United
Kingdom reality TV show ‘Love Island’.
In 2019 Flack was accused of
attacking her boyfriend. Fans of the
show quickly took to social media.
Instead of simply airing their personal
views on the matter, some diehard
fanatics decided to take things a bit
further and take a large leap over that
invisible line known as disrespect.
Using Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
these people began to bully Caroline
with a constant barrage of cruelty
that tragically tipped her over the line
to the point where Flack felt her only
option was to bring an end to her
emotional pain and end her life.
After her passing, Flack family
decided to release her very last
Instagram post, the one that she had
not sent, the one the public did not get
to see. It read:
“The reason I am taking to
Instagram today is because my family
can no longer take the persistent
malice and brutality any more. I have
lost my job, I have lost my home. I have
lost my ability to speak. The truth has
been taken out of my hands and used
as entertainment. I am NOT a domestic
abuser. We had an argument and
an accident happened. An Accident.
The blood that someone SOLD to a
newspaper was MY blood and that was
something very sad and very personal.”
(Quote taken from BBC News) / (@
carolineflack)
That is the darkest of the dark
side of social media. Of course not
all social media is bad but with us
reaching for our phones throughout
the day; logging onto our computers
without thought …. How many times
do any of us actually stop and think
before we let our fingers get carried
away posting whatever we want into
the obscure world of the internet? Do
we pause before we make the subtle
leap? Or join in an open conversation
on Facebook that inevitably can end
in a word palooza bitch fight? How
many times have we been the victim
of a social media version of Mean Girls?
How many have been a real life Regina
George, poised with that proverbial
fluffy pink pen ready to write those
burn book style words.
We must remember that the
words we post could hurt someone,
with or without our knowledge or
intention. The fault is not in the device
we choose but the fact that we choose
to put it out for all to see.
There is the example of a woman
that lives in Henderson, Nevada – not
far from Las Vegas -who for many years
has had a very unhealthy; unhinged
obsession with a number of celebrity
men. She uses Twitter primarily to
bully their female fans when they
make innocent comments.
Last year this same woman took to
targeting a number of fans using social
media. She would stalk them; verbally
bully them and slander these fans.
She had delusional dreams of having
an unblocked connection to a famous
person; boasted of having a secret
affair with a Vegas based television
producer and claimed they even have a
love child all while claiming another on
and off affair with an LA based actor.
When the LA actor was asked about
this affair, he stated “I had honestly
never heard of this woman until I had
been made aware of what she was
saying about me on Twitter.” There are
some crazy people in this world. [The
names of these individuals have been
removed for their privacy.]
Facebook has also been under
scrutiny recently regarding how they
moderate the millions of posts that go
live into the world from their platform
24/7. What do you think should be done
to keep innocent platforms from being
used as a tool for bullies?
Remember that the power to
influence is in your hands or fingers
in this case. We all have the capacity to
feed that beast; turn social media into
a monster or starve it and stop the
poison.
Feature
The Editors of TCT News
Tammye McDuff: A Believer
Who Practices Skepticism
Andrew Perry
Her parents believed she was
destined to be a writer, so they named
her Tammye Gayle McDuff. For them, it
was the perfect pen name.
McDuff is one of the co-founders
and managing editors of These Curious
Times. She has an extensive background
in journalism, and has had several
paranormal experiences.
Tammye McDuff is a Texan; born
in Beaumont and raised in Texas City.
She went to the same high school her
dad went to, and perhaps coincidentally
even dated the son of a woman her dad
dated. “He was a Montague,” said McDuff,
“and so it fits in with the whole author
thing. It’s very Shakespearean.”
Her first paranormal experience
happened when she was very young.
Her most vivid experience happened
later, when she was 17. After her mom
and sister went to the grocery store,
leaving her alone with her dog. She was
practicing the piano, and not too long
after her mother left, McDuff heard her
name called. She turned around and
there in the same room as she, stood a
woman with long, flowing brown hair
and a beautiful white dress.
