Sofa King Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 749:Trees: The Wood Wide Web Sep 01, 2024

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On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the most important and often misunderstood living beings on the planet. That’s right, we talk about trees. At first, this seemed like a boring topic, but once the research started, our minds were blown. The big reveal was that trees have a fungal network weaved into their root systems that trees use talk to each other and share nutrients and resources. There are also things called “Mother Trees” that have a memory of good and bad times stored in their DNA, and they use this fungal network to upload this DNA into younger trees to “teach them” if a threat arises. From talking to birds when they need to eliminate bugs, to alternate alien worlds and what they would look like without lumber, we go deep on this one. Visit our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree https://www.arborday.org/trees/treefacts/ https://www.treehugger.com/facts-about-trees-4868798 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mother-trees-are-intelligent-they-learn-and-remember/ https://e360.yale.edu/features/are_trees_sentient_peter_wohlleben https://www.treepeople.org/2023/04/14/fungi-and-trees-plants

Episode 748: The State of AI: Part Three Jul 18, 2024

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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we continue our ongoing conversation about The State of Artificial Intelligence. Since GPT came out, AI has exploded into every facet of our lives, and we continue our discussion of what has happened most recently. We talk about Elon Musk’s Neuralink and how it may align with his robot the Optimus. It may be our first chance to see true human cyborgs. We talk about what happens when the entire work force gets displaced by AI and robotics and the merits and dangers of the government provided living wage. We also look at the future of music when a computer is better than your local garage band. There is a lot more and maybe even some fart jokes…AI fart jokes? You’ll have to wait and see. If you want to hear us get all high techie, this is the one for you.

Episode 747: Operation Highjump: The Madness of Antarctica Jul 01, 2024

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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we look at the US Navy’s Operation Highjump. Just a year after WWII, the famous explorer, Admiral Richard Byrd, launched an operation of 70 ships, 33 aircraft, and 4700 men to establish a base in Antarctica. Why? Well, ‘Merca! Also, rumors persisted that the Nazis had laid claim to some land down there and some leaders (maybe old Adolf himself) escaped to a secret base (in Nazi UFOs?). Regardless of why, Highjump became the start of legitimate research in Antarctica. It was the precursor to the strange Antarctic Treaty of 1959. But it is a continent of mystery. Did the US detonate 3 nukes there in the 1950s? Why do some think the entrance to the Hollow Earth is found here? What does the mysterious missing diary of Admiral Byrd say he found? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://longnow.org/ideas/the-truth-about-antarctica/ https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/technology/highjump/AntarcticFOIA.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Highjump https://cgaviationhistory.org/1946-operation-high-jump/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/operation-highjump-18223476/ https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/search/site/operation%20highjump https://www.nature.com/news/2007/070326/full/news070326-14.html https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/attach/49/49783_.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Treaty_System

Episode 746: Siegfried and Roy: A Tale of Tigers May 10, 2024

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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the magical kings of Las Vegas, Siegfried and Roy. Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn were a magician and animal handler who moved from crappy cruise ships to Sinatra’s Vegas and then dominated the town for over thirty years with their insane, extravagant illusions. They were known for their magical pets, the legion of white tigers and lions that they raised, trained, lived with, and included in their magic. This duo were at times romantic partners, at times business partners, and always—somehow—friends with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Their empire came to an end, however, when a tiger named Manticore attacked Roy on stage one night. How much damage did the attack do? What did the main animal trainer say? What was their reputation in the magician community? What happened to the tiger? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_%26_Roy https://www.biography.com/celebrities/roy-horn https://www.biography.com/celebrities/siegfried-fischbacher Guardian Article Here People Article Here New Atlantic https://facts.net/celebrity/16-surprising-facts-about-siegfried-and-roy/ https://www.magicana.com/news/blog/take-two-21-siegfried-roy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_of_the_Pride

Episode 745: The Bobbitts: Love Hurts Apr 18, 2024

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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the biggest True Crime cases of the 1990s, that of Lorena and John Bobbitt. In June of 1993, Lorena famously cut off John’s penis with a Ginsu knife, threw it in a field, and later helped the police find and reattach it. The media circus that followed was intense. Cameras were allowed in the court room and listened to Lorena and a majority of the witnesses back up her claims of domestic abuse and rape. We do our half assed best to figure out what really happened, but it ends with John starring in one of the highest grossing pornos of all time and Lorena playing herself in a documentary series by Jordan Peele. Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/crime/lorena-bobbitt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_and_Lorena_Bobbitt https://time.com/5317979/lorena-bobbitt-today-anniversary-interview/ https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/battered-woman-syndrome-it-enough-not-guilty-reason-insanity-plea https://www.nickiswift.com/380822/the-most-bizarre-things-about-the-lorena-bobbitt-case/ https://commons.und.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5068&context=theses

Episode 744: Macho Man: Oh Yeah!!! Mar 21, 2024

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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we look at the colorful life of Randy "Macho Man" Savage. Randy was one of the all-time greats of wrestling. His character work and wrestling promos are among the most bizarre and hysterical of all time. He had a famous love affair with his manager (and actual wife) Miss Elizabeth, and helped to make WrestleMania, perhaps more than even Hulk Hogan did. Some say he was paranoid and intense, protecting Elizabeth from rivals he didn’t have, and he fell into a 9 year feud with Hogan and an even longer one with Vince McMahon. What turned him into a global pop culture phenomenon? What tore him and Vince apart? What famous wrestler was his brother? Why do they call him one of the best in the history of the business? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/athletes/macho-man-randy-savage https://www.wwe.com/superstars/randysavage https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Randy_Savage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Savage https://nationaltoday.com/birthday/randy-savage/ https://play.aetv.com/shows/biography-wwe-legends/season-1/episode-3 https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/513498/9-things-you-might-not-know-about-macho-man-randy-savage https://uproxx.com/prowrestling/ohhhhh-yeah-10-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-mad-life-of-macho-man-randy-savage/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnBUbRowRgM

Episode 744: Dan Aykroyd: From Ghosts to Spirits Mar 07, 2024

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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we dig into the biography of the one and only Dan Aykroyd. He earned his chops as one of the original cast members on Saturday Night Live, but this cultural legend has brought to life some of the most important characters in all of film. He blew the roof off the joint in 1984 with his film The Blues Brothers, and a few years later, he changed the world of comedy by writing and starring in Ghostbusters. And Ghostbusters was no accident for this man who is a spiritualist and firmly believes in ghosts, UFOs, and the paranormal. What UFO sightings has he had? Why did he create the spirit brad Crystal Skull Vodka? How much money is he worth for all his ghosts and spirits? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/dan-aykroyd-3412.php https://elevatesociety.com/dan-aykroyd/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Aykroyd https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/culture/ghostbusters-dan-aykroyd-ufo-sighting-b2475454.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rvxPNHf-z4 https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/-it-was-a-vivid-sighting-actor-dan-aykroyd-claims-he-had-spectacular-ufo-encounters-four-times-101704794103774.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Head_Vodka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya0DQwWCO3o

Episode 743: John Candy: The Everyman of Comedy Feb 22, 2024

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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the life of an understated comic genius, John Candy. For two decades Candy was in some of the best comedies that Hollywood had to offer. But it all started with the famous comedy troupe Second City and his involvement with Emmy winning comedy show, SCTV. In his early years, he befriended and worked with comedians like Dan Aykroyd and Rick Moranis, and eventually became close friends the film legend John Hughes. From Stripes to Uncle Buck and from Home Alone to Planes Trains and Automobiles, this everyman of comedy dominated the scene. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/actors/john-candy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Candy https://www.secondcity.com/people/other/john-candy/ https://variety.com/2023/film/news/john-candy-documentary-amazon-colin-hanks-ryan-reynolds-1235517899/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/610983/john-candy-actor-facts https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/25-fun-facts-about-john-candy-and-the-comedians-legendary-career https://facts.net/celebrity/18-mind-blowing-facts-about-john-candy/ https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/john-candy-net-worth/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtayB-vIyfY

Episode 742: Happy Science Cult: Neither Happy nor Scientific Feb 08, 2024

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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the largest cults in Japan—the Happy Science Cult. Yes, that’s really their name. They were founded by Ryuho Okawa who was the key rival to the Aum Shinriko cult (who tried to kill Okawa with poison gas in his car). The Happies believe that Okawa is the embodiment of the god El Cantare who was born on Venus millions of years ago. Their leader channels people like Jesus, Buddha, Socrates, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and even Michael Jackson to write books for him. They produce tons of horrible anime, try to influence elections, and of course take all the money they can. Why does Okawa’s son claim he is a fraud? How many books have they written? Why are they called Happy Science? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Happy_Science https://www.vice.com/en/article/jmvan4/my-afternoon-with-a-failed-japanese-cult https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Science https://theworld.org/stories/2022-11-30/japan-s-infamous-happy-cult-sets-sights-united-states https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230302-japan-happy-science-cult-leader-okawa-dies-media https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Death-of-the-founder-of-Happy-Science,-a-controversial-Japanese-religious-sect-57887.html https://gamerant.com/japanese-cult-happy-science-anime/

Episode 741: Papa Doc Duvalier: The Voodoo Tyrant Jan 18, 2024

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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we explore one of the worst regimes in the West: the dictatorship of Papa Doc Duvalier. François Duvalier came to be the sadistic president for life of the island of Haiti, running the island through a regime of terror, voodoo, and secret police for 14 years. He had a murder squad called the Tontons Macoutes, named after a Haitian boogey man who would eat children for breakfast. He killed tens of thousands of Haitians during his dark reign, claimed to have killed President Kennedy through voodoo, once had every black dog in the country killed, and kept the head of an enemy on ice in a special closet, so he could talk to it. If you like them bloody and crazy, it doesn’t get much better than Papa Doc. Visit Our Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/1971/04/23/archives/papa-doc-a-ruthless-dictator-kept-the-haitians-in-illiteracy-and.html https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/people-politics/papa-doc-duvalier-the-voodoo-president-who-killed-kennedy/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Duvalier https://www.doctorsecrets.com/papa-doc-duvalier-haiti-s-voodoo-doctor https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/papa-doc-the-voodoo-tyrant-of-haiti-654a41a68474 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_occupation_of_Haiti

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