This Podcast Doesn't Exist
By Shannon McCarthy and Emma Kiely-Hampson
This Podcast Doesn't ExistJul 29, 2022
Ep. 167: The Flanguage: The Copper Scroll Mystery
TREASURE! We love a hunt for some valuables and this week Shannon brings us the story of the Copper Scroll. Hidden away in a cave in Jerusalem was a treasure map. Now that the scroll has completely oxidized, will we ever be able to find its goodies? Or have they already been found?! Nick Cage, JoJo Siwa, and a potato dressed like Tina Turner all make an appearance this week so tune in to see if we figure this one out.
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Sources
USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Biblical Archaeological Society
Ep. 166: Coinci-dance: Ley Lines
Is every interesting structure on the planet just a pitstop for aliens on their energy highway in the sky? Or did ancient people really love climbing over hills rather than going around them? This week Emma lays down the lore of ley lines and the weird stuff that can happen around them. Ghosts? Check. Aliens? Check. The fact that St. Michael the archangel might really enjoy Glastonbury? Also check. Enjoy the tangents and our new segment!
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Sources:
The Mother Source on St. Michael’s line and Ley Lines
Ep. 165: Nature Daddy: The Silverwood Beast
What lurks in the boreal forest region of northern Canada? Is it a shiny Bigfoot? A silver-fox being? A hairy Edward Cullen who is all rainbows and glitter? Come find out this week as Shannon dives into the tale of the Silverwood Beast. Stay tuned at the end for our new segment and a little surprise!
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Ep. 164: A Little Thumby: The Jane Addams-Hull House Museum
We could do this all front-door day, man! Talk ghosties that is. This week Emma brings us the really cool history of the Jane Addams-Hull House Museum and the ghosts that stick around for the pure, good vibes. A nice haunted house. Who knew? We’ve got devil babies, Labyrinth, and social reform in the 1900s. What more could you want, really. Join us for the usual chaos and enjoy!
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Sources:
Biographical Sketch of Charles Jerald Hull
The Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
The Mother Source on Hull House
The Long Road of Woman’s Memory
The Mother Source on Jane Addams
Repost: Ep. 27: Cocktail Hour in Heaven: Everest and the Mystery of Mallory and Irvine
Repost: Ep. 74: Noodle Arms: Goatman's Bridge
It's a repost! Your two best friends needed a break for a bit, so enjoy the crying!
Welcome to another nonsense filled episode where Shannon narrowly avoids getting scared, this time by Goatman’s Bridge. Is it a demon on this bridge? A cryptid? A stoner kid in the tree whispering “Steve”? We might never know, but we do know that Emma wants to be a vase but might end up as a couch, and Shannon will certainly be prepared for any demon with a super soaker full of holy water. Apparently, Emma also draws the spooky line at clowns, so you're safe if that wasn't your jam. Just goat-headed barefoot demons here.
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Sources:
Ep. 163: Smooth Brain: The D.C. Demon Cat
It’s Shannon’s birthday and you know what, friends? She’s never wrong. This week’s episode is about a little familiar roaming the halls of Washington D.C.’s government buildings. Is the Demon Cat a friendly little mouser just going about her business? Or does she bring tidings of more sinister things to come? Join in and listen to celebrate one half of your fav best friend duo turning over a new year!
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Sources:
The White House Historical Association
TPDE Ep. 96: Tell Your Mom About Us: The Haunted White House
Ep. 162: Smelly Boi: Mark Landis
It’s Shannon’s birthday season so we’re talking art crime and the audacity of man. This week Emma fills us in on Mark Landis, artist and forger, who managed to fool multiple museums over the course of 30 years into believing his donations of minor works were the real things. The catch? None, it seems. He didn’t earn a single penny from it. So then why did he do it? Come find out as we goof off, dream about museum gift shops, and get an insight into the Bone Shaman. Join the chaos and Emma’s first “solved” mystery episode!
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Sources:
Authentication in Art Unmasked Forgers
The Giveaway from the New Yorker
Ep. 161: All Hail the Pierogi: The Voynich Manuscript
Shannon’s giving nerdy-nerdy-Emma-time as she clues us into one of the most mysterious items of the rare books world: the Voynich Manuscript. Is this late medieval piece a guide on bathing? An outline of the female body? A guidebook for aliens living here on Earth? Or is it all just a lie?! Come listen to these two pterodactyls do a podcast in their chaos den as Emma nerds out and Shannon has (almost) all the answers.
