Paranormal State

A co-worker back in 2008 who shared an interest in the paranormal with me told me about this show “Paranormal State” which of course I knew nothing of since all satellite and cable was cut off and it’s on A&E. Anyway I went and bought the first season and went home to watch it that evening. It’s definitely a lot different from other ghost hunting television series. It was much eerier, scarier, and completely real. But the one thing I did notice that separates this ghost hunting show from others was that their main intent was to relieve these families of the haunting. Much of these people are at their wits end with no one to turn to for help so they sought Ryan Buell and his team of investigators known as the Paranormal Research Society – an organization based out of Penn State University. He has a Catholic background so in some severe cases he has called a priest in to help. You can see the total sincerity he and his team demonstrate towards their clients. It’s heart warming at times.

So after the first season I was hooked. Not only is Ryan Buell pleasant to look at the show is just overall great. Episodes cover spiritual, mythical, and demonic hauntings and I give the show on a scale of 1 to 10, a 10.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan Buell and his team back in March 2009 and everyone were so very nice. It was a 3 day excursion with a tour around Hollywood and its haunted history, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and an investigation in total darkness under “Suicide Bridge” in Pasadena with some dinner and drinks in between. I met a lot of great people that weekend. I look forward to attending more events in the future but unfortunately they’re all across country and the tickets to the events themselves are really expensive. Gotta save, but definitely worth the money.

The much anticipated (at least on my part) book written by Ryan Buell will be released September 2010. I can’t wait to read it. I hope he reveals what made him interested in the paranormal since he has time and time again refused to tell anyone about his initial personal experience.

Just when I thought it was all over with the fourth season, they’re in production of a fifth season of Paranormal State. Get ready.

Dirty Jobs

When you can stream through Netflix, you really never run out of things to watch. I find myself getting into television seasons mostly just because one downside to streaming through Netflix is that new releases aren't available. So now, onto DIRTY JOBS. So far there's 5 collections of this reality television series and it's really interesting. He covers about 3 to 4 different occupations in each episode with about 9 episodes in each collection so it never gets boring. If you think you hate your job, try shoveling cow poop all day or walk crouched for hours in rat infested sewer canals under maintenance. Now, that well conditioned office your 3x4 foot cubicle sits in isn't so bad isn't it? The host, Mike Rowe takes the show on a comedic route at times. He dives into the work with no hesitation. Props to him. The show really makes the audience appreciate the people who do these types of jobs day in and day out so the rest of the world can go on living their civilized lives.

Small houses

I saw this link through yahoo.com when reading about how to stay cool for the summer http://www.mnn.com/your-home/green-building-remodeling/photos/10-of-the-smallest-homes-in-the-world/a-truly-eco-abode I thought it was the neatest thing ever! "Living in a smaller house is one of the best ways to reduce your ecological footprint." Sure you sacrifice luxury but that never mattered to me much anyway. This picture came from Tumbleweedhouses.com and retails for less than $50,000 and even less when you build it yourself. It comes with all the necessities: kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom. Difficult to imagine? Take a look at the site. It's really amazing. Some models can even house up to a family of four. Astounding really. If I never marry in my life I would definitely invest in one of these homes with just my dog and I.

Dexter, Season 2...

...is my new obsession. I just finished watching all of season 2 and it falls nothing short of brilliant. It's another 12 episodes of a well thought out story line. Dexter's guard falls when he begins to "feel" (emotions) and is caught in a very twisted love triangle with a surprising ending. There's drama, suspense, and action. Love, love, LOVE it!