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Behind the headlines of Gary Heidnik’s horrific crimes are six women whose stories deserve to be remembered. In this episode, we examine the Philadelphia kidnappings that left Sandra Lindsay and Deborah Dudley dead and four women fighting to survive—and how Josefina Rivera’s courageous escape brought police to Heidnik’s door. We trace his background, the coercion and abuse inside his North Marshall Street home, and the trial that raised a difficult distinction: serious mental illness is not the same as legal insanity. With renewed attention to the case following NBC10’s reporting on a separate Philadelphia missing-women investigation, we revisit this disturbing chapter of Pennsylvania history while keeping the victims and survivors at the center. Viewer discretion advised: discussion includes sexual violence, captivity, torture, and murder.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#PodcastRecommendationsOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

Before Goggle Works became a place where people melt glass, throw pottery, and discover that clay has a personal grudge against beginners, it was one of Reading’s great industrial success stories. This episode follows the 130-year journey of Thomas A. Willson & Co.—from early optical lenses and shatterproof safety glass to wartime pilot sunglasses, gas masks, and a factory workforce of 1,300 people—before its old brick home was reborn as the Goggle Works Center for the Arts. We also wander beyond the studios to visit Reading’s Pagoda, Yuengling’s legendary Pottsville brewery tunnels, and the mysterious industrial passageways said to run beneath parts of the Reading area. It is a story of goggles, grit, ghosts of industry, and a city that knows how to make something new from its past.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#PodcastRecommendation#GoggleWorks#ReadingPA#PennsylvaniaHistory#BerksCountyOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

On May 13, 1985, Philadelphia became the site of one of the most disturbing events in American urban history when police dropped a bomb on a residential rowhouse occupied by the radical group MOVE. What followed was a fire that raged out of control, destroying over 60 homes and killing 11 people, including five children. In this episode, we trace the origins of MOVE, the deadly 1978 Powelton Village shootout, the escalating standoff on Osage Avenue, and the catastrophic decisions that turned a police operation into a human tragedy. We break down who was held accountable, why no criminal charges were ever filed, and why Philadelphia didn't formally apologize until 2020. This is the story of how a city lost control of a crisis, and the lessons it still holds decades later. Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld #PodcastRecomendation #AmericanHistory #PhillyHistory #MOVEOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

Hot rods were born from speed, backyard ingenuity, and young gearheads turning cheap old cars into fast, rebellious machines—but rat rods took that same spirit, dragged it through a junkyard, and gave it a punk-rock attitude. In this episode, we dig into the Southern California roots of hot rodding, dry-lake racing, postwar car culture, and how the rat rod scene turned rust, exposed welds, mismatched parts, and “unfinished” into a badge of honor. From Model As and ’32 Fords to chopped pickups and rough-around-the-edges garage builds, we explore why these machines are more than cars—they’re rebellion on wheels.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld# PodcastRecommendations#HotRods #RatRods #ClassicCars #CustomCars #CarCulture On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

What kind of state gives you underground ice in July and a town that’s been on fire since the Kennedy administration? In this episode, Mike D and John travel into the weird side of Pennsylvania, where summer heat somehow creates giant icicles inside the legendary Coudersport Ice Mine — a 40-foot hole in the ground that acts less like a cave and more like nature’s broken air conditioner. The guys also head to Trough Creek State Park, home to a tiny hillside opening that stays cold enough to grow ice while everyone above it is sweating through their T-shirts. And because Pennsylvania apparently refuses to be normal, the episode finishes in Centralia, the nearly abandoned town where an underground coal fire has been burning since 1962 and may keep going for another 250 years. From frozen rock chambers to roads that literally smoke, this episode mixes history, science, local legends, and just enough “how is this real?” to make you want to road-trip across the Keystone State immediately. Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected]. We will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World! To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPod Check out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout. Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod #PennsylvaniaMysteries #CoudersportIceMine#CentraliaPA #TroughCreek #takeontheworld # PodcastRecommendations On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBSt YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpod or Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

In this episode, we dive into the chilling true story of the man‑eating lions of Tsavo, the infamous pair of maneless males that stalked railway camps in Kenya in 1898 and dragged workers from their tents at night. We walk through the Uganda Railway project, John Henry Patterson’s desperate hunt, and why the death toll remains disputed, with estimates ranging from 28 to 135 victims while modern research points closer to 35. Along the way, we unpack how prey shortages, disease, injury, and “easy pickings” around the camps may have turned these lions into human hunters, and how their legacy still shapes our understanding of predator behavior today. From survival horror and colonial history to African wildlife science, we separate legend from evidence—and trace the story all the way to the Field Museum and beyond.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#PodcastRecomendationsOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

The Pinkertons were pioneers of modern detective work, helping shape criminal databases, undercover investigation, and Civil War intelligence. But their legacy is far more complicated than just crime fighting.In this episode, we dig into the rise of Allan Pinkerton, the Baltimore Plot, the hunt for Jesse James, the Molly Maguires, Homestead, and the dark reputation that made the Pinkertons both famous and infamous in American history.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#podcastrecomendations#pinkertonsOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

To celebrate 150 episodes, John and Mike D pull back the curtain and invite listeners into a more personal side of Take On The World. Joined by former co-hosts Deb Dougherty and Nathan, the crew shares stories, laughs, and reflections from their time on the show—along with a few surprises along the way.This special episode dives into who they are beyond the microphones, how the podcast has evolved, and the moments that defined their journey. Whether you’ve been listening from the beginning or just found the show, Episode 150 is a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the voices you’ve come to know.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#PodcastRecomendationOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

