GHOST HUNTERS

If you’re here in the blog world, you’re already a published author. Yes, what you write on here can be found on the Internet forever. People borrow snippets, copy them, link them, and repeat them to others. You’ve thus in a rather subtle, but nevertheless effective way, left your mark in the literary world. Should that prospect not frighten you and you wish to be more readily accepted as a writer, I’d suggest you begin with the short story (or poetry). Both of these offer not only plenty of printed and online magazines and contests, but offer you the chance to work your skills before you put all your time and worth into a full-length novel that could be tossed from editor’s desk to editor’s desk ad infinitum. Google searches for horror writing contests and horror magazines will lead you along to a wide array. To start with, try a magazine that doesn’t offer cash. It sounds absurd, but the ones that do offer cash want a resume. That resume doesn’t write itself. The ones that don’t pay

What are ghosts made up of? There are lots of explanations. In the Victorian era, ghosts were proclaimed to be made of ectoplasm, a nasty substance that looked a bit like vomited cheesecloth ( perhaps because most times it was—by the deceptive medium during a séance ). AGH, ( my now favorite term for “After Ghost Hunters ”), investigators proclaim they are made of energy and they manifest by drawing energy from human bodies, batteries, the heat in the air, and anything else they can steal from. Apparently, these gypsies from the netherworld didn’t get the memo that modern office buildings with all their EMF producing devices make manifestations much quicker and easier and instead take the route of old home with no electricity in place. So, what are ghosts made of? If you watched the wonderful clip above from "American Paranormal," ( National Geographic Channel ) the answer will be similar to the one I proposed quite some time ago on my blog —neutrinos. As discussed in the sh

Admittedly, my ghost hunting kit includes everything from camcorder and digital camera to voice recorder, EMF meter, KII meter, pendulum, dowsing rods, thermometer, and other strange and unusual items. Still, I could put it all away and ghost hunt without tools. In fact, I really enjoy when I do that. I learn more those hours than hours of yanking out tool after tool and chasing things around a site to “capture it.” Women know this one. When you chase men, you can’t find a good one. The moment you’re in a happy relationship, men start to come to you. Well, ghosts are kinda the same way… Ghost hunt without tools? How do you get evidence? Any film I take, any EVPs I capture, and photos I take, any video with shadows moving can all be disputed as explainable or hoaxes. So, what is truly the use of trying to gather proof? To prove to whom? If you want to prove to yourself—you go without the equipment. Just you and a flashlight and maybe some mace—just in case humans are afoot. And, always,

From toddlerhood into teens, I grew up in a 250-year-old former Civil War field hospital used by both North and South during the war (as it straddled the boundaries of the Mason-Dixon line in Fairfax, Virginia). The wooden floors were stained with blood in large black splotches. Some parts of it repaired during turmoil with metal plates and rivets. Us five kids spent our free time with the metal detector digging up relics and displaying them in the cases within the huge window-lined art room where my mother taut art classes. I’d wiggle around in the crawlspace in the basement where I could fit more easily than my siblings, shimmying past the black snakes who wintered there, and digging around in the dirt like an amateur archaeologist, delighting in being the first one to touch the item before others corrupted the information it held within. The ability to read objects was as normal as a kid digging up bones and relics and living with ghosts… As a very young child, my concept of the hou

Does anyone above not belong there? Don't worry, CNN managed to get the blonde girl's hair dyed dark auburn now. So, what's this mean? Are they hot for auburn-haired lasses? Is CNN so cheap it buys one hair dye kit and divides it? Do they hope we will be comforted to have similar thembots fill in when the regular's shift is over? You judge.

I periodically go to my favorite horror movie site upcominghorrormovies.com and check on what's coming up. Luckily, since horror is the "in" thing, more quality moviemakers and actors are jumping on the bandwagon. Here's three promising upcoming horror movies I'm going to have to check out: Hereafter Release: December 2010 Director: Clint Eastwood Actors: Bryce Dallas Howard, Clint Eastwood Tells the story of three people -- a blue-collar American, a French journalist and a London school boy — who are touched by death in different ways Dream House Release: 2010 Director: Jim Sheridan Actors: Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts Revolves around a family that moves to a small town in Connecticut and learns that a mother and her two young children had been killed in their home. The killings were believed to be at the hands of the husband, who survived and may now be a threat to the new residents. Survival of the Dead Release: Limited May 28, 2010 Director: George Romer

