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Fascinating Nouns

Daniel J. Glennfascinatingnouns.com
The galaxy’s most trusted source for incredible people, places, things, and ideas
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Episodes

Ep. 123: A Brief History of Gambling

Dr. David Schwartz Interviews *From His Bio* Dr. David G. Schwartz directs the Center for Gaming Research and teaches history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, writes articles and books, and only occasionally pines for his days working as Mr. Peanut on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. His research interests include gambling and casinos, Las […]

Oct 16, 20181 hr 2 min

Ep. 122: The Transcontinental Railroad

Phil Sexton Interviews: The building of The Transcontinental Railroad really parallels the settlement of the west. It wasn’t long after its completion that the U.S. took its modern form of 48 contiguous states. The Telegraph, another Western innovation, was built right along side the railroad so that progress could be communicated back East. From the […]

Oct 02, 20181 hr 4 min

Ep. 121: Are We Living In A Simulated Universe?

ARE WE LIVING IN A VIRTUAL REALITY SIMULATION? For years Hollywood has experimented with the concept of living in an extremely realistic simulated world, and with Virtual Reality advancing in leaps and bounds, it may soon become difficult to distinguish between our reality, and a fabricated VR world. What if we are already living in […]

Sep 18, 20181 hr 9 min

Ep. 120: Out Of Body Experiences

Tom Campbell Interviews I have been fascinated with Out Of Body Experiences for a long time. I even read the classic work on the subject: Robert Monroe’s ‘Journey’s Out Of The Body’. While researching Tom Campbell for an interview on his work proving we live in a virtual reality simulation, I stumbled across his past […]

Sep 04, 20181 hr 7 min

*Bonus* The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

What do Vanilla Ice, Chuck Lorre, Venus de Milo, Leatherhead, and Brian Henson have in common? They are all vital to the history of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Learn the connections in my bonus ep with the mysterious Farago.

Aug 28, 201834 min

Ep. 119: The History of Comic Art

Andrew Farago Interviews: As you well know, I am a big fan of anything comic related, so of course it was inevitable that I would cross paths with the curator of the Cartoon Art Museum: Andrew Farago. We didn’t just talk comic books, but two of my other favorites: cartoons and comic strips. Specifically we […]

Aug 21, 20181 hr

Ep. 118: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Captain Charles Moore Interviews Ever since first hearing about the Great Pacific Patch, an island of garbage 3x the size of Texas sitting in the pacific Ocean, I was fascinated. How could something like be accumulated, and what was being done to fix the problem? The answer to the first question is extraordinarily complex, and […]

Aug 07, 20181 hr 6 min

*Bonus* Spotting Psychic Scams

*BONUS EPISODE* – Spotting Psychic Scams Known as “The Street Smart Psychic”, Lisa knows how to spot a fake fortune teller. Listen as she gives some great tips on how to get a great psychic reading, while steering clear of the phonies. Also, learn how her first psychic reading involved the gift of a spaghetti […]

Jul 31, 201832 min

Ep. 117: The Mystical Art Of Tattooing

Lisa Barretta Interviews: I have always been intrigued by tattoos. While not having any myself, I do appreciate the outward artistic expression. I never really thought of them as more then large, persona, permanent pieces of art. That is, until I talked to Lisa Barretta. She puts forth a paradigm that every aspect of a […]

Jul 24, 20181 hr 2 min

*Bonus* The Forlorn Hope

*BONUS EPISODE* – The Forlorn Hope Every concept has an origin story. Dubbed ‘The Forlorn Hope’, the first attempt at a rescue spawned two of the darkest and most infamous ones of the entire ordeal known as The Donner Party: Cannibalism and Murder. Listen as we discuss the treacherous events that lead this insidious course […]

Jul 17, 201824 min

Ep. 116: The Donner Party

Michael Wallis Interviews While the name “The Donner Party” sounds like a good time, it definitely was not. It is a macabre tale from the Wild West that *Spoiler Alert* famously ends in cannibalism. But that is only 5% of the story. Bestselling author Michael Wallis tells the twisted tale of this ill-fated and terribly […]

Jul 10, 20181 hr 9 min

*Bonus* Modern Poisonings

*BONUS EPISODE – Modern Poisonings* Using poison to gain power and quiet dissidents did not end with the Renaissance. While trying to avoid becoming victims ourselves, we discuss how Vladimir Putin has turned Russia into the modern day center of political poisonings.

Jul 03, 201819 min

Ep. 115: The History of Poisons

Eleanor Herman Interviews Since the dawn of time, man has clamored for sex and power, hellbent on eliminating of all rivals in this pursuit. Since most cannot be killed outright, the murderous minded had to find more clandestine methods of eradication. The best poisons have to be administered secretly, remain undetected, and appear to be […]

Jun 26, 20181 hr 8 min

Ep. 114: The Robocalypse

Our Second Interview: The Robocalypse! It seems like machine intelligence is advancing at an exponential rate. The convergence of advanced artificial intelligence with highly skilled robots is inevitable, and imminent. How will this affect the human race? Where does virtual reality fit into this scenario? Linda and I discuss the ramifications of a robot-filled future, […]

Jun 12, 201833 min

*Bonus* The Creatures of Kcymaerxthaere

*BONUS EPISODE* After discussing this world, it makes sense to explore all the creatures that inhabit it. We discuss plants that feed on sound, a deer like animal with seven legs, some poisonous, others nutritious, as well as the difference between biologically & culturally aquatic.

