Ill-Equipped History

For 13 terrifying days in 1962, the world was on the precipice of nuclear war. The United States, Cuba, and the Soviet Union were in a standoff regarding missiles stationed on the island, only 90 miles from US soil. Listen to find out how President Kennedy and Premier Khrushchev negotiated for the continuance of humanity. 

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Sources

“Cold War” (Oct 27 2025)

“Nikita Khrushchev” (Jun 11 2020)

“The Bay of Pigs Invasion” (Apr 18 2016)

“Cuban Missile Crisis” by History.com editors (updated May 28 2025)

“Cuban Missile Crisis” 

“The Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962”, U.S. Office of the Historian 

“The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962”

“Cuban missile crisis: 13 stormy days in Oct 1962 when US, USSR came to brink of nuclear conflict” by Ankita Thakur (Oct 18 2025)

Sound Credits:

John F. Kennedy Speech, October 22, 1962, published on 1962-10-22 00:00:00. Uploaded on 2004-05-19 17:12:28 by mdg

Breaking news intro music by humanoide9000 -- https://freesound.org/s/760770/  -- License: Attribution 4.0

Laugh Group of Children.wav by FunWithSound -- https://freesound.org/s/416703/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 

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https://greenbrierwv.com/editorials/the-greenbrier-ghost

https://wvexplorer.com/2024/01/20/greenbrier-ghost-zona-heaster-shue-west-virginia-wv/

https://dannyechase.com/blog/greenbrier/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40813714/erasmus_stribbling-shue

Today's episode is about Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, one of the most prolific authors of all time. She is considered the mother of science fiction and wrote Frankenstein, which would go on to inspire the movie monster imbedded into pop culture today. From the beginning, her life was steeped in tragedy, betrayal, and loss, which would influence her writings and give us what we have today. 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: SUICIDE, INFANT/CHILD MORTALITY/DEATH, MISCARRIAGE, ADULTERY

If you or someone you love is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please call or text the Suicide Hotline at 988. 

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"Mary Shelley" (May 6 2021)

https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/mary-shelley 

"10 Facts About Mary Shelley" by Michele Debczak (Aug 26 2022) 

www.mentalfloss.com/posts/mary-shelley-author-facts 

“Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley” by Kathleen Kuiper (Oct 14 2025)

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Wollstonecraft-Shelley

“Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley” 

https://knarf.english.upenn.edu/MShelley/bio.html

“A Biographical Sketch of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851)” by Charlotte Pabst-Kastner (Dec 30 2015)

https://victorianweb.org/previctorian/mshelley/bio.html

Sound Credits:

rain_medium_thunders.aif by loopbasedmusic -- https://freesound.org/s/157485/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Heavy_Rain_UK_Cambridge_2.wav by alexkandrell -- https://freesound.org/s/316893/ -- License: Attribution 3.0

NYC Rain 4 G- lightening crack.wav by bmlake -- https://freesound.org/s/251635/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Birds_Tweeting.wav by ken788 -- https://freesound.org/s/386732/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Music by Liam Brooks from Pixabay

https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-tense-horror-background-4235

Sarah Winchester was the heir to the massive Winchester fortune after her husband died. Not only was she a kind philanthropist and environmentalist, but she built one of the most famous structures in North America: The Winchester House of Mystery. Join Emileigh and Morgan as they wind through stairs that go to nowhere as they unwind the legends surrounding the Winchester mansion. 

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https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/timeline/

https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/history/

https://www.google.com/search?q=the+winchester+house+documentary&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS1087US1087&oq=the+winchester+house+documentary+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCggAEEUYFhgeGDkyCAgBEAAYFhgeMggIAhAAGBYYHjIICAMQABgWGB4yCAgEEAAYFhgeMggIBRAAGBYYHjIICAYQABgWGB4yCAgHEAAYFhgeMggICBAAGBYYHjIKCAkQABiABBiiBNIBCDU0ODlqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:731b8d7b,vid:RVbxOWZFI5w,st:0

https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/a27481666/winchester-mystery-house/

https://www.history.com/articles/winchester-house-haunted

https://www.google.com/search?q=winchester+house+doc+&sca_esv=da19ebeccc14b1b9&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS1087US1087&sxsrf=AE3TifMRquxBO2hEfaKP_13DBzD6rT6YqA%3A1760495353389&ei=-QbvaN-7F8HAp84Pw66i6QM&ved=0ahUKEwifnKuhlKWQAxVB4MkDHUOXKD0Q4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=winchester+house+doc+&gs_lp=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-UGwgcJMi0xLjMuMi4yyAfDAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:5c96a739,vid:5DVEPBlZknk,st:0

Sound Credits: 

Keys Jingling Car House by deleted_user_7146007 -- https://freesound.org/s/383765/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

FootstepsOnaDock.wav by mmaruska -- https://freesound.org/s/180650/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Silent Spooky Halloween by SOUND_GARAGE: https://pixabay.com/music/ambient-silent-spooky-halloween-395467/ 

We're continuing spooky month talking about seances! The phenomenon spread like wildfire as people were entertained by productions and found peace in connecting with lost loved ones. 

