August 2020 - These Curious Times

The World’s Trusted Source for Paranormal News
August 2020
Salem Cancels Halloween Festivities
The Salem Witch Museum in Salem, Massachussetts.
Bowers Museum Staff Expose Their
Haunted Experiences
Tammye McDuff
Like many other institutions which
retain the memories of the once living,
the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana,
California is home to a great number
of personal effects, the types of items
which seem to generate ghost stories.
The building was constructed in
the 1930s and there is no hard, scientific,
empirical evidence that ghosts exist.
However, when visiting the museum
after hours, alone, closing down galleries
or setting up exhibitions, questions arise.
Museums can be frightening during
the day, but once they are empty, at
night, and upon reflection, it is not as
lonely. Any Bowers employee will admit
to once being skeptical, but not since
experiencing the paranormal firsthand.
Case in point: the docent who was
alone in the First Californians exhibit
one late afternoon. Suddenly she could
feel “someone else in the room.” She didn’t
have much to say about the tale, or even
what she did next, but the experience
made her uneasy.
The caliber of fright increased from
there.
There is the tale of an assistant to
the museum’s graphic designer. Years
ago she was hanging labels in the Vision
of the Shaman exhibition after hours.
It was a standard job, something she
could have done with her eyes closed.
Halfway through her task she distinctly
felt a chilling presence moving behind
her, one which she described as “a feeling
of blackness and heaviness.” Within
seconds she had goose bumps up, and
her hair stood on end. Though the
presence said nothing, she felt it was
unhappy. She decided to leave, gathered
her things and did just that, finishing her
job the next day.
TCTN had the privilege to take a
private tour with one of the security
guards, who has such a story. The
intrepid keeper of the Bowers peace
boldly stepped up to the plate once
more, unknowingly involving himself in
yet another Bowers ghost story.
Moby Dick had his white whale,
Linus his great pumpkin, and Bowers
‘Bowers’ Continued Page 4
STAFF REPORT
Each year in October the City
of Salem – a community of around
40,000 residents – welcomes close
to 500,000 visitors who celebrate
the Halloween season during the
month long family-friendly Haunted
Happenings festival. The month of
October is very important to the local
economy, producing thousands of jobs
and millions in local sales revenues for
Salem’s restaurants, shops, and other
businesses each year.
With the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic still presenting a significant
public health and safety threat this
year, many of the official events and
activities that constitute Haunted
Happenings will be either cancelled
or scaled back. Most of the events and
programs of Haunted Happenings are
not City-sponsored activities, however,
and are instead, privately organized by
local businesses and nonprofits. In all
cases – whether an event is an official
Andrew Perry
Nadine Brown of Port Richey, Florida
reported that her and her boyfriend heard
the voice of a woman speak in a whisper,
but close enough and clear enough as if
there was someone right next to them.
The first inclination of a haunting
were small things: lights turning on and
off, the baby’s swing moving on its own,
and then finally it spoke. These incidents
started to pick about four months ago,
when their baby boy was born. The most
recent incident was last week, when the
baby’s swing moved on its own.
Her Boyfriend Hears It First, Then Her
Brown’s boyfriend was sitting on the
couch one day, while she was in the kitchen.
According to him, he heard a woman’s voice
distinctly say their son’s name: “Jayden.”
He called out to Brown and asked if
she said anything. She didn’t. A few weeks
later, Brown heard the same voice, except
this time the voice said, “Mommy, mommy.”
Brown said, “It was a soft whisper
right in my ear, as if there would have been
someone behind me had I turned around.”
She called out to her 14-year-old
daughter, who was also home and inside
City-sponsored event or a privatelysponsored
one – limitations imposed
by the state’s reopening requirements
will be in effect. For planning purposes,
the City is assuming the state will still
be in Phase 3 and not yet in Phase 4.
In general, Phase 3 prohibits indoor
gatherings of more than 25 people and
outdoor gatherings of more than 100
people.
Based on that guidance, while
some events and activities may still
be able to take place with restrictions,
including several attractions,
museums, walking tours, retail shops,
and restaurants, many large-scale
functions will not be able to proceed.
Visitors are strongly encouraged to
call the event organizer or business in
advance to confirm that it is still open
and taking place. In some instances,
reservations/advance tickets may be
required due to limitations on the
number of participants or attendees
‘Salem’ Continued Page 4
Disembodied Voice Knows Their Son’s
Name
For CoVid-19 Updates, Visit HMG at LosCerritosNews.net
her room. “I said ‘What did you say’? And she
said that she said nothing.”
