When it comes to Chicago history there is one guy you turn to. Joe Marrese! Strider consults his bro, and absolute legend with a monster hog about the origin of Chicago style deep dish pie.

Sources: Wikipedia.org, giordanos.com, Bbc.com ‘The deep rooted history of Chicago’s deep-dish’ by Caitlin Zaino, Ginoseast.com

Who were the old school Californians? There are two leading theories. Do either of these theories shed light on the NorCal SoCal beef that exists so tangibly in Santa Barbra today, or is it something modern bros have conjured up to control the ratio at house parties? Strider examines what the Native Californians may have been like. 

Primary Researcher: Jacoby Lapinsky 

Sources: Dr. Glen Gendzel, San Jose State University, Head of History Department (Professor & Advisor), Major Problems in California History, by Sucheng Chan, 1997 (Book), This Land was Mexican Once, Chapter 1-3, by Linda Heidenreich, 2007 (Book)

The utter dankness of Fantasy Art is vastly under appreciated because as adults we seldom get a chance to use our imaginations. Well, the artwork of Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell are like keys to unlocking a part of the mind and spirit that enables one to escape from his or her daily routine in a very stoke inducing, and previously unimagined way. Strider examines a few of his favorite works from two of his favorite artists. Remember, there is no right or wrong when imagining. Enjoy!

Sources:

Borisjulie.com, Wikipedia.org, 'The Fantastic Art of Boris Vallejo' by Boris Vallejo by Lester del Rey 1978 Ballantine Books

Everyone knows eagles, falcons and hawks are tight. Everyone knows that parrots are smart. And if you've ever been outside in your life you know that crows are a nuisance. However, after one vivid dream and many years of being annoyed by crows in the valet lot at work Strider decided it was ripe time to find out more about these morbid pests of the sky. Maybe they aren't un-chill? maybe they're just chilling in their own way? What's the deal with dreams?

Sources:

Wikipedia.org, Cnet.com ‘How Crows Are The Smartest Birds In The World’ by Michelle Starr, Audubon.org, Unis.mcgill.ca, Livescience.com ‘Facts About Crows’ by Alina Bradford, Worldbirds.org ‘Crows Symbolism & Meaning’ by Garth C. Clifford, Otherworldlyoracle.com

Strider looks back a century's time to see what was going down? What was 2021 the year of? What will 2021 be the year of? Strider is thinking it's gonna be aliens dude? We need something to unite us. Hopefully it's chill aliens that can teach us how to be legit. If 2020, and the first week of 2021 are any indicator... seems anything could go down.

Sources:

wikipedia.org, thepeoplehistory.com, history.com, onthisday.com

Strider had no idea what a credenza was before he met his dank GF. One could say he has been in a love triangle ever since. The credenza, thought by most to be a simple corridor adornment is the center piece of Strider and his dank GF's abode. Listen and learn all about the Dank Denza and similar pieces we so often identify incorrectly.

Sources:

Edx.org ‘Tangible Things: Discovering History Though Artwork, Artifacts, Scientific Specimens and The Stuff Around You’, Dictionary.com, Furniturewholesalers.com, Elledecor.com, 1stdibs.com, Webstaurantstore.com, Wikipedia.org

A lot of people just won their leagues this week. A lot more didn't. Strider is a constituent of the latter. Leaving all emotion and hard feelings out of it, Strider shares his research on the medium of camaraderie and competition that we all love and hate some much.

Sources:

Sproutsocial.com ‘Social Media and the Rise of Fantasy Sports’ by Kayla Lee, Onthisday.com, Wikipedia.org, Inquirer.com ‘Scoring points in the first fantasy football league Circuit began in Oakland in 1963’ by Ed Barkowitz, Footballdiehards.com ‘Letterhead From The Commissioner Bill Winkenbach A NOD(and a wink) To The Founders Of Fantasy Football’ by Bob Harris and Emil Kadlec

You know you've seen these graphic T's being sported by a dude in jean shorts on vacation standing next to his son who is sunburnt wearing the same T. Strider is for sure fired up that people are on vacation, but what is it about these shirts? Why were they such a hit? Where did they come from? Do people still wear them? What is going on!?

Sources:

Bigdogs.com, ‘No Fear of the Big Dogs: An Ode to the Forgotten Graphic T-shirts of the 90’s’ By Brendan Gallagher 

Theoutline.com ‘How A Big Dog Became a Symbol For White, Male America’ by Alex Ronan

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When you're posted up watching a dank movie like Braveheart or Kingdom Of Heaven the director's roadshow or any period piece really... the executioner is always a dude who looks like a former offensive lineman who maybe played D-2 college ball wearing a hood with a huge axe. In this episode Strider searches for a better understanding of the person not the position by removing the veil to find out a little more about the men behind the mask. If they even wore them at all...

Sources:

Livescience.com ‘What was It Like to Be an Executioner in the Middle Ages?’ by Emma Bryce, ‘A Hangman’s Diary: The Journal of Master Franz Schmidt, Public Executioner of Nuremberg. 1573-1617’ by Franz Schmidt, Wikipedia.org, Berlinbooks.org ‘God’s Executioner’ by Joel Harrington, History.co.uk Execution in the Middle Ages

Robert Smalls possessed the boldness and courage we all wish we had. His story is one for the ages, and it just begins with him hi-jacking a Confederate battle ship and navigating his way to freedom. He then went on to do even better things. This is a purely stoke inducing ep!

Sources:

Wikipedia.org, History.com, Pbs.org ‘Which Slave Sailed Himself to Freedom?” by Henry Louis Gates Jr., Smithsonianmag.com ‘The Thrilling tale of how Rober Small Seized a Confederate Ship and Sailed it to Freedom’ by Cate Lineberry