My Skewed View of Death – According to Steve Huff

May 23, 2015 Alex Matsuo

I’m not an avid follower of Steve Huff, who runs Huff Paranormal. However, I do watch his stuff from time to time. I have to give the guy credit, as he has drawn a very large audience with his work and giving exposure to the paranormal field. He has made a name for himself specifically for the fact that he released a video of his communication attempts with Robin Williams, after the famous actor committed suicide. I’m not going to comment on that. This blog is specific to his published session where he tried to communicate with the late B.B. King, who passed away on May 14, 2015 in his sleep.

On May 15th, Huff posted a video where he tries to communicate with King, at the request of over 50 of his followers, per the screenshot below.

Steve Huff posts his session with BB King.

Given that 24 hours hadn’t even passed since the singer’s death, I had a moral issue with it. Given that I recently dealt with a devastating death myself, I found the timing to be extraordinarily distasteful. So, I let Huff know how I felt.

According to Steve Huff, my view of death is skewed and negative. My comment was not to defend the dead, but instead, speaking for the grieving. As paranormal investigators, we seem to forget that the dead were once living people. Regardless of how long ago they died, they left behind loved ones who mattered to them far more than what we matter to them. If the deceased had the choice to communicate with us, or their loved ones, I’ll take a gamble to say that they will gravitate towards their loved ones.

The grieving people left behind are the ones who are suffering. They are the ones screaming and crying at the loss of their precious family member who is no longer with them. No longer can they hug them in this world, tell them that they love them, hear their voices speaking to them. That void is devastatingly fresh after a loved one passes.

Sometimes, there is a difference in doing the right thing, and what the public wants. Sometimes the public doesn’t want you to do the right thing, but instead they want you to indulge their curiosities and needs. Feeding the beast isn’t always the right thing to do.

Perhaps my view on death is skewed and negative right now…and yeah, that is because my mother died less than 6 months ago. I miss her, and I would give anything to have her back with me. But that isn’t possible. If that makes my comment silly and irrelevant, so be it.

To Steve Huff (if you’re reading) and his defenders/fans, this is who I am speaking up for:

How would Shirley King feel about Huff’s session with his Andre’s Box and SCD-1?

While I can’t speak for her, I can relate to Shirley King in this picture, as it has been me since January 30, 2015. I still scream and cry, even though almost four months have passed. When you have lost a parent, your rock and your foundations are gone. It is a pain that I wish on no one. But it is a pain that I wish more people have compassion and sympathy for. But in truth, I doubt that Shirley was even offered an option or a choice.

There is a certain decorum that we as a society follow after someone dies. Typically, people gather and come together to support the people left behind by the deceased. There is the process of grief that we all feel when we lose a loved one. Those who come together in support understand that there are cues to follow in terms of what the grieving are ready to endure. What that is can vary from making funeral arrangements to getting out of bed. Grief is a funny process that can leave you catatonic on some days. In connecting this with the paranormal, I feel that even if establishing communication could lead to the Holy Grail of data, the grieving needs to be considered.

I’m not going to question whether Huff really made contact with B.B. King, as I feel it is moot. It is the very action of trying to establish contact with a dead celebrity, and then post it for the public right away without any regard to the grieving. Just because someone was famous, doesn’t mean that they are fair game for continued exploitation after death for views or social media followers. They deserve better than that. Their living relatives that are left behind deserve better than that. These people are not research tools…they are human beings. I personally feel that if Huff was genuine in his actions, he would have privately contacted King’s family (or representatives) to let them deal as they decide on what to do with the data of THEIR deceased member of THEIR family.

In closing, that decision should not have been made for them.

Reading Real Books

October 22, 2011 Alex Matsuo

I have yet to purchase a Kindle or anything that would force me to read from a screen. There is something about holding a book in your hand, touching the pages, holding the book at weird angles in the pursuit of comfort, the smell of old books…the list goes on.

I’m sure eventually I will succumb to the fast pace of technology and buy a Kindle. A good example would be if I were traveling for a long period of time and I didn’t want to carry a million books in my bag. That makes sense and is logical. But with the recent closure of Borders, I’ve been thinking, is this the downfall of books as we know it? I certainly hope not. Only because technology will fail us eventually and we won’t have a resource for some of the world’s greatest literature. Plus, Kindle prices are that much different from buying the tangible book so…I don’t know…buy the actual book?

I’m a traditionalist I suppose. I don’t want to cross over into the Kindle world yet. I want to hang on to my paperback and hardcover books, curl up with a cup of tea, wrapped in blankets and read the night away.

A Farewell to Childhood

May 30, 2011 Alex Matsuo

Tonight, I finally saw Toy Story 3. I know…egads! That movie has been in theaters and to DVD. Why did I wait this long to finally see it? Lack of time. The usual excuse. So, get your freak outs out of your system that I didn’t see this movie sooner. Because that’s not what this posting is about.

Toy Story came out when I was around 9 years old. I remember seeing it in theaters and being in awe of the new animation I was seeing on screen. It was Pixar’s first hit. Anyway, I could totally relate to Andy and his toys. A few years later, Toy Story 2 came out and I saw that in theaters as well. It was okay. Not better than the original, but it was okay. The movies reminded me of my own relationship with my toys. Being an only child, you had to entertain yourself somehow.
Anyway, most of you who know me, know that I cry easily during movies. Well, let me rephrase that, I cry easily in certain scenarios. We all have “that movie” that makes us lose it. Movies such as Anna and the King, The Chipmunks Movie (specifically during the Mother song), The Iron Giant, The Green Mile, etc. The list goes on.
I wasn’t expecting Toy Story 3 to affect me the way that it did. I was a bit embarrassed since I was watching it with a friend. I made it through most of the movie without crying. The incinerator scene got me a tad emotional and thank God for the “Claw” line from the aliens to get me back to normal. But…the scene where Andy’s mom is in his room…that got me slightly started with a few tears. I didn’t realize it would be a warm-up to what was coming. When Andy is introducing his toys to Bonnie one by one, I started weeping. Then when he finally lets go of Woody, I was a mess. That scene went both ways. Woody was already in the “college” box getting ready to leave and the rest of the toys were going to go to Bonnie. But Woody let Andy go, and then Andy finally let Woody go.
And…here I start crying again just thinking about it, I suppose it’s all still fresh.
Then the last playtime with the toys. Beautiful scene. The final goodbye though had me in a huge mess. When Bonnie moves Woody’s hand to say goodbye to Andy, his reaction got me going (good job Pixar). Andy looks fondly at the toys one last time, he says, “Thanks, guys”…and I had to start wiping my eyes at a faster rate so I could see what was happening on the screen. Then Woody’s, “So long…partner” finished me.
So why did this movie make me the blubbering mess that writes this to you?
I remember saying goodbye to my own toys and donating them to charity. I still have my teddy bear that was given to me on the day I was born. When I was old enough, I named the bear, “Precious”. Precious went through all my surgeries with me growing up and even has the stitching to match my own scars. This film represented the final goodbye to my childhood. I’m sure there is a contrast between the children and the young adults who viewed this film, and I bet they saw two different movies. I remember there being a Facebook group regarding young adults telling the kids to move over since Toy Story was a part of our childhoods and we grew up with Andy and the franchise. For me, the film ended beautifully. It was the perfect closure to one of my favorite Disney stories while I was growing up.
Well, it’s after midnight and I’m exhausted from a day of doing nothing (yay days off!). So I shall close this post with a classic from my childhood.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB2gPZRsz0Q]

