The Ghostbusters are coming.

[HeyLeroy]

A very good friend of mine owns a pub. The pub is in an old house, built c.1880. My friend has a few woo-ish beliefs, including the existence of ghosts, and that there is one or more ghosts inhabiting his pub.

He plans on having some 'paranormal investigators' there on Hallowe'en. Sheesh.

If I have a chance to attend, does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do? I have a very good digital camcorder, but that's about it for equipment. Has anyone been along on an 'investigation'?

Thanks in advance; I'm looking forward to everyone's input.

 

[firecoins]

It might be helpful to show up in sheets with chains....so they find something!

Also you might want to remove the alcohol. Only after its consumption do the ghosts come out!

 

[HeyLeroy]

It might be helpful to show up in sheets with chains....so they find something!

Also you might want to remove the alcohol. Only after its consumption do the ghosts come out!

Hmm... it will be Hallowe'en!

Y'know what, I'll do just that, just for the funny. Thanks for the idea.

 

[CLD]

Bring a cellphone, a cordless home phone (just the handset) and one of those cheap motorola walkie talkies. Keep them in your pockets. Announce loudly that you will summon the ghosts. Reach into your pockets and surreptitiously turn the various devices on and off. The ghostbusters EMF meters should suddenly go crazy. Point to a dark corner and shout, "Look! A phantasm!". (A majority of the ghostbusters will "see" something there) Now go into a Derek Ackorah act. Pretend you're posessed by a spirit whose name is I.C. Weiner or I.P.Daily or some other made up name. Have the spirit demand that the barkeep buy a round of drinks for everyone. Have fun.

 

[HeyLeroy]

Ooh, good advice!

PS: The ghost is supposedly named Mike Aukertz

 

[RemieV]

Well, what would you like to do? From a skeptical perspective, there isn't much you can. Rather, there's nothing you can take with you in order to prove a point because it's all in how the data they gather is analyzed.

Just stand by with rational explanations. That's really the best that can be offered in a ghosthunting situation.

 

[Starthinker]

Since a lot of cameras pick up light towards the IR range you can bring a remote control from a tv or something and just point it around. Bare eyes won't see anything but cameras will pick up lights and shadows, especially near shiny objects, often flashing. It will also cause dust to show up on camera, like orbs, but not be seen by the naked eye. I've done this with the kids but adult believers may have the same reactions. Put fresh batteries in for the best effects.

 

[ClintonHammond]

The most fun was sitting in the back-book, watching these goofs nerd their way around the pub, while we sat, quoting "Ghostbusters" all night.

"You're right, no human being would stack books like this."

 

[Fnord]

Let's see ... on my most recent 'ghostbusting' expedition (25 years ago), the items people brought included:

- A flashlight with red cellophane over the lens.
- A digital voltmeter connected to opposite ends of a 1000' spool of 30-gauge wire (my idea ... hey, at least it looked cool!).
- A cassette tape recorder with no microphone (NOT my idea).
- A photographer's light-meter (my idea ... again, for the coolness factor only).
- A cross, holy water, and a Bible (KJV, I think).
- Three bulbs of garlic.
- Two silver coins.
- A mortar and pestle set.
- A British Army sheath dagger (an "Athema"?).
- A box of white chalk.
- A box of salt.
- An assortment of candles, incense, and scented oils.
- A bottle of Manechewich ... Manichevitz ... FRACK! They brought some wine!
- Enough cameras to open a photo store.
- A stray cat that wandered in.

After about an hour of setting up and fiddling with our gear, and various incantations and supplications to the spirits, someone went back to the farmhouse and made some pizza.

Nothing was discovered about 'ghostbusting' other than:

1) Go 'ghostbusting' only in warm, comfortable mansions; and stay away from cold, drafty barns.
2) Buy a brand of wine that people can spell and pronounce correctly.
3) Cheddar cheese does not really belong on top of a pizza.
4) Cats do not like incense.
5) It's better to look cool than to achieve results.

-Fnord of Dyscordia-

 

[CptColumbo]

One of the positive results of Hollywoods use of CGI FX, is that my expectation of what a ghost should look like has gone up. A flashlight with a cardboard cut out just ain't going to do it.

 

[Cuddles]

So, if you suspect you have ghostbusters in your house, who are you going to call?

 

[HeyLeroy]

The most fun was sitting in the back-book, watching these goofs nerd their way around the pub, while we sat, quoting "Ghostbusters" all night.

"You're right, no human being would stack books like this."

Don't worry, folks, as Clinton and I can attest, these two won't be re-writing the lasw of physics any time soon. You can cancel your flights to Geneva.

To me, the funniest part of the night was when Venkman came running up from the basement to declare that he'd found a 'cold spot'. In the basement of a drafty 125 year old house. In late October in southern Ontario.

 

[Fnord]

To me, the funniest part of the night was when Venkman came running up from the basement to declare that he'd found a 'cold spot'. In the basement of a drafty 125 year old house. In late October in southern Ontario.

Hmm... was this a 'cold' cold, or a 'colder-than-cold' cold?

I thoroughly enjoyed the Ghostbusters movies - all that technobabble, the SPFX, and especially the unlicensed man-portable proton accelerators.

-Fnord of Dystopia-