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Ep. 160: A Sentient Mattress: The Grafton Monster
Emma finishes out her trio of West Virginia cryptids this week with the Grafton Monster. Was this creature hopping between portals in time and space and happen to scare some locals? Was a disturbance of teenagers correct to go out looking for it? Or was it all just some elaborate way to say “up yours, Michigan”? Tangent town abounds as we explore these possibilities, if Bigfoot would have a pretzel cart, and discover that Shannon can’t whistle. Join for the usual chaos, spoofs, and goofs!
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Ep. 159: The Poof of Despair: The Alabama Prison System and the Case of Kelvin Moore
*CW: racism, autopsies, abuse, drug use, and death.* This week Shannon brings us the harrowing case of Kelvin Moore and the current state of the Alabama prison system. New laws are in place to keep inmates from earning time back for good behavior and there is a prevailing next-of-kin issue, among myriad other problems. One of these problems has led to family members of incarcerated peoples not receiving the bodies of their loved ones intact after they have passed. We explore the claims of why and the mystery of whether this will ever be remedied.
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Sources:
Ep. 158: Show Yourself: The Flatwoods Monster
We’re back together and headed to West Virginia this week, home to not only Mothman (Holland?!) but to the Flatwoods Monster, too. Was it a cryptid? An extraterrestrial? A bird? Does it deserve to be on the runway of Ru Paul’s Drag Race? We think so. We delve deep into fandoms of Drag Race, Ghost Adventures, and Marvel so hop in the car; we’re headed on a roadtrip through the Appalachian, cryptid-covered hills!
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Sources:
The Mother Source on the Flatwoods Monster
Skeptical Inquirer: The Flatwoods UFO Monster by Joe Nickell
Braxton County website
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Braxton Citizens’ News: Mrs. America Competition
Ep. 157: Experts and Idiots: Folklore 101 WITH SPECIAL GUEST HOLLAND
Our reigning ghost host Holland is back again to talk all things folklore! Is Limewire folklore? What about Mothman? Taylor Swift?! We truly talk about everything this episode, from Slenderman to parakeets to licking. So much licking (New here? Sorry!). Come for the expert and stay for the idiots!
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Sources:
Green Bean Casserole: The Logic of a Midwestern Foodways Aesthetic
“Our Lady of Authenticity: Folklore’s Articles of Faith” in Implied Nowhere: Absence in Folklore Studies (pp. 19-37) Willow G. Mullins
Folklore Rules by Lynne McNeill
Ep. 156: Team Tommy: The Ship of Gold WITH SPECIAL GUEST CHRIS
We're back and it's a big one! This week Professor Chris (a real professor y'all) is stepping in for Shannon to tell us about the SS Central America and her untimely end. She's full of gold when she goes down, but 130 years later Tommy Thompson finds her and brings up some of her treasure. When asked to pay his backers, Tommy disappears with the gold. So what happened to the gold? How long is too long to be held in contempt of court? And what did Emma believe was a Spanish doubloon for way too long? Come find out and make sure to bring your lawyer! Come follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter! Visit our website! Send us a heart fart!
Sources: Gary Kinder, Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea (2009) PGCS, The Coins of the S.S. Central America Another Delay for Ex-Deep-Sea Treasure Hunter Stuck in Jail Fugitive Treasure Hunter Arrested in Florida Treasure Hunter Still in Jail After 6 Years for Refusing to Disclose Whereabouts of 500 Gold Coins Found in Historic Shipwreck Tarnished Treasure: Will Shipwreck Hunter Tommy Thompson’s Legal Limbo Finally End?
Court Cases (Various Docket Filings): Columbus-America Discovery Group v. Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company, 56 F.3d 556 (4th Cir. 1995) United States v. Thompson, Case No. 2:15-cr-81 (S.D. Ohio) Williamson v. Recovery Limited Partnership, Case No. 2:06-cv-292 (S.D. Ohio)
Ep. 155: The Muppet Gallery: The Bielefeld Conspiracy
Emma didn’t get bingo this week but maybe you will as Shannon tells us about the German town of Bielefeld that just might not exist! Numerology rears her (sometimes ugly, sometimes beautiful) head, tangents abound, and there’s a lot of disclaimers, but one thing is for sure: Bielefeld understands a #bit.