May 29, 201815 min

Ep. 113: The Parallel Universe of Kcymaerxthaere

Eames Demetrios is an artist and filmmaker, who is best known as the creator of a parallel universe called Kcymaerxthaere. So what is this K word? It is the name of a fictional world that mirrors our own, with its own geography, flora, fauna, cultural identity, languages, and history. Looking to create an interactive story […]

May 29, 20181 hr

Ep. 112: The Mystical Life of Jack Parsons

Talk about serendipity: Right after talking with George Pendle about Jack Parsons, “Mystical” Mitch was in town, and chatted with me about the occult side of Parsons. We even did the interview at Manly P. Hall’s University for Philosophical Research! We discussed Aleister Crowley, L. Ron Hubbard, symbolic tattoos, and even the event in Mitch’s […]

May 15, 201843 min

*Bonus* Airport Carpeting and Clown Prohibition

*BONUS EPISODE* Much like Jack Parsons and myself, George Pendle is a man of many eclectic tastes. It turns out, he wrote an article on barbed wire! We discuss that, as well as his obsession with airport carpeting, and the alternative history of clown prohibition!

May 01, 201822 min

Ep. 111: The Mysterious Life of Jack Parsons

The Life of Marvel “Jack” Whiteside Parsons is an incredible one. He is the true Godfather of rocket science, for without his drive, imagination and reckless behavior, we might never have gotten to the moon. Well that’s not entirely true, since we did import a bunch of Nazi scientists during Project Paperclip who were vital […]

May 01, 20181 hr 7 min

*Bonus* How Barbed Wire Brought a University to DeKalb

*BONUS EPISODE* Steve hangs out to talk about how these Barbed Wire Barons put aside their differences, and combine their influence & resources to bring a major university to DeKalb Illinois. If that wasn’t enough, we also talk about how Governor John Altgeld thought public building were so unpleasing to the eye that they were […]

Apr 17, 201816 min

Ep. 110: The Barbed Wire Barons

In my days at Northern Illinois University, I learned that DeKalb, IL was ground zero for barbed wire. At the time, I had no idea how historically important this was, but especially after learning about the Wild West, I came to realize that barbed wire made living on the open range possible. No one knows […]

Apr 17, 20181 hr 3 min

*Bonus* The End of the Wild West

Texas State Historian Bill O’Neal sticks around to talk about the end of the west. We get into the Outlaw/Lawman Jim Plummer and how he worked both sides of the law with a group called The Innocents, as well as The Last Gunfight, and the Last Great Stagecoach Robbery.

Apr 03, 201815 min

Ep. 109: Personalities of the Wild West

I have always loved the Wild West. I don’t know if it is the struggle against lawlessness, vigilante justice, gold prospecting, ghost towns, showdowns at high noon, snake oil salesmen, railroad tycoons, or riding a horse everywhere you go. I am sure it is one of those, or the perfect combination of all. The true […]

Apr 03, 20181 hr 4 min

Ep. 108: The History of the Carousel

Carousels are a time honored tradition, stretching back to at least to the 12th century. According to expert and historian Lourinda Bray, they may even date back as far as the invention of the wheel: Fire, Wheel, Carousel. I sat down at her amazing restoration compound “Running Horse Studio” and learned all about their incredible […]

Mar 20, 20181 hr 1 min

Ep. 107: The Pro Wrestling Business

In honor of the 5th anniversary of his passing, I reached into vault for the second interview I did with Paul about his wrestling career. We talked about his secret life as a practical jokester, getting whacked over the head with a cane by an old man in the crowd, and how Michael P. S. […]

Mar 06, 201856 min

Ep. 106: The Homestake Mine/Sanford Lab

Mike Headley is the Executive Director of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority, and current head of the Sanford Lab in Lead, SD. It is my assertion that the story of the creation of the Homestake Mine through its transition into the Sanford Laboratory is an encapsulation of America’s progress from Post Civil War […]

Feb 21, 20181 hr 2 min

*Bonus* Body Snatching Parasites

*BONUS* episode: Kathleen sticks around and talks to me about her two favorite examples: A barnacle that takes over the mind and body of a crab, and Orb Spiders that are commanded to spin very particular webs for their new hosts.

Feb 06, 201815 min

Ep. 105 Mind Controlling Parasites

Have you ever felt like your thoughts were not your own, that there was some unseen force guiding your actions from deep inside your brain? One possibility is that you are absolutely crazy and should seek professional help immediately. Another is that you may be under the influence of a mind controlling parasite! I chat […]

Feb 06, 20181 hr 3 min

Ep. 104 The World’s Leading Spherical Artist

There are endless tales of mediocre artists who get noticed because they live in either LA or New York, but it takes an extraordinarily special one to become world renowned from a small town in rural South Dakota. That is exactly what Dick Termes, creator of the Termespheres, has done. His secret? Advancing beyond the […]

Jan 23, 20181 hr 1 min

Ep. 103 The Museum of Failure

Just in time for the New Year, I sit down with Dr. Samuel West, the curator of The Museum of Failure. In my mind, there is no better way to prepare for your future success than by analyzing the mistakes of your past, or better yet, the pasts of others. Sammy Dubs and I discuss […]

Jan 09, 20181 hr 1 min
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