|
Viewing 1 - 7 out of 7 Blogs.
Wow, I know you are saying two blogs in one night, your brain must be smoking Mark. But when I came back to the main page and saw Julip's blog, it made me pause. I asked myself this a few months back. It does seem there is suddenly a glut of "Ghost Hunters" out there, and Julip is right, many watch TV and feel they know all there is to know, but engage any of these newbies in anything outside the idiot box like discussing views of Loyd Aurbach, Troy Taylor, Jeff Balenger, Hans Holzer, John Zaffis,or the Warrens you get, yes but "Grant and Jason says...." Yes, they are investigators too, but they just have a small corner of the world, and a small slice of the whole picture without a well rounded knowledge can you make a good investigator?
Okay, maybe, but maybe not as rounded as you could be. Some of these "hunters" are in it for the excitement they see on TV. Well, these people will not be around long, excitement? Can be, but being from Wisconsin I will use a deer hunting analogy, you don't see thurdy point bucks every time you go out, usually if you see anything besides the changing of the color of leaves, it will be a squirel hopping throught the woods. So, I don't worry too much about these "weekend" warriors. They will not be interested long.
What I do worry about is the ones that see the TV shows and see $$$$$. But, not too much. As more and more ETHICAL investigation groups get out there, and let the public know they do not have to pay for the investigation, and there is a high chance your "haunting" may have normal and not paranormal causes. The money wagon for these people will dry up. As we all know, this field tends to be a money pit for our interest and NOT a ticket to wealth.
Just as there was a boom after "Ghostbusters" with everyone saying "Who ya gonna call?" this too will pass and the people who will remain will be the real serious investigators.
No Fear Julip, we are a hardy bunch.
Mark
Directors note: I am going to make a director's note to make a blog a bit more dramatic.
I have watched the show every week now and find myself asking, am I really that old that now EVERYONE looks fresh out of high school?
Captian's log: I am just inserting a comment to stretch this blog out.
The cases are interesting, but it just seems that something is missing. I can't put my finger on it but I also seem to go huh? at the end. They definately use a more varied use of techniques for their investigations, but it always seems to end without a real conclusion, which I guess is more like a real investigation, but I have yet to see an episode with any real evidence, period. I know I have complained about Ghost Hunters sometimes being too jumpy at shadows, and Most Haunted, well, we won't go there, but something, anything.
Directors Log: This seemed to be a good point to cut in, almost like when I was younger and I would interrupt the grownups....I will have to look into that further
Now I know in real investigations you don't find evidence many times, but some of the segments seemed re-enacted, like the devil possesion episode, and these parts really seem unimportant to the story. It is an interesting show, but does not seem to keep my attention, no matter how dramatic they try to make it, and the investigators just are not that interesting, or personable, more like Joe Friday.
Directors Log: After much research and pouring over volumes of local history it seems the Joe Friday reference is from an old radio show that was made into a television program called Dragnet....freaky, I will investigate further.
Will I still watch, probably. This is the first season, and I will always support fellow investigators that have, so far, credibility, and ethics. And the more credible shows the better to push paranormal into the mainstream, and less something you say under your breath in certain crowds.
Directors Final Note: Although we have not fully reviewed this show, we will continue to seek out the answers....or something like that. Man is this format annoying.
For the last four months I have been haunted by these white "orbs". It first becomes cloudy, then just a few appear, but soon there is more. I find their "lifeless" shells littering my sidewalk, my driveway, covering my truck, my car, my house. It has just been out of hand. I have no where to pile them anymore. I have a five foot stack on my terrace, my driveway has become narrow, and my dog has to dig to do his duty. Sometimes they come at night, and other times they appear during the day. There is no real pattern to them, unless almost every day. On days they don't appear there is sometimes a noticable temperature drop, sometimes down to -20 degrees, a real sign of their paranormal existance.
Yes, I am sick of WINTER!!!!!!
