#my cat and yup i vaporized her
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[id one: a tweet by @/lunefalls that reads "new challenge draw your comfort character wearing their most traumatic experience on a t-shirt"
id two: black and white drawing of izutsumi from dungeon meshi looking bored. she's wearing a baggy t shirt with a panel of her as a child in the circus. end id]
#thought about putting this one the art blog but got shy#my cat and yup i vaporized her#no i didn't why did i say that#silly art#dungeon meshi#dm manga spoilers#izutsumi
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A rather lengthy post about my hallucination process, and how to waste a couple of hours
The setting: in The Office 8x13, when Jim and Pam bring their babies to the office, everybody is greeting them yatta yatta, and at some point Andy says about baby Philip: "He's licking on my finger just like my cat does." I remember being rather confused when I watched this scene, like... Andy has a cat?? Why I didn't know this? Why nobody (asfarasIknow) is exploiting this information for fan stuff???
But that huge discovery (!) just kinda sat in the cluttered back of my mind, collecting dust. Until today.
I was randomly recalling this scene (while taking a shower, the vapors from the scorching water really help my "creative process"), and the actual line of thought went something like:
Andy has a dog personality, and owns a cat
Oscar has a (dorky) cat personality, and owns a dog
-> cute + absolutely perfect
Uh, Angela owns multitudes of cats as well tho, how does it fit in the equation?
And so I started to connect the dots and I thought... But what if
What if after he discovers the cheating (possibly also after the honeymoons), Andy needs to speak to Angela to sort the last things out, like getting back the engagement ring etc, and maybe in the heat of the moment he's taken by spite or anyway tries to come back at Angela somehow, and
Andy: "... And I want Fili back!" Angela: "WHAT I'm not giving you Fili!" Andy: "I took her from the warehouse, I saved her. She's my cat, I want her back."
(Yup, I was thinking about the cat that Andy captured from the warehouse and gave to Angela to win her over, which in my head was i) a female cat, because yes, and ii) named Fili, which admittedly is a work-in-progress, I was trying to find a cute name that could have had a reference to the warehouse, so I went with Forklift>Foli>Fili, eh.)
And eventually Angela begrudgingly complies, and Andy finds himself with this cat, and has no idea what to do with her, but he's enthusiastic (as Andy does). The cat on the other hand is Less Than Thrilled, because cats notoriously do not like to change homes, plus she doesn't have her cat pals anymore, AND the human she's stuck with is clearly incompetent. So she strives to make her distress very clear by peeing on any available surface and staying the fuck away from Andy, engaging as little as possible (glaring at him while eating and hissing if he tries to get closer).
Andy is heartbroken. Not only her betrothed cheated on him, now not even the cat wants anything to do with him? How sad and pathetic is that? So he depressingly starts to think that maybe it's best for everybody to give Fili back to Angela.
But then one day he gets home and idk, maybe it was just a particularly bad day, maybe he blew yet another sale, maybe the whole 'missed wedding' affair just caught up with him, maybe all these things together, but he just flops on the couch and just sits there quietly, head in hands, trying to decompress and calm down.
And.
And Fili peers from a corner of the house and watches him with curiosity for a bit, then starts trotting to him, gets between his feet and starts playing with his dangling tie, which is extremely colorful as always and just so pretty. Andy opens his eyes, sees her and goes: "Oh hi".
The next morning he comes to the office with some very visible scratches on his face, to everyone's confusion/worry(/disinterest), and when Pam asks him if he is alright he just makes the brightest grin and answers: "Never been better!". And from there those two just clicked, and Fili steadily warms up to Andy, accepting to be patted and purring in return, snoozing contently on his lap while he plays his banjo/guitar, and generally do all the adorable mayhem a cat usually do, just being Andy's little princess.
After all this wild hallucination, I pondered the idea of actually writing something based on this scenario - the only real problem I saw was the 3-months period of Andy being on the damn boat. I could only see him leaving Fili to somebody he actually-really-truly trust (who? Oscar maybe? so obvious?), and when would he drop her off anyway? The entire journey's reason is for it to be a very spur-of-the-moment thing, so...
... Unless...
(that's Cooper "The Sailing Cat", check him out)
I mean?? It works???
At this point, I was totally in a "you had my curiosity, now you have my attention" mood, and started collecting some refs etc.
And it was then that I discovered that the cat that Andy captures in the warehouse is actually the same cat, Garbage, that Dwight tried to give to Angela as a present, but she refused. Which is actually Bandit, the kitty that Angela throws at ""Oscar"" on the ceiling during the Fire Drill episode, the puss on the roof if you will. Speaking of 9 lives.
Needless to say, this canon pretty much ruins my entire well-concocted (?) plan. I think I will still do something will all this brain-garbage I produced, but now I'm too fussy about it.
#the office#andy bernard#angela martin#my fan ramblings#seems just unfair#sometimes my brains do the laps for absolutely no reason and amounting to nothing
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Cat Bath
Entrapta X Hordak fic!
Author’s note: This is an entrapdak fanfic written by me! I wrote it as feral because that’s the way I draw them so I just thought it would be fair. If you don’t understand what’s going on, just search #entrapdak on my blog and take a look at my artwork! I’m not very confident on my writing and I feel like there’s a lot of stuff I need to improve on. Tell me what you guys think! I hope this is fun!
Please, tell me how I went! I hope you all like it, and let me know if you’d like to see more! Thanks for reading!
-Why are you always so licky?! -Entrapta asked in a anoyed tone. She tried to suppress a low growl, still writhing underneath Hordak's paws, caught on another one of his "grooming" sessions. Which normally meant sitting her down and licking her entire body, leaving her a pouting and blushing mess.
This wasn't new. Since they first started to allowed themselves to show physical affection, Hordak was outraged at the fact that dogs don't groom themselves, and made it so every now and then that Entrapta should be groomed. Even if he had to chase her and grab her by the scruff to do so.
-Stop writhing! - he said, still with his tongue at her ear. -We would have been done by now if you didn't struggle!
Entrapta let out a whine of protest as he left her right ear to lick her belly. She felt her cheeks warm up and pushed his head with her hind leg. He growled loudly, it didn't faze her not in the slightest.
-Entrapta, we've been over this! I groom you so your fur won't tangle and the already dead fur won't stick to your body! It's healthier this way!
-Then why don't I see you do it?
-Because I don't have as much fur as you. -he caught her midway out of his grasp, and flipped her on her back again. -And I don't try to fight it!
She barked and whined trying to writhe away from the cat's paws, her face redder than a tomato. It did not seem to faze Hordak, though, as he continued his work on her sides this time. Entrapta's ear fur embraced and tangled around Hordak's body, despite the protest. She knew grooming was also a sign of love and worry, based on her observations. His tail was wrapped around her ear fur and sometimes when she was silent, she could hear very low purring.
Entrapta did not want to be silent today. Hordak decided it was a good idea to stop her midway into a brilliant experiment to lick her clean and she would not go down without a fight.
-Why DO you do this, anyway? -she asked in a huff.
Hordak sighed.
-I told you. It's that so your fur won't tangle and the dead fur can leave so healthier fur can grow on it's place. -his licking grew softer. She made a mental note to get him to talk more during grooming session. -And it also keeps it smooth and clean.
Entrapta frowned.
-Smooth and clean? You're not cleaning me! If that's your objective, you're making it worse! You're just slobbering me! I thought you hated slobbering! -she protested, confused this time.
-I am not slobbering you! I do not drool! I am not a dog! -Entrapta stuck out her tongue at him at that last sentence. -And how else are you supposed to do to brush your fur if not groom it?
-That's easy. I just use a brush.
It was Hordak's turn to be confused. His ears perked up and he tilted his head at her statement.
-A brush...?
-Yeah, like one of these. -her fur left his body for a second to reach the drawer on her nightstand beside her bed. She took out a strange tool, smilar to a screw-drive but had bristles at the end of it and a lot of purple fur.
He sniffed it, still not understanding her point. It just smelled of her...
-Hordak, have you never seen a brush before? -Entrapta was surprised. He always was so worried about his appearence and makeup and everything, very picky with dresses and sometimes even insisted she get changed for some reason. -How do you even brush your fur after your baths?!
-I told you, I groom myself.
-Doesn't it taste like soap after you bathe?
They were both so confused.
-Beloved, why would I ever put soap in my fur before grooming?
-No, not grooming! -Entrapta shook her head. -I mean after an actual bath. You know... Soap and water and shampoo?
Hordak wrinkled his nose and his ears pressed against his head. Red teeth showing.
-Why would I ever groom in water? I despise it! -he hissed.
Entrapta's ears fell and her eyes widened as the realization hit her.
-Hordak... You have NEVER taken a bath?!
-Well...
She gasped loudly.
-LORD HORDAK OF DRYL, ARE TELLING ME THAT YOU'VE NEVER BATHED IN YOUR LIFE?!?
She was raised on her ears, her fur on her scruff was tingled and her teeth were showing. Her tone was loud and severe, almost comanding. Hordak was taken a back as she continued to lecture him.
-That's nasty, Hordak! Even I know better than that! -she barked. -That's irresponsible and highly anti-hygienic! Now I'M disappointed!
Entrapta's ear fur now gripped strongly around his body. His ears fell back and his tail hid between his legs.
-We need to get you to the tub asap! -she jumped out of bed and made it for the bathroom door, but Hordak dug his claws on the bed and screeched in protest when she pulled him.
-Absolutely not! -he yelled. -I am not going one meter close to water! I'd rather have my skin grow mold! I understand your worry for my well being, Entrapta, but I will do just fine grooming myself! There is no way in this world I'll get in a bath tub!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hordak yelled and clawed at the edge of the tub, desperately trying to get out. Entrapta's ear fur still held an iron grip around him, pulling the more he struggled.
-THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I DEMAND YOU RELEASE ME THIS INSTANT, ENTRAPTA! -He tried to sound menacing, but his words came out as desperate more than anything. -IT'S A WASTE OF TIME AND RESOURCES! I CANNOT BELIEVE-
He was cut off by a stream of water dropped in his scalp. He screeched, yowled, clawed and paddled, but Entrapta was holding him still, watering him with the shower hose. She grabbed her shampoo, conditioner, sponge and everything else she thought would be necessary and hopped back at her shouting mess of a lab partner.
She brought him to the edge where she stood and shushed him with a kiss on the lips. Hordak's face turned red, even redder than it already was, and he turned to her in anger.
-WHY ARE WE STILL GOING THROUGH WITH THIS?!
