Best Chlapowski Podcasts (2025)

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The Totally True Story of The Orchid of Solza, 3-Ball Bartolomeo Colleoni 31:05

9M ago31:05

31:05

Send us feedback! In thinking through which classic to watch this holiday season, I landed on the Mario Puzo - Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece, The Godfather. That got me wondering about Corleone, Sicily and who that city was actually named after. Professor Enzo Tontodonato of St. Bonaventure University took me down a very unexpected path, to the …

1
The Totally True Story of the First Successful Parachute Jump… or Push 39:37

9M ago39:37

39:37

Send us feedback! I got to thinking about who was the first person to jump from a ledge or flying machine using a parachute. I mean, who invented the first parachute, when was that, what were the circumstances – was it a thing of necessity in some horrible moment – and why would anyone ever want to step out of a flying machine or off a cliff when i…

1
True Facts #5 – The Invention of the Hamburger and the Founding of McDonald's 31:29

10M ago31:29

31:29

Send us feedback! Who doesn't love a big juicy burger? But where did this glorious gastronomic culinary creation come from? Who invented it and how did they dream it up? And what about that go-to condiment mix of mayo and ketchup? Or how did Thousand Island Dressing land on a Big Mac? And what about McDonald's and Ronald McDonald? Doucette de la Cr…

1
The Totally True Story of How Thanksgiving Came to Be 49:44

10M ago49:44

49:44

Send us feedback! There's a lot that's been uncovered about the first Thanksgiving. Based on the research of Dr. Louis Pazgassian, a professor of Colonial North American and U.S. History and chair of Georgetown University’s history department, we're sharing the totally true facts of the holiday's origin, including a cast that includes Squanto, Mass…

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The Totally True Story of the Super Villain, Blofeld, from the James Bond Franchise 28:08

11M ago28:08

28:08

Send us feedback! Super heroes are great, but it's the super villains who make those stories so compelling. Thinking about super villains brought me to the James Bond franchise from Ian Fleming, and specifically a villain who made his debut in Thunderball - Ernst Stavro Blofeld. So, where did the total truth of this villain's character come from? I…

1
The Totally True Story of the Roswell Incident Aliens, Based on Real Facts 28:13

11M ago28:13

28:13

Send us feedback! Back in 1947 in Roswell, New Mexico, a flying saucer crash landed in the desert. The Air Force secured the spacecraft as well as a handful of surviving aliens, including a petulant toddler alien, and the government decided to make the event a social experiment. Problem is, it became entangled with Bugsy Siegel, Roy Cohn and a mech…

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The Totally True Story of the Bubbly Creek and a Guy Named Jeff Chłapowski, Based on Real Facts 15:40

12M ago15:40

15:40

Send us feedback! We're introducing a new series for You Don't Say... It's called Totally True Facts. One of the things that alternate facts have caused is a whole lot of unnecessary violence, strife and mischief. Alternate facts have made the world a very stressful and dangerous place. So I decided to create Totally True Facts. These vignettes wil…

1
Better Terms for All : Term Limits and Aging Out 18:43

1y ago18:43

18:43

Send us feedback! All we need to do is to turn on the news and we see stories of septuagenarian and octogenarian politicians and judges whose time is well past. It’s like opening a dumpster and catching a good whiff of all the rot inside it. Term limits are long overdue, and in the 2024 presidential cycle, it's never been more clear that age limits…

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Ep. 60 - Tuesday, September 11 - It Started Like Any Other Day 16:53

3y ago16:53

16:53

Send us feedback! I woke up, went off to the gym, then to work, like any other day. I imagine for a lady named Valsa Raju out in Yonkers, New York, her day started in an ordinary way. September 11, 2001 would not be just another day. I recently visited the 9/11 Memorial and it was as moving as you might expect. I met someone there. Someone who, I a…

1
Ep. 59 - Burnin' Down the House 59:40

3y ago59:40

59:40

Send us feedback! When fire strikes, here's what you need to know... My sister, Amy Wagner, lost her family home of nearly 30 years to a fire in the spring of 2020. She's sharing her story of loss, community support, and rebuilding, and how that experience drove her to pay it forward by founding The Wagner Family Fire Fund. The Fire Fund is a non-p…

