Sofa King Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 703: Clint Eastwood: America’s Favorite Tough Man Feb 03, 2023

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On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about The Man with No Name—Clint Eastwood. Eastwood is the ultimate Hollywood star. He started with the smash hit TV show Rawhide, went on to define The Spaghetti Western, and made some of the best films in the history of cinema. He did action, he did comedy, he did drama. He acted, and he won Oscar after Oscar as a director. Get the behind the scenes on America’s favorite tough man and give this one a listen. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/actor/clint-eastwood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Eastwood https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/80551/15-facts-about-clint-eastwood-make-your-day https://www.factinate.com/people/42-sharp-shooting-facts-clint-eastwood/ https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/clint-eastwood-net-worth/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=933hKyKNPFQ

Episode 702: Tetris: Piracy, Profits, and Murder Feb 02, 2023

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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we take a look at one of the more bizarre stories in video games—The Tale of Tetris. It is a story of mass piracy, Soviet Secrecy, and murder! Everyone knows this brick stacking game, and most of us have been addicted to it at some point or another. But the story of its spread and development is wild. It was created by Alexey Pajitnov for a group run by the Soviet Union. A colleague named Vladimir Pokhilko first recognized its addictive quality and was brought in. After most of the world was playing it (illegally), Pajitnoz and Pokhilko used its success to move to the US and work on new software, but Pohkilko and his family died to hammer assaults and knife attacks. Maybe a murder-suicide, maybe a Russian mafia hit job? You decide. Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris https://murderpedia.org/male.P/p/pokhilko-vladimir.htm https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/tetris-game-facts/ https://decider.com/2022/12/05/the-tetris-murders-discovery-plus-review/ https://www.livescience.com/56473-7-weird-facts-about-tetris.html https://tetris.fandom.com/wiki/Tetris_Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Pokhilko https://www.forbes.com/sites/risasarachan/2022/12/05/the-tetris-murders-docuseries-explores-mysterious-death-of-tetris-co-developer-and-his-family/?sh=616d76657301 https://nypost.com/2022/12/05/was-the-tetris-co-creator-the-victim-of-a-russian-mob-hit/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris_effect

Episode 701: Ben Hall: The Baddest Bushranger Jan 20, 2023

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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we head down under and talk about the baddest Bushranger of them all, Ben Hall. Ben Hall was an epic outlaw of the outback. After his wife left him, he took up with a bad crowd of criminals and soon became the leader of one of the most notorious gangs of the Australian Old West. In just a handful of years, they racked up over 100 robberies. Even better, they did crimes to mock the police and make the citizens like them. At one point, the put an entire town on lock down, put the cops in their own cell, and had a three day all-expense paid dance party in the saloon. His death was as grand as his life, and if you like cowboy times or Aussies, this is the one for you! Visit Our Sources: https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/ben-hall-australian-bushranger https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hall-ben-1507 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hall_(bushranger) https://aguidetoaustralianbushranging.com/2017/11/08/the-mourning-of-may-5th-the-death-of-ben-hall/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushranger https://kids.kiddle.co/Ben_Hall

Episode 700: Shaquille O’Neill: From Gold Metals to Shaq-Fu! Jan 19, 2023

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On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we look at the towering career of the one and only Shaquille O’Neill. The man is a legend on the court. He was a four-time champion, multiple MVP, won an Olympic Gold metal, and had plenty of beefs with other sports personalities. He was dominant on the Lakers but won championships on other teams as well. But let’s not forget the fun stuff, like is video game Shaq-Fu, his rap albums, his role as a genie named Kazaam, and his reality shows. This man is a sports and pop-culture legend and worthy of an hour of the three of us rambling. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/athlete/shaquille-oneal https://www.britannica.com/biography/Shaquille-ONeal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaquille_O%27Neal https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/574854/shaq-facts-shaquille-oneal https://www.discoverwalks.com/blog/united-states/top-10-facts-about-shaquille-oneal/ https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-athletes/nba/shaquille-oneal-net-worth/

Episode 699: Guy Fawkes: The Gunpowder Plot Jan 12, 2023

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On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we remember, remember the 5th of November and talk about the Gunpowder Plot of Guy Fawkes. If you’re from the UK, this is probably a story you are familiar with. In America, we really only heard about it from the movie and comic book V for Vendetta. Either way, it is a wild story about a soldier (and terrorist?) who tried to blow up Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder, assassinate the king, and put someone else on the throne. The tale ends in torture and death of the conspirators, but to this day, a feast and bonfire still exist in many parts of the UK to celebrate this odd occasion. Visit Our Sources: https://archive.pinupmagazine.org/articles/article-guy-fawkes-mask-v-for-vendetta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes https://www.britannica.com/biography/Guy-Fawkes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/633067/guy-fawkes-night-facts https://potw.org/archive/potw405.html

