Remember when everyone in America was digging up giant human skeletons (see episode 199)? Well it turns out, some people were digging up and identifying actual dinosaur bones as well; two of those people were Cope and Marsh. This week, Katy takes the reins and tells Hannah about the Bone Wars! The girls talk not so friendly rivalries, future TV series casting, dinosaurs (duh), explosions, and plenty of “bone” jokes. If you love science, chaos, and pettiness, you’re gonna love this episode! So po...
Feb 21, 2024•1 hr 17 min
It's our 200th episode!!! And we are throwing it back to where it all began, but with better audio, and more thorough research. This week, Hannah re-tells Katy the story of the Lost Cosmonaut, and all the deep, dark, terrible things that happened within the Soviet (and US) Space Program. The girls talk about the ethics of putting dogs in space (spoiler: it's not ethical and should never be done), horrific ways to die (ie, burned alive), not so bad ways to die (ie, exposed to the vacuum of space)...
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 32 min
In the mid 1800’s, giant human bones seemed to be turning up all across America, at the same time that many scholars and preachers were teaching that the Americas had once been inhabited by a race of prehistoric white giants. This week, Hannah tells Katy about this “fun” time in American history, and some of the skeletons that were unearthed. The mushy teenage girl brains do not go away (they’re talking about abnormally large bones… come on), but they do talk a little science, history, and just ...
Feb 07, 2024•2 hr 2 min
It’s the episode Hannah’s been waiting for! This week, Hannah finally tells Katy the tragic story of inmate, Sam Shockley, and how he was failed by the system at every stage of his life. From the time he was a teenager, until he was caught up in the Battle of Alcatraz as an adult and unfairly executed by the state, Sam is the prime example of why mental health advocacy matters, why prison reform matters, and why we won’t stop talking about either one. Pour the stiff drinks if you’ve got ‘em, and...
Jan 31, 2024•2 hr 22 min
We’re almost through our mugshot profiles, and in Alcatraz, pt. 5 (no one’s sick of this, right?) Hannah tells Katy about smirking James Boarman, and Dermot Mulroney/Marvin Hubbard. The girls talk mushy teenage boy brains, mushy teenage girl brains, botched escape attempts, and so much more. It’s an unintentionally chaotic episode, but worth it! So pour the drinks, bear with us, and join us for our second to the last Alcatraz episode! Sources: https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1940?amou...
Jan 24, 2024•1 hr 39 min
Surprise, it’s another Alcatraz episode! This time, in preparation for the one inmate profile Hannah really wants to do (Sam Shockley), she decided to preface by giving Katy the rundown on the four mugshots we have hanging in the studio, starting with the infamous Ted Cole and Ralph Roe. The girls talk about what led to the first ever successful escape from the rock, what makes a good FBI description, Chris Angeling your way out of handcuffs, and why you should never pick up handsome hitchhikers...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 30 min
If you suddenly find yourself in a dark tunnel experiencing an overwhelming feeling of love and peace, and being drawn towards a bright light, you might be dead. Or you might be one of the 9 million Americans who have had a Near Death Experience (and you're about to be brought back to life by medical science.) This week, Hannah tells Katy about the crazy phenomenon that is Near Death Experiences: something experienced by people of all ages, cultures, orientations, etc. with a remarkable degree o...
Jan 10, 2024•1 hr 58 min
Is it a strange breed of hairless, underground coyote? A reptilian alien with fur? The Jersey Devil far from home? Or is it the infamous chupacabra? This week, the girls are back from their holiday break, and Katy tells Hannah about the southern goat-sucker that’s been terrorizing livestock for (surprisingly) not that long. They talk about the various sightings, as well as its various forms, what could really be bleeding goats and cows dry (spoiler alert: science), and why you should not refrige...
Jan 03, 2024•55 min
If you thought we were done with time travel, you were dead wrong! This week, Hannah tells Katy about John Titor, the alleged time traveler from 2036 who chatted with various people online in 2000 and 2001, and told us some *fascinating* things about the future. The girls talk black holes, computer programing disasters, whether Katy's child is actually a time traveler, pangolins, and more. If you want to know what the world might be like (in another timeline) in 12-ish years, or if you want to h...
Dec 20, 2023•1 hr 37 min
Have you ever been walking through the English countryside (or the gardens of Versailles) and suddenly felt the world slow down, like time has somehow stopped or...shifted? You may have experienced a time slip! This week, Hannah tells Katy all about this phenomenon of accidentally finding yourself in another time with two classic examples. The girls talk thatched roofs, sombrero'd men, lesbian-psychic-diseases, and taking pictures of Jesus. This one was SO much fun, and it shows. So pour the dri...