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“Spiritualism”

https://library.umbc.edu/specialcollections/garrett/spiritualism/

“Understanding the 1920s Spiritualism Revival” by Rose Staveley-Wadham (Oct 14 2021)

https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2021/10/14/understanding-the-1920s-spiritualism-revival/

“The Fox Sisters and the Rap on Spiritualism” by Abbott Kahler (Oct 30 2012)

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-fox-sisters-and-the-rap-on-spiritualism-99663697/

“Hypnosis in History” 

https://hypnosis.edu/history/the-birth-of-mesmerism

https://swedenborg.com/emanuel-swedenborg/for-swedenborg-starters/

“Why did so many Victorians try to speak with the dead? By Casey Cep (May 24 2021)

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/31/why-did-so-many-victorians-try-to-speak-with-the-dead

“Victorian Spiritualism” by Susan Krysiak (2023)

https://www.capemaymag.com/arts-and-entertainment/victorian-vignette/victorian-spiritualism/

“Spiritualism, Science, and the Supernatural in Mid-Victorian Britain” by Richard Noakes 

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/43093582.pdf

“Seeing is Believing: Spiritualism in the Victorian Era-Part 4” by Julie Mathias (Aug 1 2019)

https://oldoperatingtheatre.com/seeing-is-believing-spiritualism-in-the-victorian-era-part-4/

“Seeing is Believing: Spiritualism in the Victorian Era-Part 2” by Julie Mathias (Aug 1 2019)

https://oldoperatingtheatre.com/seeing-is-believing-spiritualism-in-the-victorian-era-part-2/

“Victoran Spiritualism - Proponents and Opponents” by Dr. Andrzej Kiniejko (Nov 14 2013)

https://victorianweb.org/religion/spiritualism2.html

“Spiritualism and a Mid-Victorian Crisis of Evidence” by Peter Lamont (2004). The Historical Journal, 47, 4. pp. 897-920. doi:10.1017/S0018246X04004030

https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/11872202/Spiritualism_and_a_mid_Victorian_crisis_of_evidence.pdf

“History of the Golden Dawn: A Timeline” 

https://hermeticgoldendawn.org/history-of-the-golden-dawn/

“Ghost Club: Yeats’s and Dickens’s Secret Society of Spirits” by Peter Hoskin (Oct 31 2017)

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2017/10/31/ghost-club-yeats-dickens-secret-society-spirits/

“The Victorian Occult Obsession | Seances and Scammers” by ASMR Historian 

“Victorian Spiritualism” by Dr. Andrzej Kiniejko (Nov 14 2013)

https://victorianweb.org/victorian/religion/spirit.html 

Sound Credits:

Dinner table shaking by YannSauvin -- https://freesound.org/s/778107/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Knocking.wav by morganaflynn -- https://freesound.org/s/561853/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

The girls have done it again! Another paranormal investigation has come to a close and what a great one it was! This episode is free for everyone but sign up for our Patreon in the month of October and receive an exclusive Investigation sticker and more content for only $5 a month! 

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https://osphprc.com/about-osphprc

Information given to us by our guide

https://southernplacesandfaces.com/2023/07/17/a-shootout-a-famous-actress-and-a-cornbread-festival-explore-south-pittsburg-tenn-2/

https://historicsouthpittsburgtn.com/ 

Emileigh and Morgan kick off the October spooky episode with one of our favorite curse stories! In the Holy Roman Empire all the way in 1518, a town was swept up in a frenzy that occurred more than you think. Happy Spooky Season everyone! 

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https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/the-dancing-plague-of-1518/

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220512-the-people-who-danced-themselves-to-death

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_mania#

https://connection.newmanministry.com/saint/saint-vitus/

https://www.stvituscatholicschoolofdance.com/st-vitus

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-students-twitcnew-york-h/schools-end-clears-up-new-york-students-mystery-twitching-idUSBRE85M0DF20120623/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Paracelsus

Ballroom culture is a community of drag made for queer people of color to express themselves in an accepting, safe environment. But the history of drag and ballroom culture goes back farther than you'd think in history! Join Morgan and Emileigh as they explore the amazing queens and kings that made this culture what it is today. 

