Wayne Federman, author of The History of Stand-Up, makes it clear early in his book - and in our conversation - that this is not the history of Comedy in general. We are not necessarily concerned with when the first cave-man made a fart joke.  We get into how the modern day performance style, 'STAND-UP' came to be. We learn who were the originators, how it evolved, and where might it be going next. Thanks for joining us - lets get started!

PART 1

00:02:35 - Wayne is also a professor at the University of Southern California (USC) and discusses his course there and how he approaches teaching comedy to his students.

00:04:46 - Wayne co-hosts his own podcast: The History of Stand-up with Andrew Stephen.

00:08:24 - How did this specific kind of performance style get the name 'Stand-Up'. There are two theories, that it came from bookers, and that it came from the mob. Dawn prefers the later. 

00:12:20 - We get into The 4 Forefathers - according to Wayne - of stand-up. The first is Artemus Ward aka: Charles Brown.

00:17:04 - The next forefather is Mark Twain who Dawn has always had a crush on because he touches so many of her interests from boats to electricity to comedy. Wayne details how Mark Twain went from writing to the stage, and how he won (and made back) all his money. 

00:20:53 - The third forefather we discuss is Bert Williams, a black performer who made his debut in blackface. He went on to be among the most successful performers of his time - including being the one of the first voices ever put on a record. 

00:23:04 - Will Rogers is the 4th forefather and was inspired by Bert Williams - performing with him in the Ziegfield Follies. Often called “The Father of Political Comedy” Will Rogers might be considered America's first rockstar - he even hosted the Oscars and tragically died in a plane crash. 

00:26:38 - Dawn and Wayne discuss the differences between minstrel show, Vaudeville, Revues and Burlesque. We also talk about the origin of the phrase 'Going Blue'. 

00:32:12 - The Women! We talk about women in comedy like the icon, Fanny Brice (AKA: Funny Girl) and the hilarious and overlooked Elsie Janis. 

BREAK

PART 2

00:35:10 - Technology, of course, changed the course of stand-up comedy and one of the first thing it yielded was The Record. The first one to sell over a million copies and become a phenomenon was 'Cohen on the Phone'.  

00:38:16 -  Dawn shares a little love for the emcee's! The Master of Ceremonies who often does their own set at the top of a show and then introduce the line-up for the remainder of the show. Dawn is often an emcee at clubs around Los Angeles and gives her perspective. 

00:41:30 - We get to Vegas and the great emcees of early lounge acts like Shecky Green, Don Rickles. 

00:43:48 - Television get it's legs in the late 1940's with the early hit of Milton Berle and the Texico Star Theater. Around the same time, Ed Sullivan appears on CBS. In time, Ed Sullivan would completely dominate the sphere. 

00:45:08 - Dawn talks about how history repeats itself  (only kinda) and we get to the 2nd Records Boom in the 1970's in much the same way, and for much the same reason we had them in the 19-teens. This time they flourish with the Party Album and give legs to the next wave of comedy. Out of the nightclubs and into our speakers and screens. 

00:48:05 - The Comedy Boom of the 1980's was a thing to behold (and Wayne was there!) Anyplace that had 4 things could be a comedy club: Liquor License, Talent, Microphone, Tables & Chairs.

00:53:27 - Comedians in sitcoms - Dawn goes through the many comedians that then found their way onto sitcoms. From Jackie Gleason to Ray Ramano. 

00:57:00 - Dawn talks about how when she was a kid and would catch comedy on late-night, she felt the thrill that it must be to perform. That moment, walking through the crowd and taking the stage... woof. What a feeling. Wayne says it best himself with he quote that ends his book: 

"Yet performing live, alone, on stage, remains the defining aspect of the profession. That terrifying-to-thrilling experience, in front of an audience, is what connects stand-up comedians through time."

COMING NEXT:

EPISODE 12 - Freak Shows with Christine Blackburn! See you there!

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Thanks, as ever, for listening!

We are enjoying an ever-increasing listenership and are so grateful for your ears... But I have NO IDEA who reads these things so if that is you - please introduce yourself.  There are lots of ways to do it - Instagram, Facebook or Email [[email protected]]. 

Also on our Instagram, you can see daily posts about the current episode - featuring photos, links and additional tid-bits about the people and places I talk about. 

As Shelby and Dawn resume the tale of Mary Read and Anne Bonny from PART 1, they begin with a discussion of how they themselves earn their loot - not as pirates, but even more notorious - as entertainers in Los Angeles. 

00:00:00 - Shelby asks Dawn how she began doing stand-up comedy and Dawn explains how the path from being a Theater Major led her here. Dawn also explains why she loves comedy and how she considers the art of making others laugh to be a sacred one. 

00:04:15 - Dawn asks Shelby how she got into voice work. Shelby explains how she began acting on stage and on camera rather young and when she discovered voice acting she was hooked. Among other things, it was nice to be able to focus on something other than her physical appearance. 

00:07:15 - Shelby tells us about how she got the job of being the voice of Princess Leia and how it fells to be a part of the 'Star Wars Family'. 

00:08:10 - Shelby demonstrates some of her voices and characters (Including PIRATES!)

00:09:40 - Dawn talks about a job she had at The Science Museum of Minnesota representing both Mary Read and Anne Bonny among the artifacts of an actual pirate shipwreck, The Whydah. 

00:12:33 - Shelby has an impressive following on all social media - especially Tiktok. Dawn laments her own wayward use of the app... 

00:14:03 - WHEN LAST WE MET: We set sail again and catch up with where we left our story in Part 1. 

00:15:00 - Fact or Fiction: Peg Leg/ Hook Hand? 

• FACT: Pirates were comparatively good about keeping a hurt or disabled cremate aboard, assigning them tasks that could accommodate their limitations. Thus the one-legged cook of lore.

00:16:25 - Shelby asks Dawn: Would you have been a pirate? Of course she would. Shelby's answer is more complex. 

00:18:20 - How did Mary meet Anne? Not entirely sure but Dawn relays her top theories. Were they lovers? Best friends? Both? History has no definitive answer. 

00:20:54 - Of the many incredible adventures had with Mary, Anne and Calico Jack - Dawn selects her three favorite tales. 

• 00:21:19 - Mutiny in the Woodes - Mary Read leads a fantastic mutiny aboard the ship of Privateer Woodes Rogers.
• 00:23:16 - James Bonny successfully kidnaps Anne and drags her before a judge. It does not end well for him.
• 00:25:58  - The arrest and trial of the merry band - all the way to their individual ends.

BREAK

00:31:59 - Fact/Fiction: Buried Treasure: Mostly Fiction in the way it has been portrayed. 'Buried Treasure' more likely was shipwrecks among which loot was known to be recoverable. 

00:34:18 - The Skull & Crossbones Flag, like so much of the Pirates possessions, was stolen. It was originally a symbol of the Freemasons and was usurped by the pirates because it often was flown as a signal of 'no harm'.  Later, captains would design their own 'dark flags' that often still included skulls and other intimidating imagery. 

00:36:54 - Shelby asks: Were pirates competitive among each other. Dawn discusses Pirates of the Caribbean… begrudgingly.

00:39:22 - A Privateer is an individual that is so much like a pirate they're sometimes indistinguishable - but the lines are often very clear... to all but the executioner. 

00:41:10 - Dawn's Favorite PILF's 

00:41:19 - Blackbeard. Who isn't intrigued by Blackbeard. His imitating look and reputation were very much manufactured and bolstered by Edward Teach (his real name). Anything that would inspire surrender was utilized to avoid a fight. 

00:45:56 - Captain Kidd. More of a Pirate I'd Like to FUCK OFF, Captain Kidd was something of a volatile baby but fun enough to make the list. 

00:48:04 - Captain Grace O’Malley. A fiery red Irish pirate who had a memorable audience with Queen Elizabeth I. 

00:52:13 - Captain Lady Chang. Arguably the most successful pirate in history and among the very, very few to enjoy retirement and old age. 

00:56:45 - A fond farewell to Shelby Young and a promise to road trip together to Pirate Dinner Theater and share all of the photos with you, of course. 

COMING NEXT:

EPISODE 11 - The History of Stand-UP with author Wayne Federman. We'll see you there 

---

Thanks, as ever, for listening!

We are enjoying an ever-increasing listenership and are so grateful for your ears... But I have NO IDEA who reads these things so if that is you - please introduce yourself.  There are lots of ways to do it - Instagram, Facebook or Email [[email protected]]. 

Also on our Instagram, you can see daily posts about the current episode - featuring photos, links and additional tid-bits about the people and places I talk about. 

00:01:56 - Actor, Shelby Young, a fun and funny FORCE to be reckoned with. 

• Leia - Star Wars Forces of Destiny
• Rayna - Baby Shark’s Big Show

00:03:15 - Also, Shelby is a babe. Top shelf mega babe. What else on camera?

• Everybody Hates Chris
• Criminal Minds
• American Horror Story
• Wild Child

00:04:15 - Stay-Puft Marshmallow man, ‘uncredited’. What is this?

00:05:14 - They discuss where Shelby grew up, why and when she came to LA and why she and Dawn both hate earthquakes and love Palm Springs. 

The Big One Podcast that Dawn mentions - it is a great resource for folks living in LA. 

00:08:30 - Dawn is very excited about this episode. It's not just a book... it's a stack of books!

00:08:47 - But first a Pirate Story: The Trial of Calico Jack Rackham, Mary Read and Anne Bonny.

00:14:49 - Dawn's sources: 

• The General History of The Pirates by Captain Johnson (aka: Daniel Defoe)
• Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly
• Women Pirates by  Ulrike Klausmann (Author), Marion Meinzerin (Author)

00:16:57 - LETS FUCK - What is a Pirate? What is a Corsair, Buccaneeer, Privateer?

00:18:20 - The Golden Age of Piracy: 1650-1725: A great and terrible time to be afloat. 

00:18:36 - The Triangle of Trade: What it was and why it spurred the pirate age. 

00:20:08 - The Slave Trade and how it related to piracy. 

00:21:30 - Global War and how it made pirates.

• Honorable people do it for ‘their country.’
• Always have an eager buyer.
• Sailors in short supply.

00:22:10 - How a unique and terrible 'recruiting' technique contributed to piracy. 

00:22:45 - What is 'The Cat O’ Nine Tails' and why was it an invention of HMS Navy.

00:23:14 - Imagine you’re aboard a Navy ship, badly mistreated, and you see the Skull and Crossbones flag on an approaching ship. Is this good news or bad news for you? It depends on who you are and what you have to offer. 

00:24:30 - The Pirate Constitution, Their Code. The Articles of the Gentlemen of Fortune.  What it was, why it was necessary - and why most of us would have signed it in a heartbeat. 

00:27:17 - Fact or Fiction: Did pirates really wear a Big Gold Earring? 

00:28:35 - Why are women considered bad luck on ships... and why is it true?

00:30:30 - The overwhelming femininity of seafaring and the sea herself. 

00:31:47 - …but some women DID come aboard, such as Mary Read and Anne Bonny. We learn more about them after the break.

BREAK

00:34:03 - Dawn discusses more about her time living aboard houseboats, her nautical tattoos - and why her pirate obsession is real.

00:38:23 - Shelby asks: Where did the myth of mermaids come from?

00:39:28 - Fact/Fiction: Walking the Plank? Keelhauling, Marooning and why pirates were reluctant to punish each other.

00:42:10 - The Story of Mary Read

00:46:02 - The Story of Anne Bonny

00:53:39 - Shelby tells us (at last) why Pirates wear eyepatches!

COMING NEXT:

EPISODE 10 - Pirates, PART 2 with Shelby Young will come out in 2 weeks. We'll see you there 

---

Thanks, as ever, for listening!

We are enjoying an ever-increasing listenership and are so grateful for your ears... But I have NO IDEA who reads these things so if that is you - please introduce yourself.  There are lots of ways to do it - Instagram, Facebook or Email [[email protected]]. 

Also on our Instagram, you can see daily posts about the current episode - featuring photos, links and additional tid-bits about the people and places I talk about. 

Welcome to a particularly delicious romp through the history of the Spice trade with my guest, 'television's own' Wayne Wilderson. His IMDB Credits read like a CVS receipt and you'll find he is as effortless on the microphone as he is on camera. 

00:04:55 - After telling you a little bit about where we are (and why I'm wearing my daughter's Hello Kitty Headphones) Wayne tells us a little bit about when he came to Hollywood and some of his favorite jobs... and there have been so many. Among his gigs was a 12-year run as the purple grapes in the Fruit of the Loom campaign. 

00:07:52 - Wayne and Dawn get into the HILF. 

00:08:51 - Dawn Lays out her sources and research:

• Book: Spice - The History of a Temptation by Jack Turner. 
• Documentary: Absolute History with Kate Humble - Where Peppercorn and Cinnamon come from. 
• Great Article about Magellan: by Steven Robert Carlson 

00:11:10 - The plan for this episode is to cover not only the history of cinnamon and the other spices that originated in the same time and place - but also why humanity has been so intrigued by them for so long. 

00:14:40 - Let's fuck.

