i am not making this up podcast – Tracy S. Morris show

i am not making this up podcast – Tracy S. Morris

Summary: A look at the stories we tell about history and what they say about us.

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  • Artist: Tracy S. Morris
  • Copyright: Copyright © Tracy S. Morris 2017

Podcasts:

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 42 George Washington Loved Him Some Ice Cream | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:04:50

There is a story (definitely not true) that Martha Washington invented ice cream. Regardless of the story’s truth or fiction, George Washington loved ice cream. So much that he and Martha served it to guests both at Mt. Vernon, and when they were at the president’s home in New York City. While these days ice cream is a ubiquitous summer treat, in the days of the founding fathers, it was definitely a luxury only the very wealthy could afford. In today’s episode, we’ll explore the murky origins of ice cream, what made it such a luxury in Washington’s time, and how ice cream in the colonial and revolutionary eras differed from ice cream as we know it today. And if you want to make ice cream the way the Washington family served it at Mt. Vernon, the Mt. Vernon website has a good recipe for Ice Cream.

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 41 Marie Antoinette Was The Ultimate Cosplayer | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:06:03

Marie Antoinette built La Hameau De La Reine, a rustic village situated on the grounds of Versailles. You would think that Comicon attendees invented cosplay, but Queen Marie Antoinette would tell you au contraire. When she was Queen of France, rocked the milkmaid look while visiting her personal village on the grounds of Versailles.

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 40 Like Taking Crown Jewels From A Baby | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:05:26

The French monarch’s regalia for the Order of the Golden Fleece was one of the stolen items. When something is easy, we say that it’s like taking candy from a baby.  Maybe we should say that it’s like stealing the French Crown Jewels. Because stealing the French Crown Jewels was just that easy. Allegedly. I wouldn’t know personally.

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 39 Cattle Kate, The Outlaw Who Never Existed | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:07:59

Ella Watson, a woman who was never known as Cattle Kate until the men behind her murder dubbed her so. One of the most infamous outlaws of the Old West may not have existed, but may have been invented by real murderers to cover up the lynching of an innocent rancher and her husband. This is the story of who Cattle Kate was, and who she was not.

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 38 The Cobra Effect | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:03:49

The other half of the battle appears to be lasers. Ever hear of the cobra effect? Sadly, it’s not an episode of GI Joe.  But if you listen to this episode, you’ll know what it is.  And knowing is half the battle.

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 37 The Greatest Lion Tamer | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:08:02

Clyde Beatty in his iconic outfit. Beatty’s image on circus posters guaranteed huge box office sales. When you think of a lion tamer, you probably imagine a guy in a safari outfit, pith helmet and wielding a chair and whip.  That’s because the most famous lion tamer ever, Clyde Beatty, dressed in safari gear, and wielded a chair.  Beatty was so famous that the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey’s Circus once delayed the official opening season of their show so that he could participate.

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 36 The Wild Horses of South Carolina | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:04:31

The Banker Ponies of South Carolina may be descended from marooned spanish horses. If you visit the Outer Banks of South Carolina, you may see the descendants of some of the first immigrants to our country, still living in the area where their ancestors first settled.  These descendants are still living as their ancestors lived hundreds of years ago.  But they’re not Amish.  They’re not even human.  They’re horses.

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 35 Sarah Winchester, The Crazy Cat Lady of Architecture | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:09:44

The Winchester house as it appears today. The large shrub on the left hides a space where a chimney was not replaced. The Brown Family, who purchased the home, changed the exterior colors. Under Mrs. Winchester, the colors were hunter green, deep purple and gray. We all think we know the story of Sarah Winchester.  Folklore states that the heiress of the Winchester fortune was told by a psychic to go west and build a house for the spirits of everyone who had ever been killed by a Winchester rifle.  In truth, Sarah probably had something in common with the modern Pintrest mom with an arts and crafts hobby that got out of control.  (You know, if that Pintrest mom had an unlimited budget and no one to tell her to stop). Correction: In the podcast, I stated that Winchester made an income of around $26,000 monthly in today’s dollars.  The correct figure should have been stated as around $26,000 daily.

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 34 Vladimir Putin Liked It (So He Allegedly Took A Ring) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:05:36

Patriots owner Robert Kraft If Russian hackers crash this podcast and website, you’ll know that this episode is why. Yesterday, the New England Patriots met the Philadelphia Eagles in the Superbowl for the first time in 13 years.  The last time the two met, the Patriots narrowly squeaked out a win for their third consecutive Superbowl victory. Shortly after, Patriots owner Robert Kraft  received his copy of the $25,000 championship ring. Then he took it to Russia (as you do) and showed it to Russian President Vladimir Putin.  You know, the guy who uses his own biker gang as his personal security.   What could possibly go wrong?

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 33 That Time Bunnies Attacked Napoleon | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:06:18

Napoleon is widely regarded as one of the greatest military leaders of all time, up there with Alexander the Great. But one of his most humiliating defeats actually came from a pack of domesticated rabbits.

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 32 One Way To Spend An Afternoon When Visiting The City in 1848 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:05:46

Imagine you’re an American farmer 170 years ago. Depending on where you live, you may go to a big city once a year, when it’s time to sell off your surplus livestock. And, after you’ve done that, you might go have one of those fancy daguerreotype light paintings made. Having a Daguerreotype image made was the 1850’s fad equivalent to taking a selfie at Disneyland while performing in a flash mob in front of Cinderella’s castle. And if you adjust for inflation, the price was about the same.

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 31 When Special Snowflake Wasn’t An Insult | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:00:01

You probably already know that no two snowflakes are alike. Every school child knows that. But before 1931, no one knew that. The man who changed our perspective on snowflakes was Wilson “snowflake” Bentley.

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 30 Catch Me If You Can, Gingerbread Man | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:04:39

Gingerbread men are practically synonymous with Christmas. But, at the risk of sounding click-bait-y, you won’t believe the surprising origins of this cookie. Spoiler it’s Queen Elizabeth. Maybe.

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 29 What Was On The Table That First Thanksgiving? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:05:35

When we gather around the table this Thanksgiving, we’ll probably have turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and mashed potatoes. Turkey is such an iconic part of Thanksgiving that there is even a giant turkey float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade. But the first Thanksgiving may not have even had turkey.

 I Am Not Making This Up: Ep. 28 John Smith Is The Wrong John | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 0:05:24

Long before the founding of the United States, some of the first colonists didn’t have much to be thankful for. Including food. They called that season the starving time.

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