Conspiracy Clearinghouse
A rather skeptical look at conspiracies and mysteries. Each episode will examine conspiracy theories, most of which are not true, a few of which might be a little bit true and even a couple that turned out, in fact, to be true. This is the podcast that dares to look behind the curtain that’s behind the curtain. Episodes every other Wednesday.
Episodes

Wednesday May 22, 2024
Us vs. Them: Antisemitism Goes to School
Wednesday May 22, 2024
Wednesday May 22, 2024
EPISODE 111 | Us vs. Them: Antisemitism Goes to School
Guest: Scott Shay, president of Chai Mitzvah and author of Conspiracy U
Hamas forces swept into Israel on October 7, 2023, committing atrocities and taking hostages. Literally the next day, American student groups were blaming Israel. Protests on campuses began to multiply and today the situation seems out of control and pro-Israel and pro-Palestine groups go at one another while school administrations react heavy-handedly. What's behind all the shrill rhetoric?
Scott Shay's 2021 book Conspiracy U looked at antisemitic trends on American campuses, and saw an uptick in sales at the end of last year as some of the things he'd talked about seemed to be coming to the fore. He shares some of his thoughts as to what is going on today on American universities.
Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buymeacoffee
You can also SUBSCRIBE to this podcast.
Review us here or on IMDb!
SECTIONS
02:57 - The Double Standard - There's no equality in otherization
15:29 - Totem and Taboo - Logos, ethos, and pathos, political intent in conspiracy theories
24:53 - Facts and Integrity - Digital and information literacy is lacking, the line between hate speech and threat
29:35 - Trends or Tactics - Weaponizing plagiarism, economic antisemitism, BDS started on the far right
42:52 - Jewish Otherness - Anti-idolatry threatens god-king-pharaohs
Music by Fanette Ronjat
More Info
Chai Mitzvah
Conspiracy U: A Case Study by Scott Shay
In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism by Scott Shay
Getting Our Groove Back: How to Energize American Jewry by Scott Shay
The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements by Eric Hoffer
A new wave of antisemitism threatens to rock an already unstable world on CNN
Defining Antisemitism of the US State Department website
What elite universities — and their critics — get wrong about campus antisemitism on Vox
Major events in Pro-Palestinian protests at US universities on Reuters
How pro-Palestinian protests unfolded on college campuses across the US: A timeline on ABC News
Echoes of Vietnam war protest — A timeline of America's Student Spring
Where are the US college campus protests and what is happening? in The Guardian
As Columbia University protests on Israel-Hamas war come to a head, what to know
Students protested for Palestine before Israel was even founded
Is Hate Speech Legal? on TheFire.org
Hate speech versus freedom of speech on the United Nations
Why We Must Reject Efforts to Restrict Constitutionally Protected Speech on College Campuses on ACLU.org
Pro-Palestinian campus protests are evolving. Here’s what to watch on PBS
Student Protests in America Now: Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?
Why Palestinians can count on American students but not Arab allies to protest
Follow us on social:
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Other Podcasts by Derek DeWitt
DIGITAL SIGNAGE DONE RIGHT - Winner of a 2022 Gold Quill Award, 2022 Gold MarCom Award, 2021 AVA Digital Award Gold, 2021 Silver Davey Award, 2020 Communicator Award of Excellence, and on numerous top 10 podcast lists.
PRAGUE TIMES - A city is more than just a location - it’s a kaleidoscope of history, places, people and trends. This podcast looks at Prague, in the center of Europe, from a number of perspectives, including what it is now, what is has been and where it’s going. It’s Prague THEN, Prague NOW, Prague LATER

Wednesday May 08, 2024
How to Be a Fascist
Wednesday May 08, 2024
Wednesday May 08, 2024
EPISODE 110 | How to Be a Fascist
People use the term "Fascist" a lot these days, but do they really know what that means? Fascism is a very specific combination of ideas and goals that occurred within very clear historical and philosophical contexts.
This is a look at where Fascism came from, Mussolini's rise to power, and variations and offshoots of the first Fascist ideologies. And while not everyone you don't like is a "Fascist", there are some actual fascists out there, and they are not being all that quiet.
Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buymeacoffee
You can also SUBSCRIBE to this podcast.
Review us here or on IMDb!
SECTIONS
02:33 - The Future Refusing to Be Born - General characteristics of Fascism
10:52 - The Measles of Mankind - Mussolini encounters the Völkisch Movement, Carlism, Integralism, Adapted Syndicalism, Sorelianism and Maurassism; rises high in the Revolutionary Socialist movement, is kicked out of the movement, starts the Fascists
19:07 - How to Get There from Here - Fascism kicks off in 1919, the Fiume Republic of Gabriele D’Annunzio, the 1921 Fascist platform, disorder and fighting in Italy, Mussolini as PM in October 1922
25:33 - Mussolini makes changes 1923-1925, the Fascist takeover is completed Nov. 1925-Nov. 1926
30:21 - We Ain't There. Yet. - Hitler was inspired, as were Franco and Salazar; the US has never seen similar conditions
33:41 - A Smörgåsbord of BS - Corporatism, neo-Corporatism and Tripartism; Ultranationalism, Strasserism, Falangism
39:13 - Neo-Fascism, Neo-Nazism, Esoteric Nazism - Savitri Devi, Robert Charroux, Miguel Serrano and Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke
43:03 - Clerical Fascism, British Israelism, Christian Identity
46:01 - White Nationalism, White Separatism, Apartheid
47:21 - The British National Front, Third Position, diagonalism and the "cross-front", Black Nationalism, Hutu Power
50:47 - National-Anarchism
52:44 - To Infinity and Beyond! - Islamofascism, Saddam Hussein's spin on Ba'athism, Muammar al-Gaddafi used leftwing rhetoric for rightwing aims
53:58 - The current threat of Accelerationism
56:43 - Active Fascist political parties today, what we can do
Music by Fanette Ronjat
More Info
RationalWiki page on Fascism
Fascism definition on Britannica
Is This Fascism? on Slate
What is fascism? on LiveScience
Mussolini's 10 Pillars of Fascism
How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them by Jason Stanley
The Anatomy of Fascism by Robert O. Paxton
Introducing Fascism: A Graphic Guide by Litza Jansz and Stuart Hood
GLEICHSCHALTUNG: COORDINATING THE NAZI STATE
Mussolini: A study in power by Ivone Kirkpatrick
Mussolini and Italian Fascism by Hamish MacDonald
World Fascism: A Historical Encyclopedia edited by Cyprian Blamires
A History of Fascism, 1914–1945 by Stanley G. Payne
Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present by Ruth Ben-Ghiat
The Problem of Fascism in Everyday Life paper by G. V. Loewen
Ur-Fascism essay by Umberto Eco
Fascism: Past, Present, Future by Walter Laqueur
Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright
The Problem With Using Fascist as a Political Insult
The overuse and abuse of ‘fascism’
Column: The use and misuse of the word ‘fascism’
On The Use And Abuse Of The Term “Fascism” To Describe Current Events
Fascism: Who is and isn't a fascist, and how you can tell the difference
It’s Time to Use the F-word: An Anti-fascist Approach to Trump and Franco
Is Donald Trump a Fascist?
On American Fascism: The Fascist Rhetoric of Donald Trump and The Right Wing-Media paper by Aaron Huff
How fascist is Donald Trump? -- a 2016 assessment revisited
Eco-fascism: justifications of terrorist violence in the Christchurch mosque shooting and the El Paso shooting
A CHORUS OF VIOLENCE: JACK DONOVAN AND THE ORGANIZING POWER OF MALE SUPREMACY
The Strange, Strange Story of the Gay Fascists
Fighting Fascism: How to Struggle and How to Win by Clara Zetkin
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder
How Dictatorships Work: Power, Personalization, and Collapse by Barbara Geddes, Joseph Wright and Erica Frantz
A Brief History of Fascist Lies by Federico Finchelstein
Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism by Anne Applebaum
How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
Follow us on social:
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Other Podcasts by Derek DeWitt
DIGITAL SIGNAGE DONE RIGHT - Winner of a 2022 Gold Quill Award, 2022 Gold MarCom Award, 2021 AVA Digital Award Gold, 2021 Silver Davey Award, 2020 Communicator Award of Excellence, and on numerous top 10 podcast lists.
PRAGUE TIMES - A city is more than just a location - it’s a kaleidoscope of history, places, people and trends. This podcast looks at Prague, in the center of Europe, from a number of perspectives, including what it is now, what is has been and where it’s going. It’s Prague THEN, Prague NOW, Prague LATER

Wednesday Apr 24, 2024
What's in a Name? The Shakespeare Authorship Debate
Wednesday Apr 24, 2024
Wednesday Apr 24, 2024
EPISODE 109 | What's in a Name? The Shakespeare Authorship Debate
Guest: Scott Jackson, Mary Irene Ryan Executive Artistic Director of Shakespeare at the University of Notre Dame, current vice president of the Shakespeare Theatre Association (STA) and incoming president, actor, director and Shakespeare scholar
William Shakespeare wrote at least 36 plays, 154 sonnets, two narrative poems and a few shorter poems - more than 884,000 words total, more than 1700 of which he invented. But just who was this guy? Was he really "the Man from Stratford", or merely a pen name for... well someone else?
We look at some of the more popular Anti-Stratfordian theories and also look at why some people seem hell bent on proving that someone else, anyone else, actually wrote all that stuff.
Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buymeacoffee
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SECTIONS
03:02 - Upstart Crow - No evidence of his education, the First Folio, not much biographical evidence, a common hand, Bardathon
12:28 - The Ireland Shakespeare Forgeries - Compiling the First Folio, Vortigern and Rowena gets most of a performance
19:13 - The Baconian Theory - Bardolotry, Hart's The Romance of Yachting, Robert W. Jameson's "Who Wrote Shakespeare?", James Wilmot makes a bonfire
24:19 - Delia Bacon goes for the Rutland Theory, then the Groupists Theory, then all in on Bacon, travels to England, gets into codes and ciphers, loses her mind, inspires the New Historicists and cultural poetics; William Henry Smith and Nathaniel Homes kick off the Baconist Theory
30:11 - Baconist Orville Ward Owen builds a machine to find "proof", the first Mock Trial (1892-93)
33:17 - The Derbyite Theory & the Marlovian Theory - Classism, partnership with Marlowe, death and pseudonyms
39:57 - The Rutlandite Theory & More - More classism, Baconists still persist, more expeditions from Owen, schoolteacher Elizabeth Wells Gallup gets into codes, Stylometrics, the Claremont Shakespeare Authorship Clinic
44:31 - The Oxfordian Theory - John Thomas Looney fingers Edward de Vere based on spurious logic, lots jump on this bandwagon, geography in Shakespeare, "the coast of Bohemia", the media focuses on "reasonable doubt" over evidence, how plays were written back then, evidence gets lost in time
50:18 - A Single Hand - Though there is some reasonable doubt, Shakespeare probably wrote Shakespeare; Applied Shakespeare, humanity owns him, Shakespeare as a force for good (PTSD therapy, in prisons, etc.)
Music by Fanette Ronjat
More Info:
Shakespeare Was Shakespeare by Isaac Butler on Slate
Revisited Myth # 68: Shakespeare didn’t write Shakespeare on History Myths Debunked
The Shakespeare Index on TheatreHistory.org
20 words and phrases you didn’t know Shakespeare invented
Shakespeare's Words
Shakespeare's Phrases
Bard-a-thon at Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre
Ian McKellen performs Sir Thomas More, Act II, Scene 4 video
"The Strangers' Case" Speech from Sir Thomas More with various speakers and annotations
Professor Sir Stanley Wells
Peter Holland, McMeel Family Chair in Shakespeare Studies at University of Notre Dame
James Shapiro, playwright and Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University
Stephen Greenblatt, general editor of The Norton Shakespeare, John Cogan University Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University
The Shakespeare First Folio
Vortigern and Rowena text
The Confessions of William-Henry Ireland on WikiSource
William Henry Ireland's Shakespeare Forgeries on Hoaxes.org
Bardolotry on Wikipedia
James Wilmot and Shakespeare's Authorship
Bacon Bacon Shakespeare Spy
The Doctor Who Designed a Cipher Wheel to Decode Shakespeare
Theories of identity – the alleged Shakespeare mystery
Marlowe as Shakespeare
The Controversy of Shakespeare and Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe Has Officially Been Credited as Co-Author of 3 Shakespeare Plays
Born with Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams webpage
Roger Manners, 5th Earl of Rutland on ShakespeareAuthorship.com
Shakespeare by the Numbers: What Stylometrics Can and Cannot Tell Us
The Claremont Shakespeare Clinic
Computer Reads Shakespeare, Dismisses Authorship Candidate
The Claremont Shakespeare Authorship Clinic: How Severe Are the Problems?
The Globe theatre fire of 1613: when Shakespeare’s playhouse burned down
The Great Fire of London
Finding Shakespeare - Skeptoid podcast
What Shakespeare can teach us about conspiracy theories today
How Shakespeare describes post-traumatic stress disorder
In Shakespeare, veterans find a “tower of strength”
Shakespeare and Possibility, Part 1: Shakespeare in Prisons video
Shakespeare in Prisons
Shakespeare Theater Association
Prague Shakespeare Company (Shakespeare Summer Intensive (SSI)
Follow us on social:
Facebook
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Other Podcasts by Derek DeWitt
DIGITAL SIGNAGE DONE RIGHT - Winner of a 2022 Gold Quill Award, 2022 Gold MarCom Award, 2021 AVA Digital Award Gold, 2021 Silver Davey Award, 2020 Communicator Award of Excellence, and on numerous top 10 podcast lists.
PRAGUE TIMES - A city is more than just a location - it’s a kaleidoscope of history, places, people and trends. This podcast looks at Prague, in the center of Europe, from a number of perspectives, including what it is now, what is has been and where it’s going. It’s Prague THEN, Prague NOW, Prague LATER

Wednesday Apr 10, 2024
Swiftboating Redux: Taylor Swift Derangement Syndrome
Wednesday Apr 10, 2024
Wednesday Apr 10, 2024
EPISODE 108 | Swiftboating Redux: Taylor Swift Derangement Syndrome
She's the most successful pop star today, yet some people seem to suffer brain meltdowns when thinking about Taylor Swift. Call it TDSD, Taylor Swift Derangement Syndrome, and it takes hold especially in MAGAmaniacs, Trumpeteers, Trad Chads and broflakes.
Tracing the conspirasphere's treatment of Swift along with her career and life, including Kanyegate and the Masters Dispute, shows some interesting connections as TDSD spreads far and wide, outpaced only by her own wildly popular musical output.
THIS EPISODE MARKS THE BEGINNING OUR 5TH YEAR. THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!
Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buymeacoffee
You can also SUBSCRIBE to this podcast.
Review us here or on IMDb!
