STU CON II

Date: August 6 (Saturday)
Time: 9:00am (Sat) - 2:00am (Sun)
Location: Linda Vista Hospital
610 St Louis Street
Los Angeles, CA (map)
Admission: $2.00
(+ $1.00 if you want to join the investigation)

Created By Jim Shields, Sarah Bhpp, Jodie Imjustme Sloan, Scott Gruenwald, Matt Goldman

The STU investigation is in the Psych Ward is scheduled from 10:00pm - 2:00am.
(For info about the hospital's ghosts...)

...Come one, come all, to the greatest show of the summer.
The STU is back for their 2nd Annual STU CON. Come meet the cast and crew of The STU. And maybe some real famous people too. Everyone is invited. No one will be turned away! Fun times for everyone! No famous people will be used to promote this event but there just might be a few roaming the halls.

Games, prizes, will all be part of your admission.
No pre-sale tickets! No Pay-Pal!! We are The STU and believe in the K.I.S.S. philosophy.

Invite your friends, your family, even your enemies, we don't care.
Just plan on having an awesome time.

For more info...
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=215351081821771

Marilyn's Memorial

Note: This event is not hosted by GHOULA. This is just a local (ghost related) event that exists independently that GHOULA wants its members to know about. As such, docents and staff at this event may not wish to discuss this landmark's haunted history.

Date: August 5, 2011 (Friday)
Time: 11:00 am
Place: Westwood Memorial Park,
1218 Glendon Avenue, Westwood, CA 90024 (map)

Tucked away in a small cemetery, which in itself, is fittingly tucked away behind a movie theater, sits the crypt of Marilyn Monroe. Since this blonde bombshell is one of the most ubiquitous ghosts in Hollywood (along side the ghost of silent screen star Rudolf Valentino), it makes perfect sense that her final resting place would also be counted as one of the many places said to be haunted by the spirit of this larger than life sex symbol. Although, her famous form (said to be the inspiration for the Coke's trademarked bottle) has never been seen at this location, witnesses have claimed that a strange fog sometimes appears around her pink-stained marble marker.

So, come out and celebrate the life (and after-life) of one of the silver screen's most unique stars.

(For more info about this cemetary...)

Real Ghosts with Reel Ghosts!

DATE: August 5 (Friday)
TIME: 8:00pm
PLACE: The La Brea Tar Pits
5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles(map)
MOVIE: The Corpse Bride (2005)
ADMISSION PRICE: FREE

Your chance to see this movie about ghosts in an actual haunted environment! (Note: this event is not hosted by GHOULA, and is just an event our members should know about. Thus, the event staff may not answer any questions regarding their ghosts.)

The Tar Pits and the Page Museum are said to be haunted by the ghost of an ancient murder victim (LA's oldest unsolved murder), known locally as "The La Brea Woman."

(for more info on this event...)

Highlights from July's SWS

Thank you all who came out to the Basement Bar. This subterranean bar was filled with people wearing the GHOULA buttons. Thank you to the Santa Monica Lookout for the article they published about our event. (to read the article...)

On a previous visit, the bar staff recommended that GHOULA come back and talk to the the staff of the "restaurant" upstairs, which was busy with a private event that day. So, GHOULA was at "The Victorian" earlier in the day on the 13th, and talked to a woman in the office, who said that upstairs (as in the restaurant above the Basement Bar), they do not talk about "Delia," and they do not discuss the ghosts of the house. Apparently, this policy is because many people choose this beautiful Victorian home by the beach to be the location of their wedding, and the upstairs management fears that couples will not want to be married in "haunted house."

When asked about the restaurant, GHOULA was told that there is no restaurant, and that the upstairs is only used for private events. When pressed further, she clarified that there is no "dinner service" and the upstairs is locked up at night (unless there is an event).

