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This episode revolves around discovering new podcast favorites. Listeners gain insights into several shows, including the immersive tales of "Old Gods of Appalachia" Season 5, and reflections on the impactful narratives within true crime podcasts.
• Announcement of new, 30-minutes-or-less episodes for One Good Thing Media
• Podcast Chart recommendations
• Discussion of the rich storytelling found in "Old Gods of Appalachia"
• Jeryl's latest podcast binge
• Insights into the community-focused narratives of "City Confidential"
• Call to explore new podcast favorites and embrace fresh starts in the new year
Website: https://www.onegoodthingmedia.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/OneGoodThingMedia?mibextid=fVIIUt
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1THZ05VbQ0sZJZwCo5i46I
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Welcome to One Good Thing Media, your official
podcast review channel.
Welcome to One Good Thing Media, your official podcast review
channel.
We search the vast digitallandscape on a daily basis to
discover the best shows thatpodcasters have to offer.
Are you ready to discover newfavorites to add to your
(00:32):
playbook?
Stay tuned and listen to hostGerald Spears' latest podcast
reviews.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Happy New Year, loves .
It is January 2025 and we havea whole new year ahead of us.
Let's all hop on board andenjoy the wild ride.
For those of you who are tuningin for the first time, my name
is Gerald Spear and I am thecreator and host of One Good
(01:12):
Thing Media.
Our podcast is devoted to theeclectic listener, who may love
one genre more than others, butstill crave variety in their
lives, including their podcasts.
We specialize in sharingexceptional podcasts that we're
sure you're going to love.
(01:34):
One Good Thing Media alsospecializes in podcast news,
including exciting updates onpopular shows, changes in how we
listen to or manage ourplaylists, and upcoming events
(02:29):
that we're sure you'll want toknow about.
Ladies, have you ever foundyourself in a tight situation
and were uncertain how to getout of it?
Have you ignored warnings oreven failed to recognize they
were signs of impending dangerin the first place?
Our newest podcast, skirtingDanger, is devoted to sharing
tips and strategies for women ofall ages to help keep them and
their loved ones safe.
Everything that Skirting Dangerhas to offer is free to our
(02:54):
followers, including our newtwice-monthly newsletter that
keeps you up to date on provenstrategies for your physical and
financial safety, and ways tokeep your most valuable
possessions in the hands oftheir rightful owner you.
Each episode features a subjectmatter expert who will guide
(03:16):
you toward a safer path when itcomes to dating, driving,
traveling long distances andmuch, much more.
Follow Skirting Danger todayand sign up for our newsletter.
The links to do this areincluded in our show notes
section, which is located rightbelow the title of this episode
(03:41):
I'm on my own path, SkirtingDanger.
If you want to know more, checkout Skirting Danger wherever you
listen to podcasts.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
And now on to our news and updates segment.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
And now on to our news and updates segment.
Our first news alert for thisepisode is about three changes
we've made to our One Good Thingmedia format for 2025.
First off, because we recognizethat all of us lead busy lives,
we will be airing 30-minuteepisodes to save you time
(04:47):
without compromising the qualityof our information.
Two, while we'll continue torecommend standout podcasts, as
we've always done, we're addingan epic episode of the week
segment.
This portion of our programwill highlight a single
standalone episode of a greatanthology series.
(05:08):
And lastly, starting the firstweek in March, we will be
including 10-minute interviewswith podcast hosts who are
involved with some of the mostinteresting shows on the planet.
More about this new addition toour program in the weeks to
come.
(05:30):
In other news, I have an updateon the Old Gods of Appalachia,
one of my favorite podcasts.
I know I've spoken about itbefore, so if you've been a
longtime listener, you know thatI am over the moon that they
dropped Season 5 starting inDecember 2024.
And I promise you Season 5 doesnot disappoint.
(05:55):
Co-created by Steve Schell andCam Collins, both natives of the
hills and hollers of WiseCounty, virginia, old Gods of
Appalachia takes place in analternate universe where ghosts,
haints, witches and cryptidsfreely roam among mere mortals
(06:16):
who may or may not be blessedwith a few magic powers of their
own.
The podcast covers severalfamilies and individuals who
call Appalachia home and, in itsmagical style, hopscotches
across decades and evencenturies, while following the
bloodlines of Appalachianancestors that eventually and I
(06:39):
do stress eventually weavecohesive tales of culture,
survival and much-neededcleverness to survive the
challenges of this dark forestedregion of the southern United
States.
Elegantly written and based onthe archetypes who have
inhabited the southern area ofthe Appalachia Mountains since
(07:01):
they were first colonized manycenturies ago, Old Gods of
Appalachia Mountains since theywere first colonized many
centuries ago, old Gods ofAppalachia echoes the
superstitions and folklore thatwas once believed and now often
passed on as tales of caution tothe young folk in order to keep
them safe and, yes, scared outof their wits to venture too far
(07:22):
or do something too foolhardythat really would put them in
mortal danger.