-'Cause you're still dirty, silly! -she answered in a fake innocent tone.
Entrapta took one of her bottles and poured it's content on the water.
-What is that?
-Bubble bath mixture! It makes the water all bubbly! -she mixed the water with a strap of her fur and bubbles started to form.
-What for? -she gave him the now empty bottle and he read the label: "Extra Bubbly! For extra fun in the water and extra comfort!".
This was not comforting at all! He threw the bottle over his head and clung to the edge of the tub again, digging his claws on the marble. Entrapta took off her mask and wiggled her hips before jumping right in. She raised out of the water again and shook her head before turning to him.
-I just like it bubbly! How's the experience of your first bath so far?
-Hellish! -he hissed. -I've been striped bare out of my armor and clothes! I've almost drowned in bubbles, and I am still being held captive in this idiotic joke of a torture room!
Entrapta couldn't help but laugh. Hordak could see her tail wagging on the water, splashing bubbles around. She grabbed the soaked sponge and paddled to him.
-It's just a bath, Hordikins! It's for your own good! Not a torture session!
-I doubt that! -her laughter rang in his ears again. He eyed her strange tool as she approached him. -What is that?
-It's a sponge! For scrubbing!
-Scrubbing...?
-Yup! Like this! -she reached with the sponge and scrubbed his neck gently. He immediately started clawing and screeching once again.
Anyone out of the bathroom would swear Entrapta was probably degutting Hordak alive, but the Lord of Dryl's first experience in a bath tub was simply not going smoothly. He questioned her in her shampoo and conditioner as well. Entrapta tilted her head.
-I won't get any chemical substance on you, you big dork! It's just shampoo! It's made to wash your fur! Like this! -she poured a little on her paw and smoothed her fur with it.
Hordak watched her in awe. She seemed so calm and relaxed, he couldn't understand It. Wasn't she cold? Couldn't she smell at all? She turned back to him.
-See? It wasn't that bad! -pouring more in her paw again, she climbed on him to get to his fur on his head.
He tried backing away again, but was already cornered. He did not shout, but still growled loudly at her paws on his fur.
-I still don't get it... You seem so worried about your appearance overall, I assumed you took a lot of baths in addition to grooming! -Entrapta explained. -Why are you so scared of water?
-I am not scared! I'm... I'm bothered... -Hordak lied.
-Buy why?
He growled and took a deep breath. Hordak was terrible with his words when saying his feelings out loud. Even for Entrapta.
-My... Body temperature dropped drastically, and the soap and the shampoo... Smell! Awful!
Entrapta stopped and turned to look him in the eyes, cupping his face between her paws so their noses touched.
-I'm sorry, I didn't realize it. I can turn the temperature higher if you want?
He nodded. She left his face to adjust the tap. In a few moments the bathroom was filled with vapor and Hordak felt his muscles relax.
-Do you feel better? -she asked in a genuine concerned tone. -The smell bothers me as well and the shampoo and soap I use are already pretty weak, so I didn't thought it would bother you... We could find one that doesn't smell so bad.
-Thank you, beloved...
She kissed his forehead and a low purr escaped out of him. She wagged her tail again when his claws drew back.
#entrapdak#entrapdak fanfic#entrapdak fanfiction#she ra and the princesses of power#she ra#spop#she ra fanfic#fanfic#writing#fanfic writing#entrapta#hordak#hordak is a nasty cat#fuckin' bath time#lol#fluff#crack fanfic#my writting
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*cue confused noise every 10 milliseconds*
oh, hi there | ω •̀๑) it really is been a while of me to not rp in tumblr hence i feel like a grandma rn hhhhh but!!! here i am!! i’ll go by juu and here is my one of many cool grandma, monica; despite being a 1st year student. to sum up a bit about her: a very slow and relaxed person, fourth sibling out of seven (and one of them is adopted) with vapor manip. and also kind of possess some unique traits (honestly just mentioned it just making me super nervous ;;;). click here for knowing more about her (or for mobile fellas you may click the world part in the bio or /abt). uhhhhhh like this post so i can roll or destroy or slide to your dms to talk about plot, relation, or idk lazing around?? but i can’t wait to write with y’all!
edit: below are the tl;dr of monica with some possible plots!
monica cho
a 1st year in stokes with a cool grandma vibe (like she has an old soul but trying to be cool) and the type that suddenly appears out of nowhere in front of you doing random stuff
has adhd-pi or inattentive adhd or i implied in the background that she ‘often struggle with concentration a lot’.
did i also mention that she has synesthesia? yup (this part gets me super nervous anw) she has two of it; one is she could tell the color of a smell (you smell like shit joke is taking to another different level) and mirror-touch (god this one is irritate her sometimes)
in her own view, her parents is ... cool? an ordinary but cool people? father is a highschool teacher and both own a small clothes shop (but not limited to those) and a local cafe???
she might be sluggish, (( somehow )) clumsy and certified sloth-like but!! she is quite unpredictable. imagine cheshire cat-like; ye that’s her.
some of her interests are astronomy, photography, caro emerald (singer), niki (singer) , and the peanuts.
yes, there were some bullies and fight but that was a long time ago. now they’re all cool.
plots!
siblings plot! be it biological or adopted, come, come!
her childhood friends. monica is surprisingly kind of a rebel despite being sluggish (hence, she used to protect her friend from others ... once).
( idk ppl, i ran out of ideas. gotta collect the nonexistent brain cells).
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Lia blinked and tilted her head to the side from her Upside down position before dislodging her foot from the crook on the outside of the window that suspended her, allowing her body to slink inside the window and onto the floor.
The glasses were new. Though not an unwelcome change, especially knowing his God awful eyesight problems and how even on his best day, he struggled to see. Lia wondered if Noodle had been the one to push him into finally getting some.
But first thing was first.
She all but launched herself at 2d (though being sure to mind the force behind the impact) throwing her arms around him and giving him a tight hug. The smell of Vapor rub, old cologne and slight body odor gave him a unique smell that wasn't entirely unpleasant... But definitely made her feel just the slightest bit nostalgic. She looked up at him, hazel eyes nearly glowing in delight as she smiled.
"It's good to see you again~.... It has been a while hasn't it? Sorry... A bunch of stuff's been coming up and then I met a literal Aztec version of Dwayne Johnson, accidentally stuck a dead guy's soul inside of a Cat, Met an Alien Ninja in Nevada and- oopse, rambling. Sorry. Anyways-"
With a final little squeeze, Lia released him and dug around in her battered messenger bag, tossing out a brown box with the word OUIJA stamped across the front of it in old, chipping black stenciled letters, the clattering of a few small bottles and such until she made a noise of Satisfaction and pulled out an object, wrapped several times in some kind of white cloth and black twine. A faint Fetid odor emanated from it combined with the heavy smell of Herbs.
"Severed hand." She declared almost proudly, brandishing it slightly before holding it out to 2D like she would a loaf of bread. "Yup! In the not so rotting flesh. I was in the neighborhood and I found it in the ditch! And I thought to myself "Hey, dismembered corpse parts aren't things one normally finds around here." And yet for some reason, I couldn't find the rest of the body... But my senses and the Earth was telling me it IS around here somewhere. I've been looking for like a Day and by that point, this guy was starting to smell a little. Soooo, I wrapped that sucker up like Sukuna's Finger and Here I am~ Wanna help me call the owner?" She chattered happily, looking up at him with a characteristically sunny expression.
Small differences lined her face. Like her noticeably shorter hair than her long, luxurious blonde waves when they first had met, a small nick in her right eyebrow and being slightly more tanned than before but her enthusiasm remained all the same, mixed with affection and blithe. Like a Golden Retriever puppy excited to see someone they hadn't in a while.
@revedentz
A faint crashing and clattering could be heard from outside of the window, and after a while of loud scuffling, soft, frustrated hissing sounds and a soft click followed by a triumphant effeminate trill of happiness, the window slowly, slowly creeeeeeeeaked open... And a round, cherubic face wreathed in short blonde waves, much shorter than the last time her target saw her, dropped from an upside down position to peer into the darkness of the room. Her hazel eyes were wide and yet focused.
"Dee...? Deeeeeeee-" she stage whispered in a way that couldn't have actually been intended to be stealthy. "Deeeeee? Are you in heeeeere?... I have an Ouija board, Homemade Strawberry Creme Scones and this weird Tome I found with your name all over iiiiit. Oh, and a dead guy's hand. I dunno who the dead guy is... But I was planning on using this to find out. You know. Like a lost and found. But for corpses."
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How Far is the End of the Ocean
Mun cries about cats again. Also more backstory! Might want to read the story ‘Kiori’ for context that I wrote for commander week, should be listed under the ‘origins’ hashtag. Anywayyys, spoilers for lws4, and... I think that’s it, really. Also death mention. Because that’s how we do... things... yup. Also a little bit abandonment possibly. Not sure.
---
“rrrrrRRRAAAAR!”
Amiaza pounced with a ferocious, lioness’ roar, from the bushes- only to find her paws meeting the disappointing, shallow ground. She turned with a low growl at the sound of crackling electricity, seeing the smug, smiling- and rather similar- face of another Charr smiling from the bushes she’d just leapt from. She huffed, tail swaying from side to side.
“That’s cheatiiiing!” She complained, lowering herself to the ground to leap again.
“It’s just using the magic I was born with. What, like you’re not using any magic at all right now, miss sandypaws?” the other charr teased.
She huffed, lowering herself further. “...Maybe. You don’t know.”
“Mmmaybe I do.”
Amiaza then pounced again, leaping high into the air- landing with a resounding thud that shook the ground a little, throwing the other charr off balance- and she quickly took the opportunity to full-on tackle her to the ground, sitting up with a rumble of triumph after pinning the other to the ground. “Guess I cheat better.”
“Guess again.”
She squeaked as she found herself starting to lift off of the ground- the stones underneath her paws lifting themselves into the air- though... shakily, it seemed like... she stood stiffly still, fur standing on end as she looked down at the other, honestly impressed. She was getting better at this! Maybe someday she’d be able to-
Fmmph
Ngh. Ground. Sand in her face. Face hurt. She felt a paw poke her in the face, only giving an upset grumble in response. “You, uh- you alright, sis?”
She rolled over and sat up, spitting out some sand, wiping it off her tongue with a paw, and then gave her a double thumbs-up. “Mhm! And you managed that a lot longer than last time!”
Her sister sat up herself, beaming with pride, before pausing. “...Not that slowly floating up’s gonna catch anyone off guard... I gotta be faster.”
Amiaza winced. “Maybe, uh... not in practice with me. I can’t actually fly yet, y’know.”
“With your skimmer? You’re sure close.”
“Strawberry isn’t fast enough to save me from falling from the sky, sis,” she whined, plopping back down to the sandy ground. She could, faintly, hear the sound of waves through it. It was calming.
“Yeah... sure you can’t make good friends with a bird? I’d bet you could fly then.”
Amiaza snorted. “Yeah, sure, like wind magic’s gonna make you fly.”
“I can already teleport, that’s gonna be next! I’m gonna fly off to a whole ‘nother continent!”
“Uh-huh. Until you headbutt a big ol’ wave again and go under.” ...Again with the leaving... as much as she knew her sister was a wildcard, she wasn’t sure why she seemed so fixated on... leaving. Or going back, if she believed her elders- which she didn’t. Her sister had no reason to join the flame legion- she was just...
“That was one time!” Her sister objected, standing up with an exaggerated frown. “And it was on purpose. I just... didn’t know water was that strong.”
Amiaza chuckled. “Yeah, like the elders will ever let you forget.”
Her sister let out a growl, rolling her eyes.
Her sister, despite being an elementalist, and- in the Sandswept Isles they’d lived and grown up in- surrounded by water, she... wasn’t exactly well-attuned to the element. She could only really pull the water around if it was in a fine mist, or a vapor- if it was hot. Really, her abilities had always been in fire- something, given the flame legion terror some of the Olmakhan elders were still elder enough to remember, that was... uncomfortable, at times. Not that anyone openly berated her for it- it was what nature had gifted her with. And she’d done some amazing things with it- she was absolutely amazing at fire dances. But if she went away, on her own... Water doused fire. Was powerful against fire. Both of the twins had heard that lesson... more than once.
---
“But don’t you think it’d be fun to just... keep riding out? See if there’s an end to the ocean?”
Her sister’s question caught Amiaza off-guard, and she looked at her sister with more than a little worry. “...But there’s still so much of the forest here...”
“There’s so much more of this world than our forest. Maybe people who need our help!”
Amiaza winced. “...But we need...”
“You heard the elders, right? They don’t need me. We’re safe here.”
...But she needed her. There... weren’t any other cubs close to their age growing up- it’d been... tense between them at first, sure, but they’d learned to support each other instead soon enough. They weren’t the same anymore. Her sister was... bigger, definitely- and though Amiaza had first tamed her sand lioness, Sandie (she was clearly the best at names), to try and help her sister get more in tune with the earth element... her sister was better at fire. She was... amazing at fire- not that she wasn’t amazing at anything else; she was certainly agile, and she’d been getting physically stronger, too... Amiaza started to realize, now, why. Skimmers weren’t really good at heavy lifting- not heavy lifting that required articulated digits, at least. And Amiaza... she was a ranger. A soulbeast ranger- she was sure some of the charr in their village still didn’t know she had a pet- others... wouldn’t recognize her, with her sandy fur. Sandie wasn’t comfortable around them yet, was all...
...Neither was Amiaza, really.
It was always just her and her sister...
---
...
...Amiaza looked out at the waves, perched high in a tree, trying to see how far they went. How far she’d have to swim.
...It wasn’t the elder’s fault. The words they’d said... they’d been in a kind tone- encouraging her sister to stay. Telling her it was safe here. But...
She gritted her teeth. They should’ve known her better. She should’ve known her better. Knowing they’d be okay if she left... it only drove her further away. Only fueled the already burning fire.
...And she couldn’t blame her sister, either. She’d insisted on going, and... Amiaza couldn’t stop her, only insisting her sister take her skimmer. Strawberry was faster. And... it felt like, that way, she could still... be there? She wasn’t sure what she wanted, now. She wanted her sister back. She wanted to go with. She wanted... Her sister had promised she’d come back and visit, though- she just... had to wait.
---
...Amiaza looked out at the waves, perched high in a tree, trying to see how far they went. How far a bird could fly. There weren’t many friendly birds on the island- she hadn’t really had any luck taming any of them. She’d feel bad taking the eggs, even if they were normally just taken for food. And it wouldn’t let her fly, anyways. Not far enough to see her sister again. Not after these months...
---
Amiaza looked out at the waves, perched high in a tree, trying to see how far they went. How far her voice would have to reach. She’d found an old songbook of her sisters- she knew she sung, knew the elders had once said both their voices were beautiful. A gift to the village. She wanted to sing with her sister again, but... the water had never loved her sister enough to lend her its power- why would it ever carry her voice?
---
Amiaza looked out at the waves, perched high in a tree, trying to see how far it went. How much of the ocean, land, time lay between them by now... she tried to remember her sister’s voice, but... the memories were fading. It’d been... a while, since she’d returned to the village from the forest. No one to remind her... would they remember any better? ...But they’d told her she had her sister’s song, once- they could hold a perfect harmony. She took in a breath, let her eyes close. She could remind herself what her sister sounded like- maybe call her home...
---
--
-
Amiaza looked out at the waves, perched high in a tree. She forgot why, some days. No one in the village really... visited, to remind her- she’d been living just fine on her own. Well, not quite on her own, her and Sandie... her eyes glazed over for a moment or two. What was it she was looking for in the water...? ...She’d climb back down the tree, her landings heavy, unfocused... almost clumsy, if a part of her wasn’t still just a little afraid of falling.
Her paws trudged through sand, feeling it between her toes. Warm. Gritty. Then wet and cold. Her ears twitched as she noticed something in the waves- glinting in the sunlight. She turned her head, smelling smoke. Something had crashed into the beach... Large, dark, twisted- parts of hit red with heat. She looked back to the shiny piece, wading into the water to pick it up carefully in her paws. She felt a small twinge of pain in her paw as the sharp edges cut in, but continued to look into its surface. At what was reflected in it. She’d... let her fur grow out, a little wild, but... she felt Sandie’s head rub against her side, not having registered her separation, not having realized she’d sat down. Orange. Her fur was orange, like torchlight. It was something, besides a face, her and her sister shared. Her sister...
She gripped the piece of glass tighter for a moment, until she noticed the red starting to tint it- and she held it a little lighter, taking away one paw to lick at the wound. She and her pet once again one, she’d turn, with the glass, back to the forest, singing softly to herself.
‘All the sandy shores, and all the leaves of distant trees /
Why shouldn’t all of nature sing of my love for you...?’
---
She looked into her reflection, scattered across the ground, her paws shaking. Her reflection. It was- no, it was broken, fractured, it wasn’t- she could feel her heartbeat in her ears, her throat choked. Something was missing. Something had gone missing, something had left. Something was... lost. She’d lost... she tried to take a breath, but it shook too much- she fell the ground, front paws feeling the cut of the glass. She was lost. With more certainty than she’d known for years... she’d lost her sister.
---
...Her... song... why was she hearing her song...?
...She crept closer, through the forest, ears tilted forwards. There was something with it... she didn’t recognize the voice- it was low, a little scratchy. It wasn’t her sister’s, but... there was something with it- a pleasant-sounding instrument, playing out a harmony she’d never heard to a song she’d been singing for...
She came close enough to see him, pausing. High in the trees, she saw him, his instrument- strings, pulled out in front of a sort of... pear-shaped chamber, his claws delicately gliding over the strings as he sang softly, eyes full of a sort of... love, and...
...She caught the remaining light of the night’s moon and stars glinting off of his eyes and muzzle in the way it only did when they were wet.
He wasn’t an Olmakhan. He wasn’t from the Isles.
...But he knew her sister’s song.
And she saw the way he stiffened when he saw here, recognition and... more than that, fear in his eyes as he held his instrument closer to himself- and she stood before him, took a breath, and knelt, softly continuing the song.
‘Stormy skies and distant waters, far from familiar shores,’
She saw him slowly re-adjust his instrument, strumming the next notes- and... she heard words she’d never heard her sister sing before.
‘When they call to you, my child...’
The silence that fell was... deafening, to both of them. It was becoming... so suddenly, abruptly, and... bitter-sweetly clear what had happened to her sister.
The other charr’s words were... broken, full of all the grief Amiaza had ever known, familiar to her as the sea.
“...You knew Strea?”
And... somehow, she couldn’t quite help but smile.
“Some used to mistake us for one another.”
...Her sister had gone because she saw a world in need of help, and... she’d found it, hadn’t she? ...She’d found someone in need of a family. And however long it lasted, whatever had taken her sister in the end... she’d come back. She’d shattered into other lives- in this one, in Amiaza’s own... and, somewhere, too, a cub’s. Her sister had a cub. And... while she knew she couldn’t take Strea’s place in any of those lives... she could still be a sister.
‘...They carry my love for you.’
#strea starmane#Amiaza#vallus smokemane#charr#olmakhan#gw2#gw2 fanfiction#lws4#lws4 spoilers#zori sunblade#sort of? I mean she's kind of abstractly mentioned#anyways time for mun to cry about cats again because it's just that time of day#this turned out more sad than I meant it too#oops#death mention#also I may or may not have actually uh. written the song#like two weeks ago#might reblog this with a link you don't know#you'll just have to actually look at the reblogs#so there
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Podcasts
I ported Parts 1-5 over from my old WordPress blog, and have updated those since. From then on has been added anew as I’ve started listening to new stuff. First post was back in 2010, so some of these I stopped listening to (or they ended) years ago. YMMV.
Part 1
A History of the World in 100 Objects
Andrew turned me on to this one, which comes to us from the BBC. If you've ever watched a show like Britain's Secret Treasures, this is quite similar, and one of the objects featured so far is one that was also on the show.
Each podcast they feature an item from world history and talk about what it is, when and where it came from, what it was for, and other socio-cultural contexts, often with interviews with really interesting folks. And there is some Attenborough. :)
Answer Me This!
Two British people get questions in from all over the world, though mostly from other British people, about anything and everything, and then they endeavour to answer them. Some of them relate to trivia, some actually require a bit of research about origins and such, and some of them are filthy and funny. Cuz, y'know, it's the internets. Host Olly really, really loves his cat, Coco, and Helen hates cats.
How Stuff Works
These were some of the first podcasts I started listening to. Stuff You Should Know has been going for a decade now, and while I listened to hundreds of episodes, I stopped listening some time ago. The landscape just filled up with too much more interesting stuff. I still listen to Stuff You Missed in History Class and Stuff Mom Never Told You, though I moved on from BrainStuff, TechStuff, and Stuff to Blow Your Mind, etc. some time ago. There have also been some video ones that I would catch up on while painting, doing dishes, etc.: Stuff They Don't Want You to Know, Stuff of Genius, Stuff From the Future. With various partnerships, etc., How Stuff works has a bunch more podcasts now, but I am kind of overflowing, so haven’t spent much time looking into them.
Fw:Thinking
This was a How Stuff Works/Discovery show (from when Discovery had acquired them, which has since been un-done). The two hosts from TechStuff and another guy hosted this one. Longer format, and tech topics that cover a potentially broader range – e.g. science that's not necessarily tech, as well as social implications and things like that. Lasted a few months on this one.
The Memory Palace
Publishing is a bit inconsistent, but I’ve had this one on the list for years, and it will stay. Interesting little vignettes from history. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, often presented from a really unique and brain-twisting angle. And Nate diMeo rivals Roman Mars for Most Soothing Voice.
Savage Lovecast
Dan Savage's advice show, which goes along with his column, wherein people call in and leave questions, comments, rants, etc. It's human sexuality-centric, though there are cultural aspects as well, particularly those relating to non-vanilla, monogamous, heterosexual relationships and interactions. I didn't listen to this one regularly, but would binge listen for a week or two until I was tired of the weird problems of the young/old/gay/straight/bi/trans/kinky/etc. I don't always agree with Savage's perspectives or advice, but I learned a fair bit, too, which is even better than just being entertained. Gave up on it some time back.
Sawbones
The husband, Justin, plays the dumb everyman to his wife, Sydnee, who is a doctor. They (mostly she) present a medical condition, phenomenon, etc. and discuss how it was perceived and treated throughout history. As you can imagine, many of them are rather horrifying from a modern perspective, but can also be kinda funny, hence the tagline, "A marital tour of misguided medicine". Everything from headaches to fertility issues shows up, and if you're the kind of person who makes it a point of visiting 19th century surgical museums while on vacation (yup), you'll dig this. That said, eventually it started to annoy me (him, particularly), so I gave up on it.
Welcome to Night Vale
This is weird. That cannot be overstated. Ostensibly it's a community updates radio broadcast from a desert town in the US. Except there are angels and aliens and wild dogs and homicidal wheat and wheat byproducts. There's not just a local constabulary, but a Sheriff's Secret Police. There's a long and expensive boardwalk, except there is no water anywhere near the town. There's an eccentric old woman and a dreamy scientist, and random shadowy characters who come and go. Occasionally people get vaporized. Or there's a bake sale. Anything could happen. That was just the first season. Like I said, weird. But with fun music and compelling overall. I never got around to following up on succeeding seasons, but I know some people remain big fans.
The Moth
The Moth is a series of storytelling events that go on around the US, and are semi-professional. A lot of the speakers present more than once, there are awards and a championship and such. A lot of the speakers are also professional writers, and I gather you call a hot line to pitch your story idea and they work with you to polish it up and get it ready for prime time. The podcast is a distillation of these stories (which are also played on the radio in the US, I gather), and rarely disappoint. In fact there've been a couple of times when I probably shouldn't have been driving while listening, they're that engrossing. There's a book, too, of hand-picked stories. Highly recommended, but eventually I just kinda lost interest, like with TED Talks, etc.
This American Life
Was the number one podcast in the US for a long time. Don’t know if it still is. I am not a fan of the host, Ira Glass', voice, but you get used to it. It's a bit like The Moth, in that it contains in-depth stories about lives often very unlike your own. But it's also journalism, too, to get these stories, with a fair bit more socio-political commentary, whether it's about a Chicago school with a lot of gun deaths, or just how dangerous acetaminophen is. The topics cover an amazing wide range, and some shows are a lot more heart- or gut-wrenching than others, which is cool. The amount of work that must go into making these shows is staggering. All that said, I didn’t stick around very long.
Quirks and Quarks
From the CBC, podcast version of the radio show. All manner of science, and plenty of dinosaurs – everyone likes dinosaurs! I've also noticed that there tends to be a lot of women among the scientists they interview, which I appreciate. Eventually moved on from this, too.
Ontario Brewer
A great way to get to know the breweries and beers of Ontario, and the people who make them. (Craft brewing folks tend to be a lot of fun.) I find Mirella Amato, the host, to be fairly pretentious, but it's not really about her. I also tend to only listen to every other podcast. They do two per brewer, first picking a couple of their beers and talking about them, as well as the brewery history and whatnot. Then in the second one they pair the beers with cheese, chocolate, etc. A podcast about people talking about tasting things strikes me as a bit dumb. Not sure if they still make this one.
99% Invisible
Originally recommended by two very different friends, which is a good sign, and remains a staple. They had a clothing mini-series called “Articles of Interest” that was super interesting not long ago. It's about design in the world, architectural and otherwise. It looks at things you may never have seen, and things you look at every day. They could cover a specific iconic building, or a chair design that’s been ripped off a million times, or the history of pockets. A good way of shifting your perspective a bit. And Roman Mars rivals Nate DiMeo for Most Soothing Voice.
The Nerdist
I find Chris Hardwick a little annoying sometimes, and things can get pretty in-joke-y when Matt and/or Jonah are there. However, they also interview really cool people, so those are fun. I don't listen to all of them, and skip the ones where it's only Chris and co. talking, or when the guest is someone I don't know or care about. Plenty of great geek culture, though. Gave up on this one a long time ago, and turns out Hardwick IS a dick, so done with that genre.
StarTalk Radio
Neil DeGrasse Tyson's space-y show/podcast. He gets some really cool guests, but the musical bits are really annoying. Includes both Tyson talking science, and discussing with the guests. The cool part is that they're not all boffins. Could be Dan Aykroyd or Tony Bourdain or Joe Rogan. Didn’t last very long with this one. Just didn’t click.
Crash Course World History
Video series. John Green delivers the history of the world in 10-ish minute chunks. He explains the what, where, when, etc., as well as how those things affect the world now. He also has mad love for the Mongols, which never stops being funny. Aside from learning a more inclusive, less west'n'white version of history, you'll also get fun tidbits, like how the Silk Road (which wasn't just one route) helped bring the plague (Black Death, anyone?) to Europe from Asia.
Thug Notes
Big props to Dave for turning me on to this one. Sparky Sweets, PhD (alias), delivers book/play summaries and analysis on classic works of literature, from Austen to Shakespeare, in 5-ish minute increments, accompanied by entertaining animations and charmingly colloquial language. Frankly, his summaries and analysis are better than a lot of the formal education in lit that I've received. And way funnier. I don’t think many of these get made anymore as they got acquired and he’s been doing other projects.
Part 2
CANADALAND
News, media, and criticism about Canada. Jesse Brown is the guy who broke the Ghomeshi scandal. It's opened my eyes to how little I knew about what's going on, news-wise, in the country, and who's making the news (and what their agendas are).
Caustic Soda
Violence! Disaster! Weirdness! Big time geeky, lots of science, lots of grossness, sometimes really interesting guests. Plus the Muppet Show cover theme song for when they have guests always makes me grin. Has been over for a while, but the archive is worth a listen.
Criminal
In keeping with the true crime vein, stories recounting actual crimes with interesting details, weird twists, or lingering mysteries. Fits in well for folks who like Serial and such.
The Truth
Short radio plays/vignettes that are odd, affecting, and strangely engaging. It's really hard to describe, but hooks you quickly. I tend to go a while not listening to it, and then I’ll catch up and an episode will totally grab me.
Part 3
CANADALAND: COMMONS
COMMONS is the second podcast CANADALAND started producing, covering Canadian politics and related topics. It initially drew me because it was sort of a “politics for people who aren’t into politics” twist. In addition to covering news and issues, they would get into things like what the Senate is and how it’s for, or dig into terms like populism or what a fiscal conservative is, which is handy. The podcast has cycled through several sets of hosts and with each iteration has had a very different focus and flavour. The second group focused a lot more on social justice issues. They have mostly had hosts who are relatively young and people of colour, which I think helps expand the perspectives. With the most recent iteration the host is a journalist who has been exploring corruption in Canada.
Freakonomics Radio
Same schtick as the books, etc., and one I'd listened to some time ago, but then it seemed to disappear. Back now and enjoying it. Economics isn't really my thing, either, so it's interesting to see it approached from angles that do interest me, or have a certain "WTF?" aspect, like an episode on the economics of being a sex offender (it's a really bad idea - aside from being punished for the crime, you're going to be punished socially and financially pretty much forever). Stephen Dubner has since gone out kind of on his own, and I think has plans to take the production in new directions, so we’ll see what they get up to.
All the Books
This one’s great because it’s about books and I get lots of recommendations and I like the hosts. It used to be frustrating because it was expanding my TBR list too quickly, but I learned after a while that the hosts and I don’t love the same things, so most of what they love/recommend isn’t going to be a huge priority for me. There’s a backlist show/episode interspersed with new releases, too, which I don’t really follow, but it’s an interesting rabbit hole. They get a nice variety of genres, author types, etc. as well.
Gastropod
This one is one of my favourites. It’s about food, but explored via science and history. And of course there’s the odd weird taste test, because food and entertainment. There's some cute "friction" between the hosts sometimes, as Nicola is British by birth, and so has very across-the-pond opinions on many things related to cuisine, manners, etc. Whereas Cynthia is American and Jewish and her east coast experiences reflect that, too. The ladies are both writers and journalists and have gone on some amazing adventures. And hey, what better way to learn all about a gazillion varieties of potato than to go to Peru and attend a festival for them. WILL make you want to eat and drink all the things.
Invisibilia
This one's about unseen factors that shape our world, though that sounds pretty vague, and if you just start listening to episodes things can seem kind of random. They will cover huge topics, like how humans' tendencies to assign (or chafe against) categorization shapes our world, or how our expectations of "disability" may be off base. Sometimes the approach is a bit more sideways/quirkier, though. I really like the combination of stories and anecdotes focused on the topics, but also how they blend that with science and studies and all that other rigorous stuff. They’re longer episodes, and seasons are spread out pretty far (I think the hosts have a lot of other projects), but good for a long walk and a think.
Mystery Show
Defunct now, but was super quirky and charming. The premise is that the host and chief investigator takes on a mystery for each episode. Something that's been bothering someone for some time (could be weeks, could be decades), and solves it. That could mean finding out something, returning something to its owner, etc. It can't just be something solvable by using the Internet, as we're so prone to doing these days. (I will note that my perception of the host based on her voice was SO completely off base when I finally saw a picture of her.) It’s one of those story-centric podcasts where the premise seems frivolous, but totally isn’t in the fullness of time, as it were. One of the earliest episodes I listened to was about returning a unique belt buckle to a chef. Turned out to be an amazing chase and surprisingly poignant. Certainly unique, and really gets you pondering unknown or unsolved things in your own life and how one would go about solving them (especially without the internet).
White Coat, Black Art
This one’s from the CBC, and the host is Dr. Brian Goldman, who’s a long-time ER physician in Toronto. The premise is looking at healthcare from “all sides of the gurney”. It goes well beyond emergency medicine, though, and tackles issues like wait times, marginalized or ageing populations, managing disabilities, the opioid epidemic, and broader ties to history, politics, and society. In a country where we have a huge Baby Boomer cohort getting ever older, and the challenges that brings, there's a lot to talk about. He also has some fantastic and intriguing guests, and some fascinating glimpses into how healthcare gets handled elsewhere (like the US and Europe), for better or worse.
Part 4
The Allusionist
Helen Zaltzman from Answer Me This talks about the English language. Quirks of words and phrases, where sayings came from, invented languages, colloquialisms and slang, history and evolution, you name it. She has some great guests from other relevant podcasts, too, which make for some fun times. Good stuff for word nerds.
Another Round
Another now defunct Buzzfeed podcast, but was really excellent. American, and largely focused on Black culture. (Both hosts are Black women.) Highly irreverent, and regularly makes fun of white people and mainstream culture - moments in white history are some of the funniest stuff I’ve ever heard. It's not all goofing off, though. There's a lot of discussion of race and related issues, gender, socioeconomics, straight up pop culture (it is from Buzzfeed...) and some really great interviews from people like Hilary Clinton, Valerie Jarrett, Anil Dash, and Hannibal Burress. You never quite know what you're going to get, which makes it more fun. Archive recommended.
The Black Tapes
I started listening to this one because Paul Bae of You Suck, Sir is one of the producers. I gave up after the first season. It was just trying too hard and dragging out waaaay too much. It’s a radio drama about investigations of the paranormal, a bit X-Files-y. The idea being a serialized investigation of an unsolved case each episode, but they got away from that pretty quickly. The dialogue is also a bit rough sometimes, and they go way over the top with the soundscaping for suspense and drama, which I found really distracting.
Death, Sex & Money
Does what it says on the tin, though depending on the interview, focus, and stories, might get more or less of any one of those foci. Mostly interviews and discussions with really interesting (sometimes famous) people about the stuff we don’t talk much about openly. And of course there’s plenty of, “I can’t believe I said that!” The one with Jane Fonda was excellent.
Lore
History, folklore, and stories woven together. This was Aaron Mahnke’s first podcast, and it has since spun out into a media empire with books, a TV show, and more podcasts, etc. Mahnke’s delivery style has smoothed out over time. He was a bit... Shatneresque for a while there. The stories are true, with a hint of mystery and plenty of the unexplained. But Mahnke does a good job of weaving in myth, folklore, the supernatural, and other relevant things to give richness and context to the stories. And they never entirely wrap up tidily. His Cabinet of Curiosities is a good, shorter sister accompaniment to this.
Planet Money
A bit similar to Freakonomics... but not really. All manner of finance-related topics covered from a variety of angles, though US-centric, unsurprisingly. Sometimes more finance-centric, but other times gets way more into psychology, anthropology, etc. There was an episode on the anatomy of a scam was fascinating and heartbreaking. Great investigative work. But then there are others like the one about "delicious cake futures" that're just irreverent and hilarious.
Reply All
"A show about the Internet". Which it is, but... that doesn’t really tell you anything. This one is often SO much fun, and they go down some incredible rabbit holes, whether they’re explaining internet culture to their boss by unravelling a tweet (”Yes, Yes, No”) or exploring a weird tech mystery, like a phishing incident. You will definitely learn things you had no idea about, become fascinated by fraud, and realize you barely know anything about the breadth and depth of internet culture.
Still Untitled: The Adam Savage Project
Another round of serious geekery. Mythbusters' Adam Savage and friends just... talk about stuff. Projects they're working on, particularly Adam's, geeking out over... things. Things they like, things they've made, things other people made that they wish they had... There's a definite maker bent and a geek pop culture bent. Like The Martian has gotten a lot of love over the past while. But they talk about everything from billiards to camping, and it goes along with the Tested show as well. For science! I didn’t end up keeping up with this one for long, since I’m not that kind of maker and the shows were fairly long.
Stuff Mom Never Told You
This one I've been listening to for years, through several iterations of hosts. The focus was a bit more political and career-centric with the last hosts, and a bit more cultural with the current ones. All things feminism and gender, and the related issues where those things are concerned. It’s US-centric, so some of the content isn’t always entirely relevant outside the country (like healthcare and reproductive rights), but good to be reminded that Gilead isn’t entirely fictional...
Stuff You Missed in History Class
Like the above, have been listening for years, so time to give it its due. It is an American podcast, so there's plenty of US history on offer, but they do cover plenty of other countries, time periods, and types of history. Everything from fashion, to art, to great dynasties, to titillating scandals, to amazing characters, to disasters (both ancient and modern-ish). They try to include plenty of history that’s not just white and male-centric (though they get plenty of complaints about “too many women”, because people are assholes. They also have really interesting interviews, often with authors. This Day in History Class is their little sister podcast, which is a 5-minute daily on what happened that day historically.
Part 5
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy
Coming to us from the BBC World Service, this one reminds me somewhat of my much-loved A History of the World in 100 Objects. It considers a wide range of products and services, from barcodes to insurance to paper. They explain where these things came from, why they were revolutionary, their broader influence and importance, and their ongoing value and evolution in today's world. Episodes are fairly short, so good for a quick hit thought provocation, or you can save them up for a fascinating topical binge (and see how some threads of history, business, tech, etc. fit together).
Crimetown
Exposes the seedy underbelly of various places and people. Season one was Providence, Rhode Island (including infamous mayor Buddy Cianci and New England crime boss Raymond Patriarcha). Season two will focus on Detroit. The first season had characters and stories that were straight out of the movies, including the wise guy accents. Classic mobsters and mayhem. Great for true crime fans, but with a bit of a twist.
The Infinite Monkey Cage
The longer format of the weekly BBC Radio 4 show, with Robin Ince as the straight man, and British science's favourite media son, Prof. Brian Cox. Each episode irreverently tackles a science topic, from sleep to gambling to climate change, assisted by a panel of scientists, academics, writers, and comedians. The schtick wore a bit thin for me after a while, though one Christmas episode on ghosts was a particular highlight.
Longform
As advertised, these are long interviews (typically an hour or a bit more) with a variety of interesting folks, the key connecting thread being that they're all writers or editors (or both). That's a pretty broad category, though, as interviewees range from Ta-Nehisi Coates to Nate Silver to Malcolm Gladwell. I don't listen to every one, but when you get a good one, man, is it interesting stuff. Problem is you don’t know before you listen what ones will be gold, and it’s a lot of time to commit.
Note to Self
Defunct now, this one styles itself as "the tech show about being human", which is true, though it leans heavily at times on lifehacking and projects - things like making ourselves more efficient, establishing good habits, etc. None of that was really my thing and I tended to skip those episodes. It also learned a lot toward issues and lifestyles of the modern family, which can either be interesting from a peripheral perspective (since I don’t have kids) or more blablah I don’t care about. Stuff about digital privacy, racism online, etc. were pretty universally interesting and useful topics, though.
Only Human
This one wraps science and humanity around politics and currently events (US-centric). Like US "bathroom laws" and how they tie into real families with trans kids, and the clinics and medical staff that work with and treat those kids. Or medical care on Native reservations accompanied by centuries old well-earned mistrust of the establishment. Or accompanying a doctor whose mission it is to provide safe abortions in the south, and how increasingly difficult that's become. I thought this one was defunct, but looks like I just stopped listening after a while. (I know they went through a pretty intense self-improvement project phase, which was of zero interest.)
Revisionist History
Malcolm Gladwell’s first dive into podcastland, and definitely one of my favourites. After the 2016 US election, this show and Tony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown kept me sane. In each episode, Gladwell takes a historical event, recounts it, then deconstructs it and re-recounts it from other angles, shedding new light and context on it. In certain ways it’s classic Gladwell. It tackles racism, sexism, homophobia, and all the other big -isms. It gives names to issues and societal quirks you’ve always been aware of but never had definitions for. Some stuff is broadly culturally or historically fascinating, but I guarantee something will hit you way closer to home than you ever expected. So far this one’s three seasons in, and he’s how started a network, Pushkin Industries, which also now includes the Broken Record music podcast.
See Something Say Something
Buzzfeed used to have some fantastic content by great diverse voices. I’m not sure how much of it is left now that this, Another Round, and probably others have ended. This one is about being Muslim in America, and is an instance where I have no issues with stories, perspectives, and content from Millennials and those younger. Mixes pop culture with religion, intellectual discourse with goofy irreverence, and you’ll definitely learn stuff every episode. The number of smart, successful female guests was also always a highlight.
Weekly Infusion
Didn’t last long with this one, but checked it out since Nicole Angemi, who I follow on Instagram, was a guest. It ended up a bit slick and overproduced for my taste, though it did dig into medical issues, pathology, etc., which is up my alley. They did make things really accessible, perhaps almost too much so. And they had celeb guests or other notables who either have a stake in the medical issues being discussed, or are experts in that field. I listened to episodes about anaphylaxis to epilepsy to synesthesia, so something for everyone if the format is cool with you.
You Must Remember This
The first couple seasons were a great binge for me, covering all the fascinating stories, scandals, juicy trivia, and big characters in the first century of Hollywood. There were some fantastic series, like Charles Manson's Hollywood, the Blacklist/McCarthy Communist witch hunts, Hollywood during WWII, or “Six Degrees of Joan Crawford”. But since then it’s gotten more meh. Just topics or series that don’t interest me or that feel like they’re getting a bit too peripheral. May still be fascinating to super hardcore movie history buffs, though. The most recent series was really side content to go along with the book she has coming out, so we’ll see if future seasons are any more like the older stuff or not.
Part 6
Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities
This is the same guy who does Lore and Unobscured. These episodes are shorter, each with a couple of stories about a wide variety of people, places, things, events, etc. that are unique, odd, or generally unexplained. Because they don’t have to fill out a longer episode, you’re more likely to hear about things that weren’t covered in a bunch of other podcasts.
Broken Record
Malcolm Gladwell’s second podcast outing, in addition to my beloved Revisionist History. It’s only a few of episodes in so far, and music podcasts haven’t really been my thing, but the first episodes have been super interesting. I did skip the third one since I don’t like Rufus Wainwright. Definitely willing to give this one a few more episodes to see how it plays out. The guests are the folks who’ve been there and done that and have all the stories.
Committed
This one’s a season in, and it’s about relationships, but it’s wide and deep. Getting pregnant at 14, infertility, a terminal brain tumour, lost at sea, second marriage, life sentences in prison... these are not your average suburbanites. Or they are, but it’s parts of their lives you’ve never known. Elevated snotbomb risk from time to time, but really well done and there’s something relatable in every episode.
Bodies
Also one season in. By women, for women, about women (though anyone else listening in will learn A LOT). Stories of health and issues and the struggles of getting correct diagnoses and treatment and how life and bodies change. I suspect most women would relate to something in every episode, even if it’s not specifically about an issue you’ve dealt with. Men would probably have a lot of holy shit moments listening in.
No Such Thing As A Fish
The researchers for the UK quiz show QI sit around and riff on their four favourite facts of each week, along with supplementary facts and random anecdotes, bad puns, dumb jokes, and taking the piss out of each other. It’s very nerdy and a lot of fun and will fill your brain with excellent trivia. They do a lot of live shows as well, so many of those are a bit themed to wherever they are on that week.
OPPO
Another CANADALAND podcast, which I have recently gotten rid of due to overload. Jen Gerson and Justin Ling basically spend each episode kvetching at and interrupting each other regarding politics and issues of the day. Not sure how well they actually represent particularly opposing political views, but she’s a woman and lives in Calgary and he’s a gay dude in Toronto, so, okay? I do find out about issues I hadn’t heard much about, so that’s good. I think it’s more just YMMV re. the hosts.
The Secret Life of Canada
This one was picked up by the CBC and I am still kind of bitter that I missed the ladies at the Kitchener Library a while back (I wasn’t listening to the podcast yet, but still). Basically, stuff you never learned in school about our country’s history, and which, frankly, should pretty much just replace our still very white, patriarchal, colonial history teachings.
Sidedoor
From the Smithsonian, the podcast covers all kinds of stories, people, events, and things from the museum. A bit hard to pin down, but super interesting, and talks about everything from a famous skeleton in their collection (the guy used to work for the Smithsonian!) to Gullah cuisine. Very American-centric, unsurprisingly, but enjoyable for history/anthropology nerds.
Small Town Dicks
True crime stories, but the twist is that the detectives who investigated them are the ones talking about them. The hosts are Yeardley Smith (best known as the voice of Lisa Simpson) and Zibby Allen, who I wasn’t familiar with. Then they usually have one or both of Detectives Dan and Dave, who are twins and cops (though one’s retired now and the other’s been promoted to Sergeant), as well as frequently guests who are other cops talking about the specific case of the week. I’ve found the handling of the subject matter both really in-depth (and sometimes pretty horrific or even comical) but also respectfully done, which is more than I can say for some other true crime podcasts I’ve tried.
Sold in America
A fairly new 8-part series about sex work in the US with a focus on trafficking and the many issues directly entwined with it — previous trauma, poverty, unemployment, addiction, etc. I’m almost to the end, and it’s been excellent, and often quite uncomfortable. It is US-focused, but the issues there are no different from here or anywhere else. The host Noor and her team travel a lot of talk to a lot of people whose lives this is or has affected, so these aren’t third-hand stories; this is lived experience, from women at the Bunny Ranch in Nevada to trans youth trying to overcome homelessness.
This Day in History Class
The little sister of Stuff You Missed in History Class, a daily, five-minute quickie of what happened on that date historically. Good snack for history nerds. Sometimes ties into longer episodes on the same or related topic that SYMIHC will be covering as well.
Unladylike
The two former co-hosts of Stuff Mom Never Told You went out on their own and are working on a feminist media empire (their book came out last month). Same topics re. feminism, gender, politics, sexism, diversity, culture, etc. Sometimes lighter, sometimes super heavy, but really interesting and they have some fantastic guests. And they can swear now. In addition to all the doom and gloom out there, they do also try to bring the good news (and diversity), too.
Black Tea
Former CANADALAND: COMMONS co-host (and current Melle coworker) Andray Domise and his friend (lawyer and activist) Melayna Williams get into culture, issues, and current events, particularly relating to Black communities in Canada (and somewhat the US as well). A lot of it goes over my head (big reveal: I am not Black, and I am old), but it’s cool to learn about stuff I know nothing about, and a common complaint I have is that too much of the media I consume, especially podcasts, is US-made/centric, so the CanCon is refreshing. Also at times very funny, though when there is a rant to be ranted, they don’t hold back.
The Butterfly Effect
Author/journalist/film maker Jon Ronson did this one-off series investigating the effects of the explosion of the online porn industry on the legacy porn industry. He was fascinating by the idea that online porn as we now know it is basically attributable to one guy in Belgium (and one company), and wanted to know what the far-reaching effects of that have been. It’s fascinating, and weird when you end up having moments almost feeling sorry for people and producers in a business that is, to put it mildly, problematic and exploitative. However, at the same time, it is a fascinating dive into human psychology.
Death in the Afternoon
New podcast by the ladies behind The Order of the Good Death, including Caitlin Doughty, its founder, who has written two books and has a popular death-positive YouTube series; Sarah Chavez, who you have very likely come across online as she’s widely involved in death education, culture, etc.; and Louise Hung, their coworker, who has also written broadly and extensively online. Typically they start off digging into some story/urban myth about death (or a sensational death) and breaking down the truths and fallacies and intricacies of the story. Then Sarah will tell a longer story of death relating to the issue at hand, which often involves mystery, folklore, etc.
Dirty John
This was originally an LA Times series, which was turned into a podcast, and is now being made into a TV series. True crime story centring around a truly horrific dumpster fire of a human being and the family he terrorized. Sensational, certainly, but also mind-blowing that it actually happened, and a lot of psychological explorations. Big time potential triggers for mental and physical abuse, drug addiction, violence, and other issues.
Ear Hustle
All about life inside San Quentin prison in California, and hosted by Nigel Poor, who volunteers there, and Earlonne Woods, who has been incarcerated there, but whose sentence was commuted as of US Thanksgiving 2018, so he’ll be free shortly. One imagines things will change somewhat with him shortly being on the outside, though he’ll remain a producer on the show and will report on post-prison life. The show does a good job of fleshing out and humanizing the inmates and stories, though doesn’t sugar-coat that some of these men are in for really bad stuff. It also sheds light on broader issues like the prison pipeline, over-representation of people of colour, and challenges of life after prison.
My Dad Wrote A Porno
There are three hosts, all friends, and host/story reader Jamie’s dad “Rocky Flintstone” is the writer dad in question. Apparently a while back he learned of and/or read 50 Shades of Grey and figured he could do that. (Given how terrible it is, who couldn’t?) So he took himself to the garden shed and wrote... Belinda Blinked. The resulting podcast is Jamie, James, and Alice reading the book(s) and talking about it (mocking it savagely). It’s filthy, the writing is terrible (and Mr. Flintstone seems to lack even basic understanding of female anatomy, among other things). The commentary is hilarious and frequently includes education about things like female anatomy (as much for James, who is gay, as anyone). They just finished the fourth book as of November 2018, and will return with the fifth next year. After the annual Christmas special, of course.
Taste Buds
Another offering from the CANADALAND folks. One season so far, and I won’t be tuning in for a future one. The premise of a former restaurant critic sitting down with restauranteurs is potentially interesting, but nothing about the actual execution of it really grabbed me. It’s also all in Toronto, so places I’ve never been and mostly people I’ve never heard of (and don’t care).
Thunder Bay
Also a CANADALAND offering, and the result of hitting their crowdfunding goal last year. A five-part series hosted by former COMMONS host Ryan McMahon (who is an Indigenous person) about the city, people, politics, and culture of Thunder Bay, ON. Accompanied, unsurprisingly, by the corruption, racism, social issues, and deaths of a number of Indigenous youth over the last few years. It’s a horror show, and not easy to listen to, but the degree of racism, sexism, and corruption shouldn’t really surprise anyone with their ears generally open. Or if it is surprising, then listen to it twice. Also a good thing to send to anyone who tries to argue that Canada doesn’t have the same kinds or level of issues as the US.
Unobscured
Aaron Mahnke’s latest podcast, and a historical deep dive. (Kind of like the historical flip side to the cultural side that is Revisionist History). For the first season he’s digging into the Salem Witch Trials. It’s a degree of background and detail that very few people are likely to be familiar with, and it had way more to do with politics, power struggles, religion gone awry, misogyny, and other familiar social ills than with ergot poisoning, religious fervour run amok, the devil among us, or whatever else has become the pat stories in the succeeding few hundred years. As I understand it each season will be regarding one event and take a similarly deep approach. It’s at times a bit more detail than I care about, but I’m still curious about how it’ll wrap up and what next season will bring.
Part 7
Code Switch
One of the NPR family. Had to pick and choose of the backlist, since it’s been on the air for several years and there’s NO WAY I’d be able to listen to them all. However, it is really interesting to hear their discussions/insights of major events months or years later. The hosts are people of colour, as are the guests, so the focus is on race identities and issues. Being NPR, it’s pretty American-centric, but like most other things, that still affects the world beyond their borders. Sometimes hard to listen to, but I absolutely always learn something.
Dressed
This is one of those where, on the surface, it’s not my thing, but then I end up getting really engaged and learning tonnes. This one is from the How Stuff Works/I Heart Radio network, and is about the history of fashion. Now, fashion itself isn’t really my thing, but fashion is very much tied to history, politics, gender issues, the environment, global trade, race relations, and a million other things. I don’t listen to every episode, but I always learn stuff. The two-parter on the history of Black Dandyism is an excellent example of a topic that ties in all the subjects I mentioned and more, and was just super interesting.
Ologies with Alie Ward
Definitely a new favourite, though I’m still about a year behind in the backlog, and episodes tend to be 1-2 hours long. Host Alie Ward refers to it as a “science adjacent” podcast, though it is scientific and in the top 10 on Apple’s Science podcast rankings. Basically, Alie interviews an “ologist” in each episode, an expert on a given topic, anywhere from squids to crime to postcards. The personalities of the ologists really come through, which make it funny and quirky and sometimes things go down the strangest and most charming rabbit holes. A big bonus is that few of the ologists are old bearded white dudes. (Though the bearded old white dudes are delightful, too – mushrooms!) Alie’s asides and inputs take a bit of getting used to, but I enjoy them now. Sometimes they’re additional educational tidbits she researched, sometimes they’re just dorky moments. It’s one of those shows where, even if the topic doesn’t seem up my alley, I listen anyway, because I already learn and enjoy myself. And when there are topics like dogs I’m basically a slavering fangrrl. Also, excellent Instagram recommendations.
