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Thursday, March 31, 2011

Discussion Eighteen: Zombies

Zombies are the walking undead. They are bodies that are re-animated, but have no will of their own. Lots of people believe zombies are controlled by a master (whoever created the zombie), and used to do their bidding. This idea comes from voodoo beliefs. In Medieval times, zombies were believed to be vengeful spirits walking the earth, trying to right some sort of wrong done to them in life.

Since the 1968 movie,
Night of the Living Dead, zombies have been seen in popular culture quite often, most often in the "zombie apocalypse" scenario, where zombies outnumber the general population and take over the world, leading to catastrophe and mayhem. Some sort of quick spreading virus or plague is usually the cause of the zombies in this scenario, and the illness is usually passed by a zombie bite (scroll down to see my book review on Never Slow Dance With a Zombie).

Zombies are almost always portrayed as rotting corpses with green-ish skin, who eat human flesh (or just brains in some cases). They shuffle along with stiff movement and cannot talk, but make grunting sounds. They are usually not very smart, and are generally pretty easy to escape in the event of a zombie attack because of their slow movement.

Questions:
-Do you believe in zombies?
-Have you ever seen one?
-Why do you think zombies are so popular in pop culture?
-Any tips on how to survive a zombie uprising?

For more on Zombies:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie
http://www.monstropedia.org/monster/Zombie

Friday, March 25, 2011

Discussion Seventeen: Chupacabra

You may have heard of the chupacabra, which means "goat sucker", from various supposed sighting in the news. Often these chupacabra are dogs with the mange or decayed animals. But the idea has to stem from something real, right?

The appearance of this creature can vary widely between sightings. The most popular description is  hairless and kind of looks like an overgrown rat on a dogs body.

The belief in chupacabras is often linked with aliens because of the blood draining (which could also link them to vampires). This creature is called an ABE (Anomalous Biological Entities) with the UFO crowd. There is an episode of The X-Files about chupacabras, but I wouldn't totally recommend it since it wasn't the best episode.

But what really is a chupacabra? How did it come about? Why does it seem to attack mostly in warm climates (Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Miami seem to have the most sightings)? What would you do if you saw one? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra

I was going to post some links of recent sightings and better information, but the pictures are pretty disturbing since they are of a dead animal. Just be aware of this if you search for more information. The Wiki link only has a cartoon drawing.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Book Review: Never Slow Dance With A Zombie

Frankie here!
I just finished reading Never Slow Dance With A Zombie; by E. Van Lowe. I thought I'd review it here.

Summary: Never Slow Dance With a Zombie is about two girls, Margot Johnson and her best friend Sibyl. They are average girls at an average school. But they feel left out among the many cliques, who seem to rule the school. They aren't really sure where they fit in. But one day, Margot and Sibyl go to school to discover that their classmates have become zombies. Their principal asks them to keep the zombies a secret- to live among them like nothing ever happened. Easier said than done, of course. Zombies eat brains! Being the only non-zombies at school, that is a very dangerous situation. But the girls also see an opportunity to change their own social status, and live the way they always wanted to. Then Margot and Sibyl discover that they are not alone- two of the school geeks, who are also unaffected, are trying to find a cure for the zombie epidemic. This is not so easy either, especially when it seems like there may be a traitor among them, or worse.

My thought: This is a really fun book to read. The zombies are entertaining, of course. I loved their interactions with Margot and Sibyl. And Margot was a pretty funny character. But the deeper meaning of the books is the message of tolerance for others' differences, and the importance of being yourself. It was a really good story about loyalty and I thought it was very suspenseful. Plus, again, it had zombies... what's not to love?

My Rating: A-

Happy haunting,
Frankie

Friday, March 18, 2011

Discussion Sixteen: Poltergeist

They're He-e-re... but what are they?
Poltergeist, German for "noisy ghost,"
have been a subject of mystery and fascination for many years. But many people are torn on where these mischievous entities really come from. Now it's time for you to decide.