Please know that I'm stronglyattracted to Old Gods of
Appalachia for many reasons,including its exquisite
storytelling and productionvalues, the authenticity of the
co-creators and many of the castmembers who also hail from that
(07:46):
region of the country, and thefact that my father was born and
raised in Kentucky, deep in thedark forests and hollers of
Appalachia, and even though Iwas raised in Southern
California, I was also privy tomany of his stories about ghosts
and haints and witches and evenone headless horseman that
(08:10):
terrorized the kids as he ranthrough the woods every full
moon.
So, at least by proxy, my bloodruns deep in that mystical
place.
There are four complete seasonsand a fifth one that's in
progress right now.
I strongly recommend that youstart from the beginning, as the
(08:31):
characters and plots build oneach episode and quite often
other seasons.
Just one example of this isseason two that introduces a
group of kids, including Cowboyandie, and season five that
picks up with that story 60years later.
I also recommend that you notmultitask too much while you're
(08:52):
listening to the show.
It's meant to be immersive andif you become distracted you're
going to have to stop and thinkokay, where was I before I
started making my grocery list,thinking about when I had to
pick up the kids, or maybe eventake a quick mental trip to
Bermuda or St John's.
Here are two quick clips fromthe podcast.
Speaker 6 (09:29):
I don't want these hills, leave these dark valleys
when I can't stay, down in thelands unknown.
There are these hills of love Iwill walk so often I can feel
(09:56):
the winds now on your ghost.
Speaker 7 (10:11):
Appalachia, a word stolen from more than one
language.
It conjures images of thebeauty of God's creation and the
darkness of man's variouspoverties.
The simpler way of life herebespeaks a time past of purity
and piety.
But turn over a stone, You'llfind the underbelly of suspicion
(10:36):
and clannishness.
Folk who live here don't trusteasy.
This whole graveyard's full ofwhat we've learned about
outsiders.
And before you judge us asbackwood hillbillies or
opioid-addicted rednecks, take aminute to understand how we got
here.
I mean how we really got here.
(10:57):
There are places in this worldthat humanity was never supposed
to see, Walled in by mountainsof burning black rock, isolated
by a choking canopy of poisonflora, woods where tooth claw
and hunger still sit atop thefood chain.
And long before our kind everset foot in these mountains,
(11:20):
when the peaks of the Blue Ridgetowered above the stars and the
heart of the plateau stillrolled with ridges tough as pine
knobs, Darkness was broughthere in cages made of fear.
Our tongues do not have the theshape to speak the true names
(11:42):
of what they are, and that's our, not were.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
The second clip is from episode 25, the Siege of
Pleasant Evenings.
Speaker 7 (11:58):
Old Gods of Appalachia is a horror anthology
podcast and therefore maycontain material not suitable
for all audiences, so listenerdiscretion is advised.
An uncustomary hush fell overpleasant evening, a tense,
(12:20):
bow-strung anticipation as Marcyand her sister and all those
who called that establishmenthome, stood ready.
Tish was not the only woman atpleasant evenings that knew how
to handle firearms no sir,though none could match her
marksmanship.
So they had armed the mostcompetent among them For
everyone else.
They had improvised Ironskillets, a billy club, knives
(12:44):
aplenty, although hopefully noone would need them.
Marcy and Ellie had craftedthose wards with great care, had
layered them and strengthenedthem over time.
They should be fine, and ofcourse the sisters themselves
were there to back them up, aspromised, the strange man in the
(13:10):
charcoal suit and hiscompatriots returned at dark.
With them they brought jerrybrotherton, who, to be fair,
seemed even more reluctant to bea part of this whole affair
than before, and boys whosefaces were troublingly familiar
to Marcy.
She might not know their names,but there that boy Didn't?
(13:33):
He used to work at the generalstore in O-Stars.
She'd hired that young man onlast summer to do some yard work
when his mama was sick.
The townsfolk looked and feltodd to Marcy.
Their faces hung slack, theireyes heavy-lidded.
They almost swayed on theirfeet and to her senses they felt
(13:56):
muted, somehow almost empty.
Ms Walker, we have come Thrice.
Now I ask you will yousurrender the girl?
As her shotgun blast tore a holeinto his chest.
Marcy heard Tish call out Inthis house we only got one
(14:22):
answer for folks who don'tlisten when a lady says no.
As they watched, the man fromthe railroad, looking only
mildly perturbed, reached longfingers into the wound, fishing
(14:42):
around for a moment, pulled thelead pellets from his chest,
dropping them one by one ontothe ground at his feet.
Blood it is then Miss WalkerBlood.
It is then miss walker.
Blood it is.
The railroad man clenched hisfist around the last metal slug
and squeezed hard.
Blood welled up and pouredforth an ever-flowing crimson
(15:03):
river spilling between his topfingers and onto the ground.
And it should have vanishedthere, should have been soaked
up by the thirsty ground orboiled to a hissing steam by the
wards woven into the earth bywill and water, earth and stone.
