Alameda, Oakland, and Berkeley, California (across the bay from San Francisco), don't have much in common at first glanceuntil after dark. Visit with none-too-friendly ghosts of the Pardee Home Museum who, even now, still talk to visitors. Learn about the poltergeist in a medical office that levitates ashtrays and throws typewriters. Read about a threatening, smoky wraith that glides across the gym at the Alameda High School. Explore Mound Street, former Native American burial grounds, and the cemetery ghosts of Mills College. A psychic shares her impression of an Alameda restaurant. Find out how a dead neighbor communicated through a computer screen. Public buildings and private homes, and even a student co-op are not immune from spirits haunting Alameda, Berkeley, and Oakland. To those of us who believe, ghosts are everywhere; these cities are no exception.
THE WEIRD SERIES What’s weird around here? That’s a question Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman have enjoyed asking for years—and their offbeat sense of curiosity led them to create the best-selling phenomenon, Weird N.J. But why should they stop at New Jersey when there’s so much that’s peculiar, odd, and utterly nutty across the whole U.S.? So the two Marks—along with several other writers with a taste for the strange—have focused on some key locales, giving each of them the full “New Jersey” treatment. Spanning the breadth of the country, from New York to California, these are travel guides of a sort, but to the kind of places voyagers will never find on their everyday maps. Instead, they’re chock-full of local legends, crazy characters, cursed roads, and bizarre roadside attractions. So come along and join the fun: Some of what’s out there is disturbing, some hilarious, but all of it is unforgettably…weird. Praise for WEIRD N.J.: “They are the chroniclers of the creepy, bards of the bizarre…From abandoned asylums to colorful real-life characters past and present, to folk stories of ghosts, monsters, and aliens, Mr. Sceurman and Mr. Moran have created a journal of New Jersey’s unwritten history.”—The New York Times. “Enough with the head-severing mobsters of Jersey. The state is packed with far more evil than TV could ever invent—from satanic Klan rallies to time-traveling tree farmers. And Weird N.J. has the pictures to prove it.”—Rolling Stone. “Mark Sceurman and Mark Moran see their native state as others do not. For them, it is a demented Disneyland of worldly, and otherworldly, delights.”—The Boston Globe. “If it’s the offbeat, paranormal or downright weird that you crave…there could be no better place”—USA Today. Praise for Weird U.S. “Weird U.S. is delicious armchair reading. Who can resist an ax-wielding man in a bunny suit, a home shaped like a giant shoe, cannibal albino villages, midget colonies, passages to hell or close relations of Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster?”—San Francisco Chronicle. “Weird U.S. is a marvelous work of entertainment and the basis for a truly unique vacation.”—Library Journal. “Kudos to Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman…This is the book by which future explorers will chart their road trips in pursuit of the meaning of this nation.”—New York Press.
Berkeley, California, was the bellwether of the political, social, and cultural upheaval that made the 1960s a unique period of American history--a time when the top-down methods of a conservative establishment collided head-on with the bottom-up, grass-roots ethos of the civil rights movement and an increasingly well-educated and individualistic middle class. W.J. Rorabaugh, who attended the graduate school of the University of California at Berkeley in the early 1970s, presents a lively and informative account of the events that overtook and changed forever what had once been a quiet, conservative white suburb. The rise of the Free Speech Movement, which gave a voice to disfranchised students; the growth and increasing militance of a black community struggling to end segregation; the emergence of radicalism and the anti-war movement; the blossoming of "hippie" culture, with its scorn for materialism and enthusiasm for experimentation with everything from sex and drugs to Eastern philosophies; the beginnings of modern-day feminism and environmentalism--and how all of these coalesced in the explosive conflict over People's Park--are traced in a meticulously researched and authoritative narrative. At issue was the question of power, and the struggle between the establishment and the powerless led to developments that the advocates of a freer society could scarcely have foreseen: Ronald Reagan, elected governor of California in reaction to the events at Berkeley, and Edwin H. Meese III, who battled against the student movement and People's Park, rose to national power in the 1980s (without, however, gaining any popularity in Berkeley, where Walter Mondale won 83 percent of the vote in 1984). An invaluable account of its time and place, this book anchors the '60s in American history, both before and since that colorful decade.