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Sources:
Degruyter: Jahrbücher für Nationalökonomie und Statistik
Ep. 154: In My Ice Age Era: The Disappearance of Steven Kubacki
This week Emma shocks Shannon with the disappearance of quintessential-70s college student Steven Kubacki. What exactly happened to this man during his last year of college? Time travel? Laylines? Aliens?! Listen in to learn why aliens love the fall, who Emma’s new stepdad is, and the scope of man's audacity.
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Sources:
The first installment of Ellen Killoran’s six piece Substack
The Anchor, Hope College’s Student Newspaper
Steven Kubacki’s LinkedIn and his Psychology Today page
Holley Archeology website about the “North American Stonehenge”
Ep. 153: Let’s Not Get Physical: Sleepytime Tea and the Urantia Cult
Have you got a demitasse set? Carafes? Drums?! Whatever you have, Buttercup Sunshine and Dandelion Moss have got the piping hot tea ready for you. This week, Shannon clues us into everyone’s favorite nighttime go-to, Sleepytime Tea, and the cult that may have started it all. Does this cult have a weak grip on the tea as it stands today? Or is it still steeped in it?
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Sources:
Celestial Seasonings: Our History
Bon Appetit (in case you want a tea rebrand)
Repost: Ep. 104: Nick with the Fur: Belsnickle
Happy New Year, Pod Fiends! We're closing out 2023 with our favorite dirty Santa, Belsnickle! Enjoy the throwback and we'll be back in your ears with fresh new episodes in 2024.
It's the holiday season! Emma’s coming atcha with the creepiest Christmas companion out there - Belsnickle. This Dirty Santa, while weird and gross, is really here to make sure that the real Santa doesn’t need to put you on his naughty list, so you’d better watch out! We’ve got Carmela the Troll, and Loretta the Elf watching too, so put on your scariest Christmas mask and join the chaos this week!
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Sources:
Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine
Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
The Office “Dwight Christmas” from 2012 on Hulu
Repost: Ep. 61: So Much Licking: Grýla the Christmas Witch
Happy Holidays from your favorite chaos besties! We hope you all have a wonderful season however you celebrate and enjoy this throwback to Christmas gone by!
Merry Christmas, Witches! We’ve got a short one this week to get you in the holiday mood; Shannon tells Emma the terrifying tale of Grýla, the Christmas Witch of Iceland, and her crazy sons, the Yule Lads. Is there anything better than traumatizing your kids into behaving? Probably, but telling them there are thirteen trolls coming to lick all of their belongings might keep them in line while you prepare for the holidays. So take a quick break with us and snuggle in for some creepy holiday cheer!
Sources:
Smithsonian on Gryla and the Yule Lads
Guide to Iceland on Gryla and the Yule Lads
Ep. 152: Eau de Frog: The Loveland Frogman
This week it’s short and sweet…smelling? When was the last time you smelled a frog? We’re not sure as Emma regales with the legend of the Loveland Frogman. Is this creature extraterrestrial, somehow deciding that Ohio was the best place to touch down? Or is it simply an escaped Pokémon that Emma can’t pronounce? Join the chaos, and thank God for the Loveland Frog(man).
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Sources:
Loveland, Ohio and the Loveland Frog from the Mother Source
The Frogman of Loveland Christmas book
Ep. 151: Matchy Stashy: The Andrée Arctic Expedition
We’re back with the two OG best friends this week and it’s an expedish! Shannon brings us the story of Salomon August Andrée’s Arctic balloon expedition and the mystery that surrounds what happened to the crew to this day. Emma gets excited about mass spectrometry, there are so many pigeons, and a 24-year-old professor makes an appearance; bound to be a great time. Yay science!
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Sources:
The Map House: George Melville Boynton
Ep. 150: Oovy Groovy: Vampires WITH SPECIAL GUEST MARISSA
This week it’s all things vampy with special guest host Marissa! Shannon and Emma are along for the centuries-long ride as Marissa talks through the origins, history, and facts of vampire lore. Would we want to be alive forever, having to make new friends every century? We’d rather not, please and thank you? So come join the sparkly chaos and learn how Emma knows next to nothing about Twilight; like, where the hell you been, loca?!
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Sources:
Let’s Talk Religion on the history of Vampires
When Rhode Island was “The vampire capital of america.”
