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Ghost Adventures – Central Prison Unit in Sugarland Texas – S07E01

Is it the start of a new season or just picking up where the other left off? These days, it’s getting a little difficult to tell. But anyway, it’s a new episode and the guys are down in Sugarland, Texas visiting a recently closed prison facility.

As a complete aside, many years ago, back in my youth, I lived just outside of Sugarland. Texas, is indeed a different kind of place. They definitely believes in "bigger is better" and they believe is dishing out corporal punishment. It may be different now, but during my high school years there was no need to send you to the principals office for goofing around in class. Teachers had every right to deal with you as they saw fit. "The paddle" was the standard part of the learning process, so it’s easy to imagine that the prison system down there is no joke.

Zak, Nick and Aaron show up on the scene a mere 6 months after the prison has been closed. The details over the prison closing are a little sketchy, but it doesn’t sound like it has anything to do with poor treatment, overcrowding, violence or abuse. From the little news snippet, it sounds like the crime rate was going down and the budget for the prison was cut. It may be the first prison to close, but closing because of a dropping crime rate is a hell of a thing!

The nature and timing of the closing also means there is almost no access to information, witnesses, guards, inmates or anything of the like. There is a colossal amount of maybe associated with this place. They don’t have any evidence to support their investigation, nor do they even know what they might be looking for, but let’s just put that aside for the moment. What were they able to uncover about the place? Perhaps a blind investigation is better than preconceived notions about a place.

During the early years, prison labor was used instead of slave labor to harvest sugar cane. I have no doubt the work was horrible and the treatment poor. Then again, this is prison… But I digress. Zak did manage to find someone able to give his story and his son was incarcerated there. He said it was the worst prison he’d been in and he’d been in jail for 10 years including maximum security. Sadly, no details are given so we don’t know if this is because of the other inmates or the guards.

As the investigation starts Zak feels a cold spot and begins to measure EMF. It goes from a flat 0 up to nearly 4. At this time, and for some time after, Nick has a bizarre reaction. It looks like be becomes confused, disoriented, sick and despondent. He all but gives up on the investigation and has Billy take his place. Nick doesn’t become violent, but he’s clearly not himself. Zak says that an orb circled Nick and bounced off his head. While Zak is talking there is a supposed shadow figure that walks right behind him.

There could be something to this, but for the love of God, can we ditch the !@#$ing sound effects? That has become so grating and so irritating!

Is there someone walking behind Zak? Is it going after Nick? Did it cause the problems? Or do we just have the usual shadow play from the lights?

They bring out the Spirit Box and get "in there" and "he’s hurt". Is this referring to a prisoner or to Nick? Is there more to this story?

The team breaks away from the main hall where they’ve been for the whole investigation with Aaron heading down to the shower area. He hears a lot of banging and gets the word "Goodbye" on the Ovlius and a shaking of the camera. The banging on the pipes would be nothing new in a place like that, and I hate that damn Ovlius thing, but what about the shake? Unforeseen animal, or unforeseen force?

Right at the end, Zak is trying to sell the idea that what he’s seeing on the thermal imager is a window into a portal. He says the swirling colors and undulating movement are people and we’re getting a glimpse into their world. Zak, what in the hell are you talking about? Maybe some of this stuff doesn’t translate over, but it sounded like Zak was just making crap up. I saw blobs on the thermal, but nothing that looked like a "void". Egads man, come back to earth!

I know Nick had some issues with this investigation, but when all is said and done this whole thing left me scratching my head. They’re investigation a recently closed prison for basically no good reason, or at least not for any story that anyone has offered. They go to visit "Old Sparky" the notorious electric chair that has killed over 300 men, and no exactly on the first try either, but don’t grab any real evidence there. They get a couple of cold spots and some readings that hit 3.7. Overall, I can’t see why they’re claiming this is some paranormal hotspot. Sure, Nick had some sort of episode, but are we saying this is some sort of possession or that a evil spirit grafted itself onto him? Additionally, the guys barely moved from one spot. They made camp in that main area and only Aaron actually went somewhere else. From my cozy spot on the couch, this investigation went no where.

