The Backstory with Patty Steele

Ever wish you could simply disappear? Maybe you’re sick of a job, a relationship, or responsibilities you can’t see your way past. More than a few folks have done it, though admittedly it takes money and the ability to disconnect from everything in your life, not just the difficulties. It’s all about former masters of the universe creating a new domain. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes failure is actually the mother of success. Take Walt Disney, who at the age of 21 had one animation company go bankrupt. By 27, his taste of success with a cartoon rabbit named Oswald was stolen by a partner who made a deal with an unscrupulous movie studio. So, it turns out Mickey Mouse was born out of desperation and the determination to never give up. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As humans, our most serious drive is survival. So when we start worrying about apocalyptical events from what we do to ourselves or what others do to us, we make a plan. Doomsday bunkers of all sorts are popping up to protect everything from seeds to regrow our food supply . . to insanely luxurious underground escape spots for the one percenters. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do You Get Stressed Over News Stories About a Bunch of People Getting Sick With a Disease You’ve Never Even Heard Of? Lately, It’s the Hantavirus. But Here’s the Thing. These Outbreaks Have Been Around for Thousands of Years. Problem Is, You Can’t Ignore What’s Happening, but the Anxiety Can Really Gnaw at You. So It’s Better to Know the Origin Story, Because Like They Say… Knowledge Is Power. Feel Free to DM Me if You Have a Story You’d Like Me to Cover… on Facebook It’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever Get the Feeling That Your One Big Moment . . Might Be All There Is? That Was the Story of Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the Second Man to Walk on the Moon . . and as He Shared . . Also the First to Pee on the Moon. But His Return to Earth and the Struggle He Faced Trying to One Up That Footstep on the Lunar Surface, Is an Inspiration. Feel Free to DM Me If You Have a Story You’d Like Me to Cover . . on Facebook It’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On first blush, most of us say we’d like to live forever. But how far are you willing to go? How about freezing your body cryogenically so it can be resuscitated decades from now? The first guy did that almost 60 years ago. Folks like PayPal founder Peter Thiel have signed on, as have Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. But the big question is... what happens when you wake up? You’re a time traveler with no way back... Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover. On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even if we don’t love it, most of us rely on Amazon for a lot of our basic shopping needs. But 140 years ago, the Victorian version of Amazon arrived on the scene. The Sears catalog was just as huge as Amazon, at one point reaching 2/3rds of all Americans and accounting for 1% of the entire U.S. economy. They sold and delivered everything... even heroin! Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover... on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We comfort ourselves by thinking that murder is something that happens to people when they aren’t careful about when, where, and who they mix it up with. But sometimes, as in these two cases, the scariest stories are actually the ones you don’t see coming. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Did History . . Taste Like? Do You Ever Stop to Wonder Why We Eat Certain Foods? There Are Some Pretty Strange Bites Looking Back Over the Millennia. Not Just Unusual… Not Just Exotic… But Foods That Make You Stop, Tilt Your Head Like a Puppy, and Ask, Who on Earth Thought Eating That Was a Good Idea? It's All in the Marketing. We’re Talking Beaver Tails, Bird Tongues, and Whale Vomit . . to Name a Few.Feel Free to DM Me if You Have a Story You’d Like Me to Cover . . on Facebook It’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humans are fascinated by space. We gaze up at the night sky and ask what and who is up there? Ancient cave drawings illustrated those thoughts thousands of years ago. Even “Disclosure Day” poses the question. But recently we’ve added one more question: does the government know something they’re not telling us? Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover. On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We watched the tragic story of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette in the FX series “Love Story.” But while the love story of John’s parents, JFK Sr. and Jackie Kennedy, had major differences, it also had some striking similarities. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Happens to Your Life, if You're Sitting Right Next to a President When He's Assassinated? This Is the Shocking Story of the Folks Who Shared the Theater Box the Night Assassination of Abraham Lincoln Happened. Feel Free to DM Me if You Have a Story You’d Like Me to Cover . . on Facebook It’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In December of 1903, the Wright brothers made the first powered flight with a pilot in history. That’s only 122 years ago and yet here we are flying around the moon in Artemis 2. But the unknown dangers explorer types faced then... and still face... is mind blowing. In fact, manned space flight almost got stopped in its tracks by a secret government test. I’m Patty Steele. How much can the human body withstand as we attempt to explore the universe? Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover... on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been watching Artemis 2 and its $23 million dollar toilet journey to the dark side of the moon this week, but you have to ask a question. As we launch all these rockets, satellites, and space stations into the sky... what happens if they somehow come falling back to Earth? Well, it did happen almost 50 years ago, and folks around the globe spent a nervous few weeks... looking up. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover... on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artemis 2 blasted off this week on NASA’s first manned trip into deep space in over 50 years. How did we get there and where are we going? The answers are both fascinating and inspirational. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . . On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Been 161 Years Since the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He’s Considered Our Greatest President. His Wife Mary Todd Lincoln However, Hasn’t Fared So Well in the Historical Narrative. But There’s a Deeper, More Complex Reason for That. Feel Free to DM Me if You Have a Story You’d Like Me to Cover . . On Facebook It’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lizzie Borden was a church going New England heiress . . who was suspected of taking an ax to the heads of her father and stepmother back in 1892. But what led to the murders and the surprising verdict from the jury? Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Swearing, cursing, cussing... giving somebody the finger. It’s kind of ubiquitous these days, but it’s been around for thousands of years. And now researchers say yelling out a favorite four-letter word can even lower your blood pressure. But where in the &^%* did it all start, and how has it evolved?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all wonder where the larger than life rock and roll stars of the mid 20th century originated. But the demon of Kiss, Gene Simmons, has had an unbelievable journey. And he credits one person with his inspiration. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram real patty steeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watching reruns of The Andy Griffith Show and particularly Deputy Barney Fife, to this day make you feel happy. You feel like that part of America’s past was a time of calm and safety. But for Don Knotts, the guy that played Barney Fife, life never felt calm or safe. This is how he used his pain. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve all had a nasty headache and run to grab some OTC pain relief, only to get thwarted by the childproof wrapping. But 7 still unsolved murders explain why our meds are wrapped so tight feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Breakfast pre-1900 usually involved fried meats, eggs, biscuits, and potatoes. Then a kitchen fail at a health sanitarium led to a whole new way to eat your morning meal. After that, a vicious disagreement between the Kellogg brothers allowed one to build a multi billion dollar company with Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies and other cereal recipes he'd stolen from his brother. Please DM me if you have a story you'd like me to dig into. On Facebook it's Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1800s death was a lot more of a regular occurrence in people’s lives. Almost half of all children died by the time they were 5! So . . the Victorians developed some pretty unusual ways of processing that reality. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was supposed to be minor, routine surgery. But the anesthesia had a strange effect on this Academy Award winning actress. Afterward, every thought, every conversation, and even things she saw . . literally turned into music in her head. This is what she did with the endless earworm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine Being a World Famous Rock Star . . And at the Same Time Effectively Raising 3 Children With Disabilities. It’s the Amazing Story of Neil Young’s Devotion to His Family Life. Feel Free to DM Me If You Have a Story You’d Like Me to Dig In To. On Facebook It’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we try to shake off mountains of snow here on the East Coast, it’s a time to remember some of the most challenging moments when human beings have had to find a way to survive in a frigid wilderness. In some cases . . cannibalism was the only way out. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to dig in to. On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeffrey Epstein’s files have upended peoples’ lives and resulted in the first arrest of a royal family member in 400 years. But the beginning of the end for these big shots actually took place over 60 years ago during an earth shattering sex scandal in London. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to dig in to. On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Winter Olympics Could Be the Last Gasp of a 3000 Year Old Competition. Or . . It Could Be the Games That Bring It Back to Life. Feel Free to DM Me if You Have a Story You’d Like Me to Dig in To. On Facebook It’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Human attachment is thousands of years old . . but Valentine’s Day started off as a blood soaked Roman pagan fertility festival. The romance element is a pretty recent development. As usual, the Victorians reinvented it, taking it from a bloody sacrifice to roses and Valentine cards. If you have a story you’d like me to take a deeper dive into and share . . feel free to D.M. me on Facebook at Patty Steele or on Instagram at Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we’ve seen playing out in the news, the kidnapping of a family member can lead to unspeakable heartbreak. But for one family, the abduction of their 16 year old son, elicited not much more than a yawn. That is, until kidnappers mailed them a body part. Please DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we get ready to party with the Super Bowl, we take a look at the wild rise of the sport of football. We’ll explore it’s gruesome beginnings and it’s glorious evolution into America’s most watched sporting event. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does a commercial jet carrying 239 people simply disappear . . forever. This is the story of Malaysia Flight 370, which vanished into thin air almost 12 years ago. It is still the greatest mystery in aviation history, but what really happened has become a whole lot clearer. DM me if you have a story you would like me to cover . . on Facebook it is Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Super Bowl is days away, and while you’re sipping or guzzling your favorite beer, think about where it originated and how it actually came to be. We’re starting the story with a mistake that happened 13,000 years ago. DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover. On Facebook, it’s Patty Steele, and on Instagram, Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A month ago we talked about the Olympic snowboarder turned international drug lord, Ryan Wedding. After a decade in hiding he turned himself in last Friday. But why? More on his life running a Mexican cartel, as well as what motivated his surrender. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the Great Fire of 1889 burned all of Seattle to the ground, one woman stepped in to help rebuild it bigger and better. She was one of the wealthiest people in the Northwest, but she also ran the ritziest bordello in the city. Here’s the thing: when the chips are down, even stuffy Victorians would take help where they could get it. So how did she make and spend all her money? Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a new year and we're all looking to step up our game. So let's revisit a look at beauty in the past. We’ll do anything to look fabulous these days . . but we have nothing on our ancestors. They used face creams made from animal and human pee. They glued animal pelts on unusual body parts. And they literally poisoned themselves in their quest for perfect skin and hair.Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Competition can make you or break you… and it’s not always your call. We watch the skaters at the Winter Olympics and marvel at the pristine beauty and flawless execution. But what goes on behind the scenes and in the aftermath… can be a way more compelling story. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover. On Facebook it’s Patty Steele, and on Instagram, Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you do any writing for school, work, creativity, or pleasure . . you’ve probably relied a little bit on Wikipedia as a stunt brain of sorts. Now imagine that it almost went the way of Friendster or Napster. There’s nothing else like it . . but in 2007, it almost disappeared. DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Winter Olympics are just weeks away. The athletes are celebrities! Now, imagine living 2 or 3,000 years ago and being an ancient Olympian. How did these guys compete, why did they compete, and how did they monetize their skill set? It was equal parts religion, eroticism, and highly valued body secretions. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover. On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forget Dry January. Can you imagine being dry for 13 years? That was Prohibition from 1920 to 1933. But some folks, including one wildly famous international visitor, found some sneaky ways around the ban, claiming doctor’s orders. And most others drank really sketchy liquor. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Did Steven Spielberg Get Right and What Did He Get Wrong About Real Life Dinosaurs in Jurassic Park? An Eminent Paleontologist Breaks It Down. We Also See How and Why the Movie Was Made the Way It Was. Also, Feel Free to DM Me If You Have a Story You’d Like Me to Cover . . On Facebook It’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Home Alone, on a budget of just $18 million dollars, was the highest grossing film of 1990 in the U.S. It has become a holiday classic. But it almost didn’t get made. This is all about the skill and luck of bringing Home Alone to life and the amazing contributions of its 10 year old star. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty SteeleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.