We're back with some more BURNING HOT biology questions and hopefully this time we don't have to talk about.... you know who.

This week Ashley and Lauren are joined once again by their good friend and future biologist RACHEL FULLER and they each get to bring one biology question that they just HAD to have the answer to.

Ashley starts us off this week pondering the similarities between the human body and the known universe.  Why do veins look like lightning?  Why do our irises look like nebula?  Is there a deeper meaning to this or are we just looking for there to be similarities?  The answer may surprise you!

Then Rachel asks a question mankind has been pondering since the beginning of time-- why do we age?  Why can't we just grow to adulthood and stay there the whole time, that sounds like a better deal if you ask me. 

And Lauren finishes the episode off and blows our mind with her burning bio question- why does music seem to have a special place in our soul?  Why do we remember music so well?  And why do we even remember music in instances where we don't even remember who we are?

This series was a BLAST and we can't wait to revisit it.  Make sure you donate to our PATREON this month if you want MORE crazy biology content!

No Heart?  NO BUTTHOLE?!  BIG PROBLEMS!

Hey weirdos, today we're going back to Biology 101 to be reminded of all the things we immediately forgot in high school and learning SO much more.  We are joined by our very first guest of the season RACHEL FULLER and each of us are asking a biology question we just HAD to have an answer to.

We ask pretty basic questions like "Why do we hate the sound of nails on a chalkboard?" "Do jellyfish have a brain?" and "Why do we have a dominant hand?" But the answers are SO much more complex and fascinating than you could ever imagine.

From the complex inner workings of our ears to the collaboration of the hemispheres of our brains to some of the strangest (and least trustworthy) creatures in the sea- this episode has something for everyone.

Go into the light!! 

Or stay away from the light?  Are we supposed to go towards the light or run away from it?  Welcome, weirdos to the second half of our NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES series!! 

This week we're trying to answer even more questions about elements of NDEs that have been experienced by millions of people all over the world.

Is there a scientific explanation for why dying people usually report seeing dead loved ones around them sometimes weeks before they pass?  Is it something psychological or are they actually coming around to help us transition?

What about people who claim to have met God?  Or seen what they can only describe as "heaven?"  How do they cope after coming back to reality after being in a place so perfect and peaceful?  Does that place even really exist?

Dying is the scariest thing we'll ever do and it's something EVERY single one of us will experience.  But hopefully we can make you feel a little bit better about what awaits you on the other side...

I'm gonna let it shine!!

This week Ashley and Lauren are asking the BIG question.  What happens when we die?  We want to know where that tunnel leads.  Should we go into that brilliant, bright, beautiful light?  And who the heck is this tall, dark, handsome drink of water calling himself Jesus?

This is the first part of a two part series where we examine the scientific and spiritual aspects of DYING.  Everybody dies and thousands of people have experienced what is known as an NDE and they've been able to tell us what it's like.  This week we are focusing on LIGHT, our relationship to it, and why so many dying people see it.

Hi Weirdos!

Welcome to a sneak peek into our fabulous PATREON!!  This week Lauren and I are swamped with work, potty training, day care and prepping for our Near Death Experience series starting next week.  So instead of leaving you BORED and LONELY we are releasing a previously released Patreon Bonus episode!

This episode is very special to me because it features not one, but TWO, of my best friends in the world.  My patreon cohost Amy Hanselmann surprised me with a special guest appearance by my other best friend LEAH CAMPBELL.

Leah is a former MORTICIAN (Muahaha) and she let us pick her brain and ask her all of our burning questions about what it's like to embalm a body (Spoiler alert: Tales from the Crypt lied to me) her strangest funeral stories,  the worst body mishap, and the politics and hopeful future of the death service industry.

And to round it all out I (Ashley) also get to talk about eels!  We hope you enjoy this look into our private world and that maybe it encourages you to finally join our patreon if you were on the fence before!  

Hi Weirdos!

Welcome to the jungle, weirdos!

This week we are leaving the human world and entering the ANIMAL KINGDOM!  It's been a while since we had an animal/nature focused episode and theres just TOO MUCH crazy going on out there for us to not bring it to your ears.

This week Ashley is joined by a very special cohost- his first appearance in season six- HANDSOME JOE!! 

Ashley and Joe share a myriad of animal studies, news, behaviors and discoveries that you may have never heard about!! From wolves to chimpanzees, whales with accents to blood spitting lizards, bugs, cats, shrimp and even rhinoceri - we leave no paw unturned!  Join us for a PANDEMONIUM of parrots, an ARMY of frogs and so much m-roar!   

