The Swiss sure do know how to run a tight ship! Julia and Lauren meet up for their annual Eurovision debrief. Listen to the highs, lows, and very best part of the whole Grand Final... ! Who would have gotten your douze points this year?

Some links we mentioned:

Hi all! No, we don't have a new Miss Info for you all (so sorry), but we do have a new project from Lauren and our podcast brother Neal from Triviality. It's called Curated by Chance and each episode, Lauren and Neal harness the power of a randomizing algorithm named Chance to generate unique prompts that drive their discussions.  From exploring the unexpected intersections between film and visual art to dissecting the curious ways randomness shapes artistic expression, this dynamic duo invites listeners to ponder the influence of chance in the creative process.

We hope that you enjoy this fun new podcast!

Hello! Bonjour! Hej! (You didn't think we'd just let a Eurovision pass without recording our thoughts about it, right?) Join Julia and Lauren for a recap of this year's Eurovision Song Contest 2024 hosted in Malmö, Sweden. (Big shout out to Baby Lasagna and Croatia's best-ever result at Eurovision--Čestitamo!) Later, take a quiz called "Breaking the Code."

P.S. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for some fun news on the horizon!

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[Music: 1) Frau Holle, “Ascending Souls,” 2017. Courtesy of Frau Holle, CC BY-NC 3.0 license. 2) Xylo-Ziko, "Code," 2022. Courtesy of Xylo-Ziko, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.]

It's the most wonderful tiiiiime of the yeeeeear! We take a break from our hiatus to bring you our annual recap of the Eurovision Song Contest. Julia and Lauren have Some Thoughts about this year's entrants, and we hope you do too. Later, enjoy some questions from "I Wrote a Quiz (Postcards from the Edge)."

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[Music: 1) Frau Holle, “Ascending Souls,” 2017. Courtesy of Frau Holle, CC BY-NC 3.0 license.]

For our season 2 finale, please join us on a sequel to everyone's favorite multisensory podcast experience: CHEESEALONG, Part Deux!

To eat along with us as you learn, you will want to procure: Gjetost, Roquefort, smoked (or unsmoked) pepper jack, and Parmigiano Reggiano. [We also recommend some fresh or dried fruit, jam, crackers, and nuts to round out your cheese plate.] We're going on a sweet, salty, spicy, umami journey today.

Later, your hosts squeeze in some other trivia topics they intended to cover this season [... but didn't]. Thank you so much to our lovely listeners and supporters for the last five (!) years, and all the best for a wonderful 2023 from Lauren and Julia!

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[Music: 1) Frau Holle, “Ascending Souls,” 2017. Courtesy of Frau Holle, CC BY-NC 3.0 license.]

Today, learn all about an accomplished female Mexican surrealist (--no, not that one). In this episode, Lauren paints a portrait of Remedios Varo, and later, gives us a quiz about artist’s biopics!

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[Music: 1) Meydän, "Surreal Forest," 2018. Courtesy of Meydän, CC BY 4.0 license; 2) Frau Holle, “Ascending Souls,” 2017. Courtesy of Frau Holle, CC BY-NC 3.0 license.]

What was your first job at age 16? Was it... A) bagging groceries, B) making pizzas, C) babysitting, or D) driving an automobile (that you would repair yourself when it broke down) across five continents while filming your journey for travelogue movies? This episode, Julia shines a headlight on the incredible Aloha Wanderwell, "the world's most traveled girl." Later, take a quiz called "Baby, You Can Drive My Car!"

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[Music: 1) Springtide, "Driving A Blue Car," 2021. Courtesy of Springtide, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. 2) Frau Holle, “Ascending Souls,” 2017. Courtesy of Frau Holle, CC BY-NC 3.0 license.]

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Check out the dedicated website, run by her grandson, here: https://www.alohawanderwell.com/

Haven’t you ever just wanted to shut yourself away with all of your books and collectibles and piles of newspapers and old food...? Well, today’s episode is for you! Lauren walks us through the weird and wild world of a few infamous "urban hermits." Later, take a quiz on some other famous eccentrics!

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[Music: 1) HoliznaCC0, "Recluse," 2022. Courtesy of HoliznaCC0; 02) Frau Holle, “Ascending Souls,” 2017. Courtesy of Frau Holle, CC BY-NC 3.0 license.]

Are you smarter than the av-ah-ridge bear? Don't touch that dial-- Julia tells the animated tale of Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. and sketches out some original Hanna-Barbera Characters You Should Know. Later, take a quiz called "Spin to Win!"

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[Music: 1) Chase Alan Willis, "Cartoon Faced," 2016. Courtesy of Chase Alan Willis, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license; 2) Frau Holle, “Ascending Souls,” 2017. Courtesy of Frau Holle, CC BY-NC 3.0 license.]

You may have read some (or all!) of her books, but what's the deal with the famous teenage sleuth, Nancy Drew? Learn all about her on today's episode -- and later, take a quiz about famous fictional teens!

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[Music: 1) The Crypts!, "Teenager," 2016. Courtesy of The Crypts!, CC BY 4.0 license; 2) Frau Holle, “Ascending Souls,” 2017. Courtesy of Frau Holle, CC BY-NC 3.0 license.]