Two Riddles

This I came up on my own, based off of the events from my birthday:
-4 people went to see a movie together, then later 4 people ate dinner together. There were 6 people in total. How is this possible?

I first heard this back in Math class in Grade 10. I don’t remember the exact words the substitute teacher said but it’s something like this:
-(I’ve been told this happens in Singapore, something like that) Say you were a prisoner about to be set free, but you must give a statement of some kind to the judge. If the statement is true, you will be shot. If the statement is false, you will be hung. What should you say?

Answers are in the comments.

Logic

for those who know the concept of “Becoming a Fan” on Facebook fanpages

There is a fanpage on Facebook called “I was living when the 2O1O Games were held in Vancouver, BC.”

But what if one is now dead and was alive during the games? How is fanning the page possible?

Ah-HA.

I was living when the 2O1O Games were held in Vancouver, BC

Guan Yu

To coincide with Chinese New Year, here’s a very obscure video:

In 1976, there was a film which involved the Chinese deity, Guan Yu, battling… giant aliens…yeah. What an odd yet fascinating (if one can call it that) concept.

Wonder if there were Guan Yu purists who viewed this as blasphemy. (maybe that’s why it’s so unknown, and lost)

Check out that crazy smile!

One can almost hear him laughing like a maniac

I don’t know why but I find this photo to be hilarious.

Here’s where it originated from.

Christmas 2009 – Yule Log

Play this with some Christmas tunes from the 60′s-80′s (and turn off the video’s audio) and you’ll get the same experience I have. Makes it more Christmasy that way.

Christmas 2009 – Santa Claus on Twitter

With the creation and functions of Twitter, one definitely has the advantage of impersonating a fictional character. One big example is definitely (oh, come on, I’m sure you know since it’s in the post title) Santa Claus, or billions of Santa Clauses. Here are two Santas that stood out to me more than others, and have lots to say about:

SantaClaus
I first discovered this Santa-on-Twitter last year when reading about it in my local free-newspaper, 24 Hours. It said something about how all of a suddenly people started acting nice ever since the man himself started following people.

Regarding this Santa, I personally feel that this is the most honest and realistic one out of all the accounts. He would post updates of what’s happening at the North Pole where it’s perfectly imaginable, and would even update during his trip around the world (sometimes including pictures)!

This year was kind of a… I don’t know what happened to him since he didn’t update since November 27th and his personal webpage is completely down. Now, this may sound corny/stupid, but it actually made me really worry as it’s almost like he died. Although I’m sure his “excuse” for this is that he’s been busy, as he once had said to me before. Well, I hope he’ll be back soon.

So hands down, this Santa is the REAL Santa Claus.

SantaClaus25
This Santa Claus… I really don’t like. Okay, granted, he was like the Santa Claus everyone knows… last year. Now he’s all SPAM. I mean, look at his recent updates!

“Ohoho! We’re having a good time! <insert something fun here>”
“PLEASE CALL ME AND I WILL ANSWER YOU LIVE…andyouhavetopaymoneyforit.”
“Ay!! We’re so busy!!”
“LIVE PHONE CALLS FROM ME!!”

When I first discovered this Santa, there was always that feeling where something isn’t right. I can’t really explain here, but it’s like this Santa is… a fraud. Or something like that. His forum (former web link on his profile) used to have a link to Rudolph25′s Twitter page, but it leads you to a suspended page. Oops! That right there gives more to what I think of SantaClaus25.

Now his “main” web link is all CALL ME! CALL ME! CALL ME! =D andpayforittoo. I mean, it sounds fun but seriously, I’m sure Santa Claus would not want to be paid for calling & exciting people.

Clever marketing scheme, though.

Oh, and this Santa tried getting me to follow him after I told the original Santa about my concern of his inactivity. Uh, no thank you.

Some other interesting Santas, which I have a few words about:

RealSantaClaus
Whoever made this Santa is an idiot.

CallsFromSanta
This is SPAM Santa. Much worse than SantaClaus25.

