Weekly News Round-up 9/28/11

Monster Tracker posted an article on cattle mutilations that occurred in Argentina.

Slate.com posted a slide show on the history of map monsters. You can check it out here. 

A town in Oklahoma is holding their first annual cryptid festival. You can read about it here.

Haunted Objects

A quick search on Ebay pulls up over 100 supposedly haunted objects for sale. Of course, most of these objects are just regular items someone added the word ‘haunted’ to with the hopes of making a quick buck. Dolls, paintings, jewelry and antiques are frequently said to be potentially haunted. But can an object really be haunted?

This is a question that’s nearly impossible to answer because there’s no way to verify whether a haunting is being caused by an object or something else. Right now, all we have is the theory that a deceased person’s spirit might return to the things that were important to them during their life.

I have heard instances of paranormal activity beginning or increasing after someone acquired a certain object. I do believe it’s a possibility. But I also believe that truly haunted objects are rare and it’s usually not wise to go searching them out. Spirits can have a negative affect on the people they encounter. People sometimes claim to feel angry or depressed after encountering a ghost, and you don’t really want to bring that kind of energy into your home. Plus, you will likely just end up just wasting your money.

Have you every owned an object you thought was haunted or known someone with a haunted object?

Weekly News Round-up 9/21/11

MonstersandCritics.com posted an article about Claudia Schiffer performing an exorcism on her house to get rid of a ghost.

People in Jakarta are blaming the paranormal for a series of car accidents on a new stretch of road. You can read the article on The Jakarta Post website.

The Hollywood Reporter posted an article about an old photo of a man that looks like Nicholas Cage. The owner of the photo is selling it on Ebay with the claim that Nicholas Cage may be a vampire.

Ghost Hunting 101: Protecting yourself during a ghost hunt

Ghost Hunting 101:  Protecting yourself during a ghost hunt

One thing that gets quite a bit of discussion among ghost hunters is whether or not people need to be concerned with being harmed, injured, or influenced by paranormal entities.  While it’s unlikely that anyone is going to die from a run in with a ghost, sometimes bad things do happen. People occasionally get scratched, shoved or threatened during investigations.

Everyone has a different take on how to protect themselves. Many investigators wear jewelry or carry tokens they believe will help to guard them. Others recite prayers or go through various rituals before or during an investigation. Some people avoid saying or doing things to provoke anger from spirits (while others do this with the intention of forcing a response.)

There’s no hard proof that any of these things can stop negative activity from happening but I certainly don’t think it hurts. Sometimes the peace of mind created by a ritual can make a big difference. If you can relieve your fear, you are going to be a better investigator. If something makes you more confident, no matter how silly the ritual, it’s probably worth doing.

Have you seen the Ozark Howler?

So today I got an e-mail today from someone from The Travel Channel doing research on the Ozark Howler. They were wondering if I had contacts with people who had seen/heard or interacted with The Ozark Howler. I know a handful of you have shared stories with me about it, so I thought I would see if anyone was interested in me passing on their stories or contact information. You can e-mail me at paranormalpursuits (at) yahoo.com if you are interested or leave a message in the comments. Thanks guys!

Weekly New Round-up 9/14/11

Us News posted an article on government documents discovered that listed specific guidelines for Yeti hunters.

The Guardian.com posted an article on the start of an expedition for Orang Pendek. You can read it here. 

Phantoms and Monsters.com posted photos of a large, bat-like creature (called the Alp) being spotted around Austria. You can check them out here.

Time for a change?

So, I'm coming up on my one year anniversary of blogging (yay!) and i'm thinking about changing things up a bit. Maybe adding some paranormal book and product reviews or focusing more on ghost hunting tips/stories/advice. I'm not sure exactly where I'm taking things though, so I thought I'd ask for suggestions from you guys. I've added a poll over to the side where you can select a few things you'd like to hear more about, or you can leave suggestions in the comments as well. I appreciate all the input you guys have given me over the last year, it's so fun hearing from you!

Oh, and sorry there was no Friday post last week. The hard drive in my laptop crashed. Hopefully it will be fixed/replaced soon. Until then my internet usage may be a little hit and miss, in case you are wondering where I am at.

Anyways, leave any article suggestions,ideas,comments and random thoughts as you see fit!

Weekly News Round-up 9/7/11

Monstertracker.com posted an article on mythical creatures. You can read it here.

Huffington Post put up an article discussing Aliens and the new movie Apollo 18.

CNN posted an article on Tokyo's top mythical creatures. Check it out here.

Happy Labor Day!

Today is the day that Americans celebrate working by not working. So I won't be doing a real post today but I hope you all enjoy your day, even if you are stuck working. Happy Labor Day! ")

Creature Feature: The Mapinguari

The Mapinguari is a creature that some people believe lives in the Amazon rain forest. It’s thought to be around six feet tall when standing upright, and covered in brown or reddish hair. It’s known for its long claws and pungent stench. Some people think it is a carnivore, while others believe it to live on plants from the forest.

While some claim that it is an ape-like creature similar to Bigfoot, many people believe it is actually some form of Giant Ground Sloth that may have escaped extinction.  It’s also possible that stories of encounters with Giant Ground Sloths were passed down and have continued to keep the creatures legend around. For now, the this creature will continue to be passed down in stories and legends.

http://www.paranormal-encyclopedia.com/m/mapinguari/

http://www.unknownexplorers.com/mapinguari.php