H i  w e i r d o s,

you know that feeling when you get a rush of nostalgia but you're also creeped out?  When the hairs stand up on the back of your neck but you aren't in any danger?  Ever get goosebumps thinking about a dark school hallway lined with lockers?

YEAH SAME!! Today we're continuing our discussion on weirdly haunted locations and Ashley is starting us off with the concept of LIMINAL SPACES.  Hallways, rest stops, empty offices, abandoned malls, hell- even bathrooms.  Theres just something about them that feel off...

And Lauren takes over to share some more haunted places that just should NOT be haunted.  K-Marts, Toys R Us, skyscrapers, grocery stores and even malls filled with strange activity.. for.. some.. reason.

Get ready to feel creeped out every where you go!

Are you ready to find some ghosts, weirdos?

Well you may want to look at your local convenience store.  This week Lauren and Ashley are looking for ghosts in ALL the wrong places as we research haunted locations that just shouldn't be haunted.

What happens when there is paranormal activity in your office building?  A skyscraper?  A book store?  Or even the 7/Eleven on the corner??  What are those ghosts doing there?!

Lauren starts us off with a little hometown haunt action teaching us about a HAUNTED USED BOOK STORE in none other than PEORIA Illinois!

Ashley takes us to the UK for a scientific study done on the paranormal called The HAUNT Project where they BUILD a haunted room using waves of EMF and Infrasound to try and disprove ghosts... but in the end they ended up with more questions than answers.

Join us next week as we dive into liminal spaces and even more super casual haunted hot spots.

THE END IS NIGH WEIRDOS!!

Welcome to part two of our APOCALYPSE SERIES!! It's been fun but it's time to head into the bunkers and say our prayers because it's the end of the world as we know it and we feel FINE.

This week Ashley starts us off by telling us THE TRUTH about the antichrist-- at least according to the bible itself.  And Lauren takes the reigns of this runaway train by teaching us about some cults that are obsessed with impending doom and the absolutely bonkers lengths they are willing to go to hold on to their beliefs.  

Topics include:

Emperor Nero & Hitler, The Millerite Movement, Harold Camping & friends, David Koresh & the Koreshians, The Seekers (UFO cult) and Aum Shinrikyo.

WELCOME TO SEASON SIXXX!! 

Hi weirdos, it's officially Season Six and our 200th episode!! WOW.  What a wild ride.  And it's about to get even wilder because the world is about to END.  At least... when it comes to this series.

We're starting off the season with THE APOCALYPSE!! This week Lauren starts us off dissecting the possibility of an REAL zombie apocalypse and how that could actually happen.  (g r e a t)

And Ashley dives into the prophecy of the 144,000.  From christianity to the Mayans, new age spirituality to the ancient Egyptians... this number is everywhere.  But what could it mean?

Find out answers (or somehow more queries?) to these burning questions and more on this week's season premiere of KEEP IT WEIRD!! 

Frights! Camera! HACKtion Weirdos!! 

We are once again covering HORROR MOVIES on this beloved, strange podcast of ours and this time we're doing it with a twist.  We're taking three horror movies we love and discussing real life true events that may have inspired them.  

Ashley & Lauren are joined by horror movie director ISAAC RUTH as we dive into some very scary REAL events.

Ashley starts us off with 2015's THE VVITCH and we discuss what exactly happened in Europe between the 1400s and the 1700's (and the infamous event in Salem, MA) when so many men and women were murdered for "witchcraft."

Then Isaac takes over to discuss 1975's JAWS and why in the world so many of us are so, so scared of the oceans that cover most of our planet.

And Lauren finishes us off with 2003's WRONG TURN and we talk about the real life terror that is incest and inbreeding.

Grab your popcorn and your favorite pair of 3D glasses and meet us on the couch under the covers for some REEL HORROR.

This episode is sponsored by LIQUID DEATH!!! Murder your thirst and get FREE SHIPPING by heading to liquiddeath.com/keepitweird

Hey Weirdos!

It's time for another check-in don't ya think?  Last time we had one of our talks it was because I was feeling lost and hopeless after the suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain.

This time I'm coming around because I've had friends from all walks of life coming to me in the last few weeks telling me that they are experiencing such debilitating anxiety (some for the first time in their lives) and they don't know how to deal with it and they need help.  

I can only assume that if my inner circle is experiencing this... some of you have to be, too.  So this is just a simple reminder that you aren't the only one feeling this way and that there IS a light at the end of the tunnel.  

Just be kind and hang on.  We love you.

Don't let the bedbugs bite, Weirdos!