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Ep. 58 - The Baseball Hall of Fame v. The Football Hall of Fame 26:43

3y ago26:43

26:43

Send us feedback! I recently visited both The National Baseball Hall of Fame and The Pro Football Hall of Fame. The difference in the feel of them was like going to a family reunion versus a corporate Powerpoint presentation… I'll tell you why. Links The National Baseball Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aar…

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Ep. 57 - It’s Time To Pull the Trigger on Real Change 25:29

3+ y ago25:29

25:29

Send us feedback! I'm past being tired of gun violence. So much that I'm also past being on board with the 2nd Amendment. In this episode I'm laying down facts and data on the most common arguments gun owners make in defense of their guns. But that's not all, I'm also providing what I believe are logical solutions that might allow a gun owner to ha…

1
Ep. 56 – A 66 Year Old Cold Case, With a Hot Trail – The Grimes Sisters Murders 1:16:58

3+ y ago1:16:58

1:16:58

Send us feedback! Keep the episodes coming! Support YDS today: Support on Venmo l Support on Paypal This Episode Sponsored by: Squarespace – LeftBrainRightBrain Marketing – Constant Contact Mark Wicks grew up in the same neighborhood as the Grimes sisters. As a former investigator, when he started to look at the details of the case, an inconsistenc…

1
Ep. 55 – Elizabeth Steps Out… After 76 Years 1:11:58

3+ y ago1:11:58

1:11:58

Send us feedback! A journey of nearly 80 years leads Elizabeth, a transgender woman, to finally being comfortable in her skin and welcoming people into her truth. Links National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Transgender Resources The Trevor Project Trans Lifeline Who Is Lia Thomas? Trans Swimmer Breaking College Records Sparks Debate Amid trans athle…

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Ep. 54 – Canceling the Greatest 22:08

4y ago22:08

22:08

Send us feedback! If Muhammad Ali lived in these times, he would be canceled… which would deny us his greatest gift. Canceling people who dissent or drop vile comments and perspectives doesn’t solve anything. Maybe it’s time to cancel cancel-culture. Links Gruden’s Emails Were Collateral Damage in Washington Football Inquiry - New York Times, 10.12…

1
Ep. 53 – Painting a Colorful Future with Raziah Roushan 55:34

4y ago55:34

55:34

Send us feedback! Once upon a time a kid opened a gallery in her parents’ garage. Her neighborhood supported her by buying her work and encouraging her. Now she’s returning the favor by leading the way to support and foster the arts in her own back yard. Links Raziah Roushan Website Tualatin Valley Creates (TVC) TVC ArtPass (launching 9/20/2021) No…

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Ep. 52 – Baseball, Cornfields and Strat-O-Matic… A Love Story 24:18

4y ago24:18

24:18

Send us feedback! I recently re-discovered Strat-O-Matic baseball, after nearly 40 years. The game – and the one played on The Field of Dreams - has reignited my love for baseball. It’s also made me realize that the one constant through all the years really is baseball. Links Strat-O-Matic Baseball Terence Mann…the one constant, Field of Dreams spe…

1
Ep. 51 – Boxes of Stuff 12:24

4y ago12:24

12:24

Send us feedback! We have a compulsion… getting more stuff. Now we pay for stuff, and we don’t even care what’s in the box. I’ve got a better idea! Plus, an update on my new dog, Lucy! Links George Carlin on Stuff Wisdom Panel Doggie DNA Testing Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley Submit Your Story Idea! This Episode Sponsored by: Squarespace (SA…

1
Ep. 50 - On Grief and Loss 16:16

4y ago16:16

16:16

Send us feedback! When losing a loved one, whether a pet or person, there’s no such thing a closure. I recently lost my dog, Nub, to cancer. It came quick and wasn’t expected. I’m sharing my thoughts on that experience and working through that grief and loss. But there’s hope and Nub’s example reminded me how to cope with it. Links 20 Keys to Heal …

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Ep. 49 – Religion Is Flawed… Faith Is Where It’s At 1:05:19

4+ y ago1:05:19

1:05:19

Send us feedback! I’m talking with a former Catholic nun, my aunt, Reneta Webb, about her own story and the source of faith in a messy world. Organized religions are empty corporate entities. For most of my life I’ve not had any faith in them. My aunt, a former nun, and I talk about that. We also talk about her journey, going into the convent at 13…