But instead the blood pooledand spread, growing outward from
(15:24):
the man in the charcoal suit'sfeet like a dark sigil of
corruption.
The man laughed and opened hishand and instead of the
projectile that Tish hadlaunched into his chest, he held
a shiny black business card,just like the ones he'd handed
out to the assembled throng ofworkers and travelers who had
(15:46):
followed him to this place.
He paced among them thebloodstain he had birthed,
following him like a secondshadow.
My friends called the manlifting the black-edged
blood-smeared card into the airit is time to go to work.
The business card flashed in apulse of violet fire and was
(16:08):
gone.
All around the assembled massof men, similar flashes appeared
in hands, pockets, hat bands,wherever these fell, invitations
had been stowed.
And with each murmur ofgrease-smeared light the men
began to change.
It started with a quiver in thebelly and a wild itching of the
skin, but soon eyes went wildand their shapes distorted,
(16:33):
bones stretched and jointsdoubled.
Big men grew taller and theirmuscles shifting like tectonic
plates and rupturing throughskin like broken continents.
This dark remaking, turningnormal men into discarded
leavings from the lathe of somedark god.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Hmm, I think the only thing that's going to work
against that crew is the magicof the Walker sisters.
In other news, the Heavyweightpodcast, which was canceled by
Spotify due to production costsin late 2023, has announced that
(17:13):
it's close to making a new dealwith another network.
I, for one, am crossing myfingers that this happens sooner
rather than later.
Heavyweight features realpeople who have a true story to
tell and are longing for answers.
If you type in heavyweight inthe search bar of any major
(17:34):
podcast player, it should popright up.
There are 58 evergreen episodeswaiting for you to enjoy right
now.
Make sure to tap theheavyweight notification button
the bell icon, of course so youwill be notified the minute that
heavyweight announces its newhome.
(18:00):
One thing that's never lost itsrelevance is the tried and true
music chart, like Billboard'sWeekly Hot 100, that
significantly influences whichsongs are played on the radio,
featured on playlists andhighlighted in media coverage.
What many digital users don'trealize is that podcasts also
(18:23):
have their own charts.
There are several companiesthat produce these charts, but,
as usual, I have a favoritePodchasercom.
Podchaser posts the latestApple and Spotify top nine
podcasts overall and by genre,at no charge to users, If you're
(18:45):
interested in checking outPodchasers as well as other
companies that provide thesecharts, scroll down to this
week's show notes, which isright below the title of this
episode, where I've provided thenames and website links to
several of these companies.
(19:25):
Here is our very first epicepisode of the week.
This week's epic episodeinvolves the Mystery Hour,
(19:46):
formerly called Nighty Night, byCast Media, and Cast is with a
K and Rabia Chaudhry.
It's called the Children Taken,an original story which dropped
on September 7, 2021.
The Children Taken is about afamily that seems to forget one
of the most important rules whengoing on vacation when, in Rome
(20:08):
, do as the Romans do or atleast heed their warnings.
For those of you who haven't yetlistened to the Mystery Hour,
again formally called NightyNight, rabia Chaudhry, the host
and creator of the show, is alsoan attorney, author and
(20:28):
advocate.
Her Nighty Night podcast wasreimagined as the Mystery Hour
on October 31, 2023.
Prior to that time, nightyNight told original
bone-chilling tales.
Since the end of Nighty Night,rabia has read classic stories
(20:50):
written by noted authors such asCharles Dickens, bram Stoker
and Edgar Allan Poe.
I absolutely am smitten withher voice and her narrative
style.
If you feel the same way as Ido, follow her podcast Mystery
Hour same way as I do.
(21:13):
Follow her podcast Mystery Hour.
Parentheses nighty-night andtap the notification button so
that you can be alerted when newepisodes drop.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
The next couple of days passed well, with hikes on
local trails and hours by thepool.
In the backdrop, though, wasEdgar, who turned up at all
hours of the day.
It seemed glaring at thechildren.
He seemed intent on catchingthem misbehaving, though he
never managed to.
They watched movies together inthe evenings and ate piles of
candy from the hotel gift shop.
(21:41):
Sarah made sure the kidsweren't left unsupervised
anywhere.
She admitted to herself thatshe was just a little bit afraid
of Edgar and didn't want togive him any excuse to kick them
out.
Things were going great and shewanted to keep it that way.
One morning, a few days intotheir vacation, the family had
just arrived at the pool whenJeremy announced that he'd
forgotten his book back in theroom.
(22:02):
Tom and Sarah were both halfcovered in sunscreen and told
him to wait so one of them couldgo back inside with him.
Jeremy bounced around andmoaned it's okay, I can go, I'll
be fast.
I promise I won't even use theelevator.
I'll just go up the stairs.
Come on, it's not a big deal,I'm not a baby.
Sarah looked around.
They were alone at the pool,and Edgar was nowhere in sight.
(22:24):
She sighed Okay, just don't gothrough the lobby.
Don't use the elevator and bequick.
She handed him a key andwatched as he took off,
disappearing into the building.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
And how do you think all of that is going to turn out
?
I'm betting on not good, notgood at all.
Again, it is the Mystery Hour,parenthesis, nighty Night, by
Cast Media and Rabia Chaudhry,and the episode is called the
(22:59):
Children, taken on September 7th2021.
Gerald, oh no, not you again.
What are you listening to?
Are you spying on me?
Oh, ais, you can't trust them.
But, yes, welcome to.
(23:19):
What Are you Listening To?
A segment where I share whatI've binged this week, and it's
a good one.
It sounds like a perfect scriptfor a made-for-TV movie, but
every snarky detail of thisweek's binge is true Deadly
Mirage.
I was attracted to this podcastfrom the moment that I read the
(23:43):
title.
It's by Dateline and one of myfavorite hosts, Josh Mankiewicz.
So what did I have to lose?
It takes place in the SilverLakes enclave of Hellendale, a
lush, man-made Eden inCalifornia's Mojave Desert.
Here's a clip from the show.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
They called it the happiest place on the high
desert, the perfect place toraise a family.
Speaker 6 (24:15):
It was sort of Palm Springs light the big spacious
houses, families with kidsrunning around bikes in the
streets.
It looked like kind of theAmerican dream neighborhood.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
It was a desert oasis , lush and green home to a
tight-knit group of30-somethings who liked to party
and took to heart the biblicalcommandment to love thy neighbor
.
Speaker 6 (24:46):
My wife and I and Rob and Sabrina would engage in
sexual activities.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
If that's what a couple agrees with in their
marriage, then that's theirbusiness.
Speaker 6 (24:57):
Then one day a handsome outsider crashed the
party, I started getting textmessages saying I would love to
come hang out with you guys soondiscord descended on this eden
east of los angeles.
The people were so cruel I hadto get a restraining order and a
sudden death reveals thehappiest place to be a mirageage
(25:20):
.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
I need someone here to talk to me he knew his
attacker.
Speaker 6 (25:24):
That's somebody who knew intimate details about his
life.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Our latest podcast takes us to a railroad outpost
on the edge of California's highdesert, where passion leads to
murder and a killer seeks God'shelp with the cover-up whatever
the crime lab has found.
God, please help this to be amethod, a mode that keeps our
stories being told.
(25:52):
It's a story about love andbetrayal.
Does she know?
You guys cooperated.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
Yeah, I didn't trust her from day one, from the first
time I met her, I did not trusther.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
It's about indiscretions and a string of
bad choices.
Speaker 6 (26:12):
Her frustrations became my frustrations.
Her demons became my demons.
Do you make?
Speaker 1 (26:16):
decisions on your own at any point.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
Yes, I sure do.
Apparently many bad ones.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Most of all, it's about the danger of indulging
delusions and allowing daydreamsto become nightmares.
It had sex, religion, theseemingly perfect beautiful
family that had all thesesecrets.
It had everything.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
And indeed it did.
You can listen to Deadly Miragewherever you listen to podcasts
.
All episodes have dropped andyou can binge it from beginning
to end in one go.
Although it wasn't intentional,I was drawn to two podcasts
(27:20):
this week that were based ontrue crimes One I just mentioned
, deadly Mirage, and one other,city Confidential, by A&E
forward slash podcast.
One, city Confidential, exudesa modern noir style-wire style
(27:43):
which, I have to confess, Iabsolutely love.
I also love that CityConfidential strictly focuses on
the victims, the victims'families and the communities
where the victims lived and alsowhere they took place.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
A true crime podcast.
It got me upset because this issomeone's kid and someone knows
she's gone.
Speaker 5 (28:07):
That takes a different approach.
It was shocking for somethinglike this to happen in our
little town.
Focusing on the communitiesaffected by life-shattering
crimes, it made news throughoutthe entire region that these two
people had been shot while theyslept in such a safe community.
To give a new perspective onthe devastation crimes can cause
(28:29):
, it was shocking for somethinglike this to happen in our
little town, featuring casesfrom quiet towns to bustling
cities and interviewing thepeople closest to the case.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
My first thought was that it's an unusual location
for us to have a homicide.
Speaker 5 (28:46):
Listen to the true crime podcast, city Confidential
, and step beyond the yellowtape to learn just how far a
crime can reach.
Speaker 6 (28:53):
There are certain cases in the history of Boston
that I think sort of define thecity.
I think this is one of them.
Speaker 5 (28:59):
New episodes of the City Confidential podcast are
available every Thursday.
Available wherever you get yourpodcasts.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
City Confidential launched in June 2024.
And there's currentlyapproximately 30 episodes that
you can binge on.
It's an excellent podcast.
If you're into true crime, Idefinitely recommend City
Confidential.
That's it for our first show of2025.
(29:50):
From all of us at One GoodThing Media, thank you so much
for following our podcast.
You are, aren't you?
If you're not, stay informed bytapping the follow and
notification buttons right now.
As for the new year, may youdream big and do even greater
(30:12):
things this year.
