In the first half of the program, ecological biologist and 30 year expert in alternative fuels and sustainable agriculture, David Blume reflected on the coronavirus pandemic and detailed how some hand sanitizers can be hazardous to your health. He offered an intriguing theory regarding the events of the past few months, arguing that the economy had been teetering on the brink of collapse at the start of the year. "Well before COVID was announced, I was talking to investors and they were losing their shirts," he said, "and, wow, all of a sudden this little known virus from China shows up and everything is blamed on it." As such, Blume postulated that perhaps the pandemic is being used by the 'powers that be' as a proverbial cover for why an economic meltdown has occurred.
Regarding the potential dangers associated with hand sanitizers, Blume explained that the high demand for such products has led to a plethora of new brands being introduced which initially managed to avoid stringent oversight from the Food and Drug Administration by way of vague descriptions of their effects. "They're all sneaking in under the 'cosmetic' label," he revealed, "and they're full of all kinds of horrible chemicals." Due to a scarcity of ethyl alcohol, he said, some less reputable companies have taken to putting highly toxic methanol in their sanitizers, which is what led to widespread recalls in recent weeks. "Over 150 of them have been pulled off the market because they have been killing people," he said, urging Coast listeners to visit his website for more insights into what specific chemicals consumers should be looking to avoid for when examining the ingredients of hand sanitizers.
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In the latter half of the program, folklore and legend researcher Jeff Belanger discussed some of the most haunted places in America and his own personal experiences investigating these spooky sites. He recounted visiting the Lizzie Borden murder house in Fall River, Massachusetts and, while exploring the basement of the residence, hearing what appeared to be "scampering footsteps from the side door right to the kitchen" in the floor above him. Suspecting that perhaps some local kids had broken into the home, Belanger dashed up the stairs to investigate, but found no one there and all the doors in the house were still locked. Belanger will be participating in an innovative online event this coming weekend in which cameras placed throughout the infamous haunted abode will be streaming live around the clock for four days, allowing viewers to ghost hunt from the comfort of their own home.
In discussing the haunted Pennhurst Asylum in Pennsylvania, Belanger explained the site was notorious for the inhumane way in which patients were treated and, when these atrocities came to light, a federal law was actually passed to strengthen oversight of such facilities. He observed that the paranormal activity frequently reported at the site serves as something of a reminder of that dark chapter in American history. "I do believe its haunted because it begs to tell its story," Belanger mused, "it begs to say 'remember what happened here, don't let this happen again.'" Sharing the story of his first visit to the asylum, he recalled being down in the tunnels beneath the facility and hearing an eerie disembodied laugh followed by a rush of cold air that whipped past him. "It felt like the building wanted to talk," he said, "it had a story to tell." During his appearance, Belanger also talked about similarly unsettling haunted locations such as the Baker Hotel, the Queen Mary, and Eastern State Penitentiary.