Episodes

  • Christopher Papst
    Apr 23 2026
    For episode 193, we welcomed Chris Papst to Spear Talk! Chris is the lead investigative reporter for Project Baltimore, Fox45’s ongoing investigation into Maryland’s public education system. He is a national Emmy award-winning reporter and #1 best-selling author. As an investigative reporter, Chris' work has led to the passing of state laws, criminal convictions and court rulings that have set legal precedent throughout Maryland. As an author, his books, Failure Factory and Capital Murder, were both Amazon bestsellers in multiple categories. He is also the author of the novel, Devolution - released in 2016. During his career, Chris’ work has received awards of recognition from institutions such as the Maryland General Assembly, the Maryland Office of the Comptroller and the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education. In 2023, Chris received the Vanguard Award from the Maryland State Conference NAACP. One year later, he received the Excellence in Education Advocacy Award from the Randallstown Chapter of the NAACP. Chris’ investigative reports have been recognized with some of journalism’s top national honors. His work has earned awards fromthe National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), The Columbia Journalism School (The duPont Columbia Award), Society of Professional Journalists (Sigma Delta Chi Awards), and the Press Club of Atlantic City (National Headliner Awards). Chris has earned nearly 100 regional awards including 49 Emmys, and multiple Edward R. Murrow, Associated Press, PICPA and various State Broadcasters Association awards. Chris has appeared on Fox News, MSNBC, NBC Nightly News, CNBC, various national radio networks and Podcasts to discuss his reporting. His work has also been the focus of The Weather Channel documentary "Weather Caught on Tape." Failure Factory: How Baltimore City Public Schools Deprive Taxpayers and Students of a Future (Sunbury Press) exposes how Baltimore is funding its own demise by pumping billions of dollars into a failing school system. Capital Murder: An Investigative Reporter's Hunt for Answers in a Collapsing City (Sunbury Press) details Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's epic financial collapse as seen through the eyes of an investigative reporter. His novel, Devolution (Post Hill Press), depicts the collapse of a global superpower and asks the question: If we could start a country today, what kind of government would we create? In our discussion we covered his start in journalism, what numbers and statistics tell us about the education system, political posturing in the school systems, the goal of Project Baltimore, and so much more! #projectbaltimore #educationsystem #chrispapst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    48 mins
  • Talk O’Tuesday’s w/ Eric Bass - Episode Forty Nine
    Apr 14 2026
    Thank you for checking out Talk O'Tuesdays with Eric Bass, the bass player and producer of the platinum selling rock band, Shinedown, and John Guarnieri, the host of Spear Talk podcast. This weekly podcast came about after we recorded an episode of Spear Talk one night with Thomas Winterton (the superintendent of Skinwalker Ranch), where at the conclusion of the recording, Eric and I chatted for another 90 minutes about life and everything in between, with a lot of the time dedicated to coming up with a name for the show.There is no agenda when it comes to Talk O'Tuesdays. We will cover a wide variety of topics to include scientific achievements, exploration, cryptozoology, UFOs, art, creativity, writing, mental health, farming, hiking, and just about everything under the sun. We hope you enjoy this weekly show and hope you get something out of it each week. * DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND READING TOO! We are two people just talking about life and our own personal thoughts in real time. * Order Eric Bass' new album on CD and vinyl + merch bundles here: https://ericbasspresents.merchtable.com/ Find EVERYTHING Eric Bass here: https://linktr.ee/EricBassresents Stream "I Had a Name", Eric's BRAND NEW album here: https://onerpm.link/IHadAName John Guarnieri's BRAND NEW comic book (Cult of Machete #4) here: www.machetecomics.ca Don't be afraid to be the best version of yourself. Show is edited & produced by Fernando Menotti @nandopicks #shinedown #speartalk #podcast Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSPeYAFp2QDiVpnTn8WKRQw/join Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • A Tale of Two Scribes / J.L. Engel
    Apr 13 2026
    On this 81st episode of A Tale Of Two Scribes, we welcome author J. L. Engel. Jeremy talks about his upcoming book, Where The Children Don't Play, inspirations behind his writings, while also reminiscing about his debut novel, A Dangerous Man. For more info about A Tale Of Two Scribes podcast, visit our social media pages: X (Twitter) - @2ScribesPodcast Instagram - @ataleoftwoscribes #WriteOn Eric P Bishop is an author, and host of A Tale Of Two Scribes. The 3rd book in The OMEGA GROUP Series, DREXEL is out now as well as RANSOMED DAUGHTER and BABYLON WILL RISE. You can also pick up his debut THE BODY MAN as well its sequel BREACH OF TRUST, and SUPREME JUSTICE, all three novels are part of The BODY MAN Series. Eric’s passions, besides writing, includes: Time spent with his kids, travel, music, and exploring the great outdoors. You can find out more about Eric and his novels by visiting his website: https://www.ericpbishop.com Follow him on: X (Twitter) - @EPBAuthor Instagram/Threads - @epbauthor Facebook - ericpbishopauthor Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSPeYAFp2QDiVpnTn8WKRQw/join Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • Johnny Zaffis
