It's time for another round of Unsatisfactories! This week, we discuss gaslighting and how to spot it in a relationship as well as discuss some of our own experiences with this sneaky tactic of emotional abuse and manipulation. We also provide an unintentional cautionary tale of not doing enough research on the interwebs.... ahem... Amanda... DO... YOUR... RESEARCH! Links to stories covered: https://www.healthline.com/health/gaslighting#narcissism https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/here-the...
May 03, 2021•27 min
Join us as we discuss one of history's most infamous serial killers: Mr. Herman Webster Mudgett aka HH Holmes. Part young man with an entrepreneurial spirit, part fraudster, swindler, and murderer, HH Holmes designed a hotel that would eventually be dubbed the Murder Castle based on the grizzly murders that took place in this macabre maze of death. Learn about how he made thousands of dollars from insurance fraud and other financial schemes, all while somehow managing to run a hotel and murder a...
Apr 26, 2021•35 min
Join us as we discuss a mass murderer from the American heartland: Mr. Richard Speck. Part young man just trying to get ahead in life by drinking and couch surfing, part murderous, knife-wielding woman-hater, Speck tortured, raped (at least one victim), and murdered 8 nursing students on the night of July 13, 1966 in Chicago, Illinois. He would be easily captured and convicted for these crimes that left an indelible mark on the community of South Chicago. Did I mention the female hormones and se...
Apr 19, 2021•55 min
It's time for another round of Unsatisfactories! This week, we discuss the recent feud between the Mom Jeans and Skinny Jeans Generations and explore the history of generational conflict. We also discuss a harrowing tale of one woman's brave quest to find an outhouse without a giant bear in waiting. Links to stories covered: https://www.newsbreak.com/alaska/haines/news/2165931781719/something-just-immediately-bit-me-in-the-butt-haines-woman-survives-outhouse-bear https://www.inc.com/jessica-stil...
Apr 12, 2021•20 min
Join us as we discuss Austria's killer nurses: the Death Angels! Part underpaid and overworked gaggle of women in the healthcare industry, part cruel and boastful killers, these ladies knew how to keep their patients quiet and at peace- if by quiet and at peace you mean DEAD! Learn all about their brutal killing methods and just how easy it was to earn a one way ticket to Heaven. Did I mention the rumors about Pavilion 5 yet? I didn't? Well, you'll just have to listen to find out more. If you pr...
Apr 05, 2021•34 min
It's time for another round of Unsatisfactories! This week, we discuss emerging research about childhood schadenfreud and uncover the real reasons behind why your child is laughing at you as you burn yourself on the stove. Hint: Karma's a real beotch! We also explore a popular TikTok claim that chainsaws used to be used during childbirth. Spoiler alert- this claim is based in fact. Links to stories covered: https://digest.bps.org.uk/2013/06/03/kids-experience-schadenfreude-by-age-four-maybe-earl...
Mar 29, 2021•33 min
Join us as we wrap up our two-part series on America's favorite clown: Mr. John Wayne Gacy! We continue the story following Gacy's first murder and go full on clown as we discuss how Mr. Gacy came to be known as The Killer Clown. Learn about how he created not only Pogo the Clown, but also the lesser known Patches and used this outwardly friendly and innocent visage to go unnoticed for years as he continued to rape and murder young men in the Chicago region. Did I mention the photo op with Presi...
Mar 22, 2021•50 min
Join us for Part One of a two part series on America's favorite clown: Mr. John Wayne Gacy! Part loveable family man who volunteered at local children's hospitals, part rapist/murderer who targeted young men in Chicago, Gacy has made quite the name for himself in serial killer pop culture. Many of you know him as Pogo the Clown, his alter ego, but you may not know about his early development and his less than ideal childhood. In Part One, we discuss the origin story of Gacy while also working ou...
Mar 15, 2021•47 min
Join us for a new kind of terrible: Unsatisfactories! These will be shorter and somewhat lighter episodes that are still exploring the less desirable facets of humanity and the animal kingdom. It's not quite terrible, but it is unsatisfactory. This week, we discuss emerging research about mass shooters and mass killers in general that seems to debunk previously held assumptions about their mental and emotional health. We also share a lighthearted story about one man's quest to let his neighbor k...
Mar 08, 2021•24 min
Join us as we discuss the man-eater of the outback: Katherine Knight! Part outspoken and passionate Australian woman with a high libido, part knife-wielding vixen who isn't afraid to experiment in the kitchen, Katherine would become famous across the globe for the brutal murder of her ex lover, John Price. Learn about her love for her work as a abattoir and how this particular set of skills came into play during the murder. Did I mention the mystery meat that police found in the kitchen and the ...
