InfoBlast

Note: This episode was originally recorded Summer 2022. Join Nick and Rob on the final episode of INFOBLAST! Episode 20 marks the end of this, as of now, limited series podcast. The guys discuss the expansive history of video games before diving into their personal histories and connections with the medium.

Note: This episode was originally scheduled to release October 2022. Nick and Rob are joined by Jack LaFountain to discuss the French folkloric creature, the Rougarou, which is kind of like a werewolf, the differences of which they discuss thoroughly throughout the episode! Jack's books can be found on his website here: https://www.jacklafountainauthor.com/

Note: This episode was originally recorded Summer 2022. Nick is joined once again by Larry Jorgensen, previously on to discuss Coca-Cola! This time, he returns to talk about a very interesting moment in Great Lakes history and his newest book, "Shipwrecked and Rescued." Larry's newest book can be found here: https://shipwreckedandrescued.com/

Note: This episode was originally recorded Summer 2022. Nick and Rob are joined by Dr. Wesley Britton, expert in all things James Bond and spy fiction. You can find Dr. Britton's personal network of spy info, as well as links to his books, here: http://www.spywisesecretdossier.com/

Note: This episode was originally meant for a November 2022 release. Also, there was some technical/connection issues during recording, so there might be parts of this episode that cut in and out. Nick is joined by authors K.W. Zachry and Sara Peterson to discuss their book, "The Lone Star Speaks: Untold Stories About the JFK Assassination." 

Note: This episode was originally recorded in the Summer of 2022. Nick and Rob are joined by guest Jan, a student with much knowledge on Chinese Revolutionary, Sun Yat-sen.

A man who never knew his father stumbles upon a YouTube video of an old game show that sets into motion a wild ride of discoveries about the man--and family--he never knew, including a true crime political killing of a journalist linked to future President Lyndon B. Johnson and the Box 13 Scandal of Southeast Texas. Nick is joined by Keith Mason, author of "Please Stand Up," a memoir about his father's side of the family he never knew, a story that is stranger than fiction. Also strange is Nick's own (very mild) connection to the story! You can purchase "Please Stand Up" here: https://www.amazon.com/Please-Stand-Up-Keith-Mason/dp/1667827758 You can find Keith Mason's website here: https://www.pleasestandupmason.com/ You can watch the YouTube video discussed in the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YvAfkRF4vQ&t=1023s&ab_channel=ToTelltheTruth%28CBS%29

The guys hope you had a great 4th of July, as Nick and Rob are graciously joined by constitutional lawyer (!) and podcaster, Joel Oster, to discuss the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and attempt to set some common, modern misunderstandings straight. Joel and the guys primarily focus on the freedom of religion before getting into the freedoms of speech and press and how, in particular, social media has made things a bit more tricky in those regards. (Time was running short before we could get to peaceful protesting.) Note: Rob was slyly joining in from work, which is why he's silent for most of the episode. Joel can be found here.

After a brief hiatus, Nick and Rob are back and introducing a bunch of new guests for the remainder of the year! Today's guest is Dylan James Quarles who is on to talk about Roman History, specifically the early rulers of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty that go from Caesar to Nero. We had a (Rome)blast talking to Dylan and learning about the ancient emperors and how it all correlates to certain modern U.S. politics. A few links I want to share, as well: The Fox News Interview with Reza Aslan about his book, Zealot Dylan's books: the Ruins of Mars Omnibus, The Man From Rome, and There Be Monsters

After the recent shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX, Nick and Rob take a little diversion to speak about the (unbiased) history of guns and the second amendment in the United States. It's a longer episode, but there's a lot to discuss, even looking at an abridged version. Note on Sources: A bulk of this information was researched and written a couple years ago and, in the interim, I have misplaced my list of exact sources. However, I have linked sources here that share the same information or have links to other places where this information can be found.  You can also simply research (or Google) any information shared in this episode to see my given facts are easily substantiated. Here are some sources you can start with: http://behindthetower.org/a-brief-history-of-mass-shootings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_shootings_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Rifle_Association https://gun-control.procon.org/history-of-gun-control/ https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/173342 https://home.nra.org/about-the-nra/ https://time.com/5169210/us-gun-control-laws-history-timeline/ https://www.britannica.com/technology/gun-control https://www.businessinsider.com/deadliest-mass-shootings-in-us-history-2017-10 https://www.healthdata.org/acting-data/gun-violence-united-states-outlier https://www.history.com/news/black-panthers-gun-control-nra-support-mulford-act https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-did-australia-solve-mass-shootings-surrendering-its-guns-1710584 https://www.npr.org/2017/10/10/556578593/the-nra-wasnt-always-against-gun-restrictions https://www.npr.org/2017/10/10/556578593/the-nra-wasnt-always-against-gun-restrictions https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/theres-a-new-global-ranking-of-gun-deaths-heres-where-the-u-s-stands https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/media/29093/the-racist-origins-of-us-gun-control.pdf