After she heard the voice, Brown
checked with her boyfriend and the voices
they heard both seemed to be the same
voice.
“Maybe it was a ghost, I don’t know,”
she said.
Reports of Past Deaths in the House
“We first moved into the house we are
renting about five years ago,” said Brown.
“Our neighbor claimed that four elderly
people have died of natural causes in that
house.”
TCT News has reviewed property
records associated with the Browns’
address. Of the 72 individuals who have
‘Voice’ Continued Page 10
INSIDE
Editorial ... 2
Podcast Review ... 3
News ... 4-5
Authors Review ...6-7
Feature ... 11
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Editorial
Vive Le Difference?
Tessa Hollander
TCT NEWS
(714) 450-5582
Managing Editors
Tammye McDuff
Andrew Perry
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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!
Created by Mike
The French phrase, “Vive le
difference,” was once considered an
acceptable and famous way to say,
“May the fact that we are different live
forever,” or “Long live the difference.”
I’ve always liked that.
One school autumn, as a teacher, I
created a colorful bulletin board of a
large tree with floating, tissue paper
leaves in green, gold, and orange.
Beside the tree I wrote in sizable black
construction paper letters, “It’s Okay to
be Different.” What prompted me to
make such a statement?
While instructing middle school
English at the time, I noticed students
who were particularly intolerant of
differences in dress, mannerisms, their
preference of soft drinks, shoe color, or
choice of notebook and ink pen. There
was discrimination and random overt
mockery if a student arrived at school
without the commonly accepted
appearance or manner. They wanted to
think, dress, and talk alike. Not tolerated
were students who did meet certain
standards and, often times, squabbles
and even fist fights were the result. The
students were learning, or had learned
at home, an intolerance for anything
and anyone who was different.
Years before, as a young adult, I had
learned to be tolerant and civil towards
those with opposing views, even if I
did not agree or accept their opinions.
It was a matter of courtesy, to listen
to and respect another’s perspective,
although I was not expected to adopt
perspective unless it was right for me.
I would have felt severely
compromised had I been forced to
adopt a view I could not embrace. People
have the right to believe, think or be as
they think best. I wanted to teach this
to my middle school students, to have
them learn appropriate ways to debate
differences, and have them learn in
the process social skills I hoped would
elevate them in character and stature.
Teaching literature and language
skills was a good fit with the middle
school concept of that time, one that
involved working social skills into the
curriculum and teaching students
how to move forward in a swiftly
changing world. It was disturbing
to observe discrimination against
students because they were unable to
afford the popular brand of athletic
shoes. I watched one day as insults
were hurled at a young lady who wore a
small diamond pendant gifted to her by
her father. It was time they learned to
respect the differences of others.
I compared my observations with
teachers in elementary schools. It
A scene from the civil unrest of the past few months sparked by the
recent incidents of police brutality towards blacks.
Photo from Getty Images
seemed that younger students were
much more accepting of differences; in
fact, the younger the student the more
accepting. I realized somewhere in their
growing up years, they had been taught
that anything other than the norm of
their own existence was “wrong,” “lame,”
or undesirable. I wondered how they
would make it in a college or university
setting where differences were not only
tolerated but encouraged.
But that was then, when a Liberal
Arts education taught tolerance of
alternate ideas and opinions. Learning
to accept differences was an art form.
By the time a student finished college,
social behaviors were instilled, civility
was solidified, and a young person was
well on their way to learning diplomacy
in a multicultural environment.
A more moderate, balanced
social climate should have been the
result, one in which opposing views
could be expressed with civility and
tolerance. Freedom to share ideas
should be respected and applauded,
if for no other reason than we are all
unique human beings with the right
to present concepts, creeds, religious
beliefs, and political preferences in the
United States of America. We should be
able to showcase differences without
recrimination. That’s what freedom of
thought and speech is all about.
However, somewhere along the
way this has changed drastically, and I
am disappointed and disillusioned.
I thought we would forever remain
a country of varied opinions and
expressions, following through with
the “melting pot” perspective of long
ago when the United States was young
and idealistic.
Today? It appears there is no unity,
as if I am back in my disrupted middle
school classroom, refereeing battles
between youngsters who were only
just beginning to learn how to accept
opposing views. Have we learned
nothing? Are we a nation of egocentric
adolescents fighting among ourselves
in order to be popular amongst our
peers?
Now when an opposing view is
expressed, it is often black-balled,
cudgeled with extreme language,
accusations, and acidic and insulting
remarks. The foulness of language is
vulgar, if almost comedic. Are there no
adjectives other than the f-word and
other terms that refer to parts of the
anatomy that have nothing to do with
the matter at hand? Our thinking has
broken down, as has our verbiage. We
have a beautiful, eloquent language.
But what will follow if the perfectly
apropos adjectives, adverbs, nouns,
and adverbs continue to deteriorate
with insulting remarks and jejune putdowns
on social media and national
television networks?
Have we no dignity? No self-respect?
No tolerance?
No longer can we be different
and still be accepted. No longer can a
person who adheres to a conservative
viewpoint exist as a friend of a person
who adheres to a liberal viewpoint.
Moderation, which was something we
all once strived for, is no longer allowed.
Someone with a balanced viewpoint
is laughed off the circuit. People want
hate, cynicism, insults, chaos. People
want to bury anyone who has a
different opinion from their own. We
are a country of tribes and fiefdoms; a
nation of insane warmongers fighting
along the dank trails and dirt paths of
a new Dark Age.
2
Getty Images
Getty Images

Podcast Review
‘The Witching Hour’ With Patti Negri
Ghost Adventures star and
international bestselling author Patti
Negri has launched The Witching Hour
- a new podcast of a different nature.
The celebrity medium and selfproclaimed
“good witch” brings her
vibrant personality to the new weekly
venture featuring intriguing guests
and magical workings. Negri infuses
each podcast with her expertise and
charming personality. The Witching
Hour débuted amid the pandemic
exclusively on the DASH Radio platform
with a wide release. In the following
weeks Anchor, Spotify, RadioPublic,
Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Breaker,
iTunes and all podcasting platforms
picked up the show.
Listeners tuning can expect to
hear from a gamut of amazing guests
including Catholic priest exorcists,
world famous Crime Reporters,
Astrologers, and everything in
between. Her first guest was fang
smith Father Sebastian, creator of The
Endless Nights Vampire Balls, and The
Girls Next Door star, Playboy Playmate
and paranormal investigator Bridget
Marquardt. Fellow Ghost Adventures
cast mates Catholic priest and
Exorcist bishop Bryan Oulette and
Demonologist Darren Evans were next
on the list.
With every episode Negri shares
exclusive “Magick Moments,” in which
she guides her audience through easy
spells and exercises to help balance
and empower daily living during these
curious times.
Negri’s newest endeavor pulls from
her vast wealth of paranormal work
starting with her first séance at the
age of 8, her reality TV experience, along
with tidbits from her international
best-selling compendium, Old World
Magick for the Modern World: Tips,
Tricks, and Techniques to Balance,
Empower, and Create a Life You
Love. The book provides easy to use
techniques that require no previous
experience or change to anyone’s
current belief system in order to shift
their energy, perception, and outcomes
to create their particular desired life.
Voted the number one psychic
medium in the world, Negri is also a
trance medium, tarot reader, magical
practitioner, crystal energy healer,
and life coach. She was named the
Number One Intuitive Entertainer
Occult Personality of the Year and an
influential women in business. She has
graced six magazine covers including:
American Psychic & Medium, Art;
Parapsychology and Mind Power;
4th Dimension and Stars Illustrated,
and has contributed to over twenty
books, several of which are Amazon
Bestsellers.
Negri’s working style is magical,
loving and upbeat, creating a positive,
safe and fun environment to grow
and heal. A natural practitioner, her
specialty is adjusting the energy and
flow in people, spaces, and situations.
She works organically by creating
rituals that arrange natural elements
to the rhythms and cycles of the
universe to bring about healing, change
lives for the better, and create balance.
Negri is honored to be President
and Chief Examiner of the American
Federation of Certified Psychics and
Mediums.
For more information visit www.
pattinegri.com.
3

NEWS
A still from the security camera at the Bowers Museum.
‘Bowers’ from Front
ghost hunters have “the orb,” as it is
affectionately referred to by believers
and non-believers alike. Though June
is at least in part a summer month, it
is well known to Californians as June
Gloom. On June 27th of this year, at 5:24
am a motion alarm went off in the Old
Wing of the Bowers Museum. It was
in the sunless, pre-dawn hours of the
morning that a Security Officer arrived
to check on the situation. When they
checked on the alarms, he noticed a
frightful thing: nothing. No windows
or doors had been opened or broken,
no paintings or cases disturbed and all
through the museum not a creature was
stirring. But the alarm had been tripped.