00:16:23 - Columbus sails the ocean blue in search of India  and her elusive spices and accidentally bumps into the Bahamas. He has a bad reputation now, but it wasn't much better in his lifetime on account of the total lack of familiar spices in the 'New World.' 

00:20:25 - The Pope, in an effort to cool tensions between Spain and Portugal, divides the world between them. The Treaty of Tordesillas established that everything 'non-christian' discovered West belonged to Spain and everything East belonged to Portugal. And thus began the race to see how far East was West and who - in the end - would claim the Spice Islands.  

00:21:20 - The Portuguese sailor, Vasco da Gama sets sail South around the Cape of Good Hope and successfully crosses the Indian ocean to arrive in Calcut, India. It's an extraordinary encounter.

00:25:58 - The Portuguese in an effort to establish domination over the islands, leave Francisco Serrao as a representative to await their return. He has a string of wild adventures, eventually becoming BFF's and advisor to an Island sultan. He marries and never returns to Portugal... He does however, write a few letters to a guy named Ferdinand Magellan. 

00:23:40 - Magellan sets sail on his history-making journey. The books say he circumnavigated the globe, but the details will reveal he - in fact died in the Philippines - and his exhausted, scurvy-laden crew had to hump one leaking boat back to Spain on their own. But, the Spanish still made a profit on the journey so...

00:32:18 - The Dutch arrive in the Spice Islands and after pushing the Portuguese and the English out - prove to be brutal overlords. 

...But this is not the beginning of the story. It can't be. There was a love and value placed on Spice that inspired all of this exploration and exploitation. In Part II, we take the road even further up the annals of history to the ancients. 

PART II

00:35:33 - Welcome back!

00:36:28 - The first known consumer of spice in history did not eat it.  It was Ramses II and he had it shoved up his nose during his mummification. 

00:38:45 - The first known myth about cinnamon predated Ramses II - it is the story of the Phoenix who is is resurrected from its ashes. Ashes that were, in the original legend, mixed with cinnamon. 

00:40:00 - The Roman's loved spice too much? It is argued that it at least contributed to the Fall the empire. It was because their growing obsession with exotic spices sent a wave of gold East; while what they got in return was primarily burned, and if eaten, supplied no nutritional value. 

00:41:43 - When the later European Christians dominated, they at first rejected spices as a uniquely pagan tradition. In later centuries, however, they embraced them and in much the same way, and with much the same results as the Romans. 

00:45:18 - Dawn covers the many varied uses and applications for spices over the centuries. From medicine, to ritual, to sex aide. 

00:50:00 - Constantine the Great was a sex expert - he literally wrote the book on it - and there are some gems. 

00:52:00 - It turns out, however, our timeless obsession with spice - cinnamon in particular - is justified! Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago has proven it!

00:54:00 - The various spices pursued during the The Spice Trade fit nicely with the flawed medical wisdom of the time - that of The 4 Humors. It hinged on the idea that the health of a human being was tied to it's balance among being Hot, Cold, Wet and Dry. They were fairly arbitrary delineations that doctors - with both good and bad intensions - exploited for centuries. 

00:56:30 - The end of the age, not too surprisingly, coincided with the beginning of one. The French one-armed thief, Peter Poivre, successfully stole cloves from Indonesia and successfully replanted them in France. It was 1776 and nobody cared anymore. 

01:00:30 - One might be tempted to say that we as humanity have moved on from the silly ancient obsession with spices - and yet they are key ingredients in both Coca-cola and the top fragrance, Obsession by Calvin Klein... So have we? 

Thanks, as ever, for listening!

We are enjoying an ever-increasing listenership and are so grateful for your ears... But I have NO IDEA who reads these things so if that is you - please introduce yourself.  There are lots of ways to do it - Instagram, Facebook or Email [[email protected]]. 

Also on our Instagram, you can see daily posts about the current episode - featuring photos, links and additional tid-bits about the people and places I talk about. 

Dawn and Ryan continue their conversation (and open another bottle of wine) as they jump right back into the history of profanity, beginning with Ryan's favorite swear word, 'shit.'

PART 1

00:03:30 - Dawn begins with the fun (but likely false) theory that the word 'shit' originated with the shipping of manure - and the necessity for it to be stamped with the instructions to Ship High In Transit.

00:06:50 - More likely the root of the english word 'shit' is from German/Ukranian roots: Scheisse and skei. Could it be the word comes from 'to cut off' - as in 'to pinch a loaf'. 

00:10:48 - Dawn discusses the journey from being an adult, accustomed to being very far removed from your own excrement and the excrement of others, to being a parent suddenly thrust tits-first back into shitsville. 

00:12:28 - The word 'shit' was considered so forbidden, it wasn't included in the dictionary until 1970. Up until (and after) that time, however, it was liberally written on toilet stalls in what has been coined 'Latrine Poetry'. 

00:13:46 - Dawn covers the 4 metaphorical uses of the word 'shit' as outlined by John McWhorter in the book Nine Nasty Words. 

00:21:34 - Dawn and Ryan discuss, with care and respect, the third tier of cursing: Slurs against groups of people. Dawn discusses the N-word (without saying it) and how it's modern use has changed and sharpened since the 1990's.

PART II

00:32:05 - The next slur we discuss is the other F-Word (derogatory term for a gay man). How did it go from being used casually in PG-rated 80's teen movies to being so hot it got Isiah Washington fired from Grey's Anatomy? 

00:37:57 - What does the other F-word mean? How did a 'bundle of sticks' and 'a cigarette' come to share the word? How are they related? 

00:41:00 - Most derogatory terms for gay men begin as belittling words for women or women's genitalia. The exception, is 'cocksucker' which from its inception has been leveraged almost exclusively against men. 

00:44:03 - Why does it sound strange when people don't swear? Adamant non-cursers like Ned Flanders and Mitt Romney also catch our ear's attention. 

00:46:48 - Speaking of women's genitalia: we discuss the nuanced difference in the use of Pussy and Cunt and how a one-syllable word that ends in a consonant will ultimately always win the profanity game. 

00:50:07 - We bid farewell to special guest Ryan Ripple and he also gives us his review of this fucking amazing journey.

---

HILF Podcast on Instagram  -Go here to see lots of photos and updates on guests and research. 

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HILF Podcast on Youtube

**We are a new podcast and still growing and learning. More resources and links will be available... as we get better at this. Thanks for listening and please reach out to let us know where you are and what you want us to F next. 

The name of this podcast includes profanity, so it may not be terribly surprising that Dawn was delighted to embrace the subject of the next episode: The F-Word

Her guest is the delightful and hilarious, Ryan Ripple, and together they discuss not only the origin and creative utilization of our favorite curse word - but the history of cursing in general. We also get into the science of swearing and how it functions within our brain. Why for example, does your pain tolerance demonstrably increase when you yell FUCK but not when you yell TOMATO.

It’s a hell of a good time - gosh darn glad you're here!

PART 1

00:02:15 - Not only do we meet our guest, Ryan Ripple, but the off-mic master that is my little dog, Yogurt. 

00:03:20 - The History of Dawn and Ryan from their meeting as backlot tour guides at Universal Studios Hollywood (the entertainment capital of LA.)

00:06:25 - Ryan and Dawn reveal their favorite swears and why they love them so. 

00:12:37 - Dawn discusses why she chose to include the F-word in the title of the podcast despite some real and technical liabilities to doing so. 

00:15:58 - Dawn quizzes Ryan on his ability to remember George Carlin's famous list of the 7 Words You Can't Say on Television. 

00:18:17 - Dawn's research includes:

•  Nine Nasty Words by James McWhorter, 
•  What The F by Benjamin K Bergen

00:19:10 - How George Carlin and Lenny Bruce changed history and US Law with their profane comedy. 

PART II

00:30:16 - Profanity and your brain: why does a different part of our brain light up when we say tomato versus fuck. How does it effect our ability to tolerate pain?

00:35:00 - The 3 Kinds of cursing: Offensive to God, offensive to the Body, Offensive to a Group of People. 

00:38:00 - The OG of cursing and why 'swearing upon God' is still a mightily profane to many people. 

00:42:05 - The Birth of 'FUCK' - when we first saw it in writing and how it evolved.

00:48:52 - Dawn lays out a long, but hardly complete, list of the varying ways that we use 'fuck' in contemporary American English. 

00:55:30 - What is expletive infixation and why you should abso-fucking-lutely use it. 

00:59:37 - If you think english-speaking Americans love 'fuck' wait til you hear how much the Russians love 'dick.'

01:06:00 - End of show credits and introduction to the next episode - a continuation of this conversation and even more profanity to come! The next episode [Jan. 19th] with cover Shit, the other F-word, and even a word so hot and sharp, Dawn won't even say it! 

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HILF Podcast on Instagram  -Go here to see lots of photos and updates on guests and research. 

HILF Podcast on Facebook

HILF Podcast on Youtube

**We are a new podcast and still growing and learning. More resources and links will be available... as we get better at this. Thanks for listening and please reach out to let us know where you are and what you want us to F next. 

When my husband, Andrew Melby, suggested that Krampus would be a good HILF subject to do for our first Holiday episode, he unwittingly stepped into the guest seat.  Krampus - the pagen-era Yuletide devil that predates the Baby Jesus - is an awesome and intriguing subject to delve into; proving that the only thing that surpasses Melby's taste in podcasts, is his taste in women. 

PART 1

Welcome and a little chit-chat on the insightful and hard-hitting subjects like The Spice Girls and pros and cons of nose rings.

00:06:58 - Melby explains why he assigned Krampus and wherein lies the intrigue. 

00:10:00 - Dawn's primary research sources includes: 

• The Krampus and the old Dark Christmas by Al Ridenour
• The Old Magic of Christmas by Linda Raedisch
• Krampusnacht - Twelve Nights of Krampus edited by Kate Wolford

00:12:08 - Dawn begins with Krampus's origin - where and when we find him... and with a preemptive apology to our German audience. 

00:13:45 - It all began with a witch named Perchta.

00:16:16 - The Home Visit. ...or when Krampus comes into your living room and all hell breaks loose. 

00:19:04 - Deep, dark winter and how those who know It, know Krampus better than most. 

00:27:00 - Greetings from Krampus, and the greeting cards that started a craze. 

00:30:21 - So you wanna start your own Krampus? Good idea, here's where to start: 

00:31:50 - When the Catholic Church meets Krampus; and how a ban becomes a BAND!

00:37:16 - You think Karens are bad? Meet the Wild Barbaras and Dark Lucys. 

PART II

00:42:45 - St. Nicholas the Star saint of Christmas. 

00:48:14 - Naughty n' Nice list, Jingle Bells, Leaving Milk & Cookies: How your favorite Christmas traditions started with Krampus. 

00:50:30 - Filling out your Krampus with the spicy details: The Rempler, Venusberg and some big-ass hats. 

00:56:45 - Why do we have Krampus? Dawn's take: Fun is life. 

01:01:00 - Sign off and introduction to next episode [new every other Wednesday - next Jan. 5th] The History of the F-word!

---

HILF Podcast on Instagram  -Go here to see lots of photos and updates on guests and research. 

HILF Podcast on Facebook

HILF Podcast on Youtube

**We are a new podcast and still growing and learning. More resources and links will be available... as we get better at this. Thanks for listening and please reach out to let us know where you are and what you want us to F next. 

No one expected James K Polk to be president. He was a quiet, frail, Tennessee Democrat with no military record who had just lost his governor's seat... again. But history is a party my friends, and the fascinating and winding road that leads him into the White House in 1844 is wild ride. Thanks for coming along!

My guest is the hilarious Meryl Klemow - she is a comedian, podcaster, and impossible-to-cancel. Together we tell the tale of some of the most gob-smacking moments of Polk's life (seriously WHY do we keep talking about his scrotum) and unfold the personalities and mysteries that surrounded him. How did this Dark Horse even get nominated to be president? How is he responsible for the US 'acquiring' both Texas and California? ...and what the heck was in that mysteries box delivered to him on the eve of his exit from office? Settle in and find out. 

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PART 1

00:05:20 - Meryl explains why she is so drawn to President Polk and what has brought us to this particular F-ing.

00:07:13 - Dawn explains some of the landmines of this episode, including the subjects of slavery, the Trail of Tears, and the Mexican-American War. Buckle up. 

00:09:00 - Dawn lays out her sources and research. Primarily the biography, POLK: The Man who Transformed the Presidency and America. by Walter R. Borneman. 

Polk's America - Podcast 

00:12:00 - This Guy's Got Stones. THIS is why we keep talking about his scrotum.

00:16:49 - James K Polk was known as 'Young Hickory' because of his closeness to previous president, Andrew Jackson aka 'Old Hickory'. Jackson was much-loved by some, but so hated by others that whole party coalesced around their disdain for him - The Whigs.

00:20:16 - Meet President Tyler, another one-term president we usually forget. He is the man who proved that sometimes the Whig wears you...

00:25:38 - President Tyler and his Secretary of the Navy take most of the cabinet out for a cruise aboard a warship called The Princeton and things get... explosive. 

00:29:50 - Everything is bigger in Texas - including its origin story as a state! The US had it, sold it, stole it back, and then ultimately bought it.  Remember the Alamo?