The Evolution of Vampires in Pop Culture
TED-Ed - Vampires: Folklore, fantasy and fact from Michael Molina
Ep. 149: Donkey Squid: The Squonk WITH SPECIAL GUEST SARA
We’re back in the Nook with Sara for a short and sweet one to talk about the sourdough starter of the cryptid world: the Squonk! Shannon reveals just how sad this little “fearsome critter” is and who evades capture by succumbing to its tears. Tune in for conversation on cryptid themed candles, friends just “getting” us, and naked mole rats.
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Sources:
1910 Text via Lumberwoods Unnatural History Museum
1939 Text via Lumberwoods Unnatural History Museum
Ep. 148: Detective Doobius: The Pennhurst State School and Hospital WITH SPECIAL GUEST SARA
This week we went to our guest Sara’s home state of Pennsylvania to explore the history and mystery of Pennhurst State School and Hospital. Although it’s a, to some uncomfortable, Halloween attraction now, the campus used to house over 3,000 residents with disabilities of all kinds. They were not, however, treated well. Are the spirits people see in the facility now those of patients who never left? We really hope not, and pray that it’s all just silly, catcalling ghost hunters making things up and throwing things at each other. Come listen as we scare ourselves and learn more about this Pennsylvania spooky spot!
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Sources:
The Mother Source on Pennhurst
Pennhurst Memorial and Preservation Alliance
Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural
Suffer The Little Children Documentary
1981 Patients Rights act Time Magazine write up
The Little House of Horrors Blog
Ep. 147: A Court of Two Muppets: Vincent Van Gogh WITH SPECIAL GUEST ERICA
Vincent Van Gogh was both prolific and tragic, his art only just on the rise at the time of his death. Many suspect his untimely end was self-inflicted, but was he actually murdered and history just forgot? Come join us this week with our special guest Erica back in the nook for bad French accents and discussions of mental health and the beauty of art. As well as Dr. Who.
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Sources:
Abstract: A Reevaluation of the Death of Vincent van Gogh: Suicide or Murder?
Ep. 146: Great on Bread: The Mysterious Death of Gloria Ramirez
Pull on your skeptic hats because this week Emma is bringing us some Grey’s Anatomy realness with the mysterious death of Gloria Ramirez. Known as the “Toxic Woman” by the media, Gloria is blamed for the illnesses of those who treated her. But is she really the one at fault, or was she used to cover up something a bit more Breaking Bad? The world may never know the actual circumstances of the incident, but every medical drama is sure to reference it until the end of time. There will be talk of needles, dead bodies, and some potentially serious Grey’s Anatomy spoilers so prepare yourself before diving into the madness.
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Sources:
Ep. 145: Maintain How Cursed You Are: The Disney Cryogenics Mystery WITH SPECIAL GUEST ERICA
We have completed the wife set with this week's guest host Erica! She's here to talk all things Disney, but primarily the theory that Walt is now frozen somewhere in Arizona. If so, could we have a Walt-sicle reanimated in the near future? An AI generated ad that only comes on at 3 AM sure thinks so! Come learn just how cursed the Hall of President's is and all about the original Little Miss Capitalism, Walt Disney.
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Sources:
Ep. 144: Murder, That’s a Thing: The Death of Elma Sands
The crime of the 19th century in a brand new nation; sensationalism who?! This week we commit hard to the bit as Emma brings us the story of America’s first recorded murder trial and the death of Elma Sands. Were our favorite Law Kens able to figure out whodunnit? Or the answer to a bigger question: Was it even murder? Come find out with your midwest mom and fancy Russian neighbor, the bit stealers of the week.
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Ep. 143: Get Beefy Stay Swift: The Snallygaster
Huzzah, my dudes! This week it’s all about Maryland’s favorite beastie, the Snallygaster. Is it a one eyed octopus? A winged beak-faced monster? Likely it’s just moonshine, but we know he’s so much more. For sure that he’s part of the Cryptid Hunting Club and has his own license to hunt skinny kids (a joke). So hop on over to listen to this week’s gravelly episode where Emma gains a bit more state pride.