Mar 01, 2021•40 min
Join us as we discuss the unusual and creepy story of The Denver Spider Man! Part down-on-his-luck, sympathetic man just looking for a little help, part "I'm going to murder you and then live in your attic", Theodore Edward Coneys hit a bit of a rough patch which would ultimately lead him to make a decision out of his own desperation. Learn about how this scenario is literally one of Amanda's greatest fears as a homeowner and how Theodore was able to make a little nest of sorts for himself in hi...
Feb 22, 2021•37 min
Join us as we discuss a lesser known cult that had some unique cooking methods: The Blackburn Cult! This cult was founded and led by a woman, which is unusual compared to the cults we usually discuss. Queen May and her daughter would go on to not only swindle their followers out of money, but they would also engage in some very questionable and, dare I say, illegal activities in the name of serving God and finishing some book that no one was going to read anyway. Learn about the unfortunate oven...
Feb 15, 2021•56 min
Join us as we discuss the Grandma that will forever haunt your dreams: Nannie Doss aka The Giggling Granny. Part loving mother and wife who just wanted the perfect man, part homicidal school girl with a laugh to match, Nannie didn't fare well in the romance department. Learn about how she quickly grew tired of not only playing the doting wife, but also of being a mother to her own children. Did I mention the hat pins yet and romance novels yet? I didn't? Well, you'll just have to listen to find ...
Feb 08, 2021•29 min
Join us for Part Two of the Guatemala Syphilis Experiments! Learn even more about how the US Government orchestrated a series of experiments that would humiliate, exploit, expose, and infect vulnerable individuals with various STDs in the late 1940s. We are finally up to the Intentional Exposure experiments phase of the study, and believe me, it's about to get much more intense than the initial phases. Did I mention the penile abrasions and cisternal punctures yet? I didn't? Well, be sure to lis...
Feb 01, 2021•58 min
Join us as we cover Part One of a two-part episode on the Guatemala Syphilis Experiments! Learn about how the US Government orchestrated a series of experiments that would humiliate, exploit, expose, and infect vulnerable individuals with various STDs in the late 1940s. While it initially took place on US soil involving Indiana prisoners, we quickly moved the study overseas where we could continue to perform these tests outside of the prying eyes of our citizens or human services committees. Did...
Jan 25, 2021•55 min
Join us as we discuss the Father of Gynecology: James Marion Sims! Part poorly trained physician who didn't believe in anesthesia, part racist misogynist who appears to have simply enjoyed torturing enslaved Black women during the 1800s, Sims is not somebody who deserves all the honor and admiration that history has afforded him. Learn about the barbaric practices he employed to "treat" women suffering from debilitating and painful conditions and why we might want to stop awarding Terrible Peopl...
Jan 18, 2021•46 min
Join us as we discuss the Belle of the Murder Ball: Big Bad Belle Gunness! Part sturdy woman looking for a faithful husband, part gold-digging murderer known to lose her head, Big Bad Belle lured unsuspecting men to their deaths by placing love letters in the matrimonial ads of newspapers. It appears she was searching for a well endowed husband (if by well-endowed, you mean wealthy) but just kept misplacing them in the middle of the night. Did I mention that she was also a bit of a firebug? I di...
Jan 11, 2021•1 hr 17 min
Join us as we discuss the conspiracy theory that dared to sully the reputation of Amanda's favorite food: Pizzagate! Part unfounded claims about child trafficking out of pizza restaurants, part rhetoric claiming that democrats are Satanic and evil pedophiles, Pizzagate had a gestational period of about 24 hours before it was birthed and delivered to the social media masses. Learn about the evidence being cited in this crazy sounding theory and the shenanigans that ensued one night at a DC Pizzer...
Jan 04, 2021•1 hr
Join us as we discuss the Colorado Cannibal: Mr. Alferd Packer! Part down on his luck prospector during the gold rush, part epileptic with the tendency to boast about his nonexistent wilderness guide skills, Al had quite the appetite during the harsh winter months of 1873-1874. Learn about how Al made it back rather safe and round (and yes- I do mean ROUND) after supposedly being abandoned by his five ill fated companions. Did I mention the multiple warnings and free food and lodging these men w...
Dec 28, 2020•1 hr 8 min
Join us as we discuss a Christmas story that is not nearly as funny or endearing as the movie: The Lawson Family Murders! Learn about the tragic events that unfolded on Christmas day back in 1929 in Stokes County, NC and about Charlie Lawson's bizarre behaviors leading up to the murders. We also have an in depth discussion on this type of murder, which is referred to as familicide, and it's risk factors. Did I mention the family portrait yet? I didn't? Well, you'll just have to listen to the epi...