NorthPoleCEO
Uh.. at least he tried? He has a blog. That’s cool. He’s on the original Santa’s helper list. That’s also a plus.

Oh_Santa_Baby
I find it really interesting that this Santa sounds very much like a young person, has high knowledge of icons and celebrities, likes to act like James Bond, and is from California (or Canada, whatever “CA” is referring to).

[I forgot the username]
There was that one Santa Claus who randomly followed me the other day, then suddenly disappeared a day later or so.

KOREASANTA
I find it highly amusing that there’s a Korean Santa, or at least a Santa Claus that can speak Korean.

There’s a bajillion more Santas I can comment on, but you can find the rest on your own.

And be sure to welcome the man, too, when he arrives at your location.

Christmas 2009 – Garfield on CHRISTMAS

Taken from his Guide to Everything, here’s what Garfield has to say about the hoilday:

Forget chestnuts . . . I prefer corn dogs roasting on an open fire. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. After all, it features three of the things I love most: food, presents, and more food.

Then there are the special holiday traditions . . . like Jon’s annual decorating disasters (he’s spent five of the last six Christmas Eves in the ER) and Christmas on the farm (that’s when Jon’s dad wears his dress overalls).

And who can forget the charming TV shows that celebrate the season? Classics like “Hairy Larry, the Spider Who Saved Christmas” and “Stewey, the Anal-Retentive Elf.”

It sometimes seems that Christmas has become too commercial, but I know that the season really is bigger than the biggest package under the tree. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, “Christmas. It’s not the giving. It’s not the getting. It’s the loving.”

Christmas 2009 – Holiday Fireplace

For those who live in Canada and has Shaw Cable for their television, every year during Christmas season there’s a temporarily added channel called the Holiday Fireplace.

I first discovered this back in 2007 and got pretty fascinated by it, especially by the occasional arm-with-fork adding a new log. Now, being new to this channel, I wondered if it was 24/7 live. As I kept watching the channel, it showed a brief message of something like “Season’s Greetings from Shaw”, and then it replayed itself, revealing that it’s not live but just a recorded video. That made me a bit disappointed since, wouldn’t it be so cool to see a fireplace going active for 24/7 and be able to see it simply from one’s television?

(but if you think about it, that would take a lot of work with the keeping-watch-overnight and having loads of logs ready)

Quick Random Trivia: Last year my friend Lance told me he watched the channel for 3 hours. I guess he was very fascinated.

Apparently one can order this thing for free, which is kind of redundant unless he/she has bad cable or something.

Halloween 2009 – 13 Spookiest Hotels in Canada

Well, Halloween is almost over, I’m at home now, and to end this holiday off here’s a neat article I’ve found last year: The 13 spookiest hotels in Canada. Whether the stories are true or not, I’d like to get together with some friends and explore these places.

The Lady in Red is Dancing on the 14th Floor
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver in Vancouver, British Columbia
As one of the most distinguishable buildings in Vancouver and a typical Fairmont chateau establishment, today’s version was built in 1939. Amongst is grand architecture and its gargoyles, you may just find another one of its wonders: the lady in red. She has been described as an elegant lady in a red dress walking along an invisible ledge and wandering down the corridors of the 14th floor (or is it really the 13th?). Stranger still, the hotel’s elevator is known to make stops on the 14th floor at random, without being requested.

Sam the Bellman & The Blushing Bride
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta
The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel opened in 1888 and has since then has been the site of two major hauntings and ghost stories.

The first is about Sam the bellman who retired in 1967. He promised that he would return, but died a few years later. Well, he did return, and continues to do so today, especially for late-night arrivals to the hotel or guests who lose their keys. Watch out for a bellman wearing a 1960s classic hotel uniform.

A second story from the 1920s is told about a bride who was descending the grand stairwell in the hotel (rumoured to be closed to visitors today) on the way to her wedding ceremony. She tripped on her veil or it caught fire, and she fell down the stairs to her death, snapping her neck. She can be seen wandering through the hotel in her wedding dress. She is sometimes seen at the top of the stairs, but then disappears quickly.

A Restless Painter
James Bay Inn in Victoria, British Columbia
Famous Group of Seven painter: Emily Carr is known to have died here on March 2, 1945 during World War II. At the time, the hotel was converted by Mother Cecilia’s religious order to St. Mary’s Priory to service the wounded. The bar in the hotel is said to be haunted by anyone who speaks or criticizes Carr’s artwork.

Party with the Ghosts
HI Ottawa Jail Hostel in Ottawa, Ontario
I’ve heard people tell me about creepy hostels that they’ve visited and cramped “jail cell” hotel rooms — but this hostel in Ottawa takes it to another level. Before being converted to a hostel, the building served as the Carleton County Gaol — the last working gallows found in Canada. When you visit, you’ll spend a few nights in jail, and you’ll get a glimpse of what early prison life was like. A few famous prisoners who died in the jail still roam through its halls at night — so much so that the hostel owners host “Party with the Ghosts” evenings.

Banging on the Stairwell at Night
La Boheme Restaurant, Bed & Breakfast in Edmonton, Alberta
This bed and breakfast in Edmonton was built in 1912 as an upscale apartment building. A woman employee of the building was murdered and dragged down three flights of stairs to the basement. There, she was dismembered and fed piece-by-piece into the furnace. The original furnace is still in use — and the sound of her head banging on the floor down three flights can be heard at night.

Stay Away From the Second Floor
Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Whatever you do, don’t stay in Room 202. Stories circulate all over about a cloaked figure that stands at the foot of the bed in Room 202, though sometimes this figure is described as a lady in a white ball gown. Blood is said to trickle from the walls and hotel staff members are known to report strange lights and noises throughout the second floor.

Noisy Servant Girl
Auberge Willow Place Inn in Hudson, Quebec
It’s said that November is the month when this inn’s resident ghost, “Maude”, comes to play. First build in the 1820s, the story says that a young servant girl was murdered by a group of men at the inn in the 1830s. They buried her in the basement but her spirit remained at the inn. Maude can be heard singing in the hallways, knocking over objects, and stacking rocks outside of the door of Room 8.

A Crying Bride & A Wandering Waitress
The Fairmont Algonquin Hotel in Saint Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick
The hotel opened in 1889 and has been known as a luxurious yet magical destination because of the hotel’s saltwater baths that are thought to have healing properties. Room 473 is known as “The Bride’s Room” where a bride is know to have. She can be heard crying and seen periodically in the room or neaby. An older lady, thought to be an old staff member, is often seen in the dining room at night where she rearranges table settings.

Ghost on the Third Floor
Caribou Hotel in Carcross, Yukon Territory
Dedicated in 2008 as a Yukon Historical Site, this hotel was frequented by gold miners coming into town during the Klondike Gold Rush. It was open in 1901 as the Anderson Hotel but renamed in 1903. Caribou Hotel has a long-standing history, including the murder of owner Bob Olson in December 2004. Another story is told of the figure of a woman who often stands from the windows and bangs on the floorboards on the third floor. She is thought to be the ghost of Bessie Gideon, described as a spirit that is “neither friendly nor unfriendly.” The Gideons took over the hotel in the 1910′s after it was burned down by a great fire on Christmas Eve.

Ghosts Having a Ball
The Royal York Hotel in Toronto, Ontario
A penthouse at the Fairmont Royal York in downtown Toronto is rumoured to hold a grand Crystal Ballroom. It was permanently closed down because it failed to meet the fire code. But, it has been reported that there are times when the service elevator will go to this floor, even though it has been closed off. Guests who stay on the floor below (and who are none the wiser to its closing) have been known to complain about noise, music and talking coming from the ballroom where the chandeliers are also known to shake.