Awareness

May 14, 2011 Alex Matsuo

This has been a thought that has been on my mind for the last two weeks. I was in a meeting with some people discussing an upcoming production, just to watch. I was a guest in the room so I was keeping to myself and observing the people around me. That was when I saw it: a bug. It looked like a hybrid between an earwig and a tiny spider. It was gross. It was crawling across the table in front of me. I was still listening to a donor boast about their recent donation to the arts, but my mind was fixed on the creature ahead of me. The woman who was sitting where the creature was didn’t even notice it. It began to crawl on her thermos. Still, nothing. She didn’t notice. I became fascinated. Wasn’t she aware that there was a creepy hybrid creature crawling on her thermos? Instead of saying anything, I just sat there and wondered how long it would take her to notice the creature. The creature has proceeded to crawl on her FINGER, up the arm and now it was on her shoulder. I suppose I should have said something by now but I figured, if she hadn’t noticed the bug by now, it was her own fault. The creature crawled onto the chair, through the carpet and found a hole in the wall to escape through. See? No harm done.
After that little experiment, I began to observe around me the awareness of other people. The digital age has made it much worse. Since our cellphones have come to the point of controlling our cars and the alarm systems in our homes, why would a person look up from their phone? Why bother to refrain from texting while we are driving? Why refrain from answering a phone call on a date? I’m guilty of the above situations I’ve mentioned (except for the date scenario). I admit it. But now I’m aware I do it.
Hey, I can see my house on Google Maps!
Then another event happened that reminded me of the awareness topic. A friend of mine just recently had a baby, and there were no photos yet of the new little one. Eager friends started posting on her wall for pictures of the new baby. I sort of giggled at the situation because I knew eventually there would be pictures and since childbirth isn’t necessarily the most relaxing experience, she would be busy and I would see this bundle of joy eventually. I sarcastically and jokingly stated on a wall post, “It isn’t like she’s busy with a newborn or anything.” To which one of the mom’s replied, “ok…I realize that they are busy with a newborn…but this is 2011 and everyone has a camera on their phone…take a pic and then when you have a sec…I don’t know grabbn a cup of coffee or something…” I didn’t quote the entire passage just because it includes the baby’s name, etc. ANYWAY, this made me laugh because I really believe someone needs to invent the sarcasm font so that there isn’t misunderstandings. But then I returned to my serious self and began to think about 2011 and the idea of technology. Is it at our service, or are we really its slave?
Since when do we have to upload pictures and update our hundreds of friends on our daily lives? Some people are becoming just as bad as spammers with the constant bugging for updates on life, posting their statuses every hour, etc. Spammers are easier to deal with because I can just delete the email. 🙂 And since when did our lives revolve around Facebook? Goodness, you can even update your MySpace with Facebook now. You can update your Facebook from your car! Since when did Facebook become the dictator of our personal lives? When did the Internet become so invasive? I’m talking to you Google Maps, Spokeo, BeenVerified.com and WebMii…just to name a few. I supposed back in the day before computers, one could visit the library or the office of public records and try to find the same information. But the internet has made it easier.
I know what you’re going to say, “But Google Maps makes it so much easier to get to places now!” or “I can stay in touch with people from elementary school!”
Here’s what I think…I’ll pick on Facebook for a second. Facebook makes us lazy when it comes to communication. It’s an ironic statement. But think about it. I don’t have to call my best friend in Oklahoma to find out what’s new in her life. I can go to Facebook, and she can go to my Facebook. But she’s awesome and I enjoy talking to her so I call her anyway. But what about my more casual friends? How many times have we skipped a long story by saying, “Just check my Facebook.”? I have about 1001 friends. I’m a little disgusted at myself. I know about half of them thanks to my line of work and my various activities in my personal life. But why that many friends? And you know someone is completely done with you when they DELETE you from their friends list, oh my! And Facebook pretty much gives permission to crazy moms to update the world with TMI worthy postings about their babies…fondly made fun of on my favorite website, STFU, Parents.
If I remember correctly, Skynet became self-aware on April 19th, 2011.
Our phones are smarter than us. We use them for directions, for information, for pictures, etc. What did we do before we had cellphones? I know it’s crazy to even think back to before we had cellphones or even back to the “trendy” Nokia phones with their gray and black pixelated screen with the coolest game on the planet…Snake. Cellphones have come a long way since I was an undergrad in college. I’m 25 so it wasn’t even that long ago! And with cameras on cellphones, goodness gracious! My Newsfeed is filled with photos of meals, drunken nights in the clubs, people tanning at the beach, or self-portraits in the bathroom.
Technology is out of control, in my most humble opinion.
I’m presenting a challenge to myself, and I invite you to join me if you’re up for it. I’ll start in baby steps. Update your status once a day. Post one link a day…maybe more if the material is either hilarious or absurdly profound. Only take pictures of incredibly awesome and rare moments (so no pictures of your lunch, or of you drunk in the club).
They don’t call it a challenge for nothing.
But anyway, back to my title…Awareness. Because of these cool new gadgets, it makes us even more unaware of the world around us and our surroundings. And these gadgets are combining forces which makes them even more powerful. And we keep feeding the machine. We would rather risk getting into a car accident by answering a text immediately. Something is wrong.
Now I shall depart so I can post this link on Facebook. Ah…the cycle continues.