The Story of...

Where were you on NYE 1999? Were you even born yet? For those of us that were and remember it, the dawn of the year 2000 brought hopes and dreams of the future, but also the fear and panic of the end of the world. A little computer bug called "y2k" (Year 2000) was supposed to be the end of everything electronic. And no, this wasn't a cyberattack, or ransomware... this was a bug that was intentionally put into computer...

In this incisive and hard-hitting episode, we peel back the layers of America’s complex—and often cruel—approach to immigration. From the scars of the Mexican Repatriation, Operation Wetback, and Japanese internment camps to today’s controversial executive orders, ICE raids, and the symbolic (and expensive) border wall, we trace the disturbing continuity of fear-driven policies.

With biting satire and in-depth analysis, the episo...

In this episode, we unravel one of the most infamous documents in CIA history: the Family Jewels. This 700-page dossier, compiled in the 1970s, exposes decades of covert and often illegal activities carried out by the agency.

We’ll dive into some of the most shocking revelations, including:

• ​ Assassination Plots: Covert plans to remove foreign leaders who challenged U.S. interests.
• ​ Surveillance Programs: Wiretapping journali...

Join us as we go back to the 1980's, when Satan was to blame for all of the world's ailments: war, crime, serial killers, rape, child abductions, etc... What affect did this have on our culture? And our music?! Was every deviant minded criminal out there just controlled by Satan? Were daycare centers the hub of an international child sex-ring? What did we (NOT) learn from the 80's that is happening right now in the 2000's? And will...

Think New Year’s Day is all fireworks and fresh starts? Think again. On this episode of "The Story Of... Extra Credit Edition," we’re diving into the gut-wrenching, heartbreaking history of New Year’s during slavery—a day once known as “Hiring Day” or, more brutally, “Heartbreak Day.”

We’re exposing the truths you won’t find in your sanitized history books: families ripped apart, lives auctioned off, and the reverberations we still...

In this episode of The Story of..., Smith, Mike, and Camp tackle the immune system’s ultimate cheat code: vaccines. Ever wonder how your body learns to fight disease without signing up for the full-blown plague experience? Spoiler alert: it involves a lot of clever trickery and zero cow kissing (looking at you, Edward Jenner).

The gang also dives into the dramatic history of anti-vaccine movements, including 19th-century skeptics w...

Why do numbers play such a significant role in our lives and cultures? Do they actually hold meaning, or do we just assign them meaning because we’re scared? What’s good, 3 or 7? What’s bad, 4 or 13? Why do angels get triple repeat numbers, but not triple 6’s? Why does Satan get the good one? Join Smith, Mike and Camp as we journey into our favorite numbers, our life paths, and our birthdates on the 3rd episode of the season, recor...

What if I told you that the Thanksgiving story we all grew up with—the Pilgrims, the feast, the peaceful gathering—was a lie?

No, not just a little fib. We’re talking revisionist history with a side of cranberry sauce.

On this extra credit episode Thanksgiving: The Turkey, the Lies, and the Leftovers of History, we’re serving up the raw, unfiltered truth behind America’s most celebrated feast. It’s a story of survival, betrayal, st...

Welcome to The Story of... Extra Credit, where Smith dives into bite-sized tales of the weird, absurd, and downright spooky.

This episode tackles Tamerlane's curse—a chilling legend linking the Soviet Union’s opening of the conqueror’s tomb in 1941 to the catastrophic Nazi invasion just two days later.

With plenty of laughs and a touch of "WTF," Smith leaves listeners pondering the mysteries of history and the power of a goo...

*Season 3 Finale* Operation Paperclip (aka Project Paperclip) was a program run by the US military to allow high ranking Nazi scientists to work in America after the fall of the Third Reich. None of these scientists (who contributed to slave labor, the holocaust, and human experimentation) were ever brought up on War Crimes charges. In fact, most were given a comfortable and lucrative life working in the US. On the other hand, the ...

This week the guys are joined by a legend in the Long Island Hardcore scene, former front man for Mind over Matter and Day in the Life...George Reynolds. George takes us back to the beginning of the legendary Long Island Hardcore scene of the early 90's and talks about what it was like helping to create such an amazing time in music. If you were a part of this scene, you'll love this episode, if you weren't then you'...

You may think all punk rockers are drug addicts and alcoholics, but did you know there's a punk subculture of abstaining from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other poisons? It's called Straight Edge, and it's been around since the 80's. What does it really mean? How restrictive is it? Should I be scared of these people? Join Smith, Joe, and Mike as we dive into this subculture, share our experiences with it, and why it...

This week the one and only Keb Pound creator and host of the Stupid History Minute joins the guys to tell the story of the Election of 1800. Were early American politics more civil than today? How exactly did Jefferson beat out Adams? Should we get our history from Broadway? Be sure to check out the amazing Unfiltered Studios collaboration as we bring you The Story of the Election of 1800.

Stupidhistory.net

Unfiltered Studios

The S...

For this part 2 episode, we were lucky enough to be joined by filmmaker/documentarian Erik K. Swanson whom we discussed in Part 1's episode. His infamous videos of Walter and Carlos had us all hooked, and he gives amazing insight into his time with these gentlemen, his exploration of the Freedom Tunnel, and what makes NYC different for the homeless than other areas of the country.

He was an amazing guest and we had a great tim...