We'll be back next week with abrand new episode of One Good
Thing Media, your top stop todiscover what's hot in the
podcast world.
Until we meet again, pleaseknow that we love you.
Talk soon.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
One Good Thing Media is brought to you by our host
and creator, Gerald Spear.
All things technical are byDavid Dodd and our announcer is
Robert Spear.
Our theme song is Force by HGST.
(31:37):
Thank you,
Welcome to One Good Thing Media, your official
podcast review channel.
Welcome to One Good Thing Media, your official podcast review
channel.
We search the vast digitallandscape on a daily basis to
discover the best shows thatpodcasters have to offer.
Are you ready to discover newfavorites to add to your
(00:32):
playbook?
Stay tuned and listen to hostGerald Spears' latest podcast
reviews.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Happy New Year, loves .
It is January 2025 and we havea whole new year ahead of us.
Let's all hop on board andenjoy the wild ride.
For those of you who are tuningin for the first time, my name
is Gerald Spear and I am thecreator and host of One Good
(01:12):
Thing Media.
Our podcast is devoted to theeclectic listener, who may love
one genre more than others, butstill crave variety in their
lives, including their podcasts.
We specialize in sharingexceptional podcasts that we're
sure you're going to love.
(01:34):
One Good Thing Media alsospecializes in podcast news,
including exciting updates onpopular shows, changes in how we
listen to or manage ourplaylists, and upcoming events
(02:29):
that we're sure you'll want toknow about.
Ladies, have you ever foundyourself in a tight situation
and were uncertain how to getout of it?
Have you ignored warnings oreven failed to recognize they
were signs of impending dangerin the first place?
Our newest podcast, skirtingDanger, is devoted to sharing
tips and strategies for women ofall ages to help keep them and
their loved ones safe.
Everything that Skirting Dangerhas to offer is free to our
(02:54):
followers, including our newtwice-monthly newsletter that
keeps you up to date on provenstrategies for your physical and
financial safety, and ways tokeep your most valuable
possessions in the hands oftheir rightful owner you.
Each episode features a subjectmatter expert who will guide
(03:16):
you toward a safer path when itcomes to dating, driving,
traveling long distances andmuch, much more.
Follow Skirting Danger todayand sign up for our newsletter.
The links to do this areincluded in our show notes
section, which is located rightbelow the title of this episode
(03:41):
I'm on my own path, SkirtingDanger.
If you want to know more, checkout Skirting Danger wherever you
listen to podcasts.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
And now on to our news and updates segment.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
And now on to our news and updates segment.
Our first news alert for thisepisode is about three changes
we've made to our One Good Thingmedia format for 2025.
First off, because we recognizethat all of us lead busy lives,
we will be airing 30-minuteepisodes to save you time
(04:47):
without compromising the qualityof our information.
Two, while we'll continue torecommend standout podcasts, as
we've always done, we're addingan epic episode of the week
segment.
This portion of our programwill highlight a single
standalone episode of a greatanthology series.
(05:08):
And lastly, starting the firstweek in March, we will be
including 10-minute interviewswith podcast hosts who are
involved with some of the mostinteresting shows on the planet.
More about this new addition toour program in the weeks to
come.
(05:30):
In other news, I have an updateon the Old Gods of Appalachia,
one of my favorite podcasts.
I know I've spoken about itbefore, so if you've been a
longtime listener, you know thatI am over the moon that they
dropped Season 5 starting inDecember 2024.
And I promise you Season 5 doesnot disappoint.
(05:55):
Co-created by Steve Schell andCam Collins, both natives of the
hills and hollers of WiseCounty, virginia, old Gods of
Appalachia takes place in analternate universe where ghosts,
haints, witches and cryptidsfreely roam among mere mortals
(06:16):
who may or may not be blessedwith a few magic powers of their
own.
The podcast covers severalfamilies and individuals who
call Appalachia home and, in itsmagical style, hopscotches
across decades and evencenturies, while following the
bloodlines of Appalachianancestors that eventually and I
(06:39):
do stress eventually weavecohesive tales of culture,
survival and much-neededcleverness to survive the
challenges of this dark forestedregion of the southern United
States.
Elegantly written and based onthe archetypes who have
inhabited the southern area ofthe Appalachia Mountains since
(07:01):
they were first colonized manycenturies ago, Old Gods of
Appalachia Mountains since theywere first colonized many
centuries ago, old Gods ofAppalachia echoes the
superstitions and folklore thatwas once believed and now often
passed on as tales of caution tothe young folk in order to keep
them safe and, yes, scared outof their wits to venture too far
(07:22):
or do something too foolhardythat really would put them in
mortal danger.
Please know that I'm stronglyattracted to Old Gods of
Appalachia for many reasons,including its exquisite
storytelling and productionvalues, the authenticity of the
co-creators and many of the castmembers who also hail from that
(07:46):
region of the country, and thefact that my father was born and
raised in Kentucky, deep in thedark forests and hollers of
Appalachia, and even though Iwas raised in Southern
California, I was also privy tomany of his stories about ghosts
and haints and witches and evenone headless horseman that
(08:10):
terrorized the kids as he ranthrough the woods every full
moon.