Most companies unknowingly kill their own growth by ignoring the untapped power of regional industry hubs—and Pennsylvania’s steel industry is the prime example that proves it. Johnny and Mike D unpack the fascinating rise and fall of America’s steel giants, revealing how Pittsburgh and Bethlehem shaped the nation’s economy and what lessons they hold for today’s industry.CHECK OUT Barrel Aged Flicks and Mike D's Hosting of The Great Outdoors - https://youtu.be/a-ITkmic64k?si=hrU460CARn4rtl-EBAF - @barrelagedflicksvideopodcast  Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#podcastrecommendations On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

In this mini episode of Take On The World, John and Mike D. take a look at the legendary Great Raid at Cabanatuan, a daring World War II rescue mission led by U.S. Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts, and Filipino guerrillas. The discussion covers the brutal conditions endured by Allied prisoners, the connection to the Bataan Death March, and the incredible planning and execution that freed more than 500 prisoners from behind enemy lines. It’s a powerful story of courage, sacrifice, and one of the most successful rescue operations of the war.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodVisit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#PodcastRecommendationOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

In this episode of Take On The World, John and Mike D revisit the Philippines to tell the full story of how the catastrophic 1942 defeat on Bataan ultimately connects to MacArthur’s triumphant return and the liberation of the islands. They walk through Japan’s early‑war strategy, the collapse of the combined U.S.–Philippine defense, and the surrender that triggered the infamous Bataan Death March—roughly 60–70 miles of forced movement marked by starvation, disease, beatings, bayonetings, roadside executions, and thousands of deaths on the way to Camp O’Donnell.From there, the episode follows the story forward: the rise of guerrilla resistance by escaped Bataan veterans, the years of brutal captivity in camps like Cabanatuan, and the January 30, 1945 “Great Raid” by U.S. Rangers, Alamo Scouts, and Filipino guerrillas that penetrated deep behind Japanese lines to rescue more than 500 POWs—many of them Bataan and Corregidor survivors. John and Mike D tie these moments together as grim bookends of the American experience in the Philippines, from surrender and war crimes to relief, rescue, and the long‑delayed promise to keep faith with Bataan’s defenders.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#BataanDeathMarch#BattleOfBataan#WorldWar2#PacificWar#PhilippinesWW2#LeyteGulf#TakeOnTheWorld#PodcastRecomendationOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

In this conversation, John and Mike D ask why figures like Krampus and Belsnickel keep coming back in festivals, horror movies, reenactments, and memes. They argue that these dark Christmas characters survive because they let communities play with fear, teach moral lessons, and push back against the overly sanitized holiday image. From Alpine Krampus runs to Pennsylvania’s revived Belsnickel celebrations, they show how old folklore keeps finding new life in the modern world.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#FearFunFolklore#KrampusRevival#BelsnickelRevival#DarkChristmasReturns#FolkloreLives#TakeOnTheWorld#podcastrecommendations On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

Delve into the terrifying truth behind Japan’s covert biological warfare unit — an operation responsible for thousands of civilian deaths. John and Mike D expose the gruesome experiments, human suffering, and the postwar cover-up that shielded war criminals in exchange for their scientific data. This episode uncovers one of history’s darkest secrets, long hidden from public view.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#unit731 #wwiihistory #JapaneseWarCrimes#AuschwitzOfTheEast#TakeOnTheWorld#podcastrecommendations On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

In this episode of Take On The World, we steam straight into the largest naval battle in history and the brutal campaign that led to Philippine independence. From the U.S. grabbing the Philippines in 1898, to MacArthur’s “I have returned,” to kamikazes, Taffy 3’s insane underdog stand, and the political tug‑of‑war that ended with independence in 1946, we connect the dots between empire, strategy, and some truly unbelievable moments of World War II. If you’ve ever wondered how one stretch of water could help break the Imperial Japanese Navy and reshape the Pacific, this is your port of call.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#takeontheworld #podcastrecomendation #navalhistory #pacificwar #BattleOfLeyteGulfOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413

This episode of the TOTW Podcast with hosts John and Mike D dives deep into one of the most infamous naval disasters in modern history: the sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk in August 2000. You break down what made the Kursk and its Oscar II–class sisters so massive and formidable, how a faulty torpedo likely triggered two devastating explosions, and why only 23 sailors initially survived before succumbing in the darkness. You also walk through the complex 2001 salvage operation, the decision to cut off the destroyed bow, and how politics, secrecy, and damaged public trust in Russia turned a tragedy into a long‑lasting symbol of systemic failure.Along the way, the conversation widens to Russia’s “Dead Hand” nuclear response concept, the ideological divide between the U.S. and Russia, and the ongoing war in Ukraine—tying the Kursk’s legacy to today’s geopolitical tensions. True to TOTW style, you also veer into everyday life: grinding commutes, red lights, school buses, and wrapping it all up over beers from Mike D’s favorite local brewery. It’s an episode that connects history, strategy, politics, and real life in one compelling discussion.Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Let us know. Drop us a line and tell us all about it at [email protected] will take on almost any topic with Our Take On the World!To Support the Show - @smackinsunflowerseeds - Awesome Sunflower seeds are so much better than what you get at the gas stations. Use this link https://www.smackinsunflowerseeds.com/TOTWPod and Code - TOTWPodCheck out www.coffeebros.com and Use TOTW10 for a discount at checkout.Visit for links to all of our socials. https://linktr.ee/totwpod#TakeOnTheWorld#TheDen#podcastrecommendations #Kursk#KurskDisaster#SubmarineDisaster#RussianNavy#ColdWarLegacy#NuclearWeapons#DeadHandOn Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4v6bFimpr1SSNg7xmvjBStYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@totwpodor Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-1178413