When the officer checked the security
footage, he saw the image of an almost
imperceptible transparent orb traveling
through the frame.
The tales of the ethereal get more
physical, including multiple cases of a
very specific happening in the museum’s
historic wing. The first person who
recorded such an occurrence was the
First Shift Assistant Security Manager.
He had arrived early in order to set up an
event in the Fluor Gallery which was to
take place later in the day. “With nothing
but the dawn’s lazy first light illuminating
the way, I passed through the wing when
suddenly my right shoulder brushed up
against something thick and smooth,
just as I heard a whooshing sound.”
Certain that he had bumped into a plant
or some other out of place object he’d
missed in the gray morning light he
turned around, but there was no plan
in sight. Another employee shared a
similar story. Descending from the Fluor
Gallery on the staircase in the old wing
he too sensed something sweep over his
right shoulder. Again when he looked to
see who it might have been, no one was
there.
Over the years the historic wing
has acquired something of a reputation
for being haunted. One account from a
housekeeper working late into the night
near the Indonesian coffins recalls the
terrifying experience of witnessing a
full-size floating apparition; there have
sounds of banging on the walls; echoing
whispers out from the old exhibits and
even an apparition out in the admissions
area.
Next time you visit the Bowers bring
a friend, or brave a solitary journey. But
you may not be alone.
The Jonathan Corwin House in Salem, Mass., aka ‘The Witch House’.
4
‘Salem’ from Front
allowed into a site at a time.
At present, the following Haunted
Happenings events and programs
will not take place this year as they
customarily do:
Haunted Happenings Grand
Parade
Mayor’s Night Out
Kids’ Costume Parade
Lanterns in the Village
Biz Baz Street Fair
Creative Collective Merchant
Marketplace vendors
Salem Food Truck Festival
Outdoor food vendors, including
Fiesta Shows food trucks
Great Salem Pumpkin Walk
Haunted Harmonies
Howl-o-ween pet parade
For further information visit
Salem Haunted Happenings www.
hauntedhappenings.org

News
Herbie J Pilato
Feed Our Families
K-Earth 101 and KROQ have joined
with Radio.com to help students in the
Los Angeles area who no longer have
the benefit of attending class every
day. Schools are a primary source of
meals, not only for several students
but for their families as well, even
during these unprecedented times.
In 2020, with remote learning,
feeding families has become an
increasingly significant challenge. The
Los Angeles Unified School District,
along with K-Earth and KROQ, and
many Southern California radio
stations, have stepped up to continue
to feed those in need.
Daily and throughout the
Southland, “Grab & Go” sites provide
breakfast, lunch and a snack to
children and their families whether or
not they are affiliated with the LAUSD.
No questions asked. This program
ensures our communities will be fed
and receive the nutrition they need to
excel in school and society.
RADIO.COM allows listeners to
heart their favorite radio stations for
free - anytime, anywhere, amidst 500
stations and thousands of favorite
podcasts. By location or genre, music,
news and sports may be discovered
and explored in homes, locally or
across the U.S.
School districts are reimbursed for
a percentage of the meals they serve,
while all monies raised fund meals for
Los Angeles Unifies families.
To donate visit GiveSmart.com
Television host & acclaimed
author focusing on the lives of
classic television stars.
Check out herbie on Amazon
5
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Into the Black
The hot summer night
settled into the small mountain
village like a suffocating
turtleneck in the winter. The
tendrils of humidity grabbed
onto any surface it could while
the humming sound of insects
busied themselves into the
witching hour of the night.
The only life afoot was the
inky black sky that swallowed
thousands of stars floating in
its void leaving them merciless
to shine. The sound of silence
wafted through the air making
my heartbeat a pounding
warrior’s cry.
The old gnarled oak trees
dotted the landscape as their
branches stretched for the
sky and reached out to grab
unknowing wanderers. The
windows of the scattered cabins
showed no signs of life; only dark
and cold reminders.
Silence of Night
The silence was shattered
by the laughter of a child
dancing through the tree tops.
Hanging from an old oak tree
was wooden swing, she swayed
back and forth in the breezeless
night. The frail child sits on the
swing in her white Sunday best.
Her lace dress covered the small
outline. Long, brown braided
pigtails framed her porcelain
white face and dripped down
across her collar bone. Her eyes,
mere black holes, stared back.
Her fingers gripped the frail old
rope as she leaned forward. She
pursed her lips together, and let
loose a slow silent hissing sound.
In the blink of an eye, she
was gone with a giggle, leaving
me standing in the clearing,
staring at the swing as it swayed
back and forth in a breezeless
moment of time.
She pulled open the back door and stepped out into the
suffocating heat of the early evening.
Instantly her guard was up as the stillness of the night and
deafening silence wrapped around her like a thick weighted
blanket.
Praying her eyes would adjust faster to the quickly waning
light, she scanned the hill in front of her, searching for any signs of
a predator in silent motion that could cause the world around her
to stop and hold its breath.
Cautiously stepping down the porch steps, the thick night air
enveloped her legs and crawled up her body pulling her down to
the earth. Hitting the last step, she felt her feet fall into the yielding
soil of the yard. Digging her toes into the soft brown earth, a
feeling of unease crept up her spine. Before she has a moment to
cry out, icy fingers danced across her shoulder blade. At first it was
a light touch, gentle enough to make her body begin to tingle. As
the fingers reach her collarbone, they began to rake and grab at
her neck. She tried to cry out in pain but a hand reached out from
behind her, covered her mouth and silenced her call for help.
Her eyes darted around wildly looking for the attacker, blood
dripping from the wounds on her neck. She felt her lip being forced
into her teeth; she tasted the blood but could not whimper for help.
The ground opened in front of her, a blinding flash of light
shot out as the shadow began to take shape. Starring in horror, the
specter gazed down into her eyes. Black as night its mouth was a
grimace of delight as it fed on her terror.
Two ghastly hands reached through the soft fresh soil and
wrapped themselves around her ankle. The specter laughed, her
bloody wounds flowed faster and, with one hard tug downward,
she was sucked into the bowls of the earth.
All is quiet and still. The only proof left even to suggest once
standing in that spot was a single beautiful moon flower, sparkling
and dancing, settling into the inky black night illuminated by the
October moon so full.
Contributor
About the Author
Kate Rochester, a.k.a. “WysperSoul,” is an
avid paranormal enthusiast with a passion
for the darker, more mysterious side of life.
“Into the Black, just sort of fell into place,” said
Rochester, “I took the dogs outside one evening
and the night was still and thick; so dark and
quiet it just just struck me. I sat down at my
desk and just let the words flow.”
Silence of Night is the sum reflection of
some of the places that Rochester has visited
on her paranormal investigations. “Sometimes,
when you find yourself all alone looking down
at a town, you realize that you’re not ever really
alone. So many people never notice when the
quiet sets in.”
Rochester’s inspiration usually comes
while running her daily mail route. “I toss
around a lot of ideas. Once night falls though, I
will sit at my desk, light a single candle and set
the mood with music. Van Morrison’s ‘Into the
Mystic’ is one of my favorites to write to.”
Rochester described herself as “a weirdly
introverted extrovert.” Many of her mystic
moments come to her when she is feeling
withdrawn and emotional. “It’s usually just me
and the dogs,” she said. “They get comfy and
start snoring while the cats are off chasing
shadows.”
“I usually write in the quiet hours before
bed. The house settles down for its evening
slumber. The animals have had all their needs
met and it’s just me and my thoughts. I love the
dark, the stillness of the night air; it allows the
mind to run amok.”
She called her short scenes the “inside
wanderings” of her mind. “They are expressions
of emotions and feeling. I want ‘worded
visualization.’ I take all the days thoughts and
stresses…worries and happiness…and pull
them out of my mind and into words that you
can see.”
Check out Season One of
Then Again with Herbie J.
Pilato, starring classic TV
stars like Ed Asner and
Burt Ward. Find it on
Amazon Prime.
For more information, visit
ThenAgainTV.com.
6

Novel
Shadow Man: Not Just Another Horror Novel
Excerpt from Shadow Man: Toni
returns to the town of her abusive
upbringing for the funeral of her longmissing
high school friend. She only has
one thought on her mind - pay her respects
and leave. But a strange text has brought
all of her high school friends to this one
point and they soon realize that all is
definitely not what it seems.
There is more in the darkness here
than just shadows.
Coming to terms with her mother’s
abuse and the terrors of her upbringing,
the ghosts of Toni’s past become more than
metaphorical – they become dangerous.
Fighting them, a terrifying dark demon
and a serial killer that is closer to home
than any of them suspected, Toni learns
some steep lessons about friendship, love
and just how much she is capable of.
But will it be enough to save her
friends?”
The girl with all the books became
the woman who writes them. Brown
always knew she would be an author.
She was struck early in life by a quote
from Benjamin Franklin: “Either write
something worth reading or do
something worth writing about.”
“I needed to do one first in order
to be any good at the other,” she said.
“I lived a life less ordinary in every way
I could and now I am putting all that
into my stories. Over a year of hard
work has paid off and I am officially a
published author! Phew!”
Any lovers of horror or
supernatural thrillers should enjoy
her debut novel Shadow Man. It has
been out just a few weeks and the
reviews have been overwhelming,
“Some from people I don’t even know!”
laughed Brown.
Brown is a published freelance
writer and designer with an avid
interest in photography and
videography. She began her career at
The Coventry Telegraph, an English
tabloid newspaper that was founded
as the Midland Daily Telegraph in
1891 and was Coventry’s first daily
newspaper. “I was the entertainment
reporter straight out of college,” said
Brown, who continues to write, edit,
design, typeset and research for several
publications in print and online in the
United Kingdom and in Spain.
Brown has worked as a presenter
and producer on a number of radio
shows for over 15 years and is currently
in production for an in-house studio,
continuing her voice-over career.
Available on Amazon in paperback
or digital form or her website at www.
terri-brown.com.
Pop-Up Elopement
7
Just about everything has had to
be put on the backburner, including
engagements and weddings. But true to
form, These Curious Times offers an odd
but stylish solution.
“Short + Sweet” is an Elopement
Pop-Up for the wild at heart, mad in
love and seriously stylish couples who
want a little more stardust than a
traditional courtroom ceremony. Bob
Baker Marionette Theater sets the stage
for your wedding at the most magical
theater in Los Angeles.
The Bob Baker Marionette Theater
has been a haven for celebrations for
nearly 60 years. With a touch of twinkle
and a whisper of whimsy, the space is
unique and unforgettable and now
lovebirds have the rare opportunity to
get married in this wonderland.
On August 22nd, The Bob Baker
Marionette Theater opens its doors to
celebrate couples seeking to tie the knot
in the most enchanting way possible
with a Marionette officiator; Technicolor
floral; Cake, Champagne, and a Custom
Certificate, all captured on camera by
their ultra-talented photographer who is
ready to capture that big day.
The epic elopement package includes:
• Two Hour Venue Rental for up
to four guests, plus officiate or puppet
master.
• Photography Coverage and Portrait
Session
• Ceremony Floral Installation and
personal floral arrangements
• Six-inch Celebration Cake
• Champagne Toast
• Designer Marriage Certificate
• Live Streamed Ceremony and
Recorded Ceremony
In short, it’s all the bells and whistles
of a big wedding within a simple and
stress-free package. The only thing left to
do is to show up.
Partners have two hours at the
Bob Baker Theater. The timeline is up
to them, but at least ten minutes is
recommended for arrival and touch-ups,
a 20-minute ceremony, 30 minutes for
cake, champagne and certificate signing,
with the rest of your allocated for taking
portraits with the photographer.
Wearing a mask to plan or attend a
ceremony is not required, but observing
social distancing protocols may be
necessary and guests should wear masks.
Following all safety guidelines, time is
allotted between ceremonies to sanitize
the theater.
The live stream can host up to 100
devices. Each couple will receive a recorded
ceremony afterwards, to be shared with
family and friends. The turnaround time
for photos is two weeks.
Spaces are limited on first come,
first serve basis, with the entire package
priced at an affordable $4,000.
For more information, and bookings,
visit www.shortandsweetpopup.com.

Every service you need to capture life as it happens.
Website Bios • Weddings • Flyers • Invitations • Signs • Portraits
Event Recordings • Obituaries • Drone Videography
8

News
Heroes Caught In
Action
STAFF REPORT
Christopher Ludwig and Dakota
Berger are just two regular guys who
decided to thrive regardless of CoVid-19.
Out of sheer boredom from lock-down
comes creativity and ingenuity.
Welcome Nerdtography!
