Ghosts of Alcatraz: San Francisco, CA

There are many tales of the famous Alcatraz prison, from Al Capone to Machine Gun Kelly and the famous escape that Hollywood films have re-enacted over the years. But what some may not know are the strange ghostly accounts that have been occurring all over the prison. One tale I wanted to investigate was the ghost of Al Capone.

As the story goes, Capone's health was failing due to illness, yet he played the banjo for the prison band. Due to Capone's deteriorating mental state and to avoid fights out at the prison yard. He was given permission to practice in the shower room. An Alcatraz park ranger recalls hearing the distinct sound of music playing in the shower room. It sounded like a banjo. He had no other explanation for this, but many familiar with the history of Alcatraz do.

I headed for the showers and surprisingly enough, it is the first room I entered for the Alcatraz tour. Now the room is much larger than expected with a winding path around the showers to the awaiting tour guides. The audio is tough to navigate due to the acoustics of the room, so recording would unfortunately capture every voice and noise possible. The tour was about to start, I set up a digital recorder and tried to capture the music first hand.

Book Review: The Serpent Grail by Philip Garnier and Gary Osborn

Ever wondered what the two snakes that symbolize medicine represent?
Caduceus

The Serpent Grail investigates the history of the serpent and its influence on mythology, religion and science. Garnier and Osborn delve into such fascinating myths as the Philosopher's Stone, the Elixir of Life, the Naga Serpent Lords and the Holy Grail, explaining the possible connections of their existence through symbolism, photographic documentation and historical accounts. They examine the cultural affects of the serpent and the power that it has on cultures across the world. I thought their research makes a strong point, that we don't understand everything about the mysteries of serpents and snakes. And the possibility that they are the link to eternal life and divine healing.

Book Review: How to be a Ghost Hunter by Richard Southall

A vast compendium of knowledge for any ghost hunting enthusiast. Southall's book breaks down the ghost hunting field to lamens terms by defining what a ghost hunter does from a hobbyist level to a professional driven to create a ghost hunting organization. How to be a Ghost Hunter differentiates the paranormal forms in thorough, yet simplistic definitions by explaining auditory sounds and physical manifestations. He even goes over equipment choices when starting out, and the political side of counseling clients and dealing with naysayers. The price is well worth the knowledge that he offers in this guide.