Encyclopedia Brunch

Encyclopedia Brunch

By Kathryn Cogert and Tim DobbsSociety & Culture
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Encyclopedia Brunch episodes

  • Broccoli

    We're bringing in the new year with Broccoli.  Listen up now, it's good for you and will make you big and strong some day.  

    • I had never heard of Andy Boy Broccoli

    Music by: | BLAMMOS |

    0 min
  • A Very Sanrio Christmas

    It's christmas, and we're sick of it! So we took a week off to talk about everything else, but most notably, Hello Kitty.  We'll be back before the end of the year, pinky swear.

    Music by: | BLAMMOS |

    0 min
  • Neti Pots

    This week we talk about neti pots, which are like tea pots, except you use them to pour water up your nose. So a little different.


    Anyway, why would anyone pour water up their nose? Is it safe? Does it feel weird? All of these questions and more are answered on this week's show!

    Music by: | BLAMMOS |

    0 min
  • Industry Conferences

    This week, we put on our lady pant suits and settle in to enjoy our complimentary continental breakfast as we discuss Industry Conferences.  Why should you care enough to listen?  You'll have to listen to find out.  Catch 22.

    Music by: | BLAMMOS |

    0 min
  • Artificial Neural Networks

    This week we break down artificial neural networks. This field of study has two of our favorite things: systems that aren't as complicated as they pretend to be, and diagrams with lots of circles and arrows!


    Other important topics discussed:

    • A Hall & Oates & Ke$ha supergroup
    • Are neti pots a must or a must-not?
    • The inanity of childhood taunts

    Music by: | BLAMMOS |

    0 min
  • Stock Photos

    This week we push ourselves to the limits of excitement talking about stock photos! Our main focus is on our vote for the worst stock photo ever, shown above (or, if you're reading this in a feed reader, shown on the blog).


    Also popping in this week is the estimable writer and comedian, Kevin Lee! He was once in a stock photo - a stock photo in which he got to burst through a wall with a pizza box, no less!



    Fig 1. Kevin Lee's Stock Photo

    • Can you top the world's worst stock photo? There's nothing we'd more love to see than a vastly improved recreation of this awful awful photo. Do it and send us an email!
    • Did you hear about the University of Wisconsin photoshopping a black person into a college application booklet to look more diverse? It turns out this is a real thing that happened, and not just an Onion article!
    • Kevin Lee is part of The Sunday Service. Their podcast is a lot of fun!
    • The episode of Stop Podcasting Yourself on which Kevin Lee's stock photo is made mention
    • Captain Planet, whose team is very diverse
    • Some stock photos of women laughing alone with salad

    Music by: | BLAMMOS |

    0 min
  • Hedgehogs

    This week, we're talking about Hedgehogs, and with good reason.  Why are we compelled to keep pets that can hurt us?  Why must we love as much as we do?  We don't have an answer, but we have a podcast.

    IT'S HERE!

    The totally-100%-non-biased graph as promised that finally, once and for all establishes without a shadow of a doubt, what is quantitatively the best pet!




    By the way, we know you disagree.  We'd love to know how exactly.  Facebook, e-mail, twitter, there's so many ways to tell us we're wrong.  If you're curious, here's how we came up numbers.  Companionship was averaged from a pretty small survery with 0 being the least emotionally available and 10 being the most.  Functionality was based off of how many tasks the pet can perform for you (guiding, herding, fiber, etc.) that will not lead to the pet's premature death (i.e. fighting, meat).  Finally, maintenance is based off of boarding/mat'l costs we found online.  Argue away gang!

    Music by: | BLAMMOS |

    0 min
  • IKEA

    This week is all about IKEA, the furniture megastore / unstoppable lifestyle machine.


    More broadly, we talk about consumer culture versus individual expression, and also funny Swedish names.

    •  IKEA Hacks Website

    Music by: | Symfoniorkestern | BLAMMOS |

    0 min
  • RealAudio

      So we tried to sit down to have a real strategic discussion about the direction of the podcast.  Turns out, we couldn't hold it together long enough.  We just had to discuss the long term impact that RealAudio had on our lives.
    • For your cultural reference, Hansen's MmmBop
    • Did you know Hootie and the Blowfish are still performing?
    • Some notable radio stations
      • WHIZ news
      • KWIZ (Sondido 96.7!)
      • and finally, the much beloved KUOW here in Seattle.
      • But really, are any radio stations notable these days? 
      • Snakepocalypse are Kathryn and Tim's increasingly less theoretical death metal band.  Not to be confused with the Snakepocalypse twitter account, giving you the latest on the upcoming snake-themed end of humanity.
      • There is a surprisingly limited number of biodomes on the internet.  
      • But, Pitbull in fact does have his own album.  Three in fact!
        • More importantly, did you know Pitbull recently did a concert in Kodiak, Alaska?

      Music by: | BLAMMOS |

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    • Halloween and Costume Parties

      Halloween Special! This week we talk about Halloween's historical and possible future place in the holiday pantheon, the legitimacy of costume parties, and trick-or-treating's origin in begging, which it pretty much still is.

      Music by: | BLAMMOS |

      0 min