Episodes
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Sometimes, we all need a vacation! For us, that meant being together in person for the first time in two years and chatting about our favorite weird topics.
In this episode, Katie and Hailee are bewitched by the legend that is Reesa Teesa, the absurdity of medieval animals on trial, and the Dave Matthews Band tour bus incident. Plus, we share some of our favorite feel-good books and media for self-care when our mental health is on the rocks.
Staff picks (available in our bookshop!)
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller
The Late Bloomers' Club by Louise Miller
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
Anything by Jenny Colgan
Heartstopper (graphic novel by Alice Oseman and TV series on Netflix)
Ted Lasso on Apple TV +
Derry Girls on Netflix
Sources:
Who TF Did I Marry Summary
'Who TF Did I Marry': How Reesa Teesa's viral story on ex-husband turned into online fame
TikTok Villain Legion Speaks
"Who TF Did I Marry?" Husband Jerome McCoy’s Ex-Wife Speaks
BMW Blasted for Seemingly Going Back on Their Promise to Gift ‘Who TF Did I Marry’ TikToker Reesa Teesa Her Dream Car
Who TF Is Reesa Teesa Now?
Reesa Teesa on TikTok Fame and What's Next
19 years ago today, a Dave Matthews Band tour bus dumped human waste on a tour boat in the Chicago River.
15 years after the Dave Matthews Band let loose over the Chicago River, we survey the damages and uncover a new victim
Brilliant bridge sign is an important reminder of Dave Matthews Band’s infamous poop dump.
A Plaque Appeared On The Kinzie Street Bridge This Week Dedicated To The Infamous Dave Matthews Band Incident
Prince's Former Tour Bus Driver Explains Why That DNC Bus Dumped SewageSupport the show
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Come on down! You’ve been accused of cheating on The Price is Right!
In this episode, Katie is bewitched by Terry Kneiss’ perfect showcase bid.In 2008, a man named Terry Kneiss had a perfect bid on his showcase. But he was robbed of his celebratory moment when new host Drew Carey and tPIR producers assumed the historical bid was the result of cheating. While Kneiss maintained that his perfect bid was a combination of careful studying and a bit of sheer luck, producers thought he’d been given the winning number from audience member Ted Slauson, a lifelong PIR superfan. The scandal that ensued changed the way the beloved TV game show was played forever.
Recommended Reading:
The Running Man by Stephen King
The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Priceless Memories by Bob Barker
Backstage at The Price is Right: Memoirs of a Barker Beauty by Kathleen Bradley
Game Show Confidential: The Story of an American Obsession by Boze Hadleigh
Documentary film: Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much by CJ Wallis.
Sources:
How one San Antonio man’s obsession with ‘The Price is Right’ almost destroyed the showThis Guy's Victory On "The Price Is Right" Made Them Change Their Entire System - Urbo
15 Showcased Facts About The Price is Right | Mental Floss
The Price Is Right Secrets That Will Leave You Jumping For Joy
15 Showcased Facts About The Price is Right | Mental Floss
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Missing episodes?
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In this episode, Katie is bewitched by the favorite game show of sick children everywhere, The Price is Right.
For over 50 years, The Price is Right has ruled the early-afternoon TV lineup, with millions of viewers tuning in each day to see who will be the next to COME ON DOWN! What is it that makes the Price is Right so endearing? Maybe it’s the long, skinny microphone that looks so fun to hold. Or the games that reward you for remembering the price of Capzasin arthritis cream. Or the endlessly enthusiastic shouting from the audience about the price of said arthritis cream. From Barker’s Beauties to the drama of changing hosts after 35 years, we’re digging into all the behind-the-scenes and on-screen dynamics that have turned the Price is Right into a cultural touchstone.
All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop!Staff picks:
Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness (especially the audiobook!)
Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe (available 8/20/24)
Living for the Dead on Hulu
Sources:
What Made Bob Barker the Perfect Host for 'The Price Is Right' | Arts & Culture| Smithsonian Magazine
Bob Barker: Biography, Game Show Host, The Price Is Right
The Price is Right (1956 – 1965, U.S. Version)
Plinko
Punch a Bunch
Cliff Hangers
This Is Where The Prizes For The Price Is Right Are Actually Stored
Sexual harassment, serial killers & cheaters: The dark side of game shows
Winning The Price Is Right: Strategies for Contestants’ Row, Plinko, and the Showcase Showdown.
Barker's Larry King Interview
Interview with Roger Dobkowitz, Part 4: “Everything You Wanted to Know About Price: The ’90s”Support the show
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In this episode, Hailee explains the quirky and beloved tradition of Groundhog Day in America, from origins in ancient beliefs to a quaint local observance to a nationally recognized phenomenon. We will also explore a few other quirky American traditions, including the Presidential turkey pardon and a unique form of communication in the rural south.
All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop!
Staff picks:
Big by Vashti HarrisonThere Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Jerome and Jeremy PumphriesRecommended reading
Non-Fiction
Weird U.S.: Your Travel Guide to America's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets by Mark Moran and Mark SceurmanFiction
Opposite of Always by Justin A. ReynoldsThe 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart TurtonNeverworld Wake by Marisha PesslSources:
Groundhog Was Once on Punxsutawney’s MenuThe Curious (and Possibly Murderous) Origins of Punxsutawney Phil's NameThe bizarre history of Groundhog DayThe Surprising History Behind Groundhog DayPardoning the Thanksgiving TurkeyHollerin’ History“The Lost Art of Hollerin’”The Rise and Fall of North Carolina’s National Hollerin’ ContestSupport the show
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In this episode, Katie is bewitched by the lives and legacies of Annie Turnbo Malone and Madam CJ Walker.
Many of us are familiar with the story of Madam CJ Walker, often cited as the first self-made Black millionaire, but fewer recognize the name Annie Turnbo Malone. Years before the formula for Walker’s hair treatment came to her in a dream, Malone was dominating the hair care market. It was her Poro Company system that brought Sarah Walker’s hair back to life, inspiring the happy client to join Malone’s sales team before striking out on her own under the moniker Madam CJ Walker. The two entrepreneurs each faced challenges, shattered glass ceilings, and left legacies that improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Black women across the world. We may never know who was the first to reach a million dollars, but there is no doubting that their lasting impacts were each remarkable in their own way.
All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop!
The Family Upstairs and The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell
Staff picks:The most wholesome librarian: Mychal3ts on TikTok
The Black Rose by Tananarive DueCarolina Built by Kianna AlexanderA Right Worthy Woman by Ruth P. JohnsonOn Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam CJ Walker or Self Made by A’Lelia BundlesAll About Madam CJ Walker by A’Lelia BundlesA Friend to All Mankind: Mrs. Annie Turnbo Malone and Poro College by John H. WhitfieldWonderful Hair: The Beauty of Annie Malone written by Eve Nadel Catarevas and illustrated by Felicia MarshallSelf Made miniseries [Netflix]
Recommended reading:Sources:
https://hereshistorypodcast.libsyn.com/tom-turpins-rosebud-cafeAfrican American Inventors-Annie Minerva Turnbo Malone Text- MAY 2021- jackyC
Annie Malone: First African American Millionairess (Educator, Entrepreneur & Philanthropist) -- Courtesy of The Freeman Institute -- www.PoroCollege.comAnnie Turnbo Malone
Meet Annie Turnbo Malone, the hair care entrepreneur Trump shouted out in his Black History Month proclamation
Annie Malone and Madam C.J. Walker: Pioneers of the African American Beauty Industry
Annie Turnbo Malone - SHSMO Historic Missourians
Prices and Wages by Decade: 1900-1909Hair Care Helped a Community: Black Entrepreneur Annie Malone and Poro College | National Trust for Historic Preservation
Fast Facts - ANNIE MALONE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
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This week, we continue the harrowing experiences of the survivors from the Uruguayan Old Christians Rugby Team whose plane crashed in the Andes mountains. The survivors begin attempting expeditions to seek help, though efforts were put on hold after another tragedy: the plane was hit with an avalanche. Eventually, a few of the strongest were able to hike out of the Andes in a rescue expedition. Were they successful?
All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop!
Staff picks:
Salt Houses by Hala Alyan
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land
Recommended reading
Non-Fiction
Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home by Nando Parrado and Vince RauseOut of the Silence: After the Crash by Eduardo Strauch and Mireya SorianoI Had to Survive: How a Plane Crash in the Andes Inspired My Calling to Save Lives by Roberto Canessa and Pablo VierciAlive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul ReadFiction
I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice MarshallBeauty Queens by Libba BrayMedia
Society of Snow (2023)Yellowjackets (Showtime)Sources:
Miracle of the Andes: How Survivors of the Flight Disaster Struggled to Stay AliveAfter the Plane Crash—and the Cannibalism—a Life of HopeStory Of The 1972 Andes Plane Crash In 'Out Of The Silence'70 Days Battling Starvation and Freezing in the Andes: A Chronicle of Man's Unwillingness to DieAfter the AndesHaunted by cannibalism: ‘I will never forget that first incision’The Long Way HomeTHE STORY OF THE ANDES SURVIVORSSurvival: I Will Not Die on This MountainAlive Again: New Findings in the 1972 Andes Plane CrashMiracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home by Nando Parrado and Vince RauseI Had to Survive: How a Plane Crash in the Andes Inspired My Calling to Save Lives by Roberto Canessa and Pablo VierciModern Mummies: The Preservation of the Human Body in the Twentieth Century by Christine QuigleySupport the show
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On October 13, 1972, a chartered Fairchild F-227 carrying 45 people, most rugby players from Uruguay, crashed in the Andes mountains. Of the 45 people on board, 16 survived. The survivors were stranded in the mountains for 72 days, during which time they faced freezing temperatures, life-threatening injuries, an avalanche, and imminent starvation. To save their own lives, the survivors had to make an impossible decision: Should they eat the flesh of their dead friends?
All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop!
Join us again next week for part 2!Sources:
Miracle of the Andes: How Survivors of the Flight Disaster Struggled to Stay AliveAfter the Plane Crash—and the Cannibalism—a Life of HopeStory Of The 1972 Andes Plane Crash In 'Out Of The Silence'70 Days Battling Starvation and Freezing in the Andes: A Chronicle of Man's Unwillingness to DieAfter the AndesHaunted by cannibalism: ‘I will never forget that first incision’The Long Way HomeTHE STORY OF THE ANDES SURVIVORSSurvival: I Will Not Die on This MountainAlive Again: New Findings in the 1972 Andes Plane CrashSociety of the SnowMiracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home by Nando Parrado and Vince RauseI Had to Survive: How a Plane Crash in the Andes Inspired My Calling to Save Lives by Roberto Canessa and Pablo VierciModern Mummies: The Preservation of the Human Body in the Twentieth Century by Christine QuigleySupport the show
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How much would you be willing to pay for a bag of dirt that could rid your body of toxins? How about a personalized vitamin regimen backed by Donald Trump? In this second part of our MLM series, Katie covers the viral sensation of Black Oxygen Organics, an MLM that sold literal dirt to thousands of crunchy moms who were convinced they were healing their families. We also dive into Donald Trump’s relationship with the MLM industry, from his ad placements on The Apprentice to his use of MLM-approved selling tactics in Trump University and beyond. Plus, we have some tips for you on how to turn down MLM sales pitches without ruining friendships and some media and book recommendations for those who want to learn more about this fascinating cult-like phenomenon.
