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…in fact, they’re geniuses! Last week, an alert reader sent my dad a recent copy of the Mensa Bulletin (because Lord knows I would never be eligible for that mailing list), which featured a mention of one of my books. Many thanks to Tom Elliot, Mensa’s Book Review Editor, for his nice mention of Weird Massachusetts. My book was the first discussed in Tom’s column in the January 2009 (Number 521) edition.  It’s good to know that even Mensa scholars can appreciate the weird side of life. Thanks, Tom! For those of you who are readers of my work and not Mensa scholars (like me, for example), isn’t it nice to know that really smart people read some of the same things you do?

Lately I’ve been receiving a lot of requests for interviews on new paranormal talk shows. I’m dumbfounded at how many of these programs I hadn’t heard of before. I knew there were many out there, but I had no idea just how many until this morning. I ran an experiment to see how many I could find online within a five minute Web search. Below is a list in no particular order. Most of these programs can only be heard on the Internet, and most of them make their shows available for download/podcast after. This is by no means an all-inclusive list (sorry if I forgot your show, no offense intended)… Spooky South Coast Coast to Coast AM Speaking of Strange Ghost Chronicles The ‘X’ Zone Darkness Radio Paranormal Radio with Captain Jack Voices Carry Radio PIR Binnall of America KAPS Paranormal Black Cat Lounge Lights Out Radio Spooks R Us Reflections / Rick Hayes KOZ Brothers Haunted Down Under Beyond Ghosts The Ghost Mafia Shadow Talk Radio Ghost Chatter AsylumCam Radio Paranormal Power Hour The Sacred Division The Ghost Divas Paralore Podcast Whispers in Darkness Stirring the Cauldron Positively Psychic Man Talks to Angels Conversations / Dead Soulseekers Radio ParaVision Radio The Paranormal View Intl Paranormal Radio The Other Side Ghostology Shadows in the Dark Strange Frequencies Ghostly Talk Paranormal Radio Southern Ohio Paranormal Radio The League Of Extraordinary Paranormal Women Radio Crossroads Paranormal Radio Dark Matter The Unexplained World Ghostman & Demon Hunter Show The Ryan Lindsay Show SNEP Live Radio Dead Science Podcast Mass Paranormal Talk Paranormally Challenged Radio Night Watch The Ryan Lindsay Show The Paranormal Zone Shadow Talk Radio Peace, Luv & Lipgloss Hour Hauntings Radio The Cari Stone Show Ghost Divas Live! Shadows Of Doubt Paranormal Talk Crossroads Paranormal Radio Psytalk Darker Side Of The Moon Parawomen Radio The Ryan Lindsay Show Haunted Voices Radio Supernatural News Beyond Reality After Hours Asylum Altered States Audio Martini Beyond Reality Dead Famous Commentaries Demonology Today A Glimpse Through the Veil Haunting Existence Hauntings Radio A Link to Heaven New Age Today Parahub Radio Paranormal Cafe Paranormal Reality Paranormal News Paranormal Soup Spirit Talk TAPS Family Radio TrueForm Within Next, I went to BlogTalkRadio and selected their “Paranormal” category and saw that they have 184 different paranormal shows. I listed 86 shows above, and I’m sure there are a few duplicates with BlogTalk Radio, but no matter, we’re still looking at over 250 ghostly radio programs! Some of these programs run five days per week for four hours per day, some run one hour, once per week. There are only 168 hours in a week (assuming you don’t sleep, work, or shower for even one minute), which means even if you wanted to, it’s impossible for you to listen to all of these programs. Don’t get me wrong, some of these programs are excellent. I’ve been on quite a few of them, but my concern is that many people are starting a new paranormal audio show because they’re trying to keep up with the other groups and not because they are passionate about producing great audio content with a purpose. The easiest way to figure out if the show is serious is to ask a few quick questions: Do they take what they do seriously enough to own their own Web site and domain name for their show? If they produce a weekly show, can you scan through their archives and see that in fact they have put out a show every single week for a while? Or do they go weeks (or months) before getting around to doing another show? I think it’s wonderful that the subject is so popular that there are over 250 shows now, I can’t help but wonder if there are enough guests and listeners around to support that much audio content? To quote Charles Osgood, “I’ll see you on the radio.”

