Professional Weirdo Podcast

Grab your broom and cauldron! We're talking about witches! 

Songs for today’s episode:

• Season of the Witch by Donovan
• Growling Old Man and Cackling Old Woman / Pig Town Fling by Margaret MacArthur
• Witch by Belly
• Small Town Witch by Sneaker Pimps
• Burn by King Woman

Sources:

• https://www.dictionary.com/e/witch-ingredients/
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/
• https://www.maloriesadventures.com/blog/the-most-famous-real-life-witches-in-history-and-the-wild-stories-behind-them
• https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/they-werent-witches-they-were-women-the-witch-hunts-and-their-repercussions/181902/
• https://www.panaprium.com/blogs/i/how-midwives-and-healers-used-plant-magic-in-old-villages
• https://guides.library.uab.edu/c.php?g=1048546&p=7609202
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Shipton
• https://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/SAL_ACCT.HTM
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Dee
• https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/la-voisin-frances-murderous-fortune-teller
• https://www.360onhistory.com/conspiracy-theories/agnes-sampson-the-first-victim-of-the-witch-trials/
• https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/North-Berwick-Witch-Trials/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Nutter_(alleged_witch)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendle_witches
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/last-witch-executed-europe-gets-museum-180964633/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trier_witch_trials
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tors%C3%A5ker_witch_trials

Sound mixing performed by Brother Jay from The Rule of Scary podcast - check that out if you’re a horror movie fan! And hey! Thank you for listening to my stories. Keep it weird out there.  

To find song recommendations for this podcast, check out the Spotify Professional Weird playlist

• https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jIkaamOZlCwtd2peUk9lF?si=0238d524a374492d

Email me at [email protected]

Let's be tombstone tourists together, taking a look at some unusual graves around the world. 

Songs I recommend with today’s episode.

• 6 Underground by Sneaker Pimps
• Funeral Singers by Sylvan Esso
• My Body’a a Zombie for You by Dead Man’s Bones
• Graveyard Blues by John Lee Hooker

Sources:

• https://oldweirdscotland.com/cursed-stones-of-the-doune/
• https://mymacabreroadtrip.com/the-cursed-grave-of-seath-mor/
• https://worldculturalthreads.com/ancient-burial-rituals-and-their-cultural-significance/
• https://gravestonestories.com/the-complete-guide-to-cemetery-superstitions-folklore-and-traditions/
• https://www.kickassfacts.com/graveyard-facts/
• https://memorialsoflife.com/7-surprising-facts-about-cemeteries-you-probably-didnt-know/
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-grave-of-florence-irene-ford
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-girl-in-the-shadow-box
• https://history.howstuffworks.com/european-history/pere-lachaise.htm
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10341817/fernand_louis-arbelot
• https://cityorcity.com/5-most-unusual-graves-in-pere-lachaise/
• https://burialsandbeyond.com/2021/02/13/the-grave-of-clasped-hands-love-conquering-death/
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-kiss-of-death-east-cemetery
• https://livinglondonhistory.com/the-two-london-graves-you-are-encouraged-to-dance-on/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katalin_Kar%C3%A1dy
• https://www.cultofweird.com/death/dollhouse-graves/
• https://burialsandbeyond.com/2021/04/10/the-curious-world-of-dollhouse-graves/
• https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/victor-noir-statue-legend

Sound mixing performed by Brother Jay from The Rule of Scary podcast - check that out if you’re a horror movie fan! And hey! Thank you for listening to my stories. Keep it weird out there.  

To find song recommendations for this podcast, check out the Spotify Professional Weird playlist

• https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jIkaamOZlCwtd2peUk9lF?si=0238d524a374492d

Email me at [email protected]

In this episode we continue our look at cults. See, you listened to the first part and now you can't escape it. 

This episode contains mention of abuse, murder, suicide, and the sexual abuse of minors. Discretion is advised. If you are ever struggling and need help is available by calling 988 in the U.S. or visit this site for resources around the world: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/suicide/suicide-prevention-hotlines-resources-worldwide

Songs I recommend with today’s episode can be found on the Spotify playlist I made to accompany this podcast:

• Sheep by Mt. Joy
• I’ll Believe in Anything by Wolf Parade 
• Cult of Personality by Living Color
• Superstition by Mr. Stevie Wonder
• Sheared Box by Portishead

Sources for today's episode: 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Solar_Temple
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peoples_Temple
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven%27s_Gate_(religious_group)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Family_International
• https://people.com/celebrity/rose-mcgowan-how-she-survived-and-escaped-a-cult/
• https://www.grunge.com/476981/the-untold-truth-of-the-children-of-god-cult/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamentalist_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-Day_Saints
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aum_Shinrikyo
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branch_Davidians

Sound mixing performed by Brother Jay from The Rule of Scary podcast - check that out if you’re a horror movie fan! And hey! Thank you for listening to my stories. Keep it weird out there.  

To find song recommendations for this podcast, check out the Spotify Professional Weird playlist

• https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jIkaamOZlCwtd2peUk9lF?si=0238d524a374492d

Email me at [email protected]

I didn't know what I was getting into when I started this episode. And that's what a lot of people in these stories probably thought, because we're talking about cults. Join me, won't you?

This episode contains mention of abuse, murder, suicide, and the sexual abuse of minors. Discretion is advised. If you are ever struggling and need help is available by calling 988 in the U.S. or visit this site for resources around the world: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/suicide/suicide-prevention-hotlines-resources-worldwide

Songs I recommend with today’s episode can be found on the Spotify playlist I made to accompany this podcast:

• Sheep by Mt. Joy
• I’ll Believe in Anything by Wolf Parade 
• Cult of Personality by Living Color
• Superstition by Mr. Stevie Wonder

Sources for today's episode: 

• https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-sunk-cost-fallacy-7106851
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/what-is-the-children-of-the-waning-star-cult-gigi-jarvis-crazed-following-and-the-controversy-explained/ar-AA1INLkQ
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Carlson_(religious_leader)
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/word-less/202303/has-a-loved-one-fallen-into-a-dangerous-cult
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Has_Won
• https://www.salon.com/2023/12/04/love-has-won-robin-williams-culture/
• https://nypost.com/2021/12/02/colorado-cult-leaders-cause-of-death-revealed-after-corpse-found-mummified/
• https://yellowdeli.com/about
• https://www.5dfulldisclosure.org/
• https://people.howstuffworks.com/yellow-deli-cult.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajneesh_movement
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwen_Shamblin_Lara
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Russian_Orthodox_Church

Sound mixing performed by Brother Jay from The Rule of Scary podcast - check that out if you’re a horror movie fan! And hey! Thank you for listening to my stories. Keep it weird out there.  

To find song recommendations for this podcast, check out the Spotify Professional Weird playlist

• https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jIkaamOZlCwtd2peUk9lF?si=0238d524a374492d

Email me at [email protected]

Let's go exploring! I'll take you on a tour of some abandoned towns, where all residents have left, or entry is restricted. 

Songs:

• Ghost Town by The Specials
• Cold Reactor by Everything Everything
• Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth by the Primitive Radio Gods
• The Pit by Mouse Rat

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Beach,_Missouri
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portlock,_Alaska
• https://alaskamagazine.com/authentic-alaska/somethings-afoot-in-port-chatham-century-old-rumors-persist-of-a-terror-in-the-mountains/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Island_(New_York)
• https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/new-york/stories-in-new-york/saving-plum-island/h
• ttps://yellowdogvillage.com
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treece,_Kansas
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picher,_Oklahoma
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardin,_Oklahoma
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douthat,_Oklahoma
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/helltown-ohio
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hart_Island
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore,_Michigan
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildcat_banking
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marktown
• https://uncoveringpa.com/yellow-dog-village
• https://thelittlehouseofhorrors.com/helltown/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia,_Pennsylvania
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Maguires

Sound mixing performed by Brother Jay from The Rule of Scary podcast - check that out if you’re a horror movie fan! And hey! Thank you for listening to my stories. Keep it weird out there.  

To find song recommendations for this podcast, check out the Spotify Professional Weird playlist

• https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jIkaamOZlCwtd2peUk9lF?si=0238d524a374492d

Email me at [email protected]

Dive into parasomnia and sleepwalking - and all the other things that can go wrong in our sleep. And listen to a few stories where "sleepwalking" led to murder. Allegedly. Supposedly. Brutally. 

