Curious Cat - where science & supernatural collide

Abigail Kochunas is a trauma-informed reiki specialist, an artist and a published poet, and actor.  She describes herself as having gone from trauma "survivor to thriver." She understands the delicate nature and importance of both trauma recovery and spiritual awakening at a human scale - having the experience of that lived-in experience.

Jesse and I ask her about her gifts, the unique family she was raised in, and how she came to learn that she could talk with animals. Her story, her life, her journey? I hope they inspire YOU to dive headlong into your own beautiful life, dear listener.

AWAKEN. HEAL. EVOLVE. UPLIFT. All of Abigail's links: 

Website & Gallery

Etsy Shop

Substack

USE Listener Discount Code: AIPOD — $25 off a session as a gift from Abigail

Review us on Yelp and Google

IG: @sacredhealing_art

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If you are searching for a fresh, binge-able podcast, this might be the one for you!

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Thanks for listening, reviewing, sharing, and giving support (even just good thoughts) to the show. It keeps me going. <3 Jennifer

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Show Intro

It's about damn time we lightened it up, like fully and completely, Jesse. And I thought what better way than to catch you up with modern slang. Who knows? Maybe it'll make your next barn sale even more fun!

(JH) And Jesse...I'm gonna start REALLY easy. This first batch comes from FOX 5's Tyler Thrasher. Here goes:

"Clanker" is a derogatory term for robots or artificial intelligence. The term originated from the "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" animated series, where it was used as a slur for battle droids, and is now being used again as robots and AI become more prominent in daily life, according to a video of middle schoolers explaining "Clanker" to their teacher, user @mr_lindsay_sped, on TikTok. 

If your middle-school student is used to a Roomba at home cleaning the floors, you may start to hear the word "clanker" being thrown around as if they are having an argument with one another.

"Crashout" means to "throw a fit," "lash out," or have a "meltdown". The term has a new meaning for Gen Alpha, as previous generations used it to mean "go to sleep hard." This one has been around a bit longer than "Clanker," but is likely the most common Gen Alpha slang term you will hear going into this new school year. 

To be honest, at least this one has some usefulness for adults as well. Because doesn't inflation, traffic and the 5 a.m. alarm make us all want to "crashout?"

"67" is from a viral meme associated with the song "Doot Doot (6 7)" by Skrilla. It is also linked to NBA star LaMelo Ball, who is 6'7" tall. It can be used for basketball references, to mean someone is "very tall," or in a comedic context to mean "so-so."

Chopped - No, parents. This isn't a reference to The Food Network. "Chopped," in this context, means "bad," "ruined," "messed up" or of "poor quality."

"Wow, did you see McKynleigh's outfit today? It is chopped." 

SDIYBT - Where do we even begin with this one? Here goes nothing. This is a niche internet acronym with conflicting definitions, including "Start diggin in yo butt twin" from a SpongeBob meme and "Stay driven, inspire yourself, be true." It is an internet acronym blending casual speech and texting culture.

It is more likely the first one they're referencing, if we are being totally honest. 

Meltmaxxing- is a meme where you film yourself appearing to "melt" by letting your face go slack and double-chinned.

The term Opp is a shortened version of "your enemy. 

Aura, an updated version of "vibe," refers to their perceived stylishness and strong presence.

Maxxing, which is a slang term for optimizing one's physical appearance. (which we covered in a past episode)

Skibidi is an oldie but goldie. A nonsensical term used to describe something chaotic or unexpected, often referencing a popular series of online videos.

Alpha Sigma is still a title for an individual who is perceived as a leader, confident, and popular, often used in a humorous or ironic context. (JH) But Sigma alone means kind of B-Tiered person.

Rizz is a term for one's ability to charm or flirt with another person. It is a shortened form of the word "charisma."

And, of course, Ohio, which is often used in a meme to describe something strange, out of place, or chaotic.

(JH) Take a mental break for a moment, Jesse. I found a great article about slang from Florida Today who writes; 

"School has been in session for almost an entire month already. Have your kids or the teachers in your life added any new words to their vocabulary?

Internet slang is already confusing enough; now, it seems like there are enough new words and phrases to create another language, spoken solely between Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Thanks to social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, some of&

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Thanks for listening, reviewing, sharing, and giving support (even just good thoughts) to the show. It keeps me going. <3 Jennifer

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After covering the article about how bad AI is at diagnosing ER patients in a recent Doom Hole, I strong-armed Jesse into dedicating a whole episode to the subject. I hope it serves as a warning, and helps you to inform someone in your sphere to ALWAYS seek a real human being when dealing with health issues, mental OR physical. 

