Sofa King Podcast

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the Mad Gasser of Mattoon. A few weeks after D-Day in Mattoon, Illinois, some families smelled a sweet gas that either paralyzed them or left then nauseous with swollen mouths and faces. Within a couple days, there were even sightings of a tall thin man with a long coat and tight cap prowling the neighborhoods. Once it hit the newspapers, dozens of people were similarly “attacked.” Some were mundane, some downright bizarre. But the townsfolk formed armed vigilante groups, people were scared, and even the FBI got involved. So what was happening here? Was it simply a case of Mass Hysteria? Was there a chemical leak at the plant? Was it a Nazi attack or a covert U.S. test for a new weapons? Listen, laugh, learn.   Visit Our Sources: https://allthatsinteresting.com/mad-gasser-of-mattoon https://cdn.centerforinquiry.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2002/07/22164741/p50.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Gasser_of_Mattoon https://www.americanhauntingsi

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we look at the life, twists, and scares of Alfred Hitchcock. Considered the greatest director of all time by many film rankings, this legend spawned entire genres of film. He was a true auteur, overseeing every bit of the production. Hitchcock was an interesting man filled with unique horrors and a wicked sense of humor. If you like the macabre in film, check this one out, and dial H for Hitchcock! Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/alfred-hitchcock https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock https://collider.com/best-alfred-hitchcock-movies-ranked/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/537233/facts-about-alfred-hitchcock https://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-alfred-hitchcock

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the creator of The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling. Serling was a visionary who changed the very medium of television. He survived some of the worst warfare in the Pacific theater in WWII, and when he returned home, he was a changed man. He wrote of justice and dreamed of worlds without war, racism, and the worst that humanity had to offer. But it was the 1960s, so the only way to do it was to hide it all in the guise of science fiction and horror. This brilliant, singular mind brought some of the greatest moments of scripted television to life and narrated it all like a cigarette smoking Man in Black baller while he did so.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/writer/rod-serling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twilight_Zone_(1959_TV_series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Serling https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/rod-serling-about-rod-serling/702/ https://rodserling.com/rod-serling/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/articl

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we shine a light on the Mole People of Las Vegas. No, they aren’t some hybrid cryptid, but they are thousands of people who live in the 400 miles of drainage tunnels underneath Sin City. In 2007, a book called Beneath the Neon was written about these people. In the years since, there has been explosion in population thanks to Covid and inflation. Drugs are rampant there, as are murders, and death by drowning, but most of the residents love the freedom and family they find in this unique society. Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_people https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beneath_the_Neon https://www.nzz.ch/english/the-misery-of-the-homeless-in-las-vegas-living-in-tunnels-ld.1708954 https://www.thetravel.com/20-secrets-about-the-people-living-under-the-las-vegas-strip/ https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/primal-life-escape-from-las-vegas-tunnels-starts-with-volunteer-visits/ https://www.businessinsider.com/ho

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-n

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/

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-gpt

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://blac

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%

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.c

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.scientifica

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/jer

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 Atta

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://faroutm

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-lif

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/Doll

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 governm

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 19