Sofa King Podcast

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about The Walled City of Kowloon. Also known as the City of Darkness, Kowloon was part of Hong Kong, but it went unregulated by either the British or the Chinese. With no laws or regulations, the Triad gangs took over in short order, and everything from construction to factories were done for maximum efficiency, not government guidelines. It had the densest population on Earth, 30 times more dense than the city right now! So, how did the Triads take over in the 1950s? Why didn’t the Brits or the Chinese claim it? What finally brought this crazy city’s demolition? How does this connect to Dave's favorite sci-fi author? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: Walled City Map https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Walled_City https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/kowloon-walled-city https://www.thecollector.com/kowloon-walled-city-lawlessness-and-claustrophobia/ https://www.businessinsider.com/kowloon-walled-city-photos-2015-2#despite-a-reduced-crime-rate-neither-the-british-nor-the-chinese-found-the-city-tolerable-in-1987-the-two-governments-agreed-to-tear-down-the-city-26 https://www.archdaily.com/800698/heres-what-western-accounts-of-the-kowloon-walled-city-dont-tell-you https://unbelievable-facts.com/2018/02/facts-about-kowloon-walled-city.html

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the dark side of the classic toy from the 1960s, Sea Monkeys. This is a tale of brine shrimp, a conman who hit the big time, millions of comic books, the Aryan Nations, false identities, and weapons deals. It all hinges around a man named Harold Von Braunhut. He dominated popular culture with Sea Monkeys, X-ray Specs, and other toys marketed directly to children. But when he developed Kiyoga Agent M5 Spring Whip, things went dark when he pledged his earnings to the Aryan Nations. So how did he help get a top white supremacist free from sedition charges? How did this Nazi get Sea Monkeys to live longer? What exactly were in those Sea Monkey pouches? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_von_Braunhut https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-oct-01-tm-29473-story.html https://www.theawl.com/2011/06/the-shocking-true-tale-of-the-mad-genius-who-invented-sea-monkeys/ https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/17/magazine/the-battle-over-the-sea-monkey-fortune.html https://www.cnet.com/culture/sea-monkeys-documentary-explores-creators-dark-side/ https://pennylaneismyrealname.com/film/just-add-water/

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the worst atrocities of World War II: The Rape of Nanking. Nanking was formerly the capital city of China, and as Japan invaded parts of the country before they officially entered WWII, destruction of Biblical proportion fell upon the city. Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek ordered the military to withdraw to fight later on, and the Japanese went nuts. They burned most of the city, killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians, and raped pretty much every woman there. The tales are horrible, and I’m not sure how we’ll keep this one funny, but listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanjing_Massacre https://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/nanking.htm https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/thoughts-on-the-nanjing-massacre/ https://www.newsweek.com/exposing-rape-nanking-170890

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we take a look at the State of Artificial Intelligence. We’ve covered this topic before (way back in time), but so much has happened in the past year, and the growth is so stupendous, we thought it was worth revisiting. So, if you want to hear us talk about ChatGPT, Bard, Midjourney, and other commercial AI developments, give this one a listen. We also rap about the exponential curve of technological progress and get into a little bit of AI philosophy. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-03/only-humans-not-ai-machines-can-get-a-u-s-patent-judge-rules#xj4y7vzkg https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/ https://futureoflife.org/cause-area/artificial-intelligence/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roko%27s_basilisk https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/chatgpt-causing-layoffs-which-jobs-danger-due-radhakrishnan#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20report%2C%20jobs,journalists%2C%20are%20also%20at%20risk. https://openai.com/research/gpts-are-gpts https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we travel back in time and look at one of the most powerful females of the ancient world, Hatshepsut. She was one of only handful of women to break with Egyptian law and fully become Pharaoh. And while she did conquer neighboring invaders early in her life, Egypt was a place of exploration, art, and construction under her reign. There is a camp that argues she was a manipulative, evil woman who wrested power with the help of her lover, but most historians today believe her reign was peaceful, she was loved by her people, and her power play was to keep her family in power against political rivals. Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-egypt/hatshepsut https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hatshepsut https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-queen-who-would-be-king-130328511/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatshepsut https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/Hatshepsut_From_Queen_to_Pharaoh https://blackhistorystudies.com/resources/resources/15-facts-on-queen-pharaoh-hatshepsut/ https://www.thecollector.com/hatshepsut-egyptian-queen-king/

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the most powerful company you’ve never heard of, Blackrock. Blackrock is an investment firm that was created by Larry Fink, the guy who brought you the housing collapse. After a computer lost his bank $100 million dollars due to an error, he created Aladdin, an AI model that the entire financial market now relies on. With its algorithm, Blackrock manages more money than the GDP of America. Some say it is why nobody can buy a house anymore, and it was involved in everything from Covid rescues to bank bailouts. It seems to own a percentage of just about every major corporation you can think of and is in bed with every government in the world. If there is an Illuminati, this just might be it. Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackRock https://www.investigate-europe.eu/en/2018/blackrock-the-company-that-owns-the-world/ https://corporateaccountability.org/blog/blackrock-for-2022-corporate-hall-of-shame/#:~:text=BlackRock%20is%20a%20top%20shareholder,aspect%20of%20our%20daily%20lives. https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/3-top-blackrock-holdings-you-can-and-should-buy-now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWBRldjVzuM https://medium.com/@Fancy_twogap/what-you-may-not-know-the-software-that-is-more-powerful-than-windows-or-even-us-goverment-8f2e08822673 https://citywire.com/pro-buyer/news/blackrock-reacts-to-the-conspiracy-theorists/a2389549 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Fink https://listverse.com/2022/04/20/10-facts-about-the-secret-company-that-runs-the-world/ https://slate.com/business/2021/06/blackrock-invitation-houses-investment-firms-real-estate.html

