Ghost Adventures 18.13 "A Haunting in Scottsdale"

                                             
Zak et al are called to the home of Todd in Scottsdale, Arizona as he's been plagued by negative activity, leaving him with feelings of rage and violent thoughts. As well as being told about a girl, a former resident who died on the property, whom he saw walking on the trail one night and asked her how she was, replying she's okay.  So surreal, almost like a Supernatural episode (Roadkill) comes to mind but in that ep the spirit didn't know she was really dead and they filmed it from her point of view.  Finally realizing she had passed, but not left this earth.  Wonder if this female spirit actually knows she's passed.  Especially since they did get female EVPs, then we don't actually know if it was her or not, or whether it was someone else and whether they were manipulated when Billy got "Trail" on the Paranormal Puck.  After all that voice he got when he did go alone to the trail later, didn't even sound female.

As soon as Zak stepped into that house he felt feelings of anger and directing violence even against Todd.  He's been feeling that quite a bit lately and how Todd felt the same towards him.  As well as cold spots and the meter getting some static readings.  They brought in Patti Negri on the request of  Todd who personally asked for her.  The Go Pro getting knocked over when interviewing Krys.  Also getting a female voice on the spirit box sounds like "yes" when asked if there's anyone there. When they move to the other bedroom, sounds like "who".  It's not clear enough.

Zak feels it's something ancient there, particularly as the area was Native American beforehand.  (Isn't everywhere!)  Billy gets "Girl" on the Puck when Patti goes into the house.  She feels stifled and not being able to talk, or being prevented from speaking; who needs to be heard, she isn't at rest. There are seven non-responses on the Puck and Aaron gets spikes on the meter.  More light anomalies are seen.  Apparently the broom and rake weren't knocked down Zak left on the first level and the laser grid wasn't broken either.

On the second level, Aaron gets dizzy and  "have to make that wish" is what I hear on Billy's recording on the trail in a male voice.  The Direct Link back at the house captures a female voice saying "help."   The second capture says "voice" and then when asked if she can tell them her name, she says "no."  The male spirit says "touch this!"  The thing about the US pronunciation of Aaron is that it sounds the same as Erin, so it could be either name.  I don't hear Zak, but "it's sad."
Aaron takes the Direct Link and the female voice says "help."  "I missed you" doesn't sound female, but a mimicking male voice, highly pitched!!  A male voice says, "? Eddie?"  Sure sounds like a name.  Next response says "ancient."  Before that it sounds like "death" which comes through when Zak asks, "what happened on this land?"

Zak gets one of the most best stick figures on the SLS!  For a first, the figure sits on the loo, pulls up its pants and vanishes!  As for sitting on the loo, I said it pulls its pants up.  Poor spirit caught in the act! But imagine if someone sits on top of the spirit when it was on the loo!  Eeww!  Then again does this capture show that even spirits need to pee and poop still!

Then the figures in the mirror and coming through the mirror as it's a portal.  It stepped through for a quick pee! ha. When Patti cleanses the house, she too heads to the two mirrors and a light anomaly rushes as if to get through before any portal closes.  Wish they told us if the house was actually cleansed.

Some of Billy's pics on the trail appear to have faces in them, feel free to find them all.

Ghost Adventures 18.12 "Idaho State Tuberculosis Hospital"

                                       
The Idaho State tuberculosis hospital which later became an asylum and now houses a family with twelve special needs children, two of whom died in this place at so young an age. Svetlana saying they feel Johnny's spirit here; as well as locking himself into a room, that is sad and awful, have to wonder if it was just a coincidence.

Gloria, a housekeeper, seeing a man reflecting in the mirror of  the bathroom standing by the edge of the bed.
The door being pushed when Zak was opening number 3 and catch a tall figure on the SLS camera before the investigation began.  As well as the deep EVP voice, sounds like "some bad" after Zak asks if there was "something evil there, something bad?"
Aaron goes into the basement with Nick, an investigator who felt like something went through his body.  Zak looks through the research of those who had passed there and the name Anton Beaver resonates with him.
That spirit box session was uncanny, I'm sure you can hear "An-ton" after Aaron asks "can you tell me his name?"
Sounds like "it's Steve to me" not "it's me;" even though Zak says "it's me."  There's a heavy emphasis on a 'v.'  After Aaron asks "something more clear."

