Today, we are proud to present an episode by one of our fabulous Umbrella Podcast Collective members-Rob of Dark History. You've heard us talk about the Portland Shanghai Tunnels before, now go even deeper. Check it out!

In this gripping episode of The Dark History Podcast, we dive deep into one of the most chilling and overlooked forms of human trafficking in history: shanghaiing. From the mid-1800s to the early 20th century, thousands of men were abducted from port cities like Portland, San Francisco, and Liverpool—drugged, beaten, or tricked into signing forged contracts, only to wake up trapped aboard ships bound for Asia.

This wasn’t just the work of shady criminals in back alleys. It was a full-blown industry. Crimps, saloon keepers, hotel owners, and even police officers played their part, all for a quick payout. Some victims were lured by the promise of work or a warm bed. Others were dropped through trapdoors into underground tunnels and chained in holding cells until a ship was ready. Few escaped. Most were never seen again.

You’ll hear the real names behind the crimes, like the notorious “Bunko” Kelly, who once claimed to have sold a ship a crew of corpses. We'll uncover how this brutal system thrived in plain sight for decades, and how changing laws, technology, and public outrage eventually brought it down.

This isn’t the maritime adventure story you’ve been told. It’s about organised trafficking, greed, and the silent suffering of thousands who were stolen from familiar streets and forced into a life at sea. The legacy of shanghaiing lives on in the sealed trapdoors and forgotten tunnels beneath modern cities.

If you're fascinated by the dark undercurrents of history—the parts that rarely make it into textbooks—this episode is a must-listen.

Support the show

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In March 1876, the skies opened above Bath County, Kentucky… and instead of rain, meat fell from the heavens. Was it a divine miracle, a bizarre prank, or an avian puke-fest courtesy of startled vultures? Shea and Jody dig into one of history’s strangest mysteries—the infamous Kentucky Meat Shower.

Chapters:

0:00 – Welcome to Rainy day rabbit holes where we take the history of the west off the rails
00:20 – Today we are covering a meteorological event. Precipitation. Don't you wish we could time travel
01:17 – Carrie Thompson: I've never made soap. Have you
05:08 – There are several theories about what caused meat to rain in 1800s
09:16 – After 150 years, no one has figured out definitively what this is
10:57 – Did anyone ever get sick from the 1876 Kentucky meat shower
13:50 – We appreciate the support of our patrons more than you could know
15:31 – All of our Apple reviews, subscribers and statistics got lost recently

Calls to Action:
👉 Love weird history? Support us on Patreon and get your own bespoke fan fiction story written by us! www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/support
👉 Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts—we lost all our reviews and subscribers due to a glitch, so hitting “Follow” again helps us out tremendously.
👉 Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes fun and bonus content!

Silly Summer Season: The CIA’s Bonkers Spy Cat – Project Acoustic Kitty

In this delightfully absurd Silly Summer Season episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes, Jody takes us down the rabbit hole of one of the strangest Cold War experiments you’ve never heard of—Project Acoustic Kitty.

In the 1960s, the CIA actually spent millions of taxpayer dollars trying to turn a real, living cat into a stealthy spy. The plan? Surgically implant a microphone, radio transmitter, and antenna into an adorable feline operative to eavesdrop on Soviet conversations.

From top-secret surgery to a very short-lived field mission, this story has everything—government overconfidence, questionable ethics, and one very confused kitty. Shea and Jody can barely keep it together as they imagine what could possibly go wrong with strapping espionage gear to a cat.

Grab a cool drink, settle in, and enjoy one of the most ridiculous espionage stories in history. This is Cold War absurdity at its finest.

A huge thank you to our amazing Patreons—you’re the reason we get to keep chasing these ridiculous and fascinating stories.

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen—it really helps other curious minds find us.

Want more rabbit holes? Join our Patreon for bonus content, behind-the-scenes extras, and even bespoke fan fiction starring you at www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/support.

Visit us at www.rainydayrabbitholes.com for episode blogs, links, and more.

Special thanks to Letha Davis, our Magician of Marketing, at lethadavis.com for making our show shine.

In this mind-boggling episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes, hosts Shea and Jody take you on a wild ride through one of the most absurd plans in Cold War history: Project A119, the United States Air Force's secret proposal to nuke the moon. Yes, you read that right! Join us as we explore the motivations behind this bizarre plan, from ego and public relations to a desperate need for cosmic swagger in the face of Soviet competition.

