Fascinating Nouns

If you know the name Dan Meyer, it is because he is the world’s foremost expert on sword swallowing.  He has had several appearances on America’s Got Talent, he has a famous Ted Talk, and he even has an IG Nobel Prize for his work documenting injuries sustained while swallowing swords.  What people don’t know is that for as impressive as this body of work is, it pales in comparison to his lifelong pursuit of thromes.  After surviving a bout of malaria, he vowed to make the most of life and has lived on an island, on a boat, visited the 7 wonders, and has seen Mt. Everest at dawn.  We discuss his unbelievable journey, and even learn how he got the nickname “Curly”, and no, it’s not because he loves the Three Stooges. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Stanford Research w/ Russel Targ Dan Meyer on Social Media Cutting Edge Innertainment Facebook 1 Facebook 2 X Instagram TikTok Purchase “To The Hilt” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

How far back do your memories go?  Do you remember your kiss with little Susie in second grade?  Can you remember your Kindergarten teacher’s name?  What do you remember about the day you were born?  My guess is, even if you CAN remember any of these things, the details are pretty fuzzy.  Not so for today’s guest Rebecca Sharrock.  She has a rare condition called Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM).  This means, she literally remembers EVERYTHING that has ever happened to her with crystal clear accuracy.  She even claims to have memories that are prenatal!  It is quite possible she has the best memory on the planet right now.  Of course we discuss this, but also her encounters with ghosts, her myriad phobias, and what she thinks of the Huntsman spider. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Memory w/ Elizabeth Loftus Rebecca Sharock on Social Media Facebook 1 Facebook 2 Website Purchase “My Life is a Puzzle” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Italian mobsters were not the only ones who wanted to control an entire musical genre.  Rap Mogul Suge Knight followed the formula of the Mafia by controlling the lives of up-and-coming rappers, and beating/killing the competition.  Just ask Vanilla Ice.

Today, it is a given that Rock ‘N Roll is still one of the most popular and lucrative music genres in the world, but this was not always the case.  In the 1950’s, it was an upstart musical movement that was nothing like the contemporary songs of the day.  It needed a push, and that push came from an unlikely source:  The Mafia.  The Mob realized the potential of this new music, and they made it their mission to make a monopoly out of it.  Jeffrey Sussman is back to tell us how The Mob made a star out of Rock ‘N Roll by using Jukeboxes, “into perpetuity” contracts, Payola, and a few old fashion beatdowns. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Howard Hughes in Hollywood Jeffrey Sussman on Social Media Facebook Twitter Purchase “Backbeat Gangsters” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

There is nothing more ubiquitous in human existence than waste.  To live is to produce refuse.  And there are so many kinds of waste:  Human, household, digital to name a few.  But what is waste really?  Turns out, the definition is pretty fluid.  In this episode I talk to John Scanlan, author of “The Idea of Waste” to get to bottom of this garbage pile.  What I find there is shocking.  We discuss fatburgs, cardboard furniture, sealed crap pegged to the gold standard, Henry Ford, and of course Shel Silverstein. John Scanlan on Social Media Website Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook X YouTube Bluesky

Initially I wanted this episode to come out during spring training this year, but now that the Cubs have clinched a playoff spot, this is a much better time to discuss Al Yellon’s new book “Chicago Cubs Firsts”.  We discuss the great players like Ernie Banks and Ryne Sandberg, as well as broadcasters Harry Caray and Vin Scully.  We also explore early baseball rules, how the Cubs got their name, and the infamous “College of Coaches”. Al Yellon on Social Media Website Facebook Bluesky X Chicago Cubs Firsts Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook X YouTube Bluesky

Henry and I talked for an hour about how the downfall of the human race was not only inevitable, but imminent.  Or is it?  In this bonus episode, Henry breaks down his plans for saving the human race.