During the investigation, Aaron and Zak both see a dark mass on the floor which frightens Aaron, in turn shocking Billy with his reaction.  Zak sends Jay to the attic where they haven't been before and no one ventures.  The sound appears to be a child's voice saying, "knocked me down, or knocked you down."  Lots of light anomalies floating around too. Then Aaron asking "what do you want me to do?"  Which will echo for Billy too later when he sneezes and Zak exclaims, "why you gotta sneeze?!"  And why not dude!

Aaron feels a lot of energy and Zak tells him there's a glowing face over his shoulder. Which doesn't really freak him out.  The long sentence was a bit grainy "I might get hanged?? for speaking to you..."  Yeah that's just my initial listen through, I need my trusty headphones to decipher further and will get back to ya here!
Billy tells him to do another EVP and they get a voice, when Aaron gets a coughing fit.  The screaming could be the spirit mimicking what he went through and the way he reacted when he coughed uncontrollably, same thing as happened to Aaron?? Should've used the Direct Link here too, it's clearer than the recorder.  Zak then sees some light which could be the one Jay captures on camera in the attic.  The 'creepy' laugh was definitely a child.  Appeared to be laughing at Aaron for his fit, or just generally.

Zak getting "Geek" on the Ovilus was funny cos that's how he would've looked to a child. As well as the stools being moved and plates in the kitchen.  His favourite animal: wolf.  Billy gets spooked by a toy dog moving.  As well as a light anomaly whilst setting up a camera in the family's quarters.
Zak gets the words,
Cold
Measure
Around on the Ovilus and Aaron gets cold in the basement.  With a voice on the spirit box saying "gonna get ya."   Appear; anomaly; comes through the Ovilus for Billy.  Wonder if the activity has decreased since their investigation or whether it's still the same.  It's not clear the actual end result of this investigation, with so many children there, it would've been helpful if they had said more.

Ghost Adventures 18.11 "Union Hotel"

                                             
As almost all historic hotels go, this one in Benicia, was no exception with hauntings relating to the Californian gold rush, a flophouse, saloon...  With its employees having encounters and one, Nina, getting an attachment and being possessed, after working in the Peony Room (or as Zak pronounced it 'PandE' - that's what it sounded like on my computer!  They caught a voice in the same room after Aaron holds the meter over the bed and Zak asks about the device and if he's causing it to move.  The voice saying "yeah."  That was much clearer than the usual EVPs they get.  Especially when Nina was in the room with them too.  One where a prostitute hanged herself.   In that same room where Zak got angry, nothing on the Ovilus and the word 'make' came up after Zak hands Nina the recorder.

Zak also talking about the stone tape theory again as the hotel still boasts the presence of the original bar, recording every moment that went on there when drinks were ordered, fights broke out etc.  Hearing growls and seeing figures in the hall.  Heard a muffled voice which they say said "hello."  Zak hearing footsteps behind him during the investigation and lots of bangs, especially on command. The laser mic moves and sounds like walking can be heard. With 'big' showing up on the Ovilus.

The static energy detection device goes off many times.  The Direct Link device is used and a mist is caught by the full spectrum camera.  The voice at that time says "run."  A forewarning perhaps before the hectic events in the Poeny room.  Zak gets, "one, two, three" in response to his question of "how many spirits are here with us?"  The female voice sounds like "all the f*ed up music."  "Adam" comes through.

The male voice says "hurt Zak."  Who then passes out on the bed.  Boy I wish I could fall asleep like that!  Ha.  But of course he's blacked out and has no recollection of what happened to him within those two minutes. That's what was possibly meant by "hurt Zak" but also makes sense in the context of Aaron and Billy also getting affected in the room with violent thoughts and especially Billy.  Who wants to overturn the bed and attack Zak!  Then Billy goes out onto the balcony and if not for the cleanliness of the air who knows what might've happened.
I don't hear "ashes" I hear 'Scott' or 'hot'??  Though hot could be relevant as Nina was feeling hot out in the hallway earlier on.