All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop!Recommended reading:
Fiction:
Broke Georgia Goes Multi-Level by Donna Fernandez
Confidence by Rafael Frumkin
Non-fiction:
Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
Other Media:
LulaRich Docuseries [Amazon Prime]
Betting on Zero Documentary [Roku Channel, Tubi, Plex]
On Becoming a God in Central Florida [Showtime]
Life After MLM Podcast hosted by Roberta Blevins
The Dream Podcast hosted by Jane MarieSources:
Episode sourcesSupport the show
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In this episode, Katie is bewitched (more like deeply bothered) by multi-level marketing.
MLMs are synonymous with #bossbabes, promises of easy money, and uncomfortable sales pitches that make it hard to say no. But below the pyramid, er, surface, MLMs are far more insidious. In this first episode of a two-part series, we cover the history of multi-level marketing from its connection to direct selling, the genius of Brownie Wise, and the birth of Amway. We also take a look at the structure of MLMs, including how the promises in glossy onboarding pamphlets play out in actual income, what the top tier folks are really selling, and why it’s so easy to get caught up - and then trapped- in the MLM world. Finally, we’ll put it all together with a look at the horror story that is LulaRoe, an MLM leggings company that made billions in profits before they lost the trust of their consultants and customers with moldy clothing, pressure to lose weight, and financial manipulation.Staff picks:
Katie: The Free People’s Village by Sim Kern
Hailee: Scamanda [Lionsgate Sound, hosted by Charlie Webster]
Sources:
The Tools Cult: History of the Amway Motivational Tape Scam
All other sourcesSupport the show
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In this previously- Patreon-only episode, Katie is bewitched by the psychic megastar Sylvia Browne.
What's worse than a bogus psychic hotline charging people hundreds of dollars for mediocre advice? How about a TV psychic that predicts the death of children?In the early 2000s, Browne was a daytime TV darling and was charging up to $700 for a half-hour psychic reading. One of her signature moves was to predict the fate of missing persons, often incorrectly. In 2004, she told the mother of Amanda Berry that her daughter was dead. Sylvia's prediction would have intensely harmful effects on the investigation and the victim's family.
Sources:
All That's Interesting: Sylvia Browne
Sylvia Browne Wikipedia page
Ariel Castro Wikipedia page
Psychic Who Said Amanda Berry Was Dead Silent After Berry Is Found Alive
Sylvia Browne: Is She For Real?
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In this previously-Patreon-only episode, Hailee is bewitched by the List family Murders.
If you have listened to our episode on The Watcher, you will know that those creepy letters the Broaddus family received were hardly the only terrible thing to happen in the town of Westfield. Here is a brief overview of the List Family murders, which took place in Westfield, NJ, in 1971.Support the show
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In this previously-Patreon-only episode, Katie shares the story behind the African Cemetery located at Higgs Beach in Key West.
In 1860, three slave ships were intercepted en route to Cuba and diverted to Key West. While most of the African refugees onboard were eventually transported to Liberia, 295 died in Key West. Their graves now comprise the only known cemetery in the U.S. of African refugees during the international slave trade.
Lincoln's Evolving Thoughts On Slavery, And Freedom: NPRThe American Colonization Society - White House Historical AssociationHow a Movement to Send Formerly Enslaved People to Africa Created Liberia The African American Experience at Fort Jefferson, 1847-1876Slavery at Fort Taylor & Fort JeffersonAfricans in America/Part 1/The Slave DeckThe Slave-Trade: The New York TimesFloridian Businessman, Politician, MarshalBurial Ground Marks Slave Rescue Effort - The Washington PostMore AFRICAN CEMETERY 1860 | MelFisher.orgAfrican Cemetery at Higgs Beach
Sources:Support the show
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In this very special season 4 spooktacular, we are bewitched by haunted houses and the Nazi-fighting New Forest Coven.
It took less than a hundred years for haunted houses to go from a vague spooky story concept to a half-billion-dollar yearly industry inextricably linked to the Halloween season. Katie explains the humble Great Depression-era origins of the haunted house, why they always seem to be Victorian-style mansions, and how the neighborhood haunts evolved into modern massive money-makers.
