The Loyalty of a Soldier's Dog (and everyone's)

This story was on the news this week and it brings tears to my eyes about how precious, loyal and loving our dogs are to us. 

Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson was killed in Afghanistan on 8/6/2011. 

 http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44271018/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/'%20rel='nofollow
 

Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson lay in a coffin, draped in an American flag, in front of a tearful audience mourning his death in Afghanistan. Soon an old friend appeared, and like a fellow soldier on a battlefield, his loyal dog refused to leave him behind.

Tumilson’s Labrador retriever, Hawkeye, was photographed lying by Tumilson’s casket in a heart-wrenching image taken at the funeral service in Tumilson’s hometown of Rockford, Iowa, earlier this week. Hawkeye walked up to the casket at the beginning of the service and then dropped down with a heaving sigh as about 1,500 mourners witnessed a dog accompanying his master until the end, reported CBS.

Hurricane Irene -Well Worth the Warnings

NASA: Irene-caused extreme flooding in red.

Being a meteorologist, I take a lot of criticism when forecasts aren't "exact." Well, weather isn't an exact science as there are a lot of variables that come into play in the atmosphere. 

  I've heard from some people that the warnings on Hurricane Irene were "way over-hyped." I TOTALLY disagree. Meteorologists, like doctors, warn you when something MAY be harmful to your health. Because hurricanes are sometimes unpredictable with ever changing dynamics (as we saw dry air move into Hurricane Irene when it was making landfall in North Carolina which may have helped weaken it), it is better to err on the side of caution. 

  Meteorologists DID NOT ERR on Irene. Even though you may be one of the fortunate ones who kept their power, 3.1 Million people did not. Even if you didn't get flooded, hundreds of thousands did up and down the U.S. coast and there was RECORD FLOODING in Vermont. If you didn't have a tree down, there were millions taken down by Irene's hurricane-force winds.Houses is many states were destroyed or washed away.

  My point is that because your house is safe, not everyone else fared quite as well and benefited by evacuations.

  Here are some statistics to consider: 

* 5 Million homes and businesses are still without power 3 Days after Hurricane Irene passed.

* 41 People died nationally

* Estimate of Irene's Damages in the U.S. 2 Billion Dollars - according to CNBC

* In Connecticut alone; 450,000 people without power in CT, 8 inches of rain. Farmington River flooded.

* In New York - 8 people died all due to flooding

* In Vermont- Worst hit the state has had from a hurricane. 263 roads were washed out or damaged. About a foot of Vermont fell in the entire state. Brattleboro, VT. Four to six of the iconic covered bridges were destroyed. The Governor proclaimed this is the worst flooding in the history of the state.

* More than a foot of rain fell along coastal areas in the U.S. cutting off and washing out roadways, flooding houses, taking lives.  

On the lighter side, If you haven't heard about the reporter in Ocean city that was being deluged by "weird sea foam" which turned out to be raw sewage churned up by Irene... (he thought it was plankton) here's the

Video: http://globalgrind.com/news/sea-foam-covered-reporters-other-unforgettable-moments-hurricane-irene-photos
 
If you think the sea foam reporter had it rough check out this Weather Channel reporter's problem:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/27/hurricane-irene-2011-streaker-weather-channel_n_939095.html

What a week!

Last week was adventurous to say the least.
QUAKE - On Monday an 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered in rural Mineral,Virginia brought serious tremors to Maryland and shook our house at 1:51pm EDT . It took a minute to figure it out as I watched our south-facing inside wall shake and take pictures down. It made sense that the south-facing wall rumbled because the epicenter was south, in Virginia. I (Rob) was working at home, so after 20 seconds I got all the dogs downstairs and into the bathroom. Scary.
HURRICANE IRENE - Because I'm a meteorologist and thrive on hurricane science this was a big week for me- but a tough week and weekend from Puerto Rico to the Bahamas, and in the U.S. from North Carolina to Vermont. Irene was a HUGE rainmaker, dropping about 16 inches of rain in NC, VA, and lesser (but huge) amounts all the way up to Vermont, where the effect of Irene moving against the Green mountains brought the worst flooding seen there in 75 years. 250 Vermont roads are closed from flooding according to Governor Shumlin this morning. New Hampshire dealt with the same due to the White Mountains' effect, which is called orographic uplift, and forced air to rise against the mountains and caused more storms, bringing more rain. **I worked over the weekend covering all of it on www.nasa.gov/hurricane (also on Facebook and Twitter).
  Here at home, we happily kept our roof and sustained no damage. Other houses didn't fare as well and I know that there are 3.1 million people without power up and down the U.S. east coast.
SUMMER COLD? - I've been sick for the last week with a sore throat, head and chest congestion, headache, etc. and this weekend coughing so much, I've been pulling my back and chest muscles. Hoping to feel better later this week. Fortunately, Tom didn't catch this!

