Keep It Weird: A Strange & Unusual Podcast

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Spirits, Spectres & Solitude Jun 03, 2022

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Call in the spirits, wherever they are at!

It's finally here! Our paranormal investigation of the LEMP MANSION in St Louis MO!

Our lovely friend, past guest and deep sea expert MELANIE VARTABEDIAN accompanied me.. who are we kidding... TOOK me to stay at this historical landmark in Benton Park to see if we could speak to any ghosts. And believe it or not... we did.

After listening to our Lemp Family history episode "The Burden of Brew" grab a set of headphones so you can hear all the creaks, mysterious sounds, creepy laughs and bumps in the night that we captured on audio from our two night stay in the "cursed" Lemp Mansion...

The Burden of Brew Jun 03, 2022

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Come in, come in!

Welcome to LEMP MANSION! Built in 1868 and still standing in St Louis MO only blocks away from what remains of the LEMP BREWERY. Both buildings are rich with history, scandal, tragedy and secrets-- and we got to stay there.

This episode is ALL about the Lemp family. William J. Lemp and his wife Julia, along with their eight children- Billy, Louis, Frederick, Charles, Hilda, Edwin and Elsa- deserve to be remembered for who they were- flawed people who loved each other, loved to party and loved their home.

"The curse of the Lemp Mansion" is something I'd heard about my whole life- but was there any truth to it? Was the home, family or brewery really cursed? Or is life just freaking hard sometimes?

Take a listen to this episode to get the WHOLE SCOOP on this family as well as some of the rumors (substantiated & unsubstantiated) surrounding them before you listen to "Spirits, Spectres & Solitude": our paranormal investigation that took place inside the home.

Russian FORKlore May 27, 2022

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Hey kids,

I know this wasn't what you were expecting. You were expecting me to introduce our latest paranormal investigation! But it's not done... its SO CLOSE... but it's not ready.

SO, next week you'll be getting TWO long episodes all about the history, legends and lore of the Lemp family along with our investigation in the mansion. But this week we're giving you Halloween in May!

Russian Forklore is one of our all time favorite bonus episodes. We released it in October of 2020 and it features Ashley, your Keep It Beard host Amy, AND your Keep It WEIRD host Lauren! And that Halloween was all about... Russia??

Amy brings us a spooky listener story that sparked her interest in what is known as a "house spirit" or DOMOVOY. And Ashley got to research her favorite creepy grandma - BABA YAGA!

We laughed, we cringed, we went home fully vodka drunk.

ENJOY!

One Big Ralph May 20, 2022

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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!

Never Trust a Jellyfish May 13, 2022

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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.

Visiting Reality May 06, 2022

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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...

This Little Light of Mine Apr 29, 2022

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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.

All is Fair in Death & Eels Apr 22, 2022

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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!

Marie Maria Mario & Co Apr 15, 2022

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Hi Weirdos!

Welcome to our favorite time of the year!! Time to tell GHOST STORIES! This is another edition of LISTENER GHOST STORIES-- where Lauren and Ashley tell each other REAL LIFE spooky stories either sent in by YOU, the listener or found on different online forums we are a part of. This time 'round we are encountering a LOT of different oddities-- ghost children, haunted sheds, astral projection, near death experiences, guardian angels, light beings, glitches in the matrix, lost time and SO much more!! Thank you to all of the wonderful weirdos who allowed us to tell your stories. Thank you to Vivek Abishek for creating the music you hear in this episode. Thank you to freesound dot org for supplying the sound effects. If YOU have a strange/scary/unexplainable story you'd like to hear on this show email it to us at keepitweirdpodcast at gmail dot com with Listener Ghost Stories in the subject line! As usual, these episodes are usually best enjoyed with a pair of headphones, a warm blanket and all of the lights turned on....

Easy on the Apes Apr 08, 2022

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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!