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50% Facts with Silent Mike & Jim McD

Life’s too short to be half right! Veteran podcasters Mike "Silent Mike" Farr and Jim McDonald try to answer a single question. Any question is fair game, but most involve health, fitness, nutrition, mental health, culture…even sex. They examine common misconceptions and then try to get to the correct answer -- often with the help of subject matter experts. They walk away with a better sense of the facts…and so do you.

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Recent Episodes

Dec. 18, 2024

Just a quick little break in the action

Well, we had some confusion about the movie we were planning to cover on that day, a guest who couldn’t make it, and an acute shortage of time. So, we punted with a quick discussion about the state of streaming services, a c…
Dec. 11, 2024

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) | A 50% Facts Review | Christmas, not Christmas

There’s a Christmas in the first Harry Potter? Yes! Three of the eight films include a bit of Christmas. This one seems to show Harry’s first Christmas gifts ever. There are a ton of other firsts as well.   This film set th…
Dec. 4, 2024

Die Hard (1988) | A 50% Facts Review | Christmas, not Christmas

So, whether or not it’s a Christmas movie, Die Hard definitely happens at Christmas. Is it the original action-adventure hostage film? We can’t think of an earlier one. Beyond that, Bruce Willis would never have become a mov…
Nov. 27, 2024

Iron Man 3 (2013) | A 50% Facts Review | Christmas, not Christmas

Continuing our festival of films set at Christmas, but not about Christmas, we take a critical look at Iron Man 3. Is this the best Iron Man flick – even though Tony Stark doesn’t spend much time in the suit? How hot is Pepp…
Nov. 20, 2024

Batman Returns (1992) | A 50% Facts Review | Christmas, not Christmas

We’re heading into the holiday season, and with that always comes a couple of things: travel and holiday movies. Because of the first thing, we’re diving into the second thing. We’ve got another “film festival” of movies set…
Nov. 13, 2024

Are microplastics stealing your gains? Plus, CrossFit athlete’s cause of death revealed

Plastic was supposed to be inert, right? I mean, it wasn’t supposed to be able to cause real problems for humans, except maybe the whole issue of disposing of them. But plastics are a lot more complicated than that, and micr…

About the Hosts

Mike Farr Profile Photo

Mike Farr

Co-host

Mike Farr, aka Silent Mike, has dedicated his life to supporting others in their goals and to building community. After spending over 15 years playing and coaching basketball he switched gears into the weight room. Over the last decade, he focused on helping thousands of athletes around the world with their strength and fitness goals. Powerlifting is considered an individual sport but Mike has found his role in helping others through education and entertainment using the barbell as his vessel.

Jim McDonald Profile Photo

Jim McDonald

Creator and Co-host

Jim left the corporate world behind a couple of decades ago and became a consultant in IT and healthcare marketing. In the early 2000s, he discovered powerlifting and began to document its training and some of its greatest performances as an early YouTube fitness creator. He focused on visuals that helped the audience understand not only the technical aspects of powerlifting but also the emotions that drive lifters to lift. Eventually, he created a chart-topping podcast along with Mike Farr… just before the worldwide explosion in podcast listenership. His role at 3SB is both administrative and creative, and he’s finding the balance between those a day at a time.