December 10, 2024 • 29 mins
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Merry Christmas! Host Jeryl Spear shares her holiday podcast picks for 2024. Discover the festive magic of "Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast" by Wondery, where the Grinch surprises us all with his journey into community service in Whoville. We'll also set the mood for your holiday celebrations with the joy-infused tunes of Dr. Seuss' The Grinch original motion picture soundtrack. Whether it's the nostalgia of classic Christmas songs or the lively swing of jazzy beats, there's a melody waiting to brighten your season.
On a true crime note, we travel back to Christmas 1990 with the Tiede family as they courageously face a tragic event in their secluded Utah cabin. Although the narrative is heart-wrenching, it's a testament to this family's strength, including the resilience and loyalty of sisters Tricia and Lainie as they plot to survive and ultimately honor their slain relatives.
Jeryl's Recommended Christmas Podcast List
Family:
Christmas 2023: We Wish You a Scary Christmas by Jon Briggs
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol by Hope Media Group
Holiday Movie Hits (movie soundtracks) by Spotify
'Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast by Wonderly
Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The Grinch Bedtime Story (episode) by Mrs. Honeybee and Friends, Nov 25, 2022
Spooky Troop: A Very Scary Christmas by Wonkybot
Adults Only: True Crime
The Tiede Family: Minds of Madness podcast, Episode 68, January 19, 2020
Two Sisters' Terrifying Experience at Their Mountain Cabin | I Survived by A&E on YouTube,
Website: https://www.onegoodthingmedia.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/OneGoodThingMedia?mibextid=fVIIUt
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1THZ05VbQ0sZJZwCo5i46I
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Hello, loves and happy holidays to everyone
listening to our show.
My name is Gerald Spear and Iam your host and the creator of
One Good Thing Media, the onepodcast that recommends a wide
variety of top-notch podcastsfor your listening pleasure.
Welcome to Season 2, episode 34, our final episode of our 2024
(00:55):
season.
Fyi, we'll be returning thesecond week in January with a
brand new lineup for the newyear.
Week in January with a brandnew lineup for the new year.
Make sure to tap thenotifications button so you'll
know the minute that Season 3,episode 1 drops.
(01:16):
Today we'll be celebrating theYuletide holidays, including
recommending seasonal podcaststhat are perfect for your entire
family and a couple of showswhere listener discretion is
advised.
I'll also be doing my best tokeep our holiday episode to no
more than 30 minutes because,let's face it, we're all busy
(01:39):
getting ready for the holidaysand parties are in full swing.
So, to all the merrymakers outthere, thank you so much for
working us into your busyschedule.
The Christmas season is a timeof celebrating, entertaining and
(02:01):
giving.
Regarding the latter, I have asuggestion for everyone
listening to our podcast Givelocally and directly.
Help the people who live inyour town or county that have
fallen on tough times.
I'm personally passionate aboutsupporting shelters that house
displaced women with children.
(02:23):
Many women who have had toleave their homes due to
domestic abuse grab their kidsand they get the hell out of
there.
They don't have proper suppliesfor their children.
They don't have any extra moneywith them.
They are suddenly homeless andinstead of purchasing items from
a standard list of needs, Iusually call the shelters I
(02:45):
intend to support and ask themwhat do you need?
What are you running out of?
What can I do to support yourefforts?
We'll dive right into the heartof our holiday show after this
word from our sponsor who Givesa Crap?
The company that keeps ourlights on and is helping to save
(03:08):
the planet one toilet paperroll at a time.
Did you know that you cansupport us by supporting who
Gives a Crap?
A company that really does givea crap?
We've been a loyal customer ofWGAC for five years.
They produce the greenesttoilet paper and paper towels on
(03:30):
the planet, have a microcarbonfootprint and donate 50% of
their profits to helpunderdeveloped countries safely
manage human waste.
Fyi, I recommend the bambootoilet paper.
It's three-ply soft and becausebamboo is a grass and now for
some holiday highlights.
(03:51):
My first holiday highlight fortoday is Tis.
(04:21):
The Grinch Holiday Podcast,brought to you by Wondery and
James Austin Johnson, plays thegreenest, grumpiest Grinch ever.
In this series, the Grinch hasbecome a podcaster who is
serving a stint of communityservice to make amends for his
(04:41):
dastardly attempt to stealChristmas.
With Cindy Lou and Max at hisside, the Grinch is the most
popular, unpopular podcaster inWhoville and many Whoville
residents think that the Grinchis softening a bit.
But can a leopard really changeits spots?
(05:03):
I'm asking because all of theletters that the children wrote
to Santa Claus have gone missing.
And guess who Whoville hasnamed as the number one suspect?
Mr G, of course.
Despite rumors to the contrary,he's still stubborn, abrasive
(05:27):
and about as snuggly as aChristmas cactus green grump,
the Grinch.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Remember a few years back, my little dust up down in
Whoville, that tiny, microscopicmisunderstanding where the
whole town accused me ofallegedly trying to steal
Christmas.
Well, for the record, I didn'tsteal anything.
I was going to return all thosepresents, but the town had it
in for me and my punishment Getthis I am now court-ordered to
(06:02):
host my very own late-night talkshow From Wondery Tis.
The Grinch holiday talk show isa pathetic attempt by the
people of Whoville To use mysituation as a teachable moment.
They say it will help me workon my interpersonal skills.
So I said fine, but I don'twant to talk to just anyone,
Especially not the commoncitizens of Whoville Boring.
(06:25):
Instead, every week I'm going tosit down with the who's who of
celebrities and see who from theA-list is on Santa's nice list.
Sure, they'll try to forcetheir Christmas agenda down my
throat.
Try to persuade me to embracethe holiday season.
They can certainly try, butyou'll have to tune in to find
out if they succeed.
So join me, the Grinch, alongwith Cindy Lou, who Hello
(06:48):
everyone, and of course my dogMax, every week for this
complete waste of time.
And with that I drop the mic.
Mr Grinch, God, go to self.
Never try a mic drop whenyou're standing on the edge of
Mount Crumpit.
Is this thing still picking meup?
Stink Stank.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Mr Grinch, you're a bad banana with a greasy black
peel.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
For all of the Grinch lovers out there, there is one
more podcast that I want tomention.
Dr Seuss' the Grinch originalmotion picture soundtrack is
available wherever you listen topodcasts and just to refresh
your memory, the soundtrackincludes Run, rudolph Run by the
Brian Setzer Orchestra.
(07:44):
God Rest Ye, merry Gentlemen byPentatonix.
Stealing Christmas by DannyElfman.
My Favorite Things by theSupremes.
Deck the Hall by Jackie Wilson.
It is a loaded soundtrack thatyou can play while you're
driving or perhaps just relaxingat night and sipping on an
eggnog.
(08:04):
You do know, by the way, thatif you perform enough good deeds
throughout the month ofDecember, all the saturated fats
and calories that you consumeduring the holidays they don't
even count.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
I'm serious, mr Grinch you're a nasty, wasty
skunk.
Your heart is full of unwashedsocks.
Your soul is full of gunk.
Mr Grinch, the three words thatdescribe you are stink, stink,
(08:43):
stink.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
FYI, there are several podcasts that feature
Christmas music and they rangefrom classic Christmas songs to
crooners to jazz.
I have made a list of them andincluded them in our show notes,
just as a reminder.
The show notes are directlybelow the title of this episode.
My next podcast that I'm goingto be talking about is Christmas
(09:16):
Past, hosted by Brian Earle.
Christmas Past is all aboutwhere the traditions and stories
originated, including thebackstory of elves, where the
tradition of telling Christmasghost stories came from.
This podcast is definitelyfamily-friendly, and what I mean
(09:37):
by that is it doesn't containany salacious words, thoughts
that we know of or deeds, butit's most appealing to those who
enjoy learning aboutinteresting topics from a
friendly professor type whoreally digs what they're talking
about.
To illustrate my point, I amgoing to play a clip entitled
(10:00):
Backstory Classic AmericanChristmas Music.
Here we go.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Shortly after Thanksgiving, and even well
before in some cases, many radiostations make their annual
switch to an all-Christmasformat, offering a non-stop
playlist of Christmas favoritesto add a little cheer to your
morning commute or trip to theshopping mall.
And, of course, once you do getto the shopping mall, once
again you're serenaded with thesounds of the season.
(10:32):
Christmas music is truly partof the atmosphere of Christmas,
literally in the air, and maybeyou've noticed this too.
But we can broadly divideChristmas music into traditional
carols and popular songs.
A carol is, by definition,typically a religious song, and
traditional Christmas car carolsand by traditional I mean
anything up until the mid tolate 19th century, but often
(10:54):
much older than that almostalways center around the
nativity story.
Carols have come from manydifferent times in history, like
Away in a Manger from the 19thcentury.
O Come All Ye Faithful.
From the 18th century.
I Saw Three Ships from the 17thcentury, or God Rest Ye, merry
Gentlemen, from the 16th century.
I Saw Three Ships from the 17thcentury or God Rest Ye, merry
Gentlemen, from the 16th century, and there are plenty of others
stretching back even farther,of course.
(11:15):
But they are the stuff ofhistory books, not present-day
songbooks and certainly notradio play.
The 19th century may have beenthe last great hurrah for the
proper, traditional Christmascarol, because things changed in
a big way as we entered the20th century.
Recorded music came along andcommercial radio and movies with
sound.
And not only that, but alsoAmerica was in the midst of
(11:37):
recreating Christmas in its ownimage, the emphasis being
decreasingly on the religiouscelebration and increasingly on
family gatherings, gifts andidyllic images of winter
wonderlands.
And before long, christmascarols stopped being carols and
become secular, commercialChristmas music centering on
winter and romance, gifts andChristmas trees, santa Claus and
(11:59):
snowmen.
And it all happened withinlittle more than a decade.
While our canon of traditionalcarols that we sing today took
centuries to accumulate a newcanon of modern Christmas music.
American Christmas music wasproduced between the late 1930s
and the early 1950s, and despiteall the new Christmas music
released each year, thatparticular set of songs remains
(12:21):
the most popular and receivesthe most airplay during the
Christmas season.
Why?
Well, they're great songs, butthere's more to it than that.
It's a testament to baby boomernostalgia, the lasting
influence of World War II, theAmerican image of Christmas and
the power of jazz.
I'm Brian Earle.
This is Christmas Past.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Did I nail the spirit of this show or what?
I'm one of those people thatreally enjoy this type of
presentation, and if you are,you are going to enjoy it too.
I have two great VictorianChristmas podcasts that you
(13:04):
won't want to miss.
One covers a full production ofa beloved Christmas story and
the other is an anomaly in thepodcast universe by dropping
just one episode per year onChristmas Eve.
The austerity of the Victorianperiod, which spans 1837 to
(13:26):
190101, is well known, with manymodern social and sexual
hang-ups attributed to this erain modern history.
But what is not talked aboutnearly enough is the fact that
the Victorian period coincidedwith the age of spiritualism.
(13:46):
That included occult practicessuch as communing with dearly
departed spirits through seances, a party hit if there ever was
one and bringing out the ouijaboard at the drop of a hat to
see who might be hanging out onthe other side.
It's no wonder that duringVictorian times, especially
(14:08):
across the pond in jolly oldEngland, entertainment included
telling spooky stories in frontof a roaring fire or beneath the
bedsheets during the dark anddank winter season as when am I
mortal?
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Have you shown me the shadow of things that will be,
or are they shadows of what maybe Spirit, spirit?
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Perhaps the most beloved holiday story of all
time, a Christmas Carol byCharles Dickens still fills the
television and radio airwavesand now on select podcasts every
Christmas season.
Written and published over 175years ago, in 1843 to be exact,
(15:01):
this Victorian short storycontinues to embroider the
fabric of Christian charity,kindness and goodwill to all
through its poignant story andmemorable characters, especially
Ebenezer, scrooge, bob Cratchitand, of course, tiny Tim.
(15:21):
But there's one podcastpresentation that stands out
above all the rest, at least inmy mind.
Above all the rest, at least inmy mind.
Produced by Hope Media, scroogeA Christmas Carol hits all the
right notes by faithfullyfollowing the story, having
elegant sound technology and anentire cast speaking in
(15:44):
beautiful Victorian Englishwithout eating the scenery or
savoring the sound of their ownvoices.
The lead actor is none otherthan John Rhys-Davies, whom you
might remember as Sala in theRaiders of the Lost Ark
franchise or Gimli in the Lordof the Rings trilogy.
(16:05):
With a voice like deep, warmhoney and elegant but not too
elegant diction, rhys Davies,who's now an octogenarian,
continues to mesmerize audiences, with Scrooge a Christmas carol
being no exception.
Here's a clip from the show.
Speaker 6 (16:27):
But of all the considerable amount of things
that grated scrooge to his verycore, would recoil him at every
thought, note or reminder, washis deep-seated, unadulterated
pure and utter disdain forchristmas.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Merry christmas, sir, merry christmas sir bah humbug
Christmas.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
Merry Christmas sir.
Merry Christmas sir Bah HumbugJacob Marley.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
You will be visited by three spirits on this very
eve One of the past, one of thepresent and of the future.
Perhaps I could take them allat once and have it done with.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
And of the future.
Perhaps I could take them allat once and have it done with
Jacob, jacob.
Speaker 7 (17:13):
Help me.
It was just a dream, anelina.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Scrooge A Christmas Carol.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
One of the best holiday traditions of the
podcast world is listening tothe once-a-year Christmas Ghost
Stories episode hosted andnarrated by John Briggs, always
dropping on Christmas Eve.
There are eight episodesavailable at the time of this
recording 2015 to 2023, with thenext drop expected to happen on
(17:56):
December 24, 2024.
Briggs has an affinity forghost stories written during the
Victorian and Edwardian eras2023,.
For instance, briggs narratedthe Tale of the Monkey's Paw, a
short story that I first readwhen I was a freshman in high
(18:18):
school.
Like most Victorian stories,there's a moral to this one,
namely, be careful what you wishfor which has stuck with me
ever since.
Speaker 6 (18:30):
Here's a clip from the Monkey's Paw so once again,
you are so welcome to theChristmas ghost story for this
year.
It's a classic, a three wishesstory that doubles as a horror
story and a cautionary tale,reminding us that unintended
consequences often accompany thebest intentions.
(18:53):
It's a widely read story andtherefore you may well know it.
It was first published in 1902and then featured in the Lady of
the Barge, published in 1911.
It's called the Monkey's Pawand it's written by a master of
ghost story writing, W W Jacobs.
So, as usual, are you sittinguncomfortably?
(19:17):
Then we shall begin Without.
(19:55):
The night was cold and wet, butin the small parlour of Laburnum
Villa the blinds were drawn andthe fire burned brightly.
Father and son were at chess.
The former, who possessed ideasabout the game involving
radical chances, put his kinginto such sharp and unnecessary
perils that it even provokedcomment from the white-haired
(20:18):
old lady knitting placidly bythe fire.
Hark at the wind, said Mr Whitewho, having seen a fatal
mistake after it was too late,was amiably desirous of
preventing his son from seeingit.
I'm listening, said the latter,grimly surveying the board.
As he stretched out his hand.
Check, he took something out ofhis pocket and proffered it.
(20:42):
Mrs White drew back with agrimace.
But her son, taking it,examined it curiously.
What is there that's specialabout it, inquired Mr White, as
he took it from his son and,having examined it, placed it
upon the table.
It had a spell put on it by anold fake.
Here, said the sergeant major, Avery holy man.
(21:06):
He wanted to show that fateruled people's lives and that
those who interfered with it didso to their sorrow.
He put a spell on it so thatthree separate men could have
each three wishes from it.
His manners were so impressivethat his hearers were conscious
that their light laughter hadjarred somewhat.
Well, why don't you have three,sir?
(21:29):
Said Herbert White cleverly.
The soldier regarded him theway that middle ages won't to
regard presumptuous youth.
I have, he said quietly and hisblotchy face whitened.
And did you really have thethree wishes granted, asked Mrs
White.
I did, said the sergeant major,and his glass tapped against
(21:53):
his strong teeth.
And has anybody else wished,persisted the old lady.
The first man has had his threewishes.
Yes, was the reply.
I don't know what the first twowere, but the third was for
death.
That's how I got the paw.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Now.
At that point you would think,okay, maybe it's not a good idea
to be messing around with thatmonkey's paw.
But nope, the elderly coupledecided to wish for a large sum
of money, which they did get,but they were surprised at the
price they had to pay.
Intrigued If you are, I suggestthat, before you listen to it,
(22:38):
turn off the lights.
Oh, and if, by chance, you heara loud thudding knock at your
door, don't answer it.
(23:03):
We've reached the point in ourpodcast where I have mature-only
Christmas podcasts that I wantto share for all of our true
crime fans.
If true crime isn't your thingor you have people with you that
shouldn't be listening tonarrations about violent crime,
please click out now.
(23:24):
Let's meet again in the secondweek of January 2025, when I
will have a brand new lineup forSeason 3 of One Good Thing
Media.
The first part of this truecrime story that I'm about to
tell you is by the Minds ofMadness podcast, episode 68,
(23:46):
dated January 19, 2020.
I'm also including a separateA&E video featuring the
surviving sisters that you don'twant to miss.
The actual crimes occurred at acabin in a remote area of the
Utah woods where the Teedyfamily went every December for
(24:08):
their family Christmascelebration.
The cabin was located two milesoff a small country road that
in the winter could only beaccessed by snowmobile and,
although graphic and terriblytragic, I've chosen this
Christmas crime because of thestrength and resilience of the
(24:30):
affected family, theirunwavering loyalty to each other
and the surviving members'determination to erect a new
cabin on the same spot wheretheir family members were
murdered and the cabin wasburned down, and cover every
square inch of their home in thewoods with love.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
In December of 1990, the Tita family was on break
from their hectic lives up attheir remote country cabin in
Oakley, utah.
Rolf and Kay, along with theirtwo daughters Lene and Tricia,
were busily preparing for theirannual Christmas party when
suddenly their tranquility wasshattered by two cold-hearted
(25:23):
intruders.
As Lene looked towards thehouse from the driveway, she saw
a figure in the window of themaster bedroom.
She didn't mention it becauseshe thought it was just her
cousin David.
She figured he must havearrived early and was waiting to
surprise them.
As soon as her mother unlockedthe front door, lene bolted up
(25:46):
the stairs into the kitchen.
As she ran her cold hands underhot water, she thought she saw
her cousin David hiding behindthe fridge.
She laughed to herself and wasready for him to jump out.
Unfortunately, the personhiding wasn't Lene's cousin.
Out from behind the fridge camea frizzy haired man in a gray
(26:11):
sweatshirt, while pointing apistol at Lene.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
The story gets pretty gruesome and it's done
tastefully, but nonetheless itdoes involve multiple murders,
so warning on that.
However, family acted soadmirably the whole time that
they were under siege and thefather oh my gosh turned into a
superhero.
All I can say is you go, dad.
(26:38):
I'm also going to be playing aclip from the Sister's Point of
View by A&E from YouTube.
If you want to listen and seethe whole nine-minute clip, I am
including the link in my shownotes and it will take you right
to the video.
The voices you hear are Triciaand Lene, and they were 14 and
(27:03):
16 years old when this happened.
Speaker 7 (27:14):
It was just my mom's favorite place on earth to be.
She loved getting away fromTexas and being able to be in a
snow-covered white Christmas,and that was our family dream.
We looked forward to that everyyear to be able to spend our
Christmas vacation together inthe mountains with our family.
My grams and I started on oursnowmobile journey up to the
(27:36):
cabin, my mom following behindus.
As we got up to the cabin, myhands were freezing so I jumped
off, asked mom to hurry and openthe cabin.
I needed to go run my handsunder some water.
I made my way up the stairs,opened the door and I saw a
flash of gray move behind therefrigerator.
The next thing I knew, therewas a man pointing a revolver at
(27:58):
me, saying my way up the stairs, opened the door and I saw a
flash of gray move behind therefrigerator.
And the next thing I knew,there was a man pointing a
revolver at me saying get inhere, get in here.
A second man comes out withthick glasses behind the bedroom
pointing another big black gunat me, and they both immediately
started asking me who was withme.
I said my mother and myhandicapped grandmother
Immediately after Mom and Gramswere brought into the cabin, mom
(28:18):
said to them what are you herefor?
What do you want?
My mother just began to have aconversation and the man
immediately started to fire ather.
I can remember her grabbing itacross her chest and saying I've
been shot.
I see my mom go down and thenseconds after that I look over
to my shoulder and see mygrandmother fall after her head
(28:39):
had been blown off.
It was then.
It was dead silence.
Speaker 8 (28:46):
We saw the one guy with his arm around my sister's
neck and a gun to her back, andthe other one that had jumped
out with a ski mask had a gundrawn on us Be quiet, be quiet.
And they obviously wereflustered and been surprised a
gun to her back.
And the other one that jumpedout with a ski mask had a gun
drawn on us.
Be quiet, be quiet.
And they obviously wereflustered and been surprised and
didn't know what was going on.
And my dad says what do youguys need?
What do you guys need?
And I said you want money.
Dad, give him money.
(29:07):
Yeah, yeah, we want money.
And slowly my dad unzipped asnow vest and reached into his
billfold and threw it on theground.
As soon as as he did that, theone guy said shoot him.
And the one with the ski maskdrew the hammer back and aimed
and clearly was having a hardtime doing it.
So the other one had my sister,pulled his gun out and aimed at
(29:29):
him, fired twice and itmisfired.
The third one went off and hitmy dad.
My dad fell.
My sister and I ran to eachother.
I held her tight and I saidLinnae, she just stayed silent.
I said Linnae, mom?
She shook her head.
Graham shook her head.
I said are they both dead?
She shook her head.
Yes, I just held her tight andI said it's going to be okay.
(29:51):
It's going to be okay.
And at that moment the feelingto survive kicked in, almost
like an animal instinct,something I'd never experienced
and don't ever want toexperience again.
And right then our minds cametogether and we knew we had to
come up with a plan.
So Linnea and I immediatelystarted doing what they told us
to do.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
I really recommend this story for anybody who is
into true crime and can take thegrisly parts, because there are
many lessons here and manythings to admire about these
people.
I am going to be talking to youagain in 2025.
(30:54):
Wow, sounds futuristic, doesn'tit?
Until then, I hope you have awonderful holiday, however you
celebrate it, and we'll meetsoon.
Love you.
Hello, loves and happy holidays to everyone
listening to our show.
My name is Gerald Spear and Iam your host and the creator of
One Good Thing Media, the onepodcast that recommends a wide
variety of top-notch podcastsfor your listening pleasure.
Welcome to Season 2, episode 34, our final episode of our 2024
(00:55):
season.
Fyi, we'll be returning thesecond week in January with a
brand new lineup for the newyear.
Week in January with a brandnew lineup for the new year.
Make sure to tap thenotifications button so you'll
know the minute that Season 3,episode 1 drops.
(01:16):
Today we'll be celebrating theYuletide holidays, including
recommending seasonal podcaststhat are perfect for your entire
family and a couple of showswhere listener discretion is
advised.
I'll also be doing my best tokeep our holiday episode to no
more than 30 minutes because,let's face it, we're all busy
(01:39):
getting ready for the holidaysand parties are in full swing.
So, to all the merrymakers outthere, thank you so much for
working us into your busyschedule.
The Christmas season is a timeof celebrating, entertaining and
(02:01):
giving.
Regarding the latter, I have asuggestion for everyone
listening to our podcast Givelocally and directly.
Help the people who live inyour town or county that have
fallen on tough times.
I'm personally passionate aboutsupporting shelters that house
displaced women with children.
(02:23):
Many women who have had toleave their homes due to
domestic abuse grab their kidsand they get the hell out of
there.
They don't have proper suppliesfor their children.
They don't have any extra moneywith them.
They are suddenly homeless andinstead of purchasing items from
a standard list of needs, Iusually call the shelters I
(02:45):
intend to support and ask themwhat do you need?
What are you running out of?
What can I do to support yourefforts?
We'll dive right into the heartof our holiday show after this
word from our sponsor who Givesa Crap?
The company that keeps ourlights on and is helping to save
(03:08):
the planet one toilet paperroll at a time.
Did you know that you cansupport us by supporting who
Gives a Crap?
A company that really does givea crap?
We've been a loyal customer ofWGAC for five years.
They produce the greenesttoilet paper and paper towels on
(03:30):
the planet, have a microcarbonfootprint and donate 50% of
their profits to helpunderdeveloped countries safely
manage human waste.
Fyi, I recommend the bambootoilet paper.
It's three-ply soft and becausebamboo is a grass and now for
some holiday highlights.
(03:51):
My first holiday highlight fortoday is Tis.
(04:21):
The Grinch Holiday Podcast,brought to you by Wondery and
James Austin Johnson, plays thegreenest, grumpiest Grinch ever.
In this series, the Grinch hasbecome a podcaster who is
serving a stint of communityservice to make amends for his
(04:41):
dastardly attempt to stealChristmas.
With Cindy Lou and Max at hisside, the Grinch is the most
popular, unpopular podcaster inWhoville and many Whoville
residents think that the Grinchis softening a bit.
But can a leopard really changeits spots?
(05:03):
I'm asking because all of theletters that the children wrote
to Santa Claus have gone missing.
And guess who Whoville hasnamed as the number one suspect?
Mr G, of course.
Despite rumors to the contrary,he's still stubborn, abrasive
(05:27):
and about as snuggly as aChristmas cactus green grump,
the Grinch.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Remember a few years back, my little dust up down in
Whoville, that tiny, microscopicmisunderstanding where the
whole town accused me ofallegedly trying to steal
Christmas.
Well, for the record, I didn'tsteal anything.
I was going to return all thosepresents, but the town had it
in for me and my punishment Getthis I am now court-ordered to
(06:02):
host my very own late-night talkshow From Wondery Tis.
The Grinch holiday talk show isa pathetic attempt by the
people of Whoville To use mysituation as a teachable moment.
They say it will help me workon my interpersonal skills.
So I said fine, but I don'twant to talk to just anyone,
Especially not the commoncitizens of Whoville Boring.
(06:25):
Instead, every week I'm going tosit down with the who's who of
celebrities and see who from theA-list is on Santa's nice list.
Sure, they'll try to forcetheir Christmas agenda down my
throat.
Try to persuade me to embracethe holiday season.
They can certainly try, butyou'll have to tune in to find
out if they succeed.
So join me, the Grinch, alongwith Cindy Lou, who Hello
(06:48):
everyone, and of course my dogMax, every week for this
complete waste of time.
And with that I drop the mic.
Mr Grinch, God, go to self.
Never try a mic drop whenyou're standing on the edge of
Mount Crumpit.
Is this thing still picking meup?
Stink Stank.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Mr Grinch, you're a bad banana with a greasy black
peel.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
For all of the Grinch lovers out there, there is one
more podcast that I want tomention.
Dr Seuss' the Grinch originalmotion picture soundtrack is
available wherever you listen topodcasts and just to refresh
your memory, the soundtrackincludes Run, rudolph Run by the
Brian Setzer Orchestra.
(07:44):
God Rest Ye, merry Gentlemen byPentatonix.
Stealing Christmas by DannyElfman.
My Favorite Things by theSupremes.
Deck the Hall by Jackie Wilson.
It is a loaded soundtrack thatyou can play while you're
driving or perhaps just relaxingat night and sipping on an
eggnog.
(08:04):
You do know, by the way, thatif you perform enough good deeds
throughout the month ofDecember, all the saturated fats
and calories that you consumeduring the holidays they don't
even count.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
I'm serious, mr Grinch you're a nasty, wasty
skunk.
Your heart is full of unwashedsocks.
Your soul is full of gunk.
Mr Grinch, the three words thatdescribe you are stink, stink,
(08:43):
stink.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
FYI, there are several podcasts that feature
Christmas music and they rangefrom classic Christmas songs to
crooners to jazz.
I have made a list of them andincluded them in our show notes,
just as a reminder.
The show notes are directlybelow the title of this episode.
My next podcast that I'm goingto be talking about is Christmas
(09:16):
Past, hosted by Brian Earle.
Christmas Past is all aboutwhere the traditions and stories
originated, including thebackstory of elves, where the
tradition of telling Christmasghost stories came from.
This podcast is definitelyfamily-friendly, and what I mean
(09:37):
by that is it doesn't containany salacious words, thoughts
that we know of or deeds, butit's most appealing to those who
enjoy learning aboutinteresting topics from a
friendly professor type whoreally digs what they're talking
about.
To illustrate my point, I amgoing to play a clip entitled
(10:00):
Backstory Classic AmericanChristmas Music.
Here we go.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Shortly after Thanksgiving, and even well
before in some cases, many radiostations make their annual
switch to an all-Christmasformat, offering a non-stop
playlist of Christmas favoritesto add a little cheer to your
morning commute or trip to theshopping mall.
And, of course, once you do getto the shopping mall, once
again you're serenaded with thesounds of the season.
(10:32):
Christmas music is truly partof the atmosphere of Christmas,
literally in the air, and maybeyou've noticed this too.
But we can broadly divideChristmas music into traditional
carols and popular songs.
A carol is, by definition,typically a religious song, and
traditional Christmas car carolsand by traditional I mean
anything up until the mid tolate 19th century, but often
(10:54):
much older than that almostalways center around the
nativity story.
Carols have come from manydifferent times in history, like
Away in a Manger from the 19thcentury.
O Come All Ye Faithful.
From the 18th century.
I Saw Three Ships from the 17thcentury, or God Rest Ye, merry
Gentlemen, from the 16th century.
I Saw Three Ships from the 17thcentury or God Rest Ye, merry
Gentlemen, from the 16th century, and there are plenty of others
stretching back even farther,of course.
(11:15):
But they are the stuff ofhistory books, not present-day
songbooks and certainly notradio play.
The 19th century may have beenthe last great hurrah for the
proper, traditional Christmascarol, because things changed in
a big way as we entered the20th century.
Recorded music came along andcommercial radio and movies with
sound.
And not only that, but alsoAmerica was in the midst of
(11:37):
recreating Christmas in its ownimage, the emphasis being
decreasingly on the religiouscelebration and increasingly on
family gatherings, gifts andidyllic images of winter
wonderlands.
And before long, christmascarols stopped being carols and
become secular, commercialChristmas music centering on
winter and romance, gifts andChristmas trees, santa Claus and
(11:59):
snowmen.
And it all happened withinlittle more than a decade.
While our canon of traditionalcarols that we sing today took
centuries to accumulate a newcanon of modern Christmas music.
American Christmas music wasproduced between the late 1930s
and the early 1950s, and despiteall the new Christmas music
released each year, thatparticular set of songs remains
(12:21):
the most popular and receivesthe most airplay during the
Christmas season.
Why?
Well, they're great songs, butthere's more to it than that.
It's a testament to baby boomernostalgia, the lasting
influence of World War II, theAmerican image of Christmas and
the power of jazz.
I'm Brian Earle.
This is Christmas Past.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Did I nail the spirit of this show or what?
I'm one of those people thatreally enjoy this type of
presentation, and if you are,you are going to enjoy it too.
I have two great VictorianChristmas podcasts that you
(13:04):
won't want to miss.
One covers a full production ofa beloved Christmas story and
the other is an anomaly in thepodcast universe by dropping
just one episode per year onChristmas Eve.
The austerity of the Victorianperiod, which spans 1837 to
(13:26):
190101, is well known, with manymodern social and sexual
hang-ups attributed to this erain modern history.
But what is not talked aboutnearly enough is the fact that
the Victorian period coincidedwith the age of spiritualism.
(13:46):
That included occult practicessuch as communing with dearly
departed spirits through seances, a party hit if there ever was
one and bringing out the ouijaboard at the drop of a hat to
see who might be hanging out onthe other side.
It's no wonder that duringVictorian times, especially
(14:08):
across the pond in jolly oldEngland, entertainment included
telling spooky stories in frontof a roaring fire or beneath the
bedsheets during the dark anddank winter season as when am I
mortal?
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Have you shown me the shadow of things that will be,
or are they shadows of what maybe Spirit, spirit?
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Perhaps the most beloved holiday story of all
time, a Christmas Carol byCharles Dickens still fills the
television and radio airwavesand now on select podcasts every
Christmas season.