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Ep. 142: Scoobius Doobius: The Bélmez Faces WITH SPECIAL GUEST BRITTANY
A home in Spain is haunted by faces that keep appearing on the kitchen floor. Are these the ghosts of the skeletons beneath? Or simply the drawings of a bored housewife? No matter if they were real, psychical researchers have been interested in the faces of Bélmez since they first started appearing. And this week Emma tries her best not to scare the Scoobert Doobert out of Shannon and guest Brittany. Come join in on this short but wild episode discussing horse facts, the afterlife, and the poetry of weird names among the haunting faces in the floor.
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Sources:
The Mother Source on the Bélmez Faces
Association of Paranormal Study
The Belmez Faces: An Investigation of a Supposedly Strong Case
Ep. 141: Catholic von Trapp: The Death of Marilyn Monroe WITH SPECIAL GUEST BRITTANY
Our original ghost host Brittany is back as a guest this week with film bro Emma to hear Shannon tell the sad but gripping story of the death of Marilyn Monroe. Was she murdered by a prank-calling president's family? Was her death a cover up to protect political secrets? Aliens? Bust out your bingo cards and your belty-est musical ballads as we discuss the possibilities on our usual rollercoaster of chaos.
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Sources:
Ep. 140: Shane Shake: Moon River Brewing Company
Spooky season has arrived! At least here at TPDE it has. Emma fills us in this week on the most haunted place in the most haunted city in America: the Moon River Brewing Company. A once bustling hotel turned hospital turned brewery, this spot has seen a lot of death, but do the dead still linger? Come find out if the Pope’s gonna love ya with all the holy water you’ll be carting around this place and if Zac Bagans’ voice is a bit.
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Sources:
The Mother Source on Savannah, Moon River Brewing Company, and the Stark-Minis duel
Moon River Brewing Company’s site
The brewery’s haunted history from the Travel Channel
Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural - The Spirits of Moon River Brewing
Ghost Adventures: the basement encounter, Aaron’s vlog, and the debrief
Ghost Brothers: Lights Out clip
Ep. 139: Desperate Whisper: The Oakville Blobs WITH SPECIAL GUEST HOLLAND
It’s Holland’s last visit to the Pod Nook™ and we’re going out with…a blob? This week Shannon shocks us with the story of the Oakville Blobs, mysterious jelly that rained from the sky in Washington State. Was it manmade? Extraterrestrial vomity goo? Or jellyfish that had been yeeted from the sea? If nothing else it was a perfect storm, a Blob-ageddon if you will. So join us for the Blob-ening.
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Sources:
Ep. 138: Eyeball Leeches: The Mysterious Case of William H. Bates WITH SPECIAL GUEST HOLLAND
We’re back with our resident death ambassador, Holland, this week to discuss the odd, messy, and overall just wild case of William H. Bates. First he disappears, then he reappears, then he takes a left turn with his career in "eyes." Buckle in as we jump around from North Dakota to TikTok diet influencers to truck nuts on a Saturn, because it’s weird and we’d like to talk about it.
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Sources:
The Mother Source on William H. Bates, the Bates Method, and Benarr Macfadden
The American Journal of Ophthalmology, Volume 8 on Google Books
Lansing State Journal article on the will probate of William Bates
Inner Blindness, a website dedicated to curing bad eyesight
The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, Volume 24
The New York Times article on Dr. Bates from 1931
Daytonian in Manhattan architecture blog
Annals of Ophthalmology, Volume 9
Sixty-Second Annual Report of the New York Infirmary for Women and Children
Ep. 137: Pancreas Patch: Body Farms WITH SPECIAL GUEST HOLLAND
**TW: discussion about death, including decomposition. Not for the queasy** We're switching it up a little this week, with our special guest Holland discussing body farms and all things death. We learn about elephants with jobs, Cadaver Cove, and just how serious Emma is about becoming a vase. Join us for this fascinating discussion episode, and don’t forget to write your will!
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Sources:
Caitlin Doughty’s works, including Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?, and From Here to Eternity
The Washington Post on the George Washington University Body Farm
Youtube Ask A Mortician about open eye wakes and body farms
The University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Center
Ep. 136: Hairy Meat Men: The Beast of Bray Road
A cryptid that Emma has met?! Okay, well not met, but maybe taken a picture of a replica of one? Yea, that sounds about right. This week, Emma digs into the story of the Beast of Bray Road, one of Wisconsin’s premier cryptids. Is it a werewolf? A hellhound? An all new creature? Whatever the case is, get out of my bucket and into our car for a quick little chaotic tour of Wisconsin.
