Who Forted?

It’s hard to believe, but as of this past October, “Who Forted?” is a year old. Since that time, we’ve gone from a quaint little blog started out of frustration, to a viable paranormal ‘zine full of original content from the best and the brightest in the wide world of the weird. Things don’t show any sign of slowing down, either.

With input from the readers, we dug back through the archives and came up with a list that we think sums up the best of WF’s first year in more ways than one. Our choices didn’t hinge on popularity, in fact, the top tier of our most viewed content didn’t even make the list. The pieces that we chose were chosen because of their quality, originality, and because they’re indicative of the direction that WF? is actively pushing toward: places other paranormal media don’t go or haven’t been.

If you’re new to “Who Forted?”, this is a good chance to get a primer of what we’re all about, and what kind of content you can expect from us. If you’ve been around since the beginning, here’s a good excuse to go  back and re-read a few of these gems. Give them some love, as many of them didn’t receive too much when they first appeared.

WFNews #7: Our Ten Favorite Paranormal Headlines of The Year

Is it wrong to list a top ten list in a top ten list? Last year around this time, we took a look back at some of our favorite paranormal headlines from the previous year and compiled them into an edition of the WFNews that ranks within the best we’ve done for a few reasons: A) it’s gives you a really nice summary of the year that paranormal celebrity really got out of hand, B) it covers exorcisms, Bigfoot, extra-terrestrials, the catholic church, deception, gnomes, and finally, C) it’s got photoshops that are so hilarious, Paranormal State’s Chip Coffey actually used one for his MySpace profile picture… and thanked us.

Since the time that this list has been released, Kelli Ryan, the lady that outed Paranormal State on the fraudulent evidence, has been locked in a legal battle with A&E, Chip Coffey managed to get Psychic Kids picked up on another network, the mention of “Collargate” at any TAPS related function will still get you banned, Brian Harnois has started a ghost hunting group called “The Paranormals”, and Tom Biscardi has actually found a way to make money from his involvement in the Georgia Bigfoot Hoax.

“The Audition” : Sergey’s Dance Party

While on vacation in Florida last year, we filmed a series of videos that were so hilarious, so mind-blowingly insightful, that we knew they were going to be instant hits. Unfortunately, they ended up being “you-had-to-be-there” funny, and the footage got filed away. On the plus side, in between filming, we shot a bunch of video footage of Nick dancing along to an 80’s themed album given to us at a gay club in Ybor City. Don’t ask, it’s a long story.

That footage eventually became “Sergey Pobereznhy’s Dance Party” AKA “Paranomal State’s Sergey Auditions for Dancing With the Stars” and it’s one of our most-watched videos. In fact, shortly after this video was released, the Paranormal State gang announced a contest for the best PRS parody video submitted to YouTube. That probably has something to do with this video being the second video to pop up in a YouTube search for Sergey.

They never did accept our submission.

Gnome Hunters: Skeptics Vs. ‘You People’

Awhile back we asked Alison Smith, founder of Skeptical Analysis of Paranormal Society (SAPS) and assistant for the James Randi Educational Foundation, to write us an article with the vague direction of “something about how skeptics view believers.” Not missing a beat, Alison sent over an article that very uniquely (and hilariously) explains the path that at least one skeptic takes to come to the conclusion of, well, having no conclusion.

That article is “Gnome Hunters: Skeptics vs. ‘You’ People” and it’s a piece that we’ve come back to time and time again as a way of explaining exactly why it’s perfectly sane, logical, and completely fine to be skeptical of paranormal investigators, especially ones with a fan base to lose.

Stigmata: Medical Mystery or Miracle?

“Once believed to be a divine blessing from God, stigmata has been the subject of debate for centuries. Is it truly a miracle with no other explanation? Or is it a medical mystery not yet answered? Dana Matthews takes a look at the possible answers in this insightful piece on an age old mystery..”

Not only is this one of our own favorite articles, but over the last year we began to notice that this piece brings in almost as many readers as the search engine term “quotes about hoes”, which is a ridiculously high number for some reason. Here’s a shout out to all the disappointed rap fans who’ve found this ‘zine. We’re just as confused as you are.

