Author Archive

I wanted to take a few minutes to share some info on two incredible sites that Spooktalkular uses.  I have been involved with websites in some capacity or another since back in 1996.  Yea, I know, in that amount of time, I should have made a ton of cash but honestly, my fatal flaw is just doing it for the enjoyment, not the financial benefit.  It is for that reason that I am always looking for low cost ways to do things online to establish an identity.

One of the biggest things that can identify a website is a logo.  Traditionally, you had to pay the same for your little “for fun” logo as someone running a business did and often times, it could get pretty expensive.  Well, that is until I discovered LogoBogo.  LogoBogo is basically a graphics exchange website.  You post your graphics request complete with details including size and colors and someone on the site takes your requirements and magically makes your graphic come to life.  All of this for basically free but donations are encouraged to the graphics pro who makes your vision a reality.  Here is some of the work that has been done for Spooktalkular.

Logo by BenMedia

Logo By RetroRaider

2 Color Edit of BenMedia Logo by AVS

As you can see, incredible work!  Check them out and be sure to donate whenever possible.

Just like the Logo is the identity of a website, voiceover work is the identity of a podcast.  If you are a podcaster, unless you have unlimited money, you really owe it to yourself to get over to Radio Daddy.  The concept is the same as LogoBogo except it is for voiceover exchanges.  You post your script along with any production requests like sound effects or background mood and someone creates it for you.  If you listen to Spooktalkular, you have heard many examples of the fine quality of work that comes from RadioDaddy.  Our Intro and Outro along with our promo were all recorded by the fine folks at RadioDaddy.  We also use some prompts throughout the show. misc beds and other audio from RadioDaddy.  We get some much from RadioDaddy, we pay to be Elite Members just to give a little something back.  Again, donations are encouraged.  When we aren’t running short on time, we play the RadioDaddy promo during the show as well.  We honestly feel that Spooktalkular would not be the quality show it is today without RadioDaddy.  The work done there has really helped to establish our identity.  Please, check them out.  It’s much more than free voiceovers.

The video links didn’t work on the other post so here they are.

Spooktalkular MySpace http://www.myspace.com/spooktalkular

Frank’s Twitter http://www.twitter.com/spooktalkfrank

Jacket Pull Debunk

Tug 3D

If you’ve listened from the beginning, you might remember that, as we discussed the overviews of all of the shows that we planed to included, we mentioned the spoof of “Most Haunted” as done on SNL with Hugh Laurie.  I mentioned that if I could find the clip, I’d post it.  Well, it took a while but finally, here it is.  Check this out, it’s great!  Hopefully you will feel it was worth the wait.

Last week, during Spooktalkular, we reviewed in detail, the recent video accusing "Ghost Hunters" of fraud by faking evidence.  In case you missed it, here’s the video “TAPS LIES – Ghost Hunters Live – 2008 – Fraud-O-Rama”;

As I mentioned during the show, I’m not passing judgement on the validity of the claims made in the video.  The producer of the video makes a fairly compelling case for his accusations of fraud.  I personally hope that the accusations are false because if they are, they call into question the validity of ALL evidence presented on "Ghost Hunters" and for that matter, all of the paranormal reality shows.

Wednesday’s "Ghost Hunters – All Access" episode is the first that I’ve watched since viewing the fraud accusations.  Going in, I wondered how I’d feel.  Since I’m a podcaster on the topic of "Paratainment", I try to keep an open mind when watching these shows because, not only are they entertainment, they are also prep work for discussion on Spooktalkular.  I found it incredibly hard to watch the show objectively.  Every time they would show an evidence clip, I found myself looking for the "man behind the curtain" and how it possibly could have been faked.  For almost every clip shown, I was able to determine a way it could have been faked.  Now this DOES NOT mean that it was faked or that I thought it was.

Why is this important?  In order to believe the validity of and evidence presented, one has to trust the source.  Simply put, if doubt is injected as to one piece of evidence, presented as factual, this calls into question all evidence.  When I was a child, I remember finding out that there was no Santa.  I was in third or forth grade so I was around 9 years old or so.  I found out because I noticed the shipping label on one of my Christmas gifts, a Weebles Treasure Island, was addressed to my Mom from JC Penney’s not Santa.  I asked my Mom about it and she came clean about the fact that Santa was indeed, not real.  From there, that called into question all of my beliefs about the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and so forth.  One by one, as I reexamined these, I realized that they also were not real.  All of this because of the doubt injected by Santa not being real.

