Shows
The Daily Mojo with Brad StaggsEp 120624: Freedom Friday: Hawk Coin Pardon EditionDecember 6, 2024#JoinTheRevolutionThe Daily Mojo is 2 hours of news, commentary, comedy, and auditory deliciousness."Freedom Friday: Hawk Coin Pardon Edition"The show covers a range of topics including a broadcast countdown, humorous daily life anecdotes, and discussions on Hunter Biden's rent issues. It highlights Bitcoin notifications, a significant earthquake in Northern California, and birthday gift traditions. The narrative critiques government transparency and media portrayal of political events. Additionally, it addresses cryptocurrency concerns, UFO sightings, and the mysteries of the ocean, emphasizing the need for accountability and clarity in these discussions.
2024-12-062h 00
Reading WrestlingSubmissionsWelcome back to Reading Wrestling, your encyclopedia on the art of pro wrestling. Today’s entry takes us to one of the primary ways to win or lose a match: submissions. In a standard wrestling match, there are two ways to win cleanly: by pinning your opponent or forcing them to submit. But these potential outcomes have completely different meanings in the world of wrestling. While a pinfall is considered the most definitive way to win, a submission carries with it a certain stigma. As it goes, anyone could be incapacitated in a match to the point that they ar...
2021-12-311h 02Reading WrestlingMasksWelcome back to Reading Wrestling, your encyclopedia on the art of pro wrestling. Today’s entry takes us to an icon of pro wrestling storytelling--the mask. Whether the mask is used to create a temporary mystery by withholding the identity of a wrestler or it’s an integral part of their character, masks are unique to pro wrestling. You don’t see mysterious baseball players, listed on the team’s roster as only a question mark, glide to the plate for their at-bat while gesticulating mysterious hand gestures to connote mystery, alas. Before moving on to the Lu...
2021-11-1551 minReading WrestlingChampionshipsWelcome back to Reading Wrestling, your encyclopedia on the art of pro wrestling. Today’s entry takes us to the pinnacle of the roster, the championship. The premise of wrestling as a competitive sport means that there must be an ultimate goal, a way to consummate the struggle for domination. But, unlike traditional competitions, wrestling champions are intentionally developed, curated, and finally presented as the face of the company. That doesn’t make the process any less competitive. Wrestlers must build an image that is believable as a champion, refining and manicuring a persona the fans can either get behi...
2021-11-0759 minReading WrestlingThe Supernatural & OccultHappy Halloween, Reading Wrestling fans! We thought it would be fun to do a seasonally appropriate episode, so today your favorite wrestling readers will be discussing instances of the supernatural and occult in professional wrestling. Amid the motley and colorful cast of characters in the show, a relatively small number, at least in the U.S., transcend the professional athlete archetype and invoke the supernatural and occult. Characters like the Undertaker, hailing from Death Valley and explicitly called “the dead man,” are altogether different than their, at-most, eccentric mortal counterparts. These figures form the bridge between wrestling’s premi...
2021-10-3151 minReading WrestlingPromosWelcome back to Reading Wrestling, your encyclopedia on the art of pro wrestling. Today’s entry is on one of the narrative linchpins of wrestling, the promo. Somewhere between a Shakespearean soliloquy where a character exposes their inner thoughts and a homily of public address lies this very particular monologue.As always, we start out with a definition, trying to agree on what a promo is and does. Noell talks about the role of the promo in getting the crowd hyped, providing for interactivity, and moving storylines along, which Dave connects with taglines and merchandising. Chris takes us...
2021-10-2452 minReading WrestlingChange of CharacterWelcome back to Reading Wrestling, your encyclopedia on the art of pro wrestling. Today’s entry is a complicated topic related to identity. And identity theft is not a joke, listener. Much like actors play disparate and dissimilar roles, a wrestler’s character or gimmick can change. Today, on Reading Wrestling, we’ll talk about the many faces of a single performer.We start off talking about abrupt changes of character, the first time we saw a wrestler we knew adopt an altogether different gimmick. These character changes have a degree of amnesia, in that the performer does n...
2021-10-1755 minReading WrestlingCage MatchesThe wrestling readers are back for the 10th episode of the show--you can now pick your top 10 favorite episodes! We welcome back friend of the show Tom for a lively discussion on the topic of cage matches. Of all of the numerous types of match formats, perhaps the most iconic is the cage match. A towering structure, with or without a top, the cage promises to allow a bitter feud to culminate in an uninterruptible settlement. The cage can fence a trepidatious competitor in or it can fence out interference from managers, stablemates, and other interested parties.
2021-10-101h 06Reading WrestlingManagersYour lovable group of misfit wrestling readers is back again, this time to talk about one of the most beloved and reviled figures in professional wrestling--managers.Existing somewhere in the hinterlands between a sports agent, a boxing trainer, and a hip-hop hypeman, the manager is an extension of a wrestler’s character. The manager eloquently speaks for his or her client, instigates feuds, illegally intervenes when the ref is not looking, and generally serves as a catalyst for chaos. We kick it off by trying to define the somewhat nebulous role of the manager. "What wou...
2021-10-0353 minReading WrestlingHeelsWe've been looking forward to this topic, and it's finally here. Our wrestle-talkers take on the topic of heels in pro wrestling. AND we brought friends! We have our first ever guest, Tom, who, as those of you who follow the podcast know, is responsible for Noell's wrestling birthday on July 5, 2019. You can’t have wrestling without a good heel. Heels are the original internet trolls, dating back decades before there even was an internet. They are the blueprint for knowingly saying and doing precisely that which they know you will hate. This careful knowledge of their aud...
2021-09-2649 minReading WrestlingTag TeamsYour friendly group of wrestle-talkers is back for episode lucky-number 7. There’s nothing like tag team wrestling. In many ways, it’s the most iconic of formats, even more so than singles wrestling. In no other arena will you see two partners, dressed in similar clothes, complementary in temperament and demeanor, just as likely to aid the other as to unexpectedly turn on him. At its best, tag team wrestling is greater than the sum of its parts. It hits more than twice as hard as singles wrestling and contains more complexity. We’ll talk about it all today here o...
2021-09-181h 01Reading WrestlingForeign ObjectsOur group of wrestlin' readin' yahoos are back again, continuing to create your encyclopedia on the art of professional wrestling. Today's entry is at the core of wrestling: foreign objects. There is perhaps no object more evocative of professional wrestling than the ubiquitous and humble folding chair, which evolved into the most common prop in the show. And beyond the chair there is an infinite list of objects that found their ways into the ring, legally or illegally, to be weaponized. There’s the now-commonplace, like tables and ladders, but also guitars, snakes, trashcans, forks, thumbtacks, kendo sti...
2021-09-0744 minReading WrestlingFinishing MovesThe wrestling readers are back again, here on episode 5, discussing a favorite topic for wrestling fans: finishing moves. Much like every comic book character or superhero comes equipped with her or his special power, so too does every wrestler have a finishing move. Meant as a punctuation to the long sentence of a match, the finisher is intended to be climactic, the essence of a wrestler’s persona distilled into a single act of aggression. Finishers can be brute power moves, they can be lithe acts of agility, or even carnival-esque contortions. On this episode of Reading Wre...
2021-09-0447 minReading WrestlingThe CrowdIn this week's episode, our ragtag(-team) group of podcasters discusses the biggest, the most powerful, the longest-standing champion in professional wrestling history: the crowd. Far from being passive spectators, the crowd actively makes the event through its participation. When you're at a show, you're temporarily more than yourself as an individual, you become a part of the Crowd. As Chris puts it, "It's sort of like when you're struck in traffic: you simultaneously are in traffic, but you also *are* the traffic." Maybe that's not a great metaphor for the thrill of being at a show, b...
2021-08-2955 minReading WrestlingEntrance Music, Part INow that you know us, it's...surprising that you're still here. But we thank you for not having had enough already! Our first thematic episode is on a topic near and dear to the hearts of wrestling fans: entrance music. Chris, Noell, and Dave take on the showtunes of Ring Pan Alley.The episode opens with Chris' dramatic reading of "Real American," and you won't want to miss the...poignancy of Dave's reading to close out the show. In between, we talk about our favorite entrance music--music that served to make the characters we hold so dear--our...
2021-08-1642 min
Reading WrestlingIntroductions, Wrestling with AffectOur first episode introduces you to our ragtag group of wrestling nerds. Chris, Noell, and Dave talk about how they first got into wrestling. We each pick a singular moment in wrestling history that we found to be the most memorable and moving. You'll hear the amazing story of how Noell, a lifelong dancer and choreographer, who never watched a minute of wrestling before July 5, 2019, got swept up into a whirlwind fascination with it. She'll tell us how that all happened and set the scene for what is a recurring theme in our podcast: the relationship between w...
2021-08-1541 min
Points of No Return in HistoryThe July Crisis of 1914 #3Austria-Hungary sends an ultimatum to Serbia. The European powers respond.
