"Halloween is here............"

Halloween, one of my favorite times of the year, is just days away so I thought I would share some of my favorite "otherworldly" and "bizarre" sites to set the stage:

The Fortean Times - The best site for strange stories reported by real news organizations. I used to be a frequent link contributor from time to time.

Weird NJ - Ah, the state I was born and grew up in. Like any state, NJ has its fair share of bizarre landmarks and legends. Peter Benchley's novel "Jaws" was actually inspired by a series of real shark attacks in NJ in 1916 for example. I also tried one of the famous Gravity Roads(Ewing Street) back in high school and whatever the explanation may be, it certainly worked. And while I can't say I ever saw The Jersey Devil while hiking and camping in the Pine Barrens many years ago, I can say that we heard the most unusual and freaky animal-like shrieks to date.

Weird US goes beyond NJ and collects the same kind of stories throughout the country. Perhaps your state is mentioned here.....

Coast To Coast AM is to radio what the X-Files was to TV. I used to listen to this show when Art Bell was the host. Not sure what was more unusual, the show, or the fact that I picked it up omy car's AM radio along the New Jersery Parkway from a station in Charlotte, NC. The pictures and daily news links are usually fun.

The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization A fabulous site recounting historic sightings of North America's most famous monster (next to George W. Bush). Reading the various accounts state by state are interesting, especially reprints of local news clippings. Looks like Ohio and Florida have had more sightings than anyone would imagine. Play the audio "screams" and imagine hearing that alone in the woods in the Pacific Northwest.... That's why people pack extra underwear ;)

The Shadow was one of the best Pulp Fiction characters of all time. A mysterious shadowy figure with the ability to cloud the minds of criminals and a sinister laugh to send them screaming in terror. By day, this crime fighter was known as man about town Lamont Cranston. By night, he wore a black cloak, black fedora, and red scarf covering his face disappearing into the inky blackness of the evening. Noone was safe from The Shadow. The classic radio shows are perfect treats around Halloween and best listened to with low lighting. "Who know's what evil lurks in the hearts of men........ The SHADOW Knows!!!"

The War Of The World's 1938 Radio Broadcast Listen to the masterful performance by Orson Welles and The Mercury Radio Theater (Real Audio or WAV) which scared tens of thousands of people on Halloween in 1938. Read the script and see how so many people mistook the drama for a real martian invasion.

Happy Halloween......

Paul

PS: I almost forgot, be sure to rent the Rankin Bass "Animagic" special Mad Monster Party as it is to Halloween what Rudolph is to Christmas. The soundtrack is even more fun.