Way back in the bonus episode to ep. 201, Henry Gee and I discuss his article on how the human race is in decline.  A better term would be free fall.  Well, he expanded that article into an entire book, and we finally get to discuss it!  It turns out, as soon as Homo sapiens dominated their competition, and emerged from Africa as the apex predator on Earth, their fate was sealed.  With no one to challenge them, Humans have gotten fat and lazy from a genetic sense.  Birth rates are falling, and we have outgrown the Earth’s carrying capacity.  It’s not all doom and gloom, as we discuss why Henry almost called his book “Dinosaurs!!!’, how chimps have more genetic variation in one tribe than the whole of the human race, and why female empowerment is killing our species. Dr. Henry Gee on Social Media Website Bluesky Instagram The Rise and Decline of the Human Empire Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook X YouTube Bluesky

In a quiet theater, you sit and stare at a scene unfolding before your eyes, the participants unaware of your presence.  This excites you, and you just can’t seem to pull your eyes away.  That is because you, like everyone else who watches movies, is a voyeur, someone who loves to watch when others can’t see them.  This is essential to cinema, and Jimmy and I will discuss how this came to be.

No matter what movie you are watching, there is a high likelihood that some form of mental illness will be presented there.  Whether it is a masked psychopath in the latest horror movie, or an OCD partner in the new buddy cop film, humans seem to be unable to look away from crazy.  But how accurate are these portrayals?  Psychiatrist and closeted cinephile Dr. James “Jimmy” Charney walks us through his analysis as taken from his book “Madness at the Movies“.  We discuss the movie Psycho, Mighty Joe Young, Repulsion, and Night of the Hunter.  Plus we get to learn about Voices from the Void, his fear of heights, and how he studied piano at Julliard. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns episodes with Noah Charney James on Social Media Instagram Purchase “Madness at the Movies” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook X YouTube Bluesky

Almost every culture on the planet has stories of some sort of “Wild Man” creature, whether it is Sasquatch, Yeti, Skunk Apes, Yowie, Wendigo, Yeren, etc.  Here in The States we call this creature “Bigfoot”, and proof of their existence is elusive at best.  Almost as elusive as John O’Connor, who’s book “The Secret History of Bigfoot” details his trek’s out into the wilderness to seek out this creature, along with people who call themselves “Bigfoot Hunters”.  We discuss his travels, his Bigfoot themed screenplay, as well as some of the most convincing Sasquatch encounters he heard while exploring the Northern California wilderness. Episodes We Mentioned FGGGbT Ep. on Fallout Fascinating Nouns Ep. Survival of the Friendliest w/ Dr. Brian Hare Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Sasquatch w/ Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Bigtoot (and other stuff) w/ the Paranormal Rangers John on Social Media Website Instagram Purchase “The Secret History of Bigfoot” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

The way we live with dogs has change significantly over the past few decades.  Our pets are a part of the family, and as such, we want to give them every advantage possible, including a great education.  Dr. Brian Hare has been studying dog cognition for years, and his recent project involves monitoring the cognitive development of puppies starting at nine weeks.  He calls it “Puppy Kindergarten”, which we can all agree is an adorable name.  The purpose of this school is to play games and run tests on their puppies to see how their brains develop, and how to train them to maximize their different areas of intelligence.  We discuss this process, and how to pick the best career path for your dog.  Plus we discuss how dogs develop such unique personalities and why we love that so much. Dr. Brian Hare on Social Media Twitter Facebook Website Purchase “Puppy Kindergarten” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

The election has come and gone here is the states, and while we don’t get political on this show, we do love movies, so I decided to have Tea Krulos back on the show to discuss his research tying popular cinematic monsters to the political party who wins the White House. Democrats are tied to Vampires while Republicans are represented by Zombies. There is one shocking aberration to this theory, but you will have to listen to find out what happened! Episodes We Mentioned FGGGbT Ep. on Fallout Fascinating Nouns Ep. w/ Proliferation of Conspiracy Theories w/ Tea Krulos Tea on Social Media Website Instagram X (Twitter) Facebook Purchase “Political Monsters” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

As promised, Noah and I discuss the “Three Goddesses” story, one of them being the Baba Yaga, who is the prototype for our modern conception of the witch.  She has a big nose, long chin, a house on chicken lags, and for some reason there is a focus on her saggy breasts.  On, and she doesn’t ride around a broom, but it is involved.

It is Halloween again, and what is more iconic at this time of year than vampires, werewolves, and witches?  I thought it was about time we dedicate a whole episode to them, so Noah Charney is back on the show to discuss their origins.  It turns out that these creatures first appear in Slavic myths around the 4th century and the werewolf & the vampire are actually the same creature!  It wasn’t until very modern stories started to separate them into two different monsters.  Still we see the origins that eventually become legendary parts of the story:  A wirey, tall, gaunt undead creature that is nocturnal, can only be killed with silver bullets, they drink blood to reproduce, can only enter a house when invited, and can turn into a wolf or a swarm of black butterflies (later bats).  This creature smelled like garlic and was not repulsed by it, but that plant still plays a prominent role in the story.  Listen to original stories from the part of the world that used to be called Transylvania! Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on The Mona Lisa Fascinating Nouns Ep. w/ The Navajo Rangers Fascinating Nouns Ep. w/ Elizabeth Loftus Noah on Social Media Website Instagram X (Twitter) Purchase “The Slavic Myths” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

With a few more minutes I talk to Jeff about Gigolos, Showgirls, and the man behind The Waffle King.

Los Angeles should be known as “Celebrity City”, since this is where so many live.  If you are an everyday person, and you happen to also live in Los Angeles, there is a small chance that you could run into one of these larger-than-life personalities and get sucked into their orbit.  You see, once you reach a certain level of fame you require a LOT of people to maintain your world.  Fans are everywhere, and having a good gatekeeper becomes essential.  This week I talk to one such gatekeeper:  Jeff Nucera.  He has been the unofficial president of the “Weird Al” fan club for over two decades, after he was misidentified as one of Al’s close personal friends.  That mistake lead to Jeff reading every piece of mail that is sent to “Weird Al”.  Yes, people still put pen to paper in these digital times.  Jeff is also a major “Weird Al” memorabilia collector, and is the producer of a documentary about a burlesque troupe who disrobe to the comedians hit songs.  Plus we discuss his heroic act in Uruguay. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Braidwood Fascinating Nouns Ep. w/ Paul Hynek Fascinating Nouns Ep. on The Gong Show Jeff on Social Media Instagram Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Project Blue Book was supposed to be the U.S. Government’s official investigation into UFO’s.  The science advisor was a man named J. Allen Hynek.  He was the one responsible for the infamous “Swamp Gas” Explanation.  Well Blue Book was really a disinformation campaign, and Hynek went from professional debunker to believer.  He scientifically analyzed all the sightings, and reports and created the “Center For UFO Studies”.  This turnaround was remarkable, and very notable.  Today I have his son Paul Hynek on the show to discuss his perspective on his father’s work.  We also discuss his brother who once almost blew up their house.  It is no wonder he was the first suspect of the Unabomber.  We also get into Paul’s recent work with DMT, which he believes can unlock the mind in such a way that the mysteries of the universe are revealed to you.  We also discuss cryptocurrencies, inter-dimensional travel, and the one time his dad bilked Walt Disney out of a free day at the park for his family. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Mark Twain Fascinating Nouns Ep. w/ Russel Targ Fascinating Nouns Ep. w/ Tom Campbell Fascinating Nouns Ep. w/ John Dover Fascinating Nouns Ep. on The Gong Show Paul on Social Media X Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Let’s be serious:  The Gong Show was a national phenomenon!  Unfortunately like a lot of things in the 70’s, once a movie was made, the fad was over.  This is true of The Gong Show Movie which was really a therapy session for creator and host Chuck Barris.  So was his book “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” which became a movie as well.  It is safe to say that Chuck used Hollywood as a way to get free psychological help.  In this bonus episode, we discuss this as well as the movies that came out of the popularity of this game show.