The Geo device shows up a ten degree temperature fluctuation.  A figure is mapped by the SLS from the lamp crawling onto the bed and the camera freezes.  Around the 28.26 mark you can hear almost like a breath which Zak says is a growl and no one else hears it.  Unless it's him, but you can hear something if you listen carefully.  It goes "huh."  That's when the agitation increases even more.
The recorder captures an EVP asking "are you talking to me?" in an accent. After Zak asks "is this what you want to do to us? and I wanna hear its voice."  Not being funny but that voice sounds like Miss Piggy in a deeper voice!  The Ghost Adventures School of Languages and Accents.

A shame we didn't get to see the female figure if she could have been caught on camera and Zak asks her to do something and she makes a banging sound.  In the room directly below on the second floor, after Aaron puts a paranormal puck on the bed, Billy types in 'is there a portal' and 'Adam' comes up.
Something is moved or dropped above them but they don't find anything.  Then Billy gets "between, killed, cleansing" on the Ovilus.  Wonder if they did anything about the cleansing though it'd be up to the owners to do so.  Doubt if they'd want any spirits to be cleansed or removed; no matter how much Adam may have wanted this plea for help to not be ignored.

Rob Thomas Cradle Song - Ten Glorious Years

                                                       
Anniversaries can be good for the most part but not for everyone.  Yet the ten year anniversary of the release of Rob Thomas's album Cradle Song brought back many memories for me; as I'm sure it did for many others.  I don't know; I write about things, his songs and what they mean to me and then I like how I always always come across interviews and such, where Rob talks about the meaning behind them and what prompted him to write them.  This album was no exception.

Going back to what I wrote before in an earlier piece about some of the song meanings, it was good to know that Fire on the Mountain was inspired by a fave book he enjoyed by Dave Eggers What Is the What? The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng (2006) based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng, a Sudanese child refugee who immigrated to the United States under the Lost Boys of Sudan Programme and ended up living in Atlanta.

There are plenty of songs on this album that have had an impact on me over the past decade.  As well as in the way Rob spoke of how Twitter came about back then and he didn't know what to do with it.  Same.  Especially since I didn't grow up with social media around either; back when life was so simple without the added complications of technological imprints!
Her Diamonds, Real World '09, and Fire on the Mountain (mentioned in my previous piece.)  Mockingbird is again almost a lullaby style of song and lyrics especially with the mockingbird not singing and I love that catchy theme.  Snowblind; Gasoline, among some of my faves.  Natural giving an impression of something much more haunting and possessing our lives.

He said that Cradle Song was from the German for 'lullaby' and he wasn't aware of that.  When I heard the title it made me think of the William Blake poem Cradle Song - very poignant considering William lost two of his six siblings.

Looking back to 2009 is a good vantage point to regress back into the past from 2019.  Knowing what was to come and happened.  Thinking how you could have and would have wanted to do things differently.  How inspiring to listen to heroic lyrics that have gotten better with age, found new meanings for me and I'm sure for others.  But also looking backwards/forwards to how the wonderful songs don't stop coming and having so much more to look forward to, from then to now and onwards into the future and another ten years.
Nostalgia through Rob's music is a gloriously, sublime feeling to relive!

The other piece I mentioned:
https://mila255.blogspot.com/2019/05/rob-thomas-chip-tooth-smile-reflection.html

Private Eyes 1.4 "The Devil's Playground" Review

                                         
An ep of a show always has one on a writer and the elusive book mystery, but if they can get the right mix then it works.  This was no exception but what made it good was that their reason for investigation, being hired as Angie (Cindy Sampson) had read the book, The Devil's Playground, was a good enough reason.  Especially being hired by a writer named Thomas King (who played himself!)  Having plenty of emotion this series has grown to include, especially where Angie's father is concerned.  As she reads that book every year at the same time to remind her of her father and also cos he gave it to her when she was 14, was sad.  And no I didn't agree with Matt (Jason Priestly) that she should move on from that.  Sorry writers no points for that.  Though he is pragmatic, he shouldn't have said she should make new memories.  It's true you should, at the same time you can't just magically forget the old ones and nor would you want to.  At least I wouldn't cos a father is not someone you can just move on from in place of new memories.  As Jules (Jordyn Negri) said to him congrats on being a dick!  Obviously not here referring to private dick either!

Matt having to deal with Jules getting a male friend,Liam (Jonny Gray) who is popular with the other girls.  Having to reach out and trust her  and that she'll do the right thing.  Which Angie made him realize too.  Also Matt talking about books such as Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, etc, with her that she's never heard of; why is it children never read the classics, or read, period! 

They get to hang out at Toronto Island which Angie calls creepy, okay maybe it was but in the sense of there being very few people.  Coming across a man, Kurtis (Ennis Esmer) who likes to take recordings of sound and him telling them he was by the lighthouse when Frank (Nicholas Campbell) was attacked.  He plays the recording and as soon as he did you could tell it was water.  At least I did.  Leading them to the gay TV design couple, Wil (Pascal Langdale) and Gil (Thomas Allison)  where only Gil was gay.  (Too much of a Will and Grace name chime there! ha.  Also with Grace being a designer and Will joined her.)  Frank's daughter, Eliza (Joanne Boland) and Sarah (Laura Cilivetz) the daughter of the man he wrote about in the book being a closet gay, who killed himself after it was exposed, and of course the publisher, Larry (Dan Warry-Smith).  Well there you have it, he was my suspect.  As soon as he said he'd publish anything Frank wrote, that sealed it for me.  Haven't not gotten a suspect yet.  Clearly I missed my calling.

Of course the book wasn't Frank's and was written by Sarah.  So plenty in this ep about fathers and daughters wasn't there with the entire cast and guests too.  That was the theme in this ep.  Several references to Matt's not so hot career too, again highlighting the ups and downs of his life, professionally and personally too.  What matters is what we do with what we have after suffering adversity.  Frank finally making amends with his daughter.
I wrote about this ep as it was aired last Wednesday and particularly on 1st July as it would've been my later father's 90th!  SO as apt an ep as there'll ever be!!

Present Laughter - Old Vic - Review

                                               
Present Laughter a comedy written by Noel Coward in 1939 but wasn't performed until 1942 due to the outbreak of World War II.  The title is from a song in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: "present mirth hath present laughter."  It is centred around a few days in the life of possibly arrogant comedic actor, Gary Essendine (Andrew Scott) who is visited by many people at his flat.  Including Daphne (Kitty Archer) who claims to have stayed in the spare room overnight as she lost her latch key.  Oft repeated several times during the play.  She claims to love him, but is also after a part alongside him in a play. As well as visits from his wife, Liz (Indira Verma) as she tries to also juggle his 'conquests' with tongue-in-cheek innuendos.  As well as his pot-upon secretary, Moira (Sophie Thompson) who read a few letters from fans and others, surrounded by a trolley full of mail, thrown around by Gary towards the end as it all comes to a head.

He's preparing to travel to Africa and in the midst of the chaos, the door bell never stops ringing, pursued by an errant 'fan' and playwright Roland Maule (Luke Thallon) (whose name must've been intentional) who is in love with him having watched him 47 times.  Gary tells him to go away, write twenty plays and stage the twenty-first one.  Women want to seduce him, as does Joe (Enzo Cilenti) who gets his way.  After claiming he doesn't have feelings for Morris.  As Morris (Abdul Sallis) and Helen (Susie Toase) look for a theatre to stage one of Gary's plays.  As he doesn't want the venues they suggest.  All this and coping with an impending mid-life crisis as he's just turned 40 (thought that came at 50!)  Age being mentioned a few times here too.