When GHOULA arrived for SPIRITS with SPIRITS (and as all those in attendance saw) the upstairs was filled with people enjoying a romantic diner in the house. When asked, the upstairs bartender said that they are open for dinner every night of the week (unless there is an event). Perhaps the woman in the office just didn't want us to come back.

When asked about ghosts, the upstairs bartender said that he had never seen anything. However, when we asked the a waitress, she said "no," but wished she had had an experience like "some people," and she discreetly pointed at the bartender. So, it would seem he had experienced something after all, and just didn't want to tell his story, or as indicated earlier... maybe the upstairs staff is not allowed to discuss the ghosts.

Luckily, downstairs no such rules exist, and our bartender for the night in the Basement Bar shared his personal story with members of our group. He claimed that late one night, after hours, he and another staff member heard footsteps overhead on the floor above them. Knowing that the building was locked up, and they were the only ones there, they went up to investigate. Once satisfied they were indeed alone, they returned to the basement only to hear the the footsteps again.

Lastly, for what its worth, one of the members in attendance "received" the word MASTER on her ghost hunting app on her iphone. Could that be a reference to Mr. Kyte, the original owner of the house, who was the "master" of the Southern California Masonic lodges?

(to read more ghost stories about this location...)

July's SPIRITS with SPIRITS

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, and toast a ghost! Let's put the “Boo!” back into “booze.”

All those who attend will receive a free (square) G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you, without asking the staff.

NOTE: There will be an important announcement concerning the future of GHOULA at this gathering.

THE DATE: July 13th, 2011 (Wednesday)
THE PLACE: The Basement Bar
(hidden under "The Victorian" -- entrance is around back
at the door with an eye painted on it)
2640 Main Street, Santa Monica (Map)THE TIME: 8:00pm to 11:00pm

THE GHOSTS:
There seems to be two kinds of haunted bars in Los Angeles. The kind that hides their haunted history, and the sort that celebrate their ghosts. Luckily for us, the "Basement Bar" hidden underneath "The Victorian" restaurant in Santa Monica is one of the latter. Not only do they love to talk about their ghosts, they even have a signature drink ("The Delia") named after their most seen spectre.

Before this Queen Anne style Victorian house, known locally as the "Kyte House," was converted into one of Santa Monica's swankiest restaurants, and before this historic home was moved from it's original location at 1003 Ocean Ave (on the corner of Ocean and Washington), it was the residence of Delia. This little old lady was the last caretaker of this stately abode, and little else is known about her. There is a story floating around that shortly after the restaurant opened (then called "The Chronicle"), Delia's relatives came by to find out if anyone there knew where Delia had moved to after the house moved. Whatever became of Delia is any one's guess, but what is agreed upon is that her spirit seems to have ended up at this new address. Sightings of her continue to this day, and have occurred all over the building. By all accounts this elderly phantom seems to be harmless, and minds her own business.

Then, there is the dark form of a man seen lurking in the shadows of this establishment. Nothing is really known about this figure or his connection to the structure, but one can speculate. According to the restaurant's website, the home was built in 1897, though other sources indicated 1900 or 1901. Either way, the then young port city of Santa Monica was a tough and sometimes dangerous place to live. Back then, Angelenos used to joke that passengers of the trolley lines that cut through Santa Monica should be blindfolded until they rode past. Raymond Chandler would eventually immortalize this darker side of this sunny city in his hard-nosed detective novels using the code name "Bay City." Could this shifty ghost be that of a criminal from a past era?

Or, could this restless male spirit be that of the house's original owner, Dr. George I. Kyte, whose obituary stated he was the "Master of the Southern California Masonic Lodge?' Did that secret society conduct secret ceremonies within this innocuous-looking building's walls? Were men in dark, hooded robes practicing possibly pagan rituals in the same rooms where diners eat today? For what its worth, it is also known that his wife's funeral was held inside this home, when those kind of practices were common. Could she actually be the old lady said to haunt this establishment?