1
Ep. 48 – I Dunno About US Anymore 20:22

4+ y ago20:22

20:22

Send us feedback! I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about where we live, and I’ll bet you’re wondering about this place too. I’ve always been patriotic, which is why I’ve been doing a lot of wondering about our country over, well, the last couple decades, and specifically the last few years. I just don’t know about us anymore… is it time to turn ov…

1
Ep. 47 – A Life That Adds Up 1:00:59

4+ y ago1:00:59

1:00:59

Send us feedback! Sensei Miwako Sakabayashi helps young minds blossom by teaching the abacus. In1992, an immigrant comes to America from Japan. She could read and write, but not really speak the language. So, what happens next? In 2000 she launches a Japanese Abacus school of course. Today Sensei Miwako Sakabayashi has made a huge impact in the liv…

1
Ep. 46 – Murder in Canaryville 57:54

4+ y ago57:54

57:54

Send us feedback! Detective Jim Sherlock chases down a 40-plus-year-old cold case In January 2021 the book, Murder in Canaryville was released. It’s the story of the murder of teenager John Hughes in the spring of 1976. The murder was covered up by Chicago Police, politicians, and judges. I’m talking with Detective Jim Sherlock who’s investigated t…

1
Ep. 45 - Drink a Cup, Save a Pup 54:50

4+ y ago54:50

54:50

Send us feedback! A reformed attorney prosecutes a crusade for better coffee and finding forever homes for dogs Claudia McMullen was burned out… on New York, on being a lawyer, on burnt coffee and on dogs not being able to find forever homes. So what’s a girl to do? She moved to Utah and started Hugo Coffee. Now she’s making great coffee and helpin…

1
Ep. 44 - How People Buy into Batshit Crazy 27:24

4+ y ago27:24

27:24

Send us feedback! Digital media and social networks are programming us exactly how we want to be programmed... You know that person who goes on about crazy conspiracies and fake news? They probably think you’re as crazy as you think they are. And worse, it leads us to cancel each other out, regardless of the bonds we might have. How does it happen?…

1
Ep. 43 – The Dirtiest Word in America 30:02

4+ y ago30:02

30:02

Send us feedback! It’s at the root of almost everything we count on... There’s a word that most Americans consider dirtier than all others. We’re either on one side of it or another. And even those who are on its side are terrified to drop it. As usual, the word has a whole lot more nuance to it. And nuance isn’t what Americans want these days. Let…

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Ep. 42 – An Equal Opportunity Skewering of Racially Insensitive, Politically Incorrect, Historically Misleading Sports Team Names 19:39

4+ y ago19:39

19:39

Send us feedback! There’s plenty of ugliness to find in a team’s name if you look hard enough and want to see it. This week I’m sharing my own thoughts on the sports team renaming controversy, starting with the Redskins. To my reading of history, there are plenty of team names, that when you dig into them, are out of bounds when it comes to politic…

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Ep. 41 – Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer 1:01:36

4+ y ago1:01:36

1:01:36

Send us feedback! Dr. Katherine Ramsland Unpacks Serial Killer Dennis Rader By all accounts, Dennis Rader was an ordinary guy in the neighborhood. He could be the person living across the street from any of us. Yet over a 30 year span he left a trail of murder victims, where he used his trademark of binding, torturing and killing them by strangulat…

1
Ep. 40 – A Day in the Life of a Crime Scene Investigator 1:03:06

4+ y ago1:03:06

1:03:06

Send us feedback! You can’t just leave your emotions at the door of the scene First responders bear a heavy toll. Not just physically, but emotionally. They see and experience things the rest of us can’t even imagine. Especially Crime Scene Investigators. They witness, first hand, the horrors and havoc that people can inflict on one another. Frank …

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Ep. 39 - A Magic-Filled Stone Barn 1:13:36

4+ y ago1:13:36

1:13:36

Send us feedback! Spirits that Will Make Any Season Brighter Making the season bright… there’s a lot of things that will do the trick. But there’s nothing quite like brandies, liquers and whiskies. Especially if they come from a magical stone barn. Sebastian and Erika Degens of Stone Barn Brandyworks are sharing the magic behind the other-worldly s…

