Sofa King Podcast

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Episode 721: The Mad Gasser of Mattoon! Jun 02, 2023

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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.americanhauntingsink.com/madgasser https://www.library.illinois.edu/hpnl/blog/the-mad-gasser-of-mattoon/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_psychogenic_illness https://the-line-up.com/mad-gasser https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_tetrachloride https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichloroethylene

Episode 720: Alfred Hitchcock: Master of the Macabre May 30, 2023

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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

Episode 719: Rod Serling: Submitted for Your Approval May 29, 2023

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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/article/59288/8-bizarre-facts-about-rod-serling-and-twilight-zone https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/rod-serling-5465.php https://www.metv.com/lists/15-fascinating-facts-about-rod-serling Animated Video: https://aeon.co/videos/rod-serling-on-how-imagination-turns-science-fiction-into-fact

Episode 718: Mole People of Las Vegas May 16, 2023

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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/homeless-people-are-living-in-storm-tunnels-underneath-las-vegas-2019-9 https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/las-vegas-strip-home-homeless/story?id=8652139 Nightline Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE7i-7sd3yg https://www.ladbible.com/news/adult-entertainment-jenni-lee-mole-person-las-vegas-046958-20230129

Episode 717: Walled City of Kowloon May 12, 2023

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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-neither-the-british-nor-the-chinese-found-the-city-tolerable-in-1987-the-two-governments-agreed-to-tear-down-the-city-26 https://www.archdaily.com/800698/heres-what-western-accounts-of-the-kowloon-walled-city-dont-tell-you https://unbelievable-facts.com/2018/02/facts-about-kowloon-walled-city.html

Episode 716: The Dark Side of Sea Monkeys May 09, 2023

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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/2016/04/17/magazine/the-battle-over-the-sea-monkey-fortune.html https://www.cnet.com/culture/sea-monkeys-documentary-explores-creators-dark-side/ https://pennylaneismyrealname.com/film/just-add-water/

Episode 715: Rape of Nanking: Japanese Atrocities May 02, 2023

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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

Episode 714: The State of AI: Part One Apr 28, 2023

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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-gpts https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130

Episode 713: Hatshepsut: The Force of a Female Pharaoh! Apr 14, 2023

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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://blackhistorystudies.com/resources/resources/15-facts-on-queen-pharaoh-hatshepsut/ https://www.thecollector.com/hatshepsut-egyptian-queen-king/

Episode 712: Blackrock and Aladdin: Hail Hydra! Apr 13, 2023

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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%20shareholder,aspect%20of%20our%20daily%20lives. https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/3-top-blackrock-holdings-you-can-and-should-buy-now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWBRldjVzuM https://medium.com/@Fancy_twogap/what-you-may-not-know-the-software-that-is-more-powerful-than-windows-or-even-us-goverment-8f2e08822673 https://citywire.com/pro-buyer/news/blackrock-reacts-to-the-conspiracy-theorists/a2389549 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Fink https://listverse.com/2022/04/20/10-facts-about-the-secret-company-that-runs-the-world/ https://slate.com/business/2021/06/blackrock-invitation-houses-investment-firms-real-estate.html

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