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Sources:
The Mother Source on the Beast of Bray Road and Hellhounds
Ep. 135: Baseline, People are Bad: The Disappearance of Daniel Robinson
*Content Warning: some conversation on suicide* This week Shannon brings us to Arizona and tells the story of Daniel Robinson and his mysterious disappearance. A crashed car, a cryptic text message, and still no answers after multiple searches. For the missing and murdered who don’t fit the media’s mold, it can take ages to get things moving, let alone get one solved, and Daniel’s case is no exception. Tune in to hear our theories and a ghosty mailbag story!
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Sources:
Please Help Find Daniel (family-run)
Fox 10 Phoenix (full police report)
Repost: Ep. 36: It's A Boy! (phlegm): The Jersey Devil
This week Emma cries while she tells Shannon about the Jersey Devil! It's not all that scary, just a creepy flying T-rex roaming New Jersey. Come join us for stories of brave children and Emma's own potential cryptid encounter!
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Sources:
The Mother Source
Cryptid Wiki
Pinelands Preservation Alliance on the Legend
Jersey Devil Sightings and Stories from WeirdNJ
abcNews on the 2015 “sighting”
Silly Ben Franklin on Mental Floss
Brian Regal book on Quakers and the Jersey Devil
Repost: Ep. 101: Nama-cray: The Werewolf of Dickson County WITH SPECIAL GUEST GREG
It's vacay time, and what better way to relax than a Greg episode! Enjoy the chaos, friends!
*Note that today’s episode, and probably those in the future, contains swearing and adult themes. Keep the little ears away!*
The chaos today is brought to you by peanut butter whiskey and a brand new cryptid, our wonderful friend Greg! Shannon tells us as much as she can about the Werewolf of Dickson County, who still might be hunting in the woods of Tennessee to this day. Tune in for wild stories, French in a southern accent, and lots of healthy cackling. And potentially a boyfriend?! Stay tuned at the end for all the fun stuff Emma cut from the middle.
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Sources:
Ep. 134: Ghost Poop: The Pfister Hotel
*NSFW* Some very not-family-friendly jokes are hot and ready this week as Emma fills us in on the haunted Pfister Hotel. Are Major League Baseball players being targeted by the ghosts who want their home team to succeed? Or is this simply another historic building with some quirks? Come find out and join in our apologies to long dead gentlemen.
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Sources:
Megan Thee Stallion being spooked
WUWM on the legend of the Pfister ghost
Ep. 133: But Maybe Ocean?: The Yonaguni Monument WITH SPECIAL GUEST CAROLINE
Buckle up as this week Shannon takes Emma and special guest Caroline to the waters of Japan where there may be the remnants of a lost civilization. Is the Yonaguni Monument truly a manmade structure swallowed by the seas? Is it a natural rock formation that is easily geologically explained? Or was it aliens?! Whatever the answer, it’s turtles all the way down, and we’re here to talk about it. And plenty else, like the Bone Shaman’s college days and our new girl group, The Vile Vortices. Jump in and join the chaos!
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Sources:
Ep. 132: Yawning Maw: The Enfield Monster
Emma tells the story this week of the Enfield Monster, an Illinois cryptid that turned a town wild for less than a year. Was it really a creature lurking in the woods? Or simply a case of social contagion? Join us to find out and learn more about Muppet-lore than you cared to know. Yip-yips, swamp slobs, and Shrek; oh, my!
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Sources:
The Mother Source on the creature
“A Critical Examination of the Social Contagion Image of Collective Behavior: the Case of the Enfield Monster” by Miller et al in Collective Behavior and Collective Action
The Abominable Swamp Slobs on Cryptozoonews
Ep. 131: Dino Shaped Brain Nuggies: James Dean and the Curse of the Spyder
Buckle on in, everyone, as Shannon takes us on James Dean’s last ride in the car that so many now believe to be cursed. Dean may have been an adrenaline junkie, but was his tragic death fated from his first look at the Spyder, Little Bastard? And could Little Bastard, and every component part, really be cursed? Or were the reckless drivers behind the wheel to blame? No one can know for sure, as most of the car has disappeared to time. So, hop on in and enjoy the ride as we explore all the possibilities this curse has to offer.