Is there a better place to dwell upon these questions than the dark, spooky basement of a haunted Victorian mansion? So come out, have a drink, and maybe bump into a ghost at Santa Monica's Basement Bar... if you dare.

(to see last month's location...)
(to read more about the ghosts of this location...)

REAL GHOSTS with REEL GHOSTS

DATE: July 4th (Monday)
TIME: 8:00pm
PLACE: Silent MovieTheater
611 North Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles(map)
MOVIE: Insidious (2010)
ADMISSION: $10.00

Your chance to see this movie about ghosts in an actual haunted theater! (Note: this event is not hosted by GHOULA, and is just an event our members should know about. Thus, the event staff may not answer any questions regarding their ghosts.)

The Silent Movie Theater is said to be haunted by ghosts in the lobby and projection booth. (to read more about this theater's ghost...)

(for more info on this event...)

Happy 4th of GHOULY!

Every year, GHOULA pays tribute to this great country by profiling a ghost from American pop-culture that has ties to Southern California. This year, we spotlight video game royalty.

Is there a greater icon (graphically speaking) from the 1980's that is more universally recognized than that of Pac-Man, the yellow circle missing a wedge that starred in the enormously popular video arcade game of the same name, as well as numerous sequels and various off-shoots through the decades and various game platforms.

Never far from this electronic superstar are Pac-Man's four colorful villains, commonly thought to be ghosts (or monsters that turn into ghosts), and known by many names, depending on the language the game uses, but in the United States they're called Shadow, Speedy, Bashful, and Pokey. As such, these mischievous spectres may represent the first time a video game tackled the issue of the "after life" in the context of the character's world.

Granted, these complex ground-breaking, and gender barrier breaking, characters in the otherwise monochromatic, and simple world of 1980's video games were created in Japan. It is worth noting the popular Saturday morning cartoon show based of the game (1982-1983), which not only definitively called Pac-Man's enemies "ghosts" and renamed them, using their popular nicknames, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde, was created right here in Los Angeles at the (now defunct) Hanna-Barbera Studios at 3400 Cahuenga Blvd. (The former site of a "Monkey Island" attraction).

GOD BLESS AMERICA'S GHOSTS! Happy 4th of July, everyone!
(to see last year's ghost from American pop culture...)

Haunted Hollywood Scavenger Hunt

Haunted Hollywood Scavenger Hunt
Date: October 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29
Time: 6pm to 8:30pm
Price: $25
Age Suitability: 21 and up

Murders, Suicides, Burned Alive- All of these tortured souls still haunt Hollywood Boulevard. Discover these ghosts as you participate in the Haunted Hollywood Scavenger Hunt. Team up to uncover the haunting secrets of Hollywood. The Hollywood Hunt stars the ghosts of the Roosevelt, the Knickerbocker Hotel, many of the theaters and other secret locations revealed during the hunt.

No prior ghost hunting knowledge is required to solve the challenging clues, but a flashlight is helpful. NEW twist this year, the hunt begins in a haunted, hidden Hollywood speakeasy!!!

www.outoftheboxevents.net
For more info: 323.799.1374

Spooky Theater Show

Wicked Lit at the Millennium Biltmore

A Free Night of Ghostly Fun

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES – Ghosts, goose bumps, and laughs are promised at the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel this week.

An “anti-horror” comedy adaptation of Mark Twain’s A Ghost Story, the performance is free and will run twice on two nights: June 15 at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., and June 16 at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Adapted by Wicked Lit’s Jonathan Josephson and directed by Paul Millet, the story follows a lost college student who stumbles upon an abandoned hotel.

The show will take place inside Bernard’s, a former restaurant located in the hotel. Early arrival is suggested and entrance is on Olive Street.

Although admission is free; RSVP is strongly encouraged.

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel is at 506 S. Grand Ave. For more information or to RSVP, go to wickedlit.org.

Tim Burton Exhibit

Tim Burton is a local boy that made good (or ghoulish).

