Buckle up and join me for happy hour eight with my guest Mouna! We hear the tale of her stay at one of Taipei’s most haunted hotels, the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Taipei, Taiwan. Suffice it to say, she did not get much sleep during her business trip. Y’know, because of the haunting. We also enjoy some ghostly speculation. Are ghosts echoes of time travelers? Or just messing with us? We have no answers, but we sure had a good time. Mouna’s Boo Club PickWe Are Lady Parts! A show about an all girl, Muslim punk band that is one of Mouna’s favs. Here’s the description from Peacock: “We Are Lady Parts is an anarchic, joyful and irreverent music comedy following a Muslim female punk band – called Lady Parts – who are on a mission to find a lead guitarist and maybe, just maybe, get a proper gig.”Mouna’s Shares not ScaresCheck out Canine Companions for Independence (CCI)! Here’s some information from their website: “Canine Companions is leading the service dog industry so our clients and their dogs can live with greater independence. We provide service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings. Since our founding in 1975, our dogs and all follow-up services are provided at no cost to our clients.  Independence shouldn’t be limited to those who look or live a certain way. Disability reaches all races, classes and backgrounds, and Canine Companions will too.  Clients come to Canine Companions because of our reputation, the quality of our dogs, the experience of our training staff and the desire to lead life with greater independence. We are committed to providing services to all qualified clients.”

Join me for happy hour seven with my godmother Tillie! Tillie tells us about a frightening encounter scuba diving to recover a ship. Oh, and that time her Grandma’s ghost came to visit and make good on a promise. Tillie’s Boo ClubThe Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. From the book description: “Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships—or, as they would say, because of them—they are two of the most joyful people on the planet.”Tillie’s Shares not ScaresCheck out the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, Alaska! Each year, Tillie donates $100 to cover the expenses of a musk ox named Mandy. Here’s more info from muskoxfarm.org: “The non-profit Musk Ox Farm is dedicated to the domestication of the musk ox, an Ice Age mammal that once roamed the earth alongside saber-tooth tigers and woolly mammoths. Known to Alaska Natives as “Oomingmak”, which means “The Bearded One”, this once-endangered animal produces an annual harvest of qiviut (kiv'-ee-ute), the finest wool in the world. We welcome visitors to the farm for a close up experience of these magnificent Paleolithic ruminants with guided tours, engaging exhibits, a gift shop featuring some of the world's only gently hand-combed qiviut fiber, qiviut yarn, and qiviut garments.  We also host community fundraising events and educational programming throughout the year.  Visit our picturesque farm surrounded by the majestic Chugach and Talkeetna mountains. Our historic 1930s-era Colony farm is located just 45 miles north of Anchorage in the Matanuska Valley, the heart of Alaskan agriculture.”

Join me for happy hour six with Jamie Grimes! Jamie shares the story of her dog Mochi’s final, spooky goodbye and that time she saw the Phoenix Lights when she was a kiddo. Happy Hanukkah, all! Jamie’s Boo Club Picks:Phoenix Forgotten - a shaky cam movie (ala The Blair Witch Project) of the Phoenix lights sighting!The Ring - With children climbing out of wells and tvs, this is one of the more frightening movies we’ve both seen. And, yet, here we are recommending it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯Shares Not Scares:Go visit Jamie at Slabtown Barbers! As her Slabtown Barber’s bio says, she keeps you “looking fresh or tastefully scummy!” 

Uncork some wine and join me and my bestie for the story of Oculus Anubis! Is it a cult? A rich housing development? Both? Who knows! We speculate wildly and also please do not trespass. Rachael’s Boo Club:Tusk staring Justin Long! Warning that this contains some weird body horror and walruses may frighten you like never before.Brand New Cherry Flavor - a psychedelic, sci-fi Netflix show about a woman trying to make it in cutthroat Hollywood. Rachael’s Shares not Scares:1) Fuck the Patriarchy 2) Support sex worker’s rights3) Support local art

Join me for happy hour with Delilah and James! James is a forensic pathologist who shares a story from work about tempting fate, a glimpse of his mom’s spirit when he was a teenager, and some tales of Southern folklore/voodoo magic. James and Delilah's Boo Club picks:American Psycho by Bret Easton EllisThe Key: A True Encounter by Whitley Strieber

It’s hot toddy time! Join me for Paranoia Happy Hour with my guest Sumer. We hear about the time she found a glass door to nowhere in a cold basement and some creeeeeeeeeepy kid stories. Sumer’s Boo Club pick is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Check it out from your local library! Sumer’s awareness picks are The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and The Nature Conservancy.JDRF is a nonprofit that funds innovative research and advocates for government action around juvenile diabetes. Learn more at jdrf.org! The Nature Conservancy is one of the most effective and widereaching environmental nonprofit organizations in the world, working to conserve our natural resources. Check them out at nature.org to learn more about their mission.

WARNING: Mentions the spirits w*ndigos! Mix up that cocktail and join me for happy hour with Rina! We speculate on a mystical animal sighting in a rural Oregon town and bond over our mutual love of cheap red wine (also known as “grad school juice”). Rina’s awareness pick is the nonprofit No More Deaths. Check them out at nomoredeaths.org (and donate, if you’re so inclined!). Here’s some great info from their website: The mission of No More Deaths is to end death and suffering in the Mexico–US borderlands through civil initiative: people of conscience working openly and in community to uphold fundamental human rights. 

My first guest on Paranoia Happy Hour is James Sharinghousen! He’s a haunted house expert, one of my brother’s oldest friends, and the spookiest person I know. I hear the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to James, enjoy a brief foray into The Exorcist, and reminisce about that time we were pulled over in a hearse. Hit him up for haunted house tips and follow his instagram account (@jamessharinghousen) to soak up spooky and creative merriment year round. 

Mix up your favorite adult beverage and join me for a spooky happy hour! Over the course of a year, I'll be interviewing my family,  friends, and acquaintances to ask what's the weirdest thing that's ever happened to you?  From ghosts to UFOs to who knows what, I'm buckling up to hear the weirdest tales my circle has to offer. Cheers!