Welcome to the long awaited DREAMS episode!! What the hell are dreams anyway?  Where do they come from?  What is happening to our bodies while we are dreaming?  Why do we dream at all?!

We attempt to answer these questions and more as Ashley and Lauren sit down with the host of GOTH YEARBOOK Eric Wynn!

Ashley starts us off with the science and history of dreams and we try and get to the bottom of why we go to strange places with strange people every night.

Eric takes us through his journey with LUCID DREAMING and we discuss how to gain control while inside your dream and what benefits it could have for your waking life!

And Lauren finishes it off by teaching us a bit about NIGHT TERRORS- how they are different from average run of the mill nightmares, where they come from and why they happen.

This episode is sponsored by LIQUID DEATH!! If you want water that makes you look cool while also keeping you cool-- look no further.  Get free shipping on your orders by visiting liquiddeath.com/keepitweird 

Happy Halloween, Weirdos!!

As usual, our Halloween special is a fan favorite- LISTENER GHOST STORIES!! This year we packed in NINE terrifying tales to give you goosebumps and a few nightmares to kick off your special, spooky weekend! 

This episode is full of shadowy beings and close encounters.  And in the end we're left wondering who the hell they are.  Are they paranormal?  Supernatural?  Inter-dimensional? Or, possibly even worse... are they completely human?  And why the HELL are they in my house!?

Turn off the lights, get under the covers, throw in a set of headphones and turn up the volume and get ready to get scared.

This story was sponsored by LIQUID DEATH!! The canned water that's here to MURDER your thirst and KILL plastic pollution! Visit liquiddeath.com/keepitweird to get FREE SHIPPING on your order!

Music by Vivek Abishek & White Bat Audio

Sound Effects from freesound.org

Good Evening, Veirdos.

I vant to talk about vampires!! And vhat I vant I get, so come vith us into the night.  Continuing our SPOOKTACULAR October this week we are sitting down with return guest, fan favorite, the expert in all things hairy, scary and full of teeth-- the amazing BILLY ROACH!! 

Billy is going to start us off by discussing the good old days when vampires were scary monsters who wanted nothing more than to hide in the shadows until they decided to rip out your throat.  

Then what the hell happened?!  When did these monstrous creatures become total sex icons?  When did LOVE get involved?  Lauren is going to walk us through that transition, what caused it, and where vampires in film went from there.

And then Ashley brings us a very special surprise at the end with a crossover of her other show ASK ME EVERYTHING!! And it's all about those fanged creatures we adore.

This episode is sponsored by LIQUID DEATH!! Liquid Death is our absolute FAVORITE water-- so crisp and refreshing it MURDERS your thirst and is KILLING plastic pollution.  Head to liquiddeath.com/keepitweird to get free shipping on your orders!!

Blessed Be, Weirdos!

It's time to really get into spooky season, grab the broomsticks, gather 'round the cauldron, and cast a spell because we're talking WITCHCRAFT!

Our very special guest today is a green witch who you've heard on the show before-- the amazing LAURA LAREAU from our reincarnation series is sitting down with us to discuss herbalism, foraging, candle magick, the power of crystals, smudging, voodoo, working on your craft, and we may even teach you a spell or two.

(Spoiler Alert: We absolutely teach you a spell or two ;) )

Check out our new MERCH STORE here: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/keep-it-weird?ref_id=24795

Laissez les bon temps rouler, weirdos!! Bounjou!

Welcome to another Hometown Haunts- we've been here many times before- previously on Keep It Weird we've taught you about the Rougarou- a hairy wolflike beast that terrorizes children of the Bayou at Lent, Jacquez St Germain who never ate- he just drank red wine from a cup, and even Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a woman so evil her home is said to be haunted to this day, hundreds of years later.  

But today we are joined by comedian and actress JEN KOBER (American Horror Story, The Purge, Dead To Me, Treme) and we are talking ALL ABOUT the Pelican state: Louisiana!! We cover slang and dialects, food and culture, haunted hotels and courthouses, a lake that swallowed a town and some seriously spooky abandoned locations.

(((Apologies in advance for the mic bumps in this episode!! We were recording in a different location with some different equipment.  I know its annoying and I did my best)))

Well Hello There, Kiddies

Welcome to our annual tribute to horror writers!! It's another edition of SCARY STORIES TO TELL (JOE) IN THE DARK!!

This time around we've got four delicious tales of terror ranging from the deadliest Christmas ever to first contact with extraterrestrials!  Ashley and Joe sit in their dark, creepy apartment and share the old fashioned past-time of telling spooky stories by candlelight. As usual music and sound effects have been added and could be jarring for some listeners.  This episode is best listened to with headphones.

