SHHH: The Poopcast (aka S**t and Shame with Shawn)

Passion or paycheck, profession or play, beauty or the butt? We tackle the art world's opposing objectives to redeem or exploit our excrement, the politics of status (and Brad Pitt's pet rat), the importance of whimsy, and how every poo has a story to tell. Join Shawn Shafner (The Puru) in conversation with Dan Roberts from the National Poo Museum on the Isle of Wight, just south of London. Imagine a room full of polished crystal balls lit beautifully from below, and inside each floats a delicate turd. Created by the Eccleston George art collective, Dan charts the museum's journey from the Swedish elk pat that started it all, to the BBC reporter who made it legit by harvesting meerkat scat on TV. An odd collection of crystal-balled caca becomes so much more by reminding us that anything--no really, anything--may just be possible after all.

Also mentioned in this episode:

NYU Tisch, An Inconvenient Poop, Nigel George, Sweden, shameful shitter, chronic constipation, starving artist, cognitive dissonance, taboo, shock, death, mummies, community-based sculpture, tricycle, Portugal, Mary Overlie, Viewpoints, Anne Bogart, original anarchist, doing the unnecessary, impulse, New School, Anthropology, judgment, Flux, tattoos, risk-averse, social contamination, sociology, anthropology, Roland Barthes, William Ian Miller, Anatomy of Disgust, Karen Finley, queen of dung, resin, social release, matter out of place, Victorian era, diapers, incontinence, International Women's Day, international sanitation crisis, menstruation, Delhi, open defecation, zoo, sharing economy, bird pellet, cloaca, uric acid, microbiome, co-evolution, Scientific American, data manipulation, pigeon poo, Nitrates, stoma, stigma, Marcel Duchamp, fountain, Sigmund Freud, Paul Spinrad, Re:Search Guide to Bodily Fluids, nose picking, IBS, Crohn's, fecal transplant, transgender access, library

In this Dinosaur-sized episode, Shawn Shafner (The Puru) joins paleontologist Carl Mehling for a deep dive into fossilized dung (called "coprolites"), the scientific method, and why truth is often controlled by the storytellers. Wanna borrow a bone from the American Museum of Natural History? Carl's your man. We'll go behind the scenes at the museum to understand how scientists study and share prehistoric resources, get the inside scoop on how fossils are formed, and learn what they reveal about the past, present and future. You'll also get Carl's tips for foraging wild food, loving your bacteria, and moving through knee-jerk resistance to open the door for wisdom. So settle into your teeny-tiny corner of the ever-expanding universe, grab a shovel, and let's get digging!

Also mentioned in this podcast:

Senior Scientific Assistant, Vertebrate Fossil Amphibians, Reptiles, and Birds, Horatio Alger, Dinos After Dark, public liaison, methodology, Annie Levy, Higgs-Boson, order, chaos, research, guts, poop, microbiome, ecosystem, germs, Jessica Richman, uBiome, Mierle Ukeles, Queens Museum, sanitation, crocodile, turtle, mastodon, 3D scan, fermentation, bacteria, fecal transplant, Clostridium dificile, C. diff, Peterson Guide to Edible Wild Plants, urine, Steve Brill, hoshigaki, Central Park, Prospect Park, Staten Island, cololite, hematite, colon, preservation, Scipionyx, La Brea tar pits, Ice Age, Doomsday Clock, b'tzelem elohim, Judaism, Zen Buddhism, Neanderthals, colonialism, hominids, bias, Leonardo da Vinci, inclusion, carnivore, herbivore, wombat, dung beetle, Tyrannosaurus Rex, T-Rex, anus, Permian, dicynodont, mammal latrine, ghost shrimp, whale, wastewater treatment, Phosphorous, Nitrogen, Triceratops, Jurassic Park, matrix, gut flora, Moa, protozoan cysts, Cretaceous, meteorite, paleobotany, petrified wood, silica, Buddha, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, poudrette, musk, ambergris, perfume, coprophage, caddis fly, eyelash mite, arthropod, parasite, commensal, symbiont, coprophis, #ResistTheEww