That is why I feel it is very important for "Ghost Hunters" or Jason and Grant themselves to publish a rebuttal.  The video produced by Moviedan is very compelling so the response must be equally so.  Jason and Grant have both posted responses on their Myspace blogs but, they are not anywhere as stong of an argument as the one by Moviedan.  I really feel that "Ghost Hunters" should almost devote an episode to debunking this video.  Otherwise, a lot of people will start questioning the last several years of their work.

Now, for the other possibility, if it is fake, let us know.  I still watch magicians even though I know there isn’t anything mystical going on.  Wrestling still enjoys quite a following even after the acknowledgement that it is fake.  Based simply on the entertainment value alone, "Ghost Hunters" could enjoy the same.

Me, shoot, I’m still out on what I think.  I’m still trying to gather evidence and watch what happens.  I still enjoy "Ghost Hunters" even though I watch it even more skeptically than before.  I would, however, like to see a real response from GH or Jason and Grant one way or another.

What do you think?

Here’s a cool widget for Paranormal State that we found while surfing around the net.  I only wish we could find a little smaller version. Check it out. We miss Paranormal State! Also, later today, we’ll be putting out the latest Spooktalkular.

Welcome to Spooktalkular episode 6, recorded on Halloween Night.  It’s been a little while but it’s actually one of our best.  This time, we did a good bit of post production which really made a difference.  I had hoped to get this one out yesterday but I really feel that it was worth the wait.

In the paranormal news, we talk about the recent article linking EMF to paranormal.  http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=ghost-lusters-if-you-want

We also talk about the upcoming remake of Friday the 13th and listen to the new trailer.  Here’s the link to the trailer on YouTube.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OJYncOq2W0&feature=iv&annotation_id=event_227056

We take a look at the new Travel Channel series “Ghost Adventurers”.   We do a quick look at “Paranormal State” which was picked up for a third season.  Also, we mention the upcoming giveaway of an autographed picture from the cast of “Paranormal State”.  We talk about the “Paranormal State” field trip in February to Point Pleasant.  If you happen to be up in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, be sure to check out the Mothman Museum.  Jeff Wamsley does a heck of a job with it.

Since it’s Halloween night, it’s time for the “Ghost Hunters” Live event.  This year it’s at Fort Delaware.  Since it’s happening while we record the show, be sure to listen next time when we take a look at the live event.  We do take a look at the “Ghost Hunters” Uss Hornet episode with special guest Colin Ferguson from “Eureka”.

We have started a new MySpace page set up on http://www.myspace.com/spooktalkular so if you’re on Myspace, be sure to add us as a friend.

We produced this episode with a little lower bitrate as to be a little friendlier on those of us on slower connections.  All our testing seemed good but if there are any quality issues noted, let us know.  As always, thanks for listening!

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The new show has been recorded.  We just need to go over it and clean it up some.

The wait is almost over.  We’ve been busy working on new things for the show.  Tonight we’ll be cranking out a new episode on Halloween.  Just to wet your tastebuds, check out the new Intro and Outro below.  Look for the new episode to be out on Saturday.

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Ghost Hunters is back and so is Spooktalkular.  We start off with a discussion of the possible remake of the 80′s movie Poltergeist and the  “curse” surrounding it.  From there, we move into the latest couple of Paranormal State episodes along with the season premiere of Ghost Hunters.  Awesome episode from the Iron Island Museum in New York state.  Finally, we end up with Destination Truth.  We also talk about another project that we are working on.  It’s an auto racing podcast to complement the blog at www.racingfaces.com that Frank writes.  If you’re a fan of NASCAR, be sure to tune in to our first episode coming next week.

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It’s been a couple of weeks since we have gotten an episode out.  Hopefully, this one will make the wait worth it.  In it, we discuss the last couple of weeks of Ghost Hunters International and Paranormal State.  We also discuss the recent bigfoot hoax by those two guys in Georgia.  We review the latest Corey Squared film Lost Boys: the Tribe.

We hope you enjoy!!!

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