This is a little off topic, but it is something I feel strongly about. A lot is being said these days, in the newspapers and television media, about new studies that show blogging to be an addiction… which, I suppose, means that someone, somewhere, is trying to liken it to alcoholism or drug abuse. It’s amazing to me how many things these days are being labled either as a condition, addiction, or syndrome. Well… I don’t do drugs and I don’t get drunk. But I have no intention of giving up my blogging addiction. Why?

Simply put, blogging makes me happy. It gives me a voice I would not otherwise have. As you will see in the following video, I have a tendency to get in a little trouble too, but nothing I can’t handle.

Personally, I have never had a problem separating blogging from “real life”. One thing about it, though, it IS enjoyable. Take this blog, for example. Weirdinter.net exists because, nowhere, and I looked hard, NOWHERE could I find a site that covered all the things this one does, while staying with things that fit the theme.

The following video is all original footage (and original animation). It caused me to break a personal record as well. I had made it this far in life managing to NEVER use any current footage or photos of my gray haired, toothless old self… so, those of you who were wondering who could possibly be twisted enough to put together this blog, this may be your only chance to find out! I hope you enjoy the video.

James Vernor, Sr was a florist… and pharmacist. He created the drink Vernor’s Ginger Ale and sold it through his drug store. As with most original sodas, there were whispers that it was great for what ails you… anything from warts to acne treatment. He was also a renowned and able military officer during the Civil War on the Union side. His unit is credited with the capture of Jefferson Davis, the Confederate President. Still, he is best remembered for inventing Ginger Ale. He is buried in the Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan.

Though this is not an actual gravesite, it is definitely well worth the visit. For those unfamiliar with the story, back in November of 1987 a fire broke out in the London underground station. The fire began in a stair lift (escalator) and rapidly accellerated, trapping the crowd of people. Thirty one people died that day, and the catastrophe led to an investigation and complete reworking of safety features in the system.

Alex Manoogian was a relatively obscure philanthropist. He was also an inventor, and back in the mid fifties, he perfected a single handled faucet design that was the precursor to our modern shower, bath sink and bar faucets. You might find this grave a bit hard to visit, however, unless you enjoy (and can afford) world travel. He is buried in the Etchmiadzin Cathedral in the town of Yerevan, Armenia. Visit it? I can’t even SAY it!

You won’t be needing a passport to check these odd gravestones out, as they are all in the United States. This first one is from a gravesite in Ruidoso, New Mexico:

Here lies
Johnny Yeast
Pardon me
For not rising.

This next one has long been considered just a joke, but the tombstone actually does exist in Tombstone, Arizona. Lester Moore was an agent of the Weels Fargo company in the late eighteen hundreds.

Here lies Lester Moore
Four slugs from a .44
No Les No More.

And, finally, on Margaret Daniel’s grave in Richmond, Virginia (at the Hollywood Cemetery):

She always said her feet were killing her
but nobody believed her.

Muriel McBrien Kauffman was the wife, and some say the driving force behind, the founder of the drug company Marion Laboratories, Inc. In 1989, their company merged with Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals (not to be confused with the company that makes Merrell shoes) to become Marion Merrell Dow, Inc. Perhaps more interesting to baseball fans, she and her husband were the owners of the Kansas City Royals. She is buried in the garden of the Kauffman Foundation and Memorial Garden in Kansas City, Misouri.

Robert C. Atkins was a medical pioneer, by some accounts, a quack by others. He was the creator of the famous “Atkins Diet”. He came out with the first version back in the seventies, but medical science failed to back him up until much later. His plan was used by millions of people who were trying to avoid drugs like Phentermine, who wanted to be more healthy, have healthier hearts and live longer lives. Ironically, Dr. Atkins himself died rather young, reportedly of a heart attack.

Before I write the rest of this, I want to make it VERY clear that I IN NO WAY think it is acceptable to deface a tombstone, not for any reason. These markers are important historically and to the families of those whose names are on them. That said, well, there IS an exception to every rule, and here’s an interesting one to store in your computer memory. This example of an interesting defacement is from a cemetery in England. The original inscription reads:

Remember man, as you walk by,
As you are now, so once was I,
As I am now, so shall you be,
Remember this and follow me.

An different epitaph all on it’s own, and worthy of note, but even more so now… some enterprising person has added, scrawled beneath the original:

To follow you I’ll not consent,
Until I know which way you went.

It’s just about that time of year again, provided the weather here in the Ozarks ever settles down. Eureka Springs, Arkansas is a mecca for every type of vacationer, and ghost hunters are no exception. You should see the lines of travel trailers headed that way every year. Not only do they have the world famous Passion Play, but there’s the Christ of the Ozarks, the Crystal Church, the marketplace…. and for people like us, there is the infamous Crescent Hotel, one of the most haunnted buildings in the world. It even has something for grave hunters… Morris the Cat is buried in the garden. Guess where I wanna spend MY summer?

If you are an avid grave hunter or ghost hunter, and you like snapping those shots yourself instead of just reading about someone else doing it, you probably travel a lot. And if you are like me, the high cost of gasoline (and everything else) has probably put a real crimp in your travelling. I did find a way around that, though. I used to avoid travel agents, but lately, it has occurred to me to check out the vacation deals they offer. You wouldn’t BELIEVE the specials, and a LOT of those deals take in major grave hunting cities. Just a thought!