SECTIONS
02:53 - Fearless - Beginning successes with Big Machine, first conspiracy theories
07:48 - Kanyegate - The 2009 MTV VMA Awards echoes through the years
11:47 - Speak Now - Swift as Satanic priestess, the reincarnation of Zeena Schreck (Lavay), or a clone; No, it's Becky
15:28 - Red - Kanye West pipes up again, moves to NYC, starts advocating for artists' rights
17:02 - 1989 - The Gaylor Theory and Taylor Swift Is Gay, the Squad, no belly button, goes after Spotify and Apple Music
21:25 - Bad Blood - Kanye West sends flowers, then makes a phone call about "Famous", Swifties and Squaddies respond, Swift supports young women, West freaks out backstage at SNL, Kim Kardashian tells fibs, the video for "Famous" keeps the flames fanned, Kim releases a short video of the phone call and promotes #KimExposedTaylorParty, "I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative", battle lines were drawn, snake memes proliferate, friendships are broken, they're all part of the Illuminati
29:47 - Out of the Woods - Harry Styles and Taylor Swift killed someone in 2012, David Mueller lawsuit, the $1, #MeToo kicks off, Time's "Silence Breakers"
33:08 - Reputation - Swift died, gave birth to a snake baby, is a clone (again), Scooter Braun and Swift's masters dispute, Swift threatens to re-record her first six albums, Big Machine tries to shackle Swift, "Karyn" the inflatable snake, MAGA takes notice of Swift, Qtips think Monte Lipman is Jeffrey Epstein
38:52 - You Need to Calm Down - Lover comes out, Covid-19 lockdown starts, the entire West-Swift call video is leaked, Swift takes the high road, the West flap has flashbacks and echoes, Swift hates the Statue of Liberty, some Squaddies defect, Swift gets down hard and retreats to London, watches movies with Joe Alwyn
42:30 - Folklore Evermore - folklore is the ultimate lockdown album, "cardigan" sells sweaters, Swifties tank Live from Clear Channel Stripped 2008, Scooter Braun stops his feet but then sells to Disney's Shamrock Holdings, evermore comes out in just five months
45:19 - Taylor's Version - Swift re-records and expands earlier work, reminds one of the Prince-Warner dispute, Braun makes a lot more money, the Carlyle Group tells Braun to make nice but he goes the other way, piss off the Swifties and find out, reminds one of Madonna and Brittany Spears, the attention economy is a new thing, Swift is too left wing for the alt-righties
50:48 - In the Midnight Era - Midnights and the Eras Tour, Swift gives back to her truck drivers, more Taylor's Versions, starts seeing Travis Kelce, Swifties register to vote, MAGA is worried Swift will endorse Biden, a slew of conspiracy theories (ice cream, human skin hat, CIA psy-ops agent, mind control master, AI-porn on Twitter, Trump says he's more popular than Swift, Trumpeteers declare a holy war on Swift, Kelce is gay), much nonsense about the Super Bowl, Trump wades in again, she's a golddigger and also super gross
58:14 - Scientific American looks into TSDS, The Tortured Poets Department is nigh
Music by Fanette Ronjat
Lapsus Linguae - At 10:15, I accidentally call the album Fearless "Fear", forgetting the "less". I also mistakenly call the song "You Belong With Me" You Belong to Me.
More Info:
Donate to the World Health Organization
Feeding America website
Taylor Swift website
Taylor Swift on Facebook
Taylor Swift on Instagram
Taylor Swift on YouTube
Reasons why I love Taylor Swift by springapple
r/TaylorSwift
Swifties on Wikipedia
Swifties on Taylor Swift fandom wiki
Taylor Swift and the Swifties: A Love Story Forged in Song
Why Taylor Swift's Fans Love Her So Much in Psychology Today
Understanding Swifties’ mindsets using the Taylor/Travis love story
14 Outrageous-But-Accurate Taylor Swift Theories That Prove Swifties Are The Best Detectives
Taylor Swift’s boyfriends: A timeline of all the megastar’s famous exes
Taylor Swift Is Incredibly Good At Being A Celebrity
A Timeline of Taylor Swift’s Generosity
Let’s go down the rabbit hole of Taylor Swift conspiracy theories
Style Theory: The Cult of Taylor Swift video
The 15 Wildest Conspiracy Theories About Taylor Swift
The Taylor Swift iceberg video
The wildest Taylor Swift conspiracy theories, from Biden 2024 to a cat spy comedy
Snopes articles about Taylor Swift
The Taylor Swift Conspiracy Theory Iceberg video
Taylor Swift Conspiracy Theories Hold Sway With 1 in 5 Americans
I'm losing my friends to Taylor Swift conspiracies :(
Decoding Taylor Swift Conspiracies and Outrage on The Center for Inquiry
Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and a wild internet theory about a snow mobile
Taylor Swift Has A Japanese Doppelganger Who Starred In A McDonald’s Ad
Does an Image Show Taylor Swift Hawking an Electric Burner?
Numbers You Didn't Know You Needed: All the Times Taylor Swift Has Carried an Empty Purse
Taylor Swift Had An Incredible Response To A Tumblr Meme About Herself
18 Taylor Swift Memes You'll Only Find In Your 'Wildest Dreams
Taylor Swift deepfakes could be the tip of an AI-generated iceberg
Tweet uses a ham sandwich as 'evidence' that Taylor Swift is a slut in USA Today
Let’s call the abuse of Taylor Swift what it really is – a hate crime against women in The Independent
The Squad on Swiftpedia
A Complete History of Taylor Swift's Squad
Is Taylor Swift gay? The Dianna Agron and Karlie Kloss relationship rumors, explained
r/Gaylor_Swift
I Cracked the Code on Galyor_Swift
Taylor Swift is Gay on Tumblr
Is Taylor Swift gay? | Deep Dive video
Taylor Swift DOESN'T want you to THINK she's GAY video
Taylor Swift puts decades-long romance rumour to rest with single missive
“Haters Gonna Hate, Hate . . . .” Can Taylor Swift “Shake it Off”?
HOW THE EXTREMIST RIGHT HIJACKED ‘STAR WARS,’ TAYLOR SWIFT AND THE MIZZOU STUDENT PROTESTS TO PROMOTE RACISM
Taylor Swift has angered many people with her 'You Need To Calm Down' release. Here's why
The 10 Most Convincing Theories About Taylor Swift’s Album Reputation
Taylor Swift Has Written an Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal
Taylor Swift Pens Open Letter Explaining Why ‘1989’ Won’t Be on Apple Music
Apple Changes Course After Taylor Swift Open Letter: Will Pay Labels During Free Trial
Taylor Swift won her day in court. Here's what you need to know.
Top 10 References You Missed in Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" video
A Complete Timeline of Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun’s Feud
Taylor Swift Explains Why She's Re-Recording Her Albums on Seth Meyers video
How Taylor Swift Outsmarted Her Record Label video
Taylor Swift and Kanye West's 'Famous' Phone Call Video Leaks Online — Read the Transcript
A Complete Timeline of Taylor Swift and Kanye West's Feud
Swift an ‘Aryan goddess' to alt-right
This is why you hate Taylor Swift - thoughts on women who have an ego
Taylor Swift Admits She Was ‘Lonely’ While Writing Her ‘Folklore’ Album During the Pandemic
All the records Taylor Swift has broken in 2023
MAGA movement targets Taylor Swift with pitiful conspiracy theories
From nightmare ticketing to online abuse, being a pop fan is becoming miserable
Haters gonna hate: Pentagon pushes back against Fox News conspiracy theory involving Taylor Swift
A Timeline of Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce’s Relationship
The right is coming for Taylor Swift. They don't stand a chance
Conservatives have picked the wrong enemy with attacks on Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift fans sent me death threats, doxxed my family, and accused me of being a pedophile after I criticized her Eras Tour
Taylor Swift’s ‘Time’ Cover Is Breaking Far-Right Brains
Sean Hannity Has Surprising Take On Taylor Swift Criticism
Republicans Are Once Again Being Very Weird About Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift Has Broken Conservatives’ Brains
Why Taylor Swift Is Making Conservatives Crazy
The meaning of the hysteria over Taylor Swift
Secrecy and Taylor Swift: What Conspiracy Theories Reveal About Our Growing Distrust of Institutions
GOP invents Taylor Swift conspiracy theory instead of facing reality about unpopular policies on MSNBC video
Trump reportedly said he's "more popular" than Taylor Swift, worrying about her endorsing Biden
Trump Allies Pledge ‘Holy War’ Against Taylor Swift
Study: Taylor Swift, social media conspiracy theories suggest record Super Bowl ratings
Trump makes a plea for Taylor Swift's loyalty in pre-Super Bowl post to Truth Social
GOP extremists whine about Taylor Swift after Chiefs' AFC championship win
Untangling 13 Taylor Swift Midnights Theories: Real or Our Wildest Dreams?