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Sources:
Ep. 130: H-E-Double Hell: The Ryman Auditorium Part 2 WITH SPECIAL GUEST GREG
Emma fights for her words (some of them swears) in this second part of the Ryman Auditorium, where for one more episode Greg is BACK. This time it's all about ghosts and the feelings they give us as we revisit this historic landmark of country music. So sit back and enjoy talk of curses, fighting poltergeists, and reasons why Patsy Cline and Lula C. Naff were the coolest.
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Sources:
The Mother Source on the Ryman Auditorium, Hank Williams, and Patsy Cline
Ep. 129: That’s Sus, Sis: The Life and Death of Marsha P. Johnson
This week the OG Besties are back, baby! And it’s Pride Month, so Shannon brings us the story of Marsha P. Johnson’s beautiful life and mysterious death. Marsha was an icon of the LGBTQ+ community in their own time and continues to be today. Their activism, perseverance, and care for those around them was always out and proud. However ,the circumstances surrounding their death are, in our official ruling, sus. So join us this week to hear about Marsha’s impact on the world and why Emma is actually Ron DeSantis’s worst nightmare.
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Sources:
Wikipedia-MPJ
Wikipedia-Stonewall
National Women’s History Museum
Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs - County of Union, New Jersey
Ep. 128: South Canada: The Ryman Auditorium: Part 1 WITH SPECIAL GUEST GREG
Shannon’s still on vacation, so the kids have come to play (and swear, fair warning)! Greg is BACK and fills us in about the Tennessee-ness of it all while Emma tells the story of the haunted Ryman Auditorium. Built by its namesake, ushered through its golden age by a woman determined to make the name memorable, and revived by the city it sits within, the Ryman’s history is rich and lyrical. The Mother Church of Country music hosted the Grand Ole Opry and names like Elvis, Hank Williams, Teddy Roosevelt, and Helen Keller. But do the souls of those who shone bright on its stage still linger today? Come find out amidst the chaos this week with these two boneheads!
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Sources:
The Mother Source on the Ryman Auditorium
The Ryman website
Ep. 127: Nix Gonna Nick: The Pittsburgh Ghost Bomber WITH SPECIAL GUEST BRITTANY
Surprise!! We have a GHOST (guest host) on this episode! Brittany is stepping in this week and stepping up to the plate with the mystery of the Pittsburgh Ghost Bomber. Was this crashed plane covered up by the government because of Vegas showgirls or UFO's on board? Or is the river just that "inhospitable" that it broke down into itty bitty pieces, never to be seen again? Come listen to our ramblings on this and many other topics this week and stay nebby!
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Sources
Ep. 126: We’re Doing a Great Time: Ruth Marie Terry, the Lady of the Dunes
This week Emma fills us in on the tragic story of Ruth Marie Terry, the Lady of the Dunes. While the miracle of DNA analysis has led to her identification, we still don’t know what, nor who, happened to her. To diffuse the tension of this unsolved case, your Nonna Shannon and her neighbor Doris are here to talk cookies, rag on bad men, and provide some much needed grandmotherly love. Anyone with information about Ruth or Guy Muldavin and their time in New England during the 1970s should contact the Massachusetts State Police at 1-800-KAPTURE or email them at MSPTips@pol.state.ma.us.
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Sources:
Boston Globe today and in 1974
Ep. 125: Lots of Sheep to Shep: The Cursed Treasure of Cahuenga Pass
Who doesn’t love a treasure hunt with a bit of danger built in!? The nine individuals who perished at the curse’s hand? Maybe. This week Shannon fills us in on the Cursed Treasure of California’s Cahuenga Pass. Is it still out there, waiting to be found? Or is the real treasure the friendships we made along the way? Stay till the end for some classic Grey’s Anatomy talk and why you should never sleep on a toothache.
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Sources:
JSTOR: “The Cahuenga Pass Treasure,” Southern California Quarterly
These last three are basically all the same, but here ya go:
Ep. 124: Zak in the Box: Harold the Haunted Doll
Emma may not be a pizza girl, but she’s serving up some “sorry’s” this week telling the terrifying tale of Harold the Haunted Doll. Is he actually haunted? Or is he cursed by the souls of five beings and a demon inside him? If he’s truly the cause of such unrest to those who see him (and poke fun) we’d advise making sure your home is properly guarded against evil. Just to be on the safe side. Werk it, monarch, and join us for a splendidly spooky time!
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Sources:
Harold the Haunted Doll by Anthony Quinata and his blog
The Mother Source on Pareidolia and Uncanny Valley