There is a long history behind the idea of resuscitating a seemingly dead person... but it's not all chest compressions and assisted-breathing. There was a time when someone blowing smoke up your ass was a bit more literal. The road to modern CPR is paved with heart massage, a drunken sailor, and tobacco smoke enemas. Peter's song pick:: You Can Cry by Dreamshell https://open.spotify.com/track/5MddP1AcmElXJwzMSkNAuj?si=dksNY-nQTyCAQWQtOvEk1Q If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave ...
Apr 07, 2020•29 min•Ep. 50
On February 2nd, 1980, tensions came to a breaking point at the New Mexico State Penitentiary. "But wait" you cry, "you said you don't cover acts of malice!" Trust us, the disaster here is the bungling before, during, and after the riot. Mistreat your prisoners long enough, and what do you get? Axe handles, blowtorches, snitches getting way more than stitches, and a hundred hand-written pages going up in flames. Leigh's song pick:: The Last Act of Defiance by Exodus https://open.spotify.com/trac...
Apr 01, 2020•39 min•Ep. 49
In the summer of 1966, the construction of the Heron Road Bridge in Ottawa didn't go exactly to plan. A cautionary tale about listening to the groaning woodwork, and for one worker about maybe staying away from construction sites... for the rest of his life. The National Capital, the Heron Road Workers Memorial Bridge, and a man pinned by a police car. Leigh's song pick:: Summer In The City by The Lovin' Spoonful https://open.spotify.com/track/7AzFID6u1b3zIWbd9pb8Dk If you like what you hear, pl...
Mar 24, 2020•35 min•Ep. 47
In 1903, the Turtle walked. An ancient mountain that the indigenous people of the area knew not to mess with... what better place to build a town? Better tuck it into the very base of a mine where gargantuan ancient forces spontaneously squeeze coal out. A mountain, a slide, a horse that made it through, and a reason to Stay In the Hotel. Craig's song picks:: How The Mountain Came Down by Stompin' Tom Connors https://open.spotify.com/track/6RKW1xfA6SruZO259wRnSz Frank, AB by The Rural Alberta Ad...
Mar 18, 2020•37 min•Ep. 46
Peter and Leigh check in for a "Hey, howya doin'?" A few tips for staying safe and protecting the most vulnerable, and our plan for self-isolation while keeping the disaster burning! 1) Avoid groups of people, cut any non-essential travel. 2) Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds (sing the ABC song). 3) Resist the urge to hoard, someone needs one of the thing you just bought eleven of. Flattening the Curve: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/ Try-All & Erro...
Mar 17, 2020•15 min•Ep. 48
In 1805, a man bought an elephant in a bar. Little did he know, this would lead to a legacy alongside the Greatest Show on Earth... and also one of the most devastating fires the big top would ever see. Exotic animals, gasoline-soaked tarp, an inferno, and a reason to always carry a pocket knife. Peter's song pick:: Let Go by Frou Frou https://open.spotify.com/track/3xKTpGCsafXzV4muM1Hpl3 If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a review ! Tell your friends! Tell your enemies too, w...
Mar 10, 2020•24 min•Ep. 45
In the early 19th century, family after family around New York City was contracting Typhoid Fever. The only common denominator was a soft-spoken Irish cook named Mary. Her temperament would be tested by an uncouth investigator and his persistence in collecting certain... specimens. Tinctures, bacilli, hygiene, and a fork-wielding cook in a rage. Gerri's song pick:: The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel https://open.spotify.com/track/3YfS47QufnLDFA71FUsgCM?si=KM7MXhaaSBOpjvC0PJ1K7Q Leigh'...
Mar 04, 2020•59 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Tell us if this sounds familiar: Popular in highschool, folk musician, disastrous ending. The 1960s weren't kind to aspiring acoustic artists, and Jim Sullivan was no exception. Nashville, pornography, and alien abduction. Leigh's song pick:: Tea Leaves by Jim Sullivan https://open.spotify.com/track/3lHNjrnjc6B752A1xmy8dG If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a review ! Tell your friends! Tell your enemies too, we're not picky. Become a patron, help us make some exciting new cont...
Feb 25, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Next time the weather is getting you down, think back to the time New York City was almost pulverized by the relentless Great White Hurricane. Join us as we tell the story of a particularly bad winter day in 1888 NYC. Aristotle, polar fronts, the Greely Expedition, and a new record for number of sidebars in a single episode. Leigh's song pick:: Interferon by Thomas Leer & Robert Rental https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZzIsNLOiEkkPJ6oL8MxzP Peter's song pick:: Valhalla Rising by Nytt Land http...
Feb 19, 2020•47 min•Ep. 42
Following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the threat of radiation was ubiquitous. While radiation took its toll physically, it took an arguably heavier toll on the minds of those that lived near the nuclear plant... and even the world at large. A psychology professor joins us to talk about the long-term mental health effects of the Reactor Number Four meltdown in 1986. Gerri's song pick:: Recoil Ignite by Mono https://monoofjapan.bandcamp.com/track/recoil-ignite If you like what you hear, please...
Feb 11, 2020•50 min•Ep. 41
With the echoes of the Atomic Age fading, the USSR undertook an ambitious plan to build a huge number of massive reactors all along its western border. Viktor Brukhanov was tasked with building the first four reactors at the Chernobyl nuclear generating station, as well a city nearby called Pripyat. Instead of generations of clean energy, the Soviets served up the worst nuclear accident in human history. Shoddy construction, underqualified operators, and the Soviet mentality. Chernobyl, April 26...
Feb 05, 2020•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 40
In 1979 Jane Fonda starred in the China Syndrome, a movie about a nuclear meltdown. Twelve days later, reactor 2 at Three Mile Island melted down. Our special guest Norm tells us the story of what can go wrong at a nuclear power station and the actual consequences of the meltdown at TMI 2. Pesky post-its, stubborn valves, and a whole lotta steam. Norm's song pick:: Welcome Home Armageddon by Funeral for a Friend https://open.spotify.com/track/1B1UbbHfAXglHAV7LqfzoM If you like what you hear, ple...
Jan 28, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Every story needs context. In part one of our two-part series on the Chernobyl disaster, we start at the dawn of the atomic age. Our special guest Nuclear Norm gives us a "nuclear physics for dummies" introduction to the history of nuclear power. Little Boy, Fat Man, uranium, plutonium, and the shocking death of a nuclear physicist in a very non-laboratory accident. Join us as we tee up the events to come in 1986 Soviet Ukraine. Norm's song pick:: Decay by HOME https://open.spotify.com/track/5Xf...
Jan 22, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 38
The pinnacle of endurance motorsport is the 24 hours of Le Mans. In 1955, Mercedez had an excellent shot at taking the crown. Unfortunately, things didn't go to plan for Pierre Levegh, their number two driver. A tale of speed, split-second decisions, and the chemical properties of magnesium. Peter's song pick:: Rampage by Kavinsky https://open.spotify.com/track/2L229dt48Ged4SdbenZrd7 If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a review ! Tell your friends! Tell your enemies too, we're ...
Jan 14, 2020•31 min•Ep. 37
In 1954, the book "I Am Legend" envisioned a future where a sole human survivor struggled against a legion of zombie vampires. Three movies retold this story, "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price, "Omega Man" with Charlton Heston, and "I Am Legend" with Will Smith. A special guest joins us as we discuss these three versions of the End Times. Vampire zombies, lone survivors, underground societies, and a dog. Andy's song pick:: Acolytes by Horrendous https://open.spotify.com/track/3YMHTMRUSe...
Jan 08, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Leigh tells us about a man named Jesus and raised under threat of death, with the graves dug in the basement to prove it. The music was good... at first... but then came the bodily fluids and other excretions. Typically you want the crowd to flock INTO the venue, not out of it. Punk rock, blood, poo, and a bloated corpse. GG Allin. Leigh's song pick:: Bored to Death by GG Allin & The Jabbers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPWI0CMwbfA If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a r...
Dec 31, 2019•34 min•Ep. 35
Ever regretting your choice to travel by air during the holiday season? I bet it doesn't stack up to the passengers on the four aeroplanes waylaid in the Shanghai fog in Christmas 1946. In an age before GPS, where modern guidance meant an AM radio with no redundancies, attempting a landing in heavy fog was harrowing, to say the least. Merry Christmas, never fly! Leigh's song pick:: Vandal by Designer Peter's song pick:: First Breath After Coma by Explosions In The Sky https://open.spotify.com/tr...
Dec 25, 2019•49 min•Ep. 34
What's a decision that you've made that had the worst consequences? Maybe when Pennsylvania enacted laws against burning garbage in landfills, they knew what they were doing? Molly Maguires, abandoned mines, fighting fire with garbage, and the worst kind of eternal flame. Welcome to Centralia, home of fire. Peter's song pick:: Duhicebdo ed varicecag parvabiguf by Keygen Curch https://keygenchurch.bandcamp.com/track/duhicebdo-ed-varicecag-parvabiguf If you like what you hear, please subscribe and...
Dec 17, 2019•22 min•Ep. 33
Christmas came early! In this bonus content companion to "Cosmic Terror (at the End of the Universe)" (Episode 11), our special guest Norm returns to discuss the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Galactic sweet spots, exobiology, little green men, and what makes us so "special". Aliens exist... or do they? Norm's song pick:: Firebeather by Thrice https://open.spotify.com/track/5mUgocO3Ob6fz1n7QYvhL9 If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a review ! Also, tell your friends! Tel...
Dec 11, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 32
Leigh's favorite band has had their ups and downs. Aleister Crowley, the occult, magik, summoning bandmates using the dark arts, and a bassist's unannounced flight to Iceland in anticipation of the nuclear holocaust... basically, par for the course if you're in a band. Forty years of making music together is bound to lead to a story or two... Leigh's song pick:: Requiem by Killing Joke https://open.spotify.com/track/29QxWOqd1z0HynG72mAEqn If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a r...
