Armand Hammer

It appears history lets a few folks slip through the cracks when it comes to who makes the history books.  The show subject today lived a life that’s straight out of a James Bond movie – espionage, bribes, business deals and of course, multiple women. But it seems as though most of the public has never heard of this dude.  Armand Hammer worked directly with 7 presidents, along with Russian leaders, to grow diplomacy and his personal fortune in the process.  But there was a lot of ulterior motives behind a lot of what Hammer did.  How does a guy that supported Russian spies in the US now have highways named after him?  Was his relationship with the Russians in good faith, or was he a traitor to the country that made him rich?  And how far did he go to try and hide his mistress from his wife?  We’ll dive into all this and more in the Armand Hammer episode of AHC Podcast.       Intro Music Credit: [No Copyright Sound] Trap Beat [Rap, Hip-Hop, Instrumental] [ FREE USE MUSIC ] - FAYZED - Rebirth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX5Y73nMcsw https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/       Citations: Boyarsky, B. (1996, October 27). A virtual spy : Dossier: The secret history of armand hammer. by Edward J. Epstein (Random House: $30, 418 pp.). Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-10-27-bk-58288-story.html Callaway, J. (2024, October 16). John Callaway interviews: Armand Hammer. Media Burn Archive. https://mediaburn.org/video/john-callaway-interviews-armand-hammer/ The New York Times. (1981, November 29). The riddle of armand hammer. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/29/magazine/the-riddle-of-armand-hammer.html Wikimedia Foundation. (2024, December 14). Armand Hammer. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armand_Hammer

It couldn’t be truer that people pay attention to who the President, King, or Prime Minister is hanging out with.  It would make sense that the people closest to the person in charge would have at least a voice in the ear of the person calling the shots.  We have an interesting situation going on now, but imagine if the person closest to the person in charge of an empire was a self-proclaimed mystic and faith healer?   What would it look like with Ms. Cleo in the ear of George W. during the tough days following 9/11?  Enter the tale of Rasputin.  Grigori Rasputin came from the remote area of Siberia to become one of the major influences of the Russian Empire.  His rise to prominence was carved by the path of religion and many thought he had healing powers, including the King and Queen.  But did Rasputin live the holy life he preached about?  What was his relationship with the King’s children really like?  If he wasn’t funny, and not good looking at all, how did he pull so much tail?  We’ll dive into all this and more in the Rasputin episode of AHC Podcast.       Intro Music Credit: TIK TOK [No Copyright Sound] Trap Beat [Hip Hop, Rap, Instrumental] [ FREE USE MUSIC ] - Deceiver https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dJC5lLHnXU&t=0s https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/         Citations: Smith, D. (2016). Rasputin: Faith, power, and the twilight of the Romanovs. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.   Landau, S. (2018, August 7). The long, hard journey of Rasputin's penis. All That's Interesting. Retrieved from https://allthatsinteresting.com/rasputin-penis Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Grigori Rasputin. In Wikipedia. Retrieved January 25, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grigori_Rasputin

We always like to start the year off on a positive note and this show subject most certainly fits the bill.  Betty White had a career in show business that lasted seven decades.  She was one of America’s sweethearts and won over the hearts of many in her prime-time roles.  Just when you thought she was in her twilight years, she had a career resurgence like we’ve never seen before.  She entertained us until she was in her 90’s and the country mourned when she passed.  But with all the people and characters she ran into during her career, was it all sunshine and roses? How did her co-stars feel about her?  Was the beef with her and Bea Arthur real?  We’ll dive into all this and more in the Betty White episode of AHC Podcast.       Intro Music Credits: [No Copyright Sound] Pop Beat [ Instrumental ] [ FREE USE MUSIC ] - MBB, Jonas Schmidt - Moving On https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG6gYbEPydM https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/       Citations: Betty White - age, Health & Family. Biography.com. (2021, December 31). https://www.biography.com/actors/betty-white Fact Check, R. (2022, January 13). Fact check: Conspiracy theories appear about actress Betty White following her death | reuters. Reuters.com. https://www.reuters.com/article/fact-check/conspiracy-theories-appear-about-actress-betty-white-following-her-death-idUSL1N2TT2DE/ Fitzgerald, T. (2022, January 3). Betty White’s early years: How she became one of TV’s first superstars. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonifitzgerald/2021/12/31/betty-whites-early-years-how-she-became-one-of-tvs-first-superstars/ Kussin, Z. (2022, February 10). Betty White’s “golden girls” castmates called her “the C-word”: New podcast. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2022/02/10/betty-whites-castmates-on-the-golden-girls-hated-her/ Staff, C. (2017, December 24). Betty White had dreams of working as a park ranger during her childhood. Closer Weekly. https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/betty-white-childhood-149523/ White, B. (1995, January 1). Here we go again : My life in television : White, Betty, 1922- : Free download, Borrow, and streaming. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/herewegoagainmyl0000whit_p1g5/page/16/mode/2up?q=%22Merry%2BWidow%22 Wikimedia Foundation. (2024, December 17). Betty White. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_White