Hurricane Irene- Doggone Wet Photos!

Rob with Sprite, Franklin and Dolly

Sprite, Franklin and Dolly STILL don't want to go out!

 Hurricane Irene's relentless rains made going outside for the dogs a miserable experience, so I went out with them. They were all geared up, but came in SUPERFAST. Here are some pictures!

Dolly's Pawprint before the heavy rains arrived Saturday at 11am EDT

GOES-13 satellite image of Hurricane Irene at 2pm EDT.

 

Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

VIDEO: Space Station View: Hurricane Irene /my door

Hurricane Irene- read the sign!

Aboard the International Space Station, an Expedition 28 crew member captured views of intensifying Hurricane Irene from an altitude of 225 miles at 3:33 p.m. EDT on Aug. 22, 2011, as the tropical system passed to the north of Hispaniola. The National Hurricane Center is forecasting a track that would take Irene near to or east of the Florida peninsula as a major hurricane on Friday with a possible landfall along the southeastern United States on Saturday. For more info on Hurricane Irene, go to the NASA Hurricane page: www.nasa.gov/hurricane
RAINS- The outer bands of Hurricane Irene's bands brought rains in the Washington, DC area around 11am, when Irene's center was some 380 miles to the south-southeast. Irene is a huge storm, about 1/3rd the size of the U.S. East coast.
UPDATES ON IRENE - at www.nasa.gov/hurricane, or FACEBOOK or TWITTER/NASAHurricane




 

Hurricane Irene is raging the U.S. East Coast

Hurricane Irene is raging the U.S. East Coast and will affect the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through the Weekend.   

At 5 a.m. EDT this morning, August 26, 2011,  Hurricane Irene was centered 420 miles south-southwest of Cape Hatteras, NC. (29.3N and 77.2 W) Max. winds 110 mph., moving north at 14 mph. Pressure 942 millibars.

WEEKEND UPDATES: on FACEBOOK and TWITTER: NASAHurricane 

HURRICANE FORECASTS: www.nhc.noaa.gov

NASA Infrared image- purple means strong t-storms, heavy rain

STRENGTH: some re-intensification is possible today...and irene is expected to be near the threshold between category two and three as it reaches the North Carolina coast.

SIZE:  Irene has continued to GROW over the last week. Irene is now almost 600 miles WIDE! - Tropical storm force winds extend 290 miles from the center. ***AND THE CENTER is expected to be only 30 miles off-shore from Ocean City, Md. )  Hurricane force winds extend to 90 miles from the center, or 180 miles in diameter.

RAINFALL...IRENE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF

6 TO 10 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES...FROM

EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA INTO SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINA...EASTERN

MARYLAND... DELAWARE...EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...NEW JERSEY...

SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK...LONG ISLAND...WESTERN CONNECTICUT...AND

WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. THESE RAINS COULD

CAUSE WIDESPREAD FLOODING AND LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS.

STORM SURGE...AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER

LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 6 TO 11 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL IN THE

HURRICANE WARNING AREA IN NORTH CAROLINA...INCLUDING THE ALBEMARLE

AND PAMLICO SOUNDS. STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH

AS 4 TO 8 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL OVER SOUTHERN POTIONS OF THE

CHESAPEAKE BAY. AND 3 TO 6 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE JERSEY SHORE.  

ALL COASTAL AREAS FROM NC TO NYC WILL EXPERIENCE HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS.