00:32:55 - Certainly a HILF in his own right, Dawn touches briefly on the man Sam Houston. He was the president of the Independent Republic of Texas before it was annexed by the United States. 

00:38:24 - How a boring-ass vote for a 2/3 majority to win the nomination leads a dark horse into the white house. 

00:40:00 - The 1844 nominations are in it's Clay vs Polk and HOLY SHIT - Polk wins the presidency because of a 3rd party candidate upsetting the predictions in New York. 

...and thus begins centuries of people asking: Who the hell is James K. Polk?

PART 2

00:42:58 - Meryl and Dawn discuss Polk's various positions... You heard me. 

00:44:35 - America wrestles with how to annex Texas and Polk on the eve of his inauguration makes a radical suggestion.

00:46:22 - Polk's bold plan - which he says he'll accomplish in one term: Get Oregon, Get Texas, Get California and change everything about the tax code... no big deal. 

00:47:45 - Zachary Taylor gots to the Rio Grande to pick a fight and Polk casually defies the constitution and declares war with Mexico. 

00:48:49 - The US begins, fights and wins the Mexican/American war in only two years - a time when information took three weeks to get from DC to California. It's a quick war but there are some very fuckable nuggets within:

00:49:25 - Charles Fremont and his secret marriage to the hot, brilliant teenager, Jessie Benton. 

00:52:10 - But then Charles goes rogue, oversteps his bounds, and gets himself court-martialed... but only after he helps create the still much-loved California Republic Flag. 

00:55:11 - A retrospective of the Mexican/American War in which we come out looking like a bunch of bullies. Not my take - Ulysses S. Grant's.

00:57:00 - Polk's out - no interest in even running again. But on your way out, Mr. President, we'd like to give you this MYSTERIOUS BOX OF GOLD!

01:00:00 - Polk's farewell cruise through the South... and right into the grips of the Cholera that ultimately kills him. 

01:06:10 - End Credits, thanks - and our subject for the next episode: The Krampus with my real-life husband, Andrew Melby. 

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HILF Podcast on Instagram  -Go here to see lots of photos and updates on guests and research. 

HILF Podcast on Facebook

HILF Podcast on Youtube

**We are a new podcast and still growing and learning. More resources and links will be available... as we get better at this. Thanks for listening and please reach out to let us know where you are and what you want us to F next. 

It was the day before Thanksgiving, 1971, when the last passenger boarded a short flight from Portland to Seattle. With no ID's required to fly at the time, he paid for his ticket with cash ($20) and signed in as 'Dan Cooper'. He  then sat alone in the back row drinking bourbon and smoking cigarettes.  Later that night, he would parachute out of that plane with $200,000 ransom and never be heard from again. His name was probably not 'Dan Cooper' - but it certainly wasn't 'DB Cooper', the alias almost everyone refers to him by today.  His name, however, is only the beginning of what we do not know about the person who pulled off the only unsolved skyjacking in American History.  

Dawn's special guest, Maile Flanagan, assigned her this subject because - like many others - she had a vague memory of hearing the general story and was eager for all the F-able details. In this episode, Dawn delivers.  Not only a detailed play-by-play of what happened that fateful night, but a dive into some of the most interesting suspects to have emerged from the 50 year old investigation. 

PART 1  

00:02:15 - The History of my guest, Maile Flanagan: Voice of Naruto and Terry Perry on Lab Rats (among many other credits.) 

00:05:05 - Today's HILF: DB Cooper. Who is he and what happened?

00:13:01 - The evidence and what we know.

00:14:50 - The Mystery creates an immediate Legend. 

00:22:00 - Introduction to Florence Schaffner & Tina Mucklow - the flight attendants who interacted with Cooper. 

00:32:00 - Dawn's Favorite Suspects! The FBI identified over 1,000 "viable" suspects - here are 4 of them:

00:33:08 - Suspect #1 - Richard McCoy: A copycat who almost got away with it. 

00:36:47 - Suspect #2 - Duane Weber: A deathbed confession and an angry widow.

PART 2

00:42:55 - Suspect #3 - Walter Reca: His recorded confession to a best friend has a lot of people convinced. 

00:47:12 - Suspect #4 - Barbara Dayton: Born 'Robert Dayton' she had a grudge and the expertise to pull it off. 

00:52:22 - Some honorable mentions including Kenny Christiansen, LD Cooper and Robert Rackstraw.

00:58:58 - Ending credits, thank you's and announcement of next episode: President James K Polk with guest, Meryl Klemow. 