Mark
Okay here I go again, First I took on Most Haunted Live, now TAPS and Ghost Hunters. Don't get me wrong, Ghost Hunters Live was vastly better than MH but watching six hours of the TAPS investigation has really left me scratching my head. Now, I am sure most of my questions should be directed to the SciFi network, but TAPS continues to remain with them, my hope is that whatever contract they have with them ends soon and they move on to something abit more Sci and a little less Fi. First off why do they have an ECW wrestler a known "fake" reality that has NOTHING to do with Sci and alot with Fi. I know, I am sure its a contractual cross promotion with another show on SciFi, what next Jason in ring with John Cena? Then I find the whole panic button thing to be a real painful experience, Jimmy Buttcrack from Stumbling Goat, WY at home seeing shadows behind Jason (read reflection in window), and Suzy LooneyTune in IM Nuts, MN seeing faces (read graffiti) on the ceiling of the Death Tunnel, and figures (read shadow) walking next to Steve. Is this really the approach TAPS wants to take, taking tips from people who see spooks at every angle and not seeing the reasonable expaination for the image (What an investigation really is not fitting the normal experiences in to "create" ghosts). Many of these "Panic Button" idiots only knowledge of an investigation, and paranormal research is "Ghost Hunters". Speaking of idiots, where did they get these people for the "Hunting for the Hunter" promotion? Even Steve pointed out that NONE of these people have done any research beyond watching their show, never have been on an investigation before Waverly Hills, and seemed to be (my words) tee ballers trying out for the Boston Red Sox, I would use Steve's words as minor leaguers but you have to have some knowledge and experience to be in the minors. I am sure SciFi thought it was a great idea, but I am sure Jason and Grant are now regretting signing up for this, and taking on someone who they would not even give a second look to, let alone give these people what they think it is going to be a spring board to television, and make hordes of money like all ghost hunters,.....ah hum right. Why else would a guy living in Wash, a DJ in a major market up and leave, which he will have to do as TAPS is based on the east coast, then a Warrant Officer with a large family, I don't think that is a job you can just take off from at a moments notice. Of course, there is a skeptical side to me, TAPS and crew are now paid to be on. I am not naeve enough to think Jason, Grant, and crew are not now making more money on "Ghost Hunters" then from snaking drains, but I am sure it's not quit my job, move accross country kind of money for a newb. Lastly, what is up with that damn funky music? Steve "Did you hear that" Me "Hell no, I can only hear some rejected music from the area haunted house attraction". But Barney Stumblenuts from Baloney UT can hear a woman singing The National Anthem on floor 4, at least that's what scrolled across the bottom of the SciFi screen.
Note to TAPS dump SciFi move to something like Discovery, where once a year you may have to investigate with the Land Shark, but at least it will have less Fi.
Thats my two cents,
Mark
Tonight our group had an interview with the local newspaper, and the question came up "Why do people get into ghost hunting." It made me think back to when I really started to research this field. So here it is, the rare, often repressed tale.
Like many in this field it started with an experience I, to this day can not explain. When I was younger, still in my single digits we'll put it. Now I was like most kids, but I never was one to have an imaginary friend, so I know that the tale that follows is not a figment of my imagination. I used to live in a small town in the midsection of Wisconsin, and would play with a neighborhood boy, whom I will call Russel. Behind his house was a wood lot that ran up the side of a hill, in the middle of the wood, at the top of the hill was what can be best described as dirt piles, where nieghborhood kids would ride their bikes, (an early version of BMX, but with trees adding an extra challenge). The back of this area was bordered by a barbed wire fence, bisecting the woods, and the top of the hill.
One day, on one of Russel and my adventures in the woods, we met another boy, but he was on the other side of the barbed wire fence, and his mother must have told him not to cross the fence too because he always stayed on the other side of the fence. We talked,we found out he lives on the other side of the hill, then we threw stones at trees, and eventually the conversation turned to school, which was starting in the next few weeks. As luck would have it he was starting the same grade as us, and plans were made to see each other at school.
This being a small town, there was only one school, an old teachers college, kid with my sons that it was as close to a one room school house as you could get in modern times. Anyway, the first day of school came and Russel and I looked for our friend. He was no where to be seen. A few days went by and I finally asked the teacher if everyone was in school. of course she said yes. I told her about the boy from the other side of the hill, she looked at me and said no one lives on the other side of the hill anymore. There was a family that did but their house burnt down many years ago. The fire killed the mother and son, the son was going to school at the school and was in the same grade when he died. Were we playing with a ghost? I made my parents drive by the burned out boarded up house, it shook my young beliefs.
I mentioned it to my parents and they said I was just imagining things, but Russel too? I never spoke of it again. That is one of my reasons that I feel children can be more sensitive to spirits, they still don't have the preconception of reality, they haven't been beat down with the "real world" and cynisim of the the world. The "if you believe that your nuts" world. So quietly, I did my research, reading everything I could on ghosts, which led to Bigfoot, UFO, Loch Ness, etc. Unfortunately, there has been enough hoaxters to continue to give the skeptics the ammunition to continue beat us down.
I may go on a rant now, but what I find many times these skeptics and nay sayers are religious people. I am Christian, so this is not a bash, just a question to the hypocrates. How can these religious people say that believing in ghosts, researching ghosts,etc. is satanic or the work of the devil, when most religions are based on a belief that there is a greater power? That Jesus died and rose again but what we do is evil or folly? The Catholic Church keeps a pretty tight lid on Exorisisms, plausible deniability. Don't ask don't tell.
That is why I do what I do, to prove I am not crazy. To find that peice of proof that "the world is round" and that "dinosaurs did roam the earth", oh that has been proven? But at one time people that said such things were called crazy or slapped in irons. Maybe just someday there will be that proof.
Looking for the proof,
Marm
Well let me start off by saying I am not an employee, nor have finacial interest in the business mentioned. This was my wife's and my anniversary this past weekend and we decided to spend time in Door County here in Wisconsin. Looking down the offerings we saw that Door County Trolly tours offered a Ghost Tour so being the paranormal investigator that I am I was interested and a reallist, most "Ghost Tours" are filled with spooky looking houses and a good dose of local legend and folk lore, nothing really paranormal, Usually starting with "Many years ago....." This tour did have this, and in a healthy dose, but one stop was the Noble House. The guide at the house met us on the path leading to the house, dressed in period clothes, and holding a lantern. Being the investigator in me, I set my camera to night shot, as it was twilight, and did not like to use the flash if I don't have to (I hate orbs so I did not want dust, or water droplets caught in a flash). I snapped my picture and saw a streak cut across the picture. Lantern reflection? No, although it was being swung by the guide, the arch would have been more regular. The guide gathered us in the parlor and told us of the hauntings in the house, some backed up by photographic proof, and some even just months old, not many years ago. One story was of the lady of the house walking along the path we just came in on, I elbowed my skeptical wife, it was where I got the streak. We got to free roam the house, and see the desk from the postmaster office that was rescued from the post office after a fire burned it to the ground. The guide the guide told the story of the desk causing some guides, day time guides and not ghost guides, some errie experiances. I snapped a photo in the room, it was dark outside at this point so I had to use a muted flash, when I downloaded the photo I noticed a misty image by the desk, and something by the bed. The other room was a child's room where childern's voices can be heard and someone walking. Again a muted flash, an an image appears, my skeptical wife looked athe picture and at first said it was the dress in the room being reflected, I pointed out to her that there was not a mirror, it is transparent, and the flash was muted. The overall tour was good, it had some places you observed from the trolley, but other places you got out, like the Noble House, a Cemetary, a scene of a shipwreck, and a light house. What really stood out was the Noble House though, the guide there was a member of the Historical Society, many times BIG skeptics, be he honestly believed the tales he told, and I came away with my own photos. If in door county wisconsin check it out, the tolley tours have the ghost tours every night in Oct. Not only is it filled with great Door County legends it may result in a paranormal photo. One word of advice though, don't be like these couple of "ghosthunters" that were on the tour that seemed to snap photos and every second, with a flash in a room filled with glasses and seeing "orbs", then at the cemetary snapping flash photos like they were shooting fish in a barrel, complianing that all they got were pictures of the darkness, blank. Then when they got a reflection off of the reflectors on the trees then squeeling I got an orb!!! I pointed out the reflectors on the trees, they said to mind my own business because they have seen "Ghosthunters" and they know orbs when they see them.......Oh well. Hopefully the photos will pass "inspection" and be in my gallary shortly.
Let me know what you think,
Mark
 Alright here it is, I know there is alot of fans of Most Haunted, I was one of them, but now they have lost me. As you know from my prior blogs I am someone who is a believing skeptic. Most Haunted lost all credibilty with me with their attempt at a "Live" show from ESP. Come on, anyone who has done investigations, with or without a medium present, knows you just don't go dark, and instantly something happens, if it does it does not happen all the time, everytime you try an experiment. When doing an experiment to set it up so there can be NO appearance of fraud. The marble test? come on, Karl went down the cell block, out of camera range, with no camera on him? Now marbles are thrown toward him and they come back, Huh? Wow, how did they do that???? Sarcasim should be noted. Vvette constantly telling us about the horrific condition the prison is in and acting like prisonors were being kept there just yesterday, complaining about the dust? Hellooooo, it's not used any more, its old, and the areas are off limits to the public. Ironic that she would say they and then cut to the host who was in the public area and it was restored, clean, and well maintained. Also, I am sure some of the castles and monistaries were not all dust free. Karl drove me nuts, what was up with all the dramatics? That stupid hokey pokey they did with, Vvette asking the spirits to do this and that to Karl and Stuart and it would happen, even though Karl has no ear piece to hear what is being requested *wink*. Yeh, right. Also Karl, yells, goes off camera when we returns to camera he is scratched???? Wow, that couldn't be faked. The Karl and Stuart "fight" like two guys who have has too much Guinness?
Then she goes on Jason and Grant from Ghost Hunters show, and when called on some of the questionable findings, she goes off and questions them on their experience being just "plumbers". Wha? Bottom line, they wanted to do a live show that was exciting, but guess what things don't happen on command. I watched The Ghost Hunters Live from the Stanely, guess what, things happened, but not all the time, there was alot of time where it was just standing around, taking readings, getting feelings, probably what may be considered boring TV for the general public, but fascinating to anyone who does investigating, or is interested in investigation, if something did happen they tried to debunk it, because they know there are people who will watch who will imediately accuse them of faking it, and try to throw it up as proof that anyone doing investigating are idoits or people just trying to take money from "suckers". Most Haunted did none of this, they just, clip after clip, threw easily rigged, staged, and set up displays as authentic with NO debunking. They have done great damage to the field by kicking tables and throwing rocks. It would have been much more impressive if just one of those events occurred, and they did it with controlled experiments with NO possibilty of fraud with everyone on camera at all times, maybe a bigger budget with more cameras would have been better for these extrordinary claims.
I am saddened, as now the skeptics have more evidence that we are just morons who will blindly believe anything is paranormal. If they gave Derek the boot because they caught him cheating and lying they had better open that pink slip book and start writing for the entire cast, although in defense of David, at times he seemed embarassed by the whole thing, don't you think it a bit ironic that his role and input on experiences were minimal? It's sad...........
Thats my two cents,
Mark
|
Favorites
Digg
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Furl
Magnolia
StumbleUpon
Google
Yahoo MyWeb