If you didn’t grow up in the 70’s,  you have no concept of just how popular “The Gong Show” was.   This was a daytime show that destroyed the ratings, and was unlike anything on television.  It was basically a reverse talent show where the draw was a parade of terrible acts.  They had some ringers sprinkled in, but the wild stunts are what is remembered to this day.  And it was hosted by Chuck Barris, the creator of the show.  This isn’t that unusual today, but this was not an ego play.  The ego came later.  He was basically forced to host the show because he couldn’t find anyone who saw his same vision.  He then became synonymous with the show.  This show was purposefully trying to avoid launching careers, but despite this, several famous people were featured, including Paul Reubens, Oingo Boingo, Phil Hartman, Michael Winslow, and Joey D’Auria AKA Bozo The Clown.  It also created it’s own celebrities, including Gene Gene the Dancing Machine, The Unknown Comic, and Count Banjola.  Adam and discuss the rise and fall of this unique show, How Markie Post figures into the equation, and the importance of “Have You Got A Nickel”. Adam on Social Media Facebook Instagram Purchase “Gong This Book!” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Sir Ian Livingstone is a real knight, known as the “Knight of the Nerds”.  Never has a moniker been more apt.  Ian and his partner Steve Jackson were early fanatics of various complex strategy games.  They turned this love into a paradigm changing company called “Games Workshop”.  Thanks to an exclusive deal with Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax, Games Workshop quickly became an industry leader in role-playing games.  They sold D&D, had their own miniatures company, published the industry leading gamer magazine “White Dwarf”, and even developed their own games, which included an early version of Towerblox, which was about 2 years ahead of Jenga.  Then in the 80’s Ian and Steve started writing their “Fighting Fantasy” series of novels, which were “Choose Your Own Adventure” style game books with stats, dice, and a story that took several times to get through.  These books were my bread and butter as a child.  I loved them.  Then Ian went on to work in video games and even had a hand in creating the iconic Lara Croft for the Tomb Raider series of games.  I had the pleasure of sitting down with Ian to discuss all of this amazing stuff, plus I even got him to play a few tunes on his harmonica and discuss his 1976 Topps complete collection of baseball cards.  We really go through it all! Ian on Social Media Website Twitter Instagram Purchase “Dice Men” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

How many people reading this have attempted to learn a new language?  I know that I have stopped and restarted Spanish lessons twice in the past 3 years.  The grammar rules are what kills it.  How about a completely unique language, that is almost indistinguishable from English, but uses the exact same rules and even some of the same words?  You are in luck!  I have the PERFECT new language for you:  It’s called Boontling.  It was developed in the 1880’s and is native to Booneville, California.  The creation of this language was really the coming together of several events:  Strong personalities in the community that made it special, the isolation of the area and the people within, the fact that everyone knew everyone, and the use of the language to entertain each other as a form of community amusement.  Well this week, I sit down with one of the last remaining Boontling speakers in Wes Smoot.  We discuss how people’s personalities made them nouns and verbs, how easy it is to make new words, and he even teaches me how to recite “Old Mother Hubbard”. Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

One of the lucky breaks Eastman & Laird received was that Nintendo and Konami were looking for a new kind of game and the turtles came around at the perfect time.  Not only was the NES game successful, but the sequel changed the way arcade games operated for a five year period.  Listen as we discuss the meteoric rise of both the turtles and video games.

1984 was a big year.  Ghostbusters and Terminator were released, the events of George Orwell’s novel take place, and in a Massachusetts suburb, two comic artists accidentally created one of the biggest pop culture events in human history:  the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  What started as a joke between friends has spawned numerous TV shows, movies, and video games.  Only The Simpsons rivals it as far as longevity is concerned.  But how did this happen?  Well it turns out that the origin story of the TMNT is a strange, and serendipitous as the creation of the turtles themselves.  I sit down with author and historian Andrew Farago to discuss all of the events that had to line-up to make this possible.  Lightening in a bottle doesn’t even describe it, but maybe Aladdin’s Lamp does.  We will discuss the dark and violent origins of the original comic, the perfect nature of the original theme song, and how a Muppet was used to pitch the cartoon to networks. Andrew Farago on Social Media Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Purchase “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

You may not think so, but the formula created by The Bad News Bears is still in use today!  A rag tag group of kids, lead by an incompetent and troubled adult somehow manage to overcome their differences and beat the better funded team at whatever sport they are competing in.  It is a tale as old as time, and this movie started the trend.