All the times number 13 was relevant in Super Bowl 58: A Taylor Swift conspiracy theory
Taylor Swift has encouraged her fans' numerology habit yet again
A Comprehensive Breakdown of Taylor Swift's Easter Eggs video
Taylor Swift's music video symbolism video
How the internet built a conspiracy theory around a new spy flick, a debut novel, and Taylor Swift
When Nerds Attack - Gamergate, Elevatorgate & Sad Puppies (ep. 40)
44 for 44 - The Obama Conspiracies (Thanks, Obama!) (ep. 05)
Follow us on social:
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Twitter
Other Podcasts by Derek DeWitt
DIGITAL SIGNAGE DONE RIGHT - Winner of a 2022 Gold Quill Award, 2022 Gold MarCom Award, 2021 AVA Digital Award Gold, 2021 Silver Davey Award, 2020 Communicator Award of Excellence, and on numerous top 10 podcast lists.
PRAGUE TIMES - A city is more than just a location - it’s a kaleidoscope of history, places, people and trends. This podcast looks at Prague, in the center of Europe, from a number of perspectives, including what it is now, what is has been and where it’s going. It’s Prague THEN, Prague NOW, Prague LATER

Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
Traces of Reality: Abstract Art and the CIA (WIW 13)
Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
EPISODE 107 | Traces of Reality: Abstract Art and the CIA (World Is Weird 13)
Guest: Mandy Theis, founder and director of the School of Atelier Arts, academic director and professor at the Florence Academy of Art
Maybe you've walked into a museum or gallery and seen a big white, blank canvas, or a huge circle, and thought, "So, this is art, eh?". But why is there so much of this abstract stuff around? The answer might be surprising - because the CIA promoted it as part of the Cold War.
And then it rather got away from them. Today, the art market is the most unregulated in the world, and aesthetics and skill take a back seat to branding.
Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buymeacoffee
You can also SUBSCRIBE to this podcast.
Review us here or on IMDb!
SECTIONS
02:31 - Atelier training, the CIA begins, the cultural Cold War was run by elitists, Julia Child, Realism gets rebranded as Communist, the Springville Museum of Art in Utah, cadmium red as protest, dry brushing technique, techniques follow money, skill list art, technical skills are being lost
12:30 - Social Realism, Czech Functionalism and German Bauhaus, Cubist architecture, art is always in motion, Russians tweaked French Realism, Abstract art eclipses realism, a war of aesthetics and marketing, the French discount the Americans, America pushes Abstract Expressionism, Marshall Plan money becomes a black bag, the Congress of Cultural Freedom, Clement Greenberg, Art criticism as marketing
23:18 - the NCL (Non-Communist Left), Jackson Pollack was a CIA tool, American racial attitudes work against them
28:24 - Abstract Expressionism promoted as ultimate American style because it has no inherent meaning, it's safe; Picasso had atelier training, Truman hated abstract art ("ham and egg men"), George Dondero goes nuts about abstract art on the House floor, Realism is not retrograde, we are losing the artistic skills to make beautiful things
36:06 - the CIA's efforts were very successful, the modern art market is the most unregulated in the world, technique gets separated from art so it all becomes about money, everything is branded, Warhol critiques all this, fine art feels remote from most of us, the art world is a closed circuit, Thomas Kinkade was successful because at least his work meant something to some people, scribbles are scribbles but branding makes them art
47:51 - Don't know if it's art, but I like it; Realism is still villainized
Music by Fanette Ronjat
More Info:
The School of Atelier Arts website
Bodyguard of Lies: The Ghost Army & Wartime Deception (World Is Weird 11)
The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters by Frances Stonor Saunders
Springville Museum of Art - largest public collection of 20th century Russian and Soviet art in the western United States
15 things to know about Norman Rockwell
Why Norman Rockwell Matters
Ralph McQuarrie: Star Wars' Concept Artist
A Visit to the CIA’s “Secret” Abstract Art Collection
Was Modern Art Really a CIA Psy-Op?
Class 8. The CIA and the Cultural Cold War
Origins of the Congress of Cultural Freedom, 1949-50 Cultural Cold War on CIA.gov
WHEN FREEDOM TOOK THE OFFENSIVE: The Congress for Cultural Freedom and the Power of Ideas
Congress for Cultural Freedom on Spartacus Educational
Cold Warrior: The Clement Greenberg Phenomenon
CIA Weaponizing Abstract Art and Its Fallout
The use of American art in the Cold War
How MoMA and the CIA Conspired to Use Unwitting Artists to Promote American Propaganda During the Cold War
Ford Foundation - Funding transatlantic exchange between the arts and politics
The Ford Foundation and the CIA: A documented case of philanthropic collaborationwith the Secret Police
Modern art was CIA 'weapon'
How the CIA Secretly Used Jackson Pollock & Other Abstract Expressionists to Fight the Cold War
Was modern art a weapon of the CIA?
Jackson Pollock & the CIA on The Conspiracy of Art website
Why did the CIA sponsor Jackson Pollock?
Pollock is Bollocks
Pollock: genius or charlatan?
Jackson Pollock: Separating Man from Myth
Viewpoint: Why racism in US is worse than in Europe - BBC Viewpoint
“They treated us royally”? Black Americans in Britain during WW2
Why abstract art is not valid
Abstract Art Is Not Art and Definitely Not Abstract
The Tyranny of Abstract Art in The Atlantic
Communist conspiracy in art threatens American museums, Congressional Record, March, 17, 1952
Anticommunism and Modern Art - selection from the George Dondero Papers
THE SUPPRESSION OF ART IN THE MCCARTHY DECADE
The Shame of the Mural Censors — Why Art and History Matter
Between Avant-Garde and Kitsch: Deconstructing Art And/As Ideology on Project MUSE
Modern American Art and the Politics of Cultural Diplomacy
Abstract Expressionism and the Cold War
'The art trade is the last major unregulated market'
A Fascinating, Sexy, Intellectually Compelling, Unregulated Global Market. - Freakonomics ep. 484
The Art Market: Unregulated Unscrupulous And Worth Billions
High-end art is one of the most manipulated markets in the world
THE ART MARKET: AFFLUENCE AND DEGRADATION on Art Forum
Billion Dollar Painter: The Triumph and Tragedy of Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light book
Thomas Kinkade: A Success - 60 Minutes
Thomas Kinkade: The Painter Art Critics Hated but America Loved
Much to the Chagrin of the Art Establishment, the Numbers Indicate that Thomas Kinkade Is the Most Successful and Relevant Artist in Human History
Thomas Kinkade Was the World's Biggest Selling Painter. Art for Everybody Asks Why
Follow us on social:
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Other Podcasts by Derek DeWitt
DIGITAL SIGNAGE DONE RIGHT - Winner of a 2022 Gold Quill Award, 2022 Gold MarCom Award, 2021 AVA Digital Award Gold, 2021 Silver Davey Award, 2020 Communicator Award of Excellence, and on numerous top 10 podcast lists.
PRAGUE TIMES - A city is more than just a location - it’s a kaleidoscope of history, places, people and trends. This podcast looks at Prague, in the center of Europe, from a number of perspectives, including what it is now, what is has been and where it’s going. It’s Prague THEN, Prague NOW, Prague LATER

Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Suffer the Children: Pizzagate, Wayfair & the Seeds of QAnon
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
EPISODE 106 | Suffer the Children: Pizzagate, Wayfair & the Seeds of QAnon
"Without a clear indication of the author's intent, it is difficult or impossible to tell the difference between an expression of sincere extremism and a parody of extremism."
In the world of the internet, this is known as Poe’s Law, and it’s especially applicable to the weird narrative Gordian Knot known as Pizzagate. The adage applies not just to how absurd some beliefs are, but also to the arguments made by people who hold these beliefs. First formulated in 2005 by Nathan Poe, it builds on a 2001 quote by Alan Morgan called Alan’s 2nd Law of Newsgroups, which states, “Any sufficiently advanced troll is indistinguishable from a genuine kook.”