In one of the most unique World War II stories we've featured, Hailee introduces us to the New Forest Coven, a group of Wiccans who decided to take on Hitler and his Nazi war machine. On August 1, 1940, the coven met near midnight in a forest clearing to create a Cone of Power aimed at Hitler's brain to change his plans of invading Britain. Did it work? We'll let you decide.
All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop!
Staff picks:
The Great Halloween Fright Fight on ABC (TV show)
The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
Recommended reads:
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
Within These Walls by Ania Ahlborn
The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike
The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero
Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones
The Grip of It by Jac Jemc
The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich
Sources:
The Great Depression Origins of Halloween Haunted Houses
A Brief History of the Haunted House
Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween
How Victorian Mansions Became the Default Haunted House
Why the Grand Guignol Was So Shocking
Historical Halloween Pranks
McLean County Jaycees Architects of Haunted House Concept
Knock-Knock-Knocking on Hell's Door
The Science of a Good Scare
The Architecture of Fear
An ‘extreme’ haunted house requires a 40-page waiver
The Coven of Witches That Fought the Nazis During World War II
Operation Cone of Power: When British Witches Attacked Adolf HitlerSupport the show
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This week, Hailee continues to be bewitched by the strange case of Patricia Hearst! Patty has been held captive by a small radical political group called the Symbionese Liberation Army for over two months when she shocks the world with an announcement: she has changed her name to Tania and is joining her "brothers and sisters in the SLA.
This is our last episode of season three! Thank you so much for being a patron of our show! We absolutely will be back, and will be posting some patron exclusive content during our break.
As Michale Scott would say, we will catch you on the flipity flop!
Staff Picks
The Villa by Rachel HawkinsThe Last of the Moon Girls by Barbara DavisRecommendations
Media
The Radical Story of Patty Hearst - CNNPatty Has a Gun: The Life and Crimes of Patty HearstNon-Fiction
American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffery ToobinRescuing Patty Hearst: Growing Up Sane in a World Gone Mad by Virginia HolmanEvery Secret Thing by Patricia Hearst with Alvin MoscowFiction
Trance by Christopher SorrentinoThe Stand by Stephen KingIf you are interested in any of the books we talk about in this episode, please consider purchasing them through our affiliate link with Bookshop.org.
Sources
Patty HearstWhose Side Was She On? 'American Heiress' Revisits Patty Hearst's KidnappingRadically differentSocial Science and Coercion as a Defense in Kidnapping Cases Patricia Hearst: Kidnap Victim to Criminal?The Rise and Fall of the Symbionese Liberation ArmyAPRIL 3, 1974Patty Hearst Trial (1976)Support the show
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Patty Hearst - Early Access!
In this episode, Hailee is bewitched by Patty Hearst. The nineteen year old granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst, the powerful newspaper publisher who owned a media conglomerate, was living a mostly normal life, engaged to be married, attending classes at UC Berkley. But everything changed when she was kidnapped by a radical political group who called themselves the Symbionese Liberation Army. In this episode, learn about the life of Patricia Hearst before the kidnapping, the details of that terrible night in February of 1974, and the demands the SLA gave the Hearst’s for Patricia’s release.
Staff Picks
The Villa by Rachel HawkinsThe Last of the Moon Girls by Barbara DavisSources
Patty HearstWhose Side Was She On? 'American Heiress' Revisits Patty Hearst's KidnappingRadically differentSocial Science and Coercion as a Defense in Kidnapping Cases Patricia Hearst: Kidnap Victim to Criminal?The Rise and Fall of the Symbionese Liberation ArmyAPRIL 3, 1974Patty Hearst Trial (1976)Support the show
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This week, Katie concludes the unbelievable tale of James Strang, the Mormon king of Beaver Island.