I would love to see them go back again, but it doesn’t look like that will happen. Not only is the prison closing, but the city is wasting no time in tearing the place down. It will probably be reduced to rubble within months. I’m sure a Texas prison is no picnic, nor should it be, but this place doesn’t stand out as a paranormal location. Not every place has to haunted, I’m fine with that, and even expect it, but let’s not make something out to be more than it is.

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Haunted Collector – Haunted Island and Ghosts Of Maui – S02E12

Haunted Island

John and the group head off to the big island of Hawaii to some investigations for a couple of business owners. They first visit a former pineapple plantation where several people have had experiences with the windows flying open and then slamming shut, as well as beds shaking and not being able to move.

Right off the bat, these seem to have pretty normal explanations. It sounds like sleep paralysis and activity from volcanoes. I’m sure Hawaii has a near constant stream of seismic activity so a bed shaking would be normal. That would also shake and rattle all the windows. Is that exactly what happened with this? Who knows, but it’s just as likely and explanation as anything else.

So what does the investigation yield? John experiences the same odd behavior with the windows. Or at least one of them. There is a bang as he tries to record some EVPs. They head outside, it’s a calm night by the way, and discover a room underneath the porch. It turns out this was the servants quarters. It’s a pretty cramped little area so I doubt they would have been happy. While there is no corroborating evidence, it is believed that the original owner may have been abusive to his workers. It is also rumored that one of the female workers committed suicide on the property, perhaps even in the bed they discovered in the living quarters. It’s also noted that there are tea leaves wrapped around the posts of the bed. This is believed to ward off evil spirits and bind them in place, in this instance, bind the evil spirits to the bed. Did a woman kill herself in this bed and leaves were tied to it to keep her spirit from harming other people? Is she haunting the property and trying to get attention or perhaps vengeance against the current owners? Is a spirit really responsible for the events taking place or do they have more earthly explanation?

Ghosts of Maui

John and the team investigate the Iao Theater an old vaudeville theater from the 1920s where it’s said the apparition of woman appears. They also experience the windows opening and closing and lights going on and off. Since this location has the same issue as the previous one, it seems the window issue is more natural than supernatural. It really does sound like the seismic activity and the weather play a large part in explaining the phenomenon.

John and the team break open the time capsule that’s been attached to the building. Inside they discover an old film canister containing a small piece of old film and some postcards showing what the land looked like at the time.

While doing their investigation they capture an EVP of chanting which they associate with the Iao warriors that were killed in a bloody battle.

They also capture a white misty figure floating across the stage. Ok, let’s just stop things right here. The absolutely looked like a projected image onto the stage. It’s jerky, it shakes up and down and looks more like Casper the Ghost than anything else. I fully expected Velma to yell "Jinkies" and then come running out to reveal the projector. Maybe that was an apparition, but egad, that looked absolutely man made and some of the worst special effects out there. I’m not calling that a fake, but damn, that was a fake.

To try and calm the spirits, John makes a small little tribute to the actress in the short film. They place the time capsule items in a display case so that everyone can see it. It’s a nice gesture, but doesn’t seem to do anything.

I’m still firmly convinced that everything these people experience are natural occurrences and that if the white figure wasn’t a complete hoax it was a reflection from something outside. I refuse to believe it’s an actual spirit.

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Haunted Collector – Enfield Horror and Masonic Spirits – S02E11

Enfield Horror

In this episode, John and the team visit a house that is just plain nuts. Even if that large outline on the floor in the shape of a body isn’t a bloody stain and even if the baby monitor didn’t pick up "you’re all going to die", the number of deaths in house is off the charts.

However, there is plenty about this place that is perfectly normal. Brian makes a very nice discovery that the glowing red eyes are more than likely the street light right outside the bedroom window!

As with so many of these, the activity in the house seems non-existent. They find a necklace and say it’s the root of evil? This little horn starts to light up on it’s own? I’m not buying that. This idea of self-illumination is just a little too far fetched for me. Where are the readings they took after it lit up?

So John takes it to be analyzed and finds out it might be a charm and may be associated with the Italians. Why not talk to someone of Italian decent and find out? That would be an original idea.

