Fascinating Nouns

Of all the pop culture influences in my life, Back to the Future has had the most profound impact on me.  When I heard about Brad Gilmore’s book ‘Back from the Future’, I leapt at the opportunity to discuss my favorite movie of all time.  We talked about the long road to get this movie made, how Family Ties almost destroyed the franchise, and the interesting casting decisions inc...

For all the despicable acts the Nazis perpetrated while in power, I have always been fascinated by how they are portrayed in pop culture.  From the Indiana Jones movies where they are chasing powerful religious artifacts, to Marvel’s Captain America where they create super-humans and strange technology, the Nazi’s always seem to be obsessed with fringe science and supernatural beliefs....

I am guessing that when you her the term ‘Survival of the Fittest’ you immediately think of sharks, an alpha male gorilla, or a lion on the Savannah.  But what about dogs?  I bet you think they are too friendly to be considered ‘The Fittest’.  You may be wrong.  According to Dr. Brian Hare, friendliness may not only key to dogs survival, but ours as well.  We truly became t...

*BONUS* – The Epilogue Walter’s survival story wasn’t the end of the tale.  Struggling with PTSD, Walter had a rough road ahead of him.  Things got dark, but eventually he got back to scuba diving, and flying.  Plus his plane is discovered 25 years after it went down! Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Surviving the Shark Filled Sea As an adult, I realized I had an irrational fear of sharks.  Given that I grew up in rural Illinois with the nearest shark about 3000 miles away, this fear didn’t make sense to me.  I went through my childhood memories, and found the source of this fear:  A Reader’s Digest article recounting the survival story on one Walter Wyatt, Jr.  In this story, Walt...

The Not So Sinister Spider Most people have pretty strong opinions when it comes to spiders, most of them negative.  One man wants to change that reputation.  His name is Rod Crawford, and he is the curator of the second largest spider collection on the West Coast, which is housed at the Burke Museum in Seattle.  He believes that most people’s spider aversion is caused inaccurate information...

The Joy of Retro Cooking Emily Brungo (AKA Yinzerella), is a vintage recipe collector, and the creator of the website “Dinner is Served 1972”.  She started this website after inheriting her grandmother’s recipe cards, but it has ballooned into a place where you can read about all the food choices of yesteryear.  We discussed this, as well as her love of Nicholas Cage, the rotary...

Chasing The Murder Hornet If you are alive in 2020, then it should come as no surprise that this was the year that the Asian Giant Hornet, AKA “The Murder Hornet”, arrived in North America.  While only partially deadly to humans, these insects are downright genocidal when it comes to Italian honeybee.  The hornet will mark a hive for death, then systematically cut off the heads of all...

The Hidden Secrets of Disney Walt Disney World is a magical wonderland, filled with princesses, talking animals, and incredible innovations.  Everything about it is perfect, or so we are lead to believe.  Leonard Kinsey, author of The Dark Side of Disney, got sick of the fantasy and wanted to see how the magic was made.  He soon discovered secret maps to underground tunnels, abandoned parks still...

The Craziness Caused By COVID-19 Between the time I we first recorded How Madness Shaped History and when the episode came out, something unpredictable happened: a killer pandemic swept across the world.  What came after was a wave of craziness that affected basically everyone, from world leaders to your next door neighbor.  I brought Chris The Conqueror back on to weigh-in on several topics, incl...

Madness of the Masses Christopher sticks around to discuss how societies go mad and therefore can elect madness to positions of power.  We discuss the Salem Witch Trials, and how strong emotions cause people to make terrible decisions. Christopher J. Ferguson on Social Media Twitter Website Christopher’s Book How Madness Shaped History Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTu...

How Madness Shaped History Christopher J. Ferguson is a noted psychologist, most famous for his books and media appearances discussing video games and violent behavior.  His most recent book takes a look at leaders throughout ages and explores how their psychological disorders have altered the course of human history.  We discuss how the 1930’s were a boon for mass murdering political leader...

The Celebrities and Artifacts of Weeki Wachee Springs If mermaids weren’t fantastic enough, Rita sticks around to tell me about Elvis, Miss Universe, Carmela Soprano, and a Mastodon Rib! Weeki Wachee Springs on Social Media Facebook Twitter Instagram Links We Talked About Rita’s Environmental Documentary Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

The Weeki Wachee Mermaids I don’t know what it is, but the siren’s call to become a mermaid seems to reach every girl aged 5-8.  A lucky few answer the call and become the mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs.  The Weeki Wachee mermaids are a very talented bunch.  They breathe underwater using only a small oxygen tube, perform intricate plays, and can even eat and drink while submerged. I...

Weaponized Flatulence Everyone knows farts are hilarious, but what about useful?  Listen as Dr. Rabaiotti and I talk about subduing a bee hive by passing gas, how termites produce 19% of the planet’s methane, and how the octopus is absolutely fart free. Dr. Rabaiotti on Social Media Dr. Dani Rabaiotti’s Website Twitter Instagram Dr. Dani Rabaiotti’s Books Believe It Or Snot Does...

Slimy Creatures of the Animal Kingdom When most people think of slime, a few words typically come to mind:  gross, disgusting, and nauseating.  What about versatile?  Dr. Dani Rabaiotti, co-author of ‘Believe It Or Snot” has some pretty amazing examples of slime being used effectively, be it as a weapon, a defense mechanism, or even as a house!  Listen as we discuss nests made out of s...

*Bonus* Jesus Christ – Comedian Comedy in its written form can be a very subtle art form.  Wordplay, sentence structure, and even punctuation are vitally important to get the message across.  If someone’s comedy act was translated several times over two thousand years, chances are, the jokes won’t exactly pop off the page.  That is precisely what Gary believes happened to Jesus. ...

Sun Tzu’s The Art of War The Art of War is a centuries old manuscript that explains exactly how to succeed at any competitive situation.  It has almost nothing to do with war itself, as a matter of fact, outright conflict is a failure of strategy.  Listen  as master translator Gary Gagliardi adapts these universal truths to any competitive environment, be it winning at basketball, besting yo...

*Bonus* Extravagant Colt Accessories Much like Hip-Hop stars and Instagram influencers of today, personalities of the Wild West liked to personalize their free, promotional guns with lots of gaudy accessories.  From Tiffany Grips and ivory handles, to gold inlay and personal engravings, everyone with money could own a unique gun that expressed their personal flair.  We even talk about the origin o...

The Colt Revolver One can not consider themselves a fan of the Wild West without taking a look at the Colt Revolver, specifically the Single Action Army model.  This is the gun you see in shootouts and showdowns in every western ever made.  It is the culmination of several years of innovations, the first being the revolving mechanism itself.  Having a gun that could shoot multiple bullets before n...

The Fraggle Wrangler and the White House In this bonus episode, Guy and I talk about how he was almost detained indefinitely over a Fraggle wrangler, his time developing minor league baseball logos, his country music career, and how First Lady Nancy Reagan declared him a national treasure. A Guy Gilchrist Production Website Guy Gilchrist on Facebook Twitter Instagram Fascinating Nouns on Social Me...

Illustrating The Muppets The name Guy Gilchrist is synonymous with The Muppets.  He was Jim Henson’s official cartoonist, and he helped develop The Muppet Babies, all starting at the age of 24!  On top of that, he has professional drawn Tom & Jerry, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the Looney Tunes.  We discuss all of this, as well as how to reverse engineer a drawing, 100 year-old...

The Many Molds of Mold-A-Rama Besides being an amateur historian, Paul is also a collector.  He has hundreds of molds from historic cars, to busts of presidents.  We discuss his collection, as well as the process of commissioning new molds for a demanding public. Mold-A-Rama, Inc. website Mold-A-Rama on Facebook Fascinating Nouns on Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube

Mold-A-Rama Mold-A-Rama, instantaneous, on-demand, plastic souvenirs, have been a vending machine staple in Chicago for over 50 years.   I remember being a kid at Brookfield Zoo and watching a black gorilla being made right in front of me.  Warm to the touch, and smelling like melted crayons, these retro relics remind me of being in the city.  The man in charge:  second generation owner Paul Jones...

Howard Hughes and RKO Studios Hughes long-lasting impact was most prominently felt after he purchased one of the 5 major productions studios RKO.  It was here that Hughes toppled the studio system, and leveled the playing field for independent film producers.  It was also during this time that Hughes championed the use of controversy to inflate ticket sales, ruining Hollywood careers in the proces...