And that is certainly the case for the wild story that “a hipster-heavy pizza parlor” (as they put it on their website) in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Washington D.C. is not just a fun family place with pizza, ping pong and live music, but the nerve center for an diabolical child trafficking ring that operates out in the open because they are protected by highly-placed pedophiles in the Democratic party. As an article on Cracked.com puts it, “This is supported by lots of very stupid evidence”.
The stakes of the fake narrative are so high that it’s become more than just true believers review bombing the place. Workers have been harassed and, on December 4, 2016, a heavily armed man entered the restaurant and started firing guns.
The story of Pizzagate is the story of how the conspirasphere went from harmless kookery to being actually, physically dangerous.
TRIGGER WARNING: Some pretty disturbing things will be talked about in this episode, so if the subject of child sexual abuse and trafficking is deeply uncomfortable for you, perhaps you should not listen. I mean, it should be uncomfortable to anyone, but you know what I mean.
Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buymeacoffee
You can also SUBSCRIBE to this podcast.
Review us here or on IMDb!
SECTIONS
03:11 - A note, pedophilia is a mental disorder, victims suffer for many years, how do we handle this problem?
06:31 - How it all began: Hillary Clinton's emails, John Podesta, Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin; "Carmen Katz" makes allegations, "David Goldberg" shares and extends these
08:46 - Side note: "Carmen Katz" is Cynthia Campbell, "David Goldberg" is an anti-Semitic fake profile; Amanda Rob finds Borce Pejcev in Macedonia, a fake news click bait ecosystem, it really all began with Doug Hagmann of Eerie, PA
12:35 - Russian hackers Fancy Bear, APT28 and Sofacy use "spear phishing " attacks
13:30 - Pedo codes on 4chan: pizza, cheese, hot dogs, dominos and handkerchief codes; Comet Ping Pong gets targeted
16:30 - DumbScribblyUnctious see all sorts of things - murals, art, logos, musical acts and more; Pizzagaters talks of aliens, the Illuminati, Satanic rituals and Arun Rao; Susan Alefantis knew a pedophile, Tony "pasta obsession" Podesta knew Dennis Hastert, another pedophile, and also collects art (including some by Rachel Rose); Amanda Kleinman (Majestic Ape) of Heavy Breathing performs at Sasha Lord's birthday party and "secret pizza" is maybe mentioned, the film "Automatic At Sea", the Clinton Foundation in Haiti, Alex Jones issues a "bulletin"
25:49 - #pizzagate soars, Comet Ping Pong gets hassled, Turkey's Erdoğan jumps on the story, InfoWars spearheads the narrative, fake images proliferate, artists and musicians also harassed, it might all have been coordinated; other businesses (especially pizza places) get targeted, like Roberta's in Brooklyn and East Side Pies in Austin, TX
30:33 - Edgar Maddison Welch storms Comet Ping Pong with guns, InfoWars apologizes, then retracts the apology; white supremacist Jack Posobiec says Welch is a crisis actor; neo-Nazi pubs the Daily Stormer, the Right Stuff and Smoloko News continue the Pizzagate narrative
35:07 - Canadian Andrew Richmond's ice cream shop Sweet Jesus gets the #PedoGate treatment
36:15 - Portland, Oregon's Voodoo Donuts gets the same treatment thanks to talentless poet VeganMikey (Michael Whelan); #donutgate starts trending, building on a previous #donutgate when Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez licked food at Wolfee Donuts; Big League Politics's "research organization" Pedo Takedown Crew funds a coordinated harassment campaign and expand the narrative, adding tunnels, schools, and child-smiggling submarines
41:35 - In England, recreational troll Oliver Redmond targets Paul Cheape's vape shop business
43:32 - Mattress Firm gets targeted
45:32 - Frazzledrip: a very nasty fake video (trigger warning - seriously, it's really nasty), QAnon terms "adrenochrome" and "spirit cooking" get added to the Pizzagate lexicon
47:56 - PrincessPeach1987 kicks of the Wayfair affair, the now combined Pizzagate and QAnon make a LOT of noise, it's all nonsense and yet there were real consequences for real people, iMGSRC.ru and US Army Staff Sgt. Richard Ciccarella
57:25 - Cybersteria and the very first QAnon 4chan post
Music by Fanette Ronjat
More Info
Pedophilia defined on Psychology Today
Crimes against Children Research Center
Facts and Stats About Child Sexual Abuse
The possible long-term effects of experiencing child sexual abuse
Long-term Effects of Child Sexual Abuse and Molestation on Helping Survivors
A review of the long-term effects of child sexual abuse on the National Library of Medicine website
Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis paper
Sexuality of Offenders on the Zero Abuse Project
Facts About Homosexuality and Child Molestation by Gregory Herek
Everything You Need To Know About Pizzagate (Is Insane) on Cracked.com
Pizzagate on RationalWiki
Pizzagate: A slice of fake news on Reveal
Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal in Rolling Stone
Anthony Weiner breaks down after he's sentenced to 21 months for sexting on ABC News
How The Bizarre Conspiracy Theory Behind "Pizzagate" Was Spread on BuzzFeed
How Hackers Broke Into John Podesta and Colin Powell’s Gmail Accounts on Vice
Comet Ping Pong - Pizzagate Summary by DumbScribblyUnctious
How Pizzagate went from fake news to a real problem for a D.C. business on PolitiFact
'It's a form of addiction' - Tony Podesta's art addiction article in The Guardian
Rachel Rose - Aubade: Grendel's Mother (live reading) video
Pizzagate, the fake news conspiracy theory that led a gunman to DC’s Comet Ping Pong, explained on Vox
Pizzagate gunman recorded video for daughters, said he's standing up for children on CBS News
Death threats, abuse, then a gunman: 'Pizzagate' businesses relive ordeal in The Guardian
Pizzagate: Gunman fires in restaurant at centre of conspiracy on BBC News
What to Know About Pizzagate, the Fake News Story With Real Consequences in Time
'Pizzagate' gunman pleads guilty as conspiracy theorist apologizes over case
Is Comet Ping Pong Pizzeria Home to a Child Abuse Ring Led by Hillary Clinton? on Snopes
Dissecting the #PizzaGate Conspiracy Theories in the New York Times
A Moral Panic for the Age of Trump: “Pizzagate” is the latest in a long line of child-sex-ring myths on Slate
The PizzaGate Gunman's Paranoid Rescue Fantasy Comes from a Long American Tradition on Reason
'There's Nothing You Can Do': The Legacy of #Pizzagate on SPLC
Secret message board drives 'pizzagate'-style harassment campaign of small businesses on NBC News
When Nerds Attack - Gamergate, Elevatorgate & Sad Puppies episode
Voodoo Donuts website
Voodoo Doughnut Gets Sucked Into Outrageous Far-Right Conspiracy Theory on Eater
Wolfee Donuts Pressing Charges Against Ariana Grande
Donut-Gate on Ariana Grande fandom wiki
Vegan Mikey - bad poet and troll
#Donutgate: How one Oregon donut shop became the target of online conspiracy theorists on Salon
Connecting the Dots Between Donutgate and Pizzagate
Man jailed for falsely branding a businessman a ‘dirty paedophile’
The Great Mattress Conspiracy: Why Are There So Many Mattress Firm Stores
Why Are There So Many Mattress Stores?