“We actually made eye contact, and
she said to me that she has something
that I needed to hear,” said McDuff. “I did
not want to hear it and ran to my room,
and locked the door until my mother
came back.”
To this day, McDuff does not have
any idea what the lady in white wanted
to say.
McDuff has always had an affinity
towards writing. “I always wrote for
the school paper, though I didn’t take it
seriously at the time.” She even wrote for
the local paper, the Texas City News.
So in 2002, McDuff began writing
again, first with a paper called The
Examiner and later with Hews Media
Group.
She has experienced multiple
paranormal experiences, and even
several in California where she now
resides.
Why did she start These Curious Times?
“I always wanted to do something in the
paranormal field, but it never seemed like
it could be lucrative. I had a conversation
once with a friend named Andrew Perry
that explored that concept.”
Perry is a skeptic of the paranormal
and he also has a strong background in
journalism.
That initial conversation was mostly
centered around creating a credible
paranormal investigation team, with
actual scientists. That was in March 2019.
A few months later, when McDuff
interviewed Ben Hanson, the star of
Fact or Faked , and Ghosts of Morgan
City, she walked away with a profound
idea. “I knew then that I wanted to be a
paranormal journalist,” she said.
In July she called up her friend Perry,
whom she had that initial conversation,
pitched the idea of a paranormal news
network, and thus was born These
Curious Times.
Andrew Perry: A Skeptic Who Wants to Believe
4
Tammye McDuff
Co-founder and Managing
Editor of These Curious Times News,
Andrew Perry wants to believe, “I don’t
disbelieve in spirits or the afterlife, I
have just never had that experience
and I want to.”
Born in Harbor City and raised in
Lomita, Perry is a true Californian born
and bred. From an early age, he loved
to read. He had a profound awareness
of words and in reading everything he
could get his hands on. Writing down
his experiences, soon followed.
Perry became interested in
journalism while still in college.
Originally, his major was going
to be Sociology, the study of the
development, structure and
functioning of human society, “ I was
intrigued by the dynamics of social
behavior, politics and the enclaves
of various cultures. But then I took a
Journalism 101 class and I found a way
to mix my love of reading, writing and
studying social interaction together. I
found my creativity. I found my voice.”
He stopped being religious in
his 20’s. He was raised in the Catholic
Church and then transitioned to a
Pentecostal experience.
He had taken on the personal
challenge of reading the bible all the
way through ,”But there were some
things that just didn’t add up,” said
Perry. This spurred his curiosity to
begin investigation into other forms
of faith and the search for truth,
claims of miracles and the existence of
the other side.
There was a time in his life when
he became a militant agnostic, “I
was dismissive, and I didn’t have a
particular faith, but at the same time
did not disbelieve in God.”
His spiritual journey led him on
to become a Buddhist and then the
Past Master of a Masonic Lodge. “I have
always been interested in spiritual
things and the paranormal. My
interest in the paranormal is this ~ if I
experience a true event, it will answer
many of the questions that I have or
it will open up a whole new line of
questions. Is there an afterlife, are
there other beings, other dimensions?”
“I fell in love with the idea of
These Curious Times, because I want to
investigate the paranormal with a
scientific eye and journalist curiosity,”
added Perry.
He managed his college paper;
worked with other writers and
enjoyed running the editorial
board. In 2003 Perry joined Hews
Media Group as a reporter for four
years. Perry currently owns his own
company called Legend Makers and
is an Analyst for the City of Artesia. He
studied Communications at California
State University in Fullerton.
Reviews
Book Review: Thoughts On Positive Thinking
Melinda Young
Last month I read “The Power
of Positive Thinking” by Norman
Vincent Peale, one of the first and
most influential books on positive
thinking ever written. Although many
of the examples in the book are dated,
it was informative and a great place
to start when exploring the power of
our thoughts and how those thoughts,
positive or negative, shape our reality.