Stories:

"Fake News" by Matthew Gall

Buy his book Insomniac: Bite Sized Scary Stories on Amazon!

"50,000" by reddit user jtb685

Check out their reddit sub at www.reddit.com/r/jtb685

"Distorted Warning Signals" by Ashley Rose Wellman

Check out her website ashleyrosewellman.com and follow her on Instagram @ashleyrosewellman

"The Meteor Generation" by Heather Flowers

ALL MUSICAL CONTRIBUTIONS BY VIVEK ABISHEK 

Hear more at www.youtube.com/c/VIVEKABHISHEK

Hello our sweet weird babies

First of all THANK YOU so much for sending in so many questions for our second ASK A WEIRDO episode!! We got so many and we feel very loved by all of you.

We did (apparently two?!) Ask a Weirdo episodes back in season one and then we never picked it up again!  So this week we are answering questions about podcasting, questions about self care and depression and even a handful of WEIRD questions including playing FMK with the paranormal and screaming over a lightning round.

We had a lot of fun doing this this week-- it really felt like we were just hanging out with you and telling you about our favorite things, our silliest secrets and our darkest moments.  NO NEW EPISODE next week so please check out ASK ME EVERYTHING and get more FREE weird content! 

No need for a magnifying glass weirdos, these mysteries are SOLVED!! 

We've scratched our heads for LONG ENOUGH so welcome to the second part of our SOLVED MYSTERIES episode!  

This week Ashley is detailing the investigation into the murder of William Sparkman Jr. in 2009.  How the detectives managed to go from mistaken hit job in the woods to something completely different in a matter of weeks thanks to strange confessions, brush stroke analysis, and good old fashioned non-lethal police work.

Then Lauren wraps us up with a happy ending by telling us how the show Unsolved Mysteries went searching for one missing girl... and ended up finding a totally different one.  

As usual, with all true crime episodes, this one contains some really dark material.  Including descriptions of dead bodies, mentions of suicide, pedophilia and kidnapping.  We are also total goobers, so we make jokes throughout.  But that DOES NOT MEAN there is anything funny or comical about these cases.  Just that we are children who can't control ourselves. 

Buckle your butts, weirdos.  This story gets dark.. and then darker... and then even darker.

We've covered unsolved mysteries several times on this show but we thought it was HIGH TIME to dedicate a series to SOLVED mysteries!! No more frustrating unanswered questions... well.. maybe a few...

This week our very special guest and beloved Patreon Keep It Beard cohost AMY HANSELMANN tells us the story of the disappearance of Steven Stayner.  

Like I said, this story is DARK.  It involves kidnapping, murder, pedophilia, generational trauma, and too many monsters.  But stay tuned to the end, because I chime in just when our spirits are lowest to revive you with some of the BEST things happening in our world today!  

Hey Ho, Lets Go!

Hey weirdos! Welcome to a full episode dedicated to the biggest event in human history: World War 2!  We've covered stories from WWII on the show before- like Hitler's werewolf army and my home girl Betty Pack the snack!  But this week ALL of our stories are World War 2 stories and boy does it get WILD!

Ashley is joined by special guest and fan favorite of the show JOE OCHS who is a self proclaimed "Slut" and "White Dad" for WWII. Joe is going to be introducing us to yet another amazing female spy named Virginia Hall as well as a special unit of the military that was kept a secret for over forty years known as the "ghost army."  Both of which combined saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

Ashley is going to be teaching us about the origins of foo fighters (no, not Dave Grohl's band) and the many soldiers who reported seeing them over occupied Nazi territories as well as a theoretical super weapon known as "Die Glocke" or "The Bell" that may have made it's way into the United States military's hands and into a field in Kecksburg Pennsylvania in 1965...

God Bless the Allied Forces and may we always remember that it's in service to our country that we punch nazis right in their f*cking face.

Welcome foolish mortals!!

Welcome to the second part of our DISNEY SERIES!! Last week we talked about the films and this week we're talking about the parks!  And it is a very special episode for us, one we've been looking forward to for FIVE YEARS because today our guest is Lauren's amazing husband ALEX OGLE!! 

Alex is going to be using his knowledge as an experiential media creative director to teach us about the origins of Disney's WEIRDEST rides and where they are today.  Dispersed between Ashley is going to be trying to solve the mystery of the disappearance of Rebecca Coriam off of the Disney Wonder cruise in 2011 and Lauren will be talking about some of Disney's most gruesome deaths and injuries!! 

Rides included are Mr. Toads Wild Ride, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter & of course, Disney's Haunted Mansion.