In John’s mind, since it may be of Italian decent and it may have been worn by the Italian who killed a woman he was infatuated with before killing his own family, this must the item he’s looking for? Damn, that’s a lot of maybe’s right there. It’s a neat story, but it’s all held together pretty loosely.

This is all pretty thin…

Regardless of anything else, how can a place like that be on the market? It took these guys a single day to find a slew of deaths associated with this house. How can they sell a place like that? Seems like there is a massive lawsuit to be had here. If none of this was told to the new owners it seems like they deserve a sack of money and that house should be torn down and then burned. Or turned into a tourist attraction.

Masonic Spirits

For this investigation the team visits a Masonic Lodge that has some odd noises apparitions visiting.

The masonic lodge has some strange artifacts like a couple of coffins. It’s very likely those are the real deal and not just ceremonial. If they did indeed transport the dead, why would those the prime suspect? If they’re not actually being used, why the hell are they there? That seems a little odd. Again, if people thing these items are at fault, why do they keep them? Get rid of the damn things and see if the problems go away.

But on with the investigation that reveals pretty much nothing. There is the voice of, "Morgan" and the sound of something dripping. Morgan is assumed to be a General and the dripping leads them to a tool for blood letting, a common practice during the time. They naturally assume this is the culprit. It’s a common tool and may have been used for as much good as harm. Sure, by today’s standards it’s completely useless, but in it’s day it may have saved lives. Even though it has no readings and doesn’t present any more of a threat than anything else, let’s chuck it away. Why? Because it’s not Masonic.

Once again, since this place was used as a medical facility are we really going to believe this is the only medical tool in the place? There’s not a single other thing related to the medical field? Noting else that would have caused pain and suffering? What about shell casings, or rifles or any of the other Civil War items that must be in that area? This is it? Come on.

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Haunted Collector – Firestarter and Haunted Museum – S02E10

Firestarter

The first episode deals with a family who has the strange problem of fire starting all over the place. They had fires inside, outside and even on a bed. Either they have the worst electrical wiring ever or a pyro living in the house. There are also claims that the mouth on the picture of the grandfather moves.

As they investigate the house it doesn’t seem like they come away with much. Nor do they really come across any sort of explanation for the events. It seems like if things are catching fire that easily, maybe you need to get an electrician, not someone trying to find some sort of paranormal answer.

But in continuing on with the investigation there are lots of bangs and bumps, but considering the age of the place, that would be expected. These bangs and bumps lead them to the attic where they happen to discover they Ouija they’ve been searching for. And again, if the thing is so damn dangerous why did they even let it into the house?

Ironically, John says not to touch the damn thing, in a rather hysterical voice by the way, then manhandles it himself. So which is it? Naturally, this is what John associated with the problems. Just mention the Ouija and people flip out. And the fact it’s ripped means the spirit associated with it has been unleashed. Where did that come from?

Let me start off by saying, I don’t believe that the Ouija has any power to communicate with spirits. I don’t think it’s evil or brings spirits into your house. It’s just a piece of cardboard. I don’t under the fear that it conjures. And if it does have so much power why aren’t investigators using it? If this is truly the tool to speak with the other side, then let’s get to dialing!

This episode has some serious issues and I think blaming a piece of cardboard locked away in the attic is a little misguided.

Haunted Museum

The team heads off to an old museum where the chess pieces move and shadow figures walk the halls. Of course, the way the intro plays, we’re lead to believe this is the work of the spirit that wore the Klan robe.

It turns out that activity is pretty non-existent in this place. They set up a vibration mat on the chess board, but nothing mystical happens. What does happen is we learn trucks and other things drive by and cause the place to vibrate.

As the night progresses their EVP sessions and banging noises make them open a little cubby and make the “unexpected” discovery of a slave tag near the Klan robe. Take about irony and viewer ratings!

The case needs to be made that prejudice can exist beyond the grave. And perhaps it does. But all of this is just way too damn coincidental. Since that Klan robe is too controversial to display, why even have the damn thing in the first place? Put it in a box and get it the hell out of there. And why take the slave tag away? That should have been kept around. That is something people need to see and remember. That is a reminder of the mistakes we’ve made in the past.

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