In his book, Dr. Peale gives a ton
of instruction on changing thought
patterns that inhibit the quality (and
maybe even the quantity) of our lives. I
chose one simple activity to put to the
test. It seemed easy and a good place to
start since it only involved seven days.
The instruction was to think
positive thoughts and use positive
words for one week. Dr. Peale recognized
that negative thoughts would come
up and suggested that every time you
have a negative thought, stop and
replace it with a positive thought or
recall a positive experience in your life.
I thought, “Challenge accepted, this will
be a breeze!” After all, I did consider
myself to be reasonably positive.
Here is how my experiment went...
I began this exercise on Monday
morning. Mondays are a great time
to begin, for me anyway! But alas,
when Monday morning came I was
already in a mood because our lovely
little KitCat had kept me up the night
before. She slept all day Sunday and
decided Sunday night was her time to
jump on furniture and knock things to
the ground for sport and attention.
Tuesday is a better day to start
anyway, right?
Tuesday morning had a great
start. I was up on time and thinking
optimistically! At work, I had a negative
thought but I turned it around just
like Dr. Peale instructed. Easy Peasy.
Then another thought came up and
I realized two things; I have a lot of
negative ‘micro thoughts’. These are
the tiny passing wisps of thoughts and
notions. This was going to be much
harder than I realized. Still, I forged
ahead.
Wednesday morning came and
so did an itty bitty case of road rage
on the way to work. Maybe I should
start over. Maybe I should begin NEXT
Monday. Maybe this exercise is not so
simple.
I tried this exercise three times
before I was able to think and speak
positively for seven days straight. I
actually decided to use the old rubber
band trick. I wore a rubber band
on my wrist and snapped it when I
had a negative thought or word. The
irony of doing something negative, i.e.
snapping a rubber band, in order to get
a positive outcome did not escape me.
Studies show that our
subconscious brains cannot process
negative words so when we hear
things like ‘don’t touch that’ our
subconscious hears ‘touch that’. Of
course, our conscious brain processes
the statement, but the subconscious
actually skips the negative word! Have
you ever heard someone say, “I wish I
Norman Vincent Peale was an American minister and author known for
his work popularizing the concept of positive thinking.
Wikimedia Commons
was as fat as the first time I thought
I was fat”? Did we think ourselves fat?
Maybe. Our thoughts guide our lives
and control our conscious thoughts,
eventually; they begin to seep into our
subconscious.
I learned a lot from this
experience. I learned that I am much
more negative than I had previously
recognized. I began to see the negative
talk in others more quickly, and instead
of judging them and feeling superior, I
felt a kinship, realizing that I am right
there with them, the only difference
was that stupid rubber band on my
wrist reminding me to take a different
path.
The result of the week? It was
positive! I mean of course it was; how
could it not be? I felt better, my outlook
was improved, I found myself thinking
happy thoughts about the future, my
family, and my job. I also found that
when I was positive, it cleared the
path for me to pray and listen to God.
Thinking positively is not about being
fake. Thinking positively can change
your life. It is as simple, but not as easy,
as that.
I am currently looking for my next
book to read. Log in next month to find
out which book I read, and how I put it
to the test.
5
Investigative
Linda Vista: Most Haunted Hospital in California
Anthony Almaraz
Linda Vista Community Hospital
is one of the most sought after ghost
hunting hot spots . It has been
closed to the public and boarded up
for decades. There have been reports
of glowing red lights that would move
through the fifth floor hallways;
footsteps echo through the empty
wards; investigators have been pushed
and sorrowful crying can be heard.
The first time Los Angeles
Paranormal Research Society [LAPRS]
visited Linda Vista, there were 500 people
that showed up for a meet and greet of
like-minded investigators and reporters.
The second night was the actual
investigation. Only four people were
allowed in, I was one of these four who
were locked in the building for the night.
