Hurricane Coming Through

the astonishing career of Herbert Lee Washington, baseball's only designated runner

In 1974, Herb Washington was the world's fastest human... but could he turn raw speed into a professional baseball career?

Categories: Biography, Series 2, Sports & Leisure

Tags: baseball Herbert Lee Washington McDonald's Oakland Athletics Presented by #13

Published: December 30, 2019

Goodnight, Irene

an icon finally gets her due

The story of the "weeping icon" has it all - a 102-year-old flying nun, the Gulf War, armed robbery, John Gotti, religious schism, and insurance fraud. Hear the amazing truth in this week's episode, "Goodnight, Irene"!

Categories: Hoaxes, Frauds & Forgeries, People & Places, Series 2

Tags: Canada Chicago, IL civil law crime Mafia New York, NY paranormal Presented by #13 skepticism

Published: December 16, 2019

Be My Bebe

everyone deserves a best friend - even Richard M. Nixon

Bebe Rebozo was Nixon's best friend -- but was he a kind, generous man or a diabolical manipulator?

Categories: Biography, History, Most Popular, Series 2

Tags: civil law crime Florida Mafia Miami, FL Presented by #13 Santo Trafficante Tampa, FL Washington, DC

Published: December 2, 2019

Cold Hard Cash

the rai stones of Yap, David Dean O'Keefe, and the nature of money

Would you trade your house for a rock? Before you say no, keep this in mind: it's a really really nice rock!

Categories: People & Places, Series 2, Strange Customs & Superstitions

Tags: Federated States of Micronesia Germany Presented by #13 Spain United Kingdom World War I World War II

Published: November 18, 2019

Our New Logo

Several of you have asked us to change our logo to something a little less... Satanic?

Categories: Meta

Tags: logo production notes The Ancient and Esoteric Order of the Jackalope

Published: November 11, 2019

Eight Podcasts We Like

There's no podcast this week, but we know you need your fix. How about trying one of these eight other podcasts?

Categories: Meta

Tags: Apocrypals Spectacular Failures stuff we like The Constant The Dollop The Omnibus Project

Published: November 4, 2019

The Brouhaha

when abstract art when on trial

Is Constantin Brâncuși's "Bird in Space" a masterpiece, or just a hunk of polished bronze? Why not let the courts decide?

Categories: Arts & Culture, Series 1

Tags: art art history civil law Ezra Pound Presented by #13

Published: October 21, 2019

Monster without a Mask

the life and times of Rondo Hatton (1894-1946)

They called him the Glutton of Glands, the Monster without Makeup, the Brute, the Creeper. His friends called him Rondo.

Categories: Biography, Entertainment & Media, Series 1

Tags: Hollywood motion pictures Presented by #13 Tampa, FL Universal Pictures World War I

Published: October 7, 2019

Microaggression

victory in :30 or less, or your war is free

What happens when a micronation picks a fight with the world's largest empire? The shortest war in recorded history...

Categories: History, Series 1

Tags: Presented by #13 Sultanate of Zanzibar United Kingdom

Published: September 23, 2019

The Ugliest Man in Baseball

big, rugged, and in his way, beautiful

He may have had the best worst nickname in baseball, but "Ugly" Johnny Dickshot was more than just a pretty face. He was also a character.

Categories: Biography, Series 1, Sports & Leisure

Tags: baseball Chicago, IL New York Giants New York, NY Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh, PA Presented by #13

Published: September 9, 2019

Lakeside Cemetery

Continuing our tour of Gridley-related sites, how about some photos from Lakeside Cemetery in Erie, where Gridley is buried?

Categories: History, Supplement

Tags: cemetery Charles Vernon Gridley Erie, PA field trip Pennsylvania

Published: September 3, 2019

Gridley Park

To preserve the memory of Charles Vernon Gridley the people of Erie, PA erected an enormous shaft. Hey, their words, not ours.