In this fast-paced hour, Shawn Shafner (The Puru) sits down with water and wastewater governance expert Raul Pacheco-Vega for a discussion that leapfrogs from the culture of flushing and bottled water, to the politics of poverty and what it means to pick trash for a living. Remember that kid who took their ball and went home when they didn't get their way? Little Raul wanted to know how to keep the game going. Two Masters degrees, one PhD (with a double major in political science and human geography), and 15,848 Twitter followers later, Raul is one of the world's foremost experts on sharing. He takes a holistic approach to studying how and why people, communities and governments do or don't cooperate, and the tension caused by our competing desires to both shun the stranger and work together. You'll also find out Raul's number one secret for being productive, how he "obviously" drank sewer water, and why fear may be the worst advisor of all.

Also mentioned in this podcast:

Assistant Professor, Public Administration Division of the Centre for Economic Research and Teaching, CIDE (Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Economicas, CIDE, AC), Aguascalientes, Mexico, Political Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, Human Geography, Chemical Engineer, closed system of recirculation, solution to pollution is dilution, EPA, Jamie Benidickson, University of Ottawa, Barbara Penner, Bathroom, Elinor and Vincent Ostrom, Common Pool Resources (CPR), Nobel prize, public policy, recycling, queer identities, dignity of a toilet, India, Donald Trump, Jurassic Park, Cristina Guggeri, Sarah Jewitt, geographies of shit, waste categories and continuums, valuable vs nonvaluable, production vs excretion, bio-political undertones, Daniel Gerling, Cuba, Mao Zedong, hazardous waste, landfill, NIMBY, informal settlement, slum, negative commons, single stream recycling, compassion, open defecation, Joshua Reno, health, human right to water, Jack Sim, World Toilet Day, Institutional Analysis and Development Framework, Social Ecological Systems Framework, Urine Diversion Summit, Rich Earth Summit, Lillian Volat, cewas Middle East, Syria, Palestine, Bill Gates, omni-processor, social media

In 2005, Professor Olga Gershenson sent out a call for academic papers on public toilets--"the holy of holy for nerds." Ladies and Gents: Public Toilets and Gender, the book that resulted, virtually created the toilet studies field. But along with the nerds, geeks and dweebs who answered the call came bigots who slandered the premise and Gershenson personally via internet, mail and fax machine (remember 2005?). In this hour, Shawn Shafner (The Puru) chats with Gershenson about this experience and her work documenting Restroom Revolution, a student group on the UMass Amherst Campus fighting for transgender-friendly unisex bathrooms in 2001. We'll break down how this incident was a bellwether of things to come, why unisex restrooms would make all our lives better, and what you can do to help usher in a new era of life, liberty, and single stalls for all.

Also mentioned: Cultural Studies, discourse analyst, alt-right, kulturkampf, academic policing, homophobia, glory hole, university politics, Bridgewater State University, University of Massachusetts UMass Amherst, Restroom Revolution, Transparent, Jill Soloway, Jeffrey Tambor, bathroom, Harvey Molotch, Laura Noren, campus, unisex, gender neutral, gender non-conforming, buddhist mantra, Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Erving Goffman, backstage, urinal, potty parity, civil rights, disability, bladder, plumbing code, glass ceiling, Simone de Beauvoir, Manneken Pis, Standing Up, Alexander Kira, Reginald Reynolds, Donald Trump

What do you call a woman who's not at home, and needs a private place to pee? A "public woman," or "prostitute." At least that's what London's men thought at the turn of the 20th Century. How far have we come? This World Toilet Day (Nov 19), Shawn "The Puru" Shafner talks with Barbara Penner, pedigreed architectural history expert*, feminist, and prolific toilet academic. Wanna know more about that space we call Bathroom? She literally wrote the book, along with many others. From Victorian women who peed covertly in church pews, to the tinkle sprinkle left on the toilet seat, join us for a wide-reaching conversation that unpacks the politics of who gets to pee, and where. Then stop chipping away at the glass ceiling, and turn your hammer to the urinal.

