related_results_labels({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2168219303449559049"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-12-08T16:45:17.487-07:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Buck's Ghosts and Hauntings"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":""},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2168219303449559049/posts/default/-/TV+Shows?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d5"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/search/label/TV%20Shows"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2168219303449559049/posts/default/-/TV+Shows/-/TV+Shows?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026start-index\u003d6\u0026max-results\u003d5"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Buck"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03195661861205323477"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"11"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"5"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2168219303449559049.post-3738743754447021089"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-30T01:37:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-30T01:37:24.026-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"TV Shows"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Paranormal"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Supernatural"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Random Thoughts…"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cp\u003eI don’t really have a “post” per se on any of these topics. None of them quite seemed to warrant their very own post on the blog so I decided to lump some recent random thoughts together under a single post. Pardon the mish mash. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eI realized recently that almost everyone I meet anymore has a ghost story of some type. By ghost story I don’t mean they know a traditional folklore type story but rather their house, their parents’ house, a friend’s house, or a hotel they stayed at is haunted. What once was a fairly rare event, the personal ghost encounter, has become as commonplace as seeing a homeless person in a big city. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eOver the past year or so at parties I’ve had or events I’ve attended when people find out what I used to do with SPI they begin to recount their own ghostly encounters. It seems that no matter how mundane the event it is ascribed a “paranormal” cause with the adamant disclaimer that it can’t possibly be anything but a ghost because they watch Ghost Hunters and they have thoroughly checked everything possible ergo ghost. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eI can remember growing up that hearing a first hand ghost tale was quite rare. In fact, in high school I did a paper on a local haunting (from a folklore collection angle) and had to really hunt for someone who had actually experienced the haunting personally – although it was quite famous regionally! Today, were I to undertake the same task I’m sure I would hear dozens of first hand stories. In fact, it might make an interesting exercise. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eGhosts have become extremely popular in our culture through the media and substitution for traditional religious beliefs (just read almost any psychic’s website and you will find a theological cosmology as intricate as any envisioned by a Medieval church council). Thanks to this popularity everyone seems to want to be in on the act. Whether it be telling you of “Uncle Joe” who haunts them and moves their keys or peppering you with questions about your own experiences and beliefs, the desire to be part of this synthesis of religion and pop-culture seems to be irresistible. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eOf course, this often puts me in a rather awkward position as I don’t fit into their notion of this world based upon television shows. When I tell people that I, personally, do not believe in ghosts within the construct of dead people wandering around chatting us up, they are often struck speechless. After all, surely anyone who studies and thinks about this stuff must have to “believe” in the traditional paradigm of ghosts as souls stuck on Earth for some reason. Honestly, that bit of information has caused more than one person to put me at arms length because I wasn’t their idea of a “ghost hunter” they could show off as a friend. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eSo, moving on…\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://lh6.ggpht.com/_u48bOmgAyeY/SxOEO3XfvHI/AAAAAAAAV70/XXfzitMECDQ/s1600-h/DiscoveryChannelTV-StormChasersNewEpisodesBeginSundayOct18th10pmEP958%5B5%5D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px\" title\u003d\"DiscoveryChannelTV-StormChasersNewEpisodesBeginSundayOct18th10pmEP958\" border\u003d\"0\" alt\u003d\"DiscoveryChannelTV-StormChasersNewEpisodesBeginSundayOct18th10pmEP958\" align\u003d\"left\" src\u003d\"http://lh6.ggpht.com/_u48bOmgAyeY/SxOEPUzBd8I/AAAAAAAAV74/IYEwJBgQxP4/DiscoveryChannelTV-StormChasersNewEpisodesBeginSundayOct18th10pmEP958_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax\u003d800\" width\u003d\"300\" height\u003d\"225\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e My new guilty pleasure in reality TV has become Storm Chasers on Discovery Channel. I started watching it last year simply because I caught a rerun late at night. Tornados have always fascinated me because they can be both beautiful and horrible at once. As a teenager I had a close encounter with one just before my high school graduation when a series of tornados ranging from (old style) F-2 to F-4 swept through my hometown. I narrowly missed being in the worst of it thanks to a migraine. Still, I got to see one touch down in the field across from my house as my father was speeding us toward my sister’s house because she had been on the phone when one of the tornados hit her side of town. She was fine, just tore the porch off her house and threw a 200 year old oak tree into the living room of a neighbor. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAnyway, I’ve been watching that show and Michael has gotten hooked as well. A couple weeks ago in an episode the pros were trying to chase a storm and kept running into roadblocks of sightseers and amateur chasers. There were hundreds parked along roads, creeping down narrow highways, milling around in the middle of the highway with binoculars and cameras. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eI couldn’t help but think that storm chasing might be the next ghost hunters fad. As the pros cursed the amateurs in the way I wanted to say, “well, this is what happens when you’re on TV today.” See, everyone thinks that if they watch something on TV they can do it. It’s that dumbing down of America. Just like most amateur ghost hunters out there they only know what was on TV last week. They don’t read, they don’t study, they have no training in anything remotely useful in research. Because Jason Hawes proudly proclaimed that being a plumber qualified him to be a ghost hunter because he knew the difference between a leaky toilet and a ghost – everyone in the country thinks “paranormal research” is a piece of cake. No, ghost hunting is a piece of cake. Collecting stories and scaring each other is a piece of cake. Research is hard, long and requires…. education. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eSo, here are people with Ph.D.’s trying to collect data on storms and every thrill seeker in the state is clogging roads and putting people in danger because they see people chase storms on TV and figure “Hell, I can do that. All I need is my laptop, GPS, and the local weather page!” Because in anti-intellectual America… education is unnecessary!\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eNext up…\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cdiv style\u003d\"padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-top: 0px\" id\u003d\"scid:8747F07C-CDE8-481f-B0DF-C6CFD074BF67:24307589-8bad-412b-835b-fec63f8635be\" class\u003d\"wlWriterEditableSmartContent\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://lh6.ggpht.com/_u48bOmgAyeY/SxOEP9WXVdI/AAAAAAAAV78/GYCKIL5ZLPs/ghost-lab-crew-8x6.jpg?imgmax\u003d800\" title\u003d\"Because it is important to stand with your arms crossed looking tough in matching T-shirts!\" rel\u003d\"thumbnail\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://lh3.ggpht.com/_u48bOmgAyeY/SxOEQiYNkQI/AAAAAAAAV8A/RqqiwIW52MI/ghost-lab-crew%5B17%5D.png?imgmax\u003d800\" width\u003d\"360\" height\u003d\"295\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e  \u003cp\u003eI have not watched the show and will not subject myself to the torture of watching the show. I’m speaking of “Ghost Lab” which is Discovery Channel’s entry in the every expanding basic cable “we must have a ghost show!” lineup. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eI’ve only seen the ads for the show and admittedly, the people who make ads for this stuff are usually the most simple of the simple. However, it appears this show centers on a couple of brothers in matching T-shirts and hats (of course) who use all manner of lighted gadgets to hunt down ghosts. Now, it might be interesting if the “Ghost Lab” actually included some type of lab work but it appears it’s just the usual stumble around in the dark formula with a spotlight on gadgetry. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eIn the latest commercial airing they are knocking around what appears to be some fort or castle in a storm. Their purpose is to “prove” that “paranormal activity” increases during a storm. Ahh, how nice. Of course, they still need to prove paranormal activity exists, but let’s let them have their day. Anyway, in this commercial they are correlating lightning strikes with EVP and happen to get an EVP around the time of a lightning strike. It is their “A ha!” moment as they conclude that this proves paranormal activity is related to electrical energy.\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eOf course, to anyone with half a brain it would “prove” that coincidences do happen. To “prove” their belief would first require they prove paranormal phenomena and in particular EVP does exist outside the normal construct of the physical universe. Then they would have to show that there is statistical evidence that this newly found physical phenomenon occurs more often at moments when lightning strikes the vicinity. This would require years of study under all sorts of storm conditions. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eBut, it’s so much easier to find a coincidence and declare to your public that you have “proved” something. And the sad part is…. the ghost hunting groups will believe it.\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2168219303449559049-3738743754447021089?l\u003dbucksghosts.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/feeds/3738743754447021089/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d2168219303449559049\u0026postID\u003d3738743754447021089\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2168219303449559049/posts/default/3738743754447021089"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2168219303449559049/posts/default/3738743754447021089"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2009/11/random-thoughts.html","title":"Random Thoughts…"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Buck"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03195661861205323477"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02653328012866227494"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2168219303449559049.post-238337594971728210"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-20T11:38:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-20T11:38:38.988-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"TV Shows"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ghost Hunter"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"amateur ghost hunters"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"More Schoolyard Fun from GH"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cp\u003eRecently, I posted about the Donna LaCroix blowup on her appearance on an internet radio show. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eFast forward to the promised “press release” from Ghost Hunters, TAPS, and the production company that still hasn’t come (to my knowledge). But, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://strangestate.blogspot.com/2009/11/taps-head-responds-to-allegations.html\"\u003esharp eyed Cullan\u003c/a\u003e noted a posting at \u003ca href\u003d\"http://scifake.com\"\u003eScifake.com\u003c/a\u003e that purports to be from Jason Hawes addressing the issue. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://lh3.ggpht.com/_u48bOmgAyeY/SwbiK87pnmI/AAAAAAAAV6M/z85GWYaQ8rU/s1600-h/ghost-hunters1%5B10%5D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px\" title\u003d\"ghost-hunters1\" border\u003d\"0\" alt\u003d\"ghost-hunters1\" align\u003d\"left\" src\u003d\"http://lh4.ggpht.com/_u48bOmgAyeY/SwbiLlwrPJI/AAAAAAAAV6Q/FwHqbA50uP4/ghost-hunters1_thumb%5B8%5D.jpg?imgmax\u003d800\" width\u003d\"352\" height\u003d\"281\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Now, Scifake seems to be a bunch of amateur ghost hunters out to “expose fakery”. Yet, they remain committed to belief in the traditional “spirit of the dead” paradigm in paranormal research and the usual BS and suppositions attendant upon it. In short, it sort of strikes me as a place where amateurs level accusations at TV shows and have pissing contests as the fans of one show square off against those of another show. Now, that’s just from a very cursory look at the site. As you know, if you read this blog, I do not frequent these places at all. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAnyway, you can read \u003ca href\u003d\"http://scifake.com/?p\u003d2544#comment-5257\"\u003ethe alleged response by Hawes here\u003c/a\u003e. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eThe gist of it is this was all someone else’s fault. The Ghost Divas are evil. They haven’t scared Donna into recanting her statements. The Ghost Divas are evil. No one has ever done anything remotely hinky on their show. The Ghost Divas are evil. There is no staging crew. The Ghost Divas are evil. Donna loves them and they love Donna. The Ghost Divas are evil. This isn’t the first time this has happened. The Ghost Divas are evil. People have called them who have been on the same show and since the Ghost Divas are evil they’re calling the police!! \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eIt’s the usual crap from these amateur ghost hunting types. Despite being quasi-famous the folks at TAPS and Ghost Hunters remain rank amateur pseudo-scientists given to flame wars, dramatics and overreactions. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen amateur ghost hunting groups threatening to call the police on each other because someone got their feelings hurt over something someone said. Honestly, it’s like those people who go on TV court shows to sue each other for “slander” because during an argument someone called someone else a bitch. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eHere’s my advice to anyone who is remotely serious about studying the paranormal. Stay way from this stuff if at all possible.\u0026#160; Don’t frequent the websites of these amateur ghost hunting groups and fans. Don’t watch the TV shows, don’t listen to the ghost hunting radio shows. There is nothing any of these people have to contribute that is even slightly of value to anyone other than themselves. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eBrutal I know, but that’s the way it is. There is nothing they will possibly uncover that will be useful to science because they don’t bother to quantify, qualify, or correlate their findings and their “theories” are usually based on incorrect reading of true scientific findings. Most of the amateur groups are very secretive about everything they do unless they find some questionable EVP or something they want to use to get famous. Other than those they keep everything secret and private. Part of that is that 99.99% of the time they don’t bother with anything else. The other part is just what I noted above – the dramatics and general silliness. Another frequent “I’m calling the police!” cause is one group claiming another group stole the top secret design to their latest blinking light whirlygig piece of uselessness. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eSo, read, think. Take some classes at your nearest college in psychology, physics, sociology, folklore, religion, medicine, or pretty much anything that helps you understand how the world and our minds work. But by all means: stay away from amateur ghost hunting groups and their sites, ghost conferences, classes offered at community centers or community colleges by amateur ghost hunters, sycophantic fan sites for TV shows, and sour grapes amateur sites devoted to creating drama. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eIf you are “looking for answers” you aren’t going to find them. You’re only going to find more questions and if any amateur ever tells you they are getting closer or “moving forward” in finding one…. they’re deluded. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2168219303449559049-238337594971728210?l\u003dbucksghosts.