Dec 13, 2023•2 hr 14 min
We're back for Part Two! This week, Hannah tells Katy the rest of the story from last week: three murders, a baffled police department, and a 17 year-old college kid that gets mixed up in the whole thing. The girls talk about epidurals, AFIS, police brutality, why so many cops suck, and so much more. This one is sure to get your blood boiling, so make sure you've got a nice calming activity to do during or after. Pour those drinks, find a pillow to scream into, and join us for the conclusion of ...
Dec 06, 2023•1 hr 44 min
1945 was a busy year for Chicago police; a year before Richard Speck would murder eight nurses in the middle of the night (see Episode 188), three other horrific murders would take place. This week, Hannah tells Katy Part One, of the story of William Heirens: a teenager with an unfortunate case of kleptomania, who was somehow involved in the increasingly grizzly murders of two women and one child throughout the summer and into the winter of 1945-46. The girls talk butterflies, college, douchebag...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 30 min
Happy Thanksgiving! This week, Hannah brings us the unsolved story of Joshua Maddux, and tells Katy about how this goofy, free-spirited young man went out for a walk in the Colorado wilderness one day, and never returned home. The girls talk Forrest Gump, body positions (Katy generously gets on the floor and does some contortion work for Hannah's "needs-a-visual" mind), gynecologist visits, forensic evidence, and chimney construction. It's not the most uplifting episode for the holidays, but it ...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 5 min
In 1966, eight young nurses were murdered in one of Chicago's first, and most horrific mass killings. 25 year-old Richard Speck was arrested, but claimed no memory of the crime. This week, Hannah tells Katy the story of what followed: the trial, the various psychiatric sessions, and the verdict. And the girls talk mental health, head injuries, ethics, and more. This is truly one right up our alley in terms of looking at how mental health awareness plays such an important role in everything, and ...
Nov 15, 2023•1 hr 58 min
In July or 2008, the hairless, bloated body of a mysterious animal washed up on the shores of East Hampton, Long Island. Was it a shell-less turtle, an escaped mutated creature from Plum Island, or something entirely new and unknown? This week, Hannah tells Katy about the Mantauk Monster, and the mystery behind the unidentifiable carcass. The girls talk animal skulls, Viking funerals, conspiracy theories, and more! Plus, we all get to reminisce about what we were doing during the summer of 2008 ...
Nov 08, 2023•59 min
Is your house full of flies, gross smells, and has doors that open and close on their own? You may be living with a demon (or a cat... or both!) Happy Halloween! It's the final installment of our true stories behind the scary movies series, and this week, Hannah tells Katy the very true story behind The Conjuring! In her very best effort to consolidate 1500 pages of narrative, Hannah tells Katy about the Perron family's harrowing ordeal in Harrisville, RI where they lived with moving objects, di...
Nov 01, 2023•1 hr 54 min
Did you ever have a special toy that meant more to you than all the others? Maybe one you took with you everywhere and talked to? Maybe one that talked back? This week, Hannah continues her series on true stories behind your favorite scary movies, with a slasher classic: Child's Play. The girls talk Cabbage Patch kids, what level of toy attachment is normal, playful spirits vs. playful humans, and whether or not Child's Play was really only inspired by "capitalism" and not the true story that ha...
Oct 25, 2023•1 hr 4 min
If you hear a mournful keen in your ear tonight, it might be a Banshee, or it might just be this week's episode: a Tell We Tale! This week, Katy takes the lead and gives Hannah all the details on the Banshee, where she's from, her various forms, what she's here for, and why you should NEVER touch her comb. The girls discuss animal sounds, whether metal armor should be washed in water, regional managers, and more in this turned around episode about Celtic lore! So pour the drinks, check on all yo...
Oct 18, 2023•1 hr 42 min
Happy Halloween! Since it's OFFICIALLY the start of the Halloween season (even though we've been celebrating since September 1st), we've decided to go back to our roots. This week, Hannah tells Katy the "true" story behind the classic scary movie, The Hills Have Eyes, in what we hope to become a month-long series! The girls quickly dissolve into chaos and giggles while drinking last-resort chardonnay out of mugs, and talking about Bean-clans, bean puns, pale cave people, pale clan people, and th...
Oct 11, 2023•1 hr 20 min
Was Alcatraz really the impenetrable fortress it claimed to be? This week, Hannah finally gets to the promised episode, and tells Kay about the infamous escape of Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin. The girls discuss high IQ's, why Katy would be an excellent addition to the escape team, smut/romance plots, disorganized FBI files, scary horses, and so much more. It's an epic ending to our longest series, and if you've stuck around this long, we hope you've enjoyed the ride! So pour yo...
Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 56 min
We lied about this only be two-parts: this week, since Hannah can't stop falling down Alcatraz rabbit holes, she tells Katy more about the deplorable conditions of the prison, including arbitrary rules, the Dungeon, unlawful physical assaults, and a murder trial that highlighted it all for a brief moment in history. The girls get a little ranty in this one (it is prison-reform, after all), go a bit deeper into the criminal backgrounds of a few inmates, and plan a potential future trip to the Roc...
Sep 27, 2023•1 hr 55 min
In 1946, six men tried what dozens had tried before them, and what many deemed impossible: they tried to escape from Alcatraz. This week, Hannah tells Katy about the Battle of Alcatraz, in Part One of a two-parter on escaped attempts from the infamous "escape-proof" prison. The girls talk glamorous mug shots, Dermot Mulroney look-a-likes, swimming/climbing abilities, prison reform, mental health, and all the gray areas in between. Find out who was involved, what happened, and what went wrong (so...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 46 min
Andrew Kehoe was a man whose ego bruised worse than a peach, who took every single inconvenience personally, and who made it everyone else's problem. This week, Hannah tells Katy about this little man, and the evils he eventually committed. The girls talk psychopathy tests, fire safety, taxes, and sweet animal facts (as our end-of the episode palate cleanser). This is both a whiskey episode, and a listener suggestion, so blame Sara (j/k, thank you for your suggestions, Sara--they make my life mu...
Sep 13, 2023•1 hr 28 min
What if your significant other or child suddenly started acting differently with no explanation? Sure, t could be explained away by any number of reasonable circumstances. Or, they could be a Changeling. This week, Hannah tells Katy the story of Bridget Cleary, a lively, independent young woman in late 19th century Ireland, whose husband believed she had been stolen away by Fairies, and replaced by a Changeling. The girls talk Irish folklore, Irish names, all things Fairies, Catholicism, and mor...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 25 min
Before there was American Airlines, or Spirit Air, white people were obsessed with finding shortcuts between continents, even if it meant traversing the icy unknowns of the Arctic. This week, Hannah tells Katy about the mystery of Franklin's Lost Expedition, and the men who died trying to chart the Northwest Passage (and were doomed from the start). The girls discuss the best provisions to take to the Arctic, Presidential desks, very good dogs, the dangers of home-canned goods, scurvy, and more!...
Aug 30, 2023•1 hr 27 min
If you didn't have a healthy fear of chimpanzees before, you will after this episode. This week, after trying and failing to find a "lighter" topic, Hannah tells Katy the story of Moe: the chimp whose was raised by humans from birth, and who witnessed one of the worst chimp attacks on a human in history. The girls talk all things chimpanzees, and get into their opinions on the ethics of keeping them as pets, and of course, why you should maintain a very cautious respect for our primate cousins. ...
Aug 23, 2023•1 hr 12 min
In 1848 two young sisters, Maggie and Kate Fox, began talking to a mysterious presence that had been making rapping sounds in their Hydesville, NY home, much to their parents' and neighbors' amazement. They couldn't have known that they were setting into motion a religious and social movement that would span centuries, captivate millions, and give a voice to the voiceless. This week, Hannah tells Katy about the Fox Sisters and their "rapping" phenomenon that took upstate NY by storm in the mid 1...
Aug 16, 2023•1 hr 20 min
In the early 1900's, a series of axe murders tormented a small, African American community in Lafayette, Louisiana. And they weren't the only ones. This week, Hannah tells special guest co-host, Jarek, the strange story of Clementine Barnabet, and the horrendous slayings that took place around her. This story is as confusing as it is intriguing, with sacrificial cults, wild accusations, false confessions, and (as always) shoddy police work. Grab your drinks, and maybe take notes to keep things s...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 3 min
On August 10, 2017, independent journalist, Kim Wall, boarded a submarine to interview its owner, Peter Madsen; she would never return to shore alive. This week, Hannah tells Katy the absolutely tragic story of the events that unfolded next, and the brilliant young mind that was lost to the hands of a truly evil man. This one has homemade submarines, unchecked narcissism, a surprisingly competent police force, and so much more. We recommend a palate cleanser and/or emotional support drink/pet ne...
Aug 02, 2023•1 hr 5 min
If you’ve been watching/reading the news, you’ve heard of the Gilgo Beach murders, and the decade long search for the killer. This week, Hannah tells Katy the whole story before catching her up on the latest developments. There’s a lot to cover, from the missing woman that started it all (Shannon Gilbert), to the families of the Gilgo Bach Four, to the still unidentified remains discovered along the beach. Check out the podcast LISK: Long Island Serial Killer for a waaaaaaaay more detailed dive....
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 31 min