*"Senior Lecturer in Architectural History at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London"

Also mentioned: UCL, Le Corbusier, built environment, Social justice, Accessibility, Women's rights, Gender rights, Olga Gershenson, Ladies and Gents: Public Toilets and Gender, bladder, Christina Irene, adult diapers, Canada, UK, Niagara Falls, Athens, cistern, Beatriz Colomina, Sexuality and Space, Camden Town, George Bernard Shaw, public baths, New York City, NYC, transgender access, class, Louis Bourdaloue, muff, menstruation, MHM, work, George Waring, privacy, Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, potty training, taboo, Alexander Kira, infrastructure systems, Cornell University, Center for Housing and Environmental Studies, American Standard, NYU, Laura Noren, Harvey Molotch, unisex

Faster than a speeding bowel! More powerful than a laxative! Able to leap small-minded men in a single bound! In this episode, Shawn Shafner (The Puru) sits down with real-life Superwoman Christina Irene: writer, trainer, stand-up comedian, and a powerful advocate for women's empowerment and those with invisible disabilities. Did I mention that she also has IBS, suffered laxative dependence while on tour, helped grandma shop for colostomy bag accessories, AND sits on the board of her local Sewer Authority? Yeah. That, too. Join in for a truly super-sized conversation covering everything from identity politics to Brazilian bidets, and why the secret to happiness just might be coming out of whatever closets we're in.

Also mentioned: American standard, industrial musicals, my bathroom, strawberry blonde, happiness advocate, speaker, Benjamin Jaeger Thomas, skateboard, entrepreneur, APCA, Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities, bad marriage, chauvinism, Lisa Lewis, Schooled, squatty potty, selling out, product placement, sexuality, showcase, taboo, Sikh, Navpreet Sachdev, immigration, slam poetry, national coming out day, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, degenerative disc disease, arthritis, self-censor, compassion, stigma, menstruation, world toilet day, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's, vilification, disgust, bloating, gas, constipation, bulimia, anal douching, enemas, colonic, Janet Jackson, stoma, urostomy, Girls with Guts, paruresis, shy bladder, Rand McNally road atlas, nursing home smell, Walmart, Backyardigans, Susquehanna river, Clean Water Act, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, exchange credits, planning commission, MS4, stormwater authority, flushable wipes

This past August, Shawn Shafner traveled to Brattleboro, VT to join Urine Diversion Summit 2016—a conference brimming with pee-ple making waves over how we "make water." While The Puru didn't want to disrupt the flow, he was able to divert a few participants away from micturation and into the microphone for some short interviews. Thus: The Lil' Tinklers.

In Part 2, wee-wee will learn about how shaking the dew off your lily can affect the frogs on their pads, and how wastewater treatment plants are struggling to keep up with the stream. First we'll meet Rachel Mullen, a graduate student in environmental analytical chemistry. She partners with the Rich Earth Institute to study what percentage of the pharmaceuticals that leave your body in pee (HINT: a lot) are taken up by peas, lettuce, and other vegetables (HINT: not very much). Then we'll chat with Dan Marks, mild-mannered wastewater engineer by day, subversive urine-separating enthusiast by night. He'll explain how 1972's Clean Water Act brought centralized sewage into the modern age, why we're now falling dangerously behind, and what even greater threats may lie just beyond the horizon. But don't get pissed off! Instead pop a Xanax, put on the popdcast, and void your body of all anxiety.

