I'm just posting a quick update because my Internet is being glitchy this week, so I may not get a news update until I get it sorted out. I hope you are all enjoying your weeks!

Weekly News Round-up 5/9/13

MailOnline has an article about a strange creature that, according to legend, appeared in a town in Iowa over 100 years ago.

Parapolitical has an article arguing why Earth wouldn't be a good candidate for attack by alien invaders. Read about it here.

Images of a carcass that washed up in New Zealand had people yelling sea monster, but experts are pretty convinced it is just a decomposing orcha. Check it out here.

Wavepad

Today I thought I would talk a little about some of the software used in ghost hunting. More specifically, Wavepad. If you aren’t familiar with the program, it’s basically something that allows you to upload sound files. Once the sound files are loaded into the program, you can listen to them or edit them. Long files can be cut into short segments, background noise can be edited out, and effects can be added.

Wavepad is great for a lot of reasons. There’s a free version that you can download online, so pretty much everyone uses it. It’s simple to operate but also has a lot of features that just aren’t available with other sound editing programs. It’s also pretty reliable.

The downside of using Wavepad in ghost hunting, is that because it’s so readily available and easy to use, it’s also very easy for people to fake evidence. Ghost hunters try to capture EVP’s, and with a little creative editing, many groups are able to add in sound effects and voices where they don’t really belong. A little knowledge about Wavepad can help filter out some of the fake EVP’s, though. (There’s usually a slight change to the sound quality if any editing has been done to that part of the file.)

Anyone with an interest in ghost hunting should at least be familiar with Wavepad. If you want to download the free version to check it out, the link is here.

Have any of you ever used Wavepad?

Weekly News Round-up 5/2/13

Nooga.com posted on article titled Five Reasons Bigfoot ABSOLUTELY exists. Check it out here.

An Australian man claims to have captured hundreds of photos of UFO's. Read about it here.

Opposingviews.com posted an article claiming that FEMA is planning a UFO Zombie Crash plan test. Read about it here.

Ghost Hunting 101: Picking a Good Flashlight.

This is pretty basic stuff, but one of the most important pieces of equipment a ghost hunter can own is a flash light. It’s the one tool you take everywhere, and it gets used during the entire duration of a hunt, so choosing a good one is important.

I try to stick to name brand flash lights. Even though you pay a little more for them, they sometimes come with warranties and they hold up better then the cheap ones. I also prefer using flash lights with LED bulbs. They are just more powerful than the other ones and they last longer. Weight is another issue to keep in mind. A heavy light may be more sturdy, but carrying it around can get tiring. I personally like small, lightweight flashlights. They fit in pockets, can be attached to equipment with clamps and tape, and don’t get in the way.

Another popular trend in ghost hunting is flashlights that strap on to clothes or the person’s head. The idea is to free up the person’s hands, but I like being able to control the direction I’m shining a light in, and that only really comes with a handheld flashlight.

As minor as they seem, flashlights are important and incredibly useful pieces of equipment, so take the time to find one that suits you before you purchase one.

Weekly News Round-up 4/24/13

An author describes his run ins with a thylacine in The Examiner. You can read about it here.

Birmingham Mail posted an article about a mom calling in an exorcist after being spooked by strange occurrences at her home.

A woman in Cleveland claims to have caught a ghostly image on her cell phone. The image looks fake to me, but I'll let you be the judge. Check it out here.

Contact from Deceased Loved Ones

A ghost hunting peer posted on Facebook the other day questioning why a deceased loved one hadn’t gotten in contact after their death. They said that because they knew ghosts existed, it seemed strange that their family member hadn’t tried to reach out to them.

I do believe in ghosts, but I tend to think that the ghosts we encounter are usually there for a reason. They try to reach out because they have something they want to fix, or show someone. If a person doesn’t have any unfinished business, it makes sense to me that they would want to stay on the other side.

Sure, it would be nice if we could all get one last visit or message from the people we care about, but life doesn’t always work out that way. There are plenty of stories about people getting last phone calls or eerie messages from people, but sometimes we have to just accept the time we are given with people when they are alive.

Have any of you gotten a sign or message from a deceased friend or family member?