After crowning himself as king, Strang lands himself a seat in the Michigan legislature, survives a public trial, and finds new messages from God inscribed on brass plates buried on Beaver Island. But his Strangite followers question his new decree that polygamy is just and faithful and grow weary of his ever-tightening control over all aspects of their life. When Strang begins inflicting cruel punishment on those who break his rules, a group of men begins to wonder if their prophet has gone mad with power and decides on his assassination, possibly with the help of the government.
Recommended reading:
Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett
Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
Non-fiction:
The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch by Miles Harvey
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer:
Paradise Now: The Story of American Utopianism by Chris Jennings
Soul City: Race, Equality, and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia by Thomas Healy
Sources:
The King of Confidence by Miles Harvey
James J. Strang Papers Collection
The Coronation of James J. Strang and the Making of Beaver Island Mormonism
Anti-Mormon Violence
The Book of Mormon summary
The Strangite Church
Beaver Island Historical Society
Strang’s Letter of Appointment from Joseph Smith
Some of Strang’s news articles
Support the show
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Did you know there was once an American monarch who ruled over an island in Lake Michigan?
This week, Katie is bewitched by the story of James Strang, the Mormon King of Beaver Island. In the first episode of this two-part series, we meet a confidence man who leaves a trail of fraud in his wake before claiming to be the next prophet and church leader following Joseph Smith’s death. While Brigham Young convinced most Mormons in the Midwest to follow him to Utah, James Strang established his own sect of the church on a small, wooded island in the Great Lakes. Strang employs the help of a handful of other very questionable characters, including a fake doctor and an actor whose stench was more memorable than his performances. Still, his plan to establish a Mormon nation reaches its peak when Strang is crowned ‘King’ in a coronation that is equal parts hilarious and horrific. It’s a story rife with antebellum restlessness, deception, unwavering faith, and murder.
Staff picks:
Jury Duty on Freevee (Amazon Prime)
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones & the Six TV series (Amazon Prime)
Sources:
The King of Confidence by Miles HarveyJames J. Strang Papers Collection
The Coronation of James J. Strang and the Making of Beaver Island Mormonism
Anti-Mormon Violence
The Book of Mormon summary
The Strangite Church
Beaver Island Historical Society
Strang’s Letter of Appointment from Joseph Smith
Some of Strang’s news articles
Support the show
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In Part Two of the Bly Balloon Bomb Tragedy, we learn about the manufacturing of the Japanese Balloon Bombs by young Japanese schoolgirls in terrible working conditions. We also learn about the terrible loyalty questionnaire given to incarcerated Japanese Americans, which, when answered “incorrectly” sent hundreds of families to a maximum security incarceration camp. And, we will learn about the only civilian casualties on mainland American soil during the war.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van PeltPeace is a Chain Reaction by Tanya Lee Stone
Staff Picks
On Paper Wings
Recommendations
MoviesNon-Fiction
Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration by Elizabeth Patridge Fu-go: The Curious History of Japan's Balloon Bomb Attack on America by Ross CoenThey Called Us Enemy by George TakeiFiction
We Are Not Freeby Traci CheeBeneath the Wide Silk Sky by Emily Inouye HueyWhen the Emperor Was Divine by Julie OtsukaLove in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-HallDisplacement by Kiku HugesIf you are interested in any of the books we talk about in this episode, please consider purchasing them through our affiliate link with Bookshop.org.
