Paranormal expert and author Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Ph.D. shared an in-depth look at werewolves, vampires and other things that go bump in the night. She said that vampires and werewolves belonged to a class of creatures called shapeshifters -- humans who can change into other forms.

She said folklore vampires rarely shapeshifted into bats (like in the movies), but instead changed into dogs, wolves and various farm animals. She noted that Hollywood has romanticized the vampire, replacing the ugly, demonic monster of folklore with the charismatic, tragic hero of movie screens. According to Guiley, a vampire is "any entity that wastes away life force." The nature of a vampire is to be destructive and to cause people harm, she explained. As an example, Guiley cited the "restless dead," a folklore vampire whose corpse remained in the grave while its spirit wandered the night, plaguing the living.

Guiley thinks many folklore beliefs have a basis in reality. She pointed out that "Skinwalker" stories, in which people take the shape of animals, can be found in numerous cultures all over the world. Guiley also referenced clinical Lycanthropy, a syndrome in which the inflicted person believes and acts like they have transformed into an animal. This coupled with the fact that the moon affects people psychologically and psychotically could have helped form the werewolf mythos, concluded Guiley.

Election Analysis

During the first hour, spin guru Dr. John Curtis of Online Columnist provided analysis of the upcoming presidential election. According to Curtis, President Bush could win the popular vote but lose the electoral vote.

Curtis said the battleground state of Michigan is trending towards Kerry. He cautioned, however, that telephone polling doesn't tell the whole story. Curtis said he did not think the election results would be disputed, and expects Bush will look for an Iraq exit strategy if re-elected.