InfoBlast

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.

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.

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:

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:

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

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.

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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.

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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

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!).

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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!

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