The founder of the group asked who
would like to check out the basement –
alone, I immediately volunteered.
With flashlight and recorder in hand
I proceeded to walk downstairs while
the other three stayed on the main
floor. I don’t scare easily, but this hospital
had a creep factor of defcon ten! There
was one point on my decent into the
basement that I thought someone was
Inside the spooky hallways of Linda Vista Hospital.
walking behind me. At first I thought
perhaps it was the echoes of my own
footsteps. But when I stopped to listen
further, the footsteps continued and
kept getting closer. I stopped and stood
for a minute, just listening but nothing
happened. I continued down the long
dark, wet corridors. Again there was an
overwhelming feeling someone was
right behind me. I could feel a heavy
presence, it was an uneasy sensation. I
turned around, only to see the darkness
of the corridors. Suddenly and without
warning every hair on my body stood
up, and I felt the temperature drop
dramatically. It was frigid. I shivered and
continued on my way to the basement.
While walking through the
underground room, I happened across
a room so small I thought it might be
a closet. I shined my flashlight into the
room and saw three stained mattresses.
It was difficult to tell if it was movie
blood or real blood. Many horror movies
have been filmed at the hospital. In
the basement was the Incinerator
Room. At first I did not realize it was
the crematorium, where the hospital
would burn the bodies of unclaimed
souls. I opened the big metal drawers
that were underneath the ovens and to
6
my astonishment; they were filled with
human remains. I looked for a piece of
wood and scooped out some ashes only
to find pieces of bone and teeth. There
were dozens of urns lined up against
the wall that were full and marked with
names of the forgotten. The fact that no
one had come to claim the final remains
of these patients was a tragic statement
to their lives.
Linda Vista Community Hospital,
originally called the Santa Fe Railroad
Hospital, and Santa Fe Coast Lines
Hospital is located in Boyle Heights,
California. The hospital was originally
built for the railroad employees and
was one of four employee hospitals
‘Fronk’ from Front
practitioner that makes it so,” professed
Fronk. “
I found a ‘grounding’ in Paganism
and came to the realization, for me
anyway, that it was truly the ‘original’
religion of mankind and very Earthcentered.
I discovered it was rightfully
practiced in the Native American tribes
and that it was only modern man that
had twisted it into something evil, when
in reality, it is an ancient practice that
honors all living beings.” Fronk added
that he now sees modern day religion as
a manipulative practice that is used to
control populations and cause war.
After this in-depth look into religion
and non-conformist religious history he
realized his true calling was to find the
real reason for life and the afterlife “Like
the Egyptians did with the writing of ‘the
Book of the Dead’,” said Fronk.
In 1999 Fronk founded the Western
Association of Scientific & Paranormal
Studies [WASPS] as a way to bring science
into the spiritual realm, “Which by the way
is totally not accepted by most scientific
standards. But with the equipment
we have, we can ultimately detect
paranormal activity due to the chemical
makeup of the human soul or spirit,” adds
Fronk “I have investigated thousands
of unusual activities and can, with this
equipment and intellectual knowledge
of religion and common sense, rule out
95% of activity as simple sounds, it is the
remaining five percent that encourages
run by the Santa Fe Employee Hospital
Association. The property was originally
purchased for $5,000 and the hospital
was constructed at a cost of $147,000.
By the late 1970s, the hospital
facilities were experiencing a decline in
use, as more and more workers opted for
more conventional medical insurance
policies. The Santa Fe Railroad sold
the 150 bed hospital to a management
healthcare company in 1980. When
Linda Vista tried to reduce operational
expenses in response, the hospital was
blamed for an increase in facility death
rates. During that time, the hospital
would regularly treat gunshot and knife
wounds, from the brutal neighborhood
of Boyle Heights, which affected its
mortality statistics.
