Wikireadia: The Podcast that reads Wikipedia.

Agent 355 was -- possibly -- a spy for George Washington et. al. during the American Revolutionary War. Notably, she was a she. The original Wikipedia entry lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_355

This episode, from Wikipedia: QAnon is a disproven far-right conspiracy theory alleging that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic pedophiles operate a global child sex trafficking ring and conspired against former President Donald Trump during his term in office. QAnon has been described as a cult. Here's a link to Go Viral!, the online game mentioned in section 11 of the podcast, that illustrates how misinformation gets created & spread. Pretty amusing & recommended: https://www.goviralgame.com/books/go-viral/ The original Wikipedia page can be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QAnon

In 1948, political novelist George Orwell released his archetypal dystopian, surveillance-state, oppressed-public romance novel: Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel (a.k.a., 1984). In doing so, he freaked out his own and many more generations to come. Today, it's widely quoted and referred to -- often quite incorrectly -- and continues to profoundly impact those who bother to read it. From the Ministry of Truth, Welcome to Room 101. The original Wikipedia entry lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four

Meet Richard Prince, the NY artist who used appropriation of other artists' works to create his own art, most famously by reusing images of the Marlboro Man advertising campaign, and covers from pulp fiction paperbacks about nurses. The original Wikipedia pages lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Prince

Detroit Tigers cap, mustache, male short-shorts in a red Ferrari? That's Magnum, sir. The original Wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnum,_P.I. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

In 1968, Paul and Anne Ehrlich published their best-selling book The Population Bomb. In it, they predicted that as the world population outpaced food production, widespread famine would bedevil the future. To prevent such a thing, the made some bold prescriptions -- e.g., cutting off food supplies to problematic countries. But what really happened? The original Wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Population_Bomb --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

A clear day over the Grand Canyon and two commercial airliners run right into each other. 128 perish, no survivors. The original entry lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956_Grand_Canyon_mid-air_collision --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Keep going south until you can go south no more and you wind up at McMurdo Station, a scientific outpost in the Antarctic. The original Wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMurdo_Station --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Mad Dog 20/20, Night Train, Thunderbird ... Boone's Farm. We were all young once. Take a moment to peek into the history of this low-end section of the wine aisle. The original Wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavored_fortified_wine --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

For decades, a lone telephone booth stood out in the remote Mojave Desert of California. Eventually -- like the Monolith -- it was discovered, popularized, vandalized and finally removed. Nevertheless, it lives on in our memories ... and at 760-733-9969. Call or text, anytime, day or night. The original Wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojave_phone_booth --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

The longest running show on TV, NBS'c Meet the Press. The original wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meet_the_Press --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Wonder, the original brand-name white bread. It's "slo-baked." This episode is better than sliced bread. The original wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Bread --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

This episode is a bit of a deep dive into an agreement which allowed the resolution of a disputed 1876 US Presidential Election between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel J. Tilden. At the surface, the dispute had to do with 20 electoral votes and allegations of voter fraud -- but really this was all post-Confederate War shenanigans. This is a good episode on its own, and worthy of a listen, but best paired with Wikireadia Episode #123 on US Presidential Transitions. The original Wikipedia entry lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compromise_of_1877 Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Presidents come and go, and when they do, it's a process -- called a transition. Most times it goes pretty smoothly, but those days might be behind us. This episode takes a look at the history and process of presidential transitions, as well as notes transitions that have been less than seamless (although mostly peaceful). The original Wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_transition Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Alger Hiss was a Soviet spy. Or was he? Back in the 1930s and 1940s so much was going on, it's hard to tell. Nevertheless, the Alger Hiss soy case is one of America's enduring tales of cold war espionage. This story has special appearances by the HUAC, a prosecution by Richard Nixon, evidence called the Pumpkin Papers and a truly inconclusive ending. Much like seemingly everything these days, we'll probably never know the truth. The original Wikipedia entry lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alger_Hiss Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Side to side, top to bottom, it's the United States' Interstate Highway System. This is a fascinating (kinda) entry on the mechanics and the history of the system, including plenty of info on specifications and reasons why, situations when, problems where, done by who, pursuant to what ... and how. The original Wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

The Roland TR-808 (the 808) was an early commercial product failure for the newly formed Roland Corporation. Less than 12,000 were produced before the product was discontinued three years after its introduction. At it's lowest point, a used 808 could be bought for $100. But, from that low point, the 808 became arguably the most influential musical instrument of the mid to late '80s -- and beyond. The original Wikipedia entry lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_TR-808 Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Back in the winter of 1775, Henry Knox accepted an assignment from George Washington: Go to Fort Ticonderoga, grab 60 tons of cannons, put 'em on sleds and boats and haul them to Boston to shoot away the Redcoats. Adventure ensues! The original Wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_train_of_artillery Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Popular vote versus the electoral college. The consequences can be huge. In fact, twice in the past 20 years, the President went to office without the majority popular vote behind him. So, what is this electoral college? Why does it exist? What's the deal? Wikipedia knows. The original Wikipedia entry lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Electoral_College Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Back in the summer of 2000, the world waited in anticipation, contemplating the fate of the crew of the Kursk, a Russian submarine that was stuck disabled on the floor of the Barents Sea. The story was fascinating, intriguing and being reported in real-time during the early heydays of the new newsy Internet. It was amazing to me how big this sub was -- 118 souls on board. The sub was 430 feet long. And lying disabled at a depth of 354 feet. Think about that -- a 430 foot long sub, stuck 350 feet deep -- the sub was actually 80 feet longer than the depth it was stuck at. Nevertheless, all rescue attempts failed and investigation showed the whole crew was dead anyway. Pretty chilling stuff. The original Wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kursk_submarine_disaster Special note: I am not so hot with Russian names, I am certain my pronunciations are comically off. Please forgive me. Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

In the summer of 1982, so-called Lawnchair Larry stole the attention of the nation by attaching a bunch of helium balloons to a lawnchair, strapping in and taking off into flight. Today, Larry's story. The original post can be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawnchair_Larry_flight Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

The five second rule -- let me ask you. Does it apply equally to a Skittle as it does to a plate of spaghetti? What about if it falls on a tile floor or a shag carpet? Does it matter? Well, it depends. Let's get into it. Today, the Five Second Rule. The original Wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five-second_rule Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

The Boeing 707 ushered in the "jet age" with its introduction in 1958. There's a lot to read about on the Boeing 707 -- there's the main entry, and then a lot of other cool related entries. However, we've got to start with the main page. This is Wikireadia #114, the Boeing 707. Original Wikipedia entry lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_707 Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

I was living in Las Vegas in 1995, and had many occasions to interact with the Hoover Dam. I've met friends there. I've taken girlfriends there. I took the guided extended tour at a time when they showed you everyhting. (And you really haven't seen anything until you've seen an electric-generating turbine the size of a small building set in a terazzo floor -- times seventeen). In my last days in Vegas before heading back East, I had to run a load of my wordly posessions over to Flagstaff to put them on a freight train headed to Pittsburgh -- and that trip from Nevada to Arizona took me straight across the top of the Hoover Dam (and back, the same day). Bear in mind, the route across the top of the Hoover Dam wasn't a choice. That was where the road from Vegas to Flagstaff just ran. Anyway, the Hoover Dam. The original writeup can be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

A tragedy that rivals all other tragedies, the assassination of American President #35, John F. Kennedy. This Wikipedia page is a bit of a "just the facts, ma'am" type of entry, leaving lots of the depth and other angles to this event for other Wikipedia pages. We will get into those at another time. Until then, today, the Assassination of John F. Kennedy. The original Wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

