From The Cheap Seats

Ball park treats for all our listeners. In our continuing celebration of BASEBALL, we are sharing a selection of amazing comedy cold opens on the game that span 2019-2022. These years are critical in baseball history, as they involve the clever Astros hi tech, sign-stealing scandal; the COVID related shutdowns of the game; and the 2022 MLB Players worker’s strike. These listener favorites feature great performances by the famous ‘Mets Mob’, my co-founding co-host, Kassia, and – of course – our feisty artificial intelligence engine, Bernice. YOU’LL LOVE THESE HILARIOUS CLIPS! If you haven’t listened to our previous episode with the Mets Mob, forecasting the 2024 season, please scroll down on your phone and enjoy. Both hardened baseball fans and others will be very entertained by their informative and humorous banter. The comedy clips in this episode include: • Who Is It? - The Astros attempt to throw the 2019 World Series in their favor using high tech sign stealing technology… but the Astros owner is, ah… kinda out of it. • Answering Machine – COVID Anxiety Help Line - What you would get if you called MLB during COVID in 2020?. • Mission Impossible - Co-host Kassia and her cat are tasked by a top secret government agency to resolve conflicts between MLB owners and players. • Opening Day – Kassia and Bernice are in charge of the media booth…but they have no idea of what they are doing. • Love, Death, And Baseball - Our “Twin Peaks” homage! Finally, Leonardo gets to hook up with his long lost love Bernice, our artificial intelligence engine. • We Kidnapped The Baseball Commissioner! – The Met’s Mob, in an effort to resolve the 2022 strike – kidnap the MLB Baseball Commissioner – hoping to get him to agree to reasonable terms with the players and re-start baseball. For some reason – James Bond intervenes. (Our James Bond is ‘Handsome Rob from Manhattan’. We on the pod believe Handsome Rob is a better Bond than either Danial Craig, Sean Connery, or Pierce Bronson in the role, but we invite listeners to express their own opinions and thoughts. Our music is composed, preformed and produced by the genius John Hoekstra. You Tube https://youtube.com/channel/UC2Gon6qb9ar07BP0hsNPXdA SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-363005792 If you wish to reach Mets Mob member - and multi-year NYC Super Lawyer - David Grover, for personal injury, including auto accidents and slip and fall, free consultations: 212-527-7575, DGrover@GroverFen.com. Founding Mobs leader, Leonardo from Manhattan, has a popular podcast on motorcycle safety called “Arrive Alive”. Available at: www.arrivealivepodcast.com and all your favorite listening platforms. Please reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com or find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on X (formerly twitter) at @scandal_sheet. We’d love to hear from you.

Recorded merely hours before opening day! Honoring a long-standing tradition in this pod, the Mid-Atlantic’s scions of professional baseball, THE METS MOB, join us again for an informative and hilarious forecast of the coming MLB season. The Mob keep hosts, Anuradha and Thad on their toes. VIDEO VERSION can be found at: https://bit.ly/4aKIWG1 If you wish to reach Mets Mob member - and multi-year NYC Super Lawyer - David Grover, for personal injury, including auto accidents and slip and fall, free consultations: 212-527-7575, DGrover@GroverFen.com. Founding Mobs leader, Leonardo from Manhattan, has a popular podcast on motorcycle safety called “Arrive Alive”. Available at: www.arrivealivepodcast.com and all your favorite listening platforms. Please reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com or find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on X (formerly twitter) at @scandal_sheet. We’d love to hear from you.

In honor of National Women’s History Month, we are celebrating Julia Child. In the early 1960’s, Ms. Child, on the main stream media front, almost single-handedly, totally blew up every preconception of the role of women in American society (at least middle class women…) by writing a best-selling cooking book and making an extremely popular TV cooking show – eventually distributed to over 50 countries across the globe. BUT, before she was a celebrated chef, author, television celebrity, and women’s advocate – SHE SERVED AS A SUCCESSFUL SPY FOR THE US DURING WW2. Do I have your attention now? Please listen to hear more about this amazing story of grit, audacity, and endless courage. Our music is composed, preformed and produced by the genius John Hoekstra. You Tube https://youtube.com/channel/UC2Gon6qb9ar07BP0hsNPXdA SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-363005792 Reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com or find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on X (formerly twitter) at @scandal_sheet. We’d love to hear from you.

In our follow-up to the Part 1 episode, we examine the men that assassinated Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Why did they do it? What made them tick? Why does our human society allow this? Our music is composed, preformed and produced by the genius John Hoekstra. You Tube https://youtube.com/channel/UC2Gon6qb9ar07BP0hsNPXdA SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-363005792 Please reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com or find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on X (formerly twitter) at @scandal_sheet. We’d love to hear from you.