This Summer (until Halloween), LACMA will be displaying his art depicting Goblins, Ghouls, and yes,... Ghosts!

So, come out and see these paranormal portraits in a museum that has paranormal activity of its own...

It is rumored that LACMA West's 1939 art deco building (formerly the May Co.) is the home to a couple of ghosts, and by "couple," we mean a pair of married ghosts (husband and wife).

The legend is that back in the days when it was a department store, there was a restaurant/tea room for customers upstairs with a view of the city (the windows can still be seen from Fairfax Ave.), one day while a Culver City woman was playing card games with friends over snacks, her husband stormed in, pulled out a gun and shot her at point blank range just before turning the gun on himself. Supposedly, the other women present later asked the police if they could go back into the crime scene to finish their game.

Is there a better place to enjoy Tim Burton's dark art?

Real Ghosts with Reel Ghosts

DATE: April 7
TIME: Various (check show times)
PLACE: Royal Theater
11523 Santa Monica Blvd.West LA (map)
MOVIE: Uncle Boonmee (2010)
ADMISSION: $11.00

Your chance to see this movie about ghosts in an actual haunted theater! (Note: this event is not hosted by GHOULA, and is just an event our members should know about. Thus, the event staff may not answer any questions regarding their ghosts.)

The Royal Theater is said to be haunted by an elderly man. (to read more about this theater's ghost... )

http://www.laemmle.com/viewtheatre.php?thid=1

Highlights from June's SWS

Thank you all who came out (20-30 people) for our SPIRITS with SPIRITS gathering at the historic (haunted) Figueroa Hotel. Once there, almost everyone made the observation that the infamous pool, and the target of past suicide jumpers, is mysteriously shaped like a coffin. Coincidence?

It was also observed by a couple of GHOULA members that the hotel's lobby was very similar to the "lobby" of the ghost-themed attraction, "Tower of Terror," at Disney's California, which also plays with the idea of a "death plunge." Coincidence?

(for this location's ghost stories...)

Tower of Terror "lobby."

Hotel Figueroa's lobby

June's "SPIRITS with SPIRITS"

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, and toast a ghost! Let's put the “Boo!” back into “booze.”

All those who attend will receive a free (square) G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you, without asking the staff.

THE DATE: June 13th, 2011 (Monday)
THE PLACE: Veranda Bar (Hotel Figueroa)
939 Figueroa Street (Map)
(a couple of blocks from a METRO station)
THE TIME: 8:00pm to 11:00pm

THE GHOSTS:

The Hotel Figueroa is one of the few places downtown that can make one feel that the pessimistic future depicted in the 1980's sci-fi classic BLADE RUNNER might actually come true. With it's elegant, ethnic, and eerie vibe, this historic hotel sits in the shadows of the recently erected glass towers that are covered with tacky neon and billboard-sized TV screens repeating commercials on a loop. One almost expects that film's detective, Rick Deckard, (played by Harrison Ford) to pass through the vintage-looking lobby at any moment, as he searches for renegade androids.

That eternal battle between Man and Machine also seems to play out throughout the hotel and its 13 floors. Legend has it that at times, the electrical appliances and equipment appear to have a mind of their own, lights and TVs turn off and on by themselves, and the elevators travel to floors without be called to do so.

Additionally there seems to be an ominous presence that travels through the halls, some witnesses have even heard footsteps when no one was there. Who (or what) causes this phenomena, no one seems to know.

There have been two tragic deaths that have occurred at this address, as reported by the Los Angeles Times (and perhaps more that went unreported). Both deaths were the result of a guest going to the top of the building, leaping from the fire escape on the back (west) side, and going splat on to the patio that currently is the hotel's Veranda Bar. Interestingly, both cases were declared to be suicides by the police, because both individuals seem to go willingly to meet their maker, although neither left a "suicide note," and both showed no signs of being suicidal. One even jumped half-way through his dinner, as if the idea had suddenly hit him.

