Michael Taylor was a man harboring more than a few demons. Literally. Find out what happens when the two priests his not-a-cult church hire to exorcise them do a real half-ass job of it.

Then meet Di Xin; a man who dared to make his dreams of swimming in a lake of alcohol, strolling through a forest of meat, and orgy'ing through an orgy of ... orgy'ists? a reality. As it turns out, he's not as cool as he first seems.

Sources:

Milliman, Hayley, The King with a Lake of Wine (Or Three Crazy Stories About King Zhou), Museum Hack, August 21, 2018, https://museumhack.com/king-zhou/

Swanser, Brent, Demons and Death: The Strange Case of Michael Taylor, Mysterious Universe, Dec 29, 2015, https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2015/12/demons-and-death-the-strange-case-of-michael-taylor/

King Zhou of Shang, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Zhou_of_Shang

What do you do when you're being stalked by the Trapo Espiritu? First, you remind yourself that that means 'Rag Spirit', and what's scary about rags? Second, you follow these step by step instructions from a person who, uh, doesn't survive? 

Then: Running a marathon in the desert might sound crazy, but it's not as crazy as making the mistake of saying "Nothing can go wrong!" before you start. Find out the lengths Mauro Prosperi went through to survive on this week's episode! 

Sources:

Prosperi, Mauro, How I Drank Urine and Bat Blood to Survive, BBC News, Nov 27, 2014, https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30046426

Uncredited, Closed Eyes, Creepypasta Wiki, http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/Closed_Eyes

When your physician's name is Doctor Hazard, you know you're in for a wild ride. Starvation, death-marches, hauntings... Starvation Hill is one hell of a place.

Also, it's finally here. Part three: the finale! Oliver Napoleon Hill might be the world's worst conman, and also one of the world's most successful self-help gurus. Don't miss the conclusion of this mind bending saga.

Sources:

Hungry Ghosts of Starvation Heights, The, Weird US, http://www.weirdus.com/states/washington/ghosts/starvation_heights/index.php

Novak, Matt, All-American Huckster, Gizmodo, Dec 6, 2016: https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/the-untold-story-of-napoleon-hill-the-greatest-self-he-1789385645

On an unassuming June night in 1912, the Moore home became the scene of a grisly ax murder, claiming the lives of all the inhabitants as well as their guests. Today, the house is a popular tourist attraction, where it is said the ghosts of the victims, and even the murderer, still linger. Meet the Villisca Ax Murder House. 

Then, the saga of Oliver Napoleon Hill continues. In part 2, Napoleon really ups his game, building upon fraudulent schools, magazines, stocks, charities, and more. And while he still seems to screw up and be exposed at every turn, we finally see the foundation of a lasting self-help empire. 

Sources:

Novak, Matt, All-American Huckster, Gizmodo, Dec 6, 2016: https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/the-untold-story-of-napoleon-hill-the-greatest-self-he-1789385645

Viscilla Ax Murder House (website): http://www.villiscaiowa.com/town-history.php

What do you do when an abused servant makes you a voodoo-cursed doll? You name it after yourself, and then blame it for everything that ever happens. The story of Robert's doll Robert is a weird one.

Oliver Napoleon Hill was a man who couldn't fail, as long as you were letting him define what success means. The story of this con-man's journey to becoming a legitimate con-man is a seriously long one, so sit down for Part 1 of the journey.

Sources:

Novak, Matt, All-American Huckster, Gizmodo, Dec 6, 2016: https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/the-untold-story-of-napoleon-hill-the-greatest-self-he-1789385645

Unattributed, Robert - Key West's Living Doll, Weird US: http://www.weirdus.com/states/florida/ghosts/robert_the_living_doll/index.php

Wolfgang Abel and Marco Furlan grew up in the lap of luxury. With every advantage, they did what any good psychopaths would do, and began murdering indiscriminately. The only thing worse than their deeds is the ending to their story.

The women of the Soviet 588th Night Bomber Regiment were given every disadvantage, but the Night Withes wouldn't let that stop them as they rained terror down upon their Nazi enemies.

Sources:

Cole, Clarissa, Italy's Deadly Duo: Abel and Furlan, The Criminal Code, Mar 14, 2018: http://www.thecriminalcode.com/index.php/2018/03/14/italys-deadly-duo-abel-and-furlan/

Garber, Megan, Night Witches: The Female Fighter Pilots of WWII, The Atlantic, Jul 5, 2013, https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/07/night-witches-the-female-fighter-pilots-of-world-war-ii/277779/

Holland, Brynn, Meet the Night Witches, The Daring Female Pilots Who Bombed Nazis by Night, History, Jul 7, 2017, https://www.history.com/news/meet-the-night-witches-the-daring-female-pilots-who-bombed-nazis-by-night

Unaccredited, ‘Night Witches’, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Witches

This week, we delve into the history of tattoos, which is slightly less painful than the history of tattoo removal. From individual expression, to branding and spiritual punishment; being inked has meant many things for many people.

