High Tales of History

The Beach Boys are one of America's most innovative and influential music groups, known by most for their "California Sound." Their early hits were about catching waves and the eyes of girls, driving cars and basking in the Good Vibrations sunshine. But, despite their complex and stunning harmonies in the studio, the lives of some of its members--namely, the Wilson brothers--were anything but harmonious.

In this episode, Laurel has a sesh with Assistant Professor of History, Dr. Darren R. Reid to talk about the most bizarre story in the band's history: the connection between Dennis Wilson, middle brother of the Wilson trio, and one of America's most infamous criminals: Charles Manson and the Manson Family.

They explore the dichotomy of the 1960s, where the Beach Boys' cheerful music of its early years contrasted sharply with the darker realities of the latter half of the decade. The conversation highlights the impact of the Wilsons' family dynamics, substance abuse, and the counterculture movement on the band's legacy. It explores the themes of belonging, insecurity, and the gradual descent into cult life. Ultimately, it reflects on the profound aftermath of Manson's influence on those involved and the cultural ramifications of the Manson murders, particularly focusing on the Beach Boys and Dennis Wilson's experiences. The tragic events that took place in Los Angeles in 1969 forever shaped the lives of those involved and put a dark end to the Summer of Love and the peace and love counter-culture movement of the 1960s.
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Mentioned in the Stories:
Darren's short documentary "Learning To Smile" on YouTube
"Never Learn Not to Love" The Beach Boys song originally written by Charles Manson
Episode 45: The Satanic Panic

Resources for Domestic and Emotional Abuse:
In the U.S. --- 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or text “start” to 88788
International Resources for Abuse and Exploitation
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Check Out What Our Guest, Dr. Darren R. Reid, is Doing! ⁠
YouTube ⁠ ⁨@FrontierHistorian⁩ ⁠
Instagram ⁠@ThatHistorianInsta⁠
TikTok ⁠@ThatHistorianTikTok
⁠~~~~~*
The Socials and Patreon!
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Facebook⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠High Tales of History or ⁠⁠@HighTalesofHistory ⁠
Email—hightailingthroughhistory@gmail.com⁠ 
Sources:
https://www.biography.com/crime/charles-manson-dennis-wilson-friendship

https://www.businessinsider.com/charles-mansons-relationship-with-the-beach-boys-explained-2017-11

https://abcnews.com/US/beach-boys-mike-love-recalls-meeting-charles-manson/story?id=46023397
The 20/20 special that goes along with this website directly above was heavily used and gives a deeper looking into the Manson Family crimes.
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Intro/outro and Transition Music created all from: "Hit the Streets" Music licensed through Soundstripe on Riverside.fm
Code: 5SFLA6TCMVWJERUU, EMPRILZIRAMJL8ZR

Mass extinction events! There have been five in the history of Earth. They all completely suck but some were worse than others. In this episode, KT takes us on a trip hundreds of millions of years into the past to learn about the K-T Extinction Event (yeah, we know. That's an unfortunate coincidence) when a massive asteroid killed the dinosaurs. She also covers the WORST mass extinction event that few people know about: The Permian-Triassic Extinction also known as The Great Dying (I'm sorry but WTF?!)
Join us where the only land was the supercontinent of Pangea, dinosaurs ruled the Earth, and all the bad, awful stuff gets measured in gigatons and Empire State Buildings.
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The Socials and Patreon!
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Facebook⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠High Tales of History or ⁠⁠@HighTalesofHistory ⁠
Email—hightailingthroughhistory@gmail.com⁠ 
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Earth's Catastrophic Extinctions
10:02 The Mesozoic Era and Dinosaur Dominance
19:57 The KT Extinction: Impact and Aftermath
29:56 The Permian Extinction: The Worst Mass Extinction
40:01 Global Effects of the Impact: Firestorms, Tsunamis, and Climate Change
49:54 Lessons from Earth's Past Disasters
47:46 The Impact of Water Displacement and Marine Fossils
49:19 Earthquake, Tsunamis, and Volcanic Eruptions
50:35 The Aftermath: Winter, Darkness, and Starvation
51:33 How Bad Was the Asteroid Impact?
52:43 Volcanic Activity and Long-Term Cooling
55:58 The Permian Extinction and Siberian Traps
01:00:00 Earth's Hot Past and Continents
01:04:39 The Great Dying: Causes and Consequences
01:09:40 The Permian Extinction's Global Impact
01:19:50 Marine Extinction and Ocean Changes
01:20:57 The Hypothetical Hypercane Storms
01:23:25 The Sixth Mass Extinction and Human Impact
01:29:59 What We Can Do to Prevent Further Extinction
01:34:25 The Resilience of Life and Earth's Future
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Source Material and References:
https://youtu.be/rFlEe0qflGs?si=gkI7AAbxscfuJTtt 
https://youtu.be/It8orOogiPI?si=yRwdD_2UagMnbQlp 
https://share.google/hyAV0tY5YDY8e8IzE 
https://share.google/zypoYeeeZYbk3Yfwd 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction_event 
https://share.google/eA48R22GhJ7KAaTgd 
https://share.google/QeOmRue2vDK7na4O8 
https://share.google/WDuyjb5ENg4fIDL69 
https://share.google/XqLRclRn6v4odCHb6 
https://share.google/Q8GTyDoZ3Db5zhX7I 
https://share.google/l3jpRVjNA6Qqt5dLT 
https://share.google/utrKHzSDmqcubj3yZ 
https://share.google/lvZixDR3HOnucmNuy 
https://share.google/ZafjvDcuDrTzxOeqI 
https://share.google/RCTGGIMXe8OOMmtre 
https://share.google/SMP2adjjxP8b6oUnW 
https://share.google/SD7OgqcDFnjCPY0PX 
https://share.google/mDKp1kRQHu97QbSg1 ⁠
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Intro/outro and Transition Music created all from: "Hit the Streets" Music licensed through Soundstripe on Riverside.fm
Code: 5SFLA6TCMVWJERUU, EMPRILZIRAMJL8ZR

Welcome into the Smoke Circle for the start of season 8!
The sisters have cooked up another episode of food history with part two of The Munchies That Made Us! In part one, we discussed four food staples that grew civilizations and created the classic munchies we know and love.
Part two traces the origins of "The Holy Trinity" of savory stoner foods: pizza, tacos, and instant ramen. This episode shows how global trade, migration, war, and convenience shaped what we eat when the munchies hit. Along the way, we debate who has the best pizza, get delightfully sidetracked by tomato lore (did you know the tomato isn't native to Italy?!), the mystery of the taco, and what a hostage crisis did for instant ramen sales.
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Timestamps
01:05 - Part two preview: pizza, tacos, and instant ramen
06:31 - Recap of part one and the role of staple crops
07:30 - Why pizza belongs on every munchies list
09:58 - Focaccia, flatbreads, and the missing tomato
12:39 - Tomatoes begin in Mesoamerica, not Italy
15:03 - Columbus, Cortés, and the Columbian Exchange
19:26 - Europe mistrusts tomatoes as “wolf peaches”
27:28 - Naples, volcanic soil, and the first tomato sauce pizza
30:07 - The Margherita pizza legend and royal branding
32:24 - Pizza spreads through Italy and into the United States
38:35 - What counts as a taco and why chalupas are real
40:05 - Corn tortillas in Mesoamerica and the roots of taco culture
42:40 - One theory for the word taco from silver mines
46:37 - The “chili queens” and tacos entering American food culture
49:52 - Glenn Bell, Taco Bell, and the commercialization of tacos
54:10 - Instant ramen as one of the world’s most consumed foods
56:10 - Japan closes its doors, then reopens under the Meiji Restoration
58:00 - Chinese noodle soup becomes ramen in Yokohama
59:48 - World War II destruction and the food crisis in Japan
64:28 - Momofuku Ando spots the long ramen line that sparks an idea
66:26 - The invention of shelf-stable instant noodles and the launch of Chicken Ramen
70:31 - Cup noodles and the push into the American market
73:52 - The hostage crisis accidentally becomes a massive ramen commercial
78:40 - The Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum and ramen culture today
81:12 - Why convenience foods matter and what they trade off
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Mentioned in the Episode:
Episode 90: The Werewolf Trials of Europe
Half Baked (1998) Munchies List
~~~~~*
The Socials and Patreon!
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Facebook⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠High Tales of History or ⁠⁠@HighTalesofHistory ⁠
Email—hightailingthroughhistory@gmail.com⁠ 
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Source Material and References:
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN00PtRWjlU
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_pizza
https://www.history.com/articles/a-slice-of-history-pizza-through-the-ages
https://www.twistedtaco.com/the-history-of-the-taco
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/where-did-the-taco-come-from-81228162/
https://www.google.com/search?q=firebombing+of+japan+vs+atomic+bombs
https://ramenmuseum.nyc/history-of-ramen/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nov7lFsvBIo
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Intro/outro and Transition Music created all from: "Hit the Streets" Music licensed through Soundstripe on Riverside.fm
Code: 5SFLA6TCMVWJERUU, EMPRILZIRAMJL8ZR

It's the season finale! Your favorite Midwestern history sisters get baked and tuck into the deliciously weird history of the foods that shaped human civilization. From the birth of bread in the Fertile Crescent to the global spread of rice. From the mythology and tooth-breaking beginnings of corn to the weird history of their personal favorite--potatoes--this episode serves up the surprising story of how everyday staples changed peopledom...and Stonerdom.

Along the way, they trade laughs and their personal favorite munchies while unpacking the history and global impact behind each food. It’s part history lesson, part comedy smoke sesh, and all about the munchies that made us!

The next season starts August 28th, 2026! Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss the first episode back and we'll see you in the Smoke Circle then!
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Mentioned In the Stories:
Our History of Cheese Episode
Episode 48: How Indigenous Women Inspired the Women's Rights Movement⁠
~~~~~*
The Socials and Patreon!
Patreon-- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Best Buds Club!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Facebook⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠High Tales of History or ⁠⁠@HighTalesofHistory ⁠
Email—hightailingthroughhistory@gmail.com⁠ 
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Source Material and References:
Sources:
https://foodmuseum.org.uk/the-history-of-bread-making-a-universal-lens/
OTR History of Bread: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=892yaBEwtbM
OTR History of Rice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ivJsV1A5oU
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/blog/amazing-journey-maize
https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/ancient-dna-continues-rewrite-corns-9000-year-society-shaping-history
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2282/sioux-story-of-the-gift-of-corn/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-potato-changed-the-world-108470605/
OTR History of the Potato: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjVJqw1AUag
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Intro/outro music: "Loopster" by Kevin MacLeod (⁠incompetech.com⁠) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

What if the original Jaws story was real? In 1916, shark attacks along the New Jersey coast turned a summer beach season into a nationwide panic.
In our penultimate episode for the season, Laurel and KT *dive* (ha!) into the terrifying true story of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks — a twelve day reign of terror that shocked the public, inspired Jaws, and forever changed the way people think about sharks. From beach panic to scientific debate, this episode explores the real history behind one of America’s most infamous summer horror stories.
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Mentioned In the Stories:
Map of the Jersey Shore Attacks
Ocean Ramsey Redirecting a Great White Shark
~~~~~*
The Socials and Patreon!
Patreon-- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Best Buds Club!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Facebook⁠ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠High Tales of History or ⁠⁠@HighTalesofHistory ⁠
Email—hightailingthroughhistory@gmail.com⁠ 
~~~~~~*
Source Material and References:
Sources:
Capuzzo, Michael, and Taylor Mali. Close to shore: the terrifying shark attacks of 1916. Ashland: AudioBookShelf, 2011.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/150702-shark-attack-jersey-shore-1916-great-white⁠
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Intro/outro music: "Loopster" by Kevin MacLeod (⁠incompetech.com⁠) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/