North by Northwest is without question one of the finest films crafted by one of filmmaking's finest directors, Alfred Hitchcock. It has everything -- Carey Grant, Eve Marie Saint, The Plaza, Grand Central Station, the 20th Century Limited and a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired villain's lair perched atop Mount Rushmore. If you haven't seen it, you must. If you have, then you're ready to dive into today's episode of Wikireadia: North by Northwest. The original Wikipedia entry can be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_by_Northwest Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

With today's episode we slip into the history of America's longest standing men's store: Brooks Brothers. Once the esteemed clothier to presidents, movie stars and titans of industry, Brooks has recently fallen on hard times thanks to increasingly casual work environments, the shift to e-commerce from retail and finally the COVID-19 pandemic. Brooks Brothers filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month. The original Wikipedia entry can be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks_Brothers Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Today, the Hardy Boys. Two young detectives, fictional creations of the Stratemeyer Syndicate and Grosset & Dunlap. The original Wikipedia page is at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hardy_Boys. Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Today we ramble on -- for just a few minutes -- about Lever House, the New York City skyscraper that kicked off the International Style. Basically, Lever House happened, then did a bunch of others that imitated it, and then did the decor to stuff inside all of them and forty years later Tyler Brûlé launches Wallpaper* magazine. It's all connected. Anyway, the original page can be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lever_House Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

A spirited reading of the WIkipedia entry for the Erie Canal. The original page can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Canal. Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

A spirited reading of the WIkipedia entry for the Berlin Blockade and the resultant Berlin Airlift. The original page can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Blockade. Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

In today's installment of Wikireadia, we run through the Wikipedia entry for the alt-rock band Ween. The original Wikipedia article can be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ween. Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia The text used as the basis for this podcast comes from Wikipedia and is used with permissions granted under Wikipedia's Creative Commons licensing, which specifically allows adaptation and retransmission of its content, even for commercial purposes. Refer to Wikipedia's Licensing Page and Creative Commons for more details. The audio of Wikireadia is likewise available under the Creative Commons license. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

In today's mini-installment of Wikireadia, we run through the Wikipedia entry for the Teapot Dome Scandal -- the original White House scandal from 1922. Here's a link to the original Wikipedia entry: Teapot Dome Scandal. Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia The text used as the basis for this podcast comes from Wikipedia and is used with permissions granted under Wikipedia's Creative Commons licensing, which specifically allows adaptation and retransmission of its content, even for commercial purposes. Refer to Wikipedia's Licensing Page and Creative Commons for more details. The audio of Wikireadia is likewise available under the Creative Commons license. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Today we read the Wikipedia page for the 21 Club, a 98-year old restaurant in New York. Original Wikipedia page can be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21_Club. Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia The text used as the basis for this podcast comes from Wikipedia and is used with permissions granted under Wikipedia's Creative Commons licensing, which specifically allows adaptation and retransmission of its content, even for commercial purposes. Refer to Wikipedia's Licensing Page and Creative Commons for more details. The audio of Wikireadia is likewise available under the Creative Commons license. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Here Wikireadia gets into the Wikipedia page for the RMS Titanic. Original entry at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Titanic. Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia The text used as the basis for this podcast comes from Wikipedia and is used with permissions granted under Wikipedia's Creative Commons licensing, which specifically allows adaptation and retransmission of its content, even for commercial purposes. Refer to Wikipedia's Licensing Page and Creative Commons for more details. The audio of Wikireadia is likewise available under the Creative Commons license. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

Reading of The Clash's Wikipedia page. Send feedback or contact us via email at: wikireadia@pm.me. Follow on Twitter; @ItsWikireadia The text used as the basis for this podcast comes from Wikipedia and is used with permissions granted under Wikipedia's Creative Commons licensing, which specifically allows adaptation and retransmission of its content, even for commercial purposes. Refer to Wikipedia's Licensing Page and Creative Commons for more details. The audio of Wikireadia is likewise available under the Creative Commons license. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support

--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eric-goeres/support