It was a month of doing live shows, April was. And we tried to keep the radio show going during
that time, but that proved to be somewhat rough sledding.
Those live shows and Radio Valencia shows, you see, were on the same day at the same time.
And somehow, something always prevented the podcast from going out properly...
Here at Ask Dr. Hal! we resist the idea that our serial misfortunes had anything to do with those
shows dedicated to textual exegesis of the notorious Al Azif or Necronomicon of the so-called "Mad
Arab," Abdul Ashif Bethel Muhammed Alhazred (668 - 732 A.D.), known historically as Abdul Alhazred.
We managed to obtain a verifiable copy and decided to share it with our audience.
That weird misfortunes of various kinds seemed to beleaguer the show after we introduced this
unique and, we thought, interesting subject material, a Grimoire or book of ancient magic in
fragmentary form, is and can only be pernicious superstition, a typical case of correlation without
connection.
Then came the First of May.
So once again on the show, after the usual poetico-musical interludes, we returned to Alhazred's
text.
Unfortunately, a mysterious illness, seemingly out of nowhere, strongly afflicted Dr. Hal and may
have negatively affected and distorted that evening's podcast. Somehow we made it past that part of the
program, utilizing counterspells, cantrips, talismans and sacrificial procedures.
Then to the lighter side of the show. Puzzling Evidence visited and our commentary can be heard
for the last seventy-five minutes, commentary on the motion picture JUNGLE MOON MEN (1955) with
Johnny "Jungle Jim" Weissmuller, midget actor Billy Curtis, the voluptuous Helen Stanton in the role
of Moon Goddess Oma, and Kimba the chimp. With all this, we ran an extra quarter of an hour.
Dr. Hal is now convalescing, receiving visitors, and is expected to be on the job again next week.