Bug in a Rug

Ep. 147 The Devil's Footprints

If you like feet, this is the episode for you! Help us track down who left hoofprints in the England snow one cold February night. It might be hungry badgers... or it might be The Devil's Footprints.
 
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Sources:
26 May 1855 - Miscellaneous Extracts. - Trove (nla.gov.au)
Devil's Footprints - Wikipedia
Devil's Hoofmarks - Source Material On The Great Devon Mystery of 1855 PDF | PDF | Nature (scribd.com)
Five of the Strangest Creature Footprints Ever Discovered (coolweirdo.com)
The 1855 "Devil's Footprints" mystery in Devon, England (thevintagenews.com)
The Mystery of the Devil’s Footprints - Discovery UK
The Ongoing Mystery of the 'Devil's Footprints' | Mental Floss

Ep. 146 The Hotel Pierre Robbery

Celebrate the New Year with us as we discuss what the Guinness Book of World Records deems the largest, most successful hotel robbery in history, the heist of Hotel Pierre!  
 
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Sources:
Lucchese crime family - Wikipedia
Mobster in witness protection details world’s greatest heist (nypost.com)
Pierre Hotel robbery - Wikipedia
Police Find a Clue in Robbery at Pierre Hotel - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
The Biggest Heists and Bank Robberies in American History - WorldAtlas
The Pierre - Wikipedia

Ep. 145 British Big Cats... real or legend?

Sightings of non-native, typically large felids feral in the United Kingdom have been reported for decades. Are these exotic pets that have escaped domestic ownership or legends of powerful phantom cats come true?
 
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Sources:
South Molton - Wikipedia
BRIEF HISTORY OF SOUTH MOLTON | Visit South Molton
South Molton Olde English Fayre | Visit South Molton
Visiting South Molton (visitdevon.co.uk)
Domesday Book | Medieval English Survey Record & History | Britannica
British big cats - Wikipedia
Big cats: The hunt for the puma caught roaming the Highlands in 1980 (pressandjournal.co.uk)
Essex lion: Charting the big cats of Britain - BBC News
Wayback Machine (archive.org)
Big Cat Ownership Regulations: A Comparative Analysis of the UK, US, Australia, and Brazil — Mad Katz Blog
Is it legal to keep big cats in the UK? - Such a great Great Britain (thedartmooryarncompany.com)
Are big cats prowling the UK? What science tells us (theconversation.com)
The Beast of Bodmin - Myth of Reality? (bodminjail.org)
'Big cat' photographed in Cotswolds with 'greying hair' as it's ageing - Gloucestershire Live
The Black Book of Carmarthen (ancienttexts.org)
Pa gur - Wikipedia
Cath Palug - Wikipedia
Stratford Lyon - Wikipedia
Stratford Lyon | Myth and Folklore Wiki | Fandom
Hauntings in the New Forest (historic-uk.com)

Ep. 144 Mount Shasta

Approximately 26,000 people are drawn to Northern California by the powerful energy radiating from Mount Shasta. Native American legends speak of the center of creation being found within the slopes, alleged Lemurians tell tales of the crystalline city that hides aliens, and visiting businessmen claim to have found a way to ascend to a sixth dimension. Are those who have gone missing on the mountain found what lies beneath? Join us as we take a deep dive into the mighty landmark.
 
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Sources:
Mount Shasta - Wikipedia
Mount Shasta | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov)
The 4 Eruption Cones Of Mount Shasta | Hike Mt. Shasta (hikemtshasta.com)
Mount Shasta by John Rollin Ridge - Poems | Academy of American Poets
A Mountain Of Many Legends Draws Spiritual Seekers From Around The Globe : NPR
The Legends Of Mount Shasta Explained (grunge.com)
The Mysteries And Legends of Mount Shasta (ancient-code.com)
Llao - Wikipedia
A Mysterious Hole Appeared on Mt. Shasta. Each Theory Behind It Tells a Different Story | KQED
Guy Ballard - Wikipedia
The “I Am” Activity Movement: Guy & Edna Ballard – TPKs Stories True Crime & Other Stories (wordpress.com)
UFO sightings: Why Mount Shasta is the new Roswell - Big Think
Everything You Need To Know About The Mount Shasta Mysteries (california.com)
There's Something About Mount Shasta - Atlas Obscura
Facebook
Native American Language Net: Preserving and promoting First Nations/American Indian languages (native-languages.org)
Wikiwand - home

Ep. 143 Magic Tricks Gone Wrong...

And for my next trick... I will attempt to teach all of the aspiring magicians the art of getting pierced by swords, sawing a woman in half, and escaping a locked milk can! What could possibly go wrong?
 
A lot... a lot can go wrong.
 
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Sources:
Magic | Definition, Types, History, & Facts | Britannica
What was the first Magic Trick ever performed? » Roger Lapin
How to Do Penn & Teller’s Famous Cups-and-Balls Trick in 12 Steps - 2023 - MasterClass
Ridley's Magic How To - Cups and Balls - YouTube
The Top 10 Famous Magicians of Our Time (thesprucecrafts.com)
Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed (TV Special 1997) - IMDb
List of Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed episodes - Wikipedia
10 Magic Tricks That Are Still Unexplained - Listverse
David Copperfield’s Portal Explained | Sandbox (wordpress.com)
7 Magic Tricks That Went Horribly Wrong | Mental Floss
Princess Tenko - Wikipedia
When Magic Tricks Went Terribly Wrong (grunge.com)
Princess Tenko 〜 The Life of illusionist Tenko Hikida | (famous-popular.tokyo)
プリンセス天功のイリュージョンワールド (tenko.ne.jp)
Sawing a woman in half - Wikipedia
Sawing Someone in Half Never Gets Old. Even at 100. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
How Cut Person In Half Magic Trick Work (With Video) – Improve Magic
Houdini's Milk Can Escape, Where Failure Meant Death by Drowning - Atlas Obscura
(24) HOW TO PERFORM HOUDINI'S MILK CAN ESCAPE! - YouTube
Gilbert Genesta - Wikipedia

Ep. 142 WORMS!