A wildly popular conspiracy theory about why there are so many Mattress Firm stores is starting to sound less crazy
Mattress Firm responds to the wild conspiracy theory about its business that people are going crazy over
The Mattress Firm Conspiracy: An Analysis
The Mattress Firm Money Laundering Conspiracy Theory on Snopes
What Is Frazzledrip? Fake Hillary Clinton Video Builds on Pizzagate Conspiracy Theory in Newsweek
Frazzledrip: Is a Hillary Clinton 'Snuff Film' Circulating on the Dark Web? on Snopes
Hush Supper Club
Full Frazzledrip video (WARNING)
Claims that pizza listings on Etsy are selling child pornography are baseless
Reddit post that kicked off Wayfair conspiracy theories
Outrageously Priced Wayfair Cabinets Lead to Human Trafficking Conspiracy
Kids Shipped in Armoires? The Person Who Started the Wayfair Conspiracy Speaks in Newsweek
Wayfair: The false conspiracy about a furniture firm and child trafficking on BBC News
Baseless Wayfair child-trafficking theory spreads online on AP
The bizarre story of how internet conspiracy theorists convinced themselves Wayfair is trafficking children on CBC News
A US soldier working at Mar-a-Lago uploaded photos of an underage girl to a Russian website — a closer look at the site reveals a horrific underworld
A US Army soldier who worked at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort uploaded photos of an underage girl to a Russian website, prosecutors say
How a reporter found the true story behind a false story of sex trafficking
Is Wayfair Trafficking Children Via Overpriced Items? on Snopes
MISSING IN KANSAS: Anabel Wilson no longer missing
How A QAnon Conspiracy Theory Involving A Wayfair Pillow Left A Metro Detroit Teen Struggling
A girl falsely believed to be a victim of the fake Wayfair sex-trafficking ring says she had hives, lost sleep over the conspiracy theory
A QAnon con: How the viral Wayfair sex trafficking lie hurt real kids
Human Trafficking Rumors: Viral Stories That Do More Harm Than Good at the Polaris Project
The Storm Is the New Pizzagate — Only Worse
Follow us on social:
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Other Podcasts by Derek DeWitt
DIGITAL SIGNAGE DONE RIGHT - Winner of a 2022 Gold Quill Award, 2022 Gold MarCom Award, 2021 AVA Digital Award Gold, 2021 Silver Davey Award, 2020 Communicator Award of Excellence, and on numerous top 10 podcast lists.
PRAGUE TIMES - A city is more than just a location - it’s a kaleidoscope of history, places, people and trends. This podcast looks at Prague, in the center of Europe, from a number of perspectives, including what it is now, what is has been and where it’s going. It’s Prague THEN, Prague NOW, Prague LATER

Wednesday Feb 28, 2024
Capitol Assets: Weird DC (Travelogue 4)
Wednesday Feb 28, 2024
Wednesday Feb 28, 2024
EPISODE 105 | Capitol Assets: Weird DC (Travelogue 4)
Guest: Fayge Horesh, co-creator, writer and host of the D Listers of History podcast, and licensed tour guide
Washington D.C. is an interesting place and, like many cities, has some oddities. We take a look at some of the things around town that might not be obvious at first glance, like (not-so secret) tunnels, ghost cats, strange clocks, hollow domes, street plans, statues, snipers, protected trees, food trucks and more.
Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buymeacoffee
You can also SUBSCRIBE to this podcast.
Review us here or on IMDb!
SECTIONS
03:42 - Making the past accessible, Daniel of Beccles, Father Divine, traces of history, Deep Throat in Rosslyn
06:35 - Pierre L'Enfant's plans, Masonic symbols, quadrants, a hidden pentagram, Benjamin Banneker's thighs, DC once had canals (gross ones)
14:03 - Street plan as weather control machine yet the weather is terrible, underground tunnels (one open to the public), the Ghost Cat, no sitting on the floor, the Capitol Dome is hollow
21:37 - The Women's Portrait Monument, so many statues
23:43 - Snipers and other security, food truck a-go-go
28:33 - The NIST Newton Apple Tree in International Park, don't linger in front of the former Iran Embassy, clocks and time in Friendship Heights, conspiracy theories are distractions, Chinatown has very few Chinese people
36:55 - Explore your city and embrace the weirdness
Music by Fanette Ronjat
More Info
D Listers of History podcast
’Merican Monuments (Travelogue 2) episode
The world of Daniel of Beccles D Listers episode
Book of the Civilized Man by Daniel of Beccles article
A Brief History of Pierre L’Enfant and Washington, D.C. in Smithsonian
Grand Avenues: The Story of Pierre Charles L'Enfant on the Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Benjamin Banneker: The Black Tobacco Farmer Who the Presidents Couldn't Ignore on the White House Historical Association
Capitol Building Tunnel System
What lies beneath DC? Many more tunnels than you might think!
The D.C. Underground Atlas
Demon Cat: the tale of a wanderlust feline ghost
Make America Ghostly Again: The Demon Cat of Washington D.C.
Does The Demon Cat Still Haunt Washington's Capitol Hill?
Bells, Buzzers, Clicks and Clocks
Congressional Clocks Have a Secret Code on Atlas Obscura
Capitol Illumination
Inside the Capitol Dome
Hidden Congress: An Alternative Tour of the U.S. Capitol
Apotheosis of Washington
Leaders in Equality: The Portrait Monument
Portrait Monument to Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
The Suffragist Statue Trapped in a Broom Closet for 75 Years
How Security Measures In Washington, D.C., Have Changed Since 9/11
12 Best Washington DC Food Trucks on Female Foodie
Find food trucks in DC on Roaming Hunger
What happened to D.C.’s food trucks? The answer says much about the ‘new normal.’
NIST Newton Apple Tree
Where To Find The Most Unusual Trees In D.C.
After the arena came, the Asian population of Washington's Chinatown shrank
269 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Washington, D.C.
Follow us on social:
Facebook
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Other Podcasts by Derek DeWitt
DIGITAL SIGNAGE DONE RIGHT - Winner of a 2022 Gold Quill Award, 2022 Gold MarCom Award, 2021 AVA Digital Award Gold, 2021 Silver Davey Award, 2020 Communicator Award of Excellence, and on numerous top 10 podcast lists.
PRAGUE TIMES - A city is more than just a location - it’s a kaleidoscope of history, places, people and trends. This podcast looks at Prague, in the center of Europe, from a number of perspectives, including what it is now, what is has been and where it’s going. It’s Prague THEN, Prague NOW, Prague LATER

Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
Fatal Attraction: Magnet Woo
Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
EPISODE 104 | Fatal Attraction: Magnet Woo
While we use magnets all the time, most of us don’t know some of the subtleties of magnetic fields and the electromagnetic force. This lack of knowledge is the perfect opening for scam artists to sell unsuspecting folks all kinds of sham cures for illnesses and injuries, opening up a wide world of woo and pseudoscientific narratives.
Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buymeacoffee
You can also SUBSCRIBE to this podcast.
Review us here or on IMDb!
SECTIONS
02:56 - Come Together - What is electromagnetism?
07:46 - Diesel and Dust - Magnetic water treatments, magnetic gasoline treatments, magnetic mugs
15:02 - Hypnotic Tango - Mesmer and animal magnetism, the rise of hypnosis, arthritis cures, magnetic shoes
24:58 - Terrible Lie - Albert Abrahms, Hercules Sanche's Electropoise, Ruth Beymer Drown and the Vibra-Ray, Georges Lakhovsky's Multiple Wave Oscillator (MWO), Thomas Galen Hieronymus's "eloptic energy", Royal Rife, Hulda Regehr Clark, Precision Herbs, H. A. Morton Whitby, Radionics and De La Warr Laboratories
41:20 - You'll Be My Toy, I'll Be Your Electricity - More quackery, Desiré Dubounet & Quantum Medicine
47:22 - Baby Stick Around - Human magnets: Leonid Tenkaev and Miroslaw Magola, the Super Human/Super Brain/Magnetic Man
Music by Fanette Ronjat
More Info
Electromagnetism 101 video from National Geographic
The basic principles of electromagnetism on Electrical Apprentice
Why does the moving of charged particles (electrons) in a wire carrying electricity produce a magnetic field? on Quora
Magnetic water treatment and pseudoscience on AquaScams
Non Chemical Devices: Thirty Years of Myth Busting by Timothy Keister, FAIC, CWT in Water Conditioning & Purification magazine, April 2008
Demonstration and Evaluation of Magnetic Descalers paper by the US Army Corps of Engineers, September 2001
Electronic Water Conditioner: Do They Work?
