Don't Look Now

Stockholm syndrome is a phrase that gets used when people discuss traumatic situations like kidnappings or hostage situations.  What is Stockholm Syndrome?  Where did the name come from?  Does it have an opposite?  Discuss all of the above on this week's episode.

Mary Mallon was an Irish born cook in early 20th century New York.  She was the first know case of a healthy, non-symptomatic carrier of Typhoid in the United States and has since become known far and wide as Typhoid Mary.  What hides behind the trope is a story that begs the question of just how much authority should public health officials have when it comes to forcible quarantine and detention....

We discuss a couple of interesting animals, the cupacabra, famed goatsucker of Puerto Rico and Texas.  Is it an alien creature that sucks the blood of farm animals... or ugly coyotes.  I bet you can guess which is more likely.  We also discuss animals of the feline variety, the Ray Cat, genetically created to keep us safe from stored radioactive waste tens of thousands of years in the future.

The Winchester Mansion, built more or less continuously by Sarah Winchester from 1886-1922 is a huge sprawling complex with with 40 bedrooms, 47 fire places, and quite a bit of surrounding mystery.  With no master plan the house has strange dead ends, doors that open onto nothing, and stairways that go nowhere.  It also is rumored to be filled with the spirits of those killed by the Winchester fam...

We discuss Marie Laveau, the famed voodoo queen of New Orleans.  From her beginnings as devoutly catholic hairdresser she rose to become an renowned herbalist, nurse, and of course practitioner of Voodoo.  How much of the talk about her status of Voodoo queen is true, and why is her grave even more visited today than that of Elvis Presley?  Tune in and find out.

The Chinchorro culture of South America created the world's first man made mummies roughly 7000 years ago, or 2000 years before the Egyptians.  Listen in and find out about these ancient mummies, how and why they were made, and what is threatening their continued existence today.

We discuss traditions and lore concerning ghosts from cultures around the world.  Listen in and find out about similarities shared in common (like "The Lady in White" and bad things happening at crossroads) and fascinating differences.

Often called America's first family of serial killers, the Bender family lived on the prairie of  Kansas, not far from the famed site of "The Little House on the Prairie".  However, their story is a bit more macabre than that of Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Were the Benders indeed the blood thirsty band of depraved killers that they have been made out to be, or were they just scapegoated...

Henry Plummer was an erstwhile Baker/Sheriff/Outlaw/US Marshall that ranged throughout the western US in the 1860s committing felonies or preventing them (depending on who's account you listen to).  His treasure trove of ill-gotten gains is said to still be hidden somewhere in the American west with people still searching for it today.

We discuss the origins and meaning behind Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby and other tales passed down from enslaved peoples in the Americas and collected (and altered) in the Uncle Remus tales by Joel Chandler Harris.

We discuss Ambergris, an oily stone like substance that washes up on beaches and is worth an insane amount of money.  We discuss it's rather disgusting source and the world wide market that exists for this rare commodity.

Tune in and find out the history behind Reese's Peanut Butter cups and ET's favorite candy, Reese's Pieces.  They are both older than many think...

We discuss that strange period in the 80s and early 90s when fears of satanic cults spread across America.  Tales of ritual cult abuse and satanic cults involved in murders with their influence spread by heavy metal music and involvement in Dungeons and Dragons were prevalent everywhere.  Learn where the panic started and how it has transformed over time into a common conspiracy theory of today.

We discuss how magic was seen and "used" in medieval times before it was commonly seen as evil in western society.  

We discuss the seven canonical wonders of the ancient world: The Pyramids of Giza, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Light House of Alexandria, Colossus of Rhodes, and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.  Were they all historically factual sites?  What remains of them today?  Answers in the podcast.

We discuss Genghis Khan, the first great ruler of the Mongol Empire and conqueror of most of the known world at the time.  Was the formation of the empire a generally good thing that brought about a peace similar to the Pax Romana or was it a horrible blood letting that resulted in the deaths of millions?  The answer is a bit of both.

The story of William Morgan, the man who threatened to expose the secrets of the Freemasons and disappeared under very suspicious circumstances in 1826.  His disappearance and presumed murder lead to a major anti-mason backlash movement in the United States.

We discuss the famous Lewis and Clark expedition to map and explore the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase in 1803=06.

On December 16th 1773, colonists in Boston boarded ships at Griffin's wharf and proceeded to dump the cargo of tea into Boston Harbor.  This act, The Boston Tea Party, has become an American cultural touchstone.  We discuss the events leading up to the Tea Party and the event itself in our podcast.

We discuss the story behind The Whistleblower.  Kathryn Bolkovac, a former policewoman, uncovered the involvement of UN peacekeepers in the sex trafficking and exploitation of women in Bosnia in the 90s.  When she raised the alarm within the UN she was ignored and fired. 

We discuss the phenomenon of the Cargo Cult, a brand of apocalyptic cult that sprang up in indigenous societies that were suddenly exposed to industrial cultures during the Pacific campaign of World War II.  

In December 1978 over $5 million dollars in cash was stolen from Lufthansa at JFK airport.  The crime has gone nominally unsolved, with one primary suspect, Jimmy Burke, who was never arrested for the heist.  Burke and his associates are the subject of the hit film Goodfellas. 

It is thought that Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was inspired by the real life Deacon Brodie, a prominent citizen of Edinburgh that happened to be a burglar and inveterate gambler on the DL.

We discuss the AIDS epidemic and the creation of the largest piece of folk art in the world, the AIDS memorial quilt.

We discuss the history, lore, and possible present whereabouts of the Lost Ark of the Covenant.  Indiana Jones references might or might not be added.