Growing up in the 1970′s, I was heavily influenced by the paranormal. In television and movies, I watched Scooby Doo, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, In Search Of, Night Gallery, The Amityville Horror, The Entity, and The Exorcist, along with a plethora of others.  I would read about all things paranormal in my school library. Yes, this all took place pre-internet years. Into the early 80′s, the paranormal was just a daily part of my life. In 1984, however, a blockbuster movie called Ghostbusters was released. Then, things changed.

Intriguing conversations about the paranormal were suddenly replaced by snickers and laughter at my mere mention of ghosts. ‘Have you ever been slimed?’ was a common query. If the querant was an interested young man, he’d put on a grin and follow up with: “Do you want to be slimed?” Talk about some of the worst pick up lines in the 80′s inspired by a movie.

The movie was hilarious, but it wasn’t a favorite of mine for a small part of the last 25 years. In particular, I didn’t like the scene where Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) conducted a highly unethical clairvoyance experiment on two coeds. The the male subject guessed every Zener Card correctly, but he was jolted via electric shock and told he guessed incorrectly. The pretty female participant didn’t get any right, but she was led to believe she was right – so Dr. Venkman could utilize some of the second worst pick-up lines of all time. 

I  didn’t really like the film due to the way it portrayed paraspsychological research. To me, this film made parapsychology a joke. After a while, I lightened up over the whole Ghostbusters thing. After all, the film’s co-writer, Dan Aykroyd, is a huge believer in the paranormal. It’s apparent that paranormal enthusiasts probably have the best senses of humor around, even if some of us tend to be way before our times in the ‘funny’ department.

Speaking of before our times, the release of Ghostbusters 3 looms in the distant future, possibly in 2012. After 25 years, the paranormal has regained popularity. So, now is the right time to forge ahead with the production of this new installment. All original cast members, with the exception of Rick Moranis, have committed to the Ghostbusters  project. Ghostbusters fans are truly disappointed that Moranis has retired from show business. Moranis took a break from acting to focus on raising his children after the death of his wife. That break has turned into full retirement, with no desire to even make a cameo appearance. We’ll hope Moranis changes his mind over the course of the next couple of years.

Rumors are swirling about the Ghostbusters 3 plot. So far, Aykroyd has said that the third installment is more of a “passing of the torch” to younger team of Ghostbusters kind of flick. Ponder the Star Trek movie release earlier this year, then start feeling very old.

There are plans to actually have a couple of women join the formerly all male Ghostbusters team, according to Akroyd himself. Does this mean we can say goodbye to Bill Murray’s portrayal of the womanizing parapsychologist Peter Venkman? Maybe not. Sigourney Weaver stated in a recent interview that Murray’s character would be making an appearance as a ghost in this movie. True? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see. We may look forward to Venkman’s ghost making the moves on the living, at least one last time, as the paranormal leaves the ‘old’ behind and keeps pushing forward with the new.

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UFO enthusiasts live among us in the Old Pueblo. The more serious segment of that group usually arm themselves with video or digital cameras before leaving their homes in search of evidence. The proof they capture could be offered to the local media, or it might be posted online for the world to scrutinize. One local woman has put a unique spin on UFO hunting in Tucson. She conducts her searches without even leaving the house.

Her name is Sheila Martin. Sheila spends an average of five hours a week on the Tucson user-controlled city cameras online, which she aims toward the skies. Evidence she captures is posted to her YouTube channel, which is beginning to gain a following. Sheila jokes that “Sheila” is “Aliens” spelled backwards, well, if you cut of the neck of the “h” in “Sheila.”

She began her YouTube UFO hobby quite by accident. One night, while checking on the progress of the construction via Stone Avenue webcam, she took control of it and aimed it toward the sky. She quickly saw unusual lights, which prompted her to combine the city cams with a free downloadable software application called YouCam. With YouCam, she can record and share what she sees on the city webcams. She readily admits that much of the video she captures via webcam could likely be earthly airplanes or helicopters. She invites experts to scrutinize her findings, noting the dates and times for possible comparison with weather, flight and space records. Although she has tried other controllable web cams outside of Tucson, she hasn’t found as much success as she has experienced in the Old Pueblo.

Martin is also interested in ghosts, and has participated in paranormal investigations with a group based in Sierra Vista. Cryptozoology is also intriguing to her, as she occasionally ponders over the existence of her favorite monster, Nessie (The Loch Ness Monster). She is a paranormal enthusiast in general. She is also a normal 23 year-old who is currently contempating career and educational goals. Kitty cats are constant source of joy in her life. She lovingly refers to felines as “alien angels” from above. Martin is interested in so many things, she hasn’t yet decided what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Modeling is another hobby that occupies some of her time. This pretty woman has secured a multitude of professional modeling gigs, but at 5′ 5″, she has found that her height has presented a barrier to her desired supermodel status. Still, she keeps aiming high with everything she does, despite her “vertical” challenge that limits her in the modeling field.

In the meantime, Martin works, searches for aliens, and goes out on dates. When asked if her paranormal enthusiasm has put a limit on potential dates, she replied with wholehearted assurance that it most certainly has not.

To watch Martin’s video channel on YouTube, click here.

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Area malls are bustling with holiday shoppers in the Old Pueblo. I prefer to keep my holiday shopping excursions outside those scary and crowded malls. Instead, my holiday shopping will be conducted at smaller establishments.

I offer my top three favorite shopping haunts to those who share my fear of the structure called the mall.

Oh, and yes, they are all haunted.

Each location offers unique holiday gifts, with prices that fit nicely within everyone’s budget. All locations also have a wide variety of gift ideas for everyone on your shopping lists.

22nd Street Antique Mall, 5302 East 22nd Street.

Who doesn’t love antiques and collectibles? Previously-owned items generally possess an interesting history. On this note, I’m reminded of the scene in the movie, The Sixth Sense, when Anna Crowe shows the antique sapphire ring to a young couple in her store. She says, “A lot of the pieces in this store give me feelings. I think maybe when people own things and then they pass away, a part of themselves gets printed on those things – like fingerprints.” The 22nd Street Antiques Mall is full of such fingerprints. The owners and employees openly discuss their paranormal experiences at the store.

It is not known who haunts this store. Some people theorize that it’s the ghost of a former property owner, while others think that the ghost could be attached to an item brought into the store.

Strange things happen at the 22nd Street Antiques Mall. Furniture on display has been known to rearrange overnight when the store is empty. Admirers of pieces of jewelry stored in a case have been brushed against, when no one else is in the immediate vicinity.

Many people I know like to collect things, and you just might find a special addition for a loved one’s collection at this mega antique store. Or, you might find that item that has a loved one’s name written all over it.

Whether a spirit is attached to an item you take away from the store is anyone’s guess. I don’t know anyone who has been disappointed after receiving an item from this store.

Cost Plus World Market, 5975 E Broadway Boulevard.

This popular chain touts “Unique, Authentic and Always Affordable” items. They live up to that promise.  This specialty retailer offers quality imported items. The selection is massive, and prices are affordable. Gifts for everyone in your life, from pets to parents, they say, can be found at this store.

It wasn’t until recently that I discovered that this particular location on Broadway has a ghost.

A friend of mine is moonlighting there as a seasonal employee. A couple of weeks ago, after closing time, the bathroom door locked mysteriously from the inside. After several unsuccessful attempts to open the door, it finally opened on its own. That’s when it was revealed to my friend that the ghost of a little girl haunts this store. The ghost had long ago became acquainted with full time staff. I’m looking forward to learning more about her and sharing my research with you in a future post.

Factory 2-U, 902 W. Valencia Road.

This location was the subject of one of my first blog entries on Paranormal Old Pueblo. You can read that post here about a comforter-set-flinging-poltergeist. Though the current employees haven’t experienced any paranormal activity in recent years, this store remains a favorite for inexpensive and useful items.

Bargain hunters can appreciate this store for last minute gift ideas or stocking stuffers.

Do you have any favorite “haunts” that you enjoy? If you know about any store that offers both gifts and ghosts to holiday shoppers, share them with us in the comment section below.

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