"Bigfoot" on Syfy Tonight!

I admit to having an addiction to ridiculous Syfy original movies and this one promises to be totally groovy. Oh, and tomorrow, expect a review on here from Bigfoot himself.


Television legends Danny Bonaduce (The Partridge Family) and Barry Williams (The Brady Bunch) star as life-long rivals battling over Bigfoot. Howard Hesseman (Head of the Class), Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks), Andre Royo (The Wire) and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper (School’s Out) co-star in the movie, which is directed by Oscar and Emmy nominee Bruce Davison (X-Men). Bigfoot is a production of The Asylum.

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Dreaming of Halloween: Scarecrows

Clank, clank, clank! This drew her attention. She eyed his enormous dark shape on the post, the wind making him slap back and forth as if trying to loosen from his mooring. His tattered clothing whipped about him angrily. The inanimate had come to life, his shadowed face pale beneath the large hat, but she felt it. His eyes were upon her. As soon as he freed himself, it was her farmhouse window he would be knocking upon. She picked up her basket of corn and raced from the field, willing herself not to look back. Then, as she approached the safety of the backyard, she had the courage to face him again. His head bobbed now in the full force of the coming storm's energy. The hat flew from his head and, in the dying light of the day, she saw him throw back his head and stare her down as he unhinged from his cross and jumped to the earth with a heavy thump.

(The above is an unedited piece from a short story about a scarecrow I'm writing)

I am utterly fascinated by scarecrows. No, not those happy little country ones you find in the craft store around Halloween time. I’m talking about the hardcore you-don’t-want-to enter-my-property-kind. This YouTube artisan (above) does amazing scarecrows and films them in creepy settings. I’m so inspired by this that I think as a performance art it is without Halloween equal.

There are traditional ways to make them with clothing and straw and more modern techniques using PVC pipe and T-joints. There’s wooden crosses with newspaper-filled clothing secured to them and even some ambitious folks who use a mannequin. I found with the last one I made that rolled up old towels with duct tape wrapped tightly around them make amazing upper arms and lower arms and legs and balled up socks make great shoulders, elbows, and knees looked very real, but it was also very heavy and the supports needed to be extra strong.

I have no problem with the black robed ones fluttering in the breeze and I think they look best with tree limb arms and branch hands and a Jack O’Lantern head like the one on Johnny Depp’s “Sleepy Hollow” at the beginning of the movie. I also enjoy the worker’s overall types, as well, with a gunnysack face with dark stitching like in the movie “Night of the Scarecrow." The one with the trench coat and big hat on “Jeepers Creepers” was awesomely intimidating and human-like. Ideally, he’s fastened loose enough that he flaps in the wind against his posts as if trying to get free.

I think the scarecrow is one of those things like clowns and baby dolls that was meant to be cute and quaint and ended up becoming so human-like it’s disturbing. I hope to make a really good one for my yard that I can keep up year-round once I come up with the right design.

Beware, however, as twilight arrives, they seem to come to life. You have to watch scarecrows constantly because you never really know what they do when you're not looking...

What is your experience with scarecrows?

Tonight on National Geographic "Chasing UFOs"

A new show begins tonight, Chasing UFOs. I miss UFO Hunters a lot and I doubt this will be the same, but I'm going to watch these investigators. Looks like fun and my Friday nights, as always, are open.

Horror Short Stories

"Don't Go There! A Flash Horror Anthology" 322 pages, over 20 short stories, Paperback $11.99 on Amazon, Kindle version $2.99, each story timed so you know how long it takes to read on average.

Josh Gates Interview

Yesterday's interview with Syfy Channel star Josh Gates from "Destination Truth" was exhilarating. He's so freaking intelligent, well spoken, and funny as hell. Love this guy--big time!

Here's what he had to say.

The first two episodes are on opening night, Tuesday July 10th on Syfy. One is an hour-long Vietnam episode that supposedly catches the most amazing video of a potential Bigfoot in a cave.