The quality of care at Linda Vista
Community Hospital continued to
decrease; doctors moved to other
hospitals and in 1991 the hospital ceased
all operations after 86 years. Linda Vista
became a popular filming location for
horror themed productions, including
film, TV shows, music videos and adult
movies and became very popular with
the paranormal community as a whole.
Several movies have been filmed
at Linda Vista Hospital. To Live and Die
in LA (1985), In The Line of Fire (1992),
Outbreak (1995), Suicide Kings (1997), L.A.
Confidential (1997) and Day of The Dead
Two (2005).
If I had a chance to go back to Linda
Vista once more, would I? I definitely
would. But they have turned the
hospital into a retirement home for the
elderly and have changed the name to
Hollenbeck Terrace.
For now the senior citizens that
reside in the buildings must coexist
with those spirits that still roam the
corridors … perhaps giving the living a
glimpse into what is to come.
me to continue my research in the
paranormal field.”
There is more to life than what
we can believe with our five senses. The
truth can be found in the remembered
stories of our ancestors, in the myths and
legends of the olde days, “What is dark in
this world will remain dark in the next
and what is light will also be in the next.
There is a thin veil between this physical
world and the spiritual realm and we are
just beginning to see it surface,” noted
Fronk “I feel if we spent more time loving
and respecting each other, then we will
ultimately graduate from cavemen to
enlightened species.
I truly feel this is my purpose. We live
in a world where most people are sheep,
where so many would rather follow than
take the lead and this is why we are in the
state that we are in, perhaps the answers
really do lie in the land of the paranormal.
Imagine the doors that would open if we
could finally and concretely prove there is
an afterlife!”
The goal of ATP is to produce
conversation between fact and fiction so
paranormal enthusiasts are not swayed
by reality television. Fronk added “There
are only a handful of fact-driven shows
out there. Now that attention of skeptics
and enthusiasts has been triggered
it is the responsibility of those in the
paranormal field to inform them about
the realism of the business.”
Investigative
ALMOST TIME TO
FILE YOUR TAXES
Peggy, trying real hard to be intimidating.
‘Peggy’ from Front
11th, 2019 as I toured the museum for
this review. I had made my way around
the upper floor of the museum. Our
tour guide, who was a very nice and
knowledgeable young man, opened the
door and quickly stepped aside. I walked
in behind everyone else. I asked to step
to the front … the crowd parted … and
there she was.
“Peggy the Doll” has a long paranormal
history. She is said to be one of the most
haunted and dangerous dolls in the world.
It is believed that Peggy is possessed by the
spirit of a woman born in 1946 in London’s
Holland Park who died of a chest-related
condition, possibly an asthma attack, and
psychics have speculated that she was of
Jewish descent, with ties to the Holocaust.
“I was very skeptical of the claims
made about Peggy until the doll caused
terrifying activity during filming,
including manifestations of flies, camera
problems, negative mental effects on
me, and poltergeist activity,” said Bagans.
“Peggy will be displayed at The Haunted
Museum, but releases will have to be
signed should visitors want to see her.”
Peggy stands in a doll house, built
purposely for her where she can rest
behind a glass enclosure. Peggy was
looking right at me. In respect of the
very powerful entity that uses the doll
as a vessel, I lowered my gaze and said
“Hi Peggy”. A spirit box has been placed
in front of her display.
“Hi Dee” Peggy replied via the PSB11
spirit box placed in front of her.
I had not said my name and was
slightly surprised but laughed a little
because a few years ago I had a brief
encounter with Peggy and whatever
resides in that doll had done me a
favor and now was my chance to say
thank you.
“Peggy do you remember a few
years ago I had that migraine … that
three day migraine attack and when
I gazed upon your photo …. you
instantly took my headache away
even though you normally give people
headaches or nose bleeds?”
The spirit box replied, “I remember.”
“Well Peg, I’m here today to say
thank you for doing that for me, even
Photo by Dee Dee Mason
though we had not met and had
become friends.” I replied.