" Plausible deniability is a political doctrine originally developed in the United States of America in the 1950s and applied to operations by the then newly formed Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Plausible deniability involves the creation of power structures and chains of command loose and informal enough to be denied if necessary. The idea was that the CIA (and, later, other bodies) could be given controversial instructions by powerful figures -- up to and including the president himself -- but that the existence and true source of those instructions could be denied if necessary; if, for example, an operation went disastrously wrong and it was necessary for the administration to disclaim responsibility. The doctrine had two major flaws. First, it was an open door to the abuse of authority; it required that the bodies in question could be said to have acted independently, which in the end was tantamount to giving them license to act independen

(ABOVE: Wait for the first full screen to go away and when it goes to four screens, look at the upper left screen) Puckett’s Auto Body, a wrecker service in Oklahoma City, did what any other business does by night; it videotaped sections of its junkyard to be certain no one was sneaking in and taking expensive parts. One night in 2002, however, something came out on one of the cameras that defied logic. An overnight dispatcher watched it live on film and was astounded. Most of us caught a glimpse of this on local news stations on a quiet news night. It caused a stir of skepticism and excitement. A family came forward. Their daughter had died in the car above which the figure was floating. They believed she was making one last showing for her children. Skeptical teams came forward to examine the tape and realize that it was a live tape, so the explanation had to be something in the lot. They tried a fishing pole and a toy on a string in front of the camera with a different looking very

Debe Branning from MVD Ghostchasers has a wonderful writeup on her Examiner site about the ghost hunt Julie and I attended last Saturday night. Enjoy!

I started off with a simple question that struck me one day when reading about infrasound ( a frequency below human hearing’s ability to hear ) and how ghosts supposedly communicate at this frequency range. Why, then, are we speaking to them at our Hertz level which is 800-1200 Hertz compared to their supposed 19 Hertz. If we’re having trouble hearing them, imagine what they must go through? Hmm… Well, if we’re going to believe ghosts speak at the level, then why aren’t we converting our voices to a level they can hear? For that matter, why aren’t we carrying meters to detect if that frequency is present? Yes, infrasound meters exist, like the Rion NA-18, but at a cost of 5K to 7K. Ouch! In studying infrasound I was learned a lot. Volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and even atomic bombs can create this frequency. Some animals use it, such as elephants, to communicate long distances because it creates great oscillations and can travel great distances easily. If you’ve ever f

If you love the show "A Haunting," John at Season of Shadows is having a great contest to win a season of it. Two box sets for two separate prizes. Good luck!

I wanted to do a series exploring some tools the ghost hunting trade needs so we can more easily get results. I was looking at National Geographic's site for their show American Paranormal and there is a video clip on the right called " Bad Vibes ." This is a theory I've been knocking around for some time and I'm thrilled someone picked it up and took off with it. The concept is, since ghosts are usually heard on EVPs in the 19 Hertz range, which is below human hearing levels, then what if they put a generator in the building to create this level and see what happens. What they found was that the human body (like the woofers on your sound system) feels the low range through it. The test group sent into Eastern State Penn definitely felt the sensations in their body and felt depressed, anxious, off balance, and heavy. Sound familiar? My question has always been, if ghosts supposedly speak to us at 19 Hertz, what the heck are we doing talking to them at our level (8

I “virtually met” Julie from Above the Norm probably a year or more ago. I was drawn to her blog because she wrote about lots of paranormal happenings and haunted places, especially in our Arizona region and had a good heart and a sharp mind ( two big prerequisites for getting my attention ). When I had an opportunity come up to hunt with the local MVD Ghostchasers at a workshop downtown in Phoenix, I thought of Julie. Why can’t bloggers meet in the real world? Well, I asked her along and she happily accepted. I knew we’d be fast friends and I wasn’t surprised that it seemed like we’d known each other forever. It was a fair crowd, around 32 people. We all grabbed up trash bags and headed out to clean up the large cemetery before the open house next weekend. We had time to talk and get to know each other as we picked up some weird items including a hospital ID bracelet ( thankfully, the gown wasn’t draped over a bush with a pack of matches from the Red Rabbit bar – “Halloween” lovers k

I was just pleased to have a Saturday night with the humans gone, but no... She was going on a ghost hunt and guess who had to ride shotgun with her? Me . Of all the indignities that must befall a ventriloquist's doll... At least the stupid human belted me in. We arrived at some creaky old house and I had no steamer trunk to sit upon. I was most uncomfortable. That is, until, the pretty human came to call. My human called her "Julie" and apparently she is a wonderful blogger at Above the Norm . Just the sound of her sweet voice was like music to my jaded ears. (sigh) No sooner had the humans all huddled together in the old house when they had us out and about, taking a group picture ( above, you can see my human on the bottom left with me and the beautiful Julie in the red shirt next to us ). I wanted to get alone time with her, but no ... My human made me ride around the cemetery inside of her coat, only my head sticking out. People were taking pictures of me, as if I

Remember the “Brady Bunch” episode with the cursed tiki object the boys found in Hawaii? It made for a fascinating tale, but can an item be cursed? I’ve had a lot of people ask me that question. Understandably, as someone who reads objects, I might have some insight. The best way I can put it is this; an item with a history imprinted in it filled with pain and anguish, anger and resentment can, in fact, affect how you feel when you’re in contact with it, it can even make an entire room uncomfortable. Is it “cursed” in the sense that owning it will somehow make bad things befall you? No, not in a sentient way, but perhaps in a subconscious way. It’s more like you will make bad decisions or be influenced by the emotion of it. It can take you to a dark place. That’s not the same as being cursed or possessed, but it can sure as hell feel like a curse. The Hope diamond and James Dean’s car that he crashed and died in were two items well known to be “cursed.” The hope diamond was repeatedly

Just because I'm a typical proud mom and because I talk about it from time to time and you get the sense he's a lot like me, I thought you might like to see his blog. He just started it and he's sharing the process of a college art student. It's called " The Artistic Endeavors of Alex Clauss "

Kid Rock “Cowoby” KID ROCK-COWBOY (UNCENSORED) en Yahoo! Video The video this week? As Zak and the boys headed out to Italy and bring us this sweet extended version of their time at Povelgia Island, one of the most amazingly horrific sites ever, I chose the appropriate send-off song, “Cowboy” by Kid Rock. If you saw the original “Poveglia Island” episode last fall and were entranced by the amazing tragic setting and the super creepy structure, you’ll have a blast seeing this 90-minute extended version with footage we never saw before. Don't forget: Friday night, Travel Channel. I’m hyped. You know why? 90 minutes of the drinking game and Zak and the gang locked down on the island! Tonight’s drink, in respect for the beautiful setting of Italy, will be Chianti. The rules: One sip for every “dude, “bro” and “man,” and another one for every time Aaron’s mouth comes unhinged in shock and fear. This is definitely a curled up in your jammies ( or other unmentionables ), safe and warm ki

Suppose you’re watching TV when you get home from work, flipping through the channels and see a “Special Report” message. You stop and wait to see if it’s some disaster or shooting somewhere. No, this ends up being introduced not by a local, but a national reporter. The tone is serious. The message is stupifying, it must be a prank! “A press conference is about to begin. Scientists from Yale University are going to discuss a finding that, well,” his voice deepens, “this is hard to say, but reportedly proof of the afterlife has been discovered and these top scientists in their field will be making an official announcement.” The reporter turns to the other reporter at the desk. “Did you ever think this day would come?” The other reporter clears his throat. “I-I can’t imagine what can constitute proof of afterlife, but apparently we’re about to hear. They’re ready to speak.” The screen then switches off to a room with a panel of men and women at a table, one standing at the lectern, leani

In 1872, the merchant ship, “Mary Celeste” sailed left in November from New York to Genoa. On December 5th, halfway between the Azores and Portugal, the captain of the ship “Dei Gratia” sighted the Mary Celeste ship that he recognized. The only problem was it was riding out of control which was not at all something the ship’s pious and stern captain, Benjamin Spooner Briggs, would have ever allowed. The captain hailed the other ship, but for hours he got no response. He then set off on a small boat with some men to board her. The men found the ship to be seaworthy and having the appearance of being left in a rush. The investigating captain’s impression by the possessions left behind is that the crew left in a rush for fear the ship was sinking. The ship had contained 7 crewmen, the captain, the captain’s wife, and his small child. Over the years, this story has become filled with tales of steaming cups of coffee and food on the stove and such being found. This was not the actual case.

Even though ( according to my theory ) geomagnetic activity has been almost completely flat-lined since the latter half of 2008 and therefore ghost hunting is not a profitable venture of late, the TAPS team will always be known for changing America’s view of ghost hunting. Prior to Ghost Hunters or BGH ( “before Ghost Hunters” ), ghost hunting was something people giggled about as frivolous and born of the spiritualists movement involving hoaxes such as ectoplasm, Ouija boards, and ( dare we say ) séances. People who believed in ghosts were in with the ranks of UFO witnesses and Bigfoot peepers; all of them taken as overzealous nerd fantasies. But, after Ghost Hunters ( AGH ), Americans who had believed in ghosts and would not readily admit such a predisposition, were now turning to their friends and admitting their “affliction.” I had been hunting a few years before the show came to be, but when I heard a show about ghost hunters was going to be on national TV, I thought “times are

As a kid watching the Casper cartoons, I always assumed they were contemporary, but by the time I saw them, they were vintage already. It amazes me that this cartoon was embraced by America. The concepts of a friendly ghost and a friendly witch ( Wendy ) were way open-minded. Even though I lived in an actively haunted house, the concept of a ghost being a little mischief maker who’s lousy at scaring people and just wants some friends gave me an empathy for the presences that seemed to linger within the walls. It also gave me a concept of witches as embracing life and its elements to enhance healing and creating love and good fortune. Can a cartoon in childhood really influence one? Hell ya! Other cartoons that impressed my tastes even as an adult were “The Jetsons.” New-gadgets entertain me greatly. I also appreciate mid century homes and retro vinyl diner booths and robots. What about “Scooby-Doo?” Well, it taught me about debunking as a ghost hunter in the future. There might be oth

It isn’t just the rumors spreading about tyrant ghost hunters, shifty producers, and faking of proof, but the complete barrage of new shows hitting the cable channels that are bringing viewers close to mental exhaustion and even worse… apathy . When “Ghost Hunters” show premiered, I’d been hunting a few years and was thrilled that someone else was out there not only using similar techniques, but was going to make everyone see what ghost hunting these days is really like compared to the old-fashioned methods of the spiritualist movement. The first few seasons were admittedly a total thrill. I was seeing locations I hadn’t hunted in, seeing similar results to things I’d experienced, and everyone around me was saying, “I don’t think I could do that, it’s so scary!” The average person can go a whole lifetime without one paranormal occurrence and for him to turn on the TV and watch a show where he heard and saw explainable and unexplainable things, he is living vicariously and understanding

Come on, haven't you ever wondered if it's scientifically feasible? In some magic-based practices, the process of making a zombie is taken as fact. With the right mix of ingredients, a person can ingest the concoction and go into a kind of stasis ( think SciFi long-distance space travel ). The body’s systems would shut down to almost a halt, maintaining just enough to keep and element of life present ( yeah, like a glowing pilot light on a gas heater ). There is no doubt this is possible. Every time we undergo anesthesia for a surgery, we are quieting down conscious brain function, but maintaining autonomic function so our hearts still beat and we still breathe. With anesthesia comes a dulling of pain senses and the creation of amnesia when it is over. Of course, this wouldn't make for a real zombie, just a dead-looking person. The zombie would supposedly occur when you reanimate the person. In the case of anesthesia or even primitive mixes of powders, it wouldn't make

I submitted three romance novels in the early 90s. Great concepts: A woman meteorologist scared of tornadoes after losing her father in a tornado as a kid and the misanthrope inventor she has to work with to test his invention to measure tornadoes ( sound familiar? a few years later, a very similar movie called “Twister” came out ), another about a woman trying to save her childhood historic home from the contractor who wants to tear it down, another about a woman who is hired to restore a lighthouse to its original splendor and the womanizer she must work for on the solitary island. My strong points according to the editor of the large publishing house were my atmospheric descriptions and my characters and their psychological aspects, as well as the sensuality. The point that got me no sale—my plotting. Every writer has an Achilles heel, mine was plotting. By now, ya’all know that I’m a spaz. I like to do a lot of things and I do them really fast. If I do a painting, it better be done