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Paris is Burning documentary (1990), directed by Jennie Livingston

“The fabulous history of drag” (May 2019)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zbkmkmn

“Understanding Drag: As American as Apple Pie”

https://www.hrc.org/resources/understanding-drag

https://www.royalhouseoflabeija.com/history 

“Subcultures and Sociology” 

https://haenfler.sites.grinnell.edu/subcultures-and-scenes/underground-ball-culture/

“Living the Fantasy: A Brief History of Baltimore Ballroom” by Joseph Plaster

https://peabodyballroom.library.jhu.edu/home/ballroom-history/

“44 Stunning Photos Of The Ballroom Scene, The Vibrant Queer Subculture Known For Its Underground Drag Balls” by Kaleena Fraga, edited by Maggie Donahue (Sept 6 2024)

https://allthatsinteresting.com/ballroom-culture

Sound Credits:

Crowd ambience.wav by IllusiaProductions -- https://freesound.org/s/249939/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

https://freesound.org/people/IllusiaProductions/sounds/249939/?

Cheer 4 yas kween get it girl.wav by jayfrosting -- https://freesound.org/s/333410/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

https://freesound.org/people/jayfrosting/sounds/333410/

Audience Applause/Clapping by FynFyn -- https://freesound.org/s/458535/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

https://freesound.org/people/FynFyn/sounds/458535/ 

Music by Marvellous Francis from Pixabay 

https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-beach-party-254359/

Fresh from a trip to Chicago, Emileigh was inspired to cover the life and career of America's greatest architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. The girls are then thrown into a story of a life full of scandal, inspiration, and creativity. 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T4UOOtSdRQ

https://flwright.org/sites/default/files/ckfinder/userfiles/files/The-Wright-Family.pdf

https://franklloydwright.org/frank-lloyd-wright-and-japan/

http://www.steinerag.com/flw/Artifact%20Pages/PhMiriam.htm

https://flwright.org/sites/default/files/ckfinder/userfiles/files/The-Wright-Family.pdf

https://architectsandartisans.com/blog/the-life-of-olgivanna-lloyd-wright/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Lloyd_Wright#Midlife_problems

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olgivanna_Lloyd_Wright#The_Taliesin_Fellowship

https://franklloydwright.org/frank-lloyd-wright/

Vercingetorix was a Gallic king who united discordant tribes to fight against Roman conquest. The only problem was that his adversary was Julius Caesar. Today's episode discusses the political climate leading up to the Gallic Wars, Caesar's conquest, and one man's attempt to win back freedom for his people. 

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“Who were the Gauls?”

https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/ancient-history/gauls/

“Gallic Wars” 

https://history-maps.com/story/Gallic-Wars

“The Gallic Wars: How Julius Caesar Conquered Gaul (Modern France)” by Robert Holmes (Jan 16 2021)

https://www.thecollector.com/gallic-wars-how-julius-caesar-conquered-gaul/

“The Untold Truth of Vercingetorix” by Engrid Barnett (Feb 3 2023) 

https://www.grunge.com/759710/the-untold-truth-of-vercingetorix/

“Meet Vercingetorix, the Chieftain Whose Gallic Warriors Beat Caesar” by Leyla Alyanak (June 2 2025) 

https://www.offbeatfrance.com/gallic-warriors.html

“The Gallic Chieftain Vercingetorix and His Famous Revolt Against Caesar” by Hayden Chakra (Apr 15 2025)

https://about-history.com/the-gallic-chieftain-vercingetorix-and-his-famous-revolt-against-caesar/

“Vercingetorix (82 BC-46 BC): Heroic Galic Chieftain and His Struggle Against Rome” by Vladimir Vulic 

https://roman-empire.net/people/vercingetorix-heroic-galic-chieftain 

“Vercingetorix: the Gallic warrior who defied Julius Caesar’s legions and almost succeeded” 

https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/ancient-history/vercingetorix/

“Vercingetorix: The Ancient Freedom Fighter Who Nearly Beat Caesar” by Katie Serana and John Kuroski (Jun 2 2019, updated Nov 6 2019)

https://allthatsinteresting.com/vercingetorix

“Vercingetorix” 

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vercingetorix

“Siege of Avaricum, 52 BC” by John Rickard (Mar 23 2009)

https://www.historyofwar.org/articles/siege_avaricum.html 

“Battle of Gergovia” (Dec 28 2015) 

https://warhistory.org/@msw/article/battle-of-gergovia

“Battle of Gergovia” 

https://romangeek.com/wiki/battle_of_gergovia/

“Siege of Noviodunum, March 52 BC” by John Rickard (Mar 23 2009)

https://www.historyofwar.org/articles/siege_noviodunum.html 

Sound Credits:

G29-54-Men Yell  Riot.wav by craigsmith -- https://freesound.org/s/438414/ -- License: Creative Commons 0