First4Magnets.com
The True Price Of Gas: What It Should Really Cost To Fill Up on FastCompany
The True Cost of Gasoline: $15 Per Gallon on Smart Cities Dive archived article
Super FuelMAX® Booster Fuel Saving Device - Made in USA product page
Super FuelMAX Marketers Settle FTC Charges from the Federal Trade Commission
Magnetic Mug from Serenity 2000 product page
IAMPDD Self Stirring Mug product page on Amazon
Mesmerized by Magnetism column by Michael Shermer
Franz Anton Mesmer in the Super-Enlightenment Digital Archive at Stanford Libraries
Beginners Guide to the History of Hypnosis (Timeline)
Magnets Provide Amusement, But Not Health Benefits in Science-Based Medicine
Magnet Therapy: A Skeptical View on Quackwatch
Questionable Ads for Magnets on Quackwatch
Florsheim’s MagneForce Shoes on Quackwatch
BIOflex and VITAflex health magnets
The Electronic Reactions of Albert Abrams on American Artifacts
Multiple Wave Oscillator - Forgotten Device that is claimed to have cured Cancer
The Incredible Drown Case in Today's Health, April 1968
The Incredible Drown Case on Quackwatch
Bionuu Clinic
Metayantra quack products
Polaris DD in Prague
Multiple wave oscillator at Clinica Omega Zeta
DIY Lakhovsky MWO (Milti Wave Oscollator) Device, Detailed Informations, Facts, Analysis
Hieronymus Machine in the New Age Encyclopedia
Rife Machines and Cancer
The Cancer Cure That Worked: 50 Years of Suppression by Barry Lynes
“The Cure for All Cancers”? Maybe Not.
Precision Herbs on Rationalwiki
FDA Warning Letter to Precision Herbs LLC
Paranoia, the Destroyer – Gangstalking, Targeted Individuals & Havana Syndrome episode
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity: a critical review of explanatory hypotheses
Is It Possible to Be Allergic to Electricity? on Healthline
Recognizing Dubious Health Devices
Is it worth it? PEMF
UVLrx Therapy Lights Up Charlatans Dealing In Medical Devices
Questions for Pseudoscience | Magnet Therapy video on Dark Science
Electrostatics: A non-contact force
Silly season, silly machine
Desire Dubounet on IMDb
S-HE, She or He Movie 2008 the story of Desire' Dubounet and the war crimes trial of Harry S Truman video
Is there any validity to the claim that some people are “human magnets,” with their bodies able to attract an assortment of objects?
Strange attractors
Miroslaw Magola YouTube channel
Man claims he has magnetic powers, can make objects stick to body
James Randi debunks Magnet Man video
Follow us on social:
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Other Podcasts by Derek DeWitt
DIGITAL SIGNAGE DONE RIGHT - Winner of a 2022 Gold Quill Award, 2022 Gold MarCom Award, 2021 AVA Digital Award Gold, 2021 Silver Davey Award, 2020 Communicator Award of Excellence, and on numerous top 10 podcast lists.
PRAGUE TIMES - A city is more than just a location - it’s a kaleidoscope of history, places, people and trends. This podcast looks at Prague, in the center of Europe, from a number of perspectives, including what it is now, what is has been and where it’s going. It’s Prague THEN, Prague NOW, Prague LATER

Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
Down in Bermuda, It’s Easy to Believe: The Devil’s Triangle
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
EPISODE 103 | Down in Bermuda, It’s Easy to Believe: The Devil’s Triangle
Back in the 70s, the Bermuda Triangle was all over the place but today, not so much. Whatever happened with that? Did it go away? Was it debunked? Or did the woosphere simply get bored and move on to juicer subjects?
A bit of both. Plus, the are lots of other supposed interesting/mysterious/dangerous triangles out there. They do have sharp corners, after all.
Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buymeacoffee
You can also SUBSCRIBE to this podcast.
Review us here or on IMDb!
SECTIONS
02:29 - New Frontier - How it all starts: Edward Van Winkle Jones gets the ball rolling in 1950, Allan W. Eckert picks it up in 1952, Vincent Gaddis expands the idea in 1962, as does John Wallace Spencer in 1969, and in 1974, Charles Berlitz and Richard Winer go all in on the Triangle; Larry Kusche thoroughly debunks it all in 1975, Hitchens' Razor and the Sagan Standard (ECREE)
11:31 - Strange Brew - Cayce's people weigh in as do plenty of other knowledge garglers, better woo comes along, Lloyds of London investigates, Gian J. Quasar tries to revive Triangle interest in the Noughties
15:17 - Your Haunted Head - The Sargasso Sea - an oceanic gyre surrounded by four currents, Donald Crowhurst gets stuck there and goes insane
19:36 - Long Way Down - Ocean farts, the Gulf Stream, the Milwaukee Deep, the agonic line and the North Poles (both true and magnetic)
24:59 - Hunting High and Low - The Dragon's Triangle near Japan, Ivan Sanderson develops his Twelve Vile Vortices theory:
27:31 - "Hamkulia Volcano", Hawaii; the Ring of Fire
29:14 - Jeddars in the Atlas Mountains, Algeria; fungoid rock art in the Tassili n'Ajjer
29:57 - Mohenjo-daro in the Indus Valley, ancient nuclear war, chicken city
34:00 - The Wharton Basin, Indian Ocean, Flight MH370
34:44 - The Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia; Sandy Island
35:52 - Easter Island, Rapa Nui, Szukalski's Zermatism, Miroljub Petrović
37:26 - The Southern Atlantic Anomaly, the Mozambique Channel
38:22 - Fever to Tell - Ley lines, Ramsey's Theorem, the Bridgewater Triangle near Boston (home of the Pukwudgie), the Bennington Triangle in Vermont, the Nevada Triangle, the Lake Michigan Triangle and yet another "America's Stonehenge"
41:45 - The Marysburgh Vortex in Lake Ontario, the Matlock Triangle and Falkirk Triangle in the UK, the Broad Haven Triangle in Wales, the Hoia Forest in Romania
42:47 - The Mapimí Silent Zone in Mexico's Chihuahuan desert
Music by Fanette Ronjat
More Info
Sea's Puzzles Still Baffle Men In Pushbutton Age by Edward Van Winkle Jones, Miami Herland, 1950
Sea Mystery at our Back Door by George X. Sand, Fate Magazine, 1952
The Mystery of the Lost Patrol by Allan W. Eckert, American Legion Magazine, April 1962, page 12
The Deadly Bermuda Triangle by Vincent Gaddis, The Argosy, February 1964
Invisible Horizons True Mysteries of the Sea by Vincent Gaddis
Limbo of the Lost by John Wallace Spencer
The Bermuda Triangle by Charles Berlitz
The Devils' Triangle by Richard Winer
The Devil's Triangle 2 by Richard Winer
From the Devil's Triangle to the Devil's Jaw by Richard Winer
Bermuda Triangle Mystery - Solved by Larry Kusche
The Case of the Bermuda Triangle episode of NOVA
What is the Bermuda Triangle? on the National Oceanic Service website
Bermuda Triangle on Britannica
What Is Known (and Not Known) About the Bermuda Triangle on Britannica
Bermuda Triangle: Where Facts Disappear on LiveScience
Into the Bermuda Triangle: Pursuing the Truth Behind the World's Greatest Mystery by Gian Quasar
Mysteries of the Sargasso Sea in The Bermudian
The Mystery on the Sargasso on How Stuff Works
Donald Crowhurst: The fake round-the-world sailing story behind The Mercy in Yachting World
They Went to Sea in a Sieve, They Did by Shannon Proudfoot on Big Reads
Off the Deep End: A History of Madness at Sea by Nic Compton
Bermuda Triangle mystery solved? It's a load of gas on The Age
7 Chilling Conspiracy Theories About the Bermuda Triangle in Popular Mechanics
Down in the Milwaukee Deep
Magnetic Declination Varies Considerably Across The United States on USGS
The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Delusion: Looking Back after Forty Years by Larry Kuche for Skeptical Inquirer