SOURCES AND LINKS: 

**NOTE: If you don't see links to the sources below, go to our page on Simplecast [https://hilf-history-id-like-to-f-k.simplecast.com]. You can also message us on Instagram with any questions or corrections. [@HILFPodcast, https://www.instagram.com/hilfpodcast] or [[email protected]]

Book: 'SKYJACK' The Hunt for DB Cooper by Geoffrey Gray 

HBO Documentary:  The Mystery of DB Cooper (2020) [Youtube Trailer]

DB Cooper Days at the Ariel Tavern (ended as of 2018) 

Great resource regarding flight attendants of the 60's & 70's.

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HILF Podcast on Instagram  -Go here to see lots of photos and updates on guests and research. 

HILF Podcast on Facebook

HILF Podcast on Youtube

**We are a new podcast and still growing and learning. More resources and links will be available... as we get better at this. Thanks for listening and please reach out to let us know where you are and what you want us to F next. 

John Dillinger’s career was short.  The time between his first bank robbery and his killing by the FBI on the streets of Chicago, was just under 21 months. His impact on American culture, however, is immeasurable. He was especially handsome, conspicuously charming and ever-bold in his actions. As the Great Depression worsened - as far as the general American was concerned - a polite gun-slinger who was always kind to ladies, just didn’t look that bad compared to the banks he was robbing.

Guest, Kat Perkins, is a prolific singer-songwriter out of the Twin Cities and also a top-five finalist on The Voice. Kat chose Dillinger because as a Midwest girl born-and-bred she has always heard stories of the various outlaws that roamed her familiar streets. Together, old friends Dawn and Kat, enjoy a sexy jaunt into some of the sexiest episodes surrounding his life and death… and have a few beers doin’ it.

PART 1 - Wherein we travel from a Speak Easy to a sad little BOI

00:00:00 - Greetings and introductions.

00:02:08 - The History of Kat Perkins! From her time on The Voice, to her the summer camp for kids she started, to her many tours with the USO.

00:07:03 - Introduction to our HILF subject, John H. Dillinger.

00:07:55 - Dawn lays out her research and sources. [See below for links.]

00:11:40 - Let’s Fuck John Dillinger!

00:13:03 - Who were the gangsters of the 1930’s? Prohibition, Speak-easies, Cars, Guns and a little ol’ government agency called BOI.

00:19:00 - Of all the fascinating characters of this time, why do we remain so obsessed with Dillinger, specifically?

00:21:20 - John Dillinger’s Childhood antics lead him to a stiff prison sentence and a whole new career.

00:25:51 - Dillinger helps break his friends out of Indiana, just in time for them to break him out of Lima, Ohio.

00:30:00 - John Dillinger is taken to prison in  Crown Point, Indiana - from which he daringly escapes within two months.

00:37:38 - The BOI becomes the FBI and Dillinger’s girlfriend, Billie Frechette, gets arrested.

PART 2 - Public Enemy Number One... is the Loneliest Number. 

00:41:50 - The Dillinger Gang goes to a resort in Little Bohemia, Wisconsin - and the FBI fucks up big time.

00:50:17 - John Dillinger’s crime land friend and member of the gang, Red Hamilton dies an agonizing death after begin shot in the back. Hope is erased…

00:52:04 - While in Chicago living under an alias, Dillinger falls for Polly Hamilton and makes the acquaintance of Ana Sage - the Woman in Red.

O0:53:33 - John Dillinger goes to the Movies and takes a bow.

01:01:48 - The FBI grows up and cleans up… while getting dirty.

01:04:30 - A footnote by little-known Dillinger contemporary, Alvin ‘Creepy’ Karpis.

01:08:50 - A post-sign off extra where Kat gives us some insight into how she conceived of our theme music!

LINKS:

Kat Perkins

Pubic Enemies by Bryan Burrough 

The Wabasha Street Caves - St. Paul, Minnesota

VIDEOS/DOCUMENTARIES:

• Newsreel Footage of Dillinger's Crown Point Escape, 1934
• BBC Documentary with a lot of rare, original footage
• Appointment with Destiny: The Last Days of John Dillinger (By Rod Serling) 
• Trailer for 1934 film, Manhattan Melodrama - the film John Dillinger saw, moments before his death. 

HILF Podcast on Instagram  -Go here to see lots of photos and updates on guests and research. 

HILF Podcast on Facebook

HILF Podcast on Youtube

**We are a new podcast and still growing and learning. More resources and links will be available... as we get better at this. Thanks for listening and please reach out to let us know where you are and what you want us to F next.