The Rise and Fall of Pine Bush

Long before the UFO abduction craze of the ’90s, Pine Bush, a rural farming community in upstate New York, became one of the best kept secrets among those looking to catch a glimpse of something strange in the sky. Farmers would often report seeing strange lights darting above their fields, and on even the coldest of nights, mysterious warm breezes would flow from within the woods.

By 1995, Pine Bush was flooded with UFO enthusiasts. Now, the small town’s well of paranormal activity has seemed to have gone dry. So what happened? Scott Carr details the fascinating history of America’s unsung UFO hotspot in “The Rise and Fall of Pine Bush”.

This article was originally written for the MUFON journal in 2004, so if it’s inclusion in our “best of” list is puzzling, consider how many people have never read the MUFON journal. Show of hands?

Brian Harnois In: “Technical Difficulties”

Shot in late 2008 in Seattle, this video came about after we realized that Brian Harnois, after being consecutively canned from two different ghost hunting television shows, was now hosting his own internet radio show. After listening to an episode, we couldn’t help but laugh while we wondered what the world might see if Brian forgot to turn his webcam off after recording an episode. So, we stopped imaging and started filming. The raw video is about 45 minutes long, the final cut is less than 8. To this day, out of every “paracelebrity” spoof video that we’ve made, this remains our favorite. Highlights: “I would do that”, the Star-Wars scene (Nick actually hurt himself), the Avril Lavigne dance, and the way Brian gags after every swig of whisky.

We should mention that less than a month after this video started making the rounds, Brian called it quits on the radio show.

The “Energy” of the Stanley Hotel

Awhile back in an episode of SyFy’s Ghost Hunters, TAPS head honcho Jason Hawes claimed that the alleged hauntings occurring at the Stanley Hotel (the hotel that influenced Stephen King to write “The Shining”, were due to deposits of limestone and quartz upon which the building stood.

Never ones to take anything at face value, the Rocky Mountain Paranormal Society took it upon themselves to actually call the government and have their soil scientists perform a few tests on the building property, which they were all too happy to do. The result is proof that some of the best paranormal investigation is actually done during daylight hours.

The Questionable Case of the Enfield Poltergeist

At varied times throughout 1977 to 1980 in a North London home, a case of purported poltergeist activity took place, the legitimacy of which is still hotly debated among skeptics and believers to this day. Disembodied voices, levitating furniture, and invisible forces tossing children like rag dolls are only some of the events that were said to have taken place during the Enfield case.

Dana Matthews takes a look at the most important pieces of the Enfield Poltergeist puzzle, and gives readers enough information to do their own research and come to their own conclusions on one of the most interesting paranormal cases in history.

An Afternoon With Betty Hill

“On September 26, 1961, while driving home from a Canadian vacation through the White Mountains near Indian Head, New Hampshire, Betty and her husband Barney saw a strange light—an unidentified craft which appeared land in the woods off the side of the road…”

By now, the story of Betty and Barney Hill is widely known within the paranormal community. It’s been the focus of several books, films, and television episodes for decades. So much is known about the series of events that surrounded the Hill’s encounter, but so little about the individuals that experienced them. Scott Carr was fortunate to have the opportunity to sit down with Mrs. Hill before her death in 2004, and out of that visit brings us a piece that gives the readers a rare glimpse into the life of a woman widely regarded as “The Grandmother of Ufology”.

The Curious Case of Dyatlov Pass

“On the night of February 2nd, 1959, nine Russian hikers died in a bizarre series of events that have continued to leave investigators and paranormal enthusiasts baffled. Dana took a look at the events surrounding the Dyatlov Pass incident, and what little of the evidence was left behind.”

This piece is special because it marks the moment that we started to make an obvious push in the direction of focusing less on who did what in the paranormal community and more on things that we were actually interested in and were worth writing about: weird stuff. After all, it was the reason we were involved in the community in the first place.

Less than a week after this article was published, The Fortean Times went ahead and published their own Dyatlov Pass article on their (far more popular) website. Coincidence?

So what did you think about our list? Did we nail it? Were there pieces that we missed? Let us know what you think, and if you’ve got a brilliant idea for a piece, write it! We’re always looking for people who’ve got a story to tell, so don’t be afraid to submit content. There’s a good chance that your article will be in this list.

Here’s to the best year yet!