Badass of the Week
Throughout the course of human civilization certain individuals have stood out as being completely f***ing awesome. From ninjas and gunfighters to pirates and Vikings, to explorers, scientists and great leaders, these people - true badasses - completely obliterated anything that stood in their path, routinely overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and ultimately altered the course of history through their actions. Be it glory, conquest, or survival, these hardcore men and women all had one specific goal in life - and they didn't let anything stand between themselves and their mission. They refused to back down even when the odds seemed hopelessly stacked against them, they came back from the brink of failure to achieve ultimate success, and they beat the fucking hell out of anyone stupid enough to have stood in their way. Badass of the Week is a weekly (duh) podcast, that dives into new stories of badasses every week.
Episodes
On this week's episode Ben and Dr. Pat chat about "Handsome" Mingyan a mythological character from the Jangar Epic, a group of stories that comprise what some might call the Mongolian King Arthur. He was a minor character in our previous episode about the Scarlet Khongor - today he takes center stage.
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In today's episode Ben Thompson and Producer Andrew Jacobs talk about the true story behind the new movie The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. And you won't be surprised to know that Operation Postmaster and those behind it were even more badass than portrayed in the movie!
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On today's episode Ben Thompson is joined by journalist and host of Outside Podcast Peter Frick-Wright to tell the story of Ten Tswewang who ran a grueling 200 mile race from Everest to Kathmandu to tell the world that Everest had finally been summited. Along the way they'll chat about Sherpas and Everest and how gnarly it really gets up there.
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Badass listeners: This week we're sharing Ben's recent appearance on the Ridiculous History Podcast where they chat about Le Maupin. We'll resume our regular scheduled programming next week!
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Hello regular listeners and new listeners - here's a replay of Le Maupin for those joining us from Ridiculous History.
If you are in to badass swordfights, debauchery, classical music, big fancy hats, and a couple unlikely heroes face-stabbing their way to success against seemingly-impossible odds, then this is the episode for you. Julie D'Aubigny and Joseph Boulogne -- better known as La Maupin and the Chevalier de Saint-G...
With Cinco De Mayo coming up this weekend, Ben and producer Andrew Jacobs talk about Ignacio Zaragoza who led Mexican forces to victory over French Invaders way back in 1862, leading to the holiday so many of us love to celebrate with chips, guac and a cerveza!
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Known for his masterful sculptures and fiery temper, Benvenuto Cellini’s escapades ranged from dueling in the streets to making audacious escapes from papal prisons. Join Ben and Daniele as they unfurl Cellini's wild stories and scandalous life.
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King Kamehameha was the original Hawaiian superhero—legend says he was born with a comet lighting up the sky, hinting at his future badassery. He turned his warrior’s spirit into action, unifying Hawaii with clever tactics and serious muscle, like literally pushing his enemies off cliffs. He didn’t just fight with spears; he was all about upgrading to the latest tech—hello, Western firearms! His epic victory at the Battle of Nuʻuan...
Here comes part II (that's 2 in roman numerals for you animals out there!) of the Anita Garibaldi story!
Tune in. Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Leave us a review. Stay Badass.
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In this episode Ben and Pat dive into the story of Anita Garibaldi the Badass Brazilian revolutionary who, alongside with her husband Giuseppe Garibaldi AKA "The George Washington of Italy", fought through the jungles and mountains and more for equality and independence of the Brazilian people.
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Back with another fun bonus episode, Ben and Pat dive into the original cancel culture. Except this was way more extreme, and maybe even a bit worthwhile, as complete d**kwads would be completely erased from history, ensuring that they couldn't even be remember, hatefully.
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There are few characters quite as angry and dangerous in greek mythology as Medea. Over the course, Medea's life she dismembered her own brother, murdered her sons, and burned her husband's lover alive. Basically, don't F with her...
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Way down under at the bottom of the globe is a deadly land named AUSTRALIA, where the entire the place is designed to kill you. It's a legit thunderdome, full snakes, spiders, crocs, jellyfish, trees, ants and people descended from criminals. And that's what makes it so badass! Tune in this week as Ben is joined by guest host (and Badass of the Week producer) Andrew Jacobs talk about how to survive a trip to Sydney.
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Bishnu Shrestha wasn't looking for a fight on the evening of 2 September 2010, but a fight found him. Unfortunately for his opponents, Shrestha was a Gurkha, a soldier hailing from an elite Nepalese unit of the British Army. Their motto: "It is better to die, than be a coward." Join Pat and Ben as they dive into the history of the Gurkhas and Shrestha's serious badassitude on todays episode!
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Ben has been marooned in Brazil without a working computer this week so we're delivering a bonus episode! Our regularly scheduled programming will return next week! But first - a couple stories about finding love and jobs way back when...
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This week, Ben and Pat discuss the fantastical life of Heinrich Schliemann. His life was full of far travels, great riches, bold lies, and even bolder thievery. What was real about the man and what was his own imagination? Perhaps one of the founding father's of archeology, he discovered the ancient city of Troy, and then sort of blew it up. A badass at the time, in retrospect, a bit of a mixed bag! Take a listen...
And if you'r...
Every now and then, the sequel is better than the original. In today's episode, Ben and Pat discuss just one of those rare occasions. In fact, Ramesses II was so badass, they made Ramesses III through X. Tune in to find out why!
And if you're enjoying the podcast, be sure to tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell the weird dude at work who looks like he's up to something shady. And be sure to rate and leave comment for us!
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Today Ben and Pat tell the story of the 396th Infantry Regiment - an all African American unit that spent 191 days in combat in WWI, more than any other unit, they fought so ferociously, the Germans called them the "Hollenkampfer" aka Hellfighters. Tune in to find to hear more...
And if you're enjoying the show, tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell your mom and leave us a rating and a comment!
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This week Ben and Pat dive into the story behind the scientist - Marie Curie - the first woman to win the Nobel prize. From the battlefield to the laboratory, she put herself in harm's way (dodging bullets and not really dodging gamma rays) to make the world a better place. Her work led to chemotherapy and also nuclear weapons. Listen now!
And if you're enjoying the show, rate us, leave a comment, and grab your neighbor's ph...
In today's ep, Ben and Pat discuss Toussaint L'Ouverture, the Haitian Hero. Born a slave, L'Ouverture eventually turned into rebel and later a leader, in the Haitian Revolution before eventually becoming the Govenor-General of the whole island. He beat the French, the Spanish and even British, while liberating his people. Not too shabby.
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