I also take a closer look at Russia's culpability for war.
Citations and Links -
Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to War in 1914 (New York: HarperCollins, 2012)
Sean McMeekin, July 1914: Countdown to War (New York: Basic Books, 2013)
Samuel R. Williamson, Jr. and Ernest R. May, "An Identity of Opinion: Historians and July 1914," The Journal of Modern History 79 (June 2007), 335-387
https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/july_crisis_1914 (https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/july_crisis_1914)
https://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/The_Austro-Hungarian_Ultimatum_to_Serbia_(English_translation...
2021-06-1655 min
Points of No Return in HistoryThe July Crisis of 1914 #2Following the Franz Ferdinand assassination, Austria-Hungary would have some decisions to make regarding Serbia. Would they respond with diplomacy? Or a call to arms?
I also take a closer look at Austria-Hungary's responsibility in the outbreak of the First World War.
Citations and Links -
Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to War in 1914 (New York: HarperCollins, 2012)
John W. Langdon, "Emerging from Fischer's Shadow: Recent Examinations of the Crisis of July 1914," The History Teacher 20, no. 1 (November, 1986), 63-86
Jack S. Levy, "Preferences, Constraints, and Choices in July 1914," International Security 15, no. 3 (Winter 1990/1991), 151-186
Sean McMeekin, July 1914: Countdown to War (New York...
2021-04-0746 min
Points of No Return in HistoryThe July Crisis of 1914 #1Franz Ferdinand’s assassination is a well-known event. Not as well-known is the context in which the assassination took place. Tension was building in Serbia and the Balkans long before Gavrilo Princip fired his gun.
This was an act that sparked the July Crisis of 1914.
Citations and Links -
Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to War in 1914 (New York: HarperCollins, 2012)
Sean McMeekin, July 1914: Countdown to War (New York: Basic Books, 2013)
Grayson Myers, "Contradictory Explanations and Elusive Answers: The Historiography of the Sarajevo Assassination," The Macksey Journal 1, Article 114
Robert W. Seton-Watson, "The Sarajevo Murder Trial," The Slavonic Review 4, no. 12 (Ma...
2021-03-0351 min
Points of No Return in HistoryTeaser | The July Crisis of 1914 (and the Never-Ending Debate of Who Caused War)New series on the buildup to World War I launching soon! Please enjoy this teaser.
2021-02-0306 min
Points of No Return in HistoryWWI and WWII, a Bridge EpisodeNext month, this podcast will explore the buildup to World War I. In this episode, we look at the connections between the wars to show how Points of No Return is moving forward.
2021-01-2038 min
Points of No Return in HistoryThe Spine of History - Points of No Return in History Moving ForwardA reviewer on iTunes recently asked if the series featured on this podcast are connected. Today, I try to answer this question and cast a vision for the show moving forward.
Contact the show -
Twitter: @dnoell
Email: dvdnoell@gmail.com
Music -
Artist: Cody Martin
Song: Sir Francis Drake
2021-01-0625 min
Points of No Return in HistoryJapan Attacks America #4By December of 1941, a Japanese attack could come at any moment. Would America notice the warning signs and be prepared?
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The Pacific Theater of World War Two had begun.
This is the final narrative episode of the series.
Citations -
Thurston Clarke, Pearl Harbor Ghosts: The Legacy of December 7, 1941 (New York: The Ballantine Publishing Group, 1991, 2001)
Richard B. Frank, Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War, July 1937 - May 1942 (New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2020)
Eri Hotta, Japan 1941: Countdown to Infamy (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013)
John Toland, The Rising Sun: The...
2020-12-2317 min
Points of No Return in HistoryJapan Attacks America #3Negotiations between Japan and America fall apart by the end of November, 1941. Their differences were too great, and mistranslations and miscommunication didn't help. A Japanese attack was looming.
Citations -
Richard B. Frank, Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War, July 1937 - May 1942 (New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2020)
Eri Hotta, Japan 1941: Countdown to Infamy (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013)
John Toland, The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945 (New York: The Modern Library, 1970)
timesmachine.nytimes.com
Support the show -https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell (https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell)
Contact the...
2020-12-0919 min
Points of No Return in HistoryJapan Attacks America #2Japan and America continue to negotiate (or, at least, make an attempt to do this) in the late summer and fall of 1941. By November, a serious chance of war was looming.