Is the weird electro-magnetic energy, causing the machines to malfunction throughout this building, the result of those individuals who took their own lives here? Or, are these strange vibes the actual reason these men did what they did? Modern folklore (and movies) are filled with stories of people going crazy as a result of a "possessed" building. Likewise, experiments have been done that suggest these electro-magnetic anomalies can cause the human brain to act out in unexpected ways, from hallucinations to intense feelings of dread. What causes these anomalies (common in haunted places) to appear outside of a controlled laboratory is still unknown.

Then again, maybe these are just coincidences. Either way, come to the Hotel Figueroa's Veranda Bar and check it out for yourself... if you dare.

http://www.figueroahotel.com/

(to see last month's haunted location...)

May's SWS Highlights

Thank you all for coming out to the far end of the valley for this unique venue. Despite what GHOULA previously reported, the dead remnants of the supposed "Hanging Tree" is no longer on display in the parking lot. The other reputed "Hanging Tree" across the street though, we are happy to report is alive and well (pictured below).

While we enjoying the atmosphere, one of the Catina's security guards shared his own personal ghost experience from the establishment. He said that late one night, after closing, he went into the restroom (pictured above) to relieve himself before leaving to go home. As he stood in front of the urinal (with an unobstructed view of the light switch on the wall), he saw the switch flip to "Off" by itself, leaving him in total darkness. Then, afterward, while he was standing outside the door to the "men's room," an irate female employee came out of the "ladies' room." The same thing happened to her, while she was in her stall. Since he was standing there outside the bathrooms, she assumed he must have done it. Later, he asked other employees about the incident, and discovered the strange "lights off" phenomenon has happen to others there.

Also, as the evening was winding down, and people were wandering over to the "hanging tree," and the haunted adobe next door, GHOULA member Caitlyn took these three photographs (pictured below after the two tree photos). She used her iphone, and was standing in the same place for each picture, and they were shot one right after the other (no flash for the middle one). Notice that a white dot appears in the second photo (the one without the flash) in the second arch from the right, and is not there in the top photo. In the last photo, the dot has moved to the third arch from the right on the balcony. three photos, same spot, with and without flash, and yet it is as if the "light" were floating (from right to left) across the second floor balcony, where the ghost of Mr. Leonis and "the woman in black" are seen.

(to read about this location's ghost stories...)

May's SPIRITS with SPIRITS

HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13th!
GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, and toast a ghost! Let's put the “Boo!” back into “booze.”

All those who attend will receive a free (square) G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you.

THE DATE: May 13th, 2011 (Friday)
THE PLACE: Sagebrush Cantina
23527 Calabasas Road, Calabasas (map)
THE TIME: 8:00pm to 11:00pm

THE GHOSTS:

The quaint community of Calabasas is probably best known today as the idyllic (bland), suburban neighborhood that serves as the backdrop to the nefarious activities on the TV series WEEDS. However, long before these (ticky-tacky) houses with their cul-de-sacs appeared, this area was known as one of the wildest stage coach stops in Los Angeles.

The Sagebrush Cantina sits on the site of the old jail, and the historic oak "hanging tree" can still be seen in the parking lot. Incidentally, that was not the original location of the hanging tree, it was moved 100 yards from 23517 Calabasas Road to its current position to make room for a Saturn V lunar launch vehicle (used on NASA's Apollo missions to the moon) that had to be shuttled to the secret base in the Santa Susanna pass. There are those that claim that this oak, although known locally as "the hanging tree" for generations (and the site of playful lynching demonstrations/recreations for children during past festivals) was never actually used to hang anyone. Likewise, there are those that claim that the real Calabasas hanging tree is the one at 23504 Calabasas Road (which has a historic marker). The truth has been lost to history. Perhaps, both trees (and others) were used to hang outlaws.

