Sofa King Podcast

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we take a look at the State of Artificial Intelligence. We’ve covered this topic before (way back in time), but so much has happened in the past year, and the growth is so stupendous, we thought it was worth revisiting. So, if you want to hear us talk about ChatGPT, Bard, Midjourney, and other commercial AI developments, give this one a listen. We also rap about the exponential curve of technological progress and get into a little bit of AI philosophy.   https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-03/only-humans-not-ai-machines-can-get-a-u-s-patent-judge-rules#xj4y7vzkg https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/ https://futureoflife.org/cause-area/artificial-intelligence/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roko%27s_basilisk https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/chatgpt-causing-layoffs-which-jobs-danger-due-radhakrishnan#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20report%2C%20jobs,journalists%2C%20are%20also%20at%20risk. https://openai.com/research/gpts-are-gpt

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we travel back in time and look at one of the most powerful females of the ancient world, Hatshepsut. She was one of only handful of women to break with Egyptian law and fully become Pharaoh. And while she did conquer neighboring invaders early in her life, Egypt was a place of exploration, art, and construction under her reign. There is a camp that argues she was a manipulative, evil woman who wrested power with the help of her lover, but most historians today believe her reign was peaceful, she was loved by her people, and her power play was to keep her family in power against political rivals. Listen, laugh, learn.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-egypt/hatshepsut https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hatshepsut https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-queen-who-would-be-king-130328511/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatshepsut https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/Hatshepsut_From_Queen_to_Pharaoh https://blac

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the most powerful company you’ve never heard of, Blackrock. Blackrock is an investment firm that was created by Larry Fink, the guy who brought you the housing collapse. After a computer lost his bank $100 million dollars due to an error, he created Aladdin, an AI model that the entire financial market now relies on. With its algorithm, Blackrock manages more money than the GDP of America. Some say it is why nobody can buy a house anymore, and it was involved in everything from Covid rescues to bank bailouts. It seems to own a percentage of just about every major corporation you can think of and is in bed with every government in the world. If there is an Illuminati, this just might be it.   Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackRock https://www.investigate-europe.eu/en/2018/blackrock-the-company-that-owns-the-world/ https://corporateaccountability.org/blog/blackrock-for-2022-corporate-hall-of-shame/#:~:text=BlackRock%20is%20a%20top%

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we look at some true crime from back in 1992: the case of the Springfield Three. The Springfield Three refer to three women who went missing on June 7th, the nigh of the high school graduation. After Suzie Streeter and Stacy McCall spent the night partying, they went home to mother Sherrill Levitt’s house to call it a night. When friends called on them the next morning to go to a water park, they were gone. Everything was in place, no signs of theft or struggle. But why was the porch lamp broken? What happened to the family dog? How could a grave-robbing motorcycle gang have been involved? What about the serial killer who lived across the street? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources https://www.springfieldmo.gov/2498/Three-Missing-Women https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/missing-persons/the-springfield-three---springfield-missouri https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_Three https://thecrimewire.com/true-crime/Vanished-The-Springfield-Three https://www.ky3.c

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the most mysterious disasters of the modern world—The Tunguska Event. Early one morning in the summer of 1908, a massive explosion ripped through the heart of Russia. It was estimated to be around 15 megatons of explosive force that destroyed the land for miles. The common theory is that it was a hard metal asteroid that hit, but the theory loses steam since there is no crater to suggest impact. This leads to massive expeditions into the wilds of Siberia and theories that range from comet tails to subatomic blackholes and even a super weapon developed ty Nicola Tesla!   Visit Our Sources: https://www.britannica.com/event/Tunguska-event https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/30jun_tunguska https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunguska_event https://earthsky.org/space/what-is-the-tunguska-explosion/ https://astronomy.com/news/2020/10/tunguska-explosion-in-1908-caused-by-asteroid-grazing-earth https://www.scientifica

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about one of the greatest to ever grip a microphone, Jerry Seinfeld. Seinfeld is the comedian’s comedian. He started doing small gigs right out of college and never looked back. He was obsessed with comedy since the age of 8 and became sort of a meta-comic who has learned to dissect comedy and get to its essence. Of course, he blew the lid off of television with his sitcom Seinfeld, but his writing, professionalism, and even Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee make him stand out as the greatest of a generation. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/actors/jerry-seinfeld https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jerry-Seinfeld https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Seinfeld https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/66049/25-yada-yada-yada-facts-about-seinfeld https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/g42575155/14-seinfeld-fun-facts-you-havent-heard-before/ https://writingcooperative.com/jerry-seinfelds-best-writing-advice-347e75ea1508 https://www.thethings.com/jer

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the terrorist attack on Paris in 2015. On the night of November 13th, a coordinated assault raged across the city. There were a host of suicide bombers at a soccer match, and there was a car doing some nasty drive-by shootings at restaurants. The worst, however, was an assault inside of an Eagles of Death Metal concert that killed around 90 people. So, who planned this horrible attack? What did they want? What did this have to do with a magazine called Charlie Hebdo? What happened to the terrorists? Listen, laugh, learn.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34818994 https://www.britannica.com/event/Paris-attacks-of-2015 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_2015_Paris_attacks https://www.dni.gov/nctc/timeline.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4724780/ https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/08/europe/2015-paris-terror-attacks-fast-facts/index.html Paris attacks give rise to conspiracy theories | Paris Atta

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we tell the unique tale of Koko the gorilla. Koko was born in captivity in San Francisco and became world famous for her use of sign language. She was said to have the vocabulary of a five year old child, and she showed complex emotions, memories, and even a sense of humor through her use of language. She even taught another gorilla sign language, and the two of them made up their own signs. Koko was depressed after her mate died, and they brought in none other Robin Williams to cheer her up; they became fast friends. So, what do the haters say about Koko’s language? What intelligence tests did she pass? What did she name her pet cats and the bird she hated? Listen, laugh, learn.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.koko.org/about/gorilla-koko/ https://daily.jstor.org/the-legacy-of-koko-the-gorilla/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koko_(gorilla) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/gorillas-koko-sign-language-culture-animals https://faroutm

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the Guru of Popular Music, Rick Rubin. This music producer took on mythological status by launching Def Jam records out of his dorm room in New York and pioneering hip hop alongside Russel Simmons. But his story doesn’t end there. Over the past 40 years, he has won endless Grammy awards in the genres of hard rock, rap, and country. Every strange (but amazing crossover) from Jonny Cash covering “Hurt” to Run DMC teaming up with Aerosmith were all thanks to Rubin. He may look like a hippie guru who only wants you to get in touch with your inner self—but that’s only because that’s exactly what he is. Visit our Sources: https://www.openculture.com/2021/12/rick-rubin-the-invisibility-of-hip-hops-greatest-producer.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubin_production_discography https://www.cbsnews.com/video/rick-rubin-60-minutes-video-2023-01-15/ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/rick-rubin-my-lif

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the worst music festival ever: Woodstock 99. This was supposed to be the return to peace and love, but it turned out to be a cash grab of a festival filled with sexual assault, mob violence, and riots. It was hosted on an old, polluted air force base where the temperatures reached 100 degrees on the hot tarmac; there was no water; there were no hotels; and the vibe was violent and hostile the entire time. So who planed this train wreck? What happened when people saw crimes occur? Why did it end being a swamp of muddy ground and backed up sewage? Listen, laugh, learn.   Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock_%2799 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfund https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/19-worst-things-about-woodstock-99-176052/ https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/documentaries/trainwreck-woodstock-99-true-story/ https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a40769147/woodstock-99-true-story/

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the queen of Appalachia, Dolly Parton. She is a legend of country music with a fifty year career. From “Jolene” to “I Will Always Love You,” she has written and recorded some of the most important country songs ever. But that wasn’t enough. She starred in smash movies like 9 to 5 in the 1980s, created the mega-hit theme park Dollywood, is a massive philanthropist, and is so open minded about other races and the LGBTQ+ community that she still gets threats from the KKK. If you want to hear about one of the most uplifting human beings on the planet, this is the one for you. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/musicians/dolly-parton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Parton https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/dolly-parton https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/61219/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-dolly-parton https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/singers/dolly-parton-net-worth/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doll

On this Classic episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we climb the Mount Everest of podcast topics to look for the tales and truths behind the Yeti. The Yeti, the Abominable Snowman, the Mi-Go, the Yeren; these are all apparently the same creature: a humanoid beast with feet like a man (smaller than a “Bigfoot”) who has been seen in the Himalayan mountains for centuries. Their gods and mythology tie back to this creature, and sightings and folk lore amount local Sherpas are vibrant and updated. So why should anyone care about a mythological beast called a Yeti? Well, for one thing, a lot of pretty high rolling explorers saw them, claimed to saw them, or brought back evidence of them. Sir Edmund Hillary went on multiple expeditions to find this creature and even brought back evidence. Over the past hundred years, public calls have gone out to find proof. From oil millionaire Tom Slick to a British newspaper and even Oxford University, they all sent people or paid for evidence surrounding this. The Chinese governm

On this Classic episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the self-improvement mogul, Tony Robbins. He’s the six foot seven inch motivational speaker who is worth $480 million dollars and holds seminars that cost between two and eight thousand dollars. Tony Robbins was born Anthony J. Mahavoric on February 29, 1960. His father left them, and his mother was abusive to point of chasing him around the house with a kitchen knife, so at age 17, he set out on his own and was such an amazing salesperson that he was in his own apartment and living a better life than he did with his mom in a matter of months. Robbins was an amazingly driven teen, becoming a sports writer by sheer force of will and quickly becoming a top salesperson for another motivational speaker. By the time he was an adult, he had studied psychology and hypnotism (never formally educated), and he started his own motivational industry. His companies are now worth over $5 billion, and he was the king of the late night infomercial during the 19