Citations -
Eri Hotta, Japan 1941: Countdown to Infamy (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013)
John Toland, The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945 (New York: The Modern Library, 1970)
Support the show -https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell (https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell)
Contact the show -
Twitter: @dnoell
Email: dvdnoell@gmail.com
Music -
Artist: Cody Martin
Song: Sir Francis Drake
2020-11-2516 min
Points of No Return in HistoryJapan Attacks America #1In this new series we will explore the buildup to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor (and the small things that led to it).
On today's episode, we set the stage for the negotiations between America and Japan. The Japanese were building an empire in East Asia. This made the United States concerned.
Citations -
Irvine H. Anderson, Jr. “The 1941 De Facto Embargo on Oil to Japan: A Bureaucratic Reflex,” Pacific Historical Review 44, no. 2 (1975)
Eri Hotta, Japan 1941: Countdown to Infamy (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013)
John Toland, The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945 (New York: The...
2020-11-1822 min
Points of No Return in HistoryTeaser | Japan Attacks America (and the Small Things that Led to it)In this new series we will explore the buildup to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The small things that led to this - miscommunication and mistranslation, for example - have often been overlooked.
First episode available Wednesday, November 18
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell (https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell)
Music -
Artist: Cody Martin
Song: Sir Francis Drake
2020-11-1103 min
Points of No Return in HistoryDr. Randall Bytwerk | Hitler Becomes ChancellorToday's interview officially wraps up the series on Hitler's rise to the chancellorship.
Dr. Randall Bytwerk is Professor Emeritus of Communication at Calvin University. He specializes in Nazi propaganda.
We talk about the Nazi political campaigns of 1932 and what he thinks of my premise that the Nazi movement was closer to falling apart than most realize.
For more on Dr. Bytwerk:
https://www.bytwerk.com/
https://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell (https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell)
Music -
Artist: Cody Martin
Song: Sir Francis Drake
2020-11-0437 min
Points of No Return in HistoryHitler Becomes Chancellor #4At the end of 1932, the Nazi movement was falling apart. How would they turn things around? This is the final episode of the series.
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell (https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell)
Citations:
Thomas Childers, The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany (New York: Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 2017)
Richard J. Evans, The Coming of the Third Reich (New York: The Penguin Press, 2003)
Ian Kershaw, Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1998)
Franz von Papen, Memoirs of Franz von Papen (1953), translated by Brian Connell
newspapers.com
timesmachine.nytimes.com
Music -
Artist...
2020-10-2820 min
Points of No Return in HistoryHitler Becomes Chancellor #3Hitler and the Nazis hit a high point in the summer of 1932. The coming months, however, would bring trouble. Would the Nazi movement fall apart?
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell (https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell)
Citations:
Thomas Childers, The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany (New York: Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 2017)
Richard J. Evans, The Coming of the Third Reich (New York: The Penguin Press, 2003)
Ian Kershaw, Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1998)
newspapers.com
timesmachine.nytimes.com
Music -
Artist: Cody Martin
Song: Sir Francis Drake
2020-10-2123 min
Points of No Return in HistoryHitler Becomes Chancellor #21932 would be an important year for the Nazis. To start the year, Hitler ran for president against the incumbent (and the favorite to win), Paul von Hindenburg. While Hitler would not win, this was just the beginning of the story. By August, the Nazis would be at the doorstep of power.
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/historywithdavenoell
Citations:
Thomas Childers, The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany (New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2017)
Richard J. Evans, The Coming of the Third Reich (New York: The Penguin Press, 2003)
Ian Kershaw, Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1998)
...
2020-10-1423 min
Points of No Return in HistoryHitler Becomes Chancellor #1Welcome to the first series Hitler Becomes Chancellor (and How it Almost Didn't Happen). There was a moment when Hitler and the Nazi movement were at risk of completely falling apart. One closed-door meeting changed all of this. This four-episode series will explain how it happened.In this episode, host Dave Noell introduces the series and takes listeners back to the 1920s to explore the roots of the Nazi movement. It was nothing more than a splinter political party in this decade. However, a parliamentary election in September of 1930 put the Nazis at the center of attention in Germany and...
2020-10-0722 min
Points of No Return in HistoryIntroducing the Points of No Return in HistoryThe first episode of the Points of No Return in History will be available soon.*Music Credit - Artist: Cody MartinSong: Sir Francis Drake
2020-09-2904 min
NoëllLéon aka Dave Noël recorded at Kompass Klub "new years eve" 31/12/18Played my debut at Kompass Klub on new year's eve on a secret location ...
2019-01-1757 min