CREATE YOUR HURRICANE KIT

**EXPECT: POWER OUTAGES -- Winds may cause fallen trees after the ground is soaked.  -
Get batteries, bottled water, flashlights, and dry food, and a manual can opener.
***- Take CASH out  . Power may be out, and ATMS and Debit/credit cards may be useless. ***

**OR - get cash from point-of-purchase "cash" withdrawals at Supermarkets, etc.

** Buy an emergency radio.  One that operates with batteries, A/C or crank-to-charge. It includes AM/FM, 2 SW channels and some even include a weather channel.

 - Make sure any medications are set aside, and know where a suitcase is in case a tree falls near your home.

- freeze things like Ziploc bags or containers of water to help keep the freezer more "full" to help keep food frozen longer (a full freezer stays cold longer than a freezer only half full).

- Landlines and CORDED phones will work best in a storm. CELL phone coverage may be down if towers are damaged.

- Buy some "cooler cans" and keep them in the freezer in the event the power goes out.
 - Know of where shelters are located.
- Get gas in your car.

- Get a solar-powered flashlight (IF there are any left)
 - Make sure you have Tranquilizers (contact your vet) or  Benadryl for your PETS if they're afraid of Thunderstorms.
 - Make sure you have access to your pet's food, and bowls.
- BOTTLE water and put it in the refrigerator Saturday morning.
 -Take a cooler out in case the power goes out, and fill with ICE on Sat. evening.

WEATHER MAP http://i.imwx.com/images/maps/current/curwx_600x405.jpg  

NOAA WEATHER MAP: http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/noaa/noaa.gif     

FORECAST: BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON  - UNDER A TROPICAL STORM WARNING

 Tropical Storm force SUSTAINED  winds (Btwn 39-73 mph) with rainfall between 3-6"  

*WINDS:  Sustained Tropical Storm Force Winds Are Expected To Begin Early Saturday Evening , overnight and thru Sunday morning.

* HEAVY RAIN/FLOODING -

* COASTAL FLOODING - a storm surge of 2 to 3 feet is expected saturday and saturday night.

Today:  Mostly cloudy.  scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon, ending by midnight.  high near 87  Low 71

Saturday: Tropical storm conditions possible.  Showers / thunderstorms after 2pm.   Northeast wind increasing to 31 mph. GUSTS to 37 mph. High 80.

Saturday Night: Tropical storm conditions expected. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. HEAVY RAINFALL, Winds SUSTAINED to 43 mph.. North wind 33 to 43 mph.     2 and 3 inches Rain possible. Low around 69.  **DO NOT GO OUTSIDE**

Sunday: Cloudy, WINDY, Sustained winds to 33 mph, decreasing in afternoon. Showers  ending by  2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 80.     1 and 2 inches RAIN possible.

Sunday Night:   Partly cloudy, scattered showers and breezy, with a low around 63.  

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.

LIVE RADAR: http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=LWX&product=NCR&overlay=11101111&loop=yes

"For Good" - a great song from WICKED

We were treated to see the musical "Wicked" last weekend and it was great!  This song, "For Good" was at the end and a wonderful song. Two of the singers/actors on GLEE did a version, and it's awesome. We think you'll enjoy it, too. 


Tom found the lyrics!

I’ve heard it said that people come into our lives

For a reason bringing something we must learn

And we are led to those who help us most to grow

If we let them and we help them in return

Well I don’t know if I believe that’s true

But I know I am who I am today

Because I knew you.

Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun

Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood

Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better

‘Cuz I knew you

I have been changed for good.

It well may be that we will never meet again

In this lifetime so let me say before we part

So much of me is made from what I learned from you

You’ll be with me like a handprint on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know what that you have rewritten mine

By being my friend.

Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea

Like a seed dropped by a skybird in a distant wood

Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better, but

Because I knew you

I have been changed for good.

I do believe I have been changed for the better

Because I knew you

I have been changed for good.”

Biggest Earthquake Since 1730s Hits Washington DC Area

Our clock stopped at the exact time of our 5.9 mag quake!