So, at least by proxy, my bloodruns deep in that mystical
place.
There are four complete seasonsand a fifth one that's in
progress right now.
I strongly recommend that youstart from the beginning, as the
(08:31):
characters and plots build oneach episode and quite often
other seasons.
Just one example of this isseason two that introduces a
group of kids, including Cowboyandie, and season five that
picks up with that story 60years later.
I also recommend that you notmultitask too much while you're
(08:52):
listening to the show.
It's meant to be immersive andif you become distracted you're
going to have to stop and thinkokay, where was I before I
started making my grocery list,thinking about when I had to
pick up the kids, or maybe eventake a quick mental trip to
Bermuda or St John's.
Here are two quick clips fromthe podcast.
Speaker 6 (09:29):
I don't want these hills, leave these dark valleys
when I can't stay, down in thelands unknown.
There are these hills of love Iwill walk so often I can feel
(09:56):
the winds now on your ghost.
Speaker 7 (10:11):
Appalachia, a word stolen from more than one
language.
It conjures images of thebeauty of God's creation and the
darkness of man's variouspoverties.
The simpler way of life herebespeaks a time past of purity
and piety.
But turn over a stone, You'llfind the underbelly of suspicion
(10:36):
and clannishness.
Folk who live here don't trusteasy.
This whole graveyard's full ofwhat we've learned about
outsiders.
And before you judge us asbackwood hillbillies or
opioid-addicted rednecks, take aminute to understand how we got
here.
I mean how we really got here.
(10:57):
There are places in this worldthat humanity was never supposed
to see, Walled in by mountainsof burning black rock, isolated
by a choking canopy of poisonflora, woods where tooth claw
and hunger still sit atop thefood chain.
And long before our kind everset foot in these mountains,
(11:20):
when the peaks of the Blue Ridgetowered above the stars and the
heart of the plateau stillrolled with ridges tough as pine
knobs, Darkness was broughthere in cages made of fear.
Our tongues do not have the theshape to speak the true names
(11:42):
of what they are, and that's our, not were.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
The second clip is from episode 25, the Siege of
Pleasant Evenings.
Speaker 7 (11:58):
Old Gods of Appalachia is a horror anthology
podcast and therefore maycontain material not suitable
for all audiences, so listenerdiscretion is advised.
An uncustomary hush fell overpleasant evening, a tense,
(12:20):
bow-strung anticipation as Marcyand her sister and all those
who called that establishmenthome, stood ready.
Tish was not the only woman atpleasant evenings that knew how
to handle firearms no sir,though none could match her
marksmanship.
So they had armed the mostcompetent among them For
everyone else.
They had improvised Ironskillets, a billy club, knives
(12:44):
aplenty, although hopefully noone would need them.
Marcy and Ellie had craftedthose wards with great care, had
layered them and strengthenedthem over time.
They should be fine, and ofcourse the sisters themselves
were there to back them up, aspromised, the strange man in the
(13:10):
charcoal suit and hiscompatriots returned at dark.
With them they brought jerrybrotherton, who, to be fair,
seemed even more reluctant to bea part of this whole affair
than before, and boys whosefaces were troublingly familiar
to Marcy.
She might not know their names,but there that boy Didn't?
(13:33):
He used to work at the generalstore in O-Stars.
She'd hired that young man onlast summer to do some yard work
when his mama was sick.
The townsfolk looked and feltodd to Marcy.
Their faces hung slack, theireyes heavy-lidded.
They almost swayed on theirfeet and to her senses they felt
(13:56):
muted, somehow almost empty.
Ms Walker, we have come Thrice.
Now I ask you will yousurrender the girl?
As her shotgun blast tore a holeinto his chest.
Marcy heard Tish call out Inthis house we only got one
(14:22):
answer for folks who don'tlisten when a lady says no.
As they watched, the man fromthe railroad, looking only
mildly perturbed, reached longfingers into the wound, fishing
(14:42):
around for a moment, pulled thelead pellets from his chest,
dropping them one by one ontothe ground at his feet.
Blood it is then Miss WalkerBlood.
It is then miss walker.
Blood it is.
The railroad man clenched hisfist around the last metal slug
and squeezed hard.
Blood welled up and pouredforth an ever-flowing crimson
(15:03):
river spilling between his topfingers and onto the ground.
And it should have vanishedthere, should have been soaked
up by the thirsty ground orboiled to a hissing steam by the
wards woven into the earth bywill and water, earth and stone.
But instead the blood pooledand spread, growing outward from
(15:24):
the man in the charcoal suit'sfeet like a dark sigil of
corruption.
The man laughed and opened hishand and instead of the
projectile that Tish hadlaunched into his chest, he held
a shiny black business card,just like the ones he'd handed
out to the assembled throng ofworkers and travelers who had
(15:46):
followed him to this place.
He paced among them thebloodstain he had birthed,
following him like a secondshadow.