What hasn't been lost to history though (thankfully), is a cowboy, a female shop-keeper, and a former restaurant employee (all from an earlier time) that have been seen within the walls of this establishment momentarily before they vanish. Ghost sighting at this restaurant go back to at least 1974 with the bar area and back portion of the restaurant being the focal points for paranormal activity (the ghostly woman has even been seen in the back bathroom). Also, like other haunted bars in Los Angeles, the mugs and glasses have been known to move by themselves.

As if this place wasn't creepy enough, they also stage puppet shows here on a regular basis for the kiddies.

It is also worth pointing out that the land that the restaurant sits on was once part of the Leonis estate, until this section was subdivided and converted into shops in the 1920s. The historic Leonis Adobe (now a museum), which is adjacent to the restaurant and just a few feet away, is widely thought to be the most haunted house in Los Angeles. Miguel Leonis was one of the most hated robber barrons in Southern California history, and his bloody, bandaged ghost (along with other ghosts) is said to haunt his home. (note: GHOULA co-founder, Richard Carradine's family was the last family to own this house, and live in it as a private residence.)

Is it a coincidence that the neighboring building also has a haunted history? Come out and have a drink here, and decide for yourself. If you dare.

(to read about last month's location...)
(to read about more ghosts at this location...)

http://www.sagebrushcantina.com/

BOOs Alert!

THIS JUST IN: The haunted 'American Idol' mansion is for sale for $12M

http://entertainment.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/05/07/haunted-american-idol-mansion-for-sale-for-12m/

Call for Submissions | GHOULA COMIX Issue # 2

ATTENTION ALL YE BROKEN PROMISES OF LAST YEAR'S SUBMISSIONS---Here is your opportunity to participate in the much anticipated GHOULA COMIX ISSUE 2 !!!



Current roster of contributing artists: ELI PRESSER, AMY HAGEMEIER, RICHARD CARRADINE, MIKE KELLY, JAMES SCHROEDER, VICTOR AVILA, MICHAEL AUSHENKER, KEN BRILLIANT and CAITLYN CARRADINE...

GHOST HUNTERS OF URBAN LOS ANGELES
Call for Comic Art Submissions: Ghoula Issue #2

Deadline: August 13, 2011
GHOULA is seeking contributing comic book artists for issue number one of the Los Angeles Ghost Stories Anthology.

Guidelines are as follows:

· Narrative must take place in Los Angeles County
· Narrative must include a ghost
· Narrative can be fictional or based on local ghost folklore
· Submit artwork in black and white only
· Submit original artwork or digital files at 300dpi
· Standard Comic Book size: Must fit within 7”Wx10”H
· No limit on # of pages!

GHOULA is dedicated to the preservation of greater L.A.'s rich haunted history, and the promotion and celebration of this local lore through ghostly gatherings, paranormal experiments, and events.

Participants will receive a lifetime membership GHOULA button, GHOULA T-shirt, copies of the published work, and most importantly, the satisfaction and secret glory of seeing your comic in print.

Comic scheduled to be released in October of 2010

Highlights from April's SWS

Thank you to everyone one that came out to this first ever joint G.H.O.U.L.A/ SoCal L.O.W.F.I super acronym mash-up event. As with last month, although this bar is known to be haunted, getting the specific story was difficult to obtain by press time. However, on the night of our gathering, the Footsie staff did not disappoint. The bartender shared her personal ghost story with our group. Her story is...

While the bar is empty, and she has her back to the room, she sees a man (in the reflection of the mirror on the wall behind the bar) walk in from the entrance and take a seat at the bar. When, she turns around to talk to the man, there is no one in the room. She said that this has happened to her three times (so far), and each time it is the same man, and he is dressed the same way (in a blue plaid shirt).

It is any one's guess as to the true identity of the plaid-wearing ghost. It has been suggested that maybe it is a former local hipster, or a gang-member, or maybe "he" goes back further. Newspaper articles of the 1940's suggest that even then, this was an edgy part of town, and the bar itself was subject to many robberies.