Today, Tuesday, August 23, 2011 in Maryland we experienced a magnitude 5.9 earthquake at 1:51pm EDT.
According to the US Geological Survey, the temblor occurred at 1:51pm EDT (17:51 UTC).  The epicenter has been placed at 4 miles south of Mineral, Virginia, 39 miles from Richmond; 83 miles southwest of Washington DC and at a shallow depth of less than 1 mile.
Quake was felt across the region from NC to MA and west to Ohio, and southwest to Alabama.
  Aftershocks are possible in the next 36 hours*
MORE INFORMATION FROM USGS: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/us/c0005ild/us/index.html

QUAKE SAFETY FROM GEOLOGY.COM:
If you are indoors, stay there. Quickly move to a safe location in the room such as under a strong desk, a strong table, or along an interior wall. The goal is to protect yourself from falling objects and be located near the structural strong points of the room. Avoid taking cover near windows, large mirrors, hanging objects, heavy furniture, heavy appliances or fireplaces.
If you are cooking, turn off the stove and take cover.
If you are outdoors, move to an open area where falling objects are unlikely to strike you. Move away from buildings, powerlines and trees.
If you are driving, slow down smoothly and stop on the side of the road. Avoid stopping on or under bridges and overpasses, or under power lines, trees and large signs. Stay in your car

Movie Trailer for "Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance"

We really enjoyed the first Ghost Rider movie of this supernatural hero. Now a follow-up is coming out in February 2012!
  Here's the first movie trailer for Columbia Pictures' Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, starring Nicolas Cage, Fergus Riordan, Ciaran Hinds, Violante Placido, Idris Elba and Johnny Whitworth.
In the February 17 release, directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Johnny - still struggling with his curse as the devil's bounty hunter - is hiding out in a remote part of Eastern Europe when he is recruited by a secret sect of the church to save a young boy (Riordan) from the devil (Hinds). At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider, but it is the only way to protect the boy - and possibly rid himself of his curse forever.

Baltimore Comic-Con Pictures!

On Sunday, August 21, I returned to the Baltimore Comic-Convention for another year. Last year I dressed as Aquaman and this year because of the movie, I went as the Green Lantern. My friend Steve met me in the lobby to get a couple of pictures and then my friend and fellow comic book aficionado, Tom R joined me for the day, walking through the convention, shopping and admiring the great costumes. We stopped to take a lot of pictures with people (who were fans of Green Lantern) and with other heroes.What a GREAT TIME! (My Tom stayed home with the dogs).  Here are the pictures! 

Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan (me)

The 2 GLs with a mysterious figure nearby

Batman and Green Lantern

The Hulk!

Star Wars: Storm Trooper, Darth Vader, Imperial Soldier

Steve C.Meets GL in the lobby for pictures

Superman and Green Lantern

Thor and Green Lantern (John Stewart)

Tom R. Joins GL for a day of shopping!

GL and Zatanna the magician! (I love that character!)

What I've heard from Politics

GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry is OUT THERE. From the news, here are his views on issues:

1) He says EVOLUTION is "a theory" with "some gaps in it."
The Texas governor was responding to a question from a little boy in New Hampshire, who was prompted by his mother to ask the Republican candidate about the age of the Earth and evolution.
"I hear your mom was asking about evolution," Perry said today. "That's a theory that is out there -- and it's got some gaps in it." FULL STORY: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/08/rick-perry-evolution-presidential-race-/1?csp=Dailybriefing
2) GLOBAL WARMING - on 8/18 he said it's "not real" despite the fact that 98% of all scientists around the world know that it is. (Including ME).

BEWARE OF MARSHALL PECK - HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTOR IN MARYLAND

     For those of you that are regular readers of this blog, please disregard today’s posting. The intended reader of this posting is someone searching the Internet for information leading to Marshall F. Peck – something we should have done before entering into a contract with him to renovate a bathroom in our house. The timing is right for doing this, as we have exhausted every available means to seek remuneration – to make things right – hoping that Mr. Peck would return the money that he stole from us.

     In late November 2009, I (Tom) signed a contract with Mr. Peck to gut and remodel a small 35 sf bathroom in our house. A deposit of $2500 was paid at contract signing, approximately 1/3 of the contract amount. Mr. Peck started the work within one week, and promised to complete the project by Christmas. Work progressed slowly, sometimes days would pass with no one showing up to work. Debris from the demolition was piled in the driveway out in front of the house.