Nothing says spring like the smell of freshly cut grass on a baseball diamond, and in my opinion, nothing says America quite like the baseball movie. Sure the sport gets credit as the national past time, but Hollywood is uniquely American. This week film critic Noah Gittell discusses the history of baseball movies, which starts with players being mythic, god like heroes. Unfortunately is ends with them being considered as variables to be inserted into mathematical equations thanks to the era of analytics. But there is so much good stuff in between! We talk about weird baseball rules, his love of “Little Big League”, and whether “The Naked Gun” qualifies as a movie about baseball. Noah Gittell on Social Media Website Substack Twitter Instagram TikTok Purchase “Baseball:  The Movie” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Since the 50’s, no woman has captured the attention of little girls everywhere quite like Barbie.  Sure she is only 11 inches tall and made of plastic, but influence is global.  This week I talk with M. G. Lord, one of the foremost experts on his iconic fashion doll.  When it comes to her history, she definitely has some interesting nuggets most people don’t know about.  We start with the complete theft of the Bild Lilli doll, and go through the conviction of Ruth Handler, Mattel’s co-founder.  We also discuss Harold Matson, who literally put the “Matt” in Mattel, but got cold feet and sold his shares of the company a few weeks after founding.  Then of course we cover Barbie as a fertility god, why she has such odd proportions, and how Disney played a part in her meteoric rise. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Jack Parsons FGGGbT Ep. on Barbie M. G. Lord on Social Media Website Facebook Instagram Purchase “Forever Barbie” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

In America, one organization has seemingly been in control of every industry we have at some point and time in our history.  That group is known collectively as The Mob.  From prostitution, to running unions, to funding government officials, some form of organized crime has been in control since the Mayflower.  We are going to talk about one such industry today, an industry that is arguably our largest export:  The Film Industry.  Yes, in the early days of the film industry, Bugsy Siegel was sent over by one of the big crime families in New York to get in on the gold mine that was Hollywood.  The first move was to take over the labor unions, so they could have the studios eating out of their hand in fear of a strike.  The next was to bribe Hollywood starlets to extort money from the rich and famous.  We also talk about a couple of other non-mob related characters who definitely employed mob-like tactics, including JFK’s criminal father Joseph Kennedy, and the famous mob fixer Sidney Korshak.  Jeffrey Sussman takes us on a ride through the time the Mob ran Tinseltown, and if you like true crime, this is the episode for you! Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Howard Hughes in Hollywood Fascinating Nouns Ep. on The Klondike Film Find Jeffrey Sussman on Social Media Facebook Twitter Purchase “Tinseltown Gangsters” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

The U.S. government has a pretty straight-laced reputation, but did you know that in the 60’s and 70’s, the CIA and Army Intelligence funded research into psychic phenomena?  They sure did, and it was approved because the belief was that the Soviets were also doing it.  Then the Soviets started doing it because they heard we were doing it.  It gets VERY circular, but the fact remains:  The U.S. government had several psychic spies in their employ, and not only were they tasked with several missions, they gathered a ton of actionable intelligence.  President Jimmy Carter even credited them with finding and recovering a downed plane in the African jungle.  One of the men at the center of that research was Russell Targ.  We discuss his time researching psychic phenomena, as well as how he used it to make money in the stock market. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on President’s Sex Lives Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Marc Hartzman Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Betty & Barney Hill Abduction Paul H. Smith on Social Media Website Purchase “Essential Guide to Remote Viewing” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Before we finish, Russell lets me ask one final question about how Psychic Phenomenon works.

