The heart, the symbol of love. It's everywhere from hats you can buy in New York City to the Valentine cards you're giving out this week. We use it as a verb to mean love, and everyone recognizes it's two rounded lobes and pointed bottom. But how did it come to look like that, and why do we use it the way we do? Is the shape based on anything, and is any one person credited with the design? We're going to talk about its history in this episode!

CW: Dissection (briefly)

Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

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Valentine's day has a far longer history than one thinks, stretching back beyond the February 14th celebrations of chocolate and gift giving that our modern day is familiar with. It extends into the grim and right into the weird. How did we end up with all these naked babies everywhere, and how is it related to all the beheadings of the past?

CW: Death, Religion

Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

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Sometimes weird questions strike you in real life, and this one certainly came out of nowhere. In a certain hotel in Charleston lives (haunts? dies?) the Lost Cadet, a ghost from the Civil War era who haunts travelers to this very day. We jump into this episode to discuss possible causes and experiences at this haunted hotel!

CW: Death, The Tiniest Bit of Gore, Mold

Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

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Birds are quite clever, catching up to humans in various circles. We have corvids, who use tools. Parrots, who can speak. And kites, well, kites have the power of fire on their side.

CW: Fire/Wildfire

Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

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The history of hoops in dresses goes back hundreds of years, the hoops declining in popularity until this very day. However, we can observe the time honored tradition of bafflement at new styles remaining persistent through the centuries! This episode we analyze the history and the forms the hoop skirt has taken— alongside the honestly hilarious takes of the day. Some days one realizes— society then is much like society now.

CW: Miscarriage, Abortion, Death (Burning)

Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

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In this icy exposé, we unravel the frosty rebellions of snowmen, from scandalous 1511 protests to frostbitten battlefields. But fear not, we'll also warm your heart with global snowman traditions. Get ready for a snowstorm of surprises!

CW: A tiny mention of antisemitism, War, A mention of sexual imagery involving an animal

Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

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In 1999, the clock was ticking down to midnight and not just a new year but a new millinium. Fearmongering and anxiety went hand in hand for anyone using tech— what would happen when the computers rolled over to the year 2000? Would the world come to a screeching halt, shuttered by a technological limitation caused by computer clocks rolling to 00? Would they be able to? This episode we invite a special guest! Rissa from fellow podcast The Krolmeister Sisters joins us with a personal tale of Y2K!

In Memorium of Bob Bemer, without whom Turbo and the others wouldn't have had 20 years of work to build off of to fix the Y2K issue in the first place. February 8, 1920-June 22, 2004

CW: Racism, Anti-Semitism, Nazis, Hate Groups, Death, Mass Casualty, Tiny Mention of Covid, A Minute or Less Discussion of a Racial Slur, Religion, The Entire Episode is About Anxiety

Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-would-you-ask-that--5784165/support.

Journey back to the trenches of World War I for a remarkable tale that defied the brutality of war. The 1914 Christmas Truce brought enemies together in an unexpected display of humanity. Join us as we explore this extraordinary event that, for a brief and magical moment, transformed the battlefield into a sanctuary of peace, reminding us all of the enduring power of compassion amid the chaos of war.

CW: War

Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

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Poinsettias have been regarded as "Christmas-y" plants for some time now, but how did that happen? How did these warm-weather plants end up being a popular symbol for a winter holiday? This episode we discuss the history of the poinsettia, from its roots to the present day commercial industry.

CW: Colonization, Human Sacrifice, Death, Very Tiny Mention of Slavery, General Conversation Around Oppression, Religion

Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

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Her face is on the dollar coin. She has been depicted on stamps. A mountain is named after her. Sacajawea. Part of the modern mythos of the expansion of the United States, Sacajawea is now a cultural symbol of exploration. She can be seen always with her baby, pointing the way for Lewis and Clark. It's a lot of work for a young teen, isn't it? We're going to tell her story, the true parts you know, the ones you might never have heard, and the not so nice parts.

CW: Death, Native Exploitation, Very Brief Mention of Sexual Assault, Kidnapping, Domestic Abuse

Music provided by Dark Fantasy Studios. [License]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-would-you-ask-that--5784165/support.