Blurry Photos

Dr. Jeffrey Anderson returns with a handful of stories on unexpected consequences of hoodoo! That old adage, "be careful what you wish for," is in full effect in these real stories of unexpected consequences of hoodoo. Dr. Anderson tells several accounts of folk magic gone wrong. If you're familiar with the W. W. Jacobs short story The Monkey's Paw, you might recognize some of the traits inherent in these tales. Drawing from real life encounters and articles, Dr. Anderson discusses how folk magic hasn't worked out for some folks. Flora talks about cultural significance and the different topics the stories inspires from episodes past. It's a fun and fascinating dialogue on culture and sociology in this episode of the podcast!

• Grab a copy of Dr. Anderson's book Conjure in African American Society!
• Grab a copy of Dr. Anderson's book Hoodoo, Voodoo, and Conjure: a Handbook!

Music Myst on the Moor - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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David welcomes Scott and Amberrose from the Ghostly Talk Podcast to the show! A conversational show about any and all weirdities, the Ghostly Talk Podcast joins Blurry Photos and shares some EVPs. Scott and Amber discuss their show, how they came to be involved in the paranormal, and then get into EVPs they collected in their investigations. The duo has been on numerous ghost hunts in and around Michigan and neighboring states. With many stories and a handful of audio examples, they discuss a broad range of fun paranormal experiences on this episode. Make sure to check out their show on most major podcatchers! And don't forget to check out Amberrose's site and books. Find Ghostly Talk here! Amberrose's Site And her books: Ghosts and Legends of Michigan's West Coast, Wicked Grand Rapids, Wicked Ottawa Co. Music Myst on the Moor  - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Flora invited the authors of The Conspiracy Theory Handbook, Dr. Stephan Lewandowsky and Dr. John Cook, on the podcast to discuss their recent work. A powerful little tool breaking down the ins and outs of conspiratorial thinking, The Conspiracy Theory Handbook seeks to inform on how to better engage in critical thinking. David has a large handful of questions for the gentlemen. It's a fascinating discussion into how conspiracies can be approached and how to engage theorists and those who aren't sure what to think. Give the episode a listen and then go read the Handbook for yourself! And don't forget to check out their other handbooks via the link below. Flora also announces the winner of the 2020 Miss Cryptid Contest and sweepstakes! Read the Conspiracy Theory Handbook Check out their other great handbooks Music Myst on the Moor  - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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The boys are back at the roundtable, this time taking a look at the 2019 film The Curse of La Llorona! A familiar bit of folklore to Blurry Photos, Flora and the guys see how well The Curse of La Llorona stacks up against the legends. The weeping woman might have a reason to cry after this portrayal. The film is a relatively lucrative addition to the Conjuring Universe franchise. Though it had some good success at the box office, does it live up to the hype? Derek from Monsters Among Us and Zenger from Zeng This! pull no punches in their assessment. And Flora loses his damn mind about one particular stunt. Watch and listen to see if you agree, or listen and decide to watch or not! Music Myst on the Moor - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

The winner of Week 3 of the 2020 Miss Cryptid Contest is announced! This episode is a refresher of the weekly Miss Cryptid winners so you can vote on who should win the 2020 contest. If you haven't heard the 3 "regular competition" episodes yet and want to listen in order and discover who wins, don't listen to this one first. You can find the 3 episodes on the Blurry Photos Podcast page. If you have listened, this will serve as a reminder for each winner so you can vote for the champion freshly reminded! Head over to the Blurry Photos Home page to cast your vote and enter for your chance to win a Prize Pack of your own! One lucky winner gets a box full of goodies, one lucky runner-up will get a T-shirt, and one lucky Miss Congealniality will win some stickers and magnets. The voting ends on Saturday, June 20th, noon CDT, so vote soon! Congrats to our finalists, and good luck in your quest for the Golden Goatman trophy!   Music Myst on the Moor, Heavy Heart, Midnight Tale, Unlight, Mystic Force  - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Red Forest by Arthur Vyncke - https://soundcloud.com/arthurvost Music promoted by Free Stock Music Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US She is in the Woods - Co.Ag Music (youtube)
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With a resounding roar, the 2020 Miss Cryptid Contest regular competition draws to a close! The final three Miss Cryptid contestants hail from all over the globe and include the Nandi Bear, Rusalka, and Euroa Beast. Hope from Africa to Eastern Europe to Australia with this week's lively ladies! A couple of beasts bookend a beauty, and all are sure to fill hearts with fear. Who will fill you heart the most? A cryptid of Nandi lore? An enigmatic Slavic mermaid? Or a bunyip-like beastie? Make sure to head to the Blurry Photos home page to cast your vote! You can also enter to win a Miss Cryptid prize pack of your very own. Grab a copy of Dr. Anderson's books, Conjure in African American Society, and Hoodoo, Voodoo, and Conjure Get your own copy of Ronesa Aveela's book A Study of Rusalki - Slavic Mermaids of Eastern Europe, and A Study of Household Spirits of Eastern Europe Music Danse Macabre, Myst on the Moor, Infados, Confused State, Arid Foothills, Heavy Heart, Midnight Tale - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Red Forest by Arthur Vyncke - https://soundcloud.com/arthurvost Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US   Sources

