Caustic Soda

Jordan "Funk Hole" Pratt joins us to discuss WWI's Western front, The Battle of the Trench, The Battle of the Crater, trench foot, dysentery, chlorine and mustard gas, self-inflicted wounds, trench raids plus news and pop culture. Music: "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag" by Art Mooney Don't forget our Season 5 Fundraiser! Images Links Trench Warfare Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH3-Gt7mgyM

Gentleman Heckler, Dungeon Master, and future Space Cabbie Eric Fell joins Joe, Kevin and Toren to talk about the antechinus, death via coital defenestration, escamole, asian giant hornets and more! Music: "First of May" by Jonathan Coulton Images Links Cigarette Lights Gasoline Video The Critical Hit Show Gentlemen Hecklers Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2zDvz5Y6p8

Dr. Rob joins Joe, Toren, and Kevin to talk about the reason people just can't stop: Addiction! We'll look at the difference between use, abuse, misuse, and dependence, Alexander the Great's murderous alcoholism, "Rat Park", Elvis Presley's prescription drug addiction, and a story of heroin induced copremesis.  We'll also talk about the addictiveness of Oreos, a bad Warcraft mother, addiction in Fallout, and select pop culture examples of addiction. Music: "Addicted to the Disco" by Sean Cullen Images Links Rat Park (comic) Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoTKBXqQDsA&t=24 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_2FycHamfA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bflYjF90t7c

Mr. Dr. Greg Bole is back to discuss our close human relatives: Hominins! Australopithicus, Homo erectus, Neanderthal, Homo floresiensis, their tool-use, cannibalistic behaviors, and skull-bashing  ways. We'll look at some name-game-changing new finds In The News, and desperately try to find some decent "caveman" pop culture. Music: "I'm A African" by Baba Brinkman Images Links Walking with Cavemen Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6r6POHC8zg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCfDNUcyN6Q

Firefighter Allan Newell joins us to discuss the dirty details of toxic spills and other chemical accidents including the Seveso  Disaster, the Binghamton State Office Building contamination, the Baia Mare cyanide spill, the Ajka alumina sludge spill and the Bhopal  disaster. Plus news and pop culture. Music: "There's Something in the Air" by Artie Shaw with Peg La Centra Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znvcQBua--w

In part 2 of 2 we discuss the Armenian Genocide, Herero Wars, and Indonesia vs East Timor. Plus news and pop culture! Trigger Warning: Rape, outrageous violence. Music:  "After You've Gone" by Django Reinhardt Images  Links Death of a Nation: The Timor Conspiracy

This episode is rated 'T' for TRIGGER ALERT. In part 1 of 2 on genocide, we discuss Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, The Tasmanian "Black Wars" and the Maori invasion of the Moriori. Music: "Wipe 'Em Off" by Clarence Williams & the Seven Gallon Jug Band Charity of the week: http://www.genocidewatch.org (and Healapalooza, of course!) Images Links Moriori Trust

In Part 2 of our Caustic look at Vampires we turn to recent news and pop culture, covering a vampire-inspired killer and recent vampire finds in Venice and Bulgaria featuring bricks-in-mouths and poles-through-chests. Then we try to get through as much vampiric pop-culture as we can! Post your favorites you missed here or on our Facebook page! Music: "I'm Scared" by Sarah Vaughan News: Voting in The Podcast Awards has begun and we've been nominated in both the "Best Produced" and "Education" categories. You can vote once per day and it'd sure be nice if you would. Images Links Varney the Vampire Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_2IZFqrXKI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RR-nVtxvlI

Just in time for Halloween, it's the first part of a blood-gorged Caustic Soda Vampire episode. In part one Toren covers several vampire "facts" in a pop quiz, Joe and Kevin join in talking about just what it takes to be considered a vampire. Following a vampiric musical break we look at vampires in history such as Jure Grando, "the hysteria", and then a look at "real-life vampires" like Mercy Brown, Fritz Haarmann, Richard Chase, and James Riva. Music: "Blue Sunny Day" by Jonathan Coulton Images

Mur Lafferty and John Kovalic join us to discuss electrocution, toys that kill, funerals, burns, motor vehicle accidents, sleep disorders, and sports injuries. Plus - which is the lesser of two evils: being electrocuted in a pool or killed trying to park your Lexus? Music: "The Penguin" by Raymond Scott Charity: Healapalooza - our t-shirt maker got hit by a car! Images  Links Murverse John Kovalic's Dork Tower

Live at EmilyCon in Vancouver, Chris "Sandstorm" Woods returns to discuss tattoos, branding, scarification, tightlacing, genital beading, scleral tattooing, piercing, suspension, lip plates and cranial deformation. Plus: which is the lesser of two evils - having a revenge tattoo put on your forehead or being mummified Japanese buddha-style? Music: "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" by Groucho Marx Images Links Healapalooza

It's a duo of evil duos! We compare Ian Brady and Myra Hindley - who (among other things) murdered children in 1960's Manchester - to John and Sarah Makin, who murdered up to 13 babies in late 1800's Sydney. Includes a Lesser of Two Evils! Trigger warning: There's quite a bit about rape and several dead babies, sorry. Music: "Tea for Two" by Comedian Harmonists Charity: Missing People Images Links Healapalooza  

Kevin, Toren and Joe take a look at what happens when you get too much of a good thing like water - Floods! They'll paddle down the two Grote Mandrenkes to Johnstown, Pennsylvania to China's many great floods. We'll look at explanations for the story of Noah's flood, and finally dip into floods in popular culture. Plus an all-wet Lesser of Two Evils! Music: "When The Levee Breaks" by Kansas Joe and Memphis Minnie Images Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezyyBZ1bfbE

This week Joe, Kevin, and Toren are joined by Dr. Rob Tarzwell for a look at nuclear weapons. From "The Gadget" to Fat Man & Little Boy to the incredible destructive power of the fusion-powered "H-Bomb", plus the world's smallest nuclear weapon - the Davy Crockett recoilless nuclear gun! We'll look at the timeline and effects of nuclear explosions, "Peaceful Nuclear Explosions", and a special (and completely arbitrary) selection of nuke-related movies and video games. Music: "Tic, Tic, Tic" by Doris Day Images Links Subjecting "Fridge Nuking" to Scientific Peer Review Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKqXu-5jw60 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAiYwADzr2Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlE1BdOAfVc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOUtZOqgSG8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=q6Q3YrMFe9k#t=634 (the mention of this game was cut since all we did was describe what happens in the video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc6iUCX2u3Q

Various kinds of mummies are discussed, including ancient Egyptian methods, bog mummies, saponification, and electroplating. Plus the mummies of Guanajuato, Chiesa dei Morti, Luang Pho Dang, and plenty of pop culture. Music: "Ra Ra Ra" by Here Come the Mummies Images Links Abbott & Costello Meet The Mummy Here Come the Mummies Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERXD-SHbwyU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbL_LaDtWBA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x48Hq9F4Q70 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3vhpk7DhZM