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about The Man with No Name—Clint Eastwood. Eastwood is the ultimate Hollywood star. He started with the smash hit TV show Rawhide, went on to define The Spaghetti Western, and made some of the best films in the history of cinema. He did action, he did comedy, he did drama. He acted, and he won Oscar after Oscar as a director. Get the behind the scenes on America’s favorite tough man and give this one a listen.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/actor/clint-eastwood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Eastwood https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/80551/15-facts-about-clint-eastwood-make-your-day https://www.factinate.com/people/42-sharp-shooting-facts-clint-eastwood/ https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/clint-eastwood-net-worth/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=933hKyKNPFQ

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we take a look at one of the more bizarre stories in video games—The Tale of Tetris. It is a story of mass piracy, Soviet Secrecy, and murder! Everyone knows this brick stacking game, and most of us have been addicted to it at some point or another. But the story of its spread and development is wild. It was created by Alexey Pajitnov for a group run by the Soviet Union. A colleague named Vladimir Pokhilko first recognized its addictive quality and was brought in. After most of the world was playing it (illegally), Pajitnoz and Pokhilko used its success to move to the US and work on new software, but Pohkilko and his family died to hammer assaults and knife attacks. Maybe a murder-suicide, maybe a Russian mafia hit job? You decide. Listen, laugh, learn.   Visit Our Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris https://murderpedia.org/male.P/p/pokhilko-vladimir.htm https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/tetris-game-facts/ https://decider.com/2022/12/05/the-

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we head down under and talk about the baddest Bushranger of them all, Ben Hall. Ben Hall was an epic outlaw of the outback. After his wife left him, he took up with a bad crowd of criminals and soon became the leader of one of the most notorious gangs of the Australian Old West. In just a handful of years, they racked up over 100 robberies. Even better, they did crimes to mock the police and make the citizens like them. At one point, the put an entire town on lock down, put the cops in their own cell, and had a three day all-expense paid dance party in the saloon. His death was as grand as his life, and if you like cowboy times or Aussies, this is the one for you! Visit Our Sources: https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/ben-hall-australian-bushranger https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hall-ben-1507 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hall_(bushranger) https://aguidetoaustralianbushranging.com/2017/11/08/the-mourning-of-may-5th-the-death-of-ben-hall/ https:/

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we look at the towering career of the one and only Shaquille O’Neill. The man is a legend on the court. He was a four-time champion, multiple MVP, won an Olympic Gold metal, and had plenty of beefs with other sports personalities. He was dominant on the Lakers but won championships on other teams as well. But let’s not forget the fun stuff, like is video game Shaq-Fu, his rap albums, his role as a genie named Kazaam, and his reality shows. This man is a sports and pop-culture legend and worthy of an hour of the three of us rambling. Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/athlete/shaquille-oneal https://www.britannica.com/biography/Shaquille-ONeal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaquille_O%27Neal https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/574854/shaq-facts-shaquille-oneal https://www.discoverwalks.com/blog/united-states/top-10-facts-about-shaquille-oneal/ https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-athletes/nba/shaquille-oneal-net-worth/

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we remember, remember the 5th of November and talk about the Gunpowder Plot of Guy Fawkes. If you’re from the UK, this is probably a story you are familiar with. In America, we really only heard about it from the movie and comic book V for Vendetta. Either way, it is a wild story about a soldier (and terrorist?) who tried to blow up Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder, assassinate the king, and put someone else on the throne. The tale ends in torture and death of the conspirators, but to this day, a feast and bonfire still exist in many parts of the UK to celebrate this odd occasion.   Visit Our Sources: https://archive.pinupmagazine.org/articles/article-guy-fawkes-mask-v-for-vendetta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes https://www.britannica.com/biography/Guy-Fawkes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/633067/guy-fawkes-night-facts https://potw.org/archive/potw405.html

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about an American tragedy—the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The date was March 25, 1911, and a sweatshop in the garment district of New York caught fire. At first, it was thought to be a cigarette in a scrap bin, but the tangle of boxes, oiled down floor, and lack of fire equipment turned it into disaster. The fire escape buckled from the crush of people, the elevator stopped working because so many burning bodies were on top of the car, and the fire fighters couldn’t get to their hoses because they were piled with corpses who jumped from ten stories above. What fate befell the factory owners? How did they make things even worse for the fire, and what corruption did they do before the fire? Listen, laugh, learn.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/early-20th-century-us/triangle-shirtwaist-fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire https://trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/ https://www.osha.gov/aboutosha/40-y

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the films, crash, and rebound of Mel Gibson. Gibson’s career was pure gold in the 80s and 90s. He was the star of two mega-franchises, Mad Max and Lethal Weapon. He was able to do drama, action, romance, and comedy, and he even started winning Oscars for directing such films and Braveheart and the Passion of the Christ. But he hit a hard snag when anti-Semitic rants and alleged abuse of his ex-girlfriend surfaced. Somehow, he avoided getting cancelled and went to win even more awards with films like Hacksaw Ridge. He is a mainstay of Hollywood, and even after saying the worst things imaginable, his career still thrives.   Visit Our Sources: https://www.biography.com/actor/mel-gibson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Gibson https://variety.com/2020/film/news/mel-gibson-controversies-career-1234696080/ https://superstarsbio.com/bios/mel-gibson/ https://www.factinate.com/people/33-wacky-facts-mel-gibson/ https://www.10-facts-about.com/mel-gibson/id/