“We were just hanging out one day
and we saw some guy on YouTube who
was posing action figures and filming
videos. We both had action figures –
so we decided to start posing them in
realistic scenarios and taking pictures,”
stated Berger, “We have received rave
reviews!”
Nerdtography is less than two
months old and has already gone viral.
The photos are a hit and they have
even picked up their first sponsor,
Metropolis Collectibles, the largest
dealer of vintage comic books in the
world, located in Bellflower.
Ludwig and Berger will be
contributing their superheroes to
These Curious Times every month
and are working on a weekly series for
TCTN’s social media.
You can find the handsome heroes
on Instagram at Nerdtography.official.
Watch the Oman House Ghost Hunt LIVE!
Want to ghost hunt one of the most
famous haunted houses in Hollywood?
Here is your chance.
Join in a LIVE STREAM of the famed
Oman House of Hollywood August 21st
and August 22nd for the paranormal
event of the summer and the first
ever virtual Paracon Ghost Hunt LIVE.
There will be interviews with past
investigators and well known psychics
discussing their first hand experiences
with the numerous spirits that roam
the grounds; take a virtual tour of the
house; view clips of past investigations
and perhaps one of the spirits will give
evidence of their whereabouts.
The Oman House has been
investigated and featured by Ghost
Hunters, My Ghost Story, Paranormal
Witness, Haunted History, AfterShocks,
Dead Famous Live, Search for Satan
and Ghost Adventures.
The LIVE STREAM will begin at
6:00 pm each evening with personal
interviews of past investigators. At 8:30
pm the live investigation will begin
and a séance will be held at midnight,
running until 2:00 am. New evidence
and never before seen screenings will
be released to viewers along with
some phenomenal evidence that was
captured on the anniversary of the
Manson Murders.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity. Tickets to investigations
to the Oman House are hard to come by
because the events fill up fast – but this
LIVE STREAM will bring you up close
and personal with the paranormal.
Don’t miss this LIVE STREAM
event from the Paranormal Hot
Spot on Cielo Drive, tickets are $10.00
and can be purchased here: https://
theomanhouse.ticketspice.com/live
Let’s discover the afterlife together.
Join us on our investigations.
Inexpensive and often free!
9

News
Harness the
natural healing power of
your body, mind, and spirit
Inside this Florida home, the Brown family has had several encounters
with a ghost who seemingly knows their son’s name.
Photo by Nadine Brown
‘Voice’ from Front
lived at this address since it was built in
1974, 18 have passed away. Unfortunately,
none of those deaths have an address
attached to their death certificate, so the
neighbor’s claim that four seniors have
passed away in the home might be true,
but it is uncorroborated.
Brown said she will try and record the
next time something, like the swing, moves
on its own. “I expect it to continue,” she said,
“but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I just think
the ghost, or ghosts, want us to know that
they are still in the house.”
We carry a wide variety of
stones & crystals, herbs, candles, incense,
jewelry, and our newest
“Sinful Indulgence” bath & body products.
SHAMAN ISABELLA
ISABELLASTOLOFF.COM • 714-603-8624
10

Feature
“I’m A Foolish Mortal” - The Interview
Topher Adam, Disney inspired artist whose life was changed from the
Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World.
done my own thing, but there is nothing
like ink to paper. When the iPad came out,
I discovered that I could create digital art
with my knowledge of graphic art and
the software out there, putting two and
two together, I dove into creating digital
pieces of art. I began to draw scenes of
the Haunted Mansion and all things
Halloween.
TCTN: How did the name of your
business come about?
Adam: IMAFOOLISHMORTAL.com
was a tribute fan site for all who were
in search of additional stories on the
Haunted Mansion. I think the name says
it all. Each time I tell anyone the name
of my site they laugh and comment,
“Right, ‘cuz I am…” (“a foolish mortal”).
I absolutely adore the humor of that
saying and my site is supposed to help
bring about that feeling. I find humor is
the best thing to wrap yourself up in. So
much of life is a challenge; we must find
joy in something that we adore. I was
determined to build something that
helped share my art and passion for the
Mansion.
TCTN: What is it that draws you to
the Haunted Mansion - not so much the
Disney aspect, but that darker side?
Adam: I have always been drawn
to the darker side. As a child I created
Adam: When I heard about what
was going on in China, I took all the
proper steps to prepare myself and
my family for what I knew would
eventually happen in the States. I bought
masks, filters, food, ordered emergency
supplies; I went a bit nuts and into “end
of the world” mode. When I started to
realize that this was going to affect my
livelihood I allowed my creative thinking
skills to take over. I decided that I would
make my own masks with my own art.