Dec 21, 2020•58 min
Join us for Part Two of a two part series as we discuss a serial killer who had a bit of a fascination with women's spiky heels: Mr. Jerome "Jerry" Brudos. We pick back up this week with the first murder victim and discuss her terrible and tragic fate at the hands of this Lust Killer. Learn about the ways he lured women into his home using nothing more than children's toys as props and about how he disposed of the bodies. Did I mention his Thanksgiving Plans yet? I didn't? Well, you'll just have...
Dec 14, 2020•56 min
Join us for Part One of a two part series as we discuss a serial killer who had a bit of a fascination with women's spiky heels: Mr. Jerome "Jerry" Brudos. Part electrician and family man with a love of women's shoes, part creepy killer who hung women from meat hooks, Jerry was seen as a harmless, well rounded adolescent in his younger years, but he would go on to exhibit increasingly violent and eventually deadly tendencies in terms of his fascination with women. Did I mention that he was relea...
Dec 07, 2020•59 min
Join us this week as we discuss another terrible piece of human garbage: Josef Mengele. Part sadistic surgeon with a penchant for twins, part Nazi war criminal, Uncle Mengele, as he liked to introduce himself to the children, may be best known for his inhumane medical experiments on prisoners at Auschwitz during World War II. Learn about how Mengele was quite the ladies' man during his time as a physician in the camps... if by ladies man, you mean he targeted pregnant women for his experiments. ...
Nov 30, 2020•44 min
Join us as we discuss how a botched bank heist in Sweden led to an unusual sort of comradery between two bank robbers and their hostages. Learn about the difficulties police encountered when working to secure the hostages and what wonderful sorts of solutions the general public offered to help bring the stand-off to an end. Find out how the term Stockholm Syndrome developed and what psychiatrists of the 1970s thought about this previously unidentified response to being held captive. Did I mentio...
Nov 23, 2020•53 min
Join us as we discuss some terrible people of history who got into an entanglement of sorts with the ever jubilant Mr. Adolphus Hitler. Learn about how Henry Ford of the Ford Company served as an inspiration to Hitler and how two prominent designers ended up working directly with prominent members of Nazi Germany. Did I mention those swanky SS uniforms yet? I didn't. Well, you'll just have to listen to find out more.Be sure to subscribe/rate/review and why not go ahead and satisfy your curiosity...
Nov 16, 2020•40 min
Join us as we discuss the unsolved case of the Long Island Serial Killer. Part burlap sacks full of female body parts, part numerous suspects with the initials J.B., the identity of a potential serial killer has been unknown for the past two decades. Learn about why you should be wary of angry cops who carry around thousands of dollars in sex toys and how not to cover up your tracks after calling a murder victim's mother. Did I mention the Craigslist connection yet? I didn't? Well, you'll just h...
Nov 09, 2020•45 min
Join us as we discuss Alexander Pichushkin: The Chessboard Killer! Part quiet young man who just wanted to play Chess, part murderous vodka enthusiast who seems to have wanted to emulate another famous Russian serial killer, Pichushkin aka The Bittsa Beast had a goal of killing 64 people but was caught before he could quite reach this number. Did I mention that he may have used a small statue of Russian President Vladimir Putin riding a dolphin to commit these heinous crimes? I didn't? You don't...
Nov 02, 2020•1 hr 5 min
Join us as we discuss our favorite holiday and our not so favorite things that have happened on this magical night: Halloween Murders! Part fun times demanding candy from strangers, part not so fun times where your own parents may kill you for financial gain, Halloween seems like an innocent yearly ritual in which sleep-deprived children and drunk adults play dress up and overindulge in treats. Learn about the tragic murders that have taken place on this special night that should be a federal ho...
Oct 26, 2020•22 min
It's officially October! Join us for the first spooky spooky Halloween special episode, where Amanda aka The Black Dahlia goes over the sordid history of the Hotel Cecil in LA. Part low budget hotel for the down and out, part murder and suicide capital of Skid Row, the Cecil also served as the temporary home of a couple of notorious serial killers. While there are a few haunted happenings reported here, the real horror seems to revolve around the tragic deaths and apparent accidents that befell ...
Oct 19, 2020•35 min
Join us as we discuss the terrible human being that invented double-fisting in the world of the lobotomy: Walter Jackson Freeman, II. Part physician who only wants to help, part madman with a sharp instrument, Freeman went on to perform thousands of lobotomies during his lifetime. Did I mention the lobotomobile yet? I did? It's literally the title of this episode? Oh, okay. Be sure to listen to the episode to learn more. Be sure to subscribe/rate/review and why not go ahead and satisfy your curi...
Oct 12, 2020•51 min