The doll replied, “You’re welcome.”
Now you need to take into account
that a spirit box scans the white noise
so fast that to hear more than one
word at a time is rare but the more
powerful spirits can sometimes speak
sentences over a number of seconds.
On my way out of the room, I said
“Bye, Peggy sweetie”
Her reply startled me, “Bye Bye Dee
– See you tomorrow!” … that is exactly
what she said.
Yes, it was true that I was visiting
the museum again the following day,
but had told no one. Upon my return
on Sunday, I walked straight to her
display and she welcomed me, noting
that I was a friend of Zak and she
knew me well. I was later told that
Peggy knows all. If you choose to visit
the museum and wander into Peggy’s
room, remember that she is more than
just a doll … she is a very powerful
spirit … chances are you will see her
long before you visit the museum.
My tour concluded with the
Demon House exhibit and a bone
chilling feeling as the guide pulled
down the viewing shutters.
I highly recommend a visit to Zak
Bagans Haunted Museum, it is ever
changing, magical, and enthralling,
but be ready because not everyone
may be able to weather the seen and
the unseen.
We may never know the exact
identity of the entity inhabiting the
doll, but her effects on people have
been well documented. It’s also believed
that in addition to causing violent
migraines and severe chest pains,
the entity can even affect a person’s
dreams and predict tragedies. Back in
2015 a video of Peggy hit YouTube, and
it’s been reported that over 80 people
who watched it suffered chest pains,
nausea, and crippling headaches. This
is something that… no matter what
you believe… should not be trifled
with.
Until next time loves …. Stay
Curious!
7
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8
Tammye McDuff
Win two free tickets to this once in a lifetime event!
Send your name, contact information and why you would like to join the investigation to
thesecurioustimesnewspaper@gmail.com with “David Oman House” in the subject line.
Winner will receive two tickets and will be notified Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Good luck!
David Oman’s Creepy House in Beverly Hills
David Oman with Frankie Fronk of All Things Paranormal, Katie Burr of
World’s Greatest Ghost Hunt and Cody & Shawn of The New Reality with
David Oman on Cielo Drive, Hollywood.
All good stories begin with ‘Once
Upon A Time’ … As a matter of fact
a 2019 comedy-drama film written
and directed by Quentin Tarantino
received ten nominations at the 92nd
Academy Awards and grossed over
$374 million worldwide. The film lightly
dances around the many tall tales that
surround the life styles of the rich and
famous and spins a web of intrigue
regarding the Sharon Tate / La Bianca
murders. But did you know that there
really is a story of a family whose lives
intersected the Manson family on more
than one occasion spanning decades?
If you are a paranormal fan then
you have heard of the David Oman
house at least in passing. But what
you are probably not aware of is the
history of his family, the coincidences
surrounding the purchase of the
property and the numerous spirits that
reside on Cielo Drive in Hollywood.
Long before there was a ‘Once Upon
A time …in Hollywood’ ~ before there
were Ghost Adventures or any number
of ghost hunters or the Oman House,
even before there were people named
Sharon Tate or Charles Manson, there
were Native American Tribes that
traversed California. The Tongva, later
known as Gabrielinos lived a peaceful
existence fully utilizing the mild
Southern California weather, what the
land yielded and abundance of wildlife.
This area was a self sustaining paradise,
the people worshiped the gods of
nature and nature supplied them with
a good life.
As the story is told, there were three
tributaries of fresh water that were
referred to as ‘the three sisters’. These
three rivers came together to form
a marshland which the Gabrielinos
considered to be a sacred site. When the
Spanish came to conquer the tribe, they
brought disease and chaos. In return a
tribal elder, a Shaman, cursed the land
…. And that is how it all began.
Fast forward to the 1960’s, Beverly
Hills and Benedict Canyon. It was a place
of dreams, and nearly everyone who
9
was there was, at one time or another,
stoned.