Also mentioned: Kim Nace, Abe Noe-Hays, University of Buffalo, molecular, crops, wee wee, morphine, caffeine, iopamide, toxicology, parts per billion, FDA, sex toys, tampons, acetominophen, dosage, metabolism, effluent, menstruation, hormone replacement therapy, research funding, discomfort, Louis C. K., Buddhism, suffering, Freakonomics radio, cardiology, good Jew, flannel, aging infrastructure, "end of its useful life," pipes, upgrade, regulation, regulatory burden, EPA, DEP, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, primary, secondary, tertiary, organic matter, bacteria, digestion, fixed, fluid, media, discharge, suspended solids, capital costs, operations, "contaminants of emerging concern," personal care products, Blinky the fish, The Simpsons, Daniel Gerling, Flush documentary, autonomy, technology, science

This past August, Shawn Shafner traveled to Brattleboro, VT to join Urine Diversion Summit 2016—a conference brimming with pee-ple making waves over how we “make water.” While The Puru didn’t want to disrupt the flow, he was able to divert a few participants away from micturation and into the microphone for some short interviews. Thus: The Lil’ Tinklers.

In Part 2, wee-wee will learn about how shaking the dew off your lily can affect the frogs on their pads, and how wastewater treatment plants are struggling to keep up with the stream. First we’ll meet Rachel Mullen, a graduate student in environmental analytical chemistry. She partners with the Rich Earth Institute to study what percentage of the pharmaceuticals that leave your body in pee (HINT: a lot) are taken up by peas, lettuce, and other vegetables (HINT: not very much). Then we’ll chat with Dan Marks, mild-mannered wastewater engineer by day, subversive urine-separating enthusiast by night. He’ll explain how 1972’s Clean Water Act brought centralized sewage into the modern age, why we’re now falling dangerously behind, and what even greater threats may lie just beyond the horizon. But don’t get pissed off! Instead pop a Xanax, put on the popdcast, and void your body of all anxiety.

Also mentioned: Kim Nace, Abe Noe-Hays, University of Buffalo, molecular, crops, wee wee, morphine, caffeine, iopamide, toxicology, parts per billion, FDA, sex toys, tampons, acetominophen, dosage, metabolism, effluent, menstruation, hormone replacement therapy, research funding, discomfort, Louis C. K., Buddhism, suffering, Freakonomics radio, cardiology, good Jew, flannel, aging infrastructure, “end of its useful life,” pipes, upgrade, regulation, regulatory burden, EPA, DEP, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, primary, secondary, tertiary, organic matter, bacteria, digestion, fixed, fluid, media, discharge, suspended solids, capital costs, operations, “contaminants of emerging concern,” personal care products, Blinky the fish, The Simpsons, Daniel Gerling, Flush documentary, autonomy, technology, science

This past August, Shawn Shafner traveled to Brattleboro, VT to join Urine Diversion Summit 2016—a conference brimming with pee-ple making waves over how we "make water." While The Puru didn't want to disrupt the flow, he was able to divert a few participants away from micturation and into the microphone for some short interviews. Thus: The Lil' Tinklers.

In Part 1, wee-wee will learn about how eco-toilet systems succeed, and why they sometimes don't. First, we'll meet Daniella Saetta and Hannah Ray, two women diving unabashedly into the urinal to understand how the minerals in your pee clog up the pipes. With their help, we can put these nutrients to use and keep waterless pissoirs on the walls. Then we'll be joined by Cat Bryars, a regional planner recently returned from a year in Oaxaca, Mexico. While there on a Fulbright, she studied how entire cities were hooked up to urine-diverting compost toilets, why they were eventually abandoned, and how these lessons can help us roll out sustainable toilets in sustainable ways. So grab a glass, sit back, and shower your ears with gold!

Also mentioned: Rich Earth Institute, Kim Nace, Abe Noe-Hays, Lab, bathroom, volume, fertilizer, Dr. Treavor Boyer, Arizona State University, University of Florida, Potable water, Urea, Urease, Calcium, Magnesium, Urethra, Hydrolize, kidney stones, Ammonia, nutrient recovery, nitrogen, phosphorous, triple bond, struvite crystals, Colombia, male privelege, penis, vagina, pStyle, funnel, StandUps, Cesar Añorve, UD, pit latrine, fecal pathogens, Falmouth, Cape Cod Eco Toilet Center, regional planner, decentralized sanitation, scale up, perceived legitimacy, residuals, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

What do you get when you mix 5,000 gallons of urine and 5 acres of hay? It might just be the future of our