Episode Show Notes

In the criminal justice system, sometimes you have to do it yourself! This week Grant tells us two stories! The first covers the legal history of Robert Lee Brock. A man who saw opportunity around every corner to try to break the criminal justice system. If there was a “get out of jail free” card, he was going to find it! Even if that meant he became “the man who sued himself”. Next we learn about Warren Demesme, who asked for a lawyer, or a dog, but probably not a dog who is

Long before Rosa Parks famously refused to move from her seat on a public bus, thousands of Black Americans had spent decades protesting segregation with their bodies. Ida B. Wells grew up orphaned, impoverished, and with several young siblings to care for. But Wells never let the circumstances of her life stop her from advocating for what is right. An accomplished author, Wells was exiled from the South for decades for her explosive (and true) expose on southern racial viole

A lot has been said by Helen Keller. Revered by many, misunderstood by some. Helen's life was so extraordinary that some assume her life's accomplishments must be embellished. How did a woman with no sight, no hearing, living decades before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act manage to do it all? But what often gets lost in the well-deserved praise of her accomplishments is the radical idealist behind those acts. Helen Keller was inspiring, but she was also con

We love powerful women on this show, and this week's subject is no different! Boudica is known as a powerful leader against Roman control. She is a popular figure in British history. And her likeness is used as a symbol for a host of causes. But what is the actual story behind Boudica's popularity? What is her story? And who can we trust when it comes to document it and share it truthfully. This week we dive in the Tit for Tat history of Boudica. This week on Well, I Laughed.

If you could be anyone in the world, who would you be? For one French peasant that question wasn't theoretical. When Martin Guerre left his village, wife, and child behind he was not missed. When he returned he was a changed man and suddenly beloved. But how much can one man change? Turns out, a whole lot. We ask the question that befuddled the village: who are you? This week on Well, I Laughed. Chapters 00:00:00 Catch-Up 00:31:50 Who are You? 00:36:42 Marriage? It's Good. 00

Bass Reeves' adult life started with a crime: he ran away from the white man enslaving him. In his quest for freedom he made his way to the state of Oklahoma, learned several languages, and became the toughest man west of the Mississippi. All traits he would need when he became the first Black US Marshal in the west. A life that began with a crime would be defined by it’s lawfulness. Meet your favorite Lone Ranger, this week on Well, I Laughed! Chapters 00:00:00 Catch-Up 0:34

In the 1970s the campers at Camp Jened in upstate New York all shared two things in common. First, that they were all living with some kind of disability. And second, they would help launch a movement that would change the world. The United States looked very different 50 years ago for individuals with disabilities - it was closed to them. Our modern world is filled with physical proof - from elevators to curb cuts - of the advocacy these former campers and long time friends

On the night of April 15th, 1912 a ship sank in the waters of the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage. Titanic's tragedy made her infamous. But a second ship was involved that fateful evening, lurking in the dark. The efforts of her crew, her passengers, and one intrepid young wireless operator would ensure that this deeply unremarkable ship would also sail into the history books that night. As the Carpethia steamed towards Titanic in the hopes of a grand rescue all souls on

When is political violence justified? Is it ever? In a period of rapid industrialization, social strife, and weak democratic institutions one man will choose to take political change into his own hand and in the course of one afternoon change the course of history forever. Gavrilo Princip’s decision to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdiand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire turned the world upside down. A world that was intentionally undemocratic and maintained it’s power through v

The company's name has become synonymous with lies and fraud, but what happened to Enron is a beautiful web of malice and mischief. The Enron scandal came to reshape expectations around corporate behavior and oversight. The lies were big, the money was bigger, and after climbing the mountain there is only one way to go - bankruptcy. Listener beware! This week we are "Entering Enron". Chapters 00:00:00 Catch-Up 00:30:14 Entering Enron 00:43:30 So Much Money!! 00:50:57 Lie? Me?