“Entertainment Specialist” was the technical designation of what would later be known as The Morale Corps. This intrepid group of enlisted soldiers were responsible for finding joy in life’s darkest and most dangerous corners.

To tell the story, Dawn is joined by author Robert B. O’Connor who wrote Jeep Show: A Trouper at the Battle of the Bulge. Hear how his novel weaves a lovely fiction among real history and makes the case for why we should all learn to play the spoons.

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SILF's (Sources I'd Like to F*ck)

• Book - The Jeep Show by Robert B O’Connor - https://jeepshowbook.com/ 
• Here is the US military’s look on the battle on the 80th anniversary. https://www.army.mil/botb/ 
• Surprise! PBS has a kick-ass documentary of the battle - Go ahead and donate while you're there, why don’t cha?  https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/bulge/ 
• More great images from The Battle of the Bulge - https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-battle-of-the-bulge 

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LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons) 
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK. 

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WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins

In HILF EP78, you got to know the Jeep Show, a real-life WW2 unit of enlisted soldiers (including Mickey Rooney) who were on the front lines with nothing but an accordion, a Jeep full of wigs, and ORDERS to boost morale. 

Continue the conversation with Dawn and author Robert B. O’Connor who wrote Jeep Show: A Trouper at the Battle of the Bulge. 

See video of the real Electro - The Westinghouse Robot that captured Robert's heart.  

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SILF's (Sources I'd Like to F*ck)

• Book - The Jeep Show by Robert B O’Connor - https://jeepshowbook.com/
• Here is the US military’s look on the battle on the 80th anniversary. https://www.army.mil/botb/
• Surprise! PBS has a kick-ass documentary of the battle - Go ahead and donate while you're there, why don’t cha?  https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/bulge/
• More great images from The Battle of the Bulge - https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-battle-of-the-bulge

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LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK.

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WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins

It’s a family affair as Dawn is joined by her husband, director Andrew Melby, to HILF this awe-inspiring natural wonder of the world. On a recent road-trip to Los Angeles from Minnesota, Dawn and Andrew stopped in the Grand Canyon. The beauty, wonder and mystery of the place inspired Dawn to take a deep dive into the history.

…and who better to go down with?

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SILF's (Sources I'd Like to F*ck)

• Book - It Happened in the Grand Canyon by Todd R. Berger
• Book - We are Going in The Story of the 1956 Grand Canyon Midair Collision by Mike Nelson
• Want more rock hard Geology?
• Wanna visit? Start here! 
   

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LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• See more of Andrew's work:  https://andrewmelby.com
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK.

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WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins.

Join Dawn and guest, Cristina Van Epps, as they follow the dark and fascinating path of Jack Parsons - the rocket-loving occultist who helped man get to the moon. Cristina works as an engineer at The Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is also a self-professed ‘sci-fi nerd’.

Hear the incredible story of Jack Parsons whose fascination with science and outer space led him on a journey to the stars… and huge piles of drugs.

Listen to Cristina’s Dungeon and Dragons podcast: I Seduce the Dragon

Listen to Cristina’s podcast, Cults, Cryptids and Conspiracies

Want more? Jump into HILF Episode 54 - Aleister Crowley with Hilah Johnson.

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SILF's (Sources I'd Like to F*ck)

• Book - Strange Angel by George Pendle (2005)
• Book - Sex & Rockets by John Carter & Robert Anton Wilson (2005) 
• The Collected Writings of Jack Parsons AKA: The Book of Babylon  (the record of a magical experiment, 1946) 

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LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons) 
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK. 

---

WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins.

Dawn's guest is comedian, Andy Rider, whose hit comedy album The Get Together has topped itunes and earned him increasing acclaim. Together they discuss the history of North Korea, the incredible story of No Kum Sok, and so much more!

Learn more about HILF's new podcast family, The Big Comedy Network.

Find Andy's podcast Fingering the Page

SILF's (Sources I'd Like to F*ck)

• Book - The Great Leader and The Fighter Pilot by Blaine Harden
• Book - A MiG-15 to Freedom by No Kum Sok (AKA: Kenneth Rowe)
• Watch an interview with Blaine Harden and No Kum Sok with Mimi Geerges.
• Article - Read more about how and why Korea was divided between North and South.
• Hear more about the devastating battle of Pork Chop Hill during the Korean War. 
• Did you hear about the American GI's who defected TO North Korea? More here! 

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LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL! 
• Crazy Rich Ancients
• Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee

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Want to help LA Fire Victims? 

• Project HOPE - Project HOPE is on the ground in Los Angeles, actively distributing hygiene kits to displaced families and children.
• LA Food Bank - The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and our partner agencies provide food assistance to people throughout LA County in normal times and times of crisis.
• Pasadena Humane Society - They provide shelter, dedicated care and new beginnings for thousands of the community’s most vulnerable animals every year.

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WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins.

When last we met, Dawn and guest Andy Kraft were taking a shot of whiskey to prepare for the dark path ahead. Hear how it all ends up in the dark pages of history and why your high school teachers probably never told you the whole story. 