Dec 03, 2019•30 min•Ep. 31
Our special guest Craig Baird from Canadian History Ehx takes us to World War 1 Halifax, and the largest accidental man-made explosion in history. Canadian listeners have definitely seen the Heritage Minute commercial, but we promise there is 100% more molten rain, tsunamis, shattered glass, and chaos. Nature even gets a blow in. The Heritage Minute commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw-FbwmzPKo Craig's song pick:: (Thursday) Here's Why I Did Not Go to Work Today by Harry Nilsson https:...
Nov 27, 2019•40 min•Season 1Ep. 30
If you're looking to get away... from everything... consider taking a job as a wickie in a lighthouse. Come with us on a journey back to the Great Lighthouse on Pharos near ancient Alexandria, through the history of lighthouses, and finally to a tale of isolation, death, and madness. There ain't nothing small about the Smalls Lighthouse Tragedy. Peter's song pick:: Kiss All The Pretty Skies Goodbye by Rafael Anton Irisarri https://room40.bandcamp.com/track/kiss-all-the-pretty-skies-goodbye If yo...
Nov 19, 2019•22 min•Ep. 29
Early English attempts at colonizing the Americas went real well. Take a journey back to the lost colony of Roanoke, as would-be settlers are greeted with shipwrecks, disease, starvation, and arrows. So many arrows. Forts make friends as the seeds of the United States are planted in the 16th century. Leigh's song pick:: Bending Light by Neurosis https://neurosis.bandcamp.com/track/bending-light Peter's song pick:: A Nation of Immigrants by Wayfarer https://wayfarercolorado.bandcamp.com/track/a-n...
Nov 13, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 28
In 1977, Dave Sim created a new kind of comic book anti-hero: a three-foot-tall, bipedal, anthropomorphic aardvark. Over the course of 300 issues and thirty years, this hero would travel to the moon, become the pope, and spend about a decade in a bar... and then it got weirder. Ladies and gentlemen, the one, the only... Cerebus the Aardvark. Leigh's song pick:: Fracture by King Crimson https://open.spotify.com/track/5ipS4tCSxn0z7NL6To7umt?si=qxNjaJFlQ8W28l4nDDG4ew If you like what you hear, plea...
Nov 05, 2019•46 min•Ep. 27
Templar curses, corpse-eating pigs, and waking up to a house full of death. We rejoin our Genoese heroes as they flee Caffa for the safety of home... coughing blood all the way. Their twelve galleys lit the fires that would consume 14th century Europe, resulting in a staggering death toll. It's amazing what a bacterium can do with the help of rodents and a filthy continent. Yersinia pestis: The Little Bug That Could. Leigh's song pick:: The Hum by Killing Joke https://open.spotify.com/track/3nj8...
Oct 30, 2019•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 26
The path to any great success is paved in failure... it's about what you do in the face of that failure. In the 1960s, NASA was pushing to win the race to the moon. Their efforts were nearly derailed when tragedy struck Apollo One and her crew. Going from the first flight to the first man on the moon in the space of 60 years was bound to be a challenge... Peter's song pick:: Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield https://open.spotify.com/track/6ek9SiEj5a65WIs2EV7qiM If you like what you hear...
Oct 22, 2019•30 min•Ep. 25
Every story starts somewhere. In the case of the Black Death it starts with Mongol hordes, smug Italians, diseased rodents, and the misery of 14th century Europe. All of that before we even get to the star of these episodes, the one and only, the Great Mortality. Leigh's song pick:: Dead by Khanate https://khanate.bandcamp.com/track/dead Peter's song pick:: Crone by Portal https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/track/crone If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a review ! Also, ...
Oct 16, 2019•57 min•Ep. 24
In the 80s and 90s, our youth were being corrupted by Satan and his apostles: heavy metal, Prince, and Madonna. In this week's (not-so)mini episode, Leigh tells us all about the Satanic Panic that gripped suburban America, and the totally proportional responses taken by Tipper Gore and her riders of the music-pocalypse. Leigh's song pick:: We Come From the One by Sabbath Assembly https://sabbathassembly.bandcamp.com/track/we-come-from-the-one If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave...
Oct 08, 2019•53 min•Ep. 23
When your empire dates back six thousand years, odds are it's been through a lot. Still, history didn't prepare the population of Egypt in the beginning of the 13th century when the Nile, their lifesource, failed them. Twice. What happens when you run out of grain to eat? What happens when you run out of animals... Leigh's song pick:: Invisible Osiris by Robedoor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ZWquariZo Peter's song pick:: The Purging (Album) by Terra Tenebrosa https://auroraborealisrecording...
Oct 02, 2019•47 min•Ep. 22
The Oxford Comma: either you love it, or you're wrong. In this week's mini episode, Peter tells the story of the comma's colorful legal history. Don't worry... if you're just here for the disasters, there's at least one death. Peter's song pick:: Don't Stop Me Now by Queen https://open.spotify.com/track/7hQJA50XrCWABAu5v6QZ4i?si=gN8iVgJMSxiPfAqzKvwC9Q If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a review ! Tell your friends! Tell your enemies too, we're not picky. Instagram / Twitter / ...
Sep 24, 2019•23 min•Ep. 21