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/feeds/238337594971728210/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d2168219303449559049\u0026postID\u003d238337594971728210\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2168219303449559049/posts/default/238337594971728210"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2168219303449559049/posts/default/238337594971728210"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2009/11/more-schoolyard-fun-from-gh.html","title":"More Schoolyard Fun from GH"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Buck"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03195661861205323477"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02653328012866227494"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2168219303449559049.post-7326963363997308994"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-26T00:33:00.001-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-26T00:55:14.819-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"TV Shows"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"amateur ghost hunters"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Television program"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"television shows"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The TV Machine Explodes"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cp\u003eFirst there was \u003cem\u003eGhost Hunters\u003c/em\u003e, then we expanded with \u003cem\u003eGhost Hunters International, Paranormal State\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eGhost Adventures\u003c/em\u003e, now we have \u003cem\u003eGhost Lab\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eExtreme Paranormal\u003c/em\u003e and soon we’ll have \u003cem\u003eGhost Hunters: The College Years\u003c/em\u003e (or whatever they are really calling it). \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eIn fact, amateur ghost hunters are springing up like Zombies after a chemical spill! It’s even worse on the Internet where it seems every 3rd or 4th person is either in some group, starting some group, or looking for some group to join. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eI know, I know, it’s October when a young man’s (or woman’s) mind turns to thoughts of the macabre. But, it does seem to be overkill at times. The TV Machine, which loves its sensational storylines, wacky personalities, and drama doesn’t help matters by giving people a platform who probably should best be kept offstage and unable to influence the public at large.\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://lh3.ggpht.com/_u48bOmgAyeY/SuVQshWvjlI/AAAAAAAAV08/IWsLd1w8B4Q/s1600-h/outer-bg%5B6%5D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px\" title\u003d\"outer-bg\" border\u003d\"0\" alt\u003d\"outer-bg\" align\u003d\"left\" src\u003d\"http://lh5.ggpht.com/_u48bOmgAyeY/SuVQtP333ZI/AAAAAAAAV1A/9fm9gputjmg/outer-bg_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax\u003d800\" width\u003d\"300\" height\u003d\"229\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e In the case of \u003cem\u003eExtreme Paranormal\u003c/em\u003e I heard a recent episode included what amounted to occult rituals to “raise” ghosts. I watched some of the premiere episode on \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.aetv.com/extreme-paranormal?bcpid\u003d43796573001\u0026amp;bclid\u003d45162420001\u0026amp;bctid\u003d45290199001\"\u003eA\u0026amp;E’s website\u003c/a\u003e and have to say: These guys have absolutely no business in the field of paranormal research. In addition it is incredibly irresponsible of A\u0026amp;E to give them a television show. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eIn their very first outing they do everything that serious researchers warn amateurs not to do. They destroy property, they engage in occult rituals, and they generally make nuisances of themselves with nothing to show for it at the end. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eI predict that if this show is allowed to continue we can expect the headlines to begin around the country: “Teenage Ghost Hunters burn down historic site!” “Teen Ghost Hunters caught breaking and entering to perform Satanic ritual to ‘Raise Spirits’!” \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eOf course, A\u0026amp;E’s entries into the paranormal pop culture genre have never been stellar. They launched their franchise with Ryan Buell and his demon loving team of twinks. However, in comparison, the guys on the new entry make Buell and rosary loving friends appear sober and reasoned.\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eSo, what are we to make of the new entries in the already infested field of Paranormal Pop TV? Let’s look at A\u0026amp;E’s hype about the goofs on \u003cem\u003e“Extreme Paranormal”\u003c/em\u003e which includes the quasi-Blair Witch Project symbol in their logo (sigh): \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cblockquote\u003e   \u003cp\u003eIn \u0026quot;Extreme Paranormal,\u0026quot; irreverent paranormal explorers Shaun, Nathan and Jason investigate chilling local legends, attempting to seek the truth by provoking spirits. Unlike other paranormal investigators, they put themselves directly in harm's way - taunting ghosts, summoning the dead and daring the demonic to attack.\u003c/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003e\u0026quot;Extreme Paranormal\u0026quot; gives rabid paranormal fans the ride they've always wanted: the chance to follow a team that dares to challenge legends, curses, and hauntings by actually attempting to provoke paranormal activity. These guys have spent the last ten years kicking sand in the face of ghosts across America. Every Sunday at midnight, they recount their latest mission on their popular radio show \u0026quot;Ghostman and Demon Hunter.\u0026quot;\u003c/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003eWhile other paranormal investigators keep the spirit world at arms-length, our guys lack that part of their DNA that tells other investigators to \u0026quot;be afraid\u0026quot; and run away during intense encounters. The team has developed a bring-it-on mentality when it comes to their explorations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/blockquote\u003e  \u003cp\u003eI don’t think “investigators” is exactly the right term for these guys. Thrill seekers? Irresponsible goons? Immature asses? Those all fit fairly nicely, but not the label investigator, certainly not researcher, and certainly not serious. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003ePerhaps it is time that the paranormal community stands up and tells these networks that there are far too many shows on already and they are harming research by continuing to try to outdo each other with sensational and often fake “ghostly encounters.” \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eThere is a reason you never see serious investigations into the paranormal as conducted at major universities on these television shows. TV networks rely on sensation, gullible amateurs willing to do anything for their 15 minutes of fame, and a serious lack of critical thinking about paranormal activity and the occult in general. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eA\u0026amp;E should be terribly ashamed of this program and should be held accountable for the inevitable clones that is spawns in the real world and the harm that comes to people and property because of it. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2168219303449559049-7326963363997308994?l\u003dbucksghosts.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/feeds/7326963363997308994/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d2168219303449559049\u0026postID\u003d7326963363997308994\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2168219303449559049/posts/default/7326963363997308994"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2168219303449559049/posts/default/7326963363997308994"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2009/10/tv-machine-explodes.html","title":"The TV Machine Explodes"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Buck"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03195661861205323477"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02653328012866227494"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2168219303449559049.post-7618750198672544236"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-13T02:08:00.003-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-08-13T02:58:28.227-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ghost Hunters International"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"TV Shows"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Note of Congratulations"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_u48bOmgAyeY/SoPi4vt0XiI/AAAAAAAAVUs/C4-x5hQgbx8/s1600-h/IMG_2516.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 246px; height: 250px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_u48bOmgAyeY/SoPi4vt0XiI/AAAAAAAAVUs/C4-x5hQgbx8/s400/IMG_2516.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369384645264956962\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eFor the first time in a very long time I tuned in to SyFy's Ghost Hunters franchise last night. There was only one reason for the departure from my vow to eschew the TV pop culture fad and that was the episode featured the introduction of my friend and former SPI colleague, Paul Bradford.\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003ePaul was tapped several months ago for the series. Last night's episode, filmed in Chile, was the first of his appearances as a regular on the show. \u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eWhile I have come to view all of the pop culture \"ghost hunting\" shows with skepticism and often for diluting the real scientific process, I am pleased that Paul has been able to fulfill one of his dreams. I am also thrilled that he is having the opportunity to visit so many interesting places. \u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eSo, here's to Paul and a long and successful run as the newest cast member of \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.syfy.com/ghi/\"\u003eGhost Hunters International\u003c/a\u003e! Cheers!\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eFor a recap of stories and articles featuring my adventures with Paul before he became famous, check out these postings:\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2008/07/paul-bradford-and-iruv-strobe.html\"\u003ePaul Bradford and the IR/UV Stobe\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2008/10/tucson-zombie-walk.html\"\u003ePaul and David at the Tucson Zombie Walk (October 2008)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2009/01/ghostly-roundup.html\"\u003ePaul's Gadget on GHI before he joined the cast\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2008/04/first-annual-paranormal-in-park.html\" style\u003d\"text-decoration: none;\"\u003eMy First Meeting with Paul and a Video of his SpiPod\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2008/04/in-field.html\"\u003eFirst SPI Investigation Headed by Paul\u003c/a\u003e (and the first time he was touched, ahem..)\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2008/04/in-field.html\"\u003eWeird Meter Readings\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2008/06/parazona-launches-tonight.html\"\u003eParazona Radio\u003c/a\u003e (also links to all previous episodes featuring Paul, David, and Kale)\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2008/07/tombstone-day-trip.html\"\u003eThe Gang in Tombstone\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2008/08/night-in-tombstone.html\"\u003eTombstone Investigation\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2008/10/spi-on-community-view.html\"\u003ePaul and David on Community View\u003c/a\u003e (local TV appearance)\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003dDMCgP_16ye0\"\u003ePaul Cutting Up\u003c/a\u003e (Video)\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003d_lO7Fc2z5ag\"\u003eSPI at the Birdcage\u003c/a\u003e (Video)\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003d-eY5cOPqc2s\u0026amp;feature\u003dplayer_embedded\"\u003ePaul's very first attempt at an explanation cutaway for a webisode for SPI \u003c/a\u003e(He's a pro now)\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003eSo, there you have it. Congrats to Paul and to GHI who are quite lucky to have someone so motivated and dedicated as part of their team!\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2168219303449559049-7618750198672544236?l\u003dbucksghosts.