Finally it all gets too much for Gary and after much boozing, everyone farcically decides they will accompany him to Africa too, Gary loses it and tells everyone to get out.  Suffering a panic attack as Liz tells him she's coming back to him!  Appears Noel Coward may have been a little obsessed with seances and mediums as they're mentioned here and also he wrote the play Blythe Spirit (1941). Made into a film in 1945 with Rex Harrison and Margaret Rutherford.

This is a thoroughly modern production, but still retaining the time period with it's art deco set was exceptionally funny and thrilling to watch.  As Gary said, he's surrounded by "intrigue!"  Seems all they did was make money from him as an actor.  Never being able to tell if he was still acting or being serious, as the mask didn't drop that often.  Due to the audiences of the day back then and laws against homosexuality, Joe as he was named here was played by a man, but the character was named Joanna back then.  As were most of the characters who would have been marvellously portrayed as gay.

Andrew once again excelled in his performance, not only funny but vulnerable at times.  As he realizes who his friends are at one point when he's left alone and asks Monica to stay to keep him company, but she rushed off home.  Even striking up a conversation with the hired help, who obliges in return for a cigarette.  Lavish costumes and exuberant at times, especially with Gary's pyjamas, as he later finally wears bow tie and tux, as well as suave slacks and sunglasses to gasps by the audience.  Great production. 
Last year Andrew played in Sea Wall here and I said to him this year, see him same place, same time next year!

Another must-see production - runs until 10th August at the Old Vic!

Private Eyes 1.1 "The Code"

                                           
Although it aired in the UK two years ago on Universal Channel not everyone has it so some had to wait for the DVD or for Five USA to air it this year.  Even better than all the reviews you might have read.  It's much more than Moonlighting, Moon Over Miami, as far as TV detective shows go.  Private Eyes is more the modern version of all the film moir classics you've ever watched and the TV 'tecs in books! It's definitely one we've been waiting for a long while.  Stars Jason Priestly and Cindy Sampson as the put upon owner of the Everett Detective Agency, taken over from her late father, who was also a policeman.  Matt Shade (Jason Priestly) stumbles upon Angie (Cindy Sampson) when his father, Don (Barry Flatman) hires her to get to the bottom of one of how one of Matt's picks (in his career as a hockey scout) Cory, collapses on the ice at the Intercontinental Professional Hockey League Try-Outs.

Plenty of laughs, action, emotion along the way, but hopefully not much romance cos that's what always happens in such shows and they end up going downhill.  We like the tension, the possibility; but not yet.  Considering it's been renewed for season 4.  Reminds me more of Remington Steele than any of the other shows out there.  Very similar in premise with Angie having the agency, at least it was already established and she didn't need to make up a fictional male boss to get work as did Laura Holt.  Yet he turned up to assume the role of Rem.  Here Angie has to contend with Matt also showing up to become a part of her agency and a fellow PI; seeing it as a career transition.

Series 1 pilot saw them getting to the bottom of who was behind Matt's pick deliberately being drugged; with him still coming across those in the same profession and showing how unscrupulous fellow managers etc can be.  (As if we don't already know) and how Matt is even tempted to become a top earning scout which is what he always wanted.  His conscious getting the better of him at the end and to do the right thing.  Nothing at all to do with Angie, but glad the decision to do the right thing turned out to be his and his alone particularly as he's putting his teenage daughter, Jules (Jordyn Negri) through an exclusive private school too.

As the title suggests this one is about how Matt's father instilled a code in him about doing the right thing in a list and how he does the same for his blind daughter, giving it to her in a Braille necklace.  Being the dutiful father whilst her mother cruises her life away (and in some ways her own daughter's too.)  Another star of the show is the Porsche 911T that Matt drives, as Jason said it's as old as he is - the 1969 model.  Again more deja vu for me with this show and the car!!

