One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries

Sports fans have superstitions. . . and believe in curses. For Japan’s Hanshin Tigers, a huge win led to their biggest regret: an alleged curse tied to an American fast-food icon from Kentucky.  Be sure to check the link in the show notes for an update!

Update since our original premium release (2022):  https://www.mlb.com/news/the-japanese-team-cursed-by-colonel-sanders

Hosted, written, and researched by Laurah Norton 

Additional research by Bryan Worters

Produced and Engineered by Maura Currie 

Find the fall pieces you’ll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. And when Quince asks where you heard about them, let them know it was [Say your show name]. It’s the best way to support the show.

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

This episode was originally released as Premium Episode 24.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

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Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected]. 

Works Cited 

Trevor Raichura, The Hanshin Tigers English News,  The Hanshin Tigers. 

Ron Jenkins,  “Missing Colonel Sanders. . .”  The Oklahoman, 2009.

N/A, AP, “Colonel Sanders Pulled. . .” The Salt Lake City Tribune, 2009. 

Ken Belson, “Japan’s Tigers defy past. . .” The International Herald Tribune, 2003.

N/A, “Bass Hopes Soaked. . .” The Lawton Constitution, 2009.

Steven Stark “Japan’s Tigers Dispel. . .” The Gazette, 2003. 

N/A, France Press Agency AFP “Japan Baseball Fans. . .”  2009 

Staff, “Japanese Baseball Fans Hope. . .” The Guardian, 2009.

Jim Armstrong, “Licking the Colonel” The National Post, 2009. 

N/A, “The Curse of the Colonel” Global Post Asia, 2009.

N/A. “Twins Draft Hurler. . .” The Star Tribune, 1972.

Janice Tay, “Breaking the Curse. . .” The Straits Times, 2009.

N/A, “Hanshin Tigers,” Japanball.

Robert Siegel, “An End to. . .” All Things Considered, NPR, 2009.

N/A, “Baseball: Struggling Tigers. . .” Agence France Presse, 2009.

Jay Alabaster, “Colonel Sanders Rescued. . .” Associated Press International, 2009. 

Danglickman, “Is this the End. . .” Baseball Continuum, 2014.

Jim Armstrong, “Long Wait Over. . .” Associated Press International, 2003. 

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Pennsylvania’s saddest, ugliest, and somehow most adorable cryptid, the squonk,  is here to teach you a valuable lesson. And to melt. There’s that, too. 

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Research by Laurah Norton

Produced by Maura Currie 

Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder 

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

This episode originally ran on the mainfeed as Episode 98.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected]. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Folklore can be fun, can’t it, strangers? It can also be downright terrifying, especially when used to frighten children into being good: everyone from Dolly Parton to Thomas Jefferson seems to have heard of Rawhead Bloody Bones and the cautionary tales of dark woods, drafty attics, and even lakes. But where did all the monstrous behavior begin? We try to find out. 

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Research by Laurah Norton and Anna Luria 

Engineered by Rachel Boyd/Southern Gothic media 

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected]. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the science world was overwhelmed with strange new findings out of Australia. One particular species was assumed to be a hoax… and even when it was established that the platypus was, in fact, real? It didn’t make these strange creatures make more sense.

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

Hosted by Laurah Norton

Research by Anna Luria and Maura Currie

Written, Produced and Engineered by Maura Currie

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

This episode was originally released  as Premium Episode 54.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected]. 

Works Cited 

George Shaw, “The Duck-Billed Platypus,” The Naturalist’s Miscellany, 1798.

NA, “Scientists Trying to Save…” The Washington Herald, 1928.

Abby Ohlheiser, “The platypus is so weird…” the Washington Post, 2015.

Natalie Zarrelli, “Why 19th-century naturalists…” Atlas Obscura, 2016.

Brian K. Hall, “The paradoxical platypus,” Bioscience, 1999.

Willey Ley, “Bring our private files…” Star Tribune, 1948.

James MacDonald, “The platypus is even weirder…” JSTOR Daily, 2018.