    Apr 9 2026
    For episode 192, we welcomed the "paranormal godfather", John Zaffis to the show! John has over forty-three years of experience studying and investigating the paranormal. He has had the opportunity to work for and with his aunt and uncle, Ed and Lorraine Warren. This sent John beyond looking for ghosts and hauntings and into studying demonology under the Warrens. This led into John's involvement with cases of possession and exorcism, which gave him the opportunity to work with prominent exorcists in this field, including Roman Catholic priests, monks, Buddhists, rabbis and ministers. John has assisted and worked with well-known exorcists Bishop Robert McKenna, Father Malachi Martin, and the Reverend Jun. His research has taken him throughout the United States, Canada, England and Scotland covering several thousands of cases. Through hands on investigating with other investigators and clergy, he has obtained a great deal of knowledge and understanding of the paranormal and is considered one of the foremost authorities in the field today. John has a lot of first-hand paranormal experience, including experience with ghosts, poltergeists, and demonic and diabolical entities. He has also worked extensively with both spiritualists and psychics concerning how their knowledge is used for channeling, reincarnation (past-life regression), calling of the spirits for information, and how they use meditation to acquire the information which they are seeking. Because of his personal experiences with hauntings, ESP, near death experiences and other paranormal activities, he is firm in his conviction that such phenomena exist. John has been featured in the SyFy television series Haunted Collector., Discovery Channel's documentaries A Haunting in Connecticut and Little Lost Souls. John has also appeared on Unsolved Mysteries, Piers Morgan, and many other print and news media events. John also appears in Graveyards and In A Dark Place, both books written by Ed and Lorraine Warren. John's first book, Shadows of the Dark, co-written with Brian McIntyre, was released in September 2004. John has also appeared on Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. John is working on multiple follow-up books currently and is lecturing all over the United States at colleges and universities. Over the years, John has collected many hundreds of possessed items either given to or sent to him by people wishing to be rid of them. The John Zaffis Paranormal Museum opened in 2004 in order to display these items and continues to be open today. John wrote and starred in the documentary film Museum of the Paranormal, released in 2010, which gives the viewer a tour of his museum and the stories behind some of the objects. John was the starring role in the television series Haunted Collector which ran on SyFy from 2011 through 2013. In our discussion we covered his early paranormal experiences which sent him on his career, growing up with his aunt and uncle, the importance of preserving history, the concept of science vs. theory, the study of demonology, working with various faith leaders, the ever-changing technological landscape, and so much more! #johnzaffis #paranormal #ghosthunting Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSPeYAFp2QDiVpnTn8WKRQw/join Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • A Tale of Two Scribes / C.E. Albanese
    Mar 30 2026
    On this 80th episode of A Tale Of Two Scribes, we welcome author C.E. Albanese. C.E. talks about his inspirations to become a writer, his career in secret servic, his two latest book releases and what led him to write about faith. For more info about A Tale Of Two Scribes podcast, visit our social media pages: X (Twitter) - @2ScribesPodcast Instagram - @ataleoftwoscribes #WriteOn Eric P Bishop is an author, and host of A Tale Of Two Scribes. The 3rd book in The OMEGA GROUP Series, DREXEL is out now as well as RANSOMED DAUGHTER and BABYLON WILL RISE. You can also pick up his debut THE BODY MAN as well its sequel BREACH OF TRUST, and SUPREME JUSTICE, all three novels are part of The BODY MAN Series. Eric’s passions, besides writing, includes: Time spent with his kids, travel, music, and exploring the great outdoors. You can find out more about Eric and his novels by visiting his website: https://www.ericpbishop.com Follow him on: X (Twitter) - @EPBAuthor Instagram/Threads - @epbauthor Facebook - ericpbishopauthor Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSPeYAFp2QDiVpnTn8WKRQw/join Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 38 mins
  • A Tale of Two Scribes / Matthew Quirk
    Mar 16 2026