Written and published over 175years ago, in 1843 to be exact,
(15:01):
this Victorian short storycontinues to embroider the
fabric of Christian charity,kindness and goodwill to all
through its poignant story andmemorable characters, especially
Ebenezer, scrooge, bob Cratchitand, of course, tiny Tim.
(15:21):
But there's one podcastpresentation that stands out
above all the rest, at least inmy mind.
Above all the rest, at least inmy mind.
Produced by Hope Media, scroogeA Christmas Carol hits all the
right notes by faithfullyfollowing the story, having
elegant sound technology and anentire cast speaking in
(15:44):
beautiful Victorian Englishwithout eating the scenery or
savoring the sound of their ownvoices.
The lead actor is none otherthan John Rhys-Davies, whom you
might remember as Sala in theRaiders of the Lost Ark
franchise or Gimli in the Lordof the Rings trilogy.
(16:05):
With a voice like deep, warmhoney and elegant but not too
elegant diction, rhys Davies,who's now an octogenarian,
continues to mesmerize audiences, with Scrooge a Christmas carol
being no exception.
Here's a clip from the show.
Speaker 6 (16:27):
But of all the considerable amount of things
that grated scrooge to his verycore, would recoil him at every
thought, note or reminder, washis deep-seated, unadulterated
pure and utter disdain forchristmas.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Merry christmas, sir, merry christmas sir bah humbug
Christmas.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
Merry Christmas sir.
Merry Christmas sir Bah HumbugJacob Marley.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
You will be visited by three spirits on this very
eve One of the past, one of thepresent and of the future.
Perhaps I could take them allat once and have it done with.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
And of the future.
Perhaps I could take them allat once and have it done with
Jacob, jacob.
Speaker 7 (17:13):
Help me.
It was just a dream, anelina.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Scrooge A Christmas Carol.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
One of the best holiday traditions of the
podcast world is listening tothe once-a-year Christmas Ghost
Stories episode hosted andnarrated by John Briggs, always
dropping on Christmas Eve.
There are eight episodesavailable at the time of this
recording 2015 to 2023, with thenext drop expected to happen on
(17:56):
December 24, 2024.
Briggs has an affinity forghost stories written during the
Victorian and Edwardian eras2023,.
For instance, briggs narratedthe Tale of the Monkey's Paw, a
short story that I first readwhen I was a freshman in high
(18:18):
school.
Like most Victorian stories,there's a moral to this one,
namely, be careful what you wishfor which has stuck with me
ever since.
Speaker 6 (18:30):
Here's a clip from the Monkey's Paw so once again,
you are so welcome to theChristmas ghost story for this
year.
It's a classic, a three wishesstory that doubles as a horror
story and a cautionary tale,reminding us that unintended
consequences often accompany thebest intentions.
(18:53):
It's a widely read story andtherefore you may well know it.
It was first published in 1902and then featured in the Lady of
the Barge, published in 1911.
It's called the Monkey's Pawand it's written by a master of
ghost story writing, W W Jacobs.
So, as usual, are you sittinguncomfortably?
(19:17):
Then we shall begin Without.
(19:55):
The night was cold and wet, butin the small parlour of Laburnum
Villa the blinds were drawn andthe fire burned brightly.
Father and son were at chess.
The former, who possessed ideasabout the game involving
radical chances, put his kinginto such sharp and unnecessary
perils that it even provokedcomment from the white-haired
(20:18):
old lady knitting placidly bythe fire.
Hark at the wind, said Mr Whitewho, having seen a fatal
mistake after it was too late,was amiably desirous of
preventing his son from seeingit.
I'm listening, said the latter,grimly surveying the board.
As he stretched out his hand.
Check, he took something out ofhis pocket and proffered it.
(20:42):
Mrs White drew back with agrimace.
But her son, taking it,examined it curiously.
What is there that's specialabout it, inquired Mr White, as
he took it from his son and,having examined it, placed it
upon the table.
It had a spell put on it by anold fake.
Here, said the sergeant major, Avery holy man.
(21:06):
He wanted to show that fateruled people's lives and that
those who interfered with it didso to their sorrow.
He put a spell on it so thatthree separate men could have
each three wishes from it.
His manners were so impressivethat his hearers were conscious
that their light laughter hadjarred somewhat.
Well, why don't you have three,sir?
(21:29):
Said Herbert White cleverly.
The soldier regarded him theway that middle ages won't to
regard presumptuous youth.
I have, he said quietly and hisblotchy face whitened.
And did you really have thethree wishes granted, asked Mrs
White.
I did, said the sergeant major,and his glass tapped against
(21:53):
his strong teeth.
And has anybody else wished,persisted the old lady.
The first man has had his threewishes.
Yes, was the reply.
I don't know what the first twowere, but the third was for
death.
That's how I got the paw.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Now.
At that point you would think,okay, maybe it's not a good idea
to be messing around with thatmonkey's paw.
But nope, the elderly coupledecided to wish for a large sum
of money, which they did get,but they were surprised at the
price they had to pay.
Intrigued If you are, I suggestthat, before you listen to it,
(22:38):
turn off the lights.
Oh, and if, by chance, you heara loud thudding knock at your
door, don't answer it.
(23:03):
We've reached the point in ourpodcast where I have mature-only
Christmas podcasts that I wantto share for all of our true
crime fans.
If true crime isn't your thingor you have people with you that
shouldn't be listening tonarrations about violent crime,
please click out now.
(23:24):
Let's meet again in the secondweek of January 2025, when I
will have a brand new lineup forSeason 3 of One Good Thing
Media.
The first part of this truecrime story that I'm about to
tell you is by the Minds ofMadness podcast, episode 68,
(23:46):
dated January 19, 2020.
I'm also including a separateA&E video featuring the
surviving sisters that you don'twant to miss.
The actual crimes occurred at acabin in a remote area of the
Utah woods where the Teedyfamily went every December for
(24:08):
their family Christmascelebration.
The cabin was located two milesoff a small country road that
in the winter could only beaccessed by snowmobile and,
although graphic and terriblytragic, I've chosen this
Christmas crime because of thestrength and resilience of the
(24:30):
affected family, theirunwavering loyalty to each other
and the surviving members'determination to erect a new
cabin on the same spot wheretheir family members were
murdered and the cabin wasburned down, and cover every
square inch of their home in thewoods with love.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
In December of 1990, the Tita family was on break
from their hectic lives up attheir remote country cabin in
Oakley, utah.
Rolf and Kay, along with theirtwo daughters Lene and Tricia,
were busily preparing for theirannual Christmas party when
suddenly their tranquility wasshattered by two cold-hearted
(25:23):
intruders.
As Lene looked towards thehouse from the driveway, she saw
a figure in the window of themaster bedroom.
She didn't mention it becauseshe thought it was just her
cousin David.
She figured he must havearrived early and was waiting to
surprise them.
As soon as her mother unlockedthe front door, lene bolted up
(25:46):
the stairs into the kitchen.
As she ran her cold hands underhot water, she thought she saw
her cousin David hiding behindthe fridge.
She laughed to herself and wasready for him to jump out.
Unfortunately, the personhiding wasn't Lene's cousin.
Out from behind the fridge camea frizzy haired man in a gray
(26:11):
sweatshirt, while pointing apistol at Lene.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
The story gets pretty gruesome and it's done
tastefully, but nonetheless itdoes involve multiple murders,
so warning on that.
However, family acted soadmirably the whole time that
they were under siege and thefather oh my gosh turned into a
superhero.
All I can say is you go, dad.
(26:38):
I'm also going to be playing aclip from the Sister's Point of
View by A&E from YouTube.
If you want to listen and seethe whole nine-minute clip, I am
including the link in my shownotes and it will take you right
to the video.
The voices you hear are Triciaand Lene, and they were 14 and
(27:03):
16 years old when this happened.
Speaker 7 (27:14):
It was just my mom's favorite place on earth to be.
She loved getting away fromTexas and being able to be in a
snow-covered white Christmas,and that was our family dream.
We looked forward to that everyyear to be able to spend our
Christmas vacation together inthe mountains with our family.
My grams and I started on oursnowmobile journey up to the
(27:36):
cabin, my mom following behindus.
As we got up to the cabin, myhands were freezing so I jumped
off, asked mom to hurry and openthe cabin.
I needed to go run my handsunder some water.
I made my way up the stairs,opened the door and I saw a
flash of gray move behind therefrigerator.
The next thing I knew, therewas a man pointing a revolver at
(27:58):
me, saying my way up the stairs, opened the door and I saw a
flash of gray move behind therefrigerator.
And the next thing I knew,there was a man pointing a
revolver at me saying get inhere, get in here.
A second man comes out withthick glasses behind the bedroom
pointing another big black gunat me, and they both immediately
started asking me who was withme.
I said my mother and myhandicapped grandmother
Immediately after Mom and Gramswere brought into the cabin, mom
(28:18):
said to them what are you herefor?
What do you want?
My mother just began to have aconversation and the man
immediately started to fire ather.
I can remember her grabbing itacross her chest and saying I've
been shot.
I see my mom go down and thenseconds after that I look over
to my shoulder and see mygrandmother fall after her head
(28:39):
had been blown off.
It was then.
It was dead silence.
Speaker 8 (28:46):
We saw the one guy with his arm around my sister's
neck and a gun to her back, andthe other one that had jumped
out with a ski mask had a gundrawn on us Be quiet, be quiet.
And they obviously wereflustered and been surprised a
gun to her back.
And the other one that jumpedout with a ski mask had a gun
drawn on us.
Be quiet, be quiet.
And they obviously wereflustered and been surprised and
didn't know what was going on.
And my dad says what do youguys need?
What do you guys need?
And I said you want money.
Dad, give him money.
(29:07):
Yeah, yeah, we want money.
And slowly my dad unzipped asnow vest and reached into his
billfold and threw it on theground.
As soon as as he did that, theone guy said shoot him.
And the one with the ski maskdrew the hammer back and aimed
and clearly was having a hardtime doing it.
So the other one had my sister,pulled his gun out and aimed at
(29:29):
him, fired twice and itmisfired.
The third one went off and hitmy dad.
My dad fell.
My sister and I ran to eachother.
I held her tight and I saidLinnae, she just stayed silent.
I said Linnae, mom?
She shook her head.
Graham shook her head.
I said are they both dead?
She shook her head.
Yes, I just held her tight andI said it's going to be okay.
(29:51):
It's going to be okay.
And at that moment the feelingto survive kicked in, almost
like an animal instinct,something I'd never experienced
and don't ever want toexperience again.
And right then our minds cametogether and we knew we had to
come up with a plan.
So Linnea and I immediatelystarted doing what they told us
to do.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
I really recommend this story for anybody who is
into true crime and can take thegrisly parts, because there are
many lessons here and manythings to admire about these
people.
I am going to be talking to youagain in 2025.
(30:54):
Wow, sounds futuristic, doesn'tit?
Until then, I hope you have awonderful holiday, however you
celebrate it, and we'll meetsoon.
Love you.
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