     In early December, Mr. Peck showed up and requested another draw, which was paid. Note to the reader: On days that Marshall wishes to be paid, he will show up with a crew of workers and there will be a flurry of activity to impress the homeowner, and lull him into a false sense of security that something is happening. Another $3,000 was paid to Mr. Peck and he promptly disappeared for another week.

     In late December, it was apparent that the bathroom was not going to be completed by Christmas. There was a pile of dirt in the corner. All of the drywall had been removed. The plumbing had been roughed-in for the new shower. New materials had been stored in the garage. And the pile of debris in the driveway remained. He showed up on Saturday, December 23, in true form with a crew in tow. He asked for another draw. Another payment of $2500 was paid to Mr. Peck. This was the last day that we saw Mr. Peck in person and the last day that we spoke to him.

     In early January, one of Mr. Peck’s workers showed up at our house on a Sunday evening, and informed us that he had not been paid for work done on our house and that he was going to file a mechanic’s lien against our property. I paid the worker what he said he was due. We told the worker that no one has shown up to finish the bathroom and we could not get Mr. Peck to return our phone calls. The worker said that he was told by Mr. Peck to not return to our house. The worker said that he and his brother could finish our project in two weeks if we hired him, which we promptly did. The bathroom was eventually finished, but it took three weeks.

     After several months of attempting to reach Mr. Peck by phone, requesting the return of a portion of what he was paid, and receiving no response, we sued Mr. Peck in the District Court of Prince George’s County. Mr. Peck was duly served but did not appear in court on the appointed court date. A default judgment against Mr. Peck was awarded for the amount requested. We hired an attorney to assist us in collecting the judgment. We discovered that Mr. Peck has nothing in his name. The house in which he lives, in West River, is in the name of his wife, Tamra Peck. We also found that Mr. Peck has 16 judgments against him, which can be discovered by searching the court records which are posted online. He has duped just about everyone from an electrical supplier to a roofing and siding company to other homeowners like us. Of course, he never responded to the correspondence from our attorney.  We filed a motion, signed by a judge, compelling Mr. Peck to respond to the attorney’s letter. No response. We subsequently appealed to the Maryland State’s Attorney’s Office - Consumer Protection Division, the Better Business Bureau, and the Maryland Home Improvement Commission, not necessarily to seek their help in getting Mr. Peck to return the money, but with the hope that they would take note that this guy was operating in the state and ripping people off. All of our correspondence to these resources was returned; these agencies have no interest in shutting this guy down and prevent him from operating in the state.

     So we are posting this blog. If your Internet search has brought you here, beware of Marshall F. Peck. He is known to be operating in the Bowie and Potomac areas of the State of Maryland. In addition to operating under his own name, he is also conducting business under PARSONS DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, LLC. When we knew him, he was driving a late model Ford pickup truck, maroon color, with Virginia plates, with damage to the rear tailgate.

     We recommend that you do not engage him in any home improvement project.

Howard County Historical Museum Ghost Hunt: PART 4: The Preacher

Last week's blog mentioned my joining the Inspired Ghost-trackers of Odenton, Md. to investigate the Howard County Historical Museum in old Ellicott City, Md.     Read the previous blog to follow the investigation. 
  My friend Troy, also a medium was also on the investigation and often times we verify what the other picks up on during ghost adventures. 
   Churches always have a lot of emotional energy - whether over deaths, or praise. This was no different. In fact, between the emotional imprint of energies in the church and the hundreds of personal artifacts donated to the museum, it was overwhelming with energy to me. 
 - It was like listening to 100 radio stations at the same time and trying to tune into what was playing on one station. Overwhelming! 
 - One time I was able to "Tune in" was when I stepped on the "stage" or where the pulpit used to be. I immediately sensed a lot of residual energy (not an intelligent haunt) of a preacher that had a lot of emotional sermons there. It was so strong that he gave me a "picture" of his appearance in my mind, so I immediately jumped down off the stage and grabbed my notebook and drew his picture. 
 - Although it could've been any preacher, this one was balding with glasses but had a very pronounced chin. 