Replay from 2022. Our Valentine’s Day gift to our listeners. Ellie, Bernice and Thad attempt to peek under the skirt of America’s most shameful, chronic behavior issue. How did a society founded by religious puritans 400 years ago become so – yuck - pervy?! Is every allegation automatically justified? How do we purge our wicked behavior and thoughts? Can we be redeemed or forgiven? Can we even have an intelligent conversation on this topic -- without erupting into angry shouting? That’s what we hope to find out. Thumbnail photo courtesy Parker-Margolin Productions, Inc., Paramount Television, CBS Television Distribution. If you like us, you can help us grow. We’d sooooo appreciate if you’d share with your friend network! Reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com, find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on Twitter @scandal_sheet.

We mournfully acknowledge the assassinations/birthdays of 3 leaders of international fame, in January and February. They are Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Ghandi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. But this episode is not about these great men – IT’S ABOUT THEIR KILLERS. Why did they do it? What made them tick? Why does our human society allow this? Part 1 focuses on John Wilkes Booth, the assassinator of President Abraham Lincoln. We are joined by ALEXANDER NISBET, a 26 year veteran of the U.S. Department of Defense, who also served 2 tours in the first Iraq War as an investigator. University trained in the art of film/video, Alec has also produced historical documentaries. One of his specialties is the American Civil War. He will open your eyes on the Lincoln assassination! Our music is composed, preformed and produced by the genius John Hoekstra. You Tube https://youtube.com/channel/UC2Gon6qb9ar07BP0hsNPXdA SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-363005792 Please reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com or find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on X (formerly twitter) at @scandal_sheet. We’d love to hear from you.

This best-selling book and record-breaking box office movie re-defined the horror genre. But where did the core story come from? It’s actually based on a supposedly legitimate case of possession attested to in writing by over 50 witnesses. A Catholic Archbishop granted a rare approval of the ritual’s use. As it occurred in the area, "The Washington Post" published a front page, above-the-fold article, on the exorcism back in 1949, weeks after it occurred. Then a student at Georgetown University, future book author/screenwriter/film producer - William Peter Blatty - read the article and was inspired to pen what has become a $$ multi-billion dollar franchise. We re-open the original 1949 case to examine if it has merit, if demonic possession is genuinely possible, or just a manifestation of mental illness. Please reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com or find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on X (formerly twitter) at @scandal_sheet. We’d love to hear from you.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS / JOYOUS HANNUKAH / MERRY CHRISTMAS to all our listeners. Today we give you deep cuts on holiday comedy favorites from Scandal Sheet. CONTENTS: • “Meet The Myth – An Exclusive Interview With Frosty the Snowman”. This features our founding co-host, Kassia. • “Macy’s Miracle” – Scandal Sheet favorites, the METS MOB, take over Santa’a village at Macy’s flagship store on 34th street in Manhattan. • “North Pole Confidential”. On Christmas Eve, during COVID, Santa Claus must navigate through a labor strike from his elves and sled team leader, Rudolph the Reindeer, revealed as a drunk/addict. Also features, Kassia. WATCH THE ANIMATED VIDEO VERSION at: https://bit.ly/479J1Rn How much podcast fun can you possibly have during the Holiday season??!! Our music is composed, preformed and produced by the genius John Hoekstra. You Tube https://youtube.com/channel/UC2Gon6qb9ar07BP0hsNPXdA SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-363005792

3 days before what became their historic flight on December 17, 1903, the Wright Brothers attempted - what they believed at that moment - WOULD be their first flight. The only problem was…their plane crashed that day. In true Scandal Sheet fashion, we have dug deep to uncover the details of this boggled start and give listeners a dramatic recreation of this rarely mentioned and embarrassing event to the pioneering aviators. Please note. Normally we release the teaser first, and then the full episode later. We’ve turned that model upside down. But you will find the full episode, released on 12/17, updated with this new open. Kudos to our actor/composer John Hoekstra. Enjoy!

We celebrate the 120th anniversary of the first machine-powered, human-controlled flight on December 17, 1903 by Wilbur and Orville Wright. While today there is a national park at Kill Devil Hills in the Outer Banks in North Carolina, commemorating the event … official acknowledgement was a long time coming. Despite the thumbnail picture you see here and 5 eye witnesses, for at least 5 years the claim of their first flight was disputed or ignored by government officials, the media, and the public. And at least 6 other parties claimed simultaneously that it was THEY that had the REAL first flight. How come? Was 12/17 actually the first flight? We are joined by our 21 month co-host Ellie for a rare encore appearance in order to get to the bottom of this apparent scandal. Please reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com or find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on X (formerly twitter) at @scandal_sheet. We’d love to hear from you.