This new edition of the ultimate guide to finding ghosts in the Bay Area highlights more than 100 haunted spots in and around San Francisco, all accessible to the public. Featured sights include the Queen Anne Hotel, one of the most haunted buildings in the area; the Atherton House; Cameron House in Chinatown; and of course, Alcatraz Prison. With advice on what to do with a ghost, what to do after the ghost hunt, and other telekinetic tidbits, this guide encourages travelers to be attentive and imaginative, willing them to take that extra spirit-sighting step.
In 1998 the author, a professional prankster, trademarked the phrase "freedom of expression" to show how the expression of ideas was being restricted. Now he uses intellectual property law as the focal point to show how economic concerns are seriously eroding creativity and free speech.
In almost every town in America there are places where strange things happen. The perfect companion to The International Directory of Haunted Places, this revised and updated edition of Haunted Places is both a fascinating and unusual travel guide as well as an indispensable casebook for those interested in the paranormal. From buildings and parks believed to have resident ghosts and poltergeists to areas where Bigfoot or UFO sightings are most frequently reported, Haunted Places will lead you to more than 2,000 sites of paranormal activity across the United States. Organized alphabetically by state, each entry is referenced to an extensive bibliography of sources-with descriptions, addresses, phone numbers, Web sites, and travel directions provided for all locations.
What does a free-spirited, fifty-something professional do when she breaks up with her non-committal boyfriend and longs for a life partner? She challenges herself to go on fifty first dates, promises herself steamy sex along the way, and voila, finding Mr. Right becomes a sexy dating project! Winner of 10 awards in the areas of relationships, sexuality, women’s issues, and memoir, Fifty First Dates after Fifty: A Memoir celebrates female sexuality and offers an uplifting and inspirational view of dating as an enjoyable journey of self-discovery and self-love. Set in the world of personal growth workshops and spiritual ceremonies, Carolyn Lee Arnold transforms her quest for love into a sensual adventure as she searches for a man who matches her spirit. Navigating the highs and lows of dating, she avoids settling for the wrong guy, discovers the type of man she wants, reconciles a love of independence and sex with her desire for commitment and emotional connection, and finds the unique partner for her. Erotic in places, funny in others, this upbeat memoir about a successful search for a partner in midlife provides an entertaining smorgasbord of dating ideas for any woman searching for her own Mr. Right.
The renowned paranormal investigator and ghost hunter shows tourists, residents, and even nonbelievers where to encounter spirits in the City of Angels. As useful to the paranormally curious as to locals and adventurers seeking new and unusual spots, Ghost Hunter’s Guide to Los Angeles shows you how and where to seek out the supernatural in Los Angeles and surrounding areas—from Hollywood to Long Beach as well as destinations in nearby San Diego and Santa Barbara. Suggested stops include familiar locations such as Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Catalina Island, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Lookout Mountain, and missions like Mission San Juan Capistrano, Mission San Buena Ventura, and more. Many other suggested adventures refer to sights where ghosts of movie stars like Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, and Howard Hughes have been seen. There are also numerous anecdotes and leads for exploring more obscure supernatural entities like the “murdered waitress,” the “ghost protester,” “indigenous ghosts,” and many other seemingly anonymous spirits around the Los Angeles area. The appendix is full of references for further exploration, including a list of local ghost tours, historical societies and museums, and an exhaustive list of suggested books, Internet resources, films, and national organizations relating to ghostly communications. A handy sighting report form is included to assist witnesses in the case of an encounter. “Jeff Dwyer has done it again. Easily one of the best Ghost Story writers working today. You will never look at the City of Angels the same way.” —Ray Couch, Southern Ghosts