Gilad Bino et al, “The platypus: evolutionary…” Journal of Mammalogy, 2019.

Stephen C. George, “When scientists believed the adorable…” Discover Magazine, 2023.

NA, “The lying stones of…” Geological Society of London, 2017.

Jessica Leigh Hester, “The beautiful complexity of…” Atlas Obscura, 2018.

Annetta Black, “Objects of Intrigue: Fiji…” Atlas Obscura, 2013.

Douglas Main, “We knew platypuses…” National Geographic, 2020.

John Yoon, “What scientists learned from…” the New York Times, 2024.

Mindy Weisberger, “Platypuses glow an eerie…” LiveScience, 2020.

Lucie Cutting, “Woman spurred by platypus…” ABC, 2023.

Platypus

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We take a trip with Resurrection Mary, Chicago’s most famous hitchhiking ghost, down Archer Avenue and into the history that surrounds her endless treks to her eternal home: Resurrection Cemetery. As vanishing hitchhikers go, she might just be the most infamous. . . and perhaps the most beloved, too. 

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Research by Laurah Norton and Anna Luria 

Engineered by Rachel Boyd/Southern Gothic media 

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In January 1996, the small Brazilian city of Varginha became the center of one of the most famous UFO stories in South American history. Multiple witnesses, including three young women, reported seeing a strange creature with a large head and red eyes lurking in the streets, while others claimed the military had captured one or more living beings and recovered a crashed craft. To this day, Varginha is often called the "Brazilian Roswell."

In this special episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes, Vanessa Richardson is joined by Laurah Norton to investigate the Varginha incident. For more, follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes. https://pod.link/1828469754

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In the late 19th century, in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, the hodag—a monster that sprung up in the tall tales of local logging camps— made its national  debut when one was supposedly captured alive and put on display at a county fair. We are very sorry we missed it. 

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Research by Laurah Norton and Bryan Worters 

Produced by Maura Currie 

Engineered by Brandon Schexnayder 

This originally ran as episode 94.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you gave us a nickel how many goatmen we’ve covered on this show, we’d have 10 cents; it’s not a lot, but more than one might expect. This time, we’re visiting Maryland to dive into the story of a violent, possibly axe-wielding monster and the Prince George’s County  teenagers and pets it apparently enjoyed terrorizing in Bowie, along Fletchertown Road.

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

Hosted and Written  by Laurah Norton

Researched by Anna Luria  and Laurah Norton

Engineered and  Produced by Southern Gothic Media/Rachel Boyd

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected]. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’ve covered murderous clowns, motel clowns, and . . . honestly, we forget how many iterations have popped up, like jack-in-the-boxes, over the years. But this time, strangers, we’ve got what may be the most unique experience of all: a vintage story that combines UFOs, clownery, a possible robot, children with surprisingly good social skills, and the most unsettling berry-eating experience we’ve ever been exposed to in our five-year tenure. Enjoy. 

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!  

Hosted By Laurah Norton 

Written and Researched by Laurah Norton and Maura Currie 

Engineered and Produced by Maura Currie

This is Premium Episode 83, appearing for the first time on the main feed. 

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected]. 

Works Cited: 

Norman Oliver, “Ghost or Spaceman ’73?” The BUFORA Journal, February 1978. 

N/A, History Disclosure, “Two Children Have a Close Encounter With a Strange Humanoid.” 2018.

N/A, “The Sandown Clown: Exploring…” On the Wight, 2023.

Tom Oldham, “The Mystery of The…” VICE, 2025.

Test Card F (via Test Card Fandom Wiki)

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The lava beds of Central Oregon produced one of the most involved (and fascinating) creature features of the early 20th century: the mythic lava bear. And, of course, all of the humans who argued about it, hunted it, and attempted to have scientific discussions regarding its existence. We sure do love history, strangers. 

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Hosted and Written  by Laurah Norton

Researched by Anna Luria  and Laurah Norton

Engineered and  Produced by Southern Gothic Media/Rachel Boyd

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus 

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing Podcast

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; [email protected].

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.