Episode 593: Harley Davidson: An American Success Story

Explicit content warning

07/23/21 • 99 min

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about the founders, history, and reputation of bad boys of motorcycles, Harley Davidson. It was started by William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson (and his brothers) in 1903. They wanted to make bicycles that did the work for you. Within a decade, they were one of the leaders of motorcycle manufacturing in the world. Their bikes helped the US battle Poncho Villa, served in WWI, and were sold to all allies in WWII. The whole macho counter-culture vibe of riding a hog belongs to their own marketing. In fact, 5% of their net worth comes from selling their logo, not their bikes! So if you want some history on the inventors, a look at the Harley Davidson corporation (and their hits and misses), or just want to feel like you’re in a badass 1% bike club, give this one a listen. Visit Our Sources https://www.biography.com/business-figure/william-s-harley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley-Davidson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_S._Harley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Davidson_(motorcycling) https://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/history-harley-davidson/ https://moneyinc.com/20-things-didnt-know-harley-davidson/ https://www.hotcars.com/20-cool-facts-about-harley-davidson-most-americans-dont-know/

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Episode 592: Antwerp Diamond Heist: From Safecracking to Salami

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we take a crack at some true crime and explore the $100 million Antwerp Diamond Heist of 2003. This is some Die Hard and Ocean’s 11 type stuff right here. A career thief (and possibly mafia royalty) named Leonardo Notarbartolo was at the heart of it. He played the face man with team of people known only as The Monster, The Genius, The King of Keys, and Speedy. They dreamed up an impossible scheme to rob one of the richest diamond vaults in the world and somehow bypass a vault that was two stories underground and had ten layers of security measures in place. So, how did they get into the vault under Antwerp? What simple and crazy hacks did they use? Who are the diamond police? Who was the mysterious Buyer who set it all up, and was he a fiction or part of the scheme? Where did hair spray come into play, and how did a man and two weasels bust the case wide open with the help of a salami sandwich? Listen, laugh, learn. Visit Our Sources: https://www.wired.com/2009/03/ff-diamonds-2/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antwerp_diamond_heist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45el4Qlaj-E

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Episode 594: Tattoos: From Tribal to Taboo

On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about all things Tattoo. We know a lot of our listeners have ink done, and some even have Sofa King Tattoos! We talk about what tattoos we have or want to have. Next, we play a game to see if Brad and Brent can tell fake celebrity tattoos from real ones! So, in this episode, we look at the vast history of tattoos in human beings (it goes way back, ya’ll!). We also take a look at different cultures and how they view this body art. From ways to identify prisoners to symbols of wealth and prestige, tattoos are used for all sorts of reasons. Some parts of the world see them as a lower class art form, and others have seen it as holy magic. From British Kings to ancient mummies, everybody needs a good bit of ink done, so listen in and see how wide spread this practice has always been. Visit Our Sources: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tattoos-144038580/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tattooing https://time.com/4645964/tattoo-history/ https://www.tattoodo.com/articles/14-facts-about-tattoos-4329 https://www.insider.com/best-worst-celebrity-tattoos-all-time-2020-6 https://www.newzealand.com/us/feature/ta-moko-maori-tattoo/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0vh0epbYNQ