• Ally. Does the Nandi Bear Exist? To Contrive and Jive. Blog. Oct 10, 2017. Web. https://tocontriveandjive.wordpress.com/2017/10/10/does-the-nandi-bear-exist/
• Muuthia, Henry. In Search of the Elusive Brain Eating Nandi Bear. Kenya Geographic. Jan 19th, 2014. Web. https://kenyageographic.com/search-elusive-nandi-bear/
• Shuker, Karl. Finding a Fossil Nandi Bear? Karl Shuker Blog. Nov 7th, 2019. Web. http://karlshuker.blogspot.com/2019/11/finding-fossil-nandi-bear-or-simbakubwa.html?m=1
• Aveela, Ronesa. A Study of Rusalki - Slavic Mermaids of Eastern Europe. Bendideia Publishing. Nov 2019.
• Sullivan, Kerry. Rusalka: The Mythical Slavic Mermaid. Ancient Origins. Sep 30th, 2016. Web. https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/rusalka-mythical-slavic-mermaid-006738
• A New Bunyip. The Brisbane Courier. Feb 25th, 1890. Web Archive. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3508457/98085
• A Search for a Mysterious Animal. The Argus. Feb 28th, Mar 1st, 1890. Web Archive. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8591815?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FA%2Ftitle%2F13%2F1890%2F02%2F28%2Fpage%2F290539%2Farticle%2F8591815; https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8592022?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FA%2Ftitle%2F13%2F1890%2F03%2F01%2Fpage%2F290564%2Farticle%2F8592022
• Wikia. Euroa Beast. Cryptidz Fandom. Web. https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Euroa_Beast

The carnage continues with 3 new loathsome ladies in week 2 of the 2020 Miss Cryptid Contest! In the second week of this year's Miss Cryptid competition, Melon Heads, the Con Rit, and Black Annis battle for savage supremacy. Who will move on to the finals? Will it be Leicestershire's horrid hag? Vietnam's atrocious arthropod? Or the misshapen monstrosities of the U.S. Melon Heads? Listen to this cavalcade of folklore, urban legend, and cryptozoology then cast your vote on the Blurry Photos Home page. The winner of week 1 is also announced! Special thanks to Amberrose Hammond for speaking about Melon Heads. Special thanks to Grant Howitt for reading accounts of Black Annis. Links to their works are below. Find Amberrose's work here: Personal Page ; Ghostly Talk Podcast ; Ghosts and Legends of Michigan's West Coast ; Wicked Ottawa County ; Wicked Grand Rapids Find Grant's game design work here: R R D Games Music Danse Macabre, Myst on the Moor, Aftermath, Long Note 4, Awkward Meeting, Mystic Force, Unlight - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 She is in the Woods - Co.Ag Music (youtube)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0   Sources

• Murphy, Cindy. Creepy Local Legends of Michigan. Michigan’s Other Side. Web. http://michigansotherside.com/creepy-local-legends-of-michigan/
• The Melon Heads of Connecticut. New England Historical Society. Web. https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-melon-heads-of-connecticut/
• Multifinned Sea Monster. ALPF Medical Research. Aug. 22, 2019. Web. https://www.alpfmedical.info/freshwater-monster/multifinned-sea-monster.html
• Con Rit. Unknown Explorers. Web. http://www.unknownexplorers.com/conrit.php
• Coleman, Loren. The Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep. Penguin Books. New York. 2003. http://www.cryptozoonews.com/con-rit/
• Westwood, Kate. Black Annis - Leicester Legend or Widespread Myths? White Dragon. 1998. Web. https://www.whitedragon.org.uk/articles/blackann.htm
• Sibson, Matthew. The Tale of Black Annis. This Was Leicestershire. Sept. 17, 2012. Web. http://www.thiswasleicestershire.co.uk/2012/09/the-tale-of-black-annis.html?m=1
• Billson, Charles James. County Folklore - Leicestershire and Rutland Vol. 1. The Folklore Society. London. 1895.

