Left of Skeptic

Happy Spooky Wednesday, folks! We're wrapping up 2025 True Crime January with Jack the Ripper, one of the biggest unknowns in the genre. And we've got a special guest joining us for the occasion: Sean Moria! That's right, Kala's husband hopped in the studio to discuss the unidentified serial killer who terrorized the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. Considered one of the gre...

Happy Spooky Wednesday! We're continuing our True Crime January with the location known as Fox Hollow Farm, formerly owned by the infamous serial killer Herb Baumeister. Baumeister, despite appearing to be an average family-minded businessman, murdered several men and disposed of their bodies right in the yard where his children played. When it seemed he was going to be caught, he left and too...

Happy Spooky Wednesday! We’re in our third week of True Crime January, and we’re covering the Los Feliz Murder House. In 1959, a doctor murdered his wife, attacked his child, and then took his own life. And the house has been cursed ever since! Or has it? Decades of the home sitting seemingly unused has led to urban legends and ghost stories. But is there any truth behind these tales? Or is it jus...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, everyone! For our second week of True Crime January, we are covering one of the most infamous murder cases in United States history. The Borden Murders of 1892 resulted in the notorious trial of Lizzie Borden. Even though she was acquitted of the crimes, a nursery rhyme asserting that she killed her father and stepmother followed her for the rest of her life and decades aft...

Happy Spook Wednesday, everyone! And Happy True Crime January! This week, we are talking about The Cecil Hotel, which has... let's say... not the best history when it comes to the folks who have stayed there. But is it HAUNTED? A certain ghost TV show host by the name of Bagans-Liar-Liar-Pants-On-Fire certainly thinks it is, but let's see what Kala has to say about it. Editor's Note: The John Cusa...

Happy Spooky Holiday Wednesday, dear friends! We’ve got a Christmas spectacular for you this year! Kala talks about Mari Lwyd. This is essentially a creepy hobby horse used for drunken caroling. It’s every ex goth kid’s Christmas dream! Then Brittany tells the tale of Père Fouettard. This French Anti-Santa travels along with Old Saint Nick punishing naughty children. He basically looks like Santa,...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, everyone! We’ve got some classic Brittany and Kala stories for you this week! First, Kala brings on the ghostly transportation! The Phantom Train of Marshall Pass in Colorado hasn’t been seen in over 100 years, but it’s one spooky story you don’t want to miss. And the Silver Train of Stockholm may be more weird than scary, but it’s definitely interesting. Then Brittany does...

Happy Spooky Wednesday! We’re starting out this week with a listener request about a very interesting museum: The Iceland Phallological Museum. You read that right. It’s a museum all about penises. One exhibit focuses on the “units” of different cryptids and folklore creatures. Now our question isn’t, “Are these creatures real?” Our question has become, “Are these weenies real?” And Brittany talks...

Happy Spooky Wednesday! We are celebrating our 200th episode this week with special guests Kara Babcock and Stephanie Chow of  Prophecy Girls: A Buffy Rewatch Podcast ! In case you missed it, they joined us for our 100th episode, where we talked all about vampires. What goes best with vampires? Werewolves. These shapeshifting creatures look human by day, but on the nights where a full moon shines,...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, folks! We're going classic this week with a haunted university and hospital. Kala talks about the University of Portland in Oregon, which has several spooky locations on campus. If you head to the oldest building, you might run into the teenage ghost who drowned in the river. If performing arts are more your thing, you may run into the specter of a young girl who likes to h...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, dears! We’ve got extraterrestrials and the Wild Wild West for you this week. Kala talks about former United States President Jimmy Carter’s UFO experience, as well as the stories from past US presidents. Is the government really hiding something? If so, they don’t seem to be hiding it very well. Then Brittany covers Big Nose Kate’s Saloon in Tombstone, Arizona. Neither host...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, everyone! This week we’ve got two stories that will leave you wondering, "Are humans cursed or blessed?" Kala starts by discussing Anthropodermic bibliopegy—the practice of binding books in human skin. At its peak during the Victorian era, many of these volumes still exist in museums, colleges, and private collections today. How to handle these books, though, has been a mat...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, sweet listeners! This week, we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming with two salty little tales. Kala talks about The Saltair near Salt Lake City in Utah. This concert venue has been rebuilt twice after the previous buildings were destroyed by fire and dilapidation. Oddly enough the ghosts seem to be the result of its more recent life, and not the spirits of the b...