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we look at some true crime from back in 1992: the case of the Springfield Three. The Springfield Three refer to three women who went missing on June 7th, the nigh of the high school graduation. After Suzie Streeter and Stacy McCall spent the night partying, they went home to mother Sherrill Levitt’s house to call it a night. When friends called on them the next morning to go to a water park, they were gone. Everything was in place, no signs of theft or struggle. But why was the porch lamp broken? What happened to the family dog? How could a grave-robbing motorcycle gang have been involved? What about the serial killer who lived across the street? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources https://www.springfieldmo.gov/2498/Three-Missing-Women https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/missing-persons/the-springfield-three---springfield-missouri https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_Three https://thecrimewire.com/true-crime/Vanished-The-Springfield-Three https://www.ky3.com/2022/06/06/springfield-three-cold-sase-30-years-since-disappearance-suzie-streeter-sherill-levitt-stacy-mccall/ https://thesuitcasedetective.medium.com/true-crime-the-springfield-three-b018ba8db7de https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/30-years-later-family-still-seeking-answers-disappearance-three-springfield-n1296285

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the most mysterious disasters of the modern world—The Tunguska Event. Early one morning in the summer of 1908, a massive explosion ripped through the heart of Russia. It was estimated to be around 15 megatons of explosive force that destroyed the land for miles. The common theory is that it was a hard metal asteroid that hit, but the theory loses steam since there is no crater to suggest impact. This leads to massive expeditions into the wilds of Siberia and theories that range from comet tails to subatomic blackholes and even a super weapon developed ty Nicola Tesla! Visit Our Sources: https://www.britannica.com/event/Tunguska-event https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/30jun_tunguska https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunguska_event https://earthsky.org/space/what-is-the-tunguska-explosion/ https://astronomy.com/news/2020/10/tunguska-explosion-in-1908-caused-by-asteroid-grazing-earth https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-tunguska-mystery-100-years-later/ https://www.newscientist.com/letter/mg17623644-800-tesla-and-tunguska/ https://www.teslasociety.com/tunguska.htm https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/02/15/crazy-conspiracy-theories-are-already-taking-root-after-russias-meteor/ https://www.nature.com/articles/245088a0

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the greatest to ever grip a microphone, Jerry Seinfeld. Seinfeld is the comedian’s comedian. He started doing small gigs right out of college and never looked back. He was obsessed with comedy since the age of 8 and became sort of a meta-comic who has learned to dissect comedy and get to its essence. Of course, he blew the lid off of television with his sitcom Seinfeld, but his writing, professionalism, and even Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee make him stand out as the greatest of a generation. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/actors/jerry-seinfeld https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jerry-Seinfeld https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Seinfeld https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/66049/25-yada-yada-yada-facts-about-seinfeld https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/g42575155/14-seinfeld-fun-facts-you-havent-heard-before/ https://writingcooperative.com/jerry-seinfelds-best-writing-advice-347e75ea1508 https://www.thethings.com/jerry-seinfeld-controversy-underaged-girlfriend-wife-shoshana/ https://www.thethings.com/times-jerry-seinfeld-became-unlikeable-with-fans-hate-lady-gaga-larry-king/#jerry-seinfeld-39-s-thoughts-on-diversity-got-him-into-hot-water https://www.insider.com/seinfeld-fun-facts-2018-10#the-rye-episode-was-based-on-a-real-event-1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itWxXyCfW5s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKY6BGcx37k

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the terrorist attack on Paris in 2015. On the night of November 13th, a coordinated assault raged across the city. There were a host of suicide bombers at a soccer match, and there was a car doing some nasty drive-by shootings at restaurants. The worst, however, was an assault inside of an Eagles of Death Metal concert that killed around 90 people. So, who planned this horrible attack? What did they want? What did this have to do with a magazine called Charlie Hebdo? What happened to the terrorists? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34818994 https://www.britannica.com/event/Paris-attacks-of-2015 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_2015_Paris_attacks https://www.dni.gov/nctc/timeline.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4724780/ https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/08/europe/2015-paris-terror-attacks-fast-facts/index.html Paris attacks give rise to conspiracy theories | Paris Attacks News | Al Jazeera https://observers.france24.com/en/20151116-conspiracy-theories-paris-attacks-fake-videos-debunked https://www.vox.com/2015/1/9/18089104/charlie-hebdo-attack https://allthatsinteresting.com/controversial-charlie-hebdo-covers

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we tell the unique tale of Koko the gorilla. Koko was born in captivity in San Francisco and became world famous for her use of sign language. She was said to have the vocabulary of a five year old child, and she showed complex emotions, memories, and even a sense of humor through her use of language. She even taught another gorilla sign language, and the two of them made up their own signs. Koko was depressed after her mate died, and they brought in none other Robin Williams to cheer her up; they became fast friends. So, what do the haters say about Koko’s language? What intelligence tests did she pass? What did she name her pet cats and the bird she hated? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.koko.org/about/gorilla-koko/ https://daily.jstor.org/the-legacy-of-koko-the-gorilla/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koko_(gorilla) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/gorillas-koko-sign-language-culture-animals https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/robin-williams-best-friend-gorilla/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_test https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-koko-gorilla-last-words-631101544696

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the Guru of Popular Music, Rick Rubin. This music producer took on mythological status by launching Def Jam records out of his dorm room in New York and pioneering hip hop alongside Russel Simmons. But his story doesn’t end there. Over the past 40 years, he has won endless Grammy awards in the genres of hard rock, rap, and country. Every strange (but amazing crossover) from Jonny Cash covering “Hurt” to Run DMC teaming up with Aerosmith were all thanks to Rubin. He may look like a hippie guru who only wants you to get in touch with your inner self—but that’s only because that’s exactly what he is. Visit our Sources: https://www.openculture.com/2021/12/rick-rubin-the-invisibility-of-hip-hops-greatest-producer.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubin_production_discography https://www.cbsnews.com/video/rick-rubin-60-minutes-video-2023-01-15/ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/rick-rubin-my-life-in-21-songs-26024/

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the worst music festival ever: Woodstock 99. This was supposed to be the return to peace and love, but it turned out to be a cash grab of a festival filled with sexual assault, mob violence, and riots. It was hosted on an old, polluted air force base where the temperatures reached 100 degrees on the hot tarmac; there was no water; there were no hotels; and the vibe was violent and hostile the entire time. So who planed this train wreck? What happened when people saw crimes occur? Why did it end being a swamp of muddy ground and backed up sewage? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock_%2799 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfund https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/19-worst-things-about-woodstock-99-176052/ https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/documentaries/trainwreck-woodstock-99-true-story/ https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a40769147/woodstock-99-true-story/