    On this 79th episode of A Tale Of Two Scribes, we welcome New York Times best-selling author Matthew Quirk. Matthew talks about his brand new book, "The Method" (2026), as well as his book "The Night Agent" which was adapted into a succesful Netflix series, his literary influences and more. For more info about A Tale Of Two Scribes podcast, visit our social media pages: X (Twitter) - @2ScribesPodcast Instagram - @ataleoftwoscribes #WriteOn Eric P Bishop is an author, and host of A Tale Of Two Scribes. The 3rd book in The OMEGA GROUP Series, DREXEL is out now as well as RANSOMED DAUGHTER and BABYLON WILL RISE. You can also pick up his debut THE BODY MAN as well its sequel BREACH OF TRUST, and SUPREME JUSTICE, all three novels are part of The BODY MAN Series. Eric’s passions, besides writing, includes: Time spent with his kids, travel, music, and exploring the great outdoors. You can find out more about Eric and his novels by visiting his website: https://www.ericpbishop.com Follow him on: X (Twitter) - @EPBAuthor Instagram/Threads - @epbauthor Facebook - ericpbishopauthor Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSPeYAFp2QDiVpnTn8WKRQw/join Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • A Tale of Two Scribes / John Gilstrap
    Mar 2 2026
    On this 78th episode of A Tale Of Two Scribes, we welcome author John Gilstrap to the podcast. John talks about his brand new book, Scorched Earth (2026), the "Jonathan Grave" series, his influences to become a writer and future projects. For more info about A Tale Of Two Scribes podcast, visit our social media pages: X (Twitter) - @2ScribesPodcast Instagram - @ataleoftwoscribes #WriteOn Eric P Bishop is an author, and host of A Tale Of Two Scribes. The 3rd book in The OMEGA GROUP Series, DREXEL is out now as well as RANSOMED DAUGHTER and BABYLON WILL RISE. You can also pick up his debut THE BODY MAN as well its sequel BREACH OF TRUST, and SUPREME JUSTICE, all three novels are part of The BODY MAN Series. Eric’s passions, besides writing, includes: Time spent with his kids, travel, music, and exploring the great outdoors. You can find out more about Eric and his novels by visiting his website: https://www.ericpbishop.com Follow him on: X (Twitter) - @EPBAuthor Instagram/Threads - @epbauthor Facebook - ericpbishopauthor Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSPeYAFp2QDiVpnTn8WKRQw/join Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Mike Gatto
    Feb 26 2026
    For episode 191, we welcomed Mike Gatto to Spear Talk! In the law, and in life, Mike Gatto has always felt a calling to improve how society works for its citizens. That calling led him to serve in the California State Assembly, where he won eight elections to serve four terms. That calling makes him a different kind of attorney, a problem solver focused on obtaining efficient, excellent results. During his tenure in the Legislature, Mike Gatto served on the Banking & Finance committee, presided over Assembly sessions as Assistant Speaker, and chaired the Appropriations, Consumer Protection & Privacy, and Utilities & Commerce committees. As chair of Appropriations, he determined billions in spending each year. As chair of Consumer Protection & Privacy, he was involved in several innovative initiatives involving technology and cybersecurity. As chair of Utilities & Commerce, he guided landmark utility and energy policy, and regulatory reforms. Along the way, he developed substantial expertise in each of those subject areas. Mike was also the author of several landmark pieces of legislation in his tenure – and a total of fifty-five measures he authored became law. He authored the first Rainy Day Fund, a savings account for the state, forcing the state to sock away money when times are good, so it needn’t scramble so much when times are not so good. He authored landmark production tax incentives, to keep good entertainment jobs in Southern California, after a generation of lawmakers had tried and failed. He authored the only substantive Proposition 65 reform ever, which saved businesses from junk lawsuits. He brought $700 million to Southern California to clean up polluted groundwater. He authored a bill to allow families to avoid probate (and attorneys’ fees), a bill the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association called one of the most important bills since Prop. 13. And, on a more fun level, Mike authored the bill that brought back the classic black license plates. Before his election to the Assembly, Mike practiced law at Los Angeles’s oldest and most distinguished firm, and previously served as a Congressional Chief of Staff, and in the administrations of three Los Angeles mayors. He is a frequent guest analyst on television news programs, serves on the Board of Directors for the A-Mark Foundation, and is a member of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, and a Captain in the California Guard. In our discussion we covered the media role in politics, how to meet people in the middle, identity politics, raising a family in a political landscape, his father’s unsolved murder, conservation, and so much more! #mikegatto #politics #unsolvedmurder Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSPeYAFp2QDiVpnTn8WKRQw/join Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    59 mins