Every elementary school kid in the US and Canada has been the told how 102 English/Dutch illegal immigrants snuck into America in 1620, under the noses of the Native American Border Patrol - with no immigration papers. Once discovered, the illegal aliens – who we today call ‘Pilgrims’ - were forced to cut a deal with the ruling tribe(s). With our EZ Bake Oven time machine, we have sent our amazing co-host Anuradha back 400 hundred years to the first Thanksgiving celebration. She gets both sides of the story. She interviews Plymouth Colony Governor, William Bradford as well as the Chief of the ruling Wampanoag tribe, Massasoit. She asks the really tough questions: What was on the table for the first Thanksgiving? Why no turkey and no mashed potatoes?? Also, why were the unwelcome and hugely outnumbered European colonists allowed to live in the first place? As a BONUS we add a replay of a 2021 piece where Columbus first comes to America – from the native American perspective. Enjoy! John Hoekstra is featured playing 2 roles. He also composes, preforms and produces our music. You Tube https://youtube.com/channel/UC2Gon6qb9ar07BP0hsNPXdA SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-363005792

Halloween Treats…And A Few Tricks Too This year “SCANDAL SHEET” is over-stuffing your podcast trick or treat bag with full size candy bars (not those tiny “fun size” candies that every kid hates). We satisfy your ear-sugar addiction with both new stuff and hugely popular replays from the vault. We feature our popular friends from the METS MOB; David, Rob and Leonardo; and introduce them to our new co-host, Anuradha. We also include our entire repertoire company from over 3 years: co-founder and first co-host Kassia, second co-host, Ellie, as well as the amazing talents of Grace Smith, Jill Grover, Lisa Hauptman, and Scott Perry. A potpourri of spooky seasonal fun! CONTENTS: • “In Baseball No One Can Hear You Scream”, Part 1” • The Mets Mob meet Anuradha and discuss baseball and Halloween in Manhattan. • “Mets Mob Mutiny”, a pirate story, Parts 1 + 2 • Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” auditions for witches • “In Baseball No One Can Hear You Scream”, Part 2” Note: Entrepreneur, Ted Lerner, is briefly portrayed in a above skit. He was alive and very active during the original recording in 2021. But Mr. Lerner passed away in 2023 at age 97. Mr. Lerner not only brought baseball back to Washington DC, owning the ‘Washington Nationals’ team, but was also a leader in redeveloping the DC metro area. His work benefited the lives of countless people in the region. If you wish to reach Mets Mob member - and multi-year NYC Super Lawyer -, David Grover, for personal injury, including auto accidents and slip and fall, free consultations: 212-527-7575, DGrover@GroverFen.com. Founding Mobs leader, Leonardo from Manhattan, has a popular podcast on motorcycle safety called “Arrive Alive”. Available at: www.arrivealivepodcast.com and all your favorite listening platforms. Please reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com or find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on X (formerly twitter) at @scandal_sheet. We’d love to hear from you.

One of the top headlines of 2023 has been the meteoric rise of “artificial intelligence” in the public mind. But ‘AI’ has actually been around for decades -- both in reality and science fiction. Yet today, free tools such as ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, Claude - and many others – have brought AI onto our personal laptops, both in our homes and offices. We ask what are these tools really? AND are they truly intelligent in the same way humans are? Our amazing guest is Alex Cuellar, a graduate student in advanced robotics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to help us sort out actual truth from fiction. EYE POPPING Video on Artificial Intelligence Deep Fakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S951cdansBI We also welcome a new co-host, Anuradha, to the team. Please reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com or find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on X (formerly twitter) at @scandal_sheet. We’d love to hear from you.

Many people forget that the 9-11 attacks also involved the Pentagon, which for decades, was the largest office building in the world and is still a symbol of US military power since World War 2. My guest, Joe Duffus, has been a frequent guest on this podcast. In 2001, we and several others shared an office in the tallest building in Northern Virginia (only a mile and a half from the Pentagon and just over a narrow river to Washington DC, our nation’s capital). Through floor to ceiling picture windows on the 24th floor, we mutually witnessed that morning's attack on the Pentagon, which killed 184 people. Watch the VIDEO VERSION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcE9YPfeKKg Joe works on a podcast for the best-selling author, Peter Schweizer: https://apple.co/3r3LiPf Thumbnail photo: North Dakota National Guard, creative commons license 2.0: https://bit.ly/3r78Nqr Please reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com or find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on X (formerly twitter) at @scandal_sheet.

On the 22nd anniversary of the US’ greatest foreign attack since Pearl Harbor, we look back. Part 1 focuses on the World Trade Center attacks. Joined by seasoned guests – the New Yorker brothers Jason and Rob (famous for our 7/4 Nathan’s Hot Dog episode) – we dive deep into their experiences on the day itself and – then flash forward - what New Yorkers feel about the event today…over 2 decades later. Watch the VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/ShaIdj40mCo Part 2 – coming soon - focuses on the second part of the attack – the Pentagon building, just outside Washington DC. Popular past guest, Joe Duffus, joins us for that one. Stay tuned! Thumbnail photo: Cyrill Attius, creative commons license 2.0: https://bit.ly/3r78Nqr Please reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com or find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on X (formerly twitter) at @scandal_sheet.

2023 has been a year of record-breaking heat waves, drought-related wild fires, and floods. And new hurricanes are on the way! We haven’t had time to cover this year’s climatic events directly but we thought it would be a good idea to replay this episode from last summer about HURRICANE SANDY on her 10th Anniversary. The original description -- While pools, beaches, and outdoor BBQs are memorable elements of the warm solstice, nothing defines summer more than its ferocious, damaging, and deadly storms. We interview an old friend, Rob from the Upper East Side of Manhattan, a founding member of our frequent guests, the Met’s Mob. Rob was witness to America’s largest and most destructive hurricane on record, as it struck New York City, HURRICANE SANDY in 2012. He tells us his story, that of the larger city … and that of his Mother. This is a replay from September 2022.

The new movie about the ‘Father of the Atom Bomb’, “OPPENHEIMER” is a huge critical success and performing far beyond box office expectations. It was released to coincide with some very grim anniversaries, including the 78th anniversary of the destruction of the cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Was dropping these first bombs the only way to end World War II? Why did Oppenheimer and other bomb inventors appear to suddenly switch gears and oppose the development of the much more powerful hydrogen bomb? Our returning guests are two recent residents of Albuquerque, New Mexico, located very close to where the first nuclear bombs were developed and tested. One is our co-founding co-host of this podcast, Kassia. How did years of nuclear testing affect the people of the region? What about today? Kassia gives us a fascinating tour of the Trinity Test site today, where the very first bomb was exploded. Dylan and Kassia’s podcast: “UNBURIED BOOKS”: https://apple.co/3JlbgDE / Twitter: @unburiedbooks

On July 26, 2023 a Congressional Oversight Committee held a hearing with 3 WHISTLEBLOWERS, all retired military officers, on the existence of UFOs and what the U.S. government is hiding from us. Recently, what had previously been called UFOs has been rebranded as UAPs, “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena”. We replay our hilarious and informative UFO Episode from last summer. Founding co-host, Kassia, is featured in both the cold open and in the bonus replay. Our music is composed, preformed and produced by the genius John Hoekstra. You Tube https://youtube.com/channel/UC2Gon6qb9ar07BP0hsNPXdA SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-363005792 Thumbnail photos courtesy Wikipedia commons.

(It’s actually men AND women in black, I was just going with the popular movie franchise name for SEO.) The Supreme Court’s relatively new “CONSERVATIVE SUPER MAJORITY” continues its efforts to overturn 60+ years of - what they consider - liberal leaning judicial rulings. Depending on how you self-identify politically, you may be happy or sad with the way things are going. “Scandel Sheet” merely offers you known facts and asks the obvious questions. You must decide for yourself about these matters after that. In this episode, we invite back DAVID GROVER, our most popular guest host ever (7 times out of 53 episodes), and a New York City, multi-year recipient of their “Super Lawyer” award. David gives us his non-partisan and unvarnished assessment, on the recent landmarks decisions of the Supreme Court’s latest term and what they might mean (could surprise you!). Co-host, Ellie (late 20’s) is not a lawyer herself but lives in the burgundy-red state of Alaska and offers her views on how Court decisions may impact her young life going forward. We also discuss the flurry of current ethics challenges/questions against 5 of 9 justices (both right and left). Crooks? Explainable? If you are a U.S. citizen, you may want to listen. If you say to yourself, these nine d-bag people don’t impact me, I’m sorry my friend … they probably actually do. It is your choice to pay attention or not. Everyone’s vote matters in these times. Enjoy! If you wish to reach David Grover, for personal injury, including auto accidents and slip and fall free consultations: 212-527-7575, DGrover@GroverFen.com.

What could be more American than a juicy, delicious hot dog? … what about 76 of them one after another? We fire up the grill on NATHAN’S FAMOUS HOT DOG EATING CONTEST, held annually every July 4th and broadcast on ESPN. Often called the super bowl of competitive eating, this tournament attracts the leading eaters from around the world. But is it really a sport? And are the participants really athletes? Our esteemed guests are two 10+ year judges of this holiday event, Rob From The Upper East Side, and Jason From Long Island, to help us peel back the aluminum foil on the most exciting 10 minutes in all of sports. Double your entertainment! Watch the episode on video: https://youtu.be/gdLubAAe5yA Please reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com, find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on Twitter @scandal_sheet. “Slave For You”, by Allan Janssen, appears under license to ACJ Beats.