Let's get into it.

(JH) Today on Substack I experienced a first. I was tagged on an AI-related article about a new law proposed in Utah, or maybe it's just an informal agreement at this stage. The agreement is between an AI company out of San Francisco to provide prescription refills for psychiatric medicines. The need, the state says, comes from overworked doctors, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists, and they see the AI bot to be a relief valve.

I have real concerns about chatbots and human bodies. They mix like oil and water, at least at this moment in time. Chatbots, we are told, have black boxes of data training, programming, weighted algorithms, that we cannot know or see or tweak or question. They have proven to be sycophantic, give us what feedback it thinks we seek, and do not catch subtle cues. The human body, the degree-on-the-wall-nurse practitioner or doctor, is genetically predisposed to catch subtle cues. Thousands of years of fight or flight, of surviving DNA because our ancestors caught a subtle hint of trouble or whatever? It pays off when we interact with other human beings. 

In my response to that article, I mentioned Zoloft because it is personal. It can feel like a last-best-lifeline to the patient and when they experience severe side effects, like say, increased suicidal ideation? Scared to have that lifeline yanked away, they may not admit to them. But a human health practitioner? They might see the hesitation and ask a follow up question that could lead to helping the patient find a course of action that is truly lifesaving. A chat bot? Its degree framed on the wall holds a blank piece of paper.

Sources:

Potter Puppet Pals, YouTube

5 Major Disadvantages of AI in Healthcare, Keragon.com

Disadvantages of AI in Healthcare: What CTOs Should Be Aware of, TechMagic.co

Google's healthcare AI made up a body part - what happens when doctors don't notice? The Verge

Man Went to ChatGPT for Health Advice. What He Did Next Led to Poisoning and Psychosis, People Magazine

When Algorithms Fail Medicine: Evidence of AI's Unfulfilled Promises in Healthcare, InfluxMD

Mmm mmm mmm mmm by the Crash Test Dummies - Ger O Donnell & Grainne Hunt Music, YouTube

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If you are searching for a fresh, binge-able podcast, this might be the one for you!

Support the show

Thanks for listening, reviewing, sharing, and giving support (even just good thoughts) to the show. It keeps me going. <3 Jennifer

Buy Curious Cat Podcast a Coffee!

This week Jesse admits that Bezos' rockets live rent-free in his head. We talk about the week's AI headlines. Jenn shares the story of a little local fair where a strange guitarist interacted strangely. 

 Article Links

Better Offline episode

Palantir and Farmland, CNBC

Sasha reporting on old economy and AI now - drop in productivity first

Is the Bezos marriage over? Reading faces...

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If you are searching for a fresh, binge-able podcast, this might be the one for you!

Support the show

Thanks for listening, reviewing, sharing, and giving support (even just good thoughts) to the show. It keeps me going. <3 Jennifer

Buy Curious Cat Podcast a Coffee!

Show Sources

The Whitest Summer, Jennifer Hotes, Substack (good for a few laughs, I hope!)

The women in love with AI companions: 'I vowed to my chatbot that I wouldn't leave him,' Alaina Demopoulos, The Guardian

Love in the Time of A.I. Companions, Anna Weiner, New York Magazine

Send us Fan Mail

If you are searching for a fresh, binge-able podcast, this might be the one for you!

Support the show

Thanks for listening, reviewing, sharing, and giving support (even just good thoughts) to the show. It keeps me going. <3 Jennifer

Buy Curious Cat Podcast a Coffee!

Fan favorite segment, Doom Hole, is back with more AI-related headlines. This week we begin with a feel-good shout out to Sam "The Sky Guy" who did our birth charts, and will be our honored guest in a few weeks. 

Then Jenn shares some GATE research from a deep rabbit hole she's dug for herself.

And finally, Jesse and Jenn get down to the business of headlines. Jesse empties out his bucket of rage as he shares three Amazon.com-related stories from the week.

Here are the story sources if you want to read them at your own pace and give these journalists some love in the form of clicks.

Show Sources

GATE Program - White Rabbit on Substack (if you want to try the Munro hemisync)

The Race to the Shackleton Crater Is On, ARS Technica, Stephen Clarke

Lauren Bezos Sanchez's Happiness Routine Goes Viral for All the Wrong Reasons, Fast Company, Maria Jose Gutierrez Chavez (our new hero!)

Amazon Worker Killed and Workers are Told to Look Away and Keep Working, NewsNation

Sisters song from Holiday Inn, YouTube (so don't sue us!)

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If you are searching for a fresh, binge-able podcast, this might be the one for you!

