Cutting Class

Joe and Jess dive into this story of California Representative Leo Ryan who had a knack for theatrical politics. Perhaps we also find out why politicians are big fans of staying out of the field. He was a man who believed in seeing it first hand and getting himself right in on the action. When … 97- Rep. Leo Ryan’s ticket to JonestownRead More »

Ever since video games have been publicly available people have worried they were a “gateway drug” enacting these violent behaviors FOR REAL! Sadly, in the wake of yet another public shooting this summer, games have yet again become whipping boy for political pundits looks for an easy scapegoat. It seems like every week another “groundbreaking … 96- The Moral Panic of Video Game ViolenceRead More »

WARNING: Hide yo’ kids and hide yo’ wives ’cause LBJ’s harassing ever’body up in here! Lyndon Johnson was a crass son of a gun and this episode shows it! You’ve been warned. We’re looking at the incredibly bizarre behavior of our 36th president of the United States. If you want to see our Civil Rights … 95- Lyndon Johnson, a Genitalia Waving BullyRead More »

In the late 1980’s Pepsi struck a deal to exchange cola syrup for submarines and other warships. Find out on today’s show about how an Eisenhower Era product exhibition in New York and then Moscow sparked the infamous ‘kitchen debates’ between Khrushchev and Nixon. But they also sowed the seeds of Pepsi products being sold … 94- The Pepsi Fleet of WarshipsRead More »

Somebody’s poisoned the watering hole! Imagine pools of toxic ooze bubbling up from your front yard. Imagine your kids coming home with strange burns on their hands and faces. Now imagine you find your entire town is buried over a toxic waste dump and your property is worthless. Not only that, but your local representatives … 93- The Love Canal TragedyRead More »

We’ve all seen Back to the Future and Doc Browns awesome Delorean time machine right? If you haven’t amend this immediately and return to our podcast. But the Delorean has a fascinating history with it’s creation and its creator, John Delorean. This is a wild story that has it all! FBI investigations, Cover-ups, Embezzlements, Millions … 92- The DeLorean’s Amazing Origin StoryRead More »

Rachel Carson was famous for exposing DDT as a dangerous pollutant pesticide in her book “Silent Spring.” It arguably started off the environmentalism movement in the United States. But as Americans’ ditched the DDT other nations of the world demand it more and more. Learn about this fascinating controversy in today’s show! Special Shout out … 91- Should DDT make a Comeback?Read More »

For nearly 50 years after WWII one of the most amazing stories of American ingenuity and deception was kept secret. It wasn’t until 1996 that the Ghost Army was declassified. Imagine a force of 1,100 men sent to destroy the nazis with… Art? Acting? Sound equipment? What on earth is this all about? Find out … 90- The Ghost Army of WWIIRead More »

In the early 1900s a Banana planter named Sam Zemurray would plot the overthrow of Honduras with a rag-tag team of mercenaries. This was done directly in defiance of the government of Honduras and even the government of the United States. So why was he doing this and how did he get away with it? … 89- The Banana Man Takes HondurasRead More »

While most run from danger, there are those who run directly towards it. Edith, a nurse of WWI, found herself in exactly this situation when the Germans invaded Belgium. Learn the amazing story of a woman who risked life and limb to save British, Belgian, and even German soldiers from the Great War. Special shout … 88- Edith Cavell: The Heroine of BrusselsRead More »

Eugenics was cutting edge science in early the 20th century. All the educated elite were aware of it’s implications and goals. Popular authors, actors, and even politicians lobbied for it. Now it’s synonymous with death, forced sterilizations, and even Nazism. What happened and why is it coming back into conversations as a possibility in 2019? … 87- Eugenics: Science Runs Amok!Read More »

Today it’s a beautiful island for biking, snorkling, and nature walks with cute little critters called quokkas. But this island has a dark past that should be learned. When indigenous peoples became problematic to British settlers in Western Australia they were sent to Rottnest Island and subsequently died by the hundreds. Today we dive in … 86- Rottnest Island: A Vacation Site of DeathRead More »

Ever heard of the Holodomor? Most Americans haven’t! It refers to a debated “genocide” that took place in Ukraine in the early 1930’s. The stories of Communist collectivization and control of the food are shocking and heartbreaking. Thus only proves once again our bias against Stalin as one of the worst humans in history. Between … 85- A Communist led Ukrainian Genocide?Read More »

Imagine floating thousands of feet in the air with your spouse and small children in a hot air balloon you built in your garage with scrap parts. Oh yeah, and the Western German police will arrest you or maybe even kill you if they catch you doing it. This is exactly what happened in 1979 … 84- Floating to FreedomRead More »

In 1950 a man by the name of Algier Hiss was found guilty of perjury. He reportedly lied under oath about his involvement in a Soviet spy ring that was operating before and during WWII….Hiss would go on to serve about 4 years of jail time and spend the rest of his life maintaining his … 83- Was Hiss a Snake?Read More »

Jess and Joe deliver a special episode on State Testing using Tennessee as an example of how this seemingly innocuous practice ruins learning in the classrooms. If you’re not interesting then join us next week for another exciting show. But if you’d like to hear why teaching history and learning history in state schools is … 82- State Testing is a TravestyRead More »

In a special dedication episode, Joe takes us into the History of Scientology discussing some of the core beliefs of this bizarre religion. Not only this, but he covers Operation Snow White in which the church infiltrated the US Government in order to spy on those spying on them! Finally, we discuss a bit of … 81- A Brief look at ScientologyRead More »

In today’s episode we look at the 1966 Palomares incident in which the US accidentally dropped 4 Hydrogen bombs over the little town of Palomares Spain. Why did this happen and how have I not heard about this before!? Find out on today’s show! Sources 1 2 3 4 5 a decent video Stratofortress refueling … 80- Accidentally Nuking SpainRead More »

We’ll take a short break from our Moral Panic Series to bring you some fun tales we’ve been individually cooking up. On today’s episode Joe dives into the lesser-known Falklands war of 1982. Britain’s first invasion since WW2 ends up with a smack down on Argentina in these practically deserted islands off of the coast … 79- What the Falklands?Read More »

Today Jess delivers us our third tale of moral panic on Dungeons and Dragons itself. in the 1970s and 1980’s as this game was growing in popularity there were many who believed it may lead kids down a path of delusion and devil worship. Today’s epic of an episode covers the origins of D&D, the … 78- Dungeons and Dragons is the Devil!Read More »