Mysterious waters: from the Bermuda Triangle to the Devil's Sea on CNN
Beyond the Bermuda Triangle: The Devil's Sea documentary video
Unexplained Mystery: The Devil’s Sea – The Dragon’s Triangle on Marine Insight
The Vile Vortices Of Ivan T. Sanderson on History Daily
Vile Vortices Part 2 – Hamakulia on CryptoVille
Algeria's ancient pyramid tombs still shrouded in mystery on France24
What Happened to Mohenjo Daro? on Wonderopolis
Rediscovering the lost city of Mohenjo Daro on National Geographic
Uncovering the Secrets of the Indus Valley Civilization and Its Undeciphered Script
The Mythical Massacre at Mohenjo-Daro
Top Things to Do in the Loyalty Islands
Now You See It, Now You Don't - Finland Doesn't Exist episode
The Secrets of Easter Island on Smithsonian
Easter Island - the Mystery of the Moai on Mountain Kingdoms
Rapa Nui on IMDb
What Lies Beneath - The Hollow Earth episode including Zermatism
Weird behavior of Earth's magnetic field over South Atlantic dates back 11 million years
NASA Is Tracking a Huge, Growing Anomaly in Earth's Magnetic Field
10 Mozambique Channel Facts You Might Not Know
Madagascar's Menagerie Floated from Africa from the University of Hong Kong
It Happens Here: A look at the 'weirdness' of the Bridgewater Triangle
Bennington Triangle, Vermont on Legends of America
Mysteries of Flight: The Nevada Triangle
Lake Michigan Triangle on Atlas Obscura
What Is the Great Lakes Triangle? classroom activity
Stonehenge-like Structure Found Under Lake Michigan
‘Strange things out there’: Inside Lake Ontario’s ‘Bermuda Triangle'
The Great Lakes and the mystery of the Marysburgh Vortex
Gateway to Oblivion: The Great Lakes' Bermuda Triangle by Hugh F. Cochrane
The Falkirk Triangle in Scotland
Why Is a Small Village in Scotland the UK's UFO Hotspot?
What’s inside Hoia Baciu Forest, the world's most haunted forest?
Romania’s Bermuda Triangle: The Creepy Hoia Forest of Transylvania
What does the Mexican Bermuda Triangle look like
Enter The Mapimi Zone Of Silence: Where Science Fiction Meets Reality
The Zone of Silence in Northern Mexico: scientific marvel or just fiction?
Zone Of Silence Mexico video
Mexico: UFOs, magnetism, army: The strange zone of silence
Follow us on social:
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Other Podcasts by Derek DeWitt
DIGITAL SIGNAGE DONE RIGHT - Winner of a 2022 Gold Quill Award, 2022 Gold MarCom Award, 2021 AVA Digital Award Gold, 2021 Silver Davey Award, 2020 Communicator Award of Excellence, and on numerous top 10 podcast lists.
PRAGUE TIMES - A city is more than just a location - it’s a kaleidoscope of history, places, people and trends. This podcast looks at Prague, in the center of Europe, from a number of perspectives, including what it is now, what is has been and where it’s going. It’s Prague THEN, Prague NOW, Prague LATER

Wednesday Jan 17, 2024
Conspiracy Thinking in the Middle East w/Adel Aali
Wednesday Jan 17, 2024
Wednesday Jan 17, 2024
EPISODE 102 | Conspiracy Thinking in the Middle East (Because Reasons 10)
Guest: Adel Aali, creator and host of the podcasts History Behind News and Unravelling the Middle East
Conspiracy theories seem to thrive in the Middle East, but why? Adel Aali takes a look at some of the more common CTs, as well as where they come from and why that region might be primed for conspiracy thinking due to its history.
Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. #ConspiracyClearinghouse #sharingiscaring #donations #support #buymeacoffee
You can also SUBSCRIBE to this podcast.
Review us here or on IMDb!
SECTIONS
04:39 - What Is the Middle East?
06:44 - The Fertile Crescent, the Ottomans, the Sykes–Picot Agreement, comparing modern Middle Eastern history with US history, the ME has not been given the space to develop modern structures
12:36 - Religion as a startup, Islam is quite different from Judaism and Christianity, possible reasons CTS thrive - a paucity of information vs. a plethora, a lack of education, stability vs instability; CTs begin to swirl when people feel disconnected from their government, individuated instability and emotional narratives
21:46 - Israel has an unusual place in the ME, anti-Semitic CTs like the Jewish people are Communists vs. they are Nazis, online brownshirting, Russia was once seen as the second home for the Jewish people, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the Khazar theory, scapegoating works for a primed audience, the divisions are illusions
32:53 - Jews, America, Israel and Zionism; the Muslim world was once the shizzle so what happened?, Tamerlane rejects invading Europe for business reasons, the Ottomans held back the printing press, persecution complex in the ME, the blame game, the secularization thesis, Iran is becoming secular
45:37 - You can't be pro or against a country
Music by Fanette Ronjat
More Info:
History Behind News podcast
Unravelling the Middle East podcast
The Georgia Guidestones - An NWO Billboard episode
A Weirdness Travelogue: Henges, Tiles & Plaques episode
’Merican Monuments (Travelogue 2) episode
Spanish Caravan (Travelogue 3) episode
Fair Dinkum - 4 Mysteries from Down Under episode
Oh, Canada! episode
From Sea to Sea: More Canada Mysteries & Histories with comedian Nile Séguin
Üst akıl – Totally Turkey episode
How The CIA Overthrew Iran's Democracy In 4 Days on NPR
Violent Gangs and Predatory Republics - From Haiti to Africa HBN episode
A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam by Karen Armstrong
The Billion-Dollar Party That Ended a 2500-Year-Old Monarchy essay
Smoke & Mirrors: Unintentional Dangers and Slow Thinking with Kent Weishaus episode
Pootie-Poot on the Prowl - V. Putin Takes Center Stage episode
From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas Friedman on Amazon
Thomas Friedman website
Protocols of the Elders of Zion in Holocaust Encyclopedia
Khazar Love Triangle episode
Abbas and the Khazar Claim: Separating Myth from Fact on Fikra Forum
Blood Libel on the Jewish Virtual Library
The “Golden Age” of Jewish-Muslim Relations: Myth and Reality by Mark R. Cohen, Princeton University Press paper
Conspiracy Theories and Conflict in the Middle East on the Religious Freedom Institute
When animals were used as spies in the Economic Times
The lure of conspiracy theories in Iranian politics
Policy, Perception, and Misperception: The United States and the Fall of the Shah by Kyle Balzer paper from Marine Corp University
The Paranoid Style in Iranian Politics
Deconstructing Secularization Theory: Religion, Secularity, and Self-hood Since theOnset of Western Modernity by Nicole Owens paper in Berkeley Undergraduate Journal
Iran’s secular shift: new survey reveals huge changes in religious beliefs in The Conversation
Inside story: How Iran’s religious classes are turning increasingly secular on Amwaj Media
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Other Podcasts by Derek DeWitt
DIGITAL SIGNAGE DONE RIGHT - Winner of a 2022 Gold Quill Award, 2022 Gold MarCom Award, 2021 AVA Digital Award Gold, 2021 Silver Davey Award, 2020 Communicator Award of Excellence, and on numerous top 10 podcast lists.
PRAGUE TIMES - A city is more than just a location - it’s a kaleidoscope of history, places, people and trends. This podcast looks at Prague, in the center of Europe, from a number of perspectives, including what it is now, what is has been and where it’s going. It’s Prague THEN, Prague NOW, Prague LATER