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SILF's (Sources I'd Like to F*ck)

• See the map of the journey.
• Read the book - The History of The Donner Party by CF McGlashan

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LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL!
• Crazy Rich Ancients
• Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee

---

WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins.

This was no party...

They were the group who got hopelessly stranded over a particularly harsh winter in the Sierra Nevadas - many of them starve to death and several of those who don’t starve to death, survived by resorting to cannibalism.

Dawn's guest is actor and writer, Andy Kraft. He is a longtime friend and colleague - together they've done everything from romantic comedies on screen, to portraying water droplets on stage. Andy can be seen in countless commercials, episodes of television (including the final episode of Brooklyn nine-nine) and is the hand up the bum of some of your favorite puppets!

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SILF's (Sources I'd Like to F*ck)

• See the map of the journey. 
• Read the book - The History of The Donner Party by CF McGlashan

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LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL!
• Crazy Rich Ancients
• Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee

---

WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins.

Dawn has the benefit of a live audience and visual aides as she tells the story of the remarkable Christmas Truce of 1914. From the streets of Sarajevo to the trenches of France, it's a story of humanity and joy in the darkest of times.  Recorded LIVE in Burbank, California - December 11th, 2024 at Flappers Comedy Club. 

Watch the full video of the show when you subscribe on Patreon! 

SILF's (Sources I'd Like to F*ck)

• Book - Silent Night: The Remarkable Christmas Truce of 1914 by Stanley Weintraub
• Play/ Movie - The Big Picnic (1997) 
• Book - All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

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LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL!
• Crazy Rich Ancients
• Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee

---

WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins.

Dawn's guests are two connoisseurs of drinking, Juliana McIntosh and Brad Sutton - the neice-and-uncle-team behind the hit podcast, The Art of Drinking.  Jules is an influencer in the craft cocktail space (what?); and her real-life uncle Brad serves up classic cocktail recipes and history. Swoon!

GET JULE'S BOOK - Pretty Simple Cocktails

**During the episode, we make and drink 2 cocktails! 

Recipes and approximate time-code in the episode when we start making ours is below so you can toast along with us!

COCKTAIL #1 - The View Carre. [00:13:00]

• 3/4 oz Rye whiskey (higher proof, like 100 proof but not more. Rittenhouse makes a good one)
• 3/4 oz Cognac (I like Pierre Ferrand Ambre but Remy Martin VSOP works well too)
• 3/4 oz   Strucchi Rosso Vermouth (or Dolin Rouge)
• 2 tsp Benedictine D.O.M. (make sure it's DOM and not B&B)
• 2 dash Peychaud's bitters (white label, red liquid)
• 1 dash Angostura bitters

1. In mixing glass add all ingredients and fill the mixing glass with ice so you have more ice than liquid.
2. Stir for 20 - 30 seconds.
3. Using hawthorn strainer, strain into chilled rocks glass over large cube
4. Garnish with lemon peel 
    

COCKTAIL #2 - The Black Manhattan [00:40:00]

• 2 oz Rye whiskey (use your favorite Rye. The Rittenhouse might work well here, but could get hot)
• 1 oz Averna Amaro
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 1 dash Orange bitters

1. In mixing glass add all ingredients and fill the mixing glass with ice so you have more ice than liquid.
2. Stir for 20 - 30 seconds.
3. Using hawthorn strainer, strain into chilled coupe glass.
4. Garnish with brandied cherry / luxardo cherry (or something similar)  - just drop it in or put it on a pick if you're fancy

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Join us for HILF LIVE - Wednesday, Dec. 11th @8PM - Flappers Comedy Club. Burbank, CA

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SILF's (Sources I'd Like to F*ck)

• Book - The Royal Toast Master: Containing many thousands of the best toasts old and new to give brilliancy to mirth and make the joys of the glass supremely agreeable. INCLUDES: The Seaman’s Bottle Companion: Being a selection of Exquisite Modern Sea Songs by J. Roach.    *Yes this is real! 

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LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL!
• Crazy Rich Ancients
• Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee

---

WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins.

Hear about the places that managed to avoid the plague, at least for a little while, and what a medieval haz-mat suit looked like. Also, continue to roll the 'Death Dice' along with celebrated music supervisor, Mary Ramos, to see if any of the characters we meet along the way manage to avoid the sickness and death that overcame half of the global population. 

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Join us for HILF LIVE - Wednesday, Dec. 11th @8PM - Flappers Comedy Club. Burbank, CA

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SILF's (Sources I'd Like to F*ck)

• The Great Courses - With Dorsey Armstrong, PhD. Got a library card? Find it via Hoopla or Libby!
• Check out this great visual guide to understanding how The Black Death compares to other pandemics.
• Read an article about plague bodies being found outside London this decade!
• Read Mary Ramos's article in Variety breaking down the soundtrack to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

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LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL!
• Crazy Rich Ancients
• Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee

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NEXT NEW EPISODE: Wednesday, November13th, 2024 THE BLACK DEATH Part 2 - Plague Stories with Mary Ramos

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WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins.