In an episode years in the making, we finally tackle the question of what prison abolition is and whether it would actually work, with the help of "The Leftist Lawyer" Sheryl Weikal! But first, Corrigan tells the true story behind the legend of John Henry and how it ties into the modern prison industrial complex.

[0:00] Corrigan tells Marko and Sheryl the true history behind the legend of John Henry
[39:52] We learn about Sheryl's work as a Pay-What-You-Can lawyer and talk about prison abolition

Boffin Eileen is back! This time she's perfectly adequately (read: AMAZINGLY) answering Marko's burning questions about what the nukes can do to us, and addressing Corrigan's skepticism about regulating our nervous systems! Plus, an impromptu tribute to Catherine O'Hara.

[0:00] Eileen talks about the truly horrific effects of radiation sickness
[58:40] Eileen explores how much we can regulate our own nervous systems, and what it really means to be "dysregulated"

1. Harry Daghlian - Nuclear Museum

2. May 21, 1946: Louis Slotin Becomes Second Victim of “Demon Core” | American Physical Society              

3. Scientist of the Day - Harry Daghlian

4. How a careless slip killed a physicist

5. The Slotin Accident: Inside the Archives – Los Alamos Historical Society

6. Medical Studies of the Demon Core Victims

7. The Los Alamos Accident, 1958

8. The Cecil Kelley Criticality Accident9. https://www.epa.gov/radiation/radiation-health-effects

A miscommunication leads to us having to wing this episode, and it sure goes all over the place! Corrigan revisits the claims of the Killer in the Code podcast, Marko discusses nuclear war, and we preview the next two REALLY COOL episodes we've got coming.

[0:00] Corrigan gives an update on the Killer in the Code podcast
[32:08] CoRri was a pukey child and we discuss pukey Garbage Pail Kids,
[41:50] We preview some incredible episodes we have coming up the next two weeks!
[58:28] What we watched: Feast, Man Bites Dog, Taxi Driver, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Train Dreams

The snow in New Jersey this weekend is magical... so Corrigan brings the mood down by talking about a field trip that turned deadly during a blizzard on Oregon's Mt. Hood.

[0:00] Corrigan tells Marko about an ill-fated field trip to Oregon's Mt. Hood
[53:34] We talk like youth pastors, discuss this week's current events
[01:08:40] Book club things and don't forget to mark the weekend of August 8th on your calendar for the UK meetup!
[01:21:00] What we watched! (A House of Dynamite, Chain Reactions, A Hole in the Head, The Rip, Beast of War, Phantom of the Paradise)

Hard to believe it's only the 10th of January after the week the U.S. has had. We have a talk about it, but not before Marko talks about a people who revere death, we discuss death in kids' media, and we dig into whether there's a conspiracy to make people scared of normal weather in the U.K.

[0:00] Marko tells Corrigan about the Toraja people of Indonesia, who have an intimate relationship with death
[29:57] Mark thinks the UK media is making everyone freak out about the weather, which leads to a discussion of the attention economy and studies on what short form video is doing to our brains, and questions about why the Daily Mail has it out for deadly Asian hornets
[54:30] Marko tries to understand American field sobriety tests
[01:05:40] What we watched: Poltergeist, Man Finds Tape, 9-1-1, Aliens, Predator: Badlands
[01:33:35] What the fuck is going on in the U.S.?

Why not start out the year inspired? This week Corrigan tells Marko the story of Hannie Schaft and the Oversteegen Sisters, teenage badasses who seduced and killed Nazis. Plus, for good measure, we answer some burning listener questions!

[0:00] Corrigan tells Marko the story of Hannie Schaft and Truus and Freddie Oversteegen
[39:50] Momentous occasions in what we watched! (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Greener Grass, Gremlins, Anaconda (2024), Fantastic Planet
[01:10:06] Answering listener questions!

On our last JoAG of 2025, Marko explains the corporate playbook for profiting off stuff they know is bad for us, Corrigan sees a volcano, and we discuss the credibility of the recent revelations that the Zodiac and Black Dahlia murders may have been committed by the same guy!

[0:00] Marko tells Corrigan the corporate playbook for profiting from our misery and poor health
[51:30] We chat about practical effects and learn some Marko marriage lore, and Corrigan saw a volcano erupt
[01:09:54] What we watched: Keeper, The Running Man, They Live, The Void, Scrooged, Shaun of the Dead
[01:41:45] Have the Black Dahlia and Zodiac killings been solved??

To close out our vacation episodes, we're sharing this month's episode of the JoAG Fancave, normally available exclusively on our Ko-Fi. But first! Marko is soliciting your questions for a JoAG AMA!

This month’s film was 2020’s The Wolf Snow Hollow written, directed and starring Jim Cummings and before you ask, no, not the voice of Winnie the Pooh Jim Cummings. The other one. The movie follows the small town police force of Snow Hollow as they are hit with a slew of super violent murders that come with a lot of blood and a lot of missing body parts. 

[0:00] Marko solicits your questions
[01:47] We unpack Death by Lightning on Netflix and the Apple podcast Unicorn Girl
[44:00] We talk about The Wolf of Snow Hollow and a brief history of lyncanthropy

Corrigan is in Hawaii surrounded by screaming roosters, barking dogs, and coqui frogs 24 hours a day, so here's a lil' sample of JoAG Radio, which you can find on our Ko-Fi page! It's a series of stripped down JoAG tales with no crosstalk. Just the facts. In this episode, Corrigan talks about the girls who lost their lives making watch faces in New Jersey, and the real story of Kitty Genovese, whose death inspired the myth of the Bystander Effect.

This time of year we always have a ramble episode or two, so here's one! After Corrigan explains why she can't tell Marko about the Portuguese Inquisition and instead tells him the strange story of the maybe-kidnapping of the founder of the Four Square denomination, we unleash a stream of consciousness episode about nothing and everything.

[0:00] Corrigan tells Marko about early megachurch pastor Aimee Semple-McPherson, who may or may not have been kidnapped off Venice Beach
[44:30] We wonder if there's a proletarian cure for enshittification and media consolidation
[01:03:15] What we watched: Pluribus, 9-1-1, Bugonia, Daddy's Head, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, The Thing
[01:29:20] Corrigan has questions for everyone, including "does your esophagus make that sound?" and "did British people take out their teeth in the '70s?"