We also delve into the curious case of Rudolph Fentz, perhaps the world's best-known "unintentional time-traveler." Sadly, his impressive mutton chops weren't enough to save him from the dangers of the modern age.

Sources:

Garau, Annie, Can You Read These Tattoo History Facts Without Wanting to Get Inked?, All That is Interesting, Feb 8, 2017: https://allthatsinteresting.com/tattoo-history-facts#9

Lineberry, Cate, Tattoos, The Smithsonian, Jan 1, 2007: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tattoos-144038580/

Odle, Mairin, The Human Stain: A Deep History of Tattoo Removal, The Atlantic, Nov 19, 2013: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/11/the-human-stain-a-deep-history-of-tattoo-removal/281630/

Unattributed, Rudolph Fentz, Accidental Time Traveler, Museum of Hoaxes: http://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/rudolph_fentz_the_accidental_time_traveler

Unattributed, Rudolph Fentz, the Time Traveler Who Was Run Down in New York, Disclose.tv, May 9, 2018: https://www.disclose.tv/rudolph-fentz-the-time-traveler-who-was-run-down-in-new-york-313592

For a lot of men, a mid-life crisis means buying an impractical, sporty car. For Steve Bonnet, it meant becoming a pirate captain on the high seas! Of course, he didn't know anything about being a pirate, but that shouldn't matter, right? 

From lightning strikes to war-time capture, if it weren't for bad luck, some folks would have no luck at all. For Jeanne Rogers, she'd probably prefer the later. 

Sources:

Crawford, Amy, The Gentleman Pirate, The Smithsonian, Jul 31, 2007: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-gentleman-pirate-159418520/

Trowbridge, Laura, Jeanne Rogers Could Say She’s Had A “Jellyfish Bad Day” Life, Digital Journal, May 21, 2007: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/184742

Uncredited, 18 Unluckiest People in History, Unbelievable Facts, Nov 17, 2016: https://www.unbelievable-facts.com/2016/11/unluckiest-people-in-history.html

Uncredited, Major Stede Bonnet, Consejo Belize: http://consejo.bz/Pirates/bonnet/bonnet.html

Sam Patch was a man who knew how to follow his dream, and that dream involved jumping into bodies of water from absurd heights. It's a job that literally left him nowhere to go but up. Then down.

Steve explores some mythological creatures that, apparently, can only be compared to elephants. From China to Canada, these legends are hairy, mean, and weird.

Sources:

Morton, Ella, The Story of Sam Patch, America's First Professional Waterfall Jumper, Atlas Obscura, June 07 2017: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/sam-patch-the-great-waterfall-jumper-who-leapt-in-the-face-of-danger

Oliver, Mark, 11 Mythological Creatures That Expose Humanity's Worst Fears, All That's Interesting, Sept 9, 2018: https://allthatsinteresting.com/mythological-creatures

Ben digs up another batch of Japanese myths. From serpent ex-girlfriends to a fifteen-eyed, 50-foot tall demon that proves to be unexpectedly easy to defeat, these myths are as bizarre as they are strange. And yes, we know those synonyms.

Steve takes a look at the long, wet career of the unemployably attractive (apparently?) Violet Jessop. You'd think working aboard the Titanic when it struck the iceberg would be the someone's worst day on the job, but for Violet, it was just another day at the office.

Sources:

DeRosa, Victoria, 10 Horrifying Demons and Spirits from Japanese Folklore, Mental Floss, Oct 29, 2014: http://mentalfloss.com/article/59737/10-horrifying-demons-and-spirits-japanese-folklore

History.com (various), Britannic Sinks in Aegean Sea, Nov 13, 2009: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/britannic-sinks-in-aegean-sea

Ponic, Jason, Whatever Happened to Olympic, Titanic's Sister, Owlcation, Dec 12, 2017: https://owlcation.com/humanities/Whatever-Happened-to-Olympic-Titanics-Sister-Ship

Serena, Katie, This Woman Survived The Sinking Of The Titanic — And Its Two Sister Ships, Ati, Dec 20, 2017: https://allthatsinteresting.com/unsinkable-violet-jessop

Violet Jessop, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violet_Jessop