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the queen of Appalachia, Dolly Parton. She is a legend of country music with a fifty year career. From “Jolene” to “I Will Always Love You,” she has written and recorded some of the most important country songs ever. But that wasn’t enough. She starred in smash movies like 9 to 5 in the 1980s, created the mega-hit theme park Dollywood, is a massive philanthropist, and is so open minded about other races and the LGBTQ+ community that she still gets threats from the KKK. If you want to hear about one of the most uplifting human beings on the planet, this is the one for you. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/musicians/dolly-parton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Parton https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/dolly-parton https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/61219/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-dolly-parton https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/singers/dolly-parton-net-worth/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollywood https://www.dollywood.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc3S5LAlPhg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46LL7vtfBhE https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/56324/12-fun-facts-about-dollywood

On this Classic episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we climb the Mount Everest of podcast topics to look for the tales and truths behind the Yeti. The Yeti, the Abominable Snowman, the Mi-Go, the Yeren; these are all apparently the same creature: a humanoid beast with feet like a man (smaller than a “Bigfoot”) who has been seen in the Himalayan mountains for centuries. Their gods and mythology tie back to this creature, and sightings and folk lore amount local Sherpas are vibrant and updated. So why should anyone care about a mythological beast called a Yeti? Well, for one thing, a lot of pretty high rolling explorers saw them, claimed to saw them, or brought back evidence of them. Sir Edmund Hillary went on multiple expeditions to find this creature and even brought back evidence. Over the past hundred years, public calls have gone out to find proof. From oil millionaire Tom Slick to a British newspaper and even Oxford University, they all sent people or paid for evidence surrounding this. The Chinese government even has an official department that is dedicated to looking for the Wild Man of China. So, with all of this research and folklore, what has been found? Well, a lot of tracks that either come from bears or can’t be identified. DNA that often matches mountain creatures but sometimes comes back as a mystery. Sometimes, it even came back as prehistoric bears from the Pleistocene era. What is the difference between a Bigfoot and a Yeti? Why is a Yeti considered to be more dangerous? Why did the actor Jimmy Stewart help smuggle a Yeti hand out of Tibet and into London? Listen, laugh, learn. Jimmy Steward, Relic Hunter: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/saga-of-the-yeti-hand

On this Classic episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the self-improvement mogul, Tony Robbins. He’s the six foot seven inch motivational speaker who is worth $480 million dollars and holds seminars that cost between two and eight thousand dollars. Tony Robbins was born Anthony J. Mahavoric on February 29, 1960. His father left them, and his mother was abusive to point of chasing him around the house with a kitchen knife, so at age 17, he set out on his own and was such an amazing salesperson that he was in his own apartment and living a better life than he did with his mom in a matter of months. Robbins was an amazingly driven teen, becoming a sports writer by sheer force of will and quickly becoming a top salesperson for another motivational speaker. By the time he was an adult, he had studied psychology and hypnotism (never formally educated), and he started his own motivational industry. His companies are now worth over $5 billion, and he was the king of the late night infomercial during the 1990s. So what makes Tony Robbins worthy of discussion? We set out on our research to talk about this guy who we all thought was the ultimate scam artist, taking the savings of retirees and scamming them with bad real estate investments. But that doesn’t seem to be the case at all. We honestly ruled him to be a passionate and compassionate man, driven by helping the lives of others more than driven by his wealth (though it astounding). How did the documentary called I Am Not Your Guru change our minds? How do you know he didn’t hypnotize us? How did he get Oprah Winfrey to walk across hot coals? What does he do to get a woman to break up with her boyfriend in front of 2500 people? Listen, laugh, learn. Oprah Walks on Hot Coals with Tony Robbins: http://www.oprah.com/own-oprahs-next-chapter/oprah-walks-on-fire-video Bizarre video of Tony and DJ Khaleed: http://www.complex.com/music/dj-khaled-tony-robbins-interview-2016-cover-story

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about The Man with No Name—Clint Eastwood. Eastwood is the ultimate Hollywood star. He started with the smash hit TV show Rawhide, went on to define The Spaghetti Western, and made some of the best films in the history of cinema. He did action, he did comedy, he did drama. He acted, and he won Oscar after Oscar as a director. Get the behind the scenes on America’s favorite tough man and give this one a listen. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/actor/clint-eastwood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Eastwood https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/80551/15-facts-about-clint-eastwood-make-your-day https://www.factinate.com/people/42-sharp-shooting-facts-clint-eastwood/ https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/clint-eastwood-net-worth/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=933hKyKNPFQ

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we take a look at one of the more bizarre stories in video games—The Tale of Tetris. It is a story of mass piracy, Soviet Secrecy, and murder! Everyone knows this brick stacking game, and most of us have been addicted to it at some point or another. But the story of its spread and development is wild. It was created by Alexey Pajitnov for a group run by the Soviet Union. A colleague named Vladimir Pokhilko first recognized its addictive quality and was brought in. After most of the world was playing it (illegally), Pajitnoz and Pokhilko used its success to move to the US and work on new software, but Pohkilko and his family died to hammer assaults and knife attacks. Maybe a murder-suicide, maybe a Russian mafia hit job? You decide. Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris https://murderpedia.org/male.P/p/pokhilko-vladimir.htm https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/tetris-game-facts/ https://decider.com/2022/12/05/the-tetris-murders-discovery-plus-review/ https://www.livescience.com/56473-7-weird-facts-about-tetris.html https://tetris.fandom.com/wiki/Tetris_Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Pokhilko https://www.forbes.com/sites/risasarachan/2022/12/05/the-tetris-murders-docuseries-explores-mysterious-death-of-tetris-co-developer-and-his-family/?sh=616d76657301 https://nypost.com/2022/12/05/was-the-tetris-co-creator-the-victim-of-a-russian-mob-hit/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris_effect