Poltergeist activity is marked by such phenomena as; objects moving by themselves, changes in temperature, interference in electronics, such as televisions, and disembodied noises. Poltergeists are known as mischief makers. They are invisible forces, known for such tricks as throwing objects across rooms. Although they are invisible, there have been many well-documented cases of Poltergeist phenomena, which you can find more about here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poltergeist#Famous_poltergeist_cases

There are some common theories as to what poltergeists really are. Some say they are angry ghosts (as shown in the movie Poltergeist, and the Harry Potter series), but other theories identify poltergeist as a type of energy coming from a person who lives where the phenomena takes place. This energy could cause psychokinesis or telekinesis, which is the moving of objects with the mind. It is thought that this phenomena could be caused when a person is under stress and emotions are running high. This is why poltergeist cases are well known to occur in the homes of teenagers and children, who are at stressful times in their lives. The phenomena may only occur when they are present. It is thought that they may cause the phenomena without knowing it. Environmental factors have also been thought to cause poltergeist phenomena, such as static electricity. Some famous cases have also been proved to be fraudulent.

Now, what do you think causes poltergeist phenomena?


Happy haunting,
Frankie

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Contest Winner!

The winner of the contest was announced over at Bolton Girls Travel Journal.

Congrats to Stephanie J! And a huge thank you to the Bolton girls for taking the time to do this contest and interviewing Frankie and myself. We loved every moment of it!

Frankie and I will resume our weekly discussions next Friday. Mark your calendars and tune in then!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Fun Fact: Day 8

Don't forget that everyday is another chance to get your name entered in the drawing. All you have to do is comment.

How much do you comment on other peoples blogs?
Frankie - Not nearly as much as I should.
Emily - I try to comment frequently. Since I like people to comment on my blog, it feels right to return the favor. Plus I love reading what is going on in others lives and giving him/her support.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Fun Facts: Day 7

Which of the blog discussions are your favorite?
Frankie - I liked the one about Resurrection Mary, because I got to go in depth about Phantom Hitchhikers.
Emily - I likes the ones we did on on paranormal encounters. We got a lot of good discussion going on that one.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Fun Fact: Day 6

Another fun fact to get your week started on the right track.

If you could own one animal what would it be?
Frankie - A Scottish Terrier. I love them.
Emily - A wolf. I think I would name it Fox. Haha, that sounds weirder than I meant it.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Fun Fact: Day 5

Here is our question of the day! Don't forget to tell us your answer for the question for a chance to win!

Do you have a favorite book about the paranormal?
Frankie - "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. It is my first memory of hearing a scary story.
Emily - "The Mystic Bestiary" is my favorite. It has tons of paranormal creatures in it and cool pictures.

Thanks!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Fun Fact: Day 4

How much do you enjoy blogging?
 

Frankie - I like it, because I can share my interests.
Emily - I enjoy it a lot. It's fun to document what is going on and share with others something I enjoy and maybe teach them something new.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Fun Fact: Day 3

What is your favorite thing about the paranormal?

Frankie - The unknown! I love the mystery, and the possibility that believing doesn't always mean seeing.

Emily - There is no right or wrong, no boundaries as to what is possible. To quote a tag-line from one of my favorite shows, Fringe: "Imagine the impossibilities".

P.S.- Don't forget to post your answer to this question. Your answer is a chance to win!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Fun Fact: Day 2

It's the second day of the contest! Here is today's fun fact:

Who do you spend the most time with and what do you love to do?
 

Frankie - Paige Shepherd. We like to draw together.
Emily - I probably spend the most time with Kit since we live under the same roof and share a bedroom. We love to play with stuffed animals, talk about our favorite TV shows and actors and share our plans for hunting paranormal creatures (she loves werewolves and dragons).


Remember to comment here and at Bolton Girls Travel Journal for two entries into the prize drawing. Tune in tomorrow for another question!


Emily

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Fun Facts: day 1

Frankie here! Emily and I are having a contest. We are partnering with The Bolton Girls Travel Journal. You can read Emily's and my interview there, and then see the prizes you can win. Everyday for the next eight days, we will post a fun fact on our blog, and our friends' blog: http://boltongirlstraveljournal.blogspot.com/ . To enter the contest, check back here and at the link just shown, daily, and answer our fun fact question for yourself through commenting. It's easy and fun to enter, and you can win a cute prize.

The rules of the game ..
1. You can comment answering the fun question of the day on our post here for a chance to enter .. and then visit http://boltongirlstraveljournal.blogspot.com/ and answer the question on their blog .. two different fun questions to answer .. two times for chances to enter ..

2. At the end of the week we will put everyone's name into a hat and draw out a winner for the ugly doll hat and spy kit .. please have fun answering our questions ..

Fun Fact- Day 1:

Q. What do you think is the most important part of your family life?

Frankie: I like to cook with my family (anything where we are working toward the same goal).

Emily: The constant support and understanding. No one else knows what you are going through like your sisters do.


Now answer this question for yourself! Have fun!