13 O’Clock Podcast

13 O’Clock Episode 23 – Sybil and the Multiple Personality Controversy

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The book and TV movie called Sybil told the extraordinary story of a woman who manifested sixteen different personalities, allegedly triggered by the horrific abuse she had suffered as a child. In the 1970s and 80s, the case was a cultural phenomenon, and became the flash point in a psychiatric debate that to some extent is still raging today. Is multiple personality disorder (now called dissociative identity disorder) a real illness or simply a misdiagnosed aspect of something else? Did Sybil (whose real name was Shirley Ardell Mason) really have sixteen personalities, or was she coaxed into displaying these symptoms by her ambitious therapist and the author of the best-selling book? Was Sybil truly a victim of her mother’s extreme cruelty, or were these memories implanted under hypnosis? Tom and Jenny discuss the fascinating aspects of this troubling case and try to sort out the fact from the fiction.

Download the audio file from Project Entertainment Network here, or watch the YouTube version here. Also, don’t forget to follow the 13 O’Clock Podcast blog, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

13 O’Clock Episode 22 – The Devil’s Breath: Zombie Drug or Overhyped Hallucinogen?

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Known alternately as Devil’s Breath, Angel’s Trumpet, Burundanga, or by many other names, the drug produced by the flowers of the Colombian borrachero tree has a fearsome reputation of being able to completely zombify a person simply by having it blown in said person’s face. The alkaloid called scopolamine that is responsible for the drug’s effects is certainly dangerous and has indeed been used as a date rape drug in addition to facilitating robberies and other crimes, but how much of this drug’s terrifying legend is legitimate and how much is wildly exaggerated? Can you really lose your free will completely, simply by touching the stuff? On this episode of 13 O’Clock, Tom and Jenny try to sort out myth from reality regarding the so-called “world’s scariest drug,” and along the way tell a few of their own stories about being dosed with various substances.

Download the audio file from Project Entertainment Network here, or watch the YouTube version here. Also, don’t forget to follow the 13 O’Clock Podcast blog, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

13 O’Clock Episode 21 – Houdini vs. The Spiritualists

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Harry Houdini, of course, is the legendary illusionist whose unbelievable escapes still amaze, even a century later. But near the end of his short life, Houdini took on a new crusade, battling against the spiritualists and fraudulent mediums who he felt were giving people false hope that the living could talk to the dead. On this episode of 13 O’Clock, Tom and Jenny discuss Houdini’s entry into the murky world of spiritualism and séances, his famed debunking of medium Mina Crandon (aka Margery), his shattered friendship with spiritualist advocate Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the ten-year quest by his widow Bess to contact Houdini after his death, using a special, agreed-upon code.

Download the audio file from Project Entertainment Network here, or watch the YouTube version here. Also, don’t forget to follow the 13 O’Clock Podcast blog, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

13 O’Clock Episode 20 – Hauntings and Poltergeists with Parapsychologist Steve Mera

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Happy 2017! On this first episode of the new year, Tom and Jenny have a very special guest, parapsychologist Steve Mera. Steve has been in the field for more than 30 years and has investigated hundreds of paranormal cases. Jenny even co-authored two books with him about two of his most fascinating investigations, The Rochdale Poltergeist and House of Fire and Whispers: Investigating the Seattle Demon House. On this episode, he talks about both those cases, as well as his career in the paranormal in general, including the differences between poltergeist infestations and hauntings, and what he thinks of popular “ghost hunting” shows. Tune in and enjoy the science behind the spooky.

Download the audio file from Project Entertainment Network here, or watch the YouTube version here. Also, don’t forget to follow the 13 O’Clock Podcast blog, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

13 O’Clock Episode 19 – Amityville Horror: Haunting or Hoax?

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The Amityville Horror is probably one of the most famous “haunted house” tales in American history, but how much of this “true story” is actually true? On this episode, Tom and Jenny consider all the details, from the very real and horrific DeFeo murders that took place in the distinctive Long Island house, to the subsequent violent haunting of the Lutz family, to the legal battles and media frenzy that ensued in the wake of the publication of Jay Anson’s bestselling book, upon which the movie franchise was based. So shoo away the flies, scoop the black slime out of the toilet, scare off the red-eyed pig monster lurking around outside, and relax with this axe-wielding episode of 13 O’Clock. And when it’s over, GET OUT!!!

Download the audio file from Project Entertainment Network here, or watch the YouTube version here. Also, don’t forget to follow the 13 O’Clock Podcast blog, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

13 O’Clock Episode 18 – Creepy Christmas Creatures!

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It’s the 13 O’Clock Christmas Special Edition! And because you know how we do, we’re focusing on some of the less savory aspects of this most festive of holidays. Most people are familiar with Krampus, the Christmas demon who kidnaps and eats bad little kids, but did you know that there is a whole menagerie of scary creatures and characters from folklore, making Christmas a frightful experience for children around the globe? Trolls, witches, giant cats, murderous butchers, belly slitters, and a host of other decidedly un-jolly old elves prowl the snow-laden Christmas landscape, just waiting to come across a naughty boy or girl that they can capture and gobble up in a delicious hearty stew. Enjoy Tom and Jenny’s seasonal sojourn into the very dark side of Yuletide, and remember, “Child abuse: it’s what Christmas is all about!”

Download the audio file from Project Entertainment Network here, or watch the YouTube version here. Also, don’t forget to follow the 13 O’Clock Podcast blog, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

13 O’Clock Episode 17 – Star Wars: Story Themes and the Philosophy of the Force

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We love Star Wars, you love Star Wars, everybody loves Star Wars (except for wrong people). In honor of the release of Rogue One, Tom and Jenny take a fun, meandering little nerd-journey through the galaxy far away, tackling such topics as the influence of Eastern religions on Jedi philosophy, the relation of Nietzsche’s writings to the mindset of the Sith, if Han Solo would be considered Force sensitive, who exactly Snoke might be and what his ultimate endgame is, and whether Finn is Lando’s kid or not, goddammit.

Download the audio file from Project Entertainment Network here, or watch the YouTube version here. Also, don’t forget to follow the 13 O’Clock Podcast blog, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

 

13 O’Clock Episode 16 – Dual Dirtbags: Serial Killers Leonard Lake and Charles Ng

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Ugh. One serial killer is bad enough, but when two psycho losers team up and begin to realize their sick fantasies of keeping women in a dungeon and killing their friends and neighbors for the hell of it (not to mention shooting babies, for fuck’s sake), then the end result is unspeakable horror and tragedy. On this episode of 13 O’Clock, Tom and Jenny delve into the depraved tale of Leonard Lake and Charles Ng, two murderous creeps whose bizarre friendship resulted in the deaths of at least eleven, but possibly as many as twenty-five, innocent people. Your intrepid hosts have a rambling and possibly error-ridden discussion about this pair of scumbags, during which T & J desperately try to use dark humor as a defense mechanism against the onslaught of monstrosity (with varying results). They then each feel the need to take a nice, long, Silkwood shower. Enjoy?

Download the audio file from Project Entertainment Network here, or watch the YouTube version here. Also, don’t forget to follow the 13 O’Clock Podcast blog, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

FILE–Eight victims believed to have been murdered by Charles Ng and his accomplice, Leonard Lake, are shown in these undated file photos. The trial in one of California’s longest and costliest homicide cases started Monday, Oct. 26, 1998, more than 13 years after Charles Ng’s arrest for shoplifting led to his prosecution for masss murder. Ng is charged with 12 murders dating back to 1984 amd 1985. From left to right, top row: Don Guiletti, Kathleen Allen, Michael Carroll, Robin Scott Stapley and bottom row: Randy Johnson, Charles Gunnar, Donald Lake and Paul Cosner. (AP Photo/File)

13 O’Clock Episode 15 – St. Clair Triangle: UFO Over Illinois!

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Since this IS a mysterious type of show, you knew we’d get around to aliens eventually, and on episode 15, we’re discussing one of Tom’s favorite UFO sightings. Known as UFOs Over Illinois or the St. Clair Triangle, this particular sighting from the year 2000 was witnessed by at least seven people in different towns, four of them cops from different departments. Was it simply a misidentified blimp? A secret military aircraft? Or were extraterrestrials cruising around southern Illinois in a gigantic arrowhead-shaped ship with a fantastic light display? Hell if we know, but we have a pretty good time discussing it. By the way, excuse Jenny’s voice and the fact that the show is a tad shorter than usual; Jenny had a cold when we recorded this. *sniffle*

Download the audio file from Project Entertainment Network here, or watch the YouTube version here. Also, don’t forget to follow the 13 O’Clock Podcast blog, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

13 O’Clock Episode 14 – Biblical Mythology with Dr. Robert M. Price

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On this extra-special 14th episode of 13 O’Clock, Tom and Jenny actually have a rare guest, and what a guest it is! We first discovered Dr. Robert M. Price through his excellent podcast The Bible Geek. Despite being atheists, we’ve long been fascinated with Biblical mythology and the Jesus Myth Theory, and Dr. Price is an unbelievable font of knowledge on both those (and many other) topics. We were honored to get to interview him for an hour about the meanings of some of the stories in the Bible and the unlikelihood of a historical Jesus, and we hope you find the hour as fascinating as we did! It’s a broad topic and we just got to do an overview, but if you want to hear more of Dr. Price, check out The Bible Geek podcast, and then check out his many, many books and his Patreon page. Oh, and he has a show called The Lovecraft Geek too, so check that out as well! We’re hoping to get him back on to talk about Lovecraft too, in the near future.

Download the audio file from Project Entertainment Network here, or watch the YouTube version here. Also, don’t forget to follow the 13 O’Clock Podcast blog, subscribe to our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.