A lone trololo cuts through the night, and that can only mean one thing - it's time once again for the annual Miss Cryptid Contest! Now in its 8th year, the Miss Cryptid Contest opens with the Adlet, the Chiang Rai Scarecrow, and the California Dark Watchers. From the harsh cold of northern North American, to the rice fields of Thailand, to the sunny coast of California, these feral fiends will vie for your attention. They will also fight nonstop for your vote! It's your choice of who moves on to the finals and one step closer to the coveted Golden Goatman trophy. Check the Blurry Photos Home Page for the form to vote for your favorite. You can also have your vote be an entry into this year’s Miss Cryptid Prize Pack Sweepstakes. Vote once each week for a total of 4 entries into the Sweepstakes for a prize that includes Blurry Photos swag and a Golden Goatman trophy replica! Special thanks to Derek Hayes of Monsters Among Us Podcast for help this week. Brush off the saddle and coil up the rope - it's time to lasso a lady for the first week of the 2020 Miss Cryptid Contest! Music Danse Macabre, Myst on the Moor - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Sources

• H. Rink and F. Boas. "Eskimo Tales and Songs", The Journal of American Folk-lore, Volume 2, Number 5, April-June 1889, pages 123-131. Houghton, Mifflin and Company. London. 1889.
• Jung, AR. Mythical Creature, ‘the Adlet,’ an Inuit dog-man from Greenland. ARJungwriter.com, blog. May 9, 2018. Web. https://arjungwriter.com/2018/05/09/mythical-creature-the-adlet-an-inuit-dog-man-from-greenland-with-writing-prompt-amwriting-writingprompt/
• CTN News. The Scarecrow of Chiangrai. Chiang Rai Times. June 30, 2011. Web. https://www.chiangraitimes.com/lifestyles/myths-legends/ghostly-scarecrow-of-chiang-rai/
• Thailand Scarecrow extraterrestrial. We Are IF blog. Feb 5, 2020. Web. https://www.weareif.biz/2020/02/thailand-scarecrow-extraterrestrial.html?m=1
• Staff. The Mysterious Dark Watchers. Beyond Science TV. Aug 1, 2017. Web. beyondsciencetv.com/2017/08/01/the-mysterious-dark-watchers/
• Hauck, Dennis William. Haunted Places: The National Directory. Penguin Books. New York. 2002.

Do you like fish sticks? David, Derek, and Zenger return to the roundtable to discuss The Shape of Water in this bonus episode! Winner of 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, The Shape of Water is a uniquely gorgeous film featuring a strange creature worthy of a chat at the roundtable. The boys sit down to discuss what they enjoyed about the movie. They also talk about the cryptid elements, Lovecraft connections, and more. Most folks know it for its fishy love story, but Flora and the boys speak to the deeper themes. Let this one wash over you and tide you over until the Miss Cryptid Contest begins! Music Myst on the Moor - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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David welcomes the author of The Essential Guide to Bigfoot, Ken Gerhard, for an interview about the classic hairy hominid! An accomplished cryptozoologist and author, Ken Gerhard joins to discuss his newest work The Essential Guide to Bigfoot, a primer on hairy hominids around the world. Flora asks Ken about his adventures and thoughts on this famous cryptid. Ken brings years of boots on the ground research to the discussion. It's a good foray into the lore of the king of all cryptids! Make sure to pick up a copy of his book with the link below and check out his other works. Enjoy this fun interview episode of the Blurry Photos Podcast! Pick up a copy of Ken's Book HERE (I get a monetary high-five from Amazon through this link) Thanks to everyone for backing my documentary project, Shadows in the Desert. We met and exceeded our goal for funding! Pre-production has begun, and plans are being made to get the project off the ground and ready for when travel resumes. Thanks for everyone's help getting this going! We really appreciate it! Music Myst on the Moor - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0