There is a reason that the story of Robin Hood is a classic and appeals to the masses as a story of one that steals from the rich to give to the poor.  If you’re not part of the ultra-wealthy, odds are you feel at least a little slighted by “the man” at times.  Well, once in a while, one of “the men” truly does work to give more to those he serves. But as time has shown, as will this show, the ability to stay true to your values often goes out the window when power and the almighty dollar is involved.  Huey “The Kingfish” Long was a powerful Senator that had eyes on the presidency, running on a platform of “every man is a king, but no one wears a crown” policies.  It sounded great to many, but obviously not that great to the people that gunned him down.  But were Long’s intentions as pure as he portrayed?  Did he himself get tied up in political corruption?  And how many times will the guys mistake Huey Long for Huey Lewis during this episode?  We’ll dive into all this and more in the Huey Long episode of AHC Podcast.     Intro Music Credit: [No Copyright Sound] Old Times - Aries Beats - [ FREE USE MUSIC, Creative Commons, Rap, Hip Hop, Sad, Old School,  Instrumental Beat ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIsSZx7lR8Y https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We see careers in the acting world come and go at a rapid pace.  If you ask any random person to name their favorite 10 actor or actresses, they will most likely struggle to even name 10 at all.  But the subject of today’s show will most likely make the top ten list for a lot of people and has made his name one to remember.  Jim Carrey blasted on to the scene when he joined the cast for In Living Color and it blossomed into a movie career that has spanned decades and made him a ton of money.  If you go through his list of hits, you may not be human if you don’t love at least 2 or 3 of them.  But what was like as a kid for Jim, growing up in Canada?  How did he get his start in comedy?  And can he answer the question we all asked, “will you face really get stuck like that?”  We’ll dive into all this and more in the Jim Carrey episode of AHC Podcast.       Intro Music Credit: Hard Trap, Guitar Chill Beat, Hip Hop, Vlogs [No Copyright Sound] [ FREE USE MUSIC ] - Freak That FAYZED - "All my music is free to use in your content!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br1cEBHFVXA License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/       Citations: Breitegan, J. (2024, August 27). Jim Carrey: From childhood homelessness to famous actor: Aug 27, 2024. Elephant Learning - Learn 1 Year of Mathematics in 3 Months. https://www.elephantlearning.com/post/jim-carrey-from-childhood-homelessness-to-famous-actor Fandom, Inc. (n.d.). Top 5 controversial Jim Carrey moments. WatchMojo Wiki. https://watchmojo.fandom.com/wiki/Top_5_Controversial_Jim_Carrey_Moments Fisher, L. (2018, February 1). Jim Carrey no longer facing wrongful death lawsuit in girlfriend’s overdose. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/jim-carrey-longer-facing-wrongful-death-lawsuit-girlfriends/story?id=52767197 Keating, F. (2017, September 30). The damning note left by Jim Carrey’s ex-girlfriend before her suicide. The Independent. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/jim-carrey-catriona-white-suicide-cocaine-prostitutes-herpes-wrongful-death-lawsuit-std-a7975251.html Kluger, J. (2015, July 2). Vaccines: “Jim Carrey, please shut up.” Time. https://time.com/3944067/jim-carrey-vaccines/ Leathers, S. (2022, July 5). Jim Carrey’s tragic childhood saw him homeless in his teens. Express.co.uk. https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/1634160/jim-carrey-childhood-homeless-rags-to-riches-celebrity-stories-spt Passalaqua, H. (2016, July 5). Jim Carrey’s girlfriend Cathriona White left suicide note apologizing to actor before her death. E! Online. https://www.eonline.com/news/777889/jim-carrey-s-girlfriend-cathriona-white-left-suicide-note-apologizing-to-actor-before-her-death?utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=imdb_topstories Spargo, C. (2017, October 2). Exclusive - “you introduced me to cocaine, prostitutes and disease”: Note written by Jim Carrey’s ex-girlfriend two years before her suicide blames the actor for giving her herpes and describes how it “ruined her life.” Daily Mail Online. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4935130/Jim-Carrey-s-ex-S-note-years-suicide.html Wikimedia Foundation. (2024a, December 13). In living color. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Living_Color Wikimedia Foundation. (2024b, December 13). Jim Carrey. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Carrey

We’ve all had that experience in life, when what you get is way different than what you thought you were getting into.  It’s fair to make some assumptions, and when I see a band that has spiked shoulder pads, explosions everywhere, and their faces painted, I assume what I’m about to hear is going to be loud and wild.  And then KISS begins to play….and everything you assumed goes right out the window. The theme seems to trickle down to its members of the band and the subject of our show today, co-founder and bassist, Gene Simmons.  Simmons and his weirdly long tongue has found a way to stay relevant long after his famous band’s cycle had run it’s course.  The stories around Simmons, the band, and the days on the road are epic, but I’ll go ahead and tell you that the book doesn't always fit the cover.  What was Gene’s upbringing like?  How did he get into music and the weird look the band used?  And what does he exactly do with that long tongue?  We’ll dive into all this and more in the Gene Simmons episode of AHC Podcast.       Intro Music Credit: EpiJam - Rock/Alternative Metal - Royalty Free Music TeknoAXE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk8YPjkYyGk&list=PLCA9A9B18BE3342D8&index=16 *This track is Royalty Free and is free for anyone to use in YouTube videos or other projects, whether monetized or not.*