Episode 698: Triangle Shirtwaist Fire: On Greed and Tragedy Jan 04, 2023

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On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about an American tragedy—the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The date was March 25, 1911, and a sweatshop in the garment district of New York caught fire. At first, it was thought to be a cigarette in a scrap bin, but the tangle of boxes, oiled down floor, and lack of fire equipment turned it into disaster. The fire escape buckled from the crush of people, the elevator stopped working because so many burning bodies were on top of the car, and the fire fighters couldn’t get to their hoses because they were piled with corpses who jumped from ten stories above. What fate befell the factory owners? How did they make things even worse for the fire, and what corruption did they do before the fire? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/early-20th-century-us/triangle-shirtwaist-fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire https://trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/ https://www.osha.gov/aboutosha/40-years/trianglefactoryfire https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/uncovering-the-history-of-the-triangle-shirtwaist-fire-124701842/ https://www.britannica.com/event/Triangle-shirtwaist-factory-fire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP5qn1fNfek https://www.famous-trials.com/trianglefire/964-home

Episode 697: Mel Gibson: The Rise and Fall and Rise Jan 02, 2023

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On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the films, crash, and rebound of Mel Gibson. Gibson’s career was pure gold in the 80s and 90s. He was the star of two mega-franchises, Mad Max and Lethal Weapon. He was able to do drama, action, romance, and comedy, and he even started winning Oscars for directing such films and Braveheart and the Passion of the Christ. But he hit a hard snag when anti-Semitic rants and alleged abuse of his ex-girlfriend surfaced. Somehow, he avoided getting cancelled and went to win even more awards with films like Hacksaw Ridge. He is a mainstay of Hollywood, and even after saying the worst things imaginable, his career still thrives. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/actor/mel-gibson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Gibson https://variety.com/2020/film/news/mel-gibson-controversies-career-1234696080/ https://superstarsbio.com/bios/mel-gibson/ https://www.factinate.com/people/33-wacky-facts-mel-gibson/ https://www.10-facts-about.com/mel-gibson/id/485 https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/mel-gibson-net-worth/ https://movieweb.com/mel-gibson-confident-lethal-weapon-5-will-shoot-early-2023/ https://www.dexerto.com/tv-movies/lethal-weapon-5-release-date-trailer-cast-plot-more-2008081/

Episode 695: Bats: Gotham Beware! Dec 23, 2022

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On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about bats. Yes, they get a bad rap since a few species are vampires and drink the blood of horses and cattle. But they are an amazing creature, as helpful to human society as bees are, and aren’t really a threat. In fact, they weren’t considered evil or a menace until Bram Stoker used them in Dracula, where they were permanently married to Halloween and all things dark. These crazy critters use sonar to hunt, live in sophisticated colonies, pollinate, regulate pests, and silently help human society in many ways. They are a tourist attraction in Austin, and their poop is worth its weight in gold! Visit Our Sources: https://www.si.edu/spotlight/bats/batfacts https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/bats https://www.doi.gov/blog/13-facts-about-bats https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/arizona/stories-in-arizona/top-10-bat-facts/ https://www.nwf.org/garden-for-wildlife/cover/build-a-bat-house https://www.vicksburgpost.com/2019/12/13/for-what-it-is-guano-is-far-more-valuable-than-you-would-think/ https://www.austincityguide.com/listings/congress-bridge-bats

Episode 696: Bajau People: The Ultimate Sea Gypsies Dec 23, 2022

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On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about a unique group called the Bajau people. They are a group of sea nomads who have genetically evolved to be the perfect sea-goers. Their bodies have adapted to hold their breath insane amounts of time and regulate oxygen in ways no other human can. Some have held their breath for as long as 13 minutes and have dived as deep as 200 feet with no ill effects. They live on boats and coral reefs, call no nation their home, and some spend 60% of their day underwater. Their ancient legends about “The wave that eats people” let them survive the great Tsunami with no casualties. If you want to hear about the real-life Waterworld, give this one a listen. Visit our Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43823885 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sama-Bajau https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/bajau-sea-nomads-free-diving-spleen-science https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/bajau-sea-nomads-diving-evolution-spleen/558359/ https://isemph.org/Sea-Nomads#:~:text=The%20Bajau%20are%20a%20seafaring,day%20hunting%20underwater%20for%20fish. https://authentic-indonesia.com/blog/8-unique-facts-of-the-bajau-indonesia-sea-gypsies-tribe/ (88) Bajau - the real waterworld people - YouTube (88) Meet the ocean nomads of the South Pacific | 60 Minutes Australia - YouTube https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sea-gypsies-saw-signs-in-the-waves/

Episode 694: James Brown: The Godfather of Soul Dec 15, 2022

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On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the Godfather of Soul, Mister James Brown! James Brown is arguably the most influential artist on the birth of soul, funk, and hip hop. Everyone from Justin Timberlake to Public Enemy to Kanye West say they would not be in music if not for James. He was born in the backwoods on a turpentine plantation and then after both his parents abandoned him, he moved in to his aunt’s brothel. He fell into jail, but upon his release he was obsessed with making history as an artist, and he did so. He defined several generations of black music, single-handedly averted a riot in Boston the day MLK was assassinated, and has the most sampled drum beat in all of hip-hop history. If you want to get down with your bad self, this is the one for you. Visit Our Sources: Documentary: Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown https://www.biography.com/musician/james-brown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown https://www.notablebiographies.com/Br-Ca/Brown-James.html https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/james-brown-facts https://www.thetalko.com/soul-brother-number-1-10-facts-trivia-james-brown/

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