Content warning: Kala’s story this week includes some discussion of suicide. If you wish to skip this topic, jump to Brittany’s story at 42:08. Happy Spooky Wednesday and HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE! It's our final week of Urban Legends October, and we have two stories to get you into the holiday mood. First, Kala talks about Lavender Town Syndrome. According to urban legend, this level in the first...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, dear listeners! We’ve got a treat for you! The return of special guest, Adam Herman! He joins us for Spooky Game week of Urban Legends October, where we discuss The Midnight Game. While other cursed games we’ve talked about in the past have various rewards, this game only has one prize if you win: your life. Which has us all wondering why you’d ever play in the first place?...

Happy Spooky Wednesday! We are at the midpoint of our 4th Urban Legends October, and we have some creepypastas sure to keep you up at night! Unless you’re like us, these stories will help you sleep like a baby. First up, Kala talks about the internet legend known as Eyeless Jack. This creature in a hoodie, mask, and deep voids for eyes is coming to steal your internal organs! While the original cr...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, ghouls and zombies! We are in our second week of Urban Legends October and this week we are featuring legends from Scotland! First up, Kala talks about the myths known as Selkies and Kelpies. They are both shapeshifting creatures known for haunting the waters, but have very different temperaments. While stories of the Selkies portray them as sweet creatures who encounter tr...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, and Happy Urban Legends October, everyone! We’ve got two stories that are perfect for putting you in the mood for the Halloween season. Kala tells the tale of Stingy Jack, the origin story for Jack O’ Lanterns. When Jack ticked off the Devil by tricking him one too many times, he was forced to wander the afterlife for eternity, never entering Heaven or Hell, with only the l...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, everyone! We have an iconic episode this week, because we’re covering two absolute icons. First up, Kala talks about Joan Crawford, who may have been haunted and/or haunted others. There is no denying her impact in Hollywood, but has she remained past her death? When her estranged daughter’s classic movie “Mommie Dearest” was filmed, the set was plagued with strange activit...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, Folks! Kala’s got two locations for you this week, which are often discussed at the same time. The Tennessee State Prison and the Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary are located about an hour and a half away from each other, and both are plagued by paranormal activity brought on by years of overcrowding, violence, and general ill-treatment. While the TSP was basically demoli...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, friends! We went a bit off the rails this week, so prepare for a giggle. First up, Kala discusses The Mammoth Cave system in Kentucky. Mummies, ghosts, and getting lost in deep dark caves. It’s straight up out of a horror film. And Brittany tells us all about Gef the talking mongoose… which is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds. For years, a family lived with this spirit in...

Happy Spooky Wednesday! As summer fades and fall peeks it’s head around the corner, we’re always keeping it creepy here. First Kala discusses the cryptid known as the Chupacabra. A fairly new creature by most cryptid standards, this weird animal escapes any common description. Is it a coyote with glowing red eyes? Is it a kangaroo with bat like wings? The only thing people can seem to agree on is...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, everyone! We are getting close to the end of summer, so we've got some stories this week that just scream "vacation time". First up, Kala talks about Captain Tony's Saloon in Key West, Florida. This bar features tropical drinks, an 'old school Key West' atmosphere, a hanging tree growing inside, some gravestones, bras on the ceiling, and ghosts! Wh...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, dear listeners! We’ve got two Midwest stories this week all inspired my music… kinda. First Kala talks about a location in the hometown of one of her favorite bands Hawthorne Heights: Dayton, Ohio! The Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is a massive, old cemetery filled with gorgeous trees, beautiful structures, amazing mausoleums, and ghosts! Will you see the little girl in t...

Happy Spooky Wednesday, everyone! It's Brittany's Birthday Spooky Spectacular! The birthday girl starts us off with the tale of the Goat Man of Prince George's County. This half-goat, half-man creature has been well known in Maryland since the 1970s. With an appetite for puppies and humans alike, this is definitely not a cryptid you want to stumble upon. And then as a present for Britt...