Rob returns just in time for the 10th episode to listen to Nick talk all about the history of domesticated cats, which started millions of years ago, ties into witches, religion, the plague, and the Internet! What else in the world can do all that? Sources Include https://allthatsinteresting.com/unsinkable-sam https://animalcorner.org/cat-history/ https://catoutofglass.com/isaac-newton-cat-flap/ https://cat-world.com/why-are-cats-associated-with-witches.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cats_and_the_Internet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stubbs_(cat) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_in_the_Hat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vox_in_Rama https://petpedia.co/history-of-cats/ https://wisdom.thealchemistskitchen.com/cats-and-witches-a-magical-history/ https://www.alleycat.org/resources/the-natural-history-of-the-cat/ https://www.alleycat.org/resources/the-natural-history-of-the-cat/ https://www.animalfriends.co.uk/cat/cat-blog/why-are-cats-associated-with-witches/ https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-witches https://www.icatblog.com/cat-tips-talks/why-were-cats-associated-with-witches-in-the-past/ https://www.litter-robot.com/blog/15-famous-cats-from-world-history/ https://www.nps.gov/whsa/learn/nature/saber-toothed-cats.htm https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/10/16/cats-in-the-middle-ages/?chrome=1

Nick is joined by Larry Jorgensen, author of "The Coca-Cola Trail: People and Places in the History of Coca-Cola," as well as "Return to the Coca-Cola Trail," all of which and more can be found at thecocacolatrail.com. Larry talks all about the history of Coca-Cola, its bottling history, and the brand's extensive connections to our culture--including its connections to art and entertainment and debunking certain a myth we've all heard.

This is a special episode, as Nick is joined by Margaret Mary O'Connor, author of "Scandal in the Shadows: The Original Priest, Mother Mary." Margaret Mary teaches Nick all about the history of female priests in the Catholic Church, including its origins all the way back to Mary, Mother of Jesus, followed by a discussion on the worldwide cultural misogyny that helps cast a shadow over this historical fact.

Today, just in time, we dive into the origin and consequences of April Fools' Day and stories of its worldwide celebrations before delving into a more moral discussion of celebrating the holiday itself. Sources Include https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/april-fools-day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilaria https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/april-fools-tradition-popularized https://www.cbsnews.com/media/15-best-april-fools-day-hoaxes/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti-tree_hoax https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humorina https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Party_of_Ukraine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools%27_Day https://www.rd.com/list/april-fools-pranks-gone-wrong/ https://americacomesalive.com/april-fools-day-in-the-u-s/

While Nick is away, Jason Soto takes over as substitute teacher to join Rob on the Satellite of Love, where Jason divulges the full history of MST3K. And it's a bit long. So brace yourselves... it's movie time. (And please, stay through the end and even after the closing song for some bonus audio.) Sources Include https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_Science_Theater_3000?fbclid=IwAR21t6wRUB2ZiMM9K_bdXGO5jFA1xYj1YgoYA0O9s2CC1AOI4Jn2vwo76W0 https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0094517/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0&fbclid=IwAR0dvRbyE9l1CFumJcqgCfbGHgMALFznKrE98cCcvCp5QHFHTyZzEwBeamM http://www.mst3kinfo.com/history/?fbclid=IwAR1oaNcBqizcEnGH2nCohTqvuDsvFliTfqnrGrjmLYv4SFkC39GoG8o-VMc https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Hodgson?fbclid=IwAR2IatJ0Ikghieth3SNRNfrG-ldc-UWWSR_idQuTl84tWbYb9qa038lm3RM