As soon as my Congressman receives this letter I just sent him… Dear Congressman Richard Neal: Please send me $1,000,000 in free government money that your organization is handing out to various financial and industrial companies like AIG, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford. Please note there are vast differences between my money request and some of the banks and industries that are going to receive billions in handouts. 1. I said “Please.” 2. I’m only asking for $1,000,000; a drop-in-the-bucket, comparably. 3. Unlike the before-mentioned companies, I’m doing okay financially. This is an opportunity for the United States government to prove that they don’t just reward companies that are inept, incapable, or corrupt; by giving me a million dollars, the government can prove they also reward people who know how to keep their balance sheets in order in good times and bad. 4. Unlike the current proposals put forth by some of the companies begging for money, giving me a giant handout will ensure my success, as opposed to temporarily delaying inevitable failure. I’m going to outline why my proposal is not only going to help the American people, but is also the single-best financial proposal in front of Congress at the present time. By giving me a million dollars, the government will receive approximately $330,000 in tax revenue right from the get-go. Bam! Money right back in the coffers. With the remaining money, I plan to pay off my mortgage. Pow! Easing the balance sheet and providing some much-needed cash to the American mortgage company that owns most of my house. Think of the poor Ferrari dealer in my area who is struggling with lagging sales. I’ll buy my Ferrari with cash. Zing! The economy is helped because not only does the Ferrari dealer make a few dollars, but when my neighbors and friends see me parading around in that hot ride, they’ll say, “Hey, that guy is doing okay. Maybe this economy isn’t so bad.” As others try and “Keep up with the Belangers,” they’ll be forced to spend more money on retail items. Also, I promise to eat dinner out at least four nights per week, further aiding the local economy, providing jobs to restaurant and bar staff, and keeping the promise of America alive to dozens in my region. In troubled times, the American people need to hold on to their dreams. I could be that dream they strive for. It’s an awesome responsibility, but I’m ready to help my fellow Americans with this selfless act of patriotism and capitalism (at least capitalism as the current Congress defines it). Please make my check out to: Jeff “Mad Dog” Belanger. God Bless America. -Jeff Belanger Massachusetts

If you’re like me, you know the first line of that song we sing at midnight on New Year’s Eve and that’s about it. The song (at least when I sing it, anyway), goes something like this: “Should old acquaintance be forgot… daa dahh daa da daa da daahhhhhhhh (hic!) Should old acquaintance be forgot… doo doo dah dah daa daa blaaaaaahhhhhh!” My last act of kindness for the year is to look the damn words up and reprint them here. The song is called “Auld Lang Syne,” and was written by Robert Burns in 1788. It’s a Scottish poem whose title roughly translates to “Old Long Since,” or more loosley: “Days Gone By.” The poem was meant to be an act of reflection on the past (something many of us end up doing on the last day of the year). Thanks to those of you who have supported me this past year. Thanks for your help with my work, thanks for your friendship, laughter, and thanks to all the good spirits I had the fortune of bumping into along the way in 2008. May 2009 bring you all something special. Without further ado, “Auld Lang Syne.” Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind ? Should old acquaintance be forgot, and old times since ? CHORUS: For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne. And surely you’ll buy your pint cup ! And surely I’ll buy mine ! And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne. CHORUS We two have run about the slopes, and picked the daisies fine ; But we’ve wandered many a weary foot, since auld lang syne. CHORUS We two have paddled in the stream, from morning sun till dine† ; But seas between us broad have roared since auld lang syne. CHORUS And there’s a hand my trusty friend ! And give us a hand o’ thine ! And we’ll take a right good-will draught, for auld lang syne. CHORUS