My friends called the manlifting the black-edged
blood-smeared card into the airit is time to go to work.
The business card flashed in apulse of violet fire and was
(16:08):
gone.
All around the assembled massof men, similar flashes appeared
in hands, pockets, hat bands,wherever these fell, invitations
had been stowed.
And with each murmur ofgrease-smeared light the men
began to change.
It started with a quiver in thebelly and a wild itching of the
skin, but soon eyes went wildand their shapes distorted,
(16:33):
bones stretched and jointsdoubled.
Big men grew taller and theirmuscles shifting like tectonic
plates and rupturing throughskin like broken continents.
This dark remaking, turningnormal men into discarded
leavings from the lathe of somedark god.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Hmm, I think the only thing that's going to work
against that crew is the magicof the Walker sisters.
In other news, the Heavyweightpodcast, which was canceled by
Spotify due to production costsin late 2023, has announced that
(17:13):
it's close to making a new dealwith another network.
I, for one, am crossing myfingers that this happens sooner
rather than later.
Heavyweight features realpeople who have a true story to
tell and are longing for answers.
If you type in heavyweight inthe search bar of any major
(17:34):
podcast player, it should popright up.
There are 58 evergreen episodeswaiting for you to enjoy right
now.
Make sure to tap theheavyweight notification button
the bell icon, of course so youwill be notified the minute that
heavyweight announces its newhome.
(18:00):
One thing that's never lost itsrelevance is the tried and true
music chart, like Billboard'sWeekly Hot 100, that
significantly influences whichsongs are played on the radio,
featured on playlists andhighlighted in media coverage.
What many digital users don'trealize is that podcasts also
(18:23):
have their own charts.
There are several companiesthat produce these charts, but,
as usual, I have a favoritePodchasercom.
Podchaser posts the latestApple and Spotify top nine
podcasts overall and by genre,at no charge to users, If you're
(18:45):
interested in checking outPodchasers as well as other
companies that provide thesecharts, scroll down to this
week's show notes, which isright below the title of this
episode, where I've provided thenames and website links to
several of these companies.
(19:25):
Here is our very first epicepisode of the week.
This week's epic episodeinvolves the Mystery Hour,
(19:46):
formerly called Nighty Night, byCast Media, and Cast is with a
K and Rabia Chaudhry.
It's called the Children Taken,an original story which dropped
on September 7, 2021.
The Children Taken is about afamily that seems to forget one
of the most important rules whengoing on vacation when, in Rome
(20:08):
, do as the Romans do or atleast heed their warnings.
For those of you who haven't yetlistened to the Mystery Hour,
again formally called NightyNight, rabia Chaudhry, the host
and creator of the show, is alsoan attorney, author and
(20:28):
advocate.
Her Nighty Night podcast wasreimagined as the Mystery Hour
on October 31, 2023.
Prior to that time, nightyNight told original
bone-chilling tales.
Since the end of Nighty Night,rabia has read classic stories
(20:50):
written by noted authors such asCharles Dickens, bram Stoker
and Edgar Allan Poe.
I absolutely am smitten withher voice and her narrative
style.
If you feel the same way as Ido, follow her podcast Mystery
Hour same way as I do.
(21:13):
Follow her podcast Mystery Hour.
Parentheses nighty-night andtap the notification button so
that you can be alerted when newepisodes drop.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
The next couple of days passed well, with hikes on
local trails and hours by thepool.
In the backdrop, though, wasEdgar, who turned up at all
hours of the day.
It seemed glaring at thechildren.
He seemed intent on catchingthem misbehaving, though he
never managed to.
They watched movies together inthe evenings and ate piles of
candy from the hotel gift shop.
(21:41):
Sarah made sure the kidsweren't left unsupervised
anywhere.
She admitted to herself thatshe was just a little bit afraid
of Edgar and didn't want togive him any excuse to kick them
out.
Things were going great and shewanted to keep it that way.
One morning, a few days intotheir vacation, the family had
just arrived at the pool whenJeremy announced that he'd
forgotten his book back in theroom.
(22:02):
Tom and Sarah were both halfcovered in sunscreen and told
him to wait so one of them couldgo back inside with him.
Jeremy bounced around andmoaned it's okay, I can go, I'll
be fast.
I promise I won't even use theelevator.
I'll just go up the stairs.
Come on, it's not a big deal,I'm not a baby.
Sarah looked around.
They were alone at the pool,and Edgar was nowhere in sight.
(22:24):
She sighed Okay, just don't gothrough the lobby.
Don't use the elevator and bequick.
She handed him a key andwatched as he took off,
disappearing into the building.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
And how do you think all of that is going to turn out
?
I'm betting on not good, notgood at all.
Again, it is the Mystery Hour,parenthesis, nighty Night, by
Cast Media and Rabia Chaudhry,and the episode is called the
(22:59):
Children, taken on September 7th2021.
Gerald, oh no, not you again.
What are you listening to?
Are you spying on me?
Oh, ais, you can't trust them.
But, yes, welcome to.
(23:19):
What Are you Listening To?
A segment where I share whatI've binged this week, and it's
a good one.
It sounds like a perfect scriptfor a made-for-TV movie, but
every snarky detail of thisweek's binge is true Deadly
Mirage.
I was attracted to this podcastfrom the moment that I read the
(23:43):
title.
It's by Dateline and one of myfavorite hosts, Josh Mankiewicz.
So what did I have to lose?
It takes place in the SilverLakes enclave of Hellendale, a
lush, man-made Eden inCalifornia's Mojave Desert.
Here's a clip from the show.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
They called it the happiest place on the high
desert, the perfect place toraise a family.
Speaker 6 (24:15):
It was sort of Palm Springs light the big spacious
houses, families with kidsrunning around bikes in the
streets.
It looked like kind of theAmerican dream neighborhood.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
It was a desert oasis , lush and green home to a
tight-knit group of30-somethings who liked to party
and took to heart the biblicalcommandment to love thy neighbor
.
Speaker 6 (24:46):
My wife and I and Rob and Sabrina would engage in
sexual activities.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
If that's what a couple agrees with in their
marriage, then that's theirbusiness.
Speaker 6 (24:57):
Then one day a handsome outsider crashed the
party, I started getting textmessages saying I would love to
come hang out with you guys soondiscord descended on this eden
east of los angeles.
The people were so cruel I hadto get a restraining order and a
sudden death reveals thehappiest place to be a mirageage
(25:20):
.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
I need someone here to talk to me he knew his
attacker.
Speaker 6 (25:24):
That's somebody who knew intimate details about his
life.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
Our latest podcast takes us to a railroad outpost
on the edge of California's highdesert, where passion leads to
murder and a killer seeks God'shelp with the cover-up whatever
the crime lab has found.
God, please help this to be amethod, a mode that keeps our
stories being told.
(25:52):
It's a story about love andbetrayal.
Does she know?
You guys cooperated.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
Yeah, I didn't trust her from day one, from the first
time I met her, I did not trusther.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
It's about indiscretions and a string of
bad choices.
Speaker 6 (26:12):
Her frustrations became my frustrations.
Her demons became my demons.
Do you make?
Speaker 1 (26:16):
decisions on your own at any point.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
Yes, I sure do.
Apparently many bad ones.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Most of all, it's about the danger of indulging
delusions and allowing daydreamsto become nightmares.
It had sex, religion, theseemingly perfect beautiful
family that had all thesesecrets.
It had everything.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
And indeed it did.
You can listen to Deadly Miragewherever you listen to podcasts
.
All episodes have dropped andyou can binge it from beginning
to end in one go.
Although it wasn't intentional,I was drawn to two podcasts
(27:20):
this week that were based ontrue crimes One I just mentioned
, deadly Mirage, and one other,city Confidential, by A&E
forward slash podcast.
One, city Confidential, exudesa modern noir style-wire style
(27:43):
which, I have to confess, Iabsolutely love.
I also love that CityConfidential strictly focuses on
the victims, the victims'families and the communities
where the victims lived and alsowhere they took place.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
A true crime podcast.
It got me upset because this issomeone's kid and someone knows
she's gone.
Speaker 5 (28:07):
That takes a different approach.
It was shocking for somethinglike this to happen in our
little town.
Focusing on the communitiesaffected by life-shattering
crimes, it made news throughoutthe entire region that these two
people had been shot while theyslept in such a safe community.
To give a new perspective onthe devastation crimes can cause
(28:29):
, it was shocking for somethinglike this to happen in our
little town, featuring casesfrom quiet towns to bustling
cities and interviewing thepeople closest to the case.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
My first thought was that it's an unusual location
for us to have a homicide.
Speaker 5 (28:46):
Listen to the true crime podcast, city Confidential
, and step beyond the yellowtape to learn just how far a
crime can reach.
Speaker 6 (28:53):
There are certain cases in the history of Boston
that I think sort of define thecity.
I think this is one of them.
Speaker 5 (28:59):
New episodes of the City Confidential podcast are
available every Thursday.
Available wherever you get yourpodcasts.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
City Confidential launched in June 2024.
And there's currentlyapproximately 30 episodes that
you can binge on.
It's an excellent podcast.
If you're into true crime, Idefinitely recommend City
Confidential.
That's it for our first show of2025.
(29:50):
From all of us at One GoodThing Media, thank you so much
for following our podcast.
You are, aren't you?
If you're not, stay informed bytapping the follow and
notification buttons right now.
As for the new year, may youdream big and do even greater
(30:12):
things this year.
We'll be back next week with abrand new episode of One Good
Thing Media, your top stop todiscover what's hot in the
podcast world.
Until we meet again, pleaseknow that we love you.
Talk soon.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
One Good Thing Media is brought to you by our host
and creator, Gerald Spear.
All things technical are byDavid Dodd and our announcer is
Robert Spear.
Our theme song is Force by HGST.
(31:37):
Thank you,
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