 - The museum curator gave me a book filled with photos of all of the preachers that ever preached at that church. There was only ONE exact match!!  Rev. Theodore (Ted) Dewitt Taylor Sr. who was the pastor from 1956 to 1962.  
  Here's a photo of Pastor Taylor next to the quick drawing I made of who I saw at the pulpit. Although I made the face longer, the chin juts out a little and the nose is wide.  It was his energy that remained on that stage (although he's not there anymore).
  

Howard County Historical Society Museum Ghost Hunt: PART 3: The Cook

Last week's blog mentioned my joining the Inspired Ghost-trackers of Odenton, Md. to investigate the Howard County Historical Museum in old Ellicott City, Md.     Read the previous blog to follow the investigation. 
  My friend Troy, also a medium was also on the investigation and often times we verify what the other picks up on during ghost adventures. This was no different.
  After we all went through the upstairs and downstairs of this church-turned museum we all congregated back near the old stage and altar to talk about our experiences. 
  Troy had investigated the basement on his own with a tape recorder.  Earlier, Ronda (from the Ghost-trackers) and I went down stairs. 

Margaret and Ronda listening to our experiences

  Once everyone was seated we shared experiences. Troy said that at the back of the building he sensed a matronly woman with greying hair in a bun, who was preparing meals for the church goers or just men and women. She was very concerned about getting everything right. 
 - I had written down a similar experience when I was in that same area in the basement. Sometimes I can touch and object and get a sense of a person connected with it. I touched a knob on an old black stove (circa mid 1900s) and sensed a woman in a white dress or apron, in charge of preparation of meals for a large group of people. She was very meticulous and dedicated to feeding those people. She also resembled Troy's description. 
 -After telling our stories, the museum curator said that the basement was once a restaurant in the mid-1900s- and the kitchen was close to where the stove was now buried under boxes. 

  Both Troy and I also felt that this woman was residual and not an intelligent haunt. That means, she can't answer questions or interact with the living. It's just that she had so much passion for cooking for people that her energies remained behind.

Margaret asking questions during an EVP session to get ghostly answers

  ENERGY AND OBJECTS- As I mentioned previously, when we're emotionally attached to an object, our energy also attaches to it. It's like leaving an energy "thumbprint" behind that others may be able to "See" or read. That's what happened with the area of the kitchen in the basement and the stove where the woman cooked.

Howard County Historical Society Ghost Hunt: PART 2: Tingling Chairs

Juror's Chairs with a lot of residual energy

Last week's blog mentioned my joining the Inspired Ghost-trackers of Odenton, Md. to investigate the Howard County Historical Museum in old Ellicott City, Md.     Read the previous blog to follow the investigation. 

  When my friend Troy (also a medium) and I approached the front left corner of the room, Troy sensed a strong energy. I walked over to two identical chairs because I was drawn to them. I touched the arm of one of the chairs and felt "pins and needles" in my fingertips that spread throughout my hand. It was residual energy of anxiety and nervousness. That's when I looked at the sign on the chairs to see that they were seats for jurors in the nearby courthouse! 

  -It made perfect sense. Jurors, especially those debating for the life or death of a defendant would feel nervous or anxious. 

Ronda also gets the "pins and needles" feeling.

  Troy touched the chairs and experienced the exact same feeling. In fact, the tingling shot all the way up his arm, he told me and Ronda from the Ghost tracker group. We wanted to verify this, so we also asked Ronda to put her hand there, and she, too, experienced the pins and needles feeling in her hand.

  The bottom line is that if we are experiencing a lot of emotion while holding an object, or about an object, some of our energy will be absorbed or imprinted into it. 

   *NEXT   IN PART 3, Troy and I sense the same Female Presence

   *COMING  IN PART 4, A former pastor enables me to draw him, and then I find a photo of him that matches!

Ghost Hunt: Howard County Historical Society Museum: PART 1

Entrance Sign

Will and Tom outside the entrance of the museum

This weekend Tom and I and our friend Will (who was visiting us) joined the Inspired Ghost-Tracking group of Odenton, Md. for a ghost investigation at the Howard County Historical Museum in old Ellicott City. The museum is located in an old church that sits atop a hill looking over downtown, historic Main Street. Old Ellicott City was founded in the late 1700s by the Ellicott Brothers from Pennsylvania - who opened three mills. The town, which became the site of the first passenger railway station for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, became very popular during the Civil War. It is extremely haunted because two rivers run through it, and the water energy keeps the ghosts powered up.  

