History Is Dank

What is the best case scenario for a pirate sailing on any sea? Score some loot, become boys with the crew and not get injured or killed too quickly? Sounds about right. Well, Ching Shih has a very adult rated fairy tale of piracy. Her rise and... well continued rise is something only she could have done. What she did on the South China Sea is straight up piracy Hall of Fame type stuff. Strider recognizes that piracy and criminality go hand in and hand and it is not that aspect of Ching Shih's or any pirate's life that he wants to celebrate, but rather the scale and diplomatic sway of her floating empire.   Sources: wikipedia.org, Ancient-origins.net ‘Ching Shih - From Prostitue to Infamous Female Pirate’ by M R Reese, Youtube.com Invicta ‘Epic Moments in History - Ching Shih, Rise of the Pirate Queen’

Strider Debates whether or not Napoleon Bonaparte was in fact a shmole. Historians Johnathan Riley and Owen Connelly take differing approaches in their examination of the French Conqueror positing the question, was Napoleon a great military strategist and General or rather the epitome of a charismatic leader and swayer of mind and spirit?  "When speaking on the lives of individuals, there is no real way to determine the headspace one is in when they carry out the decisions that effectively alter history as we know it." Strider relies on the evidence available to determine Napoleon's shmoliness.  Primary Researcher: Jacob Lapinsky Sources: Blundering to Glory: Napoleon’s Military Campaigns by Owen Connelly, Napoleon as a General: Command from the Battlefield to Grand Strategy by Johnathan Riley , Professor John Roth, San Jose State University, Military History through the Ages

Road trips with the boys is one of the dankest things there is. Pioneering with your family and cruising the Oregon Trail is definitely no boys trip. The Oregon Trail is an arduous Westward journey toward a new life. This a rare instance where Strider can explore the subject as somewhat of a primary source as he has virtually ventured onto the trail many times. Sources: wikipedia.org, worldvideogamehalloffame.org, History.com, Blm.gov ‘Facts About the Oregon Trail’, Oregontrailcenter.org

Anyone who has ever seen the movie Gladiator is not only chill, but also definitely appreciates Joaquin Phoenix's dank portrayal of Emperor Commodus. Well, Strider's bro Harmony McElligott has recently seen a legit documentary on Commodus. So sit back and relax and Harmony shares some knowledge about the actual Emperor's exploits. Strider, having seen Gladiator upwards of 58 times, he has seen it 59 times, draws lines between fact and reality.  Learn more and laugh more with Harmony on instagram at @harmonymcelligott Sources: Yahoo.com ‘How Beer Ruled The Ancient World’ by Candida Moss, Wikipedia.org, Ancient.eu ‘Commodus’ by Donald L. Wasson, Roman Empire Reign of Blood Netflix 2016

How is there no movie about this guy? What he and his exploratory crew endured in Antarctica is a tale of having your bros backs that must be retold. Just how Ernest would select dudes for his expedition is an amazing process in and of its self. Fired up to share this story. Spread it like wildfire!  Sources: britannica.com, wikipedia.org, Shackeltonlondon.com ‘How Ernest Shackleton Recruited His Men’, history.com ‘The Stunning Survival Or Ernest Shackelton And His Endurance Crew’ by Kieran Mulvaney

The most legit thing that can happen on a boat is partying with your boys. The only way a boat could get any more legit is if you scope some Orcas. Killer Whales! They are majestic genius dolphins the size of buses. Apex Predators of the sea! Killer Whales induce nothing but stoke unless you're a seal or a salmon of course. Strider explores just how tight Orcas are while attempting to find out what maniac saw one and said to himself, "Incredible! I gotta teach this thing how to do flips." Sources: Wikipedia.org, nationalgeographic.com, orcaaware.org, thedodo.com, seaworld.com, Britannica.com ‘Here’s what really happened to Shamu’, Pbs.org, Whaleresearch.com

Shane McConkey is a true legend, and I think the words of the dude who suggested diving into his incredible life sums up this episode best, "Yo what up my dawg strider, me and my dawgs have recently been hyping up some short term history which we feel could be addressed in a very dank manner on the pod. We are all free skiers and idolize the potential GOAT of the free-skiing community; Shane McConkey, the all time sender who may have single handedly guided the “send-mentality” of action sports. If you don’t know who this is we highly recommend dedicating your next 20 or 30 minutes to recognizing how dank this dude was. I think an ep on him could really help increase the general hype from the boys and get them fired up on having a mentality of sending it and having a good time with the squad." Sources: wikipedia.org, Outsideonline.com ‘The Life and Death of Shane McConkey’ by Tim Sohn, John Malbeck youtube channel. ‘Shane McConkey Tribute’, Snowbrains.com ‘Shane McConkey: 11 Years Gone But Still Inspiring’ by Ryan Mulcahy, Skydivingmelbourne.com, Bbc.com ‘The history of skiing spans the Cro-Magnon man to the chairlift. Found out where to get closer to its roots’ by Suemedha Sood, Theglobeandmail.com ‘A History of Wingsuit Flight’ by Peter Cheney

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February is Black History Month. The annual observance originated in the United States, and is spreading to other countries as well. As part of the observance Strider chose to share the story of the Amistad Case. The Supreme Court's ruling was not only  monumental to the fate those tragically involved, but that of the entire United States. The protagonist Sengbe Pieh, otherwise known as Joesph Cinque sums up why it is important to look back at even the most tragic chapters of humanity's past, "I meant my ancestors. I will call into the past. Far back to the beginning of time and beg them to come and help me at the judgment. I will reach back and draw them into me and they must come. For at this moment I am the whole reason they have existed at all." We have the ingredients to be good to our fellow man.  Sources: History.com Amistad Case, Wikipedia.org, imdb.com, Reuters.com, Thoughtco.com “Events and Legacy of the Amistad Case of 1840” by Robert Longley 'Amistad' Film. Steven Spielberg 1997

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