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May 7, 1999
Gallery
Graphic evidence of dysfunction. A slide show of my life.
Digital Art
Proof that I'll never be a professional digital artist no matter what tools you give me.
Previous
November, 1996 in San Jose, California—What to say about the Winchester Mystery House except that the poor old woman was bats and they now charge too much for admission? This is the house that was built by the heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune, and the sad demented soul thought that the ghosts of those killed by the weapons would come back to haunt her. So she started adding onto her abode with a frenzied abandon rarely seen in those without mental illness. In short, she thought that by building dead-ends and doors that open to nowhere in the architecture of the home she could confuse and confound the otherworldly elements who were after her. I'm sorry to say that in cases like these, the demons get you one way or another. What a miserable life she must have led.
That depressing vibe pretty much permeating the place, you'd wonder why it would be as big of a tourist attraction as it is. Especially when they'll charge you $12-$15 to get in, and most of the upper part of the house is permanently closed because of the 1989 earthquake. Answer: There's a strange attraction when the rich do weird things. I'm not advocating repeated trips—once through this sorry woman's hell is enough—but it is somehow inherent in the human animal to be fascinated by what a lot of time, money and derangement will get you, and I guess in that sense I found it just as compelling as the rest of the tourists. (I will say, however, that my favorite part was the Winchester Rifle Museum located on the grounds.)