SourcesBombs Fall on Oregon: Japanese Attacks on the StateMitchell MonumentBeware Of Japanese Balloon BombsOn Paper Wings - DocumentaryFrom Engagement to PeacePearl Harbor, History.orgJapanese-American Incarceration During World War IIJapan’s World War II Balloon Bomb Attacks on North AmericaAuthor Maggie Tokuda-Hall Takes a Stand Against Censorship and the “Deeply American Tradition of Racism”Topaz History: Topaz MuseumThe “Loyalty Questionnaire” of 1943 Opened a Wound that has Yet to HealDenshoSupport the show
Support the show
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In this episode, Hailee is bewitched by the Bly Balloon Bomb Tragedy of WWII.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States officially entered WWII. Immediately, Americans began interrogating and then incarcerating Japanese Americans, many of them citizens, along the west coast. After America responded to the Pearl Harbor attack by bombing Tokoyo, Japan was infuriated that America remained relatively untouched by warfare. So, they tasked scientists with creating a weapon that would reach American soil. They came up with a balloon capable of using the recently discovered Jet Stream to carry bombs across the Pacific. The balloons were manufactured by children and were responsible for the only civilian casualty on United States mainland during the war.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van PeltPeace is a Chain Reaction by Tanya Lee Stone
Staff Picks
RecommendationsMovies
On Paper WingsNon-Fiction
Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration by Elizabeth Patridge Fu-go: The Curious History of Japan's Balloon Bomb Attack on America by Ross CoenThey Called Us Enemy by George TakeiFiction
We Are Not Freeby Traci CheeBeneath the Wide Silk Sky by Emily Inouye HueyWhen the Emperor Was Divine by Julie OtsukaLove in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-HallDisplacement by Kiku HugesIf you are interested in any of the books we talk about in this episode, please consider purchasing them through our affiliate link with Bookshop.org.
SourcesBombs Fall on Oregon: Japanese Attacks on the StateMitchell MonumentBeware Of Japanese Balloon BombsOn Paper Wings - DocumentaryFrom Engagement to PeacePearl Harbor, History.orgJapanese-American Incarceration During World War IIJapan’s World War II Balloon Bomb Attacks on North AmericaAuthor Maggie Tokuda-Hall Takes a Stand Against Censorship and the “Deeply American Tradition of Racism”Topaz History: Topaz MuseumThe “Loyalty Questionnaire” of 1943 Opened a Wound that has Yet to HealSupport the show
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Call me now for your free reading!
In this episode, Katie is bewitched by Miss Cleo and the Psychic Readers Network.
Late-night advertising in the 1990s and early 2000s was full of 900-number hotlines promising everything from video game tips to proof that Elvis was still alive. But the most pervasive and perhaps harmful were hotlines promising to connect you with a psychic reader.
Miss Cleo became a pop culture icon in this space with her sassy tarot readings, no-nonsense advice, and signature Jamaican patois. But a string of lawsuits exposed the dark side of the "for entertainment purposes only" psychic hotline. Who should be held responsible for the harm caused by this sinister business model- the woman who inspired millions to call in or the men behind the curtain?
Staff Picks:
Novel Effect interactive reading app
Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler
Recommended reading:
Affinity by Sarah Waters
Lockwood & Co. by Jonathan StroudRosewater by Tade Thompson
Suddenly Psychic by Elizabeth Hunter
Psychic Blues: Confessions of a Conflicted Medium by Mark Edwards
The Darkened Room by Alex OwenFlim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions by James Randi
The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe by Dr. Steven NovellaRecommended viewing:
Call Me Miss Cleo documentary (HBO max)Sources:
"In The '90s, A Black Psychic Friend Fooled White America. Then They Were Pissed" by Candice Frederick
"A History of TV Psychics (and Why We Love Them So Much)" by Rae Alexandra
"Miss Cleo Left a Trail of Deception in Seattle" by D. Parvaz"‘Grand Theft Auto’ Makers Sued by Psychic Readers Network Over Miss Cleo ‘Doppelganger’" by Tim Kenneally
"I Was a Hotline Psychic for Miss Cleo" by Bennett Madison"Miss Cleo on her Allegedly Fake Patois and Getting Ripped Off by Her Old Bosses" Vice
"Miss Cleo Comes Out" by Greg Hernandez
"Miss Cleo Still Knows" by Brandon Voss
FTC vs. Access Resource Services, Inc. et al
"Miss Cleo, Famed '90s TV Psychic, is Getting a Documentary" by Bria McNeal
"Steven Feder and Peter Stolz: Where Are PRN Co-Owners Now?" by Kumari ShreyaSupport the show
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