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we head down under and talk about the baddest Bushranger of them all, Ben Hall. Ben Hall was an epic outlaw of the outback. After his wife left him, he took up with a bad crowd of criminals and soon became the leader of one of the most notorious gangs of the Australian Old West. In just a handful of years, they racked up over 100 robberies. Even better, they did crimes to mock the police and make the citizens like them. At one point, the put an entire town on lock down, put the cops in their own cell, and had a three day all-expense paid dance party in the saloon. His death was as grand as his life, and if you like cowboy times or Aussies, this is the one for you! Visit Our Sources: https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/ben-hall-australian-bushranger https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hall-ben-1507 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hall_(bushranger) https://aguidetoaustralianbushranging.com/2017/11/08/the-mourning-of-may-5th-the-death-of-ben-hall/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushranger https://kids.kiddle.co/Ben_Hall

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we look at the towering career of the one and only Shaquille O’Neill. The man is a legend on the court. He was a four-time champion, multiple MVP, won an Olympic Gold metal, and had plenty of beefs with other sports personalities. He was dominant on the Lakers but won championships on other teams as well. But let’s not forget the fun stuff, like is video game Shaq-Fu, his rap albums, his role as a genie named Kazaam, and his reality shows. This man is a sports and pop-culture legend and worthy of an hour of the three of us rambling. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/athlete/shaquille-oneal https://www.britannica.com/biography/Shaquille-ONeal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaquille_O%27Neal https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/574854/shaq-facts-shaquille-oneal https://www.discoverwalks.com/blog/united-states/top-10-facts-about-shaquille-oneal/ https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-athletes/nba/shaquille-oneal-net-worth/

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we remember, remember the 5th of November and talk about the Gunpowder Plot of Guy Fawkes. If you’re from the UK, this is probably a story you are familiar with. In America, we really only heard about it from the movie and comic book V for Vendetta. Either way, it is a wild story about a soldier (and terrorist?) who tried to blow up Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder, assassinate the king, and put someone else on the throne. The tale ends in torture and death of the conspirators, but to this day, a feast and bonfire still exist in many parts of the UK to celebrate this odd occasion. Visit Our Sources: https://archive.pinupmagazine.org/articles/article-guy-fawkes-mask-v-for-vendetta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes https://www.britannica.com/biography/Guy-Fawkes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/633067/guy-fawkes-night-facts https://potw.org/archive/potw405.html

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about an American tragedy—the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The date was March 25, 1911, and a sweatshop in the garment district of New York caught fire. At first, it was thought to be a cigarette in a scrap bin, but the tangle of boxes, oiled down floor, and lack of fire equipment turned it into disaster. The fire escape buckled from the crush of people, the elevator stopped working because so many burning bodies were on top of the car, and the fire fighters couldn’t get to their hoses because they were piled with corpses who jumped from ten stories above. What fate befell the factory owners? How did they make things even worse for the fire, and what corruption did they do before the fire? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/early-20th-century-us/triangle-shirtwaist-fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire https://trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/ https://www.osha.gov/aboutosha/40-years/trianglefactoryfire https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/uncovering-the-history-of-the-triangle-shirtwaist-fire-124701842/ https://www.britannica.com/event/Triangle-shirtwaist-factory-fire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP5qn1fNfek https://www.famous-trials.com/trianglefire/964-home

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the films, crash, and rebound of Mel Gibson. Gibson’s career was pure gold in the 80s and 90s. He was the star of two mega-franchises, Mad Max and Lethal Weapon. He was able to do drama, action, romance, and comedy, and he even started winning Oscars for directing such films and Braveheart and the Passion of the Christ. But he hit a hard snag when anti-Semitic rants and alleged abuse of his ex-girlfriend surfaced. Somehow, he avoided getting cancelled and went to win even more awards with films like Hacksaw Ridge. He is a mainstay of Hollywood, and even after saying the worst things imaginable, his career still thrives. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/actor/mel-gibson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Gibson https://variety.com/2020/film/news/mel-gibson-controversies-career-1234696080/ https://superstarsbio.com/bios/mel-gibson/ https://www.factinate.com/people/33-wacky-facts-mel-gibson/ https://www.10-facts-about.com/mel-gibson/id/485 https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/mel-gibson-net-worth/ https://movieweb.com/mel-gibson-confident-lethal-weapon-5-will-shoot-early-2023/ https://www.dexerto.com/tv-movies/lethal-weapon-5-release-date-trailer-cast-plot-more-2008081/

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about bats. Yes, they get a bad rap since a few species are vampires and drink the blood of horses and cattle. But they are an amazing creature, as helpful to human society as bees are, and aren’t really a threat. In fact, they weren’t considered evil or a menace until Bram Stoker used them in Dracula, where they were permanently married to Halloween and all things dark. These crazy critters use sonar to hunt, live in sophisticated colonies, pollinate, regulate pests, and silently help human society in many ways. They are a tourist attraction in Austin, and their poop is worth its weight in gold! Visit Our Sources: https://www.si.edu/spotlight/bats/batfacts https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/bats https://www.doi.gov/blog/13-facts-about-bats https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/arizona/stories-in-arizona/top-10-bat-facts/ https://www.nwf.org/garden-for-wildlife/cover/build-a-bat-house https://www.vicksburgpost.com/2019/12/13/for-what-it-is-guano-is-far-more-valuable-than-you-would-think/ https://www.austincityguide.com/listings/congress-bridge-bats

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about a unique group called the Bajau people. They are a group of sea nomads who have genetically evolved to be the perfect sea-goers. Their bodies have adapted to hold their breath insane amounts of time and regulate oxygen in ways no other human can. Some have held their breath for as long as 13 minutes and have dived as deep as 200 feet with no ill effects. They live on boats and coral reefs, call no nation their home, and some spend 60% of their day underwater. Their ancient legends about “The wave that eats people” let them survive the great Tsunami with no casualties. If you want to hear about the real-life Waterworld, give this one a listen. Visit our Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43823885 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sama-Bajau https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/bajau-sea-nomads-free-diving-spleen-science https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/bajau-sea-nomads-diving-evolution-spleen/558359/ https://isemph.org/Sea-Nomads#:~:text=The%20Bajau%20are%20a%20seafaring,day%20hunting%20underwater%20for%20fish. https://authentic-indonesia.com/blog/8-unique-facts-of-the-bajau-indonesia-sea-gypsies-tribe/ (88) Bajau - the real waterworld people - YouTube (88) Meet the ocean nomads of the South Pacific | 60 Minutes Australia - YouTube https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sea-gypsies-saw-signs-in-the-waves/