Terrible, Thanks for Asking
I was iffy about this one, though the host was a guest on another podcast I listen to and was really interesting, so I gave it a shot. It’s definitely not for bingeing, as it’s basically interviewing people and telling stories about the worst times in their lives. (There’s something of the flavour of Committed as well.) And the host, Nora McInerny, knows what she’s talking about in that realm. (She’s one of those stories that you would think was just too over the top if it was on TV.) Definitely shows you a lot of facets of life, though, and there’s much to learn and empathize with. Just... make sure you have something fun for a palate cleanser.
30 Animals That Made Us Smarter
Also from the BBC, and I love their series. This one basically takes aspects of nature that we’re researching to benefit the human world and influence new tech. Kingfisher beaks for faster trains, tardigrades and vaccines, etc. Short, fun, fascinating. Around the same time I learned about this one I also learned that 50 Things That Made The Modern Economy is also back with a new season, so that’s back on the list, too. Definitely recommended.
Atlanta Monster / Monster: The Zodiac Killer
I’ll say right up front that I didn’t love either of these, but was in a lull where I needed more content. I’m not a fan of this style where they really try an manipulate episode to episode, where it’s like, “He totally did it!” followed by “They’re totally railroading him!” And so on. Plus, neither series has a conclusive answer, which... is that ever satisfying. But it’s got the expected stuff for the true crime junkies.
Crackdown
This is a really interesting piece of journalism. It’s a series about the drug war, opioid crisis, policy, and the real world of addiction as produced by people who have addictions. The host was a heroin addict for years and has been on Methadone for quite some time as well. They also lost one of their editorial board members to overdose basically between the production of the first and second episodes. It’s real, raw, and often very angry, as it should be. It explores a lot of angles, like the disaster that was replacing Methadone, and Portugal’s decriminalization of drugs, to the dangers of the supply and using these days. Not pretty, but should pretty much be required listening for anyone living somewhere with an opioid crisis... which is pretty much everywhere...
Disgraceland
Self-described as “rock ‘n’ roll true crime”. It’s pretty much pure voyeurism, and absolutely illustrates the worst of humanity, but also doesn’t let us off the hook for our complicity in how celebrities act and why they’re allowed to be (expected to be?) like that. I mean, the first episode was about Jerry Lee Lewis and how he pretty much got away with murdering his fifth wife. (His fourth died under pretty sketchy circumstances, too.) If you like (auto)biographies by 80s/90s metal band members and that sort of thing, you’ll love this one. I tend to really like the behind the scenes stuff of just about anything, including history, and this fits that bill.
The Dropout
Basically, if you would rather listen to the story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos instead of reading the book, this is your podcast. Based on what a friend said about it I was expecting it to be a bit different. I didn’t love it, but it does have plenty of twists and turns and sketchiness and intrigue. Unlike my previous gripe, they really also don’t try and make you go back and forth on whether you think they committed fraud or not. Or, at least, if they were trying to, they really failed. This is a standalone series, so is a shortish binge, pretty much.
The End of the World with Josh Clark
They put a lot of resources into this one, but given how long Clark’s mainstay podcast Stuff You Should Know has been one of the top downloads overall, he knows what he’s doing and probably has some sway with a passion project. (And given everything is branded with the “with Josh Clark” bit, his involvement is very intentional.) Basically, this one looks into ways we might wipe ourselves out - rogue AI, biotech, natural disasters, etc. It’s interesting and well done, but I found myself zoning out from time to time. The sound design also gets a bit over the top sometimes, which bugs me. I also think they dragged it out too much. They didn’t really need the end episodes.
Jensen and Holes: The Murder Squad
This is newish for me (and they’re only a few episodes in). It’s kind of an evolution in true crime programming. Jensen is a journalist and Holes is a recently retired investigator/profiler/scientist. His recent claim to fame is helping catch the Golden State Killer. (And Jensen helped finish Michelle McNamara’s book on the same subject after she died.) Both of them are specialists in unsolved and cold cases, and have decided to start focusing more on trying to get them solved rather than just reporting on and looking into them themselves. There’s a huge true crime fanbase with amateur sleuths out there, and this endeavours to harness that, along with new tech, social media, etc. Crowdsourced criminology, basically. Interesting idea, and I look forward to seeing how it plays out. Each episode they take a known killer, or known victims, and present what’s known about the victims, crimes, locations, killer, MO, etc. They interview people who were involved or investigated the crimes at the time. And they put the case information up on their website - facts, photos, maps, etc. and let the audience do their thing as well. So this one doesn’t talk about cases til the end of things, but if what they’re trying works, could be some fascinating stuff.
Lagered Tales
This one is put out by Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company out of Vankleek Hill in eastern Ontario. It features a rotating cast of hosts from among the brewery’s staff, and covers a variety of topics, from brewery news, industry events, local stories, deep dives on beer topics, chats with other folks who work at Beau’s, as well as Canadian entertainers and other interesting industry people. It’s folksy and well-produced at the same time, and while it won’t be up everyone’s alley, I find it fun.
This Podcast Will Kill You
LOVE this one. Haven’t been listening long, but totally binged the whole backlist. It’s two disease ecology grad students, both named Erin, and they talk about... diseases! They both have PhDs and one of the Erins is also in medical school, so they know their stuff re. infectious diseases. It’s both solidly scientific and accessible to the average person. They cover pathogens, parasites, etc. in depth, as well as what they do to people, how they spread, their histories, how dangerous they are to humanity overall, etc. They also have signature cocktails for every disease/episode. Perhaps not for the squeamish, but super interesting. Also occasionally dad-level bad jokes, which is just excellent.
Part 8
Everywhere
Fairly new and part of the I Heart Radio family (which bought the How Stuff Works family). Host Daniel is a travel writer, and he is intermittently joined by friends/colleagues (including Holly from Stuff You Missed in History Class). It is about travel, but also not. It’s not about “I went here and this is what it’s like and what I recommend”, though there are bits of that. It’s more about recommendations for how to travel well, both for your own enjoyment and the benefit of the people and places you see. He has an overarching “commandment” theme for each episode, but they’re positive, i.e. “Thou shalt” rather than “Thou shalt not”. Can get very philosophical and poetic, and his voice/manner of speech has taken me some getting used to. Not sure it’ll be a long term addition to my list, but still enjoying it half a dozen episodes in.
Solvable
Another from the Pushkin Industries stable (Malcolm Gladwell and co., so Revisionist History, Broken Record, and others). In this one several hosts take turns talking to experts in various fields working to solve the world’s big problems, from civil war to cervical cancer. It’s smart, deeply informative, and does leave you feeling more informed and, dare I say it, hopeful. Another one where, even if you don’t think the topic is right up your alley, you listen anyway because it’ll suck you in with learning and fascinating perspectives. And then there are some like the interview with former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard that are total “holy shit, YES“ experiences.
Your Undivided Attention
Fairly new, and I’m only abour four episodes in, but really enjoying it. Deep dives on the big platforms and technologies we use, and how they’ve been designed and built to control us, along with the lack of ethics and oversight going into how these companies develop tools and algorithms, because revenue and time on site and data mining is a bigger priority than actually not being evil. It’s hosted by Tristan Harris, who used to be a design ethicist at Google, and Aza Raskin, who has the dubious distinction of having invented infinite scroll. (His dad, Jef, worked at Apple and invented the Mac computer, Magic Mouse, and more, and wrote The Humane Interface.) At various points during their interviews with other industry experts (ranging from former YouTube developers to former CIA operatives) they also have asides where they do deep dives/discussions on various points or ideas that have come up in the interview. Doesn’t get overly technical for a lay audience, and will definitely get you thinking and paying more attention to how you use your devices and online services, and how you are being guided, manipulated, and used by the biggest companies in tech.
The Anthropocene Reviewed
Hosted by author and YouTube educator John Green, he picks two things that are part of the human-centered world (the anthropocene) and reviews them as a... human in the world, basically, and based on his life experience. He ends with giving each a star rating out of five. He has some method to the madness of the two things he picks, and how he feels they relate to each other, but he doesn’t really explain it. Teddy Bears and Penalty Shootouts, the Lascaux Cave Paintings and the Taco Bell Breakfast Menu – really anything is fair game. In his typical style, he relates personal memories and anecdotes, waxes philosophical, and wonders about questions big and small. He also at times goes mildly off-topic to address tougher issues, like depression and anxiety disorder, which he’s dealt with all his life, and which in one way or another relates to one of the topics he’s discussing. It’s strange and quirky and an enjoyable way to see the world through someone else’s eyes.
Hit Man
This one just got started, but so far has an interesting premise. The host heard about this small press-published book from years ago, which I’d also heard of, called Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors. It’s literally a murder manual, and has allegedly figured in an assortment of killings. In this case, though, there’s a specific multiple homicide that it gets tied to, and the eight-episode arc dives into that case and the surrounding story. Will probably appeal to true crime fans, but haven’t heard enough yet to determine if it’s a keeper.
Noble Blood
Another from the I Heart family, and it’s both historical and true crime, in a way. It’s also pretty new, so not a lot of episodes so far. Basically it’s about noble/royal and famous people from history who came to a bad end. The host kicked off with one about Marie Antoinette. Pretty sure you know what happened to her. There’s another about King Charles II, and one about an Australian butcher who claimed to be a long lost baronet. I like dirty history, so am looking forward to more of thing one.
Part 9
The Dream
Apparently the host wanted to call this something with “scams” in the title, but there were some legal issues there. But that’s what this podcast is about. Season one was about MLMs. Multi-level marketing, aka direct marketing, networking marketing, or, more closely accurate, pyramid schemes. Not only is it educational about what they are, how they work, and who they target, it explains a lot about who is susceptible (again, targeted) and why they persist, even though like 99% of people who attempt to get rich quick with them fail and lose money. Sometimes a LOT of money. The second season is about the “wellness” industry in all its predatory glory. Unsurprisingly, there’s a fair bit of overlap with MLMs, how women are disproportionately sucked in, etc. It’s pretty US-centric, but then, these scams exist all over the world, and I think we all know someone who’s tried to flog that crap at us, so super relatable.