Legends like Joni Mitchell, Neil
Young, the Mamas and the Papas, Carole
King, and it is said that the haunting
guitar of Jimmy Hendrix could be heard
echoing through the hills at all hours of
the day and night. Many of the houses
were cottages with stained-glass
windows, and fireplaces that warmed
the living rooms in the chilly L.A. nights.
They made music together, played
songs for one another in all-night jam
sessions. They took drugs together;
formed bands together, broke up those
bands, and formed other bands. If you
wanted to be somebody, this was the
place to be seen. It was a scene that
Charles Manson wanted to part of.
The Oman family lived in Beverly
Hills. They were a normal family,
working hard and succeeding in life. In
the newly released book ‘Ghosts of Cielo
Drive: the Afterlife of Sharon Tate and
the Spirits of the Oman House’ written
by David Oman, he recalls “I remember,
when I was a young child, my mother
would often pick up three young
women who were hitchhiking through
the canyon. She would take them only as
far as our house, which she would point
out, and say to the girls it was time to
travel on. I always thought the girls had
an odd, vapid stare in their eyes.”
On more than one occasion the
Oman house had been marked by the
‘creepy crawl’. This was a practice of the
Manson family. They would secretly
enter someone’s home and, without
harming anyone, leave only a trace
of evidence that they had been there,
some reminder that the sanctity of the
private home had been breached.
In the book, Oman tells of the
synchronicities of his father finding an
empty lot in Beverly Hills, the unusual
activity that had some contractors
leave and never return, the many
celebrities that lived in the Tate house,
just yards away from where David was
to build his home and the deaths that
are still an open case.
From a murdered Native Warrior
to Rudolph Valentino, Mae West and
finally to Sharon Tate, the Oman house
is alive with the reverberation of many
spirits over hundreds of years. It is truly
the most haunted place in Hollywood.
While the original Tate house no
longer exists, filmmaker David Oman
built his house a mere 150 feet from the
site where the grisly murders took place.
Oman is convinced that the murder
victims still haunt his residence. You
can purchase this most engaging book
by visiting ghostsofcielodrive.com
David Oman, writer and producer.
A Psychic and A Seer
When Debra Sweat Smith was a
child, she saw things and felt things
that other children did not. She would
recall past lives; tell her teachers that
an earthquake was coming and would
often times drift off and speak a
foreign language that she had no way
of knowing.
She was one of those children that
are all too often ridiculed or made
fun of, and probably would have been
if the things that she was professing
never happened. But they did.” One day
I refused to go to school. I insisted to
my mother that the whole world was
going to be crying and they were going
to close the school for a couple of days,”
she recalled, “This was two days before
President John Kennedy was shot.”
Her school mates would gravitate
to her, to ask if a crush liked them back
and would often pass out rocks to
friends who needed help with a test.
Debra was gifted at an early age and
she knew how special her gifts were.
Her true spiritual journey started
well over 30 years ago, “Since that time
I have found out who I really am. I
have studied angels, crystals, Feng
Shui, space clearing, mediumship,
ghost hunting, reiki healing and
studied these things in depth to fully
understand myself and my gifts.”
In her meditations, she is often
visited by her guides who deliver
information either audibly, in visions
or by automatic writing.
Rose Cremation Extends Services to
Furry Friends
STAFF REPORT
Rose Cremation Services located
in the city of Bellflower, exists to offer
a more compassionate approach
to cremation services, “We are a full
service, family owned funeral home
providing services to Los Angeles
County, Orange County and all
Southern California,” says co-owner
Christal Vargas Leyva, “Our business
philosophy is to offer a sensitive death
care option combined with personal
service and reasonable pricing.”
“We assist families in creating
meaningful and memorable ways to
celebrate a loved one’s life,” says Leyva,
“but we have gone one step further,
we now offer the same services for
the loss of a four-legged furry family
member.”