Don't know about anyone else but I had an eerie sense of deja vu watching this, pretty certain I've seen it before, no not on TV here.  Fans of Jason will love this and even if you're not a fan, it's a great harkback to PI books and this is also based on novel The Code by GB Joyce.  The book differed in that the character's name was Brad Shade and his father was an actual cop, he investigated the murder.  Whereas it was changed for the series.  With Matt being the hockey player and Angie being the PI having the cop father.  Not very good reviews for the book what do people want, blood!  Don't I know how that feels.  Some ranging from calling the author not good at writing PI mysteries and should stick to sports!  As if they can do better, there's never any need to get personal.  As I've said several times, why do books have to be perfect when in reality our own lives aren't.  You don't stand there thinking what shall I say, how should I go forward in reality.  It's all spontaneous typos and mistakes 'n' all.  Which is why I never forgive the harshest critics when complaining about what other people write, something most of them will never do for themselves!  Ranty much?!!  ha.

Also can be seen as a harkbark to Jason's role as Brandon in Beverly Hills 90210 - a whole other lifetime ago and maybe somewhere we can see this as Brandon living the dream as a hockey player after all!  I didn't think much of  Cindy (sorry) in Supernatural as Dean's girlfriend and ex, Lisa.  She just didn't fit in with his character.  Nothing personal!! But she's great here!  Yeah Kimmy Kardashian, you're great!! ha.

Ghost Adventures 18.8 "Mount Wilson Ranch" Review

                                           
An investigation into a ranch in Pioche, Nevada, where sightings of UFO and aliens has been reported to the point where researcher Robert Bigelow, founded of Bigelow Aerospace; bought it to carry out research and employees who lived on the ranch too. A base of operations.  Many of the interviewees had 'experiences' there; paranormal and seeing aliens and lights, but no one really wanted to say much or go on camera.  If they did they weren't that open or forthcoming.  Except for Jeff and his wife, Nicole.  Jeff spoke with Zak on the phone and told him what Bigelow had said to him about the sightings.  Kelly tells him about the Cowboy bathroom but no one's told her what happened there and she was told not to go in.  She couldn't tell him who the two men were who told her this.  She said the entity locked her in the bathroom.  Zak called it a "weird vibe" as no one wanted to say much. 

Ghost Adventures have done investigations involving suspected aliens and UFOs and this one was not quite the same in the sense that from the outset of driving up to see the mountain in person. they heard a whistle which even upset the dog accompanying them.  Especially as it was on a clifftop which wasn't very accessible.  Driving there at night, they came across what looked like lights but actually were coming from a nearby property.  However lights were seen and caught on Aaron's camera.  Almost like being a beacon or as Bigelow told Jeff, a portal for UFOs.  Their static camera by the truck even picked up a dark figure walking past it and then switched over to daylight recording.

Aaron and Dakota investigated a cabin where Aaron was spooked by a sound and a breath could be heard.  He also saw the arm of a figure from the window and there weren't any tracks in the snow outside.  As well as both he and Dakota smelling freshly brewed coffee.  The door also flying open suggesting they should get out.  They used the Periscope 360 Plasma which detects free floating static energy, as well as being an electromagnetic pump.  That eerie booming sound, not heard before. Dakota's camera battery dying.  The camera shuts off and comes back on again by itself.  With sounds coming from the laser mic after they left.

Zak feeling touched on his neck, as well as his groin area and both he and Billy getting chilled. When Zak was standing by the bathroom.  Billy using a device that uses electromagnetic energy, indicating Q&As by using the red or green colours.  The flashlight method almost but one they don't use.  At the ranch, Zak caught a light anomaly, as well as becoming unwell.  An orb also went into his body and using the Direct Link Device they got some long sentences and some awesome voices coming through, male at first and then female.

"Listen"
"Around, or ground."  But actually I hear "Brown" when he asks who this is.  It's a 'b' sound. It would be logical if they're communicating with someone at the base, he would reply with his name.

Spirit with us? "yes."
When Zak asks what's touching me, it sounds like "hand."

"We...are...base...couple..."  Again logical as a man's voice is heard first and then a female voice follows.  It's not "help" I hear, but "couple."
Zak: "what do you wanna do with me spirit?"  "Kill."

"Sit."
Female: "Nico"  Doesn't sound female.
"One" spirit.

Very similar to a creepy X-Files ep which gives credence to everything we've watched in shows, as well as documentaries.