Don't Get Me Started

Improviser Brian Hines (yes, related to co-host Will) talks about the concept of "Bands That Do Their Job." Meaning bands like Journey, who consistently crank out hits and yet would make you laugh if someone named them as their favorite band. We debate who is in and who is out of this admittedly meaningless list. Also, Will talks about muckraker Ida Tarbell and Anthony gets into the movie Swiss Army Man.

Actor/comedian Marcy Jarreau joins us to discuss her obsession with The Paranormal. Poltergeists, haunted houses, ESP, psychics and lots more including cool terms you haven't heard of it. In an inadvertent showdown of "who has the worst minor obsession" Will talks about poaching eggs and Anthony discusses the feeling you get when you using a toilet not at your home and it's about to overflow. They also talk about the web site their mutual friend Beth Newell's brilliant web site Reductress for a while.

Actors/comedians Nina Concepcion and Beth Lepley bravely discuss their passionate history with fan fiction. Newsies, Harry Potter, Stand By Me, One Tree Hill: all these universes and more were explored, written about and dissected by members of the web site fanfiction.net. Beth discusses what types of stories she would review positively, and Nina reads some of her many many contributions. Will inspiringly discusses different formats of eBooks while Anthony plays some bluegrass versions of pop songs.

Comedian/writer Nick Mandernach returns to discuss American poet Walt Whitman! We get into how Whitman's progressiveness, his naturalistic tone, his breaking from the formality of other poets of his era, his celebration of sex and the human body, and of New York City. Was Walt Whitman the real prequel to "Broad City?" We say YES. Also, Will discusses "Woman Rebel," the graphic novel biography of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger. Anthony discusses the iPhone game Clash Royale.

Comedy writer Mark Rennie joins us to discuss the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls. A much-loved, much-revered show gets DISCUSSED. What made it so good? What are some of the stand-out episodes? Who was that guy in the first episode that never got mentioned again? We go over all this an OTHER TOPICS LIKE THIS! Also, Will talks about the getting-sober autobiography Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp, and Anthony discusses the William Finn musical In Trousers.

Actor/writer Matt Newell talks to us about The Sandman, DC's long-running fantasy/horror-ish comic book by Neil Gaiman. We get into the amazing high quality and quantity of stories covered in its run, and the many literary figures who casually saunter through and how it changed from its beginning as a horror comic. Also, Will discusses the Museum of Jurassic Technology and Anthony raves about the Shane Black movie "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang."

Actor/comedian Sarah Claspell talks to us about the band Barenaked Ladies! She explains how they're funny, and great musicians, and often the creator of heartbreakers as well as bootyshakers, and that they are much more than their biggest U.S. hit "One Week," which we (thankfully, according to co-host Will) do not play! Also: Anthony discusses the Raymond Chandler novel "The Big Sleep" and Will talks about fixing his toilet.

We talk to Kevin Porter, comedian and co-host of the Gilmore Guys podcast, about his obsession with musician/rock icon/self-appointed voice of the working class Bruce Springsteen. Kevin goes for the deep cuts and we hear them. Rare live versions, mash-ups that Kevin made himself and more. We also get into what it is that make Bruce appealing. And we talk briefly to Anthony about why he doesn't really connect with the songs. Also, Will talks about how America's second president John Adams does not get enough love for refusing to ever own slaves, and Anthony talks about his adventures making the liqueur nocino.

We talk to comedian and impressively-proficient-for-an-amateur physicist Alex Berg about the recent conformation of gravitational waves! Wait, what are they? Why is it a big deal? How nerdy did the scientists sound when they excitedly announced it? We talk about all this! Also, Will discusses common strategies for seating airline passengers and Anthony plays clips from an amazing local news radio show from the Columbia River valley.

We talk to comedian/actor/writer Mary Holland about the reality show Survivor! We talk about why it's so compelling, how it's outlasted so many other types of shows, the human drama it displays, the smart ways to play the game and the skills of host Jeff Probst. Also, Will talks about Beethoven's 3rd symphony (The "Herorica") and Anthony talks about the book The Comedians by Kliph Nesteroff.