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the Godfather of Soul, Mister James Brown! James Brown is arguably the most influential artist on the birth of soul, funk, and hip hop. Everyone from Justin Timberlake to Public Enemy to Kanye West say they would not be in music if not for James. He was born in the backwoods on a turpentine plantation and then after both his parents abandoned him, he moved in to his aunt’s brothel. He fell into jail, but upon his release he was obsessed with making history as an artist, and he did so. He defined several generations of black music, single-handedly averted a riot in Boston the day MLK was assassinated, and has the most sampled drum beat in all of hip-hop history. If you want to get down with your bad self, this is the one for you. Visit Our Sources: Documentary: Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown https://www.biography.com/musician/james-brown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown https://www.notablebiographies.com/Br-Ca/Brown-James.html https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/james-brown-facts https://www.thetalko.com/soul-brother-number-1-10-facts-trivia-james-brown/

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we discuss the myth, facts, science and searches for Noah’s Ark. This ancient myth tells of the global flood and Noah creating a boat that could carry all of life for 40 days and drop it safely ashore when the flood died down. Cool story, bro, but do you even science? We start this one talking about the hard physics and facts of what would go into making and maintaining such a craft, and then we go into the many, many expeditions to find it. For hundreds of years, humans have tried to find this ancient craft, and some of their stories are wild. Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searches_for_Noah%27s_Ark https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/100428-noahs-ark-found-in-turkey-science-religion-culture https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/has-the-location-of-noahs-ark-finally-been-proven-using-3d-scans-680890 https://ncse.ngo/impossible-voyage-noahs-ark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL9eo9QaJb4

On this episode of Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the life and laughs of Will Ferrell. This juggernaut has made some of the greatest comedies of all times and helped to launch the careers of many other comedians. He started as a Groundling and soon moved to Saturday Night Live; it was a time when ratings were at their all-time low, and Lorne Michaels himself thinks Will Ferrell was the only thing that brought it back to life. He left it to make movies like Anchorman, Old School, Elf, and Talladega Nights. But he also co-founded Funny or Die through which he produced things like Between Two Ferns and Drunk History. His life has taught us one key lesson: stay classy, Sofa King Podcast! Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/actor/will-ferrell https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002071/bio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Ferrell https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/john-william-ferrell-3179.php https://wealthygorilla.com/will-ferrell-net-worth/ https://www.factinate.com/people/43-facts-will-ferrell/ https://www.ranker.com/list/will-ferrell-facts/coy-jandreau https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf_(film)

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the most sensationalized murders of the 1920s, the Hall-Mills murder. In September of 1922, Dude Passerby and his girlfriend stumbled upon the bodies of Edward Hall and Eleanor Mills. Hall was the local pastor, and Mills was in the church choir. But the details got crazy. First, the entire congregation knew of the affair. Second, Hall was married to an older heiress of the Johnson & Johnson company and thought to be a gold digger. One of Hearst’s newspapers whipped the nation into a frenzy over this murder, and the trial was one of legend. There was the Pig Woman who testified from her hospital bed. There were steamy love letters read to the crowd. But who did authorities think did the murder? Why did some people think it was the KKK? What made police rethink the case forty years later? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall%E2%80%93Mills_murder_case https://www.northjersey.com/story/entertainment/books/2022/09/14/hall-mills-murders-case-location-nj-100-years/66060247007/ Audio Clip: https://www.nbfpl.org/local-history/hall-mills-murder-radio-broadcast https://www.nytimes.com/1964/02/02/archives/was-the-murderer-in-the-jury-box-the-minister-and-the-choir-singer.html https://www.grunge.com/853673/the-tragic-details-of-the-hall-mills-murders/ https://www.communitynews.org/princetoninfo/artsandentertainment/off-the-presses-blood-and-ink/article_e5c245ae-4f0c-11ed-addf-73e1c5335d3b.html

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the infamous Fyre Festival. This aborted music festival was supposed to happen on Pablo Escobar’s private island and headlined by Blink 182 and celebrity chefs. It ended up being a disaster where guests lived in rained-out FEMA tents and ate slices of wilted cheese on wheat bread. There was no power, no water, no Wi-Fi, no food, no toilets. Quite simply, there was no festival; hundreds found out too late and were stranded there. So, what crime did the organizer, Billy McFarland, end up facing? How was this caused by the social ills of media influencers? How did 18 trucks of Evian water lead to a blowjob scandal? How as Ja Rule involved? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.billboard.com/pro/fyre-festival-founder-billy-mcfarland-out-prison-new-venture/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyre_Festival https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnises https://www.businessinsider.com/fyre-festival-expectations-vs-reality-2017-4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_McFarland_(fraudster) https://www.thedailybeast.com/fyre-festival-fraudster-billy-mcfarland-busted-by-prison-guards?via=twitter_page https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/billy-mcfarland-now Netflix: FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk beer. The history of beer is no less than the history of human civilization. Archaeologists and historians can track most major human innovations back to the need to make better beer. Its history is thousands of years old, and people think everything from the wheel to money and agriculture all come from a desire for people to have this fizzy goodness. It fed the Egyptians, pleased the Babylonians, and helped fuel the industrial revolution. If you want to have a cold one, or just hear us talk about it, give this one a listen. Visit Our Sources: https://www.history.com/news/who-invented-beer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_beer https://www.salon.com/2017/04/26/heres-a-timeline-that-explains-how-beer-went-from-brilliant-mistake-to-hipsterific_partner/ https://www.ranker.com/list/how-beer-changed-history/steve-wright https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/beer-facts-beer-facts-to-make-you-sound-smarter-at-parties https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2018/01/craft-beer-industry/550850/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2018/10/17/beer-consumption-these-americas-26-top-selling-beers/38104743/

