Shed Dogs

Nancy of New West teams up via Listener Mail with RJ to settle once and for all what a saucepan actually is. That’s just one of several very satisfying emails we get to read here, and the mail leads to an even more satisfying kayaking travelogue shared by Ogre of Nelson. Since all that exercise left us mentally razor sharp, KJ puts the other two Dogs to a stern test and kicks off his new Short Snappers feature. Finally, RJ presents us all with The Best Graphic Explanation of Internal Combustion Engines Ever. Warm and aromatic, yet explosive and powerful, this episode has it all!Links: Shed Dogs; Hypodermic needle sizes; Ogre’s travelogue (a must watch!); Marsh Rat’s channel; spectacular animations (and description) of the internal combustion engine.Theme music by Voodoo Jazz!Fact Check: A Wizard, A True Star clocks in at around 56 minutes, not 48 as RJ suggested.

Normally when we say “greatest idea ever” it’s an ironic setup to a laugh at a silly idea. NOT THIS TIME. KJ has suggested something genuinely exciting, seriously, and here it is: If there’s someone you know whose life story or reminiscences you’d love to capture, we can help. We thought mainly of elderly parents or relatives, but who knows? We’d do a video or audio interview, do a basic edit, and then send it to you. We wouldn’t publish it as an episode unless that was something you (and the subject) wanted. Listen to the episode for more about how we imagine this working. Also listen for great listener mail , RJ’s psychic skepticism, and a rousing walkthrough of “9 to 5”, which none of the Dogs have seen. And get in touch if you would like us to talk to a loved one about their lives.LInks: Shed Dogs; how psychics work; James Randi; Peter Reveen; buy low, sell high; 9 to 5 (the movie).Theme music by Voodoo Jazz!

Friend of the show (and Chief Fact Checker) Leigh of Courtenay joins the Dogs this episode as we take a tour through a truly different Oscars show, provide deep coverage on the difference between pots and pans, and revisit The Crown. Fortified by our success with those topics, we move on to looking at just what are Non Fungible Tokens, and then pretend we understand crypto currencies like BitCoin and Dogecoin. Finally, as a palate cleansing delight, we deal with joy, outrage, and comedy as we go through some terrific listener mail. Real and surreal content is here in a dizzying mix of edification and confusion, so take a pre-emptive Advil and have a listen! Don’t ever funge, man.Links: Shed Dogs; the 2021 Oscars; Youn Yuh-Jung’s speech for Minari; The Crown; the definitive take on pots and pans; how to make salmon bacon (scroll way down for the simple recipe); NFTs and Beeple; the effect of crypto-currency and blockchain on the environment; Keanu Reeves and What We Consider ‘Good Acting’; the Nicest Man Alive.Theme music by Voodoo Jazz!

Most widely known for her 2018 run at becoming Mayor of Vancouver, KJ’s family friend Shauna Sylvester is an award-winning thinker and social analyst. She shares with us her inspiring and insightful thoughts on poverty, the housing crisis, what leadership is and is not, which local leaders are making a difference, and much more. If you’ve ever wanted to clarify your thoughts on what kind of leaders you want or the kinds of things we can do to improve our collective lot, this is your episode. Take some time with it. Watch the video. Talk to your friends and loved ones. It’s worth it.Links: Shed Dogs; the YouTube version of this episode is about 15 minutes longer and includes a bit more about the McNulty / Sylvester family associations; Shauna’s role at SFU; the SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue; the Burnaby Mayor’s Task Force on Community Housing; Shauna’s campaign policies in the 2018 Vancouver municipal election; BC’s COVID politicians; the Downtown East Side; Shauna is interviewed about democracy in Canada; Studio 58 at Langara.Theme music by Voodoo Jazz!