It seems like some people “have all the luck” when it comes to intelligence, charisma, and good looks.  Ball all that up, throw in the fact that this show subject is the greatest quarterback to play in the NFL, and you have the ever-charmed, often-despised, Tom Brady.  Brady went from a low-level draft pick out of Michigan to the elite player we all know, who holds the record for most Super Bowl victories and is considered the GOAT of pro football.  But his controversies haven’t avoided the headlines.  What was it like when his girlfriend found out that his recently dumped girlfriend was pregnant?   What was it like in the Brady household growing up?  And many fans have had their hearts ripped out of their chest by this man?  We’ll dive into all this and more in the Tom Brady episode of AHC Podcast.       Intro Music Credits: FAYZED - CALLING [ TRAP BEAT ] [ HIP HOP&RAP ] INSTRUMENTAL [ FREE NO COPYRIGHT MUSIC ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbtDAFjya7Y https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Support FAYZED: Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/fayzed/tracks Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Mimpitmj37SlrxLkLrT4Q?si=g7LyNhySSx6V5kbqveshIg&nd=1&dlsi=39df59d020314808       Citations: Cardoza, R. (2024, May 9). Tom Brady and Bridget Moynahan’s relationship timeline: From surprise pregnancy to co-parenting. Page Six. https://pagesix.com/entertainment/tom-brady-bridget-moynahan-relationship-timeline/ Copeland, N. (2023, February 2). Brady: A career built on controversy. The Kirkwood Call. https://www.thekirkwoodcall.com/sports/2023/02/02/brady-a-career-built-on-controversy/#:~:text=He%20often%20gets%20questioned%20on,can%20agree%20is%20not%20normal. Dondero, M. (2018, June 18). Intern Tom Brady was also elite, former bosses say. WPRI.com. https://www.wpri.com/sports/new-england-patriots/intern-tom-brady-was-also-elite-former-bosses-say/ Gaydos, R. (2020, April 8). Tom Brady discusses indulgences as High Schooler and reason why he stopped partying. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/tom-brady-indulgences-high-schooler-reason-he-stopped Gupta, A. (2022, February 20). Lessons from Tom Brady - from high school bench to 7 super bowls. Product Growth. https://www.aakashg.com/tom-brady/ Lamare, A. (2024, May 7). Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen’s relationship timeline. People.com. https://people.com/sports/tom-brady-gisele-bundchen-relationship-timeline/ Martin, A. (2022, December 11). How Brady’s childhood friends in San Mateo remember NFL legend. NBC Sports Bay Area & California. https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/how-bradys-childhood-friends-in-san-mateo-remember-nfl-legend/1446254/ Reiss, M. (2017, August 4). Beer-chugging, cliff golf and pranks: Tales of Tom Brady at 40. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/beer-chugging-cliff-golf-pranks-tales-tom-brady/story?id=49044884 Wikimedia Foundation. (2024a, November 10). Deflategate. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deflategate Wikimedia Foundation. (2024b, November 12). Tom Brady. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady

What’s up AHC nation, we hope you are doing well.  We have a special treat for you this week as we are doing a show swap with our friends over at Midnight Facts for Insomniacs.  In the episode, Shane and Duncan are going to do their thing and dive a topic popular among stoners and 80% of women, Astrology.  They do a little friendly debunking of some of the aspects of Astrology, and as always, keep you entertained and learning a little something something along the way.  As for us, get ready for a new Asshole Court episode in two weeks, followed by a whole bunch of new episodes after that.  Like we said, just needed a short break to catch our breath, but we’re back baby!  Be kind to one another and enjoy this episode of Midnight Facts for Insomniacs.

There have been many celebrities to lose their lives to unfortunate auto accidents, but there is  one rumored accident that had potential to change the world of music forever.  In 1966, while working on the Sgt. Peppers album, Paul McCartney was involved in an auto accident.  While it's fairly obvious Paul is fine and well, the rumor that Paul had died surfaced and took the world by storm for a short time.  Is there any truth to the odd circumstances around the rumor?    What would the Fab Four have been like as George, Ringo, John, and Billy?  We'll dive into this and more in this hilarious episode of Conspiracy Court. 

We've all heard the phrase, "you like to eat the sausage, but you don't want to see how it's made". Well, in this episode we're going to do just that.  We'll give you the low-down on how we got our start, what goes into making all this happen, who does what, and more.  We hope you all enjoy a little peek behind the curtain at AHC Podcast!