It should also be noted, since it was brought up that evening, with regard to the centennial lightbulb, which was thrown in the trash by a well-meaning worker, who was unaware of it's significance, that it's longevity may have more to do with economics than anything super-natural. There is a theory that all light bulbs back then were made to last forever. However, the companies that produced them realized they could make more money if the bulbs burnt out and needed to be replaced.

(to read more about this haunted location...)

April's SPIRITS with SPIRITS

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, and toast a ghost! Let's put the “Boo!” back into “booze.”

All those who attend will receive a free (square) G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you.

THE DATE: April 13th, 2011 (Wednesday)
THE PLACE: Footsies
2640 North Figueroa Street, Los Angeles (map)
THE TIME: 8:00pm to Midnight

THE GHOST:

What happens to the "soul," or consciousness, when one dies? When whatever makes us who we are leaves the body, does it dissipate into the ether, or does it just go somewhere else?

Most religions and cultures around the world have the concept of an "eternal flame." A fire that burns indefinitely, as a way to represent this idea of living on past death, and a way of remembering the spirit of an important individual. Traditionally, these memorials are fueled by flammable oils and gases, but in this modern age, it is not uncommon to use electricity to keep the luminance from ending.

Thomas Edison, one of the first men to harness the power of electricity, believed that after death the soul, or your "energy," stayed intact. Thus, he felt it may be possible to tap into that force and make contact with the deceased. It is known that Edison was even working on an invention to do just that. Ironically, he died before completing it.

However, it seems that ever since Edison's dabblings in this subject, people have tried to draw a line between ghostly activity and the mysteries of electricity. Contemporary paranormal investigators have even measured electro-magnetic anomalies in haunted places. Likewise, ghost folklore is filled with tales of apparently processed electrical appliances, that seem to operate on their own with an other worldly intelligence, or stories of lights that turn on, turn off, or dim by themselves.

Curiously, there are a few electrical "eternal lights" across the country that seem to be powered by super-natural forces. Most famously is Edison's own memorial tower that contained the "world's largest light bulb." Six years after it was built, the tower collapsed. Not only did the bulb survive the 131 ft. fall, but when the wreckage was found, the bulb was still on. Then, there's the "eternal light" at Disneyland that was left on when Disney died. Some claim that sometimes it stays on when its unplugged from the wall.

In Cypress Park, where the Arroyo Secco River meets the L.A. River, sits a little bar that was once the site of one of these strange electrical "eternal light" phenomenas. No one knows how old the building itself is, but there has been a bar within its walls since at least 1936. According to the current staff (of the current bar, Footsies) it was also home to a single bulb that ran continuously for almost a hundred years (before it finally "gave up the ghost" so to speak).

What causes these strange electrical anomalies is unknown.

Does it stem from ghostly activity (or the energy of the deceased) as some believe? Does it have something to do with its location, which is in the shadow of the second oldest surviving railway substation (1906) which the Edison Company used to create the high voltage electricity to power Los Angeles electric trolleys?

Come to SPIRITS with SPIRITS (and listen to "soul" music) and investigate the site for yourself, or share your own theories, or just join us for a drink. Hope to see you there.

(to read about the ghost of this haunted location...)
(to read about SPIRITS with SPIRITS last haunted location...)

REAL GHOSTS with REEL GHOSTS!

DATE: April 7 - ?
TIME: Various (check show times)
PLACE: Chinese Theater
6925 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles (map)
MOVIE: Insidious (2010)
ADMISSION: $12.75

Your chance to see this movie about ghosts in an actual haunted theater! (Note: this event is not hosted by GHOULA, and is just an event our members should know about. Thus, the event staff may not answer any questions regarding their ghosts.)

The Chinese is said to be haunted by a backstage ghost. (to read more about this theater's ghost...)

(for more info on this event...)