The U.S. government has a pretty straight-laced reputation, but did you know that in the 60’s and 70’s, the CIA and Army Intelligence funded research into psychic phenomena?  They sure did, and it was approved because the belief was that the Soviets were also doing it.  Then the Soviets started doing it because they heard we were doing it.  It gets VERY circular, but the fact remains:  The U.S. government had several psychic spies in their employ, and not only were they tasked with several missions, they gathered a ton of actionable intelligence.  President Jimmy Carter even credited them with finding and recovering a downed plane in the African jungle.  One of the men at the center of that research was Russell Targ.  We discuss his time researching psychic phenomena, as well as how he used it to make money in the stock market. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Henry Gee Russell on Social Media Website Purchase “Third Eye Spies” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Lemuria.  If you are familiar with this place, you probably know it as a lost continent (akin to Atlantis), that was inhabited by higher beings who not live in the hollow Earth under Mt. Shasta in California.  You may also believe that extraterrestrials seeded this continent with crystals before it sank to the bottom of the ocean.  Some believe that this “lost continent” will resurface in the future, where it will act like a modern Eden, a complete paradise for human enlightenment.  This is a million miles from the origin of of Lemuria, which was as a scientific theory to explain why there are lemurs in Madagascar.  In this episode, I talk to researcher and archivist Justin McHenry about this conceptual evolution of Lemuria, and how it morphed so quickly.  We also talk about other theories on how lemurs ended up on an island outside of Africa, which include a pregnant lemur falling into a raft, and floating all the way to Madagascar. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Erich von Daniken Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Russell Targ Fascinating Noune Ep. on Poe Justin on Social Media Website Instagram Purchase “Lemuria:  A True Story of a Fake Place” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Science Fiction has had a prolific run on television.  I bet some of your favorite shows have elements of Sci-Fi in them whether you know it or not. Westworld, The Mandalorian, and Stranger Things are just a few of the blockbuster shows driving you to your tv set.  If you go way back, before Lost, before the X-files, before Star Trek, and even before The Twilight Zone, there was a little syndicated show in the 50’s called Science Fiction Theater.  It was the first of its kind, and not only was the prototype for Sci-fi, but for all the anthology shows to follow, like American Horror Story and even Tales from the Crypt.  This week I discuss this almost forgotten, but truly groundbreaking show. Podcasts We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on The Klondike Film Find Jay on Social Media Website Purchase “Science Fiction Theater” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

An extraordinarily rare event is going to happen in 2024:  Two periodical cicada broods will be emerging at the same time, covering both the South and the Midwest in large, droning insects for six weeks this summer.  How rare are we talking here?  How about once every 221 years level of rare?  The last time these two broods came out at the same time, Thomas Jefferson was president.  He even wrote about them in his garden notes!  This week I sit down with cicada expert Dr. Gene Kritsky and we discuss what makes these guys so special.  Is it that they spend 13 or 17 years underground sucking on tree roots?  Is it that the females lay eggs with what amounts to a hollow steak knife?  Or maybe it is that their survival strategy consists of emerging in such large numbers that predators get sick of eating them in a week and a half?  I saw it is all three.  Listen and learn how YOU can be a part of this historic event. Articles We Mentioned The Mind Altering Parasite That Turns Cicadas Into Mindless Sex Bots Cicadas Molting Gene on Social Media Website Purchase “A Tale of Two Broods” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Edgar Allan Poe was the original Gloomy Gus right?  Writing horror stories alone, in a dilapidated mansion, with only the company of a red-eyed raven to keep him sane.  Most people probably believe his life was actually in black and white.  Turns out this is NOT the case!  He played flutes at parties, solved ciphers and puzzles for a magazine, was a ladies man, and even challenged a man to a duel.  I love these quirky personality features and luckily Mark Dawidziak has chronicled him in his latest book “Mysteries of Mysteries:  The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe”.  Mark and I  will do our best to dispel the caricature of Poe as the patron saint of the goths and show his a more well-rounded personality. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Sherlock Holmes Fascinating Nouns Ep. on H. H. Holmes Articles We Mentioned The Poe Toaster Rufus Griswold Obituary of Poe Mark on Social Media Website Purchase “Mystery of Mysteries” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Contrary to popular movies, most art crime is NOT perpetrate by some private art collector in order to enhance their collection.  Oh well there is one notable exception:  Pablo Picasso!  Check out this bonus episode and learn how Picasso got wrapped up in the Mona Lisa caper, and what he actually had stolen.

Just the mention of the name “Mona Lisa” sparks images of a cherub faced woman, half-smiling, hanging on a wall at the Louvre.  This is true of almost EVERYONE on the planet, but that was not always the case.  As a matter of fact, the Mona Lisa is kind of famous for being famous, and all that started with it being stolen from the Louvre in 1911.  Noah Charney is a Art History expert with an exceptional knowledge of art crime, and the tale he weaves is really unbelievable.  Almost as unbelievable as there being three Noah Charney’s in the world, all to the day exactly the same age.  That is also really true and you will learn everything in this episode. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Art Theft w/ Anthony Amore Articles We Mentioned Times The Mona Lisa was Stolen or Defaced Soup Thrown at the Mona Lisa Cake Smeared on the Mona Lisa Mona Lisa Missing Documentary Noah Charney Ted Talk Noah on Social Media Website Association for Research on Crimes Against Art Instagram X (Twitter) Purchase “The Thefts of the Mona Lisa” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

As humans continue to sprawl into every known corner of the world, reproducing at a unsustainable rate, more and more we are invading on turf currently occupied by wild animals.  You may encounter these guys while walking to the garbage, or may even see them IN your garbage, depending on the time of day.  I take a few more minutes to talk to Rachel about opossums, raccoons, and coyotes.

I don’t know about you, but I enjoy the outdoors.  Hiking can be a fun past time, but depending on where you go there is always a chance that you could run into a dangerous animal.  So what do you do?  Are you supposed to look intimidating or play dead?  Do you run to climb a tree or do you charge the creature to show it who’s boss.  Luckily Rachel Levin had those same questions, and decided to write a book about it.  Listen as we discuss how to handle a bear, what it takes to outrun an alligator, and why a moose is described as “A serial killer with a loaded shotgun”.  Plus we tell why punching a shark in the nose is your best option when they are circling. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Shark Attacks w/ Walter Wyatt Articles We Mentioned Cyber Squirrel One Squirrel on NPR The Speed of Usain Bolt Battle at Kruger Rachel on Social Media Website Instagram – Rachel Instagram – Look Big X (Twitter) Purchase “Look Big” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

No one knows how it all will end.  Will we blow ourselves up in a fiery nuclear explosion?  Will an asteroid smash into the Earth giving us the dinosaur treatment?  Will some new virus wipe out humanity before we have a chance to counter its spread?  While we can’t see the future, we can chronicle the possibilities, which is exactly what Darrel Perkins did in his new book “The End Is At Hand“.  I sit down with this doomsday prophet and discuss the times the world ended in the past, wonder it it is ending now, and we take bets on what may happen in the future.  We talk about doomsday cults, Mouse Utopia, Chicken Little, and how we are 9 missed meals from total anarchy. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on The Church of Type w/ Kevin Bradley Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Printing Presses w/ Mark Barbour Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Religious Food w/ Christina Ward Fascinating Nouns Ep. on The History of Life on Earth w/ Henry Gee Darrel on Social Media Website Instagram YouTube Purchase “The End Is At Hand” Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

As the center of the hippie movement, California has a long history of cults and communes.  In this bones episode, we tell the story of how religious groups helped popularize the modern Vegetarian movement, as well as the sordid background of the beloved Kettle Chips.

When it comes to spiritual belief, the United States is very unique.  Since religion is protected by the first amendment, the country has been fertile ground to many spiritual groups, cults, communes, and other religious groups.  Some have taken an isolation approach, and if your group is remote, you will have to grow and make your own food.  That is where today’s story takes place, right at the intersection of food and religion.  In her new book “Holy Food“, Christina Ward walks us through how a lot of our modern food movements have been influenced by religious groups.  Thanksgiving?  Religious holiday.  Little Debbie’s and Kellogg’s corn flakes ?  Made by a religious organization.  Check out the Pastafarians, they are literally a group that worships a sentient bowl of spaghetti.  Come take a cult-fueled culinary journey with us. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. w/ Tea Krulos Fascinating Nouns Ep. on The Church of the Subgenius Fascinating Nouns Ep. w/ Marc Hartzman Feral House on Social Media Christina’s Website Feral House Website Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Purchase “Holy Food” Vimeo Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

When it comes to the UFO phenomenon, we have discussed a lot of it on this show, including The Battle of Los Angeles, Betty & Barney Hill, Roswell, the Jackie Gleason/Richard Nixon alien encounter, and John Dover’s experiences on the Navajo Nation.  This is a lot, but can you believe there’s more?!  This week I sit down with Marc Hartzman and discuss his new book “We Are Not Alone”, which chronicles the history of UFO and alien encounters in the U.S.  I bring us back to the “War of the Worlds” broadcast in 1938, and we go through the most recent congressional hearings of 2023.  We even make a stop in 1999, where Marc interviewed Vanilla Ice about aliens for his zine “Backwash”.  This is a tour through history you don’t want to miss. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Betty & Barney Hill Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Roswell w/ Tom Carey Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Battle of Los Angeles Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Gleason/Nixon Alien Encounter Fascinating Nouns Ep. w/ Paranormal Rangers Articles We Mentioned Article on disclosure by Chris Mellon Slate article discussing “War of the Worlds” panic myth Marc on Social Media Website WeirdHistorian.com Twitter Instagram YouTube Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