Support the show

Thanks for listening, reviewing, sharing, and giving support (even just good thoughts) to the show. It keeps me going. <3 Jennifer

Buy Curious Cat Podcast a Coffee!

Today we have TWO special guests that we adore. A married couple, former professional wrestler ”The Golden Greek” Alex Arion & his wife, certified hypnotherapist Monique, attack conventional wisdom and ways of thinking by bringing alternative viewpoints and different subjects to light in an attempt to not only change the thoughts and feelings most people accept as reality, but to obliterate them completely...all while having some fun in the process.

Monique is many things, an intuitive healer, a gardener, a reiki practitioner, an artist that creates orogon pieces, and she is a certified hypnotherapist and her business is called, Innerstandings Hypnosis. Monique is also a talented tarot reader and she and her husband host a show called, The Homewrecker Podcast. They stay on top of current events, and she's here today to help us understand the future of AI, and yes, I'm secretly praying she will see the data centers transformed into community centers in her cards.

Welcome to the show, Monique and Alex!

Find links to support them, listen to their show, book a reading or hypnotherapy session HERE!

Alex and Monique's Podcast, The Homewrecker Podcast

Innerstandings Hypnosis

BUY Monique's orgonite or candles HERE

Send us Fan Mail

If you are searching for a fresh, binge-able podcast, this might be the one for you!

Support the show

Thanks for listening, reviewing, sharing, and giving support (even just good thoughts) to the show. It keeps me going. <3 Jennifer

Buy Curious Cat Podcast a Coffee!

Jesse and Jenn veer way off the tracks before they even broach the first headline. We meander into the club life of the 80s, Jesse sings Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and Jenn shares about the time she got smacked with a wooden ruler because she was dancing too close with her date at a Mormon function.

Then we dive into the week’s headlines which include Microsoft’s CoPilot and a weird opportunity from Sony.

Links to explore further...

Send a voicemail to the show HERE! (you may be featured in an upcoming episode)

Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Creepy 80s Eternity ad, YouTube

MicroSLOP, Futurism, Victor Tangermann

Ringo Starr makes art with Paintshop Pro

Sony Contest to make yourself a temporary star on a future game without making all that inconvenient money and actual fame

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If you are searching for a fresh, binge-able podcast, this might be the one for you!

Support the show

Thanks for listening, reviewing, sharing, and giving support (even just good thoughts) to the show. It keeps me going. <3 Jennifer

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Natalie Fehlner is the producer and host of the podcast, Tales from the Truth Seekers. Her moment of waking up came on the heels of reading Eckhart Tolle's, The Power of Now. After an attempt to meditate that changed the trajectory of her life, she is a unique voice in the spiritual space. Adding humor and inspiration and nonjudgement, while making space for the stories of others, you're sure to fall in love with her work and art!

This conversation includes:

Natalie's backstory and the creation of her podcast, Tales from the Truth Seekers

The importance of discomfort

Making room for voices that are out of our comfort zone

Hiking a trail, seeing a memorial, and remembering crossing over a murderer

Ego Inflation

The Vow series on HBO

Journalist, Be Scofield (apologies for saying Bo - it is BE!) and her important work with cults

Anthony Miller and his work with an intelligence contractor

And much, much more...

Show Links:

[email protected] | SidheART.com

Etsy Shop | Substack Newsletter

Tales from the Truth Seekers Podcast

@sidhe.channelled.art

Be Scofield

Tales from the Truth Seekers episode with Anthony Miller

The Vow series

All things Rachel White

Send us Fan Mail

If you are searching for a fresh, binge-able podcast, this might be the one for you!

Support the show

Thanks for listening, reviewing, sharing, and giving support (even just good thoughts) to the show. It keeps me going. <3 Jennifer

Buy Curious Cat Podcast a Coffee!

Jesse and Jenn work through this week's AI headlines. Yes, they can trigger stress and anxiety, but we find ways to laugh and enjoy being human, even in these modern times. It might be the ultimate way to rebel!

Here are the story links:

New York Times freelance book reviewer fired for using AI that stole from The Guardian

Bluesky users outright reject AI app ATTIE, MSN

SoftBank takes out a loan to invest in OpenAI, Yahoo News

Scarecrow surveillance are popping up everywhere, KTLA News

Hey you, Flock cameras! Use Deflock.me to tell them to flock off! from Substack

Send us Fan Mail

If you are searching for a fresh, binge-able podcast, this might be the one for you!

Support the show

Thanks for listening, reviewing, sharing, and giving support (even just good thoughts) to the show. It keeps me going. <3 Jennifer

Buy Curious Cat Podcast a Coffee!