Today, in honor of his birthday, we dive into the life of one Theodor "Ted" Geisel, the man who would become Dr. Seuss. It also includes a Nick speed read of "Fox in Socks." Oh, and Rob didn't know who he was learning about at first. Sources Include http://www.drjrobb.com/blog/post/what-does-dr-seuss-have-to-do-with-dentistry.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Seuss https://www.biography.com/writer/dr-seuss https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dr-Seuss https://www.cbc.ca/books/63-facts-about-the-world-of-dr-seuss-1.4557340 https://www.famousauthors.org/dr-seuss https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/8-things-didnt-know-dr-seuss https://www.seussinspringfield.org/who-dr-seuss/who-ted-geisel/parents

Nick and Rob take a serious turn this episode discussing Black Lives Matter and a quick history of systemic racism and the police in the United States. This is an important episode. It might even be an upsetting episode. But whichever side you might fall on, please listen to the whole thing. Special Thanks to Jason Soto, Lisa Leaheey, Daniel Lackey, Bubbawheat, and Steve Honeywell for their contributions. Say Their Names https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2020/know-their-names/index.html

Prepare for the potty humor, because today we're sharing a quick history on toilets and sanitation. Toilets have a long history filled with explosions, disease, assassination, and even dudes named John & Crapper. Join Nick and Rob as the $#!t hits the fan and even some personal stories are shared of Nick's adventures with various Asian bathrooms and Rob's bidet dreams. Sources Include https://borgenproject.org/sanitation-in-cambodia/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_toilet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_toilet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet_paper https://graduateway.com/sanitation-during-the-black-death/ https://medium.com/@nicolvalentin/the-john-v-s-the-crapper-who-is-the-rightful-owner-of-the-throne-d2ab347ceab https://www.theclassroom.com/the-history-of-the-toilet-plunger-13409380.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dYk99S98Jc&ab_channel=TED-Ed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCFd2NVbPpY&ab_channel=SimpleHistory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaSrf2DNy5w&ab_channel=WeirdHistory

Did you know January 1st hasn't always been (and still isn't, in many places) the beginning of the new year? Nick and Rob dive in to the history of New Year's celebrations and, because the topics are pretty closely intertwined, a quick history on calendars. It's a story that spans thousands of years and involves the likes of Julius Caesar (and a bunch of other Roman peeps), a 6th century monk named after a Greek god, a pope named Greg, and those dang Protestants (again!). Sources Include http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/year-history.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoption_of_the_Gregorian_calendar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_calendars https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogmanay https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_calendar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_emperor https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-the-new-year-start-on-january-1 https://www.britannica.com/topic/New-Year-festival https://www.britannica.com/topic/New-Year-festival https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a29849067/baby-new-year-trend-facts/ https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-History-of-Hogmanay/ https://www.history.com/news/new-years-history-festive-facts https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/colonial-new-england-new-year-started-march-25/ https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1443151/history-celebrations-held-march https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/february.html

For this first episode of InfoBlast, Nick teaches Rob all about Christmas--religious origins, the tree, Santa... even Krampus shows up. Come with us for a trip that starts well before you think it does, pushes up to the Protestant Reformation of Europe, and even has critical changes to its mythology throughout the 18-1900s in its slow change from not-really-celebrated religious holiday to commercialized, capitalistic, secular wonder! Keep an ear out for the end, when Nick's grandpa, Santa himself, makes an appearance! Sources Include https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christmas https://bycommonconsent.com/2006/12/03/april-sixth-and-the-conception-of-jesus/ https://www.classicalhistorian.com/johns-blog/a-history-of-christmas-in-america https://www.foxnews.com/media/washington-irving-father-halloween-american-christmas https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/christmas-sex-christmas-party-sex-saint-nicholas-santa/amp https://thehawthornfiles.com/2021/12/01/holly-and-horns-the-origin-of-krampus-the-christmas-boogyman/ https://www.history.com/.amp/topics/21st-century/the-war-on-christmas https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus https://www.historytoday.com/archive/history-matters/first-christmas-tree https://www.learndutch.org/lessons/sinterklaas-tutorial-explained/ https://www.macon.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article222666770.html https://newengland.com/today/living/new-england-history/first-department-store-santa-claus/ https://www.quora.com/Why-does-the-new-year-start-on-January-1-if-Jesus-was-born-on-December-26 https://reasonabletheology.org/year-jesus-actually-born/ https://www.vox.com/21796404/12-days-of-christmas-explained

Trailer for the show! - Ethernight Club by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/7612-ethernight-club License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license