You'll discover:
- How the Cold War turned into a cosmic pissing contest
- The role of young Carl Sagan in calculating the visibility of a lunar explosion
- The environmental and geopolitical repercussions of detonating a nuke on the moon
- Why this plan was ultimately scrapped and buried deeper than your most embarrassing secrets
Expect a mix of laughter and disbelief as we delve into this ridiculous chapter of history that almost turned our celestial neighbor into a glowing crater. After all, what's a little lunar devastation when national pride is at stake?
🌕 CHAPTERS
00:00 – Intro and Welcome
02:30 – The Hypothetical Cold War Dilemma: Blow It Up!
08:15 – Introducing Project A119: The Moon Nuke
15:45 – The Science Behind the Madness: Carl Sagan’s Involvement
24:00 – The Risks of Nuke-ing the Moon: Tides and Climate
32:20 – Why the Project Was Shelved: A Cosmic Cautionary Tale
40:00 – Wrapping Up and Reflections on Human Folly

🔗 LINKS
🌐 Rainy Day Rabbit Holes Website: https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com
💌 Support Us on Patreon: https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/support

Show notes created by https://headliner.app

Episode 81-Cryptids and Kindred Spirits – A Dive with Devon from Ouija Broads

Rainy Day Rabbit Holes is thrilled to welcome Devon from the Ouija Broads, one of the most beloved podcasts about Pacific Northwest paranormal history, ghosts, and cryptids. With a relaunch underway and a new book on cryptids in progress, Devon joins Shea and Jody for a hilarious and heartwarming episode about everything from mosquito bites and neighbor drama to her favorite haunted stories, paranormal research, and crafting workshops.

Plus, after the break, Devon faces her biggest challenge yet: a Who Am I? Cryptid Edition trivia game where she flexes her cryptozoology knowledge and tells us what really qualifies as a cryptid vs. a myth.

🔮 Expect weird neighbor stories, beavers falling from the sky, Bigfoot posters with grills, and a whole lot of laughter.

✨ Featured Guest:

Devon from the Ouija Broads

🧭 CHAPTERS

00:00 – Intro and Welcome

02:40 – What’s Chapping Our Ass: Mosquitoes, Trashy Neighbors, and Home Depot Rage

14:10 – Meeting Devon and the Origins of Ouija Broads

20:30 – Soul Sisters of Weird History and Podcast Chemistry

27:00 – Creative Lives, Art Farm Dreams, and Teaching Classes at MostGhost.com

33:30 – Devon’s Upcoming Cryptid Book (What Is a Cryptid, Really?)

38:45 – 🎧 AD BREAK & Patreon Shout-Out (BREAK POINT)

41:10 – 👣 Who Am I? Cryptid Edition – Devon Plays the Game

01:12:30 – Wrapping Up and Where to Find More Ouija Broads & Most Ghost

🔗 LINKS

🌐 Rainy Day Rabbit Holes Website: https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com

👻 Ouija Broads Website: https://ouijabroads.com

🎨 Devon’s Classes & Art: https://www.mostghost.com

Cryptids and Kindred Spirits – A Dive with Devon from Ouija Broads

Rainy Day Rabbit Holes is thrilled to welcome Devon from the Ouija Broads, one of the most beloved podcasts about Pacific Northwest paranormal history, ghosts, and cryptids. With a relaunch underway and a new book on cryptids in progress, Devon joins Shea and Jody for a hilarious and heartwarming episode about everything from mosquito bites and neighbor drama to her favorite haunted stories, paranormal research, and crafting workshops.

Plus, after the break, Devon faces her biggest challenge yet: a Who Am I? Cryptid Edition trivia game where she flexes her cryptozoology knowledge and tells us what really qualifies as a cryptid vs. a myth.

🔮 Expect weird neighbor stories, beavers falling from the sky, Bigfoot posters with grills, and a whole lot of laughter.

✨ Featured Guest:

Devon from the Ouija Broads

🧭 CHAPTERS

00:00 – Intro and Welcome

02:40 – What’s Chapping Our Ass: Mosquitoes, Trashy Neighbors, and Home Depot Rage

14:10 – Meeting Devon and the Origins of Ouija Broads

20:30 – Soul Sisters of Weird History and Podcast Chemistry

27:00 – Creative Lives, Art Farm Dreams, and Teaching Classes at MostGhost.com

33:30 – Devon’s Upcoming Cryptid Book (What Is a Cryptid, Really?)

38:45 – 🎧 AD BREAK & Patreon Shout-Out (BREAK POINT)

41:10 – 👣 Who Am I? Cryptid Edition – Devon Plays the Game

01:12:30 – Wrapping Up and Where to Find More Ouija Broads & Most Ghost

🔗 LINKS

🌐 Rainy Day Rabbit Holes Website: https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com

👻 Ouija Broads Website: https://ouijabroads.com

🎨 Devon’s Classes & Art: https://www.mostghost.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when church politics go full horror movie?

In this jaw-dropping episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes, hosts Shea and Jody unearth one of the most bizarre trials in history—the Cadaver Synod of 897 CE, when the Catholic Church literally put a dead pope on trial.

You'll learn:

• Why Pope Formosus was exhumed, dressed in papal robes, and propped up in court
• How medieval church power struggles spiraled into corpse mutilation and chaos
• What role Charlemagne’s crumbling empire played in this grotesque drama
• How public backlash, earthquakes, and papal revenge shaped the aftermath

Part of our “Silly Summer Season,” this episode trades the misty PNW for medieval Rome, where ecclesiastical drama meets dark comedy. It’s Mean Girls meets The Exorcist, and somehow, it’s all real.

Visit www.rainydayrabbitholes.com for more!

Support us by joining our Patreon! You get access to our unhinged bonus episodes plus more! www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/support

🔍 Keywords: Cadaver Synod, Pope Formosus, Stephen VI, weird Catholic history, medieval trials, corpse on trial, Vatican scandals, exhumed pope, bizarre history podcast, funny history stories

How did a 7-ton statue of Vladimir Lenin—a symbol of Soviet communism—end up in Seattle’s artsy, free-spirited Fremont neighborhood? In this listener-requested episode, Shea and Jody uncover the bizarre journey of Fremont’s Lenin statue, from a scrapyard in post-Communist Europe to its quirky life as a holiday-themed, drag-clad Seattle oddity.

They dive into the statue's Cold War origins, the eccentric American who brought it to the U.S., and the ongoing debate: Is it art, satire, or an accidental shrine to tyranny? Expect laughter, social commentary, wild hypotheticals, and a heartfelt nod to Fremont’s fading weirdness.

📍 Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to Summer Silly Season

02:15 – Listener Request from Brian of Spirits and Monsters of Old Seattle

03:20 – Who Sculpted Lenin (and Why It Took 10 Years)

06:05 – From Poprad to the Scrapyard: Lenin's Fall

09:25 – Enter Lou Carpenter: The English Teacher Who Bought Lenin

13:55 – Issaquah Says “Nope”

15:10 – A Tragic Car Crash and a Statue with No Home

18:40 – Fremont to the Rescue

21:10 – Yes, It’s Still For Sale (for $300,000!)

23:30 – Dressing Lenin: From Jack-o’-Lanterns to Drag

26:45 – Art or Offense? Slavic Americans Weigh In

29:15 – When the Mayor Got Involved

32:40 – Can You Mock History Without Glorifying It?

35:00 – Final Thoughts: Quirky Art, Political Satire, or Both?

37:00 – Patreon Shoutouts, Sexy Bigfoot, and Thank Yous

🔗 Links

🌐 Website: www.rainydayarabbitholes.com

💰 Support the show: www.rainydayarabbitholes.com/support

🎧 Bonus Content & Merch: Patreon

Normally, this kind of jaw-dropping rabbit hole is reserved just for our Patreon supporters—but today, we’re unlocking it for everyone.

In 1968, Irishman Mick Meaney decided to let himself be buried alive for 61 days in a Guinness record stunt that captured international attention…and caused his pregnant wife to find out via the radio. In this bonus episode, Shea welcomes special guest Kevin Ryan, host of Tyrant in Training Podcast and a fellow member of our Umbrella Podcast Collective, to explore:

• The surprisingly popular 1960s fad of human burial endurance contests
• The bizarre safety coffins that people invented to avoid being buried alive by accident
• Edgar Allan Poe’s stories—and real-life fears—of premature burial
• The transatlantic rivalry with Texan “Living Corpse” Bill White
• And how Mick Meaney’s stunt became a moment of Irish legend

🎧 This is the kind of fascinating, darkly funny story our Patreon supporters get access to every month. If you enjoy it, we’d love to have you join the community!

💸 Special Offer:

Get 20% off your first month on Patreon through the end of July with promo code SUMMERFUN20.

Unlock more bonus episodes, early access, and exclusive content:

👉 rainydayrabbitholes.com/support

🎙️ About Our Guest:

Kevin Ryan is the host of Tyrant in Training Podcast, where he dives into the strange and the sinister side of history.

🌐 Learn more at tyrantpod.com