Episode #002 - The Sequel

Fresh off Thanksgiving, we were back today to delve deep into the world of the paranormal. Exploring the topic of Demonology and Exorcisms, we welcomed in the presiding Bishop of the Old Catholic Church, Arch Bishop James Long.

But first, of course, we had to get back into the controversy surrounding TAPS lately in the wake of their most recent live investigation special. Simply put, thousands upon thousands of fans of theirs are downright angry. They feel like they are being lied to. And, unfortunately, as of yet, neither Jason Hawes or Grant Wilson has done much to ease their fears. Instead, they seem to be stonewalling a bit.

Our first guest wanted to remain anonymous, but does go by the handle of "FORMERGHFAN" on YouTube. And the reason we had him on is because his recent videos, especially the ones that seem to debunk the now infamous Grant Wilson "jacket tug," have created a bit of a sensation; not just on the video sharing site itself, but around the internet and on various paranormal message boards. He talked about how he made the videos, especially the one he created in 3D and why: namely, because he used to be a fan and is now positive they are faking evidence.

Our second guest was Monica Crimmins, known professionally as the Anaesthetic Witch. Ms. Crimmins calls herself an empathic medium, specializing in personal readings and communication with the spirit world. Though all of us on the crew have a healthy skepticism toward such claims, we did want to have her on as she is a very nice young woman whom we took the time to meet some months back at a local coffee shop. And plus, we are open minded enough not to simply dismiss a claim off-hand.

The conversation started off as how she learned she had a gift, then progressed into how she uses it today, services she provides, and some misconceptions about the nature of mediumship. She even tried her hand at giving a reading over the phone to our studio tech, affectionately known as "Egon."

Then it was on to the main course, so to speak, of the evening's show: Arch Bishop James Long. Here we discussed just what the Old Catholic Church is and how if differs from the Roman Catholic Church. We also talked at length as to why there seem to be so many so-called "demonologists" on the staff of paranormal groups these days, and how they aren'e legitimate because they've not only never seriously studied the subject, but haven't even been trained, much less ordained, in the Catholic ministry!

A funny thing happened during this interview that the listeners weren't aware of at the time. I was kind of treading water, struggling to come up with a question when I looked to my friend and fellow host, Bobby Nelson, across the table. Trying to get his attention so he could help bail me out, I saw that he was busy...drawing doodles on a piece of notebook paper! It is a weakness of mine that I must do extensive prep work for the show before I feel comfortable. Bobby has the ability to mostly wing it and sound good. But it was at this moment that I realized just how much he's able to wing it and still sound prepared - because I now playfully call him "doodlemaker" from time to time.

Bishop Long has published a book entitled, "Through the Eyes of an Exorcist" and maintains an affiliation with a group he founded called the Paranormal Clergy Insitute - a collection of priests, etc. who offer their assistance to serious minded paranormal research and investigation teams with serious questions.

It was an excellent show, and we couldn't have been more proud to speak with Bishop Long and get our questions answered. If you'd like to hear the podcast, or get more information about Strange Frequencies, head on over to our home page, or visit us through Myspace.

Thanks, everyone. See ya next week!