1
Ep. 38 - Homeless for the Holidays 1:01:45

4+ y ago1:01:45

1:01:45

Send us feedback! Giving the gift of service to the homeless… For most of us, the holidays mean home. For more than a half million homeless Americans, it’s a gift they only wish for. Fortunately, people like Kim Marshall of Project Homeless Connect have dedicated their lives to making sure they have a place to call home and a friend who is there to…

1
Ep. 37 – Walking Into the COVID Storm 1:05:28

5y ago1:05:28

1:05:28

Send us feedback! The Long and Winding road of George Azcárate George Azcárate has lived many lives. Firefighter, nurse, traveling performer, teacher, Doctoral candidate in Romance Languages. While on a break from studies he was visiting his girlfriend in New York, the city went into lockdown. He came to another crossroad in his life. He chose the …

1
Ep. 36 – The Mighty Quinn 39:17

5y ago39:17

39:17

Send us feedback! A Student’s Perspective on Remote Learning We’ve talked with a teacher (Ep. 20) and a learning specialist (Ep. 29)… Now we’re going to where the rubber meets the road for remote learning. I’m talking with 8th grade student, Quinn C. about her thoughts on that and more. She’s a bright young lady and her outlook will give you hope f…

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Ep. 35 – A Moonshiner’s Life 1:10:10

5y ago1:10:10

1:10:10

Send us feedback! On Alchemy and Respecting the Grain... When your dad and grandfather build you a still, there’s really only one path to follow. Alan Bishop grew up in a family of moonshiners and made that his vocation. The Master Alchemist of Spirits of French Lick is talking about what the distillery has in the works, pouring out a couple finger…

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Ep. 34 – These Morticians Ain’t No Stiffs 1:04:20

5y ago1:04:20

1:04:20

Send us feedback! Pulling Back the Curtain at the Funeral Home... Nobody wants to think about dealing with a mortician. But when you need one, you want one with a human touch. Not someone that’s more like Lerch from the Addams Family, or a used car salesman. Ron & Deborah Threadgill bring an uncommon personal touch and a unique approach to the serv…

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Ep. 33 – In the Wake of Joe Exotic 1:19:11

5y ago1:19:11

1:19:11

Send us feedback! WildCat Ridge Sanctuary Comes to the Rescue The Netflix documentary Tiger King presented us a cast of unsavory characters who were big cat exploiters. The animals that were kept at Joe’s “zoo” were mistreated, sickly and suffered from deformities from inbreeding. The folks at WildCat Ridge Sanctuary, and others, stepped in to resc…

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Ep. 32 – A Brief History of Voting Rights and Suppression 21:54

5y ago21:54

21:54

Send us feedback! Tomorrow is election day when we all go out and exercise our right to vote. But we didn’t always have that right. And since the very beginning of America, voter suppression has been an issue. I watched a new documentary on Netflix – Whose Vote Counts, Explained. It’s fantastic. The first episode lays out the evolution of voting ri…

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Ep. 31 – Have Yourself a Ghostly Little Halloween 1:02:06

5y ago1:02:06

1:02:06

Send us feedback! Who doesn’t like a little spooky this time of year? I’m talking with Lindsey Charlick and Amanda Mednansky, hosts of the new podcast, True Creeps about ghosts and the history of Halloween. We’ll get into the details on hauntings and our own experiences, then jump into the harrowing holiday and hear about the origins of Halloween a…

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Ep. 30 – Surviving the Holocaust and Communism… a Lesson From the History of Two Remarkable People 1:06:50

5y ago1:06:50

1:06:50

Send us feedback! Having survived the Holocaust and escaped the yoke of Communism, Les and Eva Aigner's history provides insights and perspective on what we’re witnessing today and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Their son Rob Aigner, host of the podcast Clear Choices, shares his parent’s history and discusses how it shaped him, …

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Ep. 29 – Teach Your Children Well – The Physical Side of Remote Learning 1:09:23

5y ago1:09:23

1:09:23

Send us feedback! Remote learning requires a parent-child partnership. As we muddle through this pandemic, parents are faced with the issue of keeping kids engaged in their schoolwork. What was once an entertainment device, is now a tool for learning. So how to keep your child engaged in a remote learning environment? Get physical. Nicole Drieske, …