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/feeds/7618750198672544236/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d2168219303449559049\u0026postID\u003d7618750198672544236\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2168219303449559049/posts/default/7618750198672544236"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2168219303449559049/posts/default/7618750198672544236"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2009/08/note-of-congratulations.html","title":"A Note of Congratulations"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Buck"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03195661861205323477"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02653328012866227494"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_u48bOmgAyeY/SoPi4vt0XiI/AAAAAAAAVUs/C4-x5hQgbx8/s72-c/IMG_2516.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2168219303449559049.post-314152901379302717"},"published":{"$t":"2008-11-07T10:19:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-11-07T10:34:12.828-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"TV Shows"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Ghost Hunters Fallout"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cp\u003eSince the fabled \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eGhost Hunters Live!\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e on Halloween the Internet has been abuzz with speculation about faked evidence as well as the generally poor production values on the show.\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://lh6.ggpht.com/_u48bOmgAyeY/SRR8EXwUXrI/AAAAAAAAEX4/dxHgn6q7FZw/s1600-h/ghosthunters2%5B7%5D.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 5px 5px 0px 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px\" border\u003d\"0\" alt\u003d\"ghosthunters2\" align\u003d\"left\" src\u003d\"http://lh4.ggpht.com/_u48bOmgAyeY/SRR8ExrcM_I/AAAAAAAAEX8/lyt1ORObnkI/ghosthunters2_thumb%5B5%5D.jpg?imgmax\u003d800\" width\u003d\"164\" height\u003d\"244\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e I won't comment one way or the other on the veracity of what they did, but I do find a few recent events to be enlightening for different reasons and serve as a cautionary tale for amateurs with stars in their eyes.\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eDays after the events and the widespread speculation the \u0026quot;voice\u0026quot; was faked and the \u0026quot;jacket tug\u0026quot; was a rig, Grant Wilson took to his MySpace blog to refute the rumors. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eSince that statement the speculation has become even more heated. Today, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://tinyurl.com/6znnys\"\u003eJason Hawes posted a blog\u003c/a\u003e firing angry words at their critics who dared question the show's veracity. He seems incredulous that anyone could ever dream they might stoop to fixing a little evidence to make a TV show more popular or exciting.\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAnd there is the caution. If he is being genuine, then he remains among the most naive people on Earth. Of course, over time people are going to begin to speculate about such things. Without doubt, they \u0026quot;catch\u0026quot; more amazing stuff now than when they began. Regardless of the reason, it raises doubts in the minds of fans and foes. This does not even take into consideration the desire to stay #1 in the ratings and continue the revenue streams from the show and public appearances.\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eYet, Jason continues to use the argument that \u0026quot;faking\u0026quot; would \u0026quot;destroy the show.\u0026quot; Yes, it might among those who actually do this work seriously and watch for some reason. But among the fan base of rank amateurs and thrill seekers it would have no effect, provided you could pull it off. They are not equipped to detect such things from watching a TV episode and they will not believe the words of professionals whom they do not recognize as \u0026quot;legitimate\u0026quot; because they are not on television. In a sense, it would be the perfect time to do something like that. \u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eSo, is it any wonder that people will speculate when something extraordinary happens that could, easily, be faked?\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eIt is only natural and it is the price one pays for deciding to become a TV entertainment personality. With the adoring fans fawning over every word will, eventually, come those who cast a more and more critical eye at what you do and who won't be shy about broadcasting their opinions.\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eSo, for all the amateurs out there who think they'd just be perfect for the next TV show. This is what you'll have to deal with if you make it. Are you ready to be called a fake and fraud publicly whether its true or not? Will you be able to hold your temper and your tongue when the outcry becomes great?\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eThink about it.\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2168219303449559049-314152901379302717?l\u003dbucksghosts.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/feeds/314152901379302717/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d2168219303449559049\u0026postID\u003d314152901379302717\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2168219303449559049/posts/default/314152901379302717"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/2168219303449559049/posts/default/314152901379302717"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://bucksghosts.blogspot.com/2008/11/ghost-hunters-fallout.html","title":"Ghost Hunters Fallout"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Buck"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03195661861205323477"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"02653328012866227494"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"2"}}]}});