From the heart wrenching
moment when it becomes clear that
a beloved pet has limited days, Rose
Cremation can gently guide the family
through all the arrangements that
must be made.
“We offer the cremation services,
we immortalize paw prints in a
keepsake plaster disc, deliver the pet
in a special urn as well as a death
certificate to the owner,” adds Leyva.
Offering the same kindness and
services that are needed for human
family, transportation of the pet from
the veterinarian to the crematory,
holding a memorial service or assisting
in finding a burial spot is offered in a
complete arranged package. “We do
everything for the owner, because
our pets are part of the family,” notes
Leyva.
Working alongside Pet Haven
Cemetery and Crematory, there is
the option of offering aquamations,
which uses water flow, temperature
and alkalinity to conduct a natural
decomposition. The process results in
clean, pure sand like appearance that
holds the cherished memories of pets.
Rose Cremation also offers the pet
owner other options to memorialize
their fur baby. The ashes can be saved
in jewelry, a special shaped urn or by
creating a stuffed animal in the pets’
likeness, with a special pouch for the
ashes.
Pet haven was founded in the city
of Gardena in 1948. Over 30,000 pets
are ‘at rest’ in their burial grounds.
The land is dedicated with the state
of California so it will forever remain a
cemetery.
The loss of a beloved pet is never
easy to deal with, especially when it’s
unexpected. Even though this is one
of the most difficult moments you will
endure, understanding the importance
a pet plays in our lives, is the principle
mission of Rose Cremation and with
quality care, integrity and attention
to detail, they can help you pay proper
respect to the pet who has served you
and your family.
For more information on pet
cremations and burial services
contact Rose Cremation Services at
562.804.0404.
Harness the
natural healing power of
your body, mind, and spirit
10
We carry a wide variety of
stones & crystals, herbs, candles, incense,
jewelry, and our newest
“Sinful Indulgence” bath & body products.
New Retail Creations from Ghosts Unlimited
Matthew Grange
The creation of Ghosts and Ghouls
[G&G] came from the desire to build on
the Ghosts Unlimited Brand. Since the
creation of Ghosts Unlimited, we have
always wanted to offer a retail side to
the company.
The idea for G&G is to stand
behind our main brand, offering
a unique range of clothing, gifts
and products, most of which are
handcrafted one-of-a-kind designs. We
wanted G&G to stand out of the crowd,
offer something more, something
exclusive while ensuring a one on one
personalized customer service. At the
end of the day who really wants to talk
to an automated voice!
Ghosts and Ghouls purchases
unique products from around the
world. As we build the brand we will
introduce Ghost Unlimited apparel
such as jumpers, tee shirts, cushions,
throw rugs and dishware. We pride
ourselves into only using quality
products from our hand mined
gemstones to the excellent thread
count cotton that we will use in the
clothing line. We want our customers
to have the finest made product for
the most affordable price.
G&G is the brain child of Matthew
Grange, founder of Ghosts Unlimited
UK, Ltd. and has aggressively expanded
in the last few months. The simple idea
is to incorporate Ghosts Unlimited
with G&G. As we move through 2020
we will be introducing paranormal
investigative uniforms for Ghosts
Unlimited staff and crew, and then
offering the same clothing concept to
other investigative teams so that they
may further their branding as well.
We have designed a fun logo for
G&G, something a little less serious
than Ghosts Unlimited, something a
little more fun; something a little more
sexy and something a little devilish.
Check out our websites: www.
ghostsandghouls.co.uk and www.
ghostsunlimited.co.uk
Top: G&G’s homemade spirit board with handcrafted
planchette. Left: Handcrafted doors for the wicked fae in
your home. Bottom: Magic spells, good luck spells, and knot
magick love spells.
Two new episodes of Then Again with Herbie J Pilato,
starring Ed Asner and Burt Ward, will premiere in
March on Amazon Prime and Shout Factory TV.
For more information, visit www.thenagaintv.com.
11