Take On the World Podcast

Behind the headlines of Gary Heidnik’s horrific crimes are six women whose stories deserve to be remembered. In this episode, we examine the Philadelphia kidnappings that left Sandra Lindsay and Deborah Dudley dead and four women fighting to survive—and how Josefina Rivera’s courageous escape brought police to Heidnik’s door. We trace his background, the coercion and abuse inside his North Marshall Street home, and the trial that raised a difficult distinction: serious mental illness is not the same as legal insanity. With renewed attention to the case following NBC10’s reporting on a separate Philadelphia missing-women investigation, we revisit this disturbing chapter of Pennsylvania history while keeping the victims and survivors at the center. Viewer discretion advised: discussion includes sexual violence, captivity, torture, and murder.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#PodcastRecommendationsOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

Before Goggle Works became a place where people melt glass, throw pottery, and discover that clay has a personal grudge against beginners, it was one of Reading’s great industrial success stories. This episode follows the 130-year journey of Thomas A. Willson & Co.—from early optical lenses and shatterproof safety glass to wartime pilot sunglasses, gas masks, and a factory workforce of 1,300 people—before its old brick home was reborn as the Goggle Works Center for the Arts. We also wander beyond the studios to visit Reading’s Pagoda, Yuengling’s legendary Pottsville brewery tunnels, and the mysterious industrial passageways said to run beneath parts of the Reading area. It is a story of goggles, grit, ghosts of industry, and a city that knows how to make something new from its past.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#PodcastRecommendation#GoggleWorks#ReadingPA#PennsylvaniaHistory#BerksCountyOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

On May 13, 1985, Philadelphia became the site of one of the most disturbing events in American urban history when police dropped a bomb on a residential rowhouse occupied by the radical group MOVE. What followed was a fire that raged out of control, destroying over 60 homes and killing 11 people, including five children. In this episode, we trace the origins of MOVE, the deadly 1978 Powelton Village shootout, the escalating standoff on Osage Avenue, and the catastrophic decisions that turned a police operation into a human tragedy. We break down who was held accountable, why no criminal charges were ever filed, and why Philadelphia didn't formally apologize until 2020. This is the story of how a city lost control of a crisis, and the lessons it still holds decades later. Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld

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#AmericanHistory #PhillyHistory #MOVEOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

Hot rods were born from speed, backyard ingenuity, and young gearheads turning cheap old cars into fast, rebellious machines—but rat rods took that same spirit, dragged it through a junkyard, and gave it a punk-rock attitude. In this episode, we dig into the Southern California roots of hot rodding, dry-lake racing, postwar car culture, and how the rat rod scene turned rust, exposed welds, mismatched parts, and “unfinished” into a badge of honor. From Model As and ’32 Fords to chopped pickups and rough-around-the-edges garage builds, we explore why these machines are more than cars—they’re rebellion on wheels.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld# PodcastRecommendations#HotRods #RatRods #ClassicCars #CustomCars #CarCulture On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

What kind of state gives you underground ice in July and a town that’s been on fire since the Kennedy administration? In this episode, Mike D and John travel into the weird side of Pennsylvania, where summer heat somehow creates giant icicles inside the legendary Coudersport Ice Mine — a 40-foot hole in the ground that acts less like a cave and more like nature’s broken air conditioner. The guys also head to Trough Creek State Park, home to a tiny hillside opening that stays cold enough to grow ice while everyone above it is sweating through their T-shirts. And because Pennsylvania apparently refuses to be normal, the episode finishes in Centralia, the nearly abandoned town where an underground coal fire has been burning since 1962 and may keep going for another 250 years. From frozen rock chambers to roads that literally smoke, this episode mixes history, science, local legends, and just enough “how is this real?” to make you want to road-trip across the Keystone State immediately. Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected]. We will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World! To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPod Check out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout. Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod #PennsylvaniaMysteries #CoudersportIceMine#CentraliaPA #TroughCreek #takeontheworld # PodcastRecommendations On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBSt YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpod or Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

In this episode, we dive into the chilling true story of the man‑eating lions of Tsavo, the infamous pair of maneless males that stalked railway camps in Kenya in 1898 and dragged workers from their tents at night. We walk through the Uganda Railway project, John Henry Patterson’s desperate hunt, and why the death toll remains disputed, with estimates ranging from 28 to 135 victims while modern research points closer to 35. Along the way, we unpack how prey shortages, disease, injury, and “easy pickings” around the camps may have turned these lions into human hunters, and how their legacy still shapes our understanding of predator behavior today. From survival horror and colonial history to African wildlife science, we separate legend from evidence—and trace the story all the way to the Field Museum and beyond.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#PodcastRecomendationsOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

The Pinkertons were pioneers of modern detective work, helping shape criminal databases, undercover investigation, and Civil War intelligence. But their legacy is far more complicated than just crime fighting.In this episode, we dig into the rise of Allan Pinkerton, the Baltimore Plot, the hunt for Jesse James, the Molly Maguires, Homestead, and the dark reputation that made the Pinkertons both famous and infamous in American history.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#podcastrecomendations#pinkertonsOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

To celebrate 150 episodes, John and Mike D pull back the curtain and invite listeners into a more personal side of Take On The World. Joined by former co-hosts Deb Dougherty and Nathan, the crew shares stories, laughs, and reflections from their time on the show—along with a few surprises along the way.This special episode dives into who they are beyond the microphones, how the podcast has evolved, and the moments that defined their journey. Whether you’ve been listening from the beginning or just found the show, Episode 150 is a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the voices you’ve come to know.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#PodcastRecomendationOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

In this episode, we head into Pennsylvania’s coal country to unravel one of the most debated stories in American labor history—the Molly Maguires. Were they a secret society fighting back against brutal working conditions, or a label used to crush Irish immigrant miners? We dig into the Pinkerton infiltration by James McParlan, the controversial trials, and the mass executions of Black Thursday in 1877. Plus, we explore the eerie legend of the Cell 17 handprint and why this story still sparks debate today. This isn’t just about crime—it’s about power, identity, and who gets to control the narrative.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#podcastrecommendations On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

Most companies unknowingly kill their own growth by ignoring the untapped power of regional industry hubs—and Pennsylvania’s steel industry is the prime example that proves it. Johnny and Mike D unpack the fascinating rise and fall of America’s steel giants, revealing how Pittsburgh and Bethlehem shaped the nation’s economy and what lessons they hold for today’s industry.CHECK OUT Barrel Aged Flicks and Mike D's Hosting of The Great Outdoors - https://youtu.be/a-ITkmic64k?si=hrU460CARn4rtl-EBAF - @barrelagedflicksvideopodcast  Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#podcastrecommendations On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413