Want to know what it’s like to be the perpetual last pick in every sport you’ve ever played? Take a listen.

What do you think of when you say Transylvania? Would it shock you to know that Bram Stoker never visited the place? Luckily, Stoker scholar Sir Christopher Frayling has. I’ll talk about his comparison of an actual visit to the Land Beyond the Forest to the descriptions found in the novel Dracula. I’ll finish the episode by explaining why Oktoberfest falls mainly in September.

Labor Day is almost upon us. I look into the origins of this American holiday and then the second installment of my Halloween is a Place series takes us to Sleepy Hollow, NY. I finish the episode by trying to decide which Sleepy Hollow adaptation is best.

I get an early start on the Halloween season, so in order to pace myself I’ve decided to do a four-part series looking at the contenders to be the capital of Halloween. I’m starting with a spirited little town near Minneapolis that’s been big on Halloween for more than 100 years. Also, after I created this episode, I tweaked the name of the podcast to Today’s A Holiday. So starting with episode 3, that’s what you’ll hear me reference it as.

The Medieval celebration of Lammas on Aug. 1 signified the start of the harvest season. So as far as I’m concerned, let the fall begin!

I’m debuting a new podcast Aug. 1. Here’s a brief explainer. Also, after I created this episode, I tweaked the name of the podcast to Today’s A Holiday. Starting with episode 3, that’s what you’ll hear me reference it as.

When working by the light of the harvest moon, don’t let the Feldgeister bug you.

In Dallas in the 1920s, secretive KKK wasn’t so secretive. The Klan, for a time, was the biggest force in city politics. But journalists and African-American leaders led the resistance.

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This episode is sponsored by

· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Let’s journey back to the last years of the 19th century and learn how a little bald kid in a yellow nightshirt changed the media landscape forever.

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This episode is sponsored by

· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app