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Ep. 28 – From Interpol’s Most Wanted To Lifting Up Nigeria’s Young Women 1:06:01

5y ago1:06:01

1:06:01

Send us feedback! Picture yourself waiting to board a plane. Then, suddenly, you’re being escorted to a cell, informed that you’re wanted by Interpol. That’s exactly what happened to Marek Zmysłowski, a high-tech entrepreneur who was on his way back to Nigeria, where his business was. Marek found himself in the crosshairs of a nasty guy who was an …

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Ep. 27 – Stop That Diet… Just Listen To Your Body 55:36

5y ago55:36

55:36

Send us feedback! The cavepeople had it right. Volumetrics, Keto, Paleo, Flexitarian, Raw Food, Intermittent Fasting… there are more fad diets than you can shake a stick at. And every time we turn around somebody is pushing a new “miracle” way to shed pounds. But it’s almost inevitable that after doing one of these diets, we gain back all the pound…

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Ep. 26 – Finding Hope in Hopeless Times 1:06:11

5y ago1:06:11

1:06:11

Send us feedback! Looking at our world today can leave you feeling hopeless… so where can you find hope for the future? There’s so much out there to make us believe we live in hopeless times. But hope is out there. It really is. We just need to look harder to get past everything that’s happening to see it. For me and my guest, David Fields, our fai…

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Ep. 25 - Urban Growers Collective Creates an Oasis in a Food Desert 1:04:13

5y ago1:04:13

1:04:13

Send us feedback! About 19 million people in the U.S. live more than a mile from a grocery store. These areas have been called food deserts by the folks who create names for such things. But more recently they’re being referred to as areas of food inequality, and some are beginning to call this condition, food apartheid. It’s a big problem. Fortuna…

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Ep. 24 – Red-Blue 2020 : Fact Check 41:15

5y ago41:15

41:15

Send us feedback! Here are the facts on the things we heard from both voters… Mary and Mark had a lot to say, respectively, about Joe Biden and President Trump. In this episode we dig into their comments on all the topics we covered and have presented a fact check on their information. Whatever your political stripe, I hope that what both guests ha…

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Ep. 23 – Red-Blue 2020 : Joe Biden 41:40

5y ago41:40

41:40

Send us feedback! Hear from two fellow citizens on why Joe Biden is wrong and right for our country. In our last episode, we peeled back the layers on President Trump. Today we’re giving Joe Biden the once over. As in the last episode, we’ll begin with our guest Mark on why he’s not the guy to move our country forward. Then we’ll give the floor to …

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Ep. 22 - Red-Blue 2020 : President Trump 54:40

5y ago54:40

54:40

Send us feedback! Hear from two fellow citizens on why Trump is wrong and right for our country. We hear it every four years… “this is the most consequential election in our lives/history.” My personal opinion is that the 2020 election might be just that. Our political discourse is more divisive than ever. When people hear beliefs or opinions about…

1
Ep. 21 – 5 Steps to Heal Our Country 1:04:46

5y ago1:04:46

1:04:46

Send us feedback! In difficult times, the simplest steps can feel like the hardest steps. There’s no questioning the fact that we live in divisive times. People are becoming increasingly hard-wired to reject ideas that run contrary to their own. So much so, that even beginning a dialogue can feel next to impossible. But once you make a habit of ope…

1
Ep. 20 – The Lessons of a Pandemic 55:29

5y ago55:29

55:29

Send us feedback! The risks in beginning the 2020 fall term aren’t limited to contracting COVID. As schools start the fall 2020 semester during a pandemic there’s no consistent plan on how to get the year rolling without risk to both teachers and students. And that’s not just in terms of contracting COVID-19. Younger students will certainly suffer …

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Ep. 19 – Take It From Plants… You’ve Got a Lot to Learn 1:04:33

5y ago1:04:33

1:04:33

Send us feedback! In a stressful world, any advice on how to find some calm is a welcome thing. So where to turn to for that advice? Plants, of course! That’s right. When we tune into plants, their music – yes, they are musical - and connectedness can help us find our center and get our feet back on the ground. Tigrilla Gardenia (Masters in Futuro …

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Chlapowski Podcasts

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