This season, he's going back to the Romanian Forest again--first time they ever revisted a site. He even talked Evan into flying in for that episode (the past cast member who was picked up and tossed the last time they were in this strange circle in the woods where no trees grow).

They are also doing a UFO episode where he saw something he could not explain (even though he does not believe in alien visitors).

He never believed in Bigfoot, but after going all over the world and hearing sooooo many stories about BF-like creatures, he is thinking there might be something to the story.

They also go to Mayan ruins, Tikal, where the are thousands of buildings and also pyramids. One graveyard they visit has coffins attached to the cliffside. They also go to Sweden, Fiji, Guatemala and other locales.

Vietnam Bigfoot is described as smaller, more compact, fur is described as red or red-brown, so a different than the US Bigfoot. It is seen but, hard to track, elusive like the BF in the US.

So far as the technical, they have added a submersible in an episode.  Better cameras with wider views, and underwater equipment for the season.

All in all, this is shaping up to be a super creepy season!!

A&E Creepy Tonight

Cajun Justice show tonight on A&E "After a violent boating accident, Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois joins forces with multiple agencies to recover a boat, and possibly a body, from the murky depths of the Mississippi waters. Meanwhile, Deputy Keith Bergeron and Sgt. Dudley DJ Authement, both raised on the bayou, head deep into the swamps in the middle of the night to investigate a hair-raising sighting of the legendary Rougarou, the local name for a "shape-shifting swamp monster." When the witness hands over video of the half-man, half-wolf creature prowling the weeds behind his camp, the officers have no choice but to explore the very woods where the mysterious beast disappeared. The next morning, Deputy Bergeron puts two and two together when he is called to the scene of a mutilated calf near where the Cajun swamp monster vanished."

Resort Beauty

 

Cold Roasted Corn Soup w/ Pepper Oil

Salmon Shrimp Cakes

 

Caramel Blondies with gelato

(Top of the Rock Restaurant at The Buttes)

(The Poolside Drinks)

View from the skywalk bridge

Relaxing sunset (We didn't see it at the time, but there was a dust storm behind us heading toward us)

 

Awesome pool between the buttes with waterfalls

Swimmer

Just settling in to wait for the sunset peak colors.

Drunk Videos

Another resort stay, two drunk videos this time -- Ancient Aliens and Bigfoot Story - Enjoy because you won't see me drunk again until next summer's resort stay.

Resort Insanity

 

Yes, my drink matches my swimsuit--coral. Julie and I had our celebration stay at the resort and got a sandstorm at the end of the day, but it made for a wicked sunset.

Giant UFO over Phoenix? No, giant sunset!

 

Phoenix Stonehenge?

Lots more insane photos and 2 drunk videos to come...

Sex and the Single Ghost Hunter: The 4 Aspects

When it comes down to it, it appears that there are 4 important aspects of a person that we take into account when finding a mate who is ideally matched.

1. Physical.
2. Mental.
3. Emotional.
4. Spiritual.

Oh, there might be small other aspects, but they are within those categories.

Most women would lament that men put physical way too high on the list and mental way low. Men might complain that emotional and spiritual are too important to women.

For me, the list comes down to this:

1. Mental. I need a man whose mind has expanded, likes lots of subjects, is intelligent, inquisitive, and didn't think learning stopped with college. With mental comes sense of humor. Usually, smart people totally get the irony in life and find relief in chuckling at the oddities of the world. They also tend to use that thought process to gauge things realistically and with rational thinking, they have rational emotions.

2. Spiritual.  Even though I am not in any way looking for a religious man--NOPE! I do appreciate someone who has a sense of the universe and our part in it, who is not so involved in his ego that he thinks things revolve around him. Someone who can have compassion and be open-hearted--hugely attractive.

3. Emotional. I wouldn't have put this on the list this high, but it's vital to me to find someone who has rational emotions. When I say that, I mean that he doesn't brood about something and then blow up, believing his own mind's machinations and taking it and galloping off on the lunacy train. The best emotions are ones in proportion to the actual situation and someone who understands emotions don't come from some magical wellspring, but are the result of internal dialogue, is a man who is ideal.

