Just in time for Valentine's Day, Joe, Toren, and Kevin take a Caustic look at "love". We discuss the obsessive "limerence", Helen of Troy, Abelard & Heloise, Bosko & Admira, two horribly criminal plans to keep a lover In The News, plus Toren reads a portion of Larry Niven's Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex in the style of David Attenborough.

Music: "Millionaire Girlfriend" by Jonathan Coulton

Links

Intro background music by longzijun

Together In Death - TVTropes

Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex

Man of Steel (related, unmentioned in the show)

I hate love. from The Sandman

Images

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf-gZ0dr9so

http://youtu.be/dqxqy36VYiw

Rabies science and symptoms, old timey remedies, dog death squads in China, rabid whale speculation, the Milwaukee Protocol and Shitty Jobs: Louis Pasteur rabies vaccine lab assistant. Plus pop culture, a rabies pop quiz and what to do if you're bitten by a rabid animal.

Music: "I'm Losing My Mind Over You" by Al Dexter

Charity O' The Week: Global Alliance for Rabies Control

Links

Criminal Minds Round Table, "Rabid"

Images

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grDQCjs3WV4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtiytblJzQc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IicwwXRd1GE

Kevin, Toren, and Joe continue our "Caustic Icide Guide" with "Hospiticide". We talk about the Glencoe Massacre, Gertrude Baniszewski, Sam Cook, Phil Spector, Dorothea Puente plus news and pop culture!

Music: "At An Arabian House Party" by Raymond Scott

Links

Mafia/Werewolf game

The Resistance

Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap 62nd Year on Flickr

Images

The Kobe child murders, The Sasebo slashing, Eric Smith, the “Teacup Poisoner,” The Boston Boy Fiend, William York, Mary Bell, Amarjeet Sada, Carl Mahan, The Slender Man, and Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. Plus pop culture.

Music: "Angels With Dirty Faces" by Cab Calloway (vocals June Richmond)

Images

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csko2e9m_dg

Evil Dames in History continues as Kevin, Toren, and Joe look at "professional widow" Belle Gunness. Murder, insurance fraud, arson, evil glares, and... Guitar Hero?

Music: "Diggin' Up The World (Acoustic)" by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets

Links

Gunness Victim Photo

Images

 Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOSaDbb9gaQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpPMearfG3o

Allan Newell returns once again to discuss Sarah Emma Edmonds, Klaus Fuchs, the Rosenbergs, honeypots, and the acoustic kitty. Also a pop quiz on spy terminology plus pop culture!

Music: "Shhh, It's a Military Secret" by Glenn Miller

Images

What do we do when we need a last-minute replacement show? A "Followups" episode created entirely from your suggestions and questions! In addition to new segments on Gaming, Stalin, Radiation, and Sports Injuries, we answer Soda Jerk questions, including early Caustic Soda history and the choosing of the name, plus "Fuck, Marry, Kill: The other hosts"!

Pedant note: This counts as "Followups XVII"!

Music: "Shhh..." by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets

Links

Carl Sagan on Marijuana

Badass of the Week - Wayne "Buck" Shelford

Toren Atkinson on Patreon

Images

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDQjtCfUhPw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEJ8lpCQbyw

"Shhh..." Lyrics

I understand that you're upset

and you have every right to be

It's obvious to see

I was in the wrong

but I will make it up to you

I'm gonna make it right

If we can put this in the past

and never speak to anyone

about this gaucherie

I will swear to you

that it will not happen again

I'm gonna make it right tonight

No tears

No noise

No calls

No choice

No lock

No key

No third degree

No need to trouble the police

and I can take care of the mess

I know a little place

Let me handle this

Why don't you go and see the kids?

I'm gonna make it right tonight

No tears

No noise

No calls

No choice

No lock

No key

No third degree

No flight

No flaws

No breaks

No pause

No clues

No trace

No hands

No face

Untold

Unseen

Unphased

Unclean

Unsaid

Unkind

Undead

Unwind

No fuse

No prime

No plans

No time

No push

No shove

No god above

No black no white no source of light

No second chance no end in sight

No flesh no blood no bones no mess

No hate no love no sweet caress

Nothing to see no links no ties

No time for that no long goodbyes

No lies no thanks no secrets

No problem

No way

Our micro-series on spiders concludes with a look at the goliath bird eater, the funnelweb, the vampire spider, spider traumatic insemination and various tarantulas. Also news and pop culture - all with guespert Gavin Pitts!

Music: "Stop, Look and Listen" by Syd Dale

Images

Gavin "They're Not Insects They're Arachnids" Pitts joins us in studio for our epic micro-series on spiders. First up: the weird and wonderful world of web-building spiders, including the brown recluse and black widow. Plus news, pop culture and a spider pop quiz!

Music: "Slipstream" by Syd Dale

Images

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coUd6d3j_6g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQABY9H1h1Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AGU6vtJLR8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb66JQl40mM

On October 4th, 2014, because you demanded it, Toren, Joe and Kevin appeared live at the Northwest Podcast Festival with four hilarious friends to choose between two horrible fates.

Barbara Kozicki and Ian Boothby take on Harmful Supersitions vs Acid

Ian Boothby and Fatima Dhowre choose between Urban Fires and Film Fatale

Fatima Dhowre and Emmet Hall discuss Toxicity vs Whales

Music: "Hookworm (Live)" by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets

If you enjoyed this special Lesser of Two Evils Marathon and want more, we've got three segments available as Pay-What-You-Want bonus content on Caustic Gear:

Ian Boothby & Ben Mills

Barbara Kozicki & Joanna Gaskell

Dino Archie & Eric Fell

Images

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcAZwDOWhfk