Dawn's Guest, Dave Reinitz is a stand-up comedian and stain-glass artist whose personal connection to this slice of History brings it alive for all of us. Hear about how his mother, Janet Braun-Reinitz, joined with the Freedom Riders in 1961 and endured and enlightened one of the darkest chapters of American History. 

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Dawn's Sources   

• Book - The Freedom Riders by Raymond Arsenault
• Podcast - Stuff you Missed in History Class (2011)  (3-part series)
• Interview - Watch Janet's interview with The Library of Congress (2001)
• Summary of events from The Bill of Rights Institute
• Excellent sources here from The Civil Rights Trail
• Janet Braun-Reinitz's Artwork
• Dave's stain-glass page on Etsy - Boomdiggitty Glass

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• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL!
• Crazy Rich Ancients
• Histories Greatest Mysteries (mulitple seasons)
• HILF is now on Patreon! 

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WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins. Artwork by @thejoedressel

The 'Father of Philosophy' and the teacher of Plato, Socrates was arguably the most important intellectual in human history. He was also a war veteran, a bad dad, and never wrote anything himself. So why did Athens kill him; and why do you and I still talk about him?  Buckle up for a hell of a HILF along with guest, comedian Nat Baimel.  

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✅ Keep up with Nat Baimel on Instagram

🎟️ Get tickets to HILF Public School - the live, interactive version of HILF: First Thursdays at Flappers Comedy Club - Burbank, CA

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SILF's (Source's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• BOOK - The Shadows of Socrates by Matt Gatton
• READ - Plato The Apology of Socrates. 
• PODCAST - History Unplugged with Matt Gatton (April 2024) [Link to episode on Spotify] 
• ARTICLE - Read more about Socrates the "War Hero" - Article by Donald Robertson. 
• WATCH - Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure 

LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK.

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HILF original music by Kat Perkins @katperkinsmusic

HILF original artwork by @thejoedressel

Get into the ring with Spartacus! An enslaved gladiator turned rebel general who led the largest, most destructive assault against the Roman Empire EVER. Dawn is joined by comedian, JB Ball, who also happens to be the biggest Spartacus nerd of all time, as they trade facts and laugh... a lot!

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✅ Keep up with JB Ball on Instagram 

🎟️ Get tickets to HILF Public School - the live, interactive version of HILF: First Thursdays at Flappers Comedy Club - Burbank, CA

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SILF's (Source's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• BOOK - The Spartacus War by Barry Strauss (2009)
• PODCAST - Dan Snow's History Hit: 11/14/24 "Gladiators: The Real Spartacus"
• ARTICLE - Read more from Barry Strauss about Spartacus's mysterious 'woman'. 
• WATCH - Spartacus Series (Originally STARZ, now on Netflix)

LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK.

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HILF original music by Kat Perkins @katperkinsmusic

HILF original artwork by @thejoedressel

Join Dawn and a LIVE audience to get the true story you probably heard first in Jaws. It's the USS Indianapolis a doomed ship from World War 2 which endured one of the worst shark attacks in human history. On the anniversary of both the release of the movie and the sinking of the real-life ship, you'll learn along with guest, Mark Decarlo, TV. host, VO actor, and hell of a trivia player. 

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JOIN US AT THE NEXT SHOW!

🎟️ HILF Public School - the live, interactive version of HILF: First Thursdays at Flappers Comedy Club - Burbank, CA

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LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK.

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WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins

Podcast art: Designed by Joe Dressel 

2026 is going to be a big year for HILF!  Find out what annals Dawn will be exploring next, and what it means for you!

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🎟️ Get tickets to HILF Public School - the live, interactive version of HILF: First Thursdays at Flappers Comedy Club - Burbank, CA

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LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK.

Before it was a modern language-learning program,  the Rosetta Stone was the ancient world’s ultimate decoder ring—a 2,200-year-old decree carved in stone that finally unlocked Egyptian hieroglyphics. Without it, your favorite stories and lives from ancient Egypt might’ve stayed silent forever! Join Dawn and guest, her sister-in-law Maggie, who is a former linguistics major and maker of fine martinis. 

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🎟️ Get tickets to HILF Public School - the live, interactive version of HILF: First Thursdays at Flappers Comedy Club - Burbank, CA

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SILF's (Source's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• BOOK - The Riddle of Rosetta by Jed Z Buchwald and Diane Greco Josefowicz
• BOOK - The Rosetta Stone by Omar Khalil
• PODCAST - Short History, THE ROSETTA STONE, Dec. 5th, 2022
• The British Museum 

LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK.

Return with Dawn and guest, improvisor Kelly Vrooman, as they follow Catherine the Great from the dramatic coup that brought her power, through her rein as The Last Empress of Russia. Forbidden pregnancies, secret letters, and of course... that whole thing with the horse that allegedly fucked her death. 

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✅ Listen to Catherine the Great, Part One

✅ Follow Kelly Vrooman on Instagram.

🎟️ Get tickets to HILF Public School - the live, interactive version of HILF: First Thursdays at Flappers Comedy Club - Burbank, CA

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SILF's (Source's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• BOOK - LAST EMPRESS OF RUSSIA by Michael W. Simmons (2016, 170 pages)
• BOOK - CATHERINE THE GREAT, PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN by Robert K Massie (2012, 650+ pages)
• MEMOIR - THE MEMOIR OF CATHERINE THE GREAT (Published posthumously, 1859. Contains works collected throughout her life, 1750 until her death in 1796)

LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK.

---

WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins

Podcast art: Designed by Joe Dressel 

Join Dawn and the hilarious, Kelly Vrooman, as they saddle up with Catherine the Great.  Hear how a young German girl in middle-nobility finds herself the Last Empress of Russia. You'll love the torrid story of Catherine's rise, you'll fall for at least one of her many lovers, and find out why she is well-remembered as one of the HILF-iest HILFs of all time.

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✅ Follow Kelly Vrooman on Instagram.

🎟️ Get tickets to HILF Public School - the live, interactive version of HILF: First Thursdays at Flappers Comedy Club - Burbank, CA

---

SILF's (Source's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• BOOK - LAST EMPRESS OF RUSSIA by Michael W. Simmons (2016, 170 pages) 
• BOOK - CATHERINE THE GREAT, PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN by Robert K Massie (2012, 650+ pages) 
• MEMOIR - THE MEMOIR OF CATHERINE THE GREAT (Published posthumously, 1859. Contains works collected throughout her life, 1750 until her death in 1796)

LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK.

---

WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins

Podcast art: Designed by Joe Dressel 

Mary Shelley began writing her novel, Frankenstein, in 1816 when she was only 17 years old. Today it remains one of the most-assigned books of all time, finding it's way into classes ranging from Law to Scientific Ethics to Fashion to Politics. As a new film by Guillermo del Toro is set to debut on Netflix, re-join Dawn for the episode that started the podcast! 

Guest, Helen Shephard, is a British TV Host, model and comedian, who has no recollection of ever reading the book - and only cursory memory of the early film versions. However, as the original recording took place right around Halloween, 2021 - she was intrigued by this ubiquitous monster and wanted to know the sexy story about his real origin. 

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🎟️ Get tickets to HILF Public School - the live, interactive version of HILF: First Thursdays at Flappers Comedy Club - Burbank, CA

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SILF's (Source's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• Mary Shelley's Frankenstein [ Project Gutenberg ]
• More about Guillermo del Toro's take on Frankenstein [ Debuts on Netflix, Nov 2025]

LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK.

---

WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins

Podcast art: Designed by Joe Dressel 

On a chilly January morning in 1947, officers arrived to what they were told was "a broken mannequin" lying in a field.  They discovered instead, the body of a woman cut completely in half at the waist. She lay naked and drained of blood, her two halves a foot apart, arms draped almost elegantly over her head.

Yikes, right?

Nearly 80 years later, the case remains both unforgotten and unsolved. 

Join Dawn and guest, Kaycee Conlee, as they explore the crime scene and sort through the suspects. 

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🎧 Hear Kaycee's podcast, Wife Support. 

🎟️ Get tickets to HILF Public School - the live, interactive version of HILF: First Thursdays at Flappers Comedy Club - Burbank, CA

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SILF's (Source's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• 48 Hour Documentary (2004) 
• Steve Hodel who is featured in the documentary above, wrote a book. The Black Dahlia Avenger (there are several editions). 
• Book - Black Dahlia, Red Rose by Piu Eatwell. This one covers both the corruption of the LAPD, and points to suspect Leslie Dillon. 

LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK.

---

WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins

Podcast art: Designed by Joe Dressel 

It's July 3rd, 2025 and Dawn can hardly contain herself as she invites the audience at Flappers Comedy Club to fall down the rabbit hole of history along with her, LIVE! She is joined in this HILF-ing by two special guests: comedian Lauren Harding, who get's down with King George III; and then by America's favorite step-mom Ryan Keeley who helps Dawn undress George Washington. 

JOIN US AT THE NEXT SHOW!

🎟️ HILF Public School - the live, interactive version of HILF: First Thursdays at Flappers Comedy Club - Burbank, CA

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LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) 

• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Histories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)
• See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL - Crazy Rich Ancients
• Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!
• HILF is now on Patreon!
• Buy Me a Coffee
• Find your next favorite podcast on BIG COMEDY NETWORK.

---

WANNA TALK? 

Find us on Instagram or email us [email protected]

Theme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins

Podcast art: Designed by Joe Dressel