4. Physical. How could I put this so far down on the list? Lots of reasons. I'm a female. Any man who has my heart and mind, is gorgeous to me. I've never been into the pretty boys. I think the vessel you come in is not representative of what's inside. I once got a gorgeously wrapped gift that ended up having inside a hideous clown painting. A smile, beautifully shaped hands, a sexy voice, soft chest hair, a quirky smile--these can all become obsessions and passion evoking to someone in love.

We're a package. I remind myself of that often following a very long-term relationship that made me believe I was only important in one of these elements. A gross imbalance in these 4 aspects and a person can go from attractive to incompatible.


So, what is your order of importance?

1970s Horror Movie Types

The 80s were the slasher decade, but nothing beats the 70s for horror, both made-for-tv and theatrical releases. It was a decade obsessed with horror and it was a huge variety. Here's just some examples - 


Stalker: He Knows You're Alone, Someone Is Watching You, When a Stranger Calls
Slasher: Black Christmas, Halloween, The Hills Have Eyes
Psychological: Alice Sweet Alice, Suspira, Let's Scare Jessica To Death
Technology: Killdozer, The Car, 
Environment: Food Of the Gods, The Prophecy, The Day of the Animals
Witchcraft: Race With the Devil, The Wicker Man, Crowhaven Farm
Haunted Houses:  The Amityville Horror, Legend of Hell House,
Gothic:  Satan's Claw, The Dunwich Horror, House of Dark Shadows

The 70s rocked when it came to horror. Interesting, too, that it was a decade of gas shortages, inflation, recession, and now that we are back in similar-like times, horror is our favorite genre again. Hmm...

Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files & School Spirits

Stonehenge Secrets/Iceland Worm Monster

I know, I know. I don't follow the show anymore, but this episode really got my interest -

Besides, I am a huge fan of Ben Hansen. I just wish he was producing the show and making it into what it could be - This is from an interview when he came over and let me talk to him for several hours. That is one smart, adorable, and inquisitive man!



As well, check out the show "School Spirits" tonight on Syfy.

Screaming Locusts! Monsoon Nears

Something you learn in the Southwest US is that there are certain signs of coming monsoon season. I listen every day for the sound of locusts screaming. Today, the locusts screamed! That means the humidity is going up and monsoon season is about to begin. How far did the humidity go up? From about 4% to 14% but when it's 110 outside, you seriously feel it. The dewpoint will need to stay about 55 for about 3 days in a row for us to produce any rain here.

Another way to know if it's going to rain is the creosote scent. With enough moisture and impending rain, creosote bushes release a smell that's somewhere between pine trees and good old fashioned bar soap.

Once the rains come, the sage bushes blossom and crazy desert frogs erupt from pools of water, having waited in a dormant state for a reason to exist again.

I am such a rain lover that the first monsoon rain of the season, I dance naked in the rain and give thanks.

Dale the Doll Steals Zombie Housewives' Cover

He's obsessed with the book and with the character, Liz. I'm not sure if he understands I am Liz, but he looks at me kinda funny, like he's looking for the zombie inside me.

Over Niagra Falls in a Barrel

Niagra Falls, linking Lake Erie and Lake Ontario has the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world. So, what else do you think when you see such a powerful force except the obvious - I wonder if I can go over it in a barrel and survive?
Wikipedia

In October 1829: Sam Patch, "the Yankee Leapster", jumped from a high tower into the gorge below the falls and survived. October 24, 1901: A 63-year-old Michigan school teacher Annie Edson Taylor was the first person to go over the falls in a barrel as a publicity stunt; she survived, bleeding, but virtually unharmed.

Since Taylor's historic ride, 14 people have intentionally gone over the falls in or on a device, despite her advice. Some have survived unharmed, but others have drowned or been severely injured. Survivors of such stunts face charges and stiff fines, as it is illegal, on both sides of the border, to attempt to go over the falls."

The "Miracle at Niagara", Roger Woodward, a seven-year-old American boy, was swept over the Horseshoe Falls protected only by a life vest on July 9, 1960, as two tourists pulled his 17-year-old sister Deanne from the river only 20 feet (6 m) from the lip of the Horseshoe Falls at Goat Island.Minutes later, Woodward was plucked from the roiling plunge pool beneath the Horseshoe Falls after grabbing a life ring thrown to him by the crew of the Maid of the Mist boat.

On May 21, 2012, an unidentified man in his early 40s became the third person to survive an unprotected trip over the Horseshoe Falls. Eyewitness reports indicate that he "deliberately jumped" into the Niagara River after climbing over a railing.

That anyone looks at those falls and thinks "I'm gonna take a wild ride and survive," is puzzling, but it appears that even those who are intent upon ending their lives or stupid enough to fall in and get sucked down, sometimes survive. That they do, is perhaps the greatest wonder of all.

The Life of An Author

Glamorous, right?

No, it's more like this -



(We had just finished shooting "Zombie Housewives of the Apocalypse" in 114 degree heat in zombie makeup and costumes).

Writing and publishing these days is VASTLY different than in the past.

Good point: You can self publish and tell publishers to fuck it.
Bad point: When you self publish, nobody finds you or buys you, you have no editor who can tell you that you stink --instead you have trolls who rate your books a "1-star" and show the world you reek.

Good point: You don't need a fucking agent.
Bad point: Without an agent, you will not get published with the big guys and make bestseller lists and be a full-time author who can live off the income.

What's new in publishing? In the past, a writer could be a quirky hermit and hide away and write books and the publisher did all the work for him.  How many folks know what James Michener looked like?

Personalities:  Nowadays, with the internet, no one wants to read from an author they don't know. Authors must have their own website or blog and a face. The advantage is that if you have an interesting personality or point or view, are likeable, mysterious or funny, you can be sold much more easily. People really like to know the source of the writing, whether that author is dark and scary or a curmudgeon, adorable and perky or insightful and wise. Personalities sell as much as writing.

PR/Marketing Machines:  A writer MUST be their own PR/Marketing expert. They must work 50% of the time at writing and 50% of the time at selling.  You must be plugged into the social media sites and active on them long before your book comes out. This is like high school popularity and the prom queen votes all over again--except virtually online. Your name must be all over the place.

The Daily Life of an Author:  What's my daily life like as an author? Wake up at 7 am, stumble to the blender for a smoothie, turn on the laptop, turn on the work computer. I work 8 hours as a medical transcriptionist (so I can have this thing called a steady income and health care).  At 4 pm, I stumble with my laptop into the living room, plop down and begin correspondance, checking numbers, spending a certain amount of time doing PR online and connecting and spreading word, checking my stock investments (writing isn't going to make enough to live on any time soon), and writing blog posts for 2 blogs. Then, I begin the actual writing process. I have no dating life. I am lucky if I remember to workout. I turn off the laptop at 11 pm and hit the hay for the night.

It's not glamorous. It's purely functional and practical. Why do I do it?  Because I think in written language, I'm imaginative, full of wild ideas, and need this outlet. Because my entire life, I loved to weave stories and be the family historian and documentarian of all things odd and interesting. Because writing is my higher purpose.  So, I guess that would make my apartment my seminary.

Abandoned Places - Coming Soon In Print!

Julie and I's book, Abandoned Places: Abandoned Memories (Desert  Edition) has been a popular one on Kindle and Nook and the readers have told us two dire requests -

1. That we make it in print form for a coffee table heirloom and
2. We add more about psychic skills and the location descriptions.

So, we are currently about to offer this for print form in Amazon. We will keep you posted the day it is available for $11.99.

This book is a labor or love, showing our passion for urban exploration and the unexplained. We went to 12 sites across Arizona. Julie did amazing photography of these abandoned locations and I did psychic reads on an object from the site to bring to life a past story to tell about its history.

Though the sites today are crumbling and neglected, these stories show that life is still there, held in stasis for someone to come and interact with it.

Victorian Era Post-Mortem Pics

It was not unusual in the Victorian era to take a picture of your loved one after death for loving memory. Sometimes, this was the only picture ever taken of the person.





As well, some people in that era wove the dead person's hair into a memorial piece.

Paranormal Facebook

I thought I'd share with y'all some of the groups I joined on Facebook. It's a great way to meet like-minded folks and stay up on interesting things. Honestly, I get a lot of post ideas from these brilliant people posting all kinds of weird news and strange unusual stuff on these groups' pages.

Project Archivist: 
Fringe Science, lost history, spirituality and the Paranormal.
Could any site be better for me????

Zombie World News: Well, that says it all.


Texas Unified Natural Research: The Bigfoot crowd, but with hearts.

The Secret Sun: Science, paranormal, esoteric, philosophical. You name it. 

Expand your FB experience and consider joining cool groups.

Oddities San Francisco Show Tonight!

Discovery Science Channel has a pretty cool new show starting tonight called "Oddities San Francisco" about owners of a shop called "Loved To Death." This awesome Victorian-influenced shop has creepy art that is horror-inspired, macabre, and unsettling. I am so looking forward to this now that I'm really getting my Halloween mood building up!

Retribution 3D

The new part of the Resident Evil series, Retribution 3D comes out in mid September, but the teaser is out already--yahoo!

Adult Halloween Party: Postapocalyptic Graveyard

As we get into summer, it's the time to plan your Halloween party. I believe in recycling and borrowing and making a party cheap so you can actually spend on the good part--booze and food.

My first party I'm going to suggest you plan is a postapocalyptic graveyard theme. This is one I did in 2009 with great success and almost no expense except for food/drinks.

It began with entry in the side gate to the back yard instead of through the house. Guests entered a side yard where I had taken some old wooden planting lattices and disassembled them and nailed them into wooden crosses and painted them with 99 cent fluorscent paint from the craft store. I put up a black light in the yard to make the crosses glow. And, I took some old hunting clothing and put it on a wooden post and stuffed the arms and put an old gas mask I had on it with a Viking Helmet I also had and printed out and pasted a nuclear waste symbol on the coat. This huge guy greeted people as  they came to the pool area.



The pool was simple. I cut out some bright green plastic and put it over the pool light lens to make the water neon green. I collected a couple dozen milk gallon jugs and poured fluorescent green paint into them, let it roll around on the inside and then printed out radiation symbols to put on the jugs and let them float in the pool. On the cinderblock walls around the pool, I filled the vines with huge pipecleaner and styrofoam ball spiders that were mutant sizes.

On the patio, I had old sheets that were torn and tattered for curtains, a great foot spread, and a wheelbarrel filled with ice for the drinks. The main part of the yard had ghosts in the trees, a grim reaper, bones coming out of the ground, and a graveyard that was made with styrofoam headstones.

 

I lit a fire pit. I took a projector and showed a Brothers Quay movie on the shed. This creepy movie has weird dolls disassembling and reassembling creepy dolls. I hung real dolls up in front of the shed

to give it a 3-dimensional effect.


The party was a huge success -

And I went as an autumn druid - A black hooded robe with a big slit up the gown and the arms in tatters and twisted vines with autumn leaves weaving in and out of the frayed fabric to hold it
together like loose stitches.




This party theme is totally a recycling one. You can go to abandoned sites and even have friends offer their junk from their yards to help make make-shift apocalyptic tents and all sorts of fun things.

I hope to bring you other themes as we start the planning for October now -

Zombie Signs & Abandoned Mill

Hippie shop has signs in the window "No face eating" and "We do not sell bath salts!"


Julie and I wandered downtown Tempe, Arizona in the 113-degree heat yesterday. See yesterday's post of the video from it. Here's some shots of the huge abandoned Hayden Mill -- what I would give to go in there and photograph!!!

