Doomed to Fail

Join us as Farz starts a terrifying journey into engineering disasters. Starting with the 1981 collapse of the Skywalk at the Kansas City Hyatt. During an evening dance in the lobby on July 17, two suspended walkways collapsed onto each other. One hundred fourteen people lost their lives, soaking the lobby in blood and becoming the worst structural disaster in the US until 9/11. What went so wrong...

Join us on a trip to a time before Alex Murdaugh was convicted of killing his wife and son - when we were just talking about his arrest and the horrible things he was accused of doing. We dig into this truly Southern Gothic tale - we imagine there are cicadas in the air, the humidity is hazy, and everyone is pretending to be nice but probably wants to murder you. Dramatically. Today's re-release i...

Webster's Dictionary defines a 'Maniac' as "a person who behaves in a wildly foolish, reckless, or dangerous manner." And boy, do we have a story about some maniacs for you! In 2007, in Ukraine's 4th largest city, three young men went on the fastest murder spree we've ever heard of. Apparently, it's possible to see one of their murders that they filmed, "Three Guys - One Hammer," but we haven't se...

We're back on Volcanoes! Join us for the 1902 eruption of Mt. Pelée on the Caribbean Island of Martinique. An "important" mayoral election is scheduled in St. Pierre ("The Paris of the West Indies") for May 11th, and the Government wants it to go off without a hitch. Unfortunately, Mt. Pelée has other ideas. Starting on April 23rd, ash starts falling from the sky. Over the next few days, boiling m...

We are re-releasing the story of Anne Boleyn and her husband, King Henry VIII. Anne didn't 'give' Henry a boy heir (like you can control that), and the Catholic Church wouldn't let them divorce. Instead of I don't know - keeping trying, or buying a boy baby from someone -- Henry decides to destroy his relationship with the Catholic Church, create the Church of England, accuse Anne of having an aff...

Today, we travel to the Northwest Passage - a route from Europe OVER Canada and on to Asia (and all the spices that come with that). Many tried and failed, but the most spectacular and haunting failure is that of the HMSs Terror and Erebus. The ships set sail in 1845 and were never seen again. From what we know, the crews were sick from scurvy, lead poisoning, and from being stuck in the ice for a...

Today in True Crime we head to Russia for the story of Alexander Pichushkin - The Chess Board Killer. No, he didn't just kill Knights and Rooks - instead, he attacked the most vulnerable people in post-Soviet Union Russia and tried to fill his chess board by killing 64 people. Before he was finally caught he got pretty damn close. We love Russian History so it tracks that we would also find a grea...

Today we re-visit Taylor's favorite love story. The doomed romantic relationship of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and the "#1 Girl Reporter in the Country" assigned to her, Lorena Hickok. Eleanor Roosevelt and FDR were a complicated couple who were perfect for each other in many ways. But, after five children, Eleanor discovered FDR's affair with a secretary - she offered divorce but ended up stayi...

Farz takes us to a small town in Iowa in 1912 when a family is murdered in the night. The usual suspects are rounded up, and some are tried, but the murders remain a mystery over 100 years later. Is it someone who jumped on a train never to be heard from again? A jealous business rival? A pervy preacher? Let us know what you think!   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doomedtofailpod/   Facebook...

We're staying spooky with one of the most Haunted Houses in America, San Jose's Winchester Mystery House! Taylor tries her best to spin a scary story -- but, of course, she totally doesn't believe in ghosts and also would never do a seance, probably. It's complicated. We also talk about the history of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Sarah Winchester herself. Pics via the Creative Commons...

Today, we are re-releasing the horrible story of the the murder of Kelly Anne Bates - We want to deliver all the warnings - Kelly Anne was a child, and she was murdered in a way that is just unimaginable. If you are angry after this episode, you 100% should be; it's a crime across the pond that rocked Manchester to its core. If you or someone you know needs help in a domestic violence situation -...

It's October, and we loooove Ghost Ships!! We're covering the most famous mystery of the high seas - the Mary Celeste. In 1872, the 100ft Brigantine (which means it was double-masted) was found floating in the open seas, the cargo was still there, and the ship wasn't sinking, but nobody was on board. The 10 people (including a 2-year-old) that had left NY for Genoa, Italy were never seen again. Th...

We're in Government Shutdown mode, reminiscing about the 90s when the Clinton Government shut down. When paid employees can't work, guess who can?! Unpaid interns. It's a wild ride that includes Newt Gingrich getting ostracized off of Air Force One, The Clintons in a potentially shady land deal, office gossip, and an impeachment trial. We also encourage you to google "Public Shaming: Last Week Ton...

Join us for this classic re-release - the murder of the Todt family in Celebration, Florida. Listen, We think Disney adults are weird, and we don't feel bad about that. You're especially weird if you want to live in Celebration. Anthony Todt (also BTW Todt means 'dead' in German, which they weren't allowed to mention at the trial) murdered his family in a house he had stopped paying rent on - and...

We're going down to Australia to check in on the child killers John and Sarah Makin. The Makins ran a 'Baby Farm', which sounds charming but is not even close. These two would procure a baby, and then... well you'll just have to learn more about the procurement and the bad things in the episode! Make sure to share and tell a friend! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doomedtofailpod/   Facebook:...

Today, we are geologists! Join us for Volcanoes Part 4 - Krakatoa! Krakatoa was the first global disaster where the globe knew what was happening - erupting in 1883, telegraphs and undersea cables brought the news to the entire planet faster than previously imagined possible. Thousands died in the pumice, the fires, and most of all, the Tsunamis that ravaged the islands while the world waited for...

Today, we re-visit the story of Pocahontas - and we mention the predator John Smith, who acted like they were lovers to get attention and fame, which is gross because she was literally a child. Eventually, after being kidnapped and baptized (related events), Pocahontas marries another white dude named John and dies in smokey ol' England at a very young age. It's not a fairy tale - but she seems pr...

Back to basics with the doomed relationship of Marie Antoinette and King Louis the XVI of France! Our dear Marie was just a child when she was shipped to France to marry the future king. It takes a long time for her to have a baby, so she has an excellent time in the meantime. There are many diamonds, chateaus, literal big-wigs, gambling, operas, and even a pretend French village. All on the groun...

We're kicking things off with a glass of Chianti and the story of German cannibal Armin Meiwes - you can find anything on the internet these days - and even in the early days, you could find someone to eat and/or find someone to eat you. There's a lot of weird stuff out there, we're glad you're here with us and not being eaten by a software engineer.   Image via the NY Sun & AI   Instagram: https:...

Emperor Nero and his wife Poppaea had a wild ride that involved the entire city of Rome burning, join us for this week's re-release! Step into the tumultuous world of ancient Rome with our podcast 'Nero: The Fiddling Tyrant.' Join us as we unravel the captivating and controversial life of Emperor Nero, known for his extravagant excesses, artistic pursuits, and ruthless rule. Explore the scandals,...

Next, Farz takes us on a journey through the fight for LGBTQ+ rights - people who have always existed but not always been able to tell their truth publically. Unsurprisingly, American prude Senator Joseph McCarthy, and his team were behind this 'purple herring' where they pushed people out of government for being 'unfit.' We wish we could say things are 100% fixed since then, but alas, we still ha...

Join us for the story of the Passenger Pigeon - America’s most prolific bird that flocked in the billions until we discovered they were easy to kill and also delicious.  Within 100 years, they went from blocking out the sun with their flocks to being totally extinct.  Learn their history and the possibility of their future with de-extinction technology.  Listener poll: Should we bring back dinosau...

Today, Taylor interviews author Marcos Antonio Hernandez, the author of "Where They Burn Books, They Also Burn People," - which was the main inspiration for our episode on Friar Diego de Landa and the destruction of the Mayan culture. We talk about his writing process and inspiration, how we deal with not knowing all of human history, and what the future might look like when people look back on us...

Welcome to the third part of our series on volcanoes. In 1815, Mt. Tambora, located in Indonesia, erupted, causing a significant drop in global temperatures. This event had far-reaching consequences that affected people all over the world. Join us as we delve into the fascinating stories of Mary Shelley, Thomas Jefferson, John Smith, and others who lived through the consequences of this event, kno...

Get ready to buckle up for an exhilarating journey as Farz plunges headfirst into the thrilling turbulence of the 2008 financial crisis! Picture this: it was a surreal era to be alive, where fortunes were made and dreams were shattered, all against the backdrop of a rollercoaster housing market. We're delving deep into the heart of the matter, exploring the riveting world of interest rates and the...