I figured if we had to protect ourselves,
then I will do it on my terms ~ with joy
in mind and make them fun for others.
Never knowing how a new idea will turn
out, artists take risks all the time and
create things hoping they will catch on
and take off. Well, they did just that. I
already knew what my fan based enjoyed
my work, so I decided to go with the art
pieces that were popular, growing the
idea with different designs allowing fans
to decide what they loved and wanted to
sport around in their safety attire. Now
we have done over 1,300 masks, and still
getting orders.
With every good thing you create
there is always an end. You can come
up with something that wows the
world and eventually it slows down and
fades away. That’s the typical web and
Tammye McDuff
Topher Adam creator of “I’m A Foolish
Mortal” has been called many things in
his life because of his enormous creativity.
Adam says he is a creative artist. Even at an
early age he was more interested in art than
he was school. TCTN had the tremendous
opportunity to sit down with Adam and
discuss his talent and one-of-a-kind face
masks with a twisted side. The masks have
caught the attention of radio hosts and
celebrities – and we were able to catch him
between creations.
TCTN: Tell our readers a little bit
about yourself.
Adam: The most important thing
in my entire life has been the ability to
create. In high school…I was a nervous
freshman when I walked into my
elected Art 101 class. After a few days…
my instructor walked up to me and
said, “You can’t be in this class.” It scared
me; I thought I had done something
wrong, I asked her, “Why!” followed by her
answer, “You are just beyond this class!”
After high school I attended university
and acquired a BA in Design and
Visualization. Being a visual artist opens
the doors to so many possibilities, it also
teaches you how to imagine a world of
possibilities and create whatever your
mind and heart desire.
TCTN: Much of your work has
become a showcase for all things Disney,
especially the Haunted Mansion. How
did that come about?
Adam: Disney, oh the wonderful
world of Disney. When I was little I
remember seeing this advert on the
tellie about taking a drawing test to
see your skill level. I ordered the test…
the one with Jiminy Cricket…and I had
to redraw it as one of the tests in the
booklet. Having always been in love with
Disney as a young child. this was easy. But
let me go back a bit…
My first visit to the Disneyland
Resort Park in Florida was at the age of
four. My mum told me we went on The
Haunted Mansion ride, she looked at
me as I stood up in the “doom-buggy,” big
eyed gazing back and forth at everything
that was going on with my mouth wideopen.
She wasn’t sure if I was scared or
amazed. Now she giggles and says she
never thought a ride like that would
change my entire life.
My parents followed their parents;
they went to school, graduated and
went to work. I had no idea that you
could actually have a career working
as an artist for Disney. It just wasn’t
something I knew about. As I got older
I assumed the best fit for a career and
my determination to stay true to my
nature, as an artist, illustrator, painter,
photographer, and fashion designer,
would be in the graphic arts. It seemed
like the right fit. For years I worked for
corporate America in computer graphics
and technology. Yet in the back of my
mind, there was something missing. I
have always sketched, and doodled, and
11
A few of Topher Adam’s clever mask designs.
a fantasy world within to find peace,
living in abuse you tend to close yourself
up and do everything you can to hide
the reality and the pain you experience.
I found solace in the whimsical magic
of the Haunted Mansion, silly ghosts,
hitchhiking spirits, and playful spooks.
Growing up and being a youth drawn
to the darker side I volunteered to work
haunted houses, I drew creatures and
characters; it was so colorful in my mind
that the macabre facet wasn’t scary. I
have a saying, “There is more light in
the dark, because that’s where your
imagination will spark.”
TCTN: When did you decide to create
your own mask art? Was the artwork
pre-existing and you just tweaked it to
fit or are these completely new pieces?
flow of society’s interests. As an artist
I will tell you, that you must have the
next ”big thing” ready at any given time
to maintain interest. It’s a full time/
lifetime job to keep people engaged
with your brand and artwork. My site
is imafoolishmortal.com can be found
on Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Google, FaceBook,
and Instagram. I am always available,
as an artist I love suggestions, take
criticism really well and want the world
to celebrate with my work so it helps
them maintain what they love about
Disney and the haunted mansion.
For the complete in-depth interview,
visit “Our Exclusive with Topher Adam”
on These Curious Times.