Inside the church part of the museum

 -  In my book "Ghosts and Spirits: Insights from a Medium" (paperback, e-book, kindle), I wrote about several ghostly encounters I had in various buildings throughout the city. This was my first time in this building, far removed from the Main Street.

 - I'm breaking this down into several different blogs because there would be too much to read. 

  ENTRY 1: When I initially walked into the building I felt nothing. Usually I get a headache in the back of my head whenever there's a ghost or a spirit (who crossed into the light) present. I walked through the entry way and first room. When I got to the doorway on the left, that led into the small church (the room I first walked through was for a reception area outside of the worship area) I DID get a headache. 

 - Because ghosts and spirits are energy, they overload the electrical impulses in my brain and give me a headache. 

 - So, something was there- either residual (emotional energy attached to something) or an intelligent haunt, where ghosts can respond and answer questions. I sensed a more residual presence. 

  - My friend Troy was with us, and he's also a developing medium. Often, he and I sense the same things and compare notes to later find out we met the same entity.

 Troy also sensed a male presence in the back left corner of the church after walking through that doorway where I got my headache. We both felt that the energy was residual.

Stained glass window at back of bldg of 2 angels

   As we went into the church area, we also sensed a female energy and were drawn to one old wooden chair with broken spokes.

  It wasn't until we got to another piece of furniture that we really got something interesting. 

  WATCH FOR THAT IN PART 2.

Tom's Sister Visits- Cafe Hon

Tom's sister and her boyfriend and daughter visited us last weekend and we took them to Baltimore's unique cafe, "Cafe Hon." A Hon is a local Baltimore woman with large hair, piled atop her head, a head band, brightly colored clothing (1960ish), gaudy sunglasses, high heels, etc. and the baltimore "Hon" accent. The Cafe is in the Hampden area of Baltimore which is filled with interesting little shops.
    The Cafe Hon has goofy memorabilia all over it- including an Elvis statue. Worth the trip!

Cafe Hon's dessert counter

Elvis Statue in the Cafe

Outside of Cafe Hon with the famous Pink Flamingo

Walking the sidewalks, exploring the shops

Fiona tries on a wig to be like a Baltimore Hon

Blair's Grandparents' old home in Baltimore

Gay couples in Md. up more than 50%

New article in the Balitmore Sun: CENSUS DATA IS IN FOR MARYLAND: Gay couples account for about eight of every 1,000 households in the state, according to the census data, collected in the spring and summer of 2010.

    Opposition to gay marriage (also known as IDIOTS) in Maryland is largely due to strongly held religious beliefs. Black churches from Prince George's County and the Baltimore area led the push against the 2011 bill. Roman Catholic leaders also have opposed the measure, and Baltimore Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien (LOSER)  recently urged Gov. Martin O'Malley not to promote "a goal that so deeply conflicts with your faith."

**I (Rob) will NEVER give a cent to a Catholic Church again as long as I live. 

**I urge people who have any sense in their head at all, and whom attend these churches to voice your opposition for the churches hateful intolerance. Everyone deserves to be treated equally. PERIOD.

FULL STORY FROM THE BALTIMORE SUN: 

Gay couples in Md. up more than 50%

Change over past decade reflects increased acceptance, experts say
 LINK: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-census-same-sex-couples-20110811,0,3710371.story

Franklin now a tropical storm!

Franklin

 Like our Dachshund, Franklin...The low pressure area in the Atlantic Ocean called System 95L formed into 6th Tropical depression and strengthens to TROPICAL STORM FRANKLIN! - 3 other lows trail behind in Atlantic. Franklin at sea, near 37.9N 60.4W, 460 miles NNE or Bermuda,max. winds 40 mph, moving NE @20mph. 1006 mb. This Infrared image from the GOES-13 satellite shows all 4 systems this morning at 4:45 a.m. EDT!

Take a Virtual Tour of NASA Goddard!

Take a Virtual Tour of NASA Goddard! - If you've never taken a behind-the-scenes tour of NASA Goddard, now you can. The office I work in has created a really cool interactive/video/animated tour of what happens behind the scenes at Goddard: http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/goddardVT/