Songs: 

• I’m Not Falling Asleep by Andy Shauf
• Sleep to Dream by Fiona Apple
• Heavy Water/I’d Rather be Sleeping by Grouper, and 
• Wake Up by Arcade Fire

Sources:

• https://www.thisamericanlife.org/361/fear-of-sleep/act-one-16
• https://sleepforensicmedicine.org/case-studies/confusional-arousals/
• https://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/sleep/articles/2009/05/08/7-criminal-cases-that-invoked-the-sleepwalking-defense
• https://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/sleep/articles/2009/05/08/when-sleep-problems-become-legal-problems-neuroscience-can-help
• https://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/sleep/articles/2009/05/08/when-sleep-problems-become-legal-problems-neuroscience-can-help
• https://sleepforensicmedicine.org/case-studies/sleep-walking/
• https://www.sleepfoundation.org/parasomnias/sleep-demon
• https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-a-false-awakening-3014835
• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-science-of-sleep-understanding-what-happens-when-you-sleep
• https://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/sleep/articles/2009/05/08/7-criminal-cases-that-invoked-the-sleepwalking-defense
• https://www.healthline.com/health/why-do-we-sleep
• https://www.sleepfoundation.org/parasomnias

Sound mixing performed by Brother Jay from The Rule of Scary podcast - check that out if you’re a horror movie fan! And hey! Thank you for listening to my stories. Keep it weird out there.  

To find song recommendations for this podcast, check out the Spotify Professional Weird playlist

• https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jIkaamOZlCwtd2peUk9lF?si=0238d524a374492d

Email me at [email protected]

We're getting "far out" and talking about UFOs. What’s your theory? Weird weather phenomena? Experimental, top-secret military aircraft? Little green spacemen? 

Songs I recommend with today’s episode can be found on the Spotify playlist:

• Outer Space by John Grant
• 3rd Planet by Modest Mouse
• Oh! You Pretty Things by David Bowie - because of course Bowie is gonna be recommended for the UFO episode

Sources:

• https://unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/2013/10/28/project-blue-book-ufos-in-home-movies/
• https://vault.fbi.gov/UFO
• https://www.archives.gov/research/topics/uaps
• https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40586960
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roswell_incident
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reported_UFO_sightings
• https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a61826531/japan-ufo-sightings-hotspot/
• https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29755919
• https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/ufo-sightings-by-country
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Blue_Book
• https://nypost.com/2025/04/13/world-news/declassified-cold-war-era-cia-files-detail-soviet-clash-with-aliens-who-witnesses-say-turned-soldiers-to-stone/
• https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/release/article/2314065/establishment-of-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-task-force/
• https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pentagons-ufo-report-finds-700-new-cases-21/story?id=115878401
• https://www.npr.org/2023/07/27/1190390376/ufo-hearing-non-human-biologics-uaps
• https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/are-5-memorable-moments-congress-ufo-hearing-rcna96476
• https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life/ufo-whistleblowers-tell-congress-we-are-not-alone-in-the-cosmos

Sound mixing performed by Brother Jay from The Rule of Scary podcast - check that out if you’re a horror movie fan! And hey! Thank you for listening to my stories. Keep it weird out there.  

To find song recommendations for this podcast, check out the Spotify Professional Weird playlist

• https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jIkaamOZlCwtd2peUk9lF?si=0238d524a374492d

Email me at [email protected]

Weather is weird, and we're going to be talking about some of the weirdest. And learning fun weather terms. Give it a listen - you'll be BLOWN away.

Songs I recommend with today’s episode - there’s 5! F5!

• Sun is a Hole, Sun is Vapors by Godspeed, You Black Emperor
• Whirlwind by the Gits
• Lightning Bolt by Jake Bugg
• Raining Blood by Slayer
• Land of Sunshine by Faith No More

Sources:

• https://www.noaa.gov/news/50-years-later-remembering-1974-tornado-super-outbreak
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_Super_Outbreak
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williwaw
• https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/storms/rain-frog.htm
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon_snow
• https://climavision.com/blog/strange-weather-phenomena-part-2/
• https://climavision.com/blog/strange-weather-phenomena-part-iii/
• https://www.bbcearth.com/news/meteoro-illogical-the-worlds-weirdest-weather
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megacryometeor
• https://www.history.com/articles/major-blizzards-in-u-s-history
• https://www.spc.noaa.gov/efscale/
• https://www.weather.gov/lmk/april31974_personal_experiences
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tornado_records
• https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/meteorology-climatology/item/can-it-rain-frogs-fish-and-other-objects/
• https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/running-ponies/the-great-kentucky-meat-shower-mystery-unwound-by-projectile-vulture-vomit/
• https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/what-were-the-oakville-blobs
• https://www.iflscience.com/oakville-blobs-in-1994-mysterious-gelatinous-goo-rained-down-on-washington-73717#
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Mitch

Sound mixing performed by Brother Jay from The Rule of Scary podcast - check that out if you’re a horror movie fan! And hey! Thank you for listening to my stories. Keep it weird out there.  

To find song recommendations for this podcast, check out the Spotify Professional Weird playlist

• https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jIkaamOZlCwtd2peUk9lF?si=0238d524a374492d

Email me at [email protected]

Don’t we all hoard something a little? I have a footlocker of Pez dispensers. 34 potted plants. A SMALL suitcase of stickers. For this episode I'll tell you stories to inspire spring cleaning.

Song recs for this episode are on the Professional Weirdo Podcast Spotify music playlist: 

• The Recluse, Cursive
• Collector, Here We Go Magic
• Wondrous Place, Drug Store Romeos

Sources:

• https://lithub.com/10-famous-book-hoarders/
• https://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/mental-disorders/5-famous-hoarding-cases.htm
• https://ecobear.co/knowledge-center/a-look-inside-the-world-of-famous-hoarders/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collyer_brothers#:~:text=Homer%20Lusk%20Collyer%20(November%206,bizarre%20natures%20and%20compulsive%20hoarding.
• https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/23071/7-famous-hoarders
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collyer_brothers#:~:text=Homer%20Lusk%20Collyer%20(November%206,bizarre%20natures%20and%20compulsive%20hoarding.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_Wood
• https://www.ranker.com/list/historical-figures-with-enormous-collections/melissa-sartore
• https://historycollection.com/these-famous-hoarders-from-history-could-have-had-entire-tlc-shows-about-their-lives/
• https://historycollection.com/these-famous-hoarders-from-history-could-have-had-entire-tlc-shows-about-their-lives/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Kennedy_Miller
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stutz_Motor_Car_Company
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Ewing_Bouvier_Beale
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/everything-was-fake-but-her-wealth-4621153/

Sound mixing performed by Brother Jay from The Rule of Scary podcast - check that out if you’re a horror movie fan! And hey! Thank you for listening to my stories. Keep it weird out there.  

To find song recommendations for this podcast, check out the Spotify Professional Weird playlist

• https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jIkaamOZlCwtd2peUk9lF?si=0238d524a374492d

Email me at [email protected]

This week I said goodbye to 23andMe and removed my data from their database. When I took the test 4 years ago I only had one slight surprise in my results. But there are a lot of other people out there who had much bigger surprises in store. 

Music recommendation for this episode: 

• Strangers by Portishead
• What I Am by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians

To find these and more recommended songs for this podcast, check out the Spotify Professional Weird playlist

• https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jIkaamOZlCwtd2peUk9lF?si=0238d524a374492d

Sources for this episode: 

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/lifestyle/she-thought-she-was-irish-until-a-dna-test-opened-a-100-year-old-mystery/?utm_term=.089d1aca195c
• https://blog.23andme.com/articles/an-only-childs-dna-surprise
• https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2023/09/19/ancestry-dna-family-secrets/70707516007/
• https://time.com/6176310/our-father-true-story-netflix/
• https://listverse.com/2019/01/11/10-shocking-discoveries-we-uncovered-from-analyzing-ancient-dna/
• https://www.npr.org/2010/02/16/123781211/frail-and-sickly-king-tut-suffered-through-life

Sound mixing performed by Brother Jay from The Rule of Scary podcast - check that out if you’re a horror movie fan! And hey! Thank you for listening to my stories. Keep it weird out there.  

To find song recommendations for this podcast, check out the Spotify Professional Weird playlist

• https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jIkaamOZlCwtd2peUk9lF?si=0238d524a374492d

Email me at [email protected]