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we get our nerd on and talk about Magic: The Gathering. Magic was the brainchild of Richard Garfield, and he published it through the little known gaming company called Wizards of the Coast. His concept was a card game that was cheap to make and was infinitely expandable. So, unlike other games, you didn’t just buy one copy and call it a day, but collected it and always had a thirst for more. In the past 30 years, this indie game has become a juggernaut with millions of players and billions in revenue. It may be the most fun game on the market, so if you want to learn how it works, hear about its history, or just listen to us nerd out for a bit, this is the one for you! Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic:_The_Gathering https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-twenty-five-year-journey-of-magic-the-gathering https://www.thegamer.com/magic-gathering-history-facts/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse_(Magic:_The_Gathering) https://www.vice.com/en/article/z3b4n9/magic-the-gathering-professional-earnings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_jvMTCSHoY

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we travel back in time to the end of World War Two and the Nuremberg Trials. These trials were a worldwide sensation at the end of the war. Their goal was complex: to bring justice to the world by trying the worst of the Nazi leaders. The top architects of the Third Reich had all killed themselves, but that left millions of Nazis to deal with. This trial created the notion of crimes against humanity and even had to invent the word Genocide to deal with the true scope of Nazi horror. How did one Nazi get poison smuggled to their cell? Why did Allied leaders like Stalin get a pass for their own war crimes? What became known as the “Nuremberg Defense” used by most Nazis? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/nuremberg-trials https://allthatsinteresting.com/nuremberg-trials https://nuremberg.law.harvard.edu/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_trials https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/brief-overview-of-defendants-and-verdicts-at-nuremberg-trials https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-nuremberg-trials https://www.roberthjackson.org/speech-and-writing/the-influence-of-the-nuremberg-trial-on-international-criminal-law/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/feb/08/usa.secondworldwar

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we look at one of the most famous bank robbers in American history, John Dillinger. Responsible for a dozen bank robberies in just one year of his crime spree, he became the ultimate dark celebrity of his day. Though he broke out of many prisons, murdered people, and spent nearly a decade in jail, he was a cult figure of an early American pop-culture. He ran with the likes of Baby Face Nelson and came up with some very creative ways to rob banks and sell newspapers. He was dubbed Public Enemy Number One by the FBI before dying in a shootout with them. If you like tales of gangsters and true crime, give this one a listen. Visit Our Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/crime/john-dillinger https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dillinger https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/john-dillinger https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/robberies/john-dillinger/ https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/dillinger-john-dillinger-timeline/ https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dillinger-gunned-down

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the ultimate music factory--Motown! This enterprise was like nothing else in the history of modern music. It released hundreds of top-ten hits and helped discover and cultivate acts like Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Rick James, and Lionel Ritchie. The head of the show was Berry Gordy Junior, the grandson of a plantation owner and slave, turned music mogul. Gordy hunted and honed musical acts, and his Motown music is often said to have been instrumental in the civil rights movement. If you want to hear it from the grapevine (I'm trying, here...), then give this a listen. Visit Our Sources: Film: Hitsville The History of Motown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry_Gordy http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1870975,00.html https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/the-motown-story-how-berry-gordy-jr-created-the-legendary-label-178066/ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/motown-guide Motown Facts

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the legend that is Sean Connery. He was of course the first James Bond, a roll that rocketed him to global fame. For many, he’s the only Bond that ever mattered, eventually causing Bond’s creator Ian Fleming to even alter his books to be more like Connery. He was a legit badass, with famous fist fights between street gangs and gun toting American mobsters. Sean Connery’s ex-wife made claims of abuse, and though he said some unfortunate things about women in the press, he still denied the allegations. From Zardoz to Time Bandits and from Untouchables to Indiana Jones, this one has it all. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/actor/sean-connery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Connery https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/sir-thomas-sean-connery-2823.php https://sea.mashable.com/culture/13042/5-least-unknown-facts-about-sean-connery-the-legendary-actor-who-played-james-bond https://www.factinate.com/people/42-suave-facts-sean-connery/ https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/sean-connery-net-worth/

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we travel back in time and look at the Pony Express. The Pony Express ran for only a year and a half, but was such an epic adventure that it still lives on as part of the mythology of the Old West. In 1860, several business men developed a system of riders going nonstop with mail, only pausing to eat and swap for a fresh horse. It was a dangerous job, especially since it took place in the middle of the Paiute War! Before the express, it took almost a month for mail to go from East Coast to West. With the Pony Express, it took only ten. So, how much did it cost? How dangerous was it? What famous Western figures were part of it? Why was it important when Lincoln became president? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pony_Express https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-pony-express https://www.nps.gov/poex/learn/historyculture/index.htm https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/537885/facts-about-pony-express https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pony-express-debuts https://www.ponyexpress.org/copy-of-quick-facts

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the infamous disappearance of Tara Calico. This true crime tale is over thirty years old, and it has some strange twists and turns. On September 20, 1988, she went on her daily bike ride and never came home. Chillingly, she told her mom that if she wasn’t back home by noon, she should come looking for her. Witnesses said a truck was stalking her, and signs of a scuffle and broken Walkman were found. Then? Nothing. Months later, a polaroid was found in Florida that showed what could have been Tara bound and gagged in the back of a van. So, what did the FBI say about the picture? Who confessed in 2013 on their deathbed, and how could it implicate the sheriff overseeing the original case? What did the psychic stripper say? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Tara_Calico https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/tara-leigh-calico https://allthatsinteresting.com/tara-calico https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Tara_Calico Will Tara Calico Ever Be Found? | The Missing - YouTube

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the greatest athletes in all of recent history, Bo Jackson. Bo dominated sports and popular culture in the 1980s. He was the only athlete in history to be the MVP on both professional football and professional baseball. He broke record after record in the MBA and NFL, and when younger he was even up for the Olympic track and field team. He was made extra famous from the “Bo Knows” ad campaign from Nike. Bo wasn’t named Bo, but earned it as part of his nickname “The Wild Boar” due to untamed spirit. You might not know sports, but you’ll be blown away once you listen in and get to know Bo. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/athlete/bo-jackson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Jackson http://www.espn.com/classic/jackson_bo.html https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-athletes/richest-baseball/bo-jackson-net-worth/ How Good Was Bo Jackson Actually? - YouTube Pro-Stars - Opening Theme (2nd Version) - YouTube

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we travel back in time to look at one of the most badass lawmen of all time, Bass Reeves. You may not have ever heard of Bass Reeves. And that may be because he was black. Reeves was a deputy marshal and arrested over 3000 fugitives (the highest amount ever) in the most dangerous territory in the US. He was born a slave, fought in the Civil War on both sides, got in 14 gunfights with bandits, and is thought by some to be the genesis of everything from The Lone Ranger to Django. If you want to hear some true red dead podcasting, give this one a listen. Visit Our Sources: Bass Reeves: The Lone Ranger - YouTube Drunk History https://www.history.com/news/bass-reeves-real-lone-ranger-a-black-man https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Reeves https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/bass-reeves-the-real-life-django-a-legendary-african-american-marshal/ https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bassreeves/ https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=RE020 https://www.tvguide.com/news/heres-everything-to-know-about-1883-the-bass-reeves-story-including-cast-release-date-and-more/ https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/11/26/20984150/watchmen-bass-reeves-will-reeves-episode-6-lone-ranger https://www.tota.world/article/3372/

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the wild life, tragic death, and amazing comedy of Chris Farley. If you lived through the 90s, you couldn’t escape his presence. He was a break-out star on Saturday Night Live, and he was in some of the top comedies of his day (I’m looking at you Tommy Boy). He rolled with the likes of Adam Sandler, David Spade, and Chris Rock, and he partied. He partied a bit too hard. He was checked in to rehab a dozen times in two years, and his antics were legendary. He was lined up to star in some pretty serious acting roles and headline some crazy projects before his death from an overdose at 33. If you want to live in a van down by the river, give this one a listen! Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/actor/chris-farley https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000394/bio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Farley https://nypost.com/2022/02/25/bob-odenkirk-knew-chris-farley-would-die-years-before-it-happened/ https://www.buzznicked.com/chris-farley-facts/ https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/richest-comedians/chris-farley-net-worth/ https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/why-adam-sandler-chris-farley-fired-from-snl/

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we take a look at the global Sand Mafia. Sand seems like a strange thing for organized crime to mess with, but it has become a global, dangerous phenomenon. With 50 billion tons of sand consumed globally, third world countries are selling off their sand through a mysterious system of third party corporations. Though sand is legal, the way it is mined is not. So, how dangerous is the Sand Mafia? Where do they operate? How much political pull do they have? How many people have they killed? What countries import the most illegal sand? Why is this so devastating to the environment? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: Vice Documentary More Deadly Than Being a Soldier in a War Zone: Environmental Activists Killed for Defending Planet Have Doubled in 15 Years (newsweek.com) Nat Geo Video Forbes Video https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a39880899/earth-is-running-out-of-sand/ https://theworld.org/stories/2015-04-03/worlds-deadly-war-over-sand-7-things-you-need-know https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-11/illegal-sand-trade-india-mafia-murders-vince-beiser/11779570 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_theft https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/feb/28/sand-mafias-killing-each-other-build-cities https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/out-of-eden-walk/articles/2019-06-sand-mafia/

Daves not here man .... This episode of the Sofa King Podcast is a discussion of the brutal regime of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Born Josef Vissarionovich Djugashvili in December of 1878, he changed his name to Koba (a sort of Russian Robin Hood) and eventually settled on the new name of Stalin which meant “Man of Steel.” He was born to ordinary parents, but had a series of health complications as a child and a strange relationship with his mother, who wanted him to become a priest. If you’ve listened to our other podcasts about cult leaders, serial killers, and madmen, this childhood is the perfect recipe! Eventually, he went to the seminary study religion, but he ended up stopping. Some say he quit, others that he was expelled for lack of tuition, and some that he was booted for starting to join the early days of the Russian Revolution. Either way, he became an influential member of the early revolution, and he started leading guerrilla attacks and even famously robbed a bank to help fund the cause. Once Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin headed the revolution that brought down the Russian Empire and started the Soviet Union, Stalin’s true colors started to show. He slowly consolidated a power-base of loyal people around him in government, so that when Lenin died, he was able to take power over the newly-formed nation. From here, he started his history of purges and death to his own people. He eliminated all political resistance via firing squads, gulags, and forced deportation, and he ruled the USSR with an iron grasp. He restructured the nation to be an industrial powerhouse instead of a farming-based economy, a decision which caused the greatest man-made famine in the history of humanity (thought to have killed between 7-10 million Ukrainians, Russians, and Soviets). How did so many Soviets starve to death while the country still made a profit selling foodstuffs to other nations? How many Soviets was Stalin responsible for killing? Was his death caused by natural causes, or was it an assassination? Was he a hero or one of the worst villains in history? Listen, laugh, learn.

Daves not here man .... When he is we will be back =) On this episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we throw on our protective tinfoil headgear and step into a Faraday cage to talk about the famous Phoenix Lights. First witnessed on Thursday, March 13, 1997, the Phoenix Lights have been a topic of discussion among friends, colleagues, and strangers alike. Seen above the night skies of Arizona, the two events were witnessed and recorded by a number of people and while some settled for the delayed government explanation of just being flares dropped from an A-10 Warthog aircraft, others have maintained the argument that flares don’t move across and over great distances without falling from the sky and leaving a trail of smoke above them. But if they weren’t flares, what were they? And why did they show up again in later years? Join us as we take a closer look to figure out if they were secret experimental government aircraft, natural swamp gasses above the desert, Power Rangers come to save us, or perhaps actual extraterrestrial UFOs from another race and place still unknown to humankind. Share this:

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the little-known secret of “closed towns,” most notably Russia’s City 40. City 40 was the old code name for what is now known as Ozersk. This is the birthplace of the Soviet Nuclear weapons program after the end WWII, and to this day, nobody is allowed into the city except its citizens. There are an estimated 100,000 people living in City 40 today, and it is the hub of Russian nuclear technology. A documentary called City 40 (directed by Samira Goetschel) was filmed by a crew who were illegally smuggled into the city by residents who wanted their story to be told. This is one of the major sources of information about Ozersk since the Russian military still keeps the place on lock down for reasons of state security. So what goes on in City 40? Well, originally, it was the home of the Mayak Nuclear Facility, a place built by forced prison labor. This plant produced the majority of the nuclear material for early Soviet Bombs, and now it refines nuclear materials from submarines and military purposes and repurposes them for medical and space exploration. As one would expect, this factory has not been without its environmental problems. For one thing, they dumped their nuclear waste in nearby lakes. A lot of it. I mean, like, tons of it. The lakes are considered by some to be the worst ecological region on the planet. This is a major problem for obvious reasons, but also because one of the lakes was drained, and the sand from the lake bed caused a nuclear dust storm! City 40 was also home to what was known as the Kyshtym disaster in September 29, 1957, when an underground container of liquid radioactive waste exploded. This created a 100 km long radioactive cloud. 23 Villages had to be destroyed and 10,000 evacuated. This explosion is pretty obscure to history, but it is said to have exposed over 500,000 people to five times more nuclear radiation than Chernobyl did in 1986. So, how does a city of 100,000 people remain closed to the public in today’s age? When are people allowed to leave, and who is allowed to come in? Why would people stay in a city that is filled with radiation and has one of the highest cancer rates on earth? How are the citizens of City 40 treated by the government? How many spies are in this town? What happened to the people in the documentary after it released? Listen, laugh, learn. Follow up to the City 40 Documentary: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/jul/20/graveyard-earth-inside-city-40-ozersk-russia-deadly-secret-nuclear

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we turn to some True Crime and discuss the case of Leopold and Loeb. Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb killed 14-year-old Bobby Frank on May 21, 1924. Why? Well, that one gets complicated. Both Leopold and Loeb were prodigies, child geniuses. They had each graduated from Ivy League colleges by age 17 or 18. Leopold thought that he was a Nietzschean superman and that typical laws and morality were below him. Loeb, apparently, was just down for whatever and loved the thrill of a crime. So they planned a perfect crime just to prove they could get away with it. Which they didn’t. So, how did they get caught? What was the plan? What happened to Frank’s body, and what evidence was found? Which one of them was shanked by a straight razor in prison? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/leopold-and-loeb-gain-national-attention https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_and_Loeb https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/leopold-and-loebs-criminal-minds-996498/ https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/monkeytrial-leopold-and-loeb-trial/ https://famous-trials.com/leopoldandloeb https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2018/07/26/reopening-the-case-files-of-leopold-and-loeb/

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the Supervolcano under Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone Supervolcano is one of the few in the world, and if it ever erupts, it will be a world-ending, cataclysmic event. America will pretty much be a wasteland (and a good chunk of Canada…sorry neighbors to the north). If there is a super eruption, it will last for months, send magma nearly 70 miles into the sky, and bury a significant portion of the U.S. in over ten feet of burning ash. So, what is NASA’s plan to cool it down? When did it erupt last, and when do the pattern suggest it is due again? Why do some geologists think it will never happen again? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.vox.com/2014/9/5/6108169/yellowstone-supervolcano-eruption https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_Caldera https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_National_Park https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2014GC005469 https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/volcano.htm https://yellowstonebearworld.com/interesting-facts-about-yellowstone-super-volcano https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/five-things-know-about-yellowstone-supervolcano-180965345/ https://www.doi.gov/blog/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-yellowstone-national-park https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSdN8Rppnbs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldera https://www.softschools.com/facts/us_geography/yellowstone_supervolcano_facts/2368/

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the most intelligent animals on planet earth, the Orca. People call them killer whales, which is pretty wrong on both parts. One, they aren’t whales. Second, they aren’t really killers—at least not of humans. Sure, the ones held captive will kill after they are driven mad, but in the wild, they treat humans playfully. They form one of the most sophisticated animal cultures on earth, have a robust language, and teach their young. They can kill a great white, shut down half their brain when they sleep, and get in snowball fights with fishermen. And don’t forget Tilly, the captive Sea World Orca made famous by the movie Blackfin that killed three people! Visit Our Sources: https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/marine-animals/facts-about-orcas/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orca https://us.whales.org/whales-dolphins/facts-about-orcas/ https://www.thedailybeast.com/watch-orca-whales-kill-a-great-white-shark-in-this-stunning-shark-week-footage https://us.whales.org/our-4-goals/end-captivity/orca-captivity/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilikum_(orca) https://nypost.com/2022/04/04/trainer-warns-of-more-seaworld-killer-whale-attacks-on-humans/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orca_attack

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we look at the one of the best comedic minds of our generation, Mike Judge. Judge blew up with his smash TV show Beavis and Butthead. It was an anthem to Generation X and a huge hit on MTV, spawning movies, and forcing people to do bad impressions of the main characters for years. He created King of the Hill which was a ratings hit, and he directed live action cult films such as Office Space and Idiocracy. Mike Judge has suffered controversy and success over the years, and has left us with everything from red Swingline staplers to President Camacho. Give this one a listen! Visit Our Sources: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0431918/bio https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/mike-judge-6996.php https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Judge https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessmen/producers/mike-judge-net-worth/ https://www.ranker.com/list/mike-judge-facts/erik-barnes https://www.cracked.com/article_32961_mike-judge-15-know-you-know-facts.html https://qz.com/work/1575833/how-the-red-stapler-in-office-space-changed-swingline/ https://beavisandbutthead.fandom.com/wiki/Fire_Controversy https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/mike-judge-beavis-butthead-comic-con-1235184504/

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about a strange case of True Crime known as the Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping. In 1976, three men (Frederick Woods, James Schoenfeld, and Richard Schoenfeld) did the unthinkable. As bus driver Ed Ray was driving 26 children back from a pool outing, the kidnappers boarded their school bus and held them at gunpoint. Then, the children and Ray were forced to endure an 11 hour claustrophobic bus ride and were dumped into a buried moving truck for 16 hours. Everyone from the media to the FBI swarmed the town. So, what did it take for them to escape? Were any of them harmed? How did all the victims end up in a prison? Why weren’t the kidnappers ever able to ask for their ransom demand? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.cityofchowchilla.org/300/1976-Bus-Kidnapping https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/chowchilla-bus-kidnapping-frederick-woods-rare-photos-from-one-of-the-largest-kidnappings-in-u-s-history/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Chowchilla_kidnapping https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/02/us/chowchilla-bus-kidnapping-victim-trauma/index.html https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/22570738/chowchilla-school-bus-kidnapping https://www.ranker.com/list/chowchilla-bus-kidnapping-facts/jodi-smith https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/29/us/chowchilla-kidnapping-parole.html