Gravy
Created by the Southern Foodways Alliance, so pretty much entirely American-centric, but doesn’t lose anything for it, since there’s a tonne about culture, history, immigration, class issues, and other more broadly relatable topics. It’s all about the evolving American south through a food lens. It’s as engaging as it is hunger-inducing, and I guarantee you’ll be surprised at just how non-homogenous the South actually was and is.
mortem
This one’s new from the BBC, and is only a few episodes in so far. The host is Carla Valentine, who has a fair bit of a media presence already via her Instagram and TV work, among other things. It’s a semi-fictional, semi-scientific series, with the stories broken up into several chapters, one per episode. In each story, there’s a murder victim and a mystery about who done it. Could be an elderly woman found dead in her kitchen, or a discorporated jawbone found on the Scottish coast. These actual “murders” are fictional, but the processes and procedures Carla discusses are quite real, as are the medical, law enforcement, and forensic experts she talks to as if they were real investigations. Entomology, forensic odontology, a soil expert, you name it. Fortunately to date they have solved all the cases, so there is that pleasant sense of closure.
Make Me Over
This is a series presented by the maker/host of You Must Remember This, all about image and expectations in Hollywood. Weight, age, plastic surgery, drugs, racism - it’s got it all. It uses the same celebrity and Hollywood history lens as YMRT, and, for reasons that should be obvious, focuses on famous women from various eras, from Esther Williams to Vanessa Williams. Instead of Karina Longworth narrating these stories, she’s recruited a series of writers, journalists, and others to research and explore characters and stories that have interested them. It’s pretty damning, though I can’t imagine the realities of the Hollywood machine would be a surprise to anyone at this point.
27 Club
This one comes from Jake Brennan, host of Disgraceland, and continues the theme of celebrities behaving badly. Though in this case it ends up killing them, as each season will tell stories of one celebrity who died at the age of 27, hence the name. Season one is about Jimi Hendrix, and season two will be Jim Morrison. Presumably Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, and others will follow. Unsurprisingly, it’s a lot of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, though depending on your age and musical tastes, I imagine some featured performers’ stories will be more familiar than others. No shortage of crazy stories and self-destructive behaviour, with plenty of rock history in the mix.
Cautionary Tales
Tim Harford hosts this one, among many, many other things he does. (I also follow his 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy.) It’s been on hiatus a while. Or maybe he was only planning one eight-episode season. I don’t recall. Basically, it’s stories of mistakes, from the ancient world to modern times. Who did what, how decisions were bad, what went wrong, and what can we learn from that. There are often stories or parts of them we may know, from history, the arts, and beyond, but these are angles you’ve likely never heard of or considered. There are plenty of whoa moments when you realize how history would have been differently written without these errors.
Decoder Ring
From the website: “In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object, or habit; examines its history; and tries to figure out what it means and why it matters.” Which does make it sound drier and more anthropological than it is to the ears. Like I guarantee you had no idea how long the song Baby Shark has been around, how many versions there are, and how many countries and origins can claim it. Or how ice cream trucks became a thing. Or the term “friend of Dorothy” and how it relates to the entirety of modern gay culture. Did you know “cancel culture” was as nasty as it is today back in the 1860s? And, near and dear to my heart... rubber ducks. History, anthropology, technology, economics, it’s amazing how interconnected things are, particularly those we rarely stop to consider.
Disorganized Crime: Smuggler’s Daughter
It may not be the case for everyone, but for me, definitely a glimpse into a world and someone else’s childhood that’s VERY much not like my own. The host and her parents are pseudonymous, but back in the 60s and for several decades, her parents (largely her dad) were fairly big time pot smugglers in California. It weaves together the 60s counterculture and its hippie proponents, the history of California and its regions and the people who’ve inhabited it before it became the sterile, exorbitantly expensive tech wonderland it’s become. And how those hippies built their thriving businesses. It ties in how the world changed over time and the business with it, becoming less of a gentleman’s game and more of a dangerous illegal business. And how the 80s war on drugs blew up everything and ruined a lot of lives.
Dolly Parton’s America
An absolutely fantastic nine-part series from WNYC Studios, and largely thanks to the fact that Dolly Parton was in a car accident years back and befriended her doctor. (The main host is his son.) A lovely combination of history, tracing Dolly’s life and origins, her career, her business savvy and the empire she’s built. All woven beautifully together with her music, interviews with her and those around her, and related stories from modern history and culture that she influences, like how Dolly became a gay icon. A brilliant, talented, and fascinating woman and some of her stories beautifully captured.
Historic Royal Palaces
Recorded talks by British academics, sometimes on site where the people they’re discussing lived and historical events took place. Eg. talking about the Tudors at Hampton Court Palace. There are people and eras we know a lot about, like the Tudors, Henry VIII’s wives, etc. But also ones looking at medieval queens and their lives, power, and roles, through to Princess Diana and how she was different than anyone before her. Women’s roles, women in power, how being LGBTQ+ was looked upon and lived historically, fashion and its meanings and uses, and other fascinating and very human topics also get explored.
Outliers - Stories from the edge of history
In partnership with Rusty Quill, for each episode a writer or playwright creates basically a one-act play about a character of their choosing. Typically they’ve given a few options and select one whose history, location, and circumstances are interesting. The general idea is that the focus is on some “nobody” who happens to be present for and fictionally shed a light on much bigger people and events. They’re essentially two-parters, with the second piece being an interview with the playwright and getting into the history, what captured their imagination, issues with the process, and other interesting tidbits. Often, the scullery maid, the valet, the prison guard, and others, can have a fascinating “voice”, and a more interesting take on historical events than any scholar.
Part 10
This is Love
From the folks who make Criminal, just, y’know, love-ier. I gave it a try when it was first launched, but it didn’t really grab me, so didn’t continue listening. Several seasons went by. And then to trumpet the arrival of Season 4, they did a crossover pair of episodes with Criminal, about some wolves in Yellowstone, and they got me. Season 4, you see, is all about animals, so I’m a half-dozen episodes in so far and really enjoying it. Because animal love stories! So far they haven’t been sneaky bastards with some “the dog dies at the end” twist, fortunately. Whether I’ll stick around for Season 5, who knows.
The Dose
Sort of a sister podcast in shorter form than CBC’s White Coat, Black Art, with the same host. It’s been COVID-centric since March, for obvious reasons, but did launch slightly before the pandemic, so early episodes were about things like aspirin and heart attacks, BMI and what it means and if it’s relevant, etc. I did some skipping over time when I was overdosed on COVID news, but they are broadening coverage again as time goes on, but keeping the topics very up-to-the-minute relevant, like discussing how racism in the healthcare system can affect people and make COVID treatment and outcomes worse.
Over the Road
By and about long-haul trucking (in the US), which may be a dying way of life, we’ll have to see. Hosted by “Long Haul Paul”, who’s been a trucker for several decades, and who is also a folk singer/songwriter (also intermittently featured). The stories are accompanied by a cast of characters, and truckers and those in their world are pretty much all characters. They cover a broad range of topics, like different kinds of trucking and how they’re perceived in the culture; how technology is affecting trucking and what that means short- and long-term; who chooses a career in trucking and why, and how that affects family and the the rest of life, etc. Since Dad drove truck for a bit, I’ve had a glimpse into that world, but it’s really engaging, whether you know anything about it or not. And it’s work that touches all of us, whether we know it or not.
Cool Mules
A six-part special series from Canadaland about ye olden days of Vice Media (around 2015), when coolness and exploitation were the name of the game, which ended up with cocaine smuggling-related convictions for “Slava P” and a bunch of young kids who made some really bad choices and were manipulated by people who shouldn’t be anyone’s role models. Proof that not all criminal masterminds are evil geniuses.
Home Cooking
Global treasure, chef, cookbook writer, columnist, and Netflix star Samin Nosrat and Hrishikesh Hirway (aka Hrishi, broadly talented media dude and most familiar to me as the guy behind the Song Exploder podcast), decided to make a podcast series for folks stuck at home during the pandemic, possibly with a limited pantry, and perhaps forced to cook more than they were used to. There’s a running joke about beans... There are delightful guests and it’s a lot of goofy fun. There are terrible puns, and solid cooking advice that anyone can use. Alas, to date it’s only four episodes, but savour them like a fine meal, my friends.
Permission to Speak
I didn’t think I was going to get into this one, but every episode has managed to bring something that held my interest or got me thinking. Host Samara Bay is a voice coach for everyone from Washington to Hollywood, so her work ranges from teaching accents and dialects to helping women in positions of power (or who want positions of power) to speak up, to helping leaders engage their audiences instead of desiccating them or putting them to sleep with dry speeches. Every episode she has a guest, usually women, from a wide variety of professions and backgrounds, and their discussions cover a lot of ground, but there’s are always useful and engaging nuggets of realization, learning, and things anyone can act on.
Part 11
The Last Archive
This one’s newish and from Pushkin Industries, whence comes favourites like Revisionist History and Broken Record. Professor and historian Jill Lepore tells stories, digs into history and artifacts, and endeavours to answer, “Who killed truth?” And yet, none of that really clearly explains the episodes, which remind me a bit of the Decoder Ring podcast as well. Each episode features a story from the past, some historical episode, tied to some tangible thing that draws us into the largely narrative and context. (These things are from the fictional Last Archive.) If you like the kind of history that ties in weird and wonderfully disparate aspects with unexpected threads right through to the present day, this one’s for you.
Tumanbay
A narrative fiction podcast, now three seasons in, and with some book tie-ins to date with other media in the works. While fictional, it ties to the real history of the Mamluks in Egypt, and some of the world’s very real histories, cultures, religions, etc. The intermittent narrator is a key character in all seasons, and very much an anti-hero with an abiding interest in self-preservation. Game of Thrones fans with a bit of a more Middle Eastern interest would likely enjoy it, though there’s definitely a lot about palace intrigues and sabre rattling and invasions and the like.
My Funeral Home Stories
Grant, the host, is from a family that owns several funeral homes, crematories, and other death-related services. He started working part-time in the family business when he was 13, and while they didn’t immediately throw him into the deep end, he saw and experienced things at an age that would raise a lot of people’s eyebrows, I’d suspect. However, if you’re not squeamish, this is the guy you want to be seated next to at a cocktail party, because he has stories, and some of them are equal parts insane and horrific. Some of his descriptions are really graphic, so it’s definitely not for everyone. He also has sort of a running narrative/stream of consciousness thing going as he recounts what he was thinking during these events, and some of it is funny, dark, and at times weirdly random and unrelated. It tracks as very realistic for the average human in very non-average situations.
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