Local author Jeff Belanger likes to say that life in Massachusetts was pretty normal until about 10,000 years ago - when the first people showed up. Since then, the Bay State has been a hotbed of paranormal activity, mysterious land formations, quirky inventions, UFO sightings, buried-treasure rumors, swamp creatures, curses, sea serpent sightings and, of course, mass production of plastic pink flamingos. Our state’s quirky and often bizarre history - from the Puritans’ 22-year ban on celebrating Christmas to the Gingerbread House of Tyringham - has been recorded for posterity by Belanger in “Weird Massachusetts” (Sterling, $19.95), the latest in the “Weird” book series that began as a scrappy 1989 newsletter in New Jersey. [ Visit Website ]