Destination Truth 2012

July 10th opening episode:  First, at 8pm, Josh and team lead viewers on a chase into one of the world’s biggest caves in the jungles of Vietnam to search for Bigfoot and emerge with some of the most compelling evidence ever caught on camera!  Then, at the overwhelming request of fans, they’ll travel to Romania for a return visit to the haunted Hoia Bachu Forest - the site of their most terrifying investigation to date - and then explore the reportedly haunted Mayan ruins of Tikal in pursuit of a monster known as the Belize Goblin.



Yes, you know that I'm going to be doing a whole bunch of photoshop-challenged pics of Josh in his situations for this coming season beginning Tuesday July 10th.

Following the Antarctica season ender in Antarctica (one of my top fav episodes), it's hard to imagine where else Josh could go to impress us.

Here's a list of possible awesome sites I'd like to see:

The Baltic Sea UFO site underwater. I normally don't like the underwater episodes, but this one would be pretty awesome.

Northwest in search of Bigfoot

Ghost hunt in Lincoln's Bedroom/White House

Hashima Island, Japan (abandoned mining island)

Places I want to see him go back to:

Suicide Forest

Doll Island

Romanian Forest (and they are!)

There is no doubt that this next season will be over the top awesome. Ever since Josh had his hand in producing it, the show really gets what a smart and fun public wants!

Expect me to do a reminder each night the show is on!

Another Zombie Attack!

Florida gets the credit for yet another "zombie" attack.

Okay, okay, maybe not a zombie, but a person who is whacked out on drugs and biting.

A man broke into his girlfriend's home, took off his clothing, and then proceeded to bite another man's arm. The cops tasered him a few times to bring him in.

NOTE: The zombie housewives do not endorse this kind of poser dining. It insults the true zombies who are iron-deficient and not strung out on synthetic drugs.

Flying Dead Cat: No, Not a Joke

I'm not even sure what to say about this one. I'll let you be the judge.

Horror Short Story Anthology in Paperback Now!

 

Admittedly, one of my books that I find myself re-reading and re-reading and others have expressed a desire to have it in print form is now available on Createspace and Amazon in print!  A few of these stories my long-time readers might have read here on the blog, but the vast majority are all new and edgy.

Don't Go There! A Flash Horror Anthology is a 322-page $11.99 book that is a huge collection of a wide variety of horror-themed short stories incluing things such as trolls, werewolves, zombies, vampires, scarecrows and more. 

This is a unique collection because each story begins with a simple explanation of the plot, the word count and the approximate time it takes to read so you know how much time you have for each story. 

It also has a bonus section of real-life stories of being in places alone that no one ever wants to go in alone. There is a lot of content here and all of it page turning, alone-at-night type stuff.

Why Is Bigfoot Exceptional?

I do not say this casually, but I expect a similar sort of film coming out involving the Bigfoot in coming years.

Evidence of his existence can no longer be ignored, but what we are left with is the greatest question. No, not the question about just what IS Bigfoot genetically, but the question of how has he managed and why has he chosen to secret himself for so many centuries.

Less intelligent creatures are stumbled upon all the time in the wild, but Bigfoot is not. Honestly, having seen one and its stride, I know that it is part human. Its brain capacity is surely adequate that he has the ability to evaluate a situation and find the best way to handle it. To remain basically a primitive tribe in a modern world is not a task of stupid people. It is a task of survivors.

And, survivors always find a way.

If you were greeting a relative who was perhaps slow-minded or had been raised in a feral situation, you would not approach waving your arms and shouting. It's my greatest hope that when we do come to the moment of interaction, we do so with great reverence and respect for a people who managed to maintain their lifestyle in the middle of a growing country.

And, like the Amish, we leave them to their ways and their space.

Hayden Mill, Tempe, AZ

Julie and I went on a little jaunt in the 113-degree weather to the abandoned flour mill (historic site) on the campus of ASU in Tempe, AZ. I will be sharing some creepy pics tomorrow of it, but for now -- enjoy the video --