Knock Knock, Who’s There?
Hotel Douglas (now Hotel Rialto) in Victoria, British Columbia
The historical Hotel Douglas in Victoria was built in 1911 and located in downtown Victoria. It is undergoing construction under December 2009. Behind the hotel’s lobby desk where only employees are allowed, you’ll find the only door that leads in and out of the basement. Every once in a while, employees will hear knocking from inside. Upon opening the door, nobody is found on the other side. Apparently, the basement of Hotel Douglas was once a morgue.

Ghosts from the Titanic
Château Laurier in Ottawa, Ontario
As the first of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s hotels, Château Laurier was commissioned by Charles Melville Hays, a general manager at CPR. In 1912, Hays traveled to Europe to pick out the furniture that would be used in the new hotel’s dining room. Upon his return voyage on a passenger liner called the Titanic, Hays and most of his men drowned with the ship, just 12 days before the hotel’s opening. Hays is said to be seen throughout the hotel, making Château Laurier his home because he had worked so hard on it but never lived to see its opening. Guests are said to experience rattling and shaking walls, objects that move on their own, thought to be the ghosts of the other men who also died on the Titanic.

The Ghost of Unrequited Love
Château Frontenac in Quebec City, Quebec
Le Fairmont Château Frontenac is today recognized as United Nations World Heritage Site but it has also been known to have a few lurking ghosts. The ghost of a woman with long hair wearing a nightgown is often seen in guests’ rooms and in their beds. Another ghost is thought to be the late Louis de Buade, governor during the late 1600s. He is said to have died in the hotel while his fiancée was in Europe. He is often seen in his 17th century clothes, wandering the halls looking for her, sitting on windowsills, floating through the ballroom, and watching guests when they are sleeping.

Well, it’s been one funny Halloween this year. I hope the next year will be even better. Thank you if you have read one of the Halloween entries I’ve posted (if not all) and I hope you have enjoyed them.

If you’re still a tiny bit hungry for more creepy things to read about, here, read about the White Ladies from around the world, especially about the one in Union Cemetery in the US.

Hope you had a fun Halloween.

Halloween 2009 – Videos

Apologies for the lack of entries I’ve intended to post. I’m currently at a friend’s house and I have not been able to have computer access until now. But even then I’m sidetracked as I’m being a candy-giver and wearing an ugly, bloodied Dracula mask. Anyway, I have videos I’d like to show:

Ghost Wife – I have a story to go with this one: I first discovered this video at a friend’s house back in Summer 2007 while watching ghost videos. I noticed this “Ghost Wife” and decided to check it out. At first nothing seems to be happening so I went away for a bit. Then I came back and… well I’m not going to spoil the video, but anyway, I’m someone who’s easily scared so when I saw what frightened me I ran across the house in terror. Then I came back (and stood behind a pillar-ish structure) and saw the… I guess you call it the climax. Also, this video is the first of three so after it there are more you can watch. So anyway, that’s one video.

The Absolute Scariest Video on the Internet – See for yourself.

username:666 – Apparently the devil is on YouTube. The creepy thing is if you try going to 666′s channel, it actually shows a real suspended page. Hmm…

Japanese Ghost on Train Track – There’s something about Japanese ghosts that’s very intriguing to me, and one of them is this video. Look very carefully at the train’s window on the footage provided…

Japanese Mirror Ghost - Imagine your mirror not reflecting what you’re doing… but simply stare at you.

Ghost in Cemetery - This guy tries to communicate with a ghost… and doesn’t get the best result.

Well, that’s all I can provide (for now at least). I’m sure there are lots more you can find so have fun… and beware the fake ones containing a scary popup.

But if you actually took the time to sit through all the videos shown on this entry and is now too traumatized to sleep, well I hope these will cheer you up:

-Real Ghost Footage – Amateur fake-yet-hilarious ghost video (nothing scary! I promise!) featuring a music track from The Phantom of the Opera.

-Failed Saw Parody – “You wanna play a game?”

-Mr. Bean watches “A Nightmare [on Elm Street]“ – Mr. Bean is on a date and gets the most funniest fright of his life.

Oh and as of now, I’m no longer the Draculan candy giver.