It is all about WORMS, baby! We've collected stories about worms from all over the world, and we are here to share a list of the good... and the not so good.
 
Some worms will keep demons away from your baby. Nice!
Other worms will live inside your veins. Yikes!
 
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Sources:
Spooky Cryptidposting on Facebook
Worm folklore | A Book of Creatures

Ep. 141 Gansu Ultramarathon Disaster

An ultramarathon held on May 22nd, 2021 in the Gansu Province of China claimed the lives of 21 participants after hazardous weather conditions rolled into the area. An investigation into the incident found a startling lack of safety precautions and emergency response on the part of the organizers. This event caused China to ban extreme sports indefinitely. 
 
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Sources:
What Is An Ultra Marathon? - Enter 2 Run
Ultramarathon Running Study - How Many People Are Running Ultra Distances (runnersworld.com)
The State of Ultra Running 2020 | RunRepeat
Gansu ultramarathon disaster - Wikipedia
白银景泰“5·22”黄河石林百公里越野赛公共安全责任事件调查报告_通知公告_甘肃省政府门户 (archive.ph)
甘肃马拉松事故事发前1个小时甘肃省气象台曾预报降温及阵风 (archive.ph)
Chinese Ultramarathon: 21 Runners Dead After Extreme Weather Hits Event - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
An ultramarathon ends in tragedy: runners describe horror of Gansu race | China | The Guardian
China bans ultramarathons and off-road races after 21 die in Gansu tragedy | South China Morning Post (scmp.com)
s00376-021-1246-0.pdf (springer.com)
Shepherd Saves 6 Runners in Deadly Gansu Ultramarathon - Nspirement

Ep. 140 Peter Manuel aka The Beast of Birkenshaw

Peter Manuel was an American-Scottish serial killer dubbed "The Beast of Birkenshaw" after being convicted of seven murders across Lanarkshire and southern Scotland between 1956 and 1958. 
 
We are discussing his story as the end of Pisces season nears. Manuel's zodiac sign is Pisces! Fun fact... according to several studies the water signs (Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio) accounted for the highest number of serial killers. 
 
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Sources:
Pisces Zodiac Sign: Dates, Traits, Compatibility and More | Horoscope.com
Most Common Zodiac Signs Of Serial Killers | ZodiacSign.com
4 Most Common Serial Killer Zodiac Signs, According To Study | YourTango
Killer: Peter Manuel - Beast of Birkenshaw profiled on Killer.Cloud
Peter Manuel - Wikipedia
Old Glasgow Murders: Peter Manuel Part 1: Early Life and First Crimes
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Peter Manuel, Scotland’s Most Notorious Serial Killer (wgbh.org)
Who were Peter Manuel's victims? | The US Sun (the-sun.com)
Peter Manuel | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

Ep. 139 Patricia Hearst

Patricia Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) on February 4th, 1974. After being held captive for two months, Hearst was seen working with the SLA during several crimes. When she was arrested in 1975, she claimed to have been brainwashed by the group! Unfortunately, others thought she was lying...
 
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Sources:
Venceremos (political organization) - Wikipedia
Symbionese Liberation Army - Wikipedia
Symbionese Liberation Army | History, Members, Beliefs, & Facts | Britannica
Patty Hearst - Wikipedia
Patty Hearst — FBI
Patty Hearst Now: Where is She Today? Is She in Jail? Update (thecinemaholic.com)
Patty Hearst Kidnapped - HISTORY
William Randolph Hearst - Wikipedia
Phoebe Hearst - Wikipedia

Ep. 138 Groundhog Day History & Scandals

Some biting, an accidental death, and a funeral isn't enough to stop us from asking groundhogs to predict the weather on Groundhog Day! This tradition has dated back centuries, and those fuzzy Whistle Pigs have worked hard to become the renowned meteorologists they are today. Who knew the history of the celebration could be so scandalous?
 
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Sources:
Groundhog Day - Wikipedia
Groundhog Day: History and Facts - HISTORY
Punxsutawney Phil isn't the only famous groundhog: At least 6 other states have their own weather prognosticators | AccuWeather
Don't like Phil's forecast? Check out these rodents instead | Chattanooga Times Free Press
Imbolc: Blessings, Rituals & Meaning - HISTORY - HISTORY
Brigid Goddess of the Celts: The Complete Guide (2022) (mythologysource.com)
Candlemas - Wikipedia
Origins of Groundhog Day and Candlemas | Merriam-Webster
Groundhog Day: Ancient Origins of a Modern Celebration | Folklife Today (loc.gov)
History of Groundhog Day more complex than you may think (thehill.com)
Are Badgers Dangerous? Do Badgers Attack Humans? (wildexplained.com)
Jimmy the Groundhog Bites Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Mayor's Ear (nbcnews.com)
Groundhog Bites Wisconsin Mayor at Ceremony - YouTube
Mired in shadow: A history of Groundhog Day coverups and conspiracies | The Star
Wiarton Willie - Wikipedia
Sad news on Groundhog Day - Wiarton Willie is dead | CBC News
Canadian Groundhog Fred la Marmotte Found Dead Before Groundhog Day (people.com)
Facts about groundhogs | Live Science