After the Civil War, people came out west for many reasons:  Gold, work on the railroads, religious freedom, saloon poker, or to rob banks just to name a few.  Some of these people would end up in boom towns, which exploded in population very quickly then died off to nothing in a few years.  If you had the misfortune to die during the boom times, then you were probably buried in their cemetery, and forgotten decades.  That us until Heather Moulton and Susan Tatterson came along and photographed your graveyard.  These two (Often called The Pirate and the Aussie) travel across the U.S. profiling Wild West graveyards and other abandoned places chronicling these forgotten historic sites.  This week I talk to Heather about how they got into this morbid hobby (which I also share), as well as her time in some of the most out of the way Boot Hills of California.  Plus we learn about her time at Area 51 and Roswell. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. w/ Linda Moulton Howe Heather on Social Media The Pirate and Aussie Website Buy The Book:  Graveyards of the Wild West – California Instagram X (Formerly Twitter) Facebook YouTube Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

In the name of research, Dr. Meals attended a bodybuilding contest to learn more about the inner workings.  It takes a lot to get muscles to look that big.  We even get into its history, first discussing the original weightlifter, who carried an ox calf every day until it was fully grown, to the originator of bodybuilding as a performance: Eugen Sandow.

Dr. Roy Meals is an orthopedic surgeon who is an expert in the musculoskeletal system.  As such, he has dubbed muscles “The World’s Perfect Motor”.  Cardiac muscle is designed to contract 70 times a minute for 100 years.  The more you stress skeletal muscle, the stronger it gets.  Muscles can be powered by spinach, oatmeal, or any other food.  A regular motor requires specific fuel.  If you aren’t excited about that by that, then we have plenty of other stuff to talk about, including Chess Boxing, Bro Science, and why dark meat is dark. Episodes We Mentioned FGGGbT Ep. on The Transformers Dr. Roy Meals on Social Media Roy’s Blog “About Bone” Buy The Book:  Muscle – The Gripping Story of Strength and Movement Instagram X (Formerly Twitter) Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

From Jack The Ripper to Hannibal Lector, we have been obsessed with murderers in our horror movies.  I talk with Brad for a few more minutes about Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, and how serial killers are the true apex predators.

Besides haunted houses and trick or treating, what’s the third most popular way to celebrate Halloween?  By watching horror movies!  To celebrate Halloween this year, I discuss some of my favorite scary movies w/ Brad Weismann, author of “Horror Unmasked”.  We talk about The Universal Monsters, Stephen King, zombies, and how the Atom Bomb changed horror movies forever.  Plus I learn about his membership in the Society of Professional Obituary Writers. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Old Time Radio Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Underground Music Fascinating Nouns Ep. on The Exorcist Fascinating Nouns Ep. on The Roswell Crash FGGGbT Ep. on The Apocalypse FGGGbT Ep. on Phantasm Links We Mentioned Article on the Movie Leprechaun Brad Weismann on Social Media Main Website Brad’s Blog Website Obit Patrol Facebook Buy The Book:  Horror Unmasked X (Formerly Twitter) Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Kurt Kuersteiner is a mini master of horror:  He runs one of the largest haunted houses in Florida called “The Terror of Tallahassee”, he is the founder of Monster Wax, a unique trading card company that specializes in horror themed card sets, and he wrote the book on famous horror hosts of old time radio.  He is back on the show just in time for Halloween to discuss all of his terrifying endeavors.  We talk about his time in a spooky old plantation house, how his show Mystery Playhouse became a huge attraction, and how his love of barbed wire fits into it all. Episodes We Mentioned Fascinating Nouns Ep. on H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Barbed Wire Kurt Kuersteiner on Social Media The Terror of Tallhassee Website Old Time Radio Horror Hosts Website Monsterwax Buy The Book:  Old Time Radio’s History of Horror X (Formerly Twitter) YouTube Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Ricin is a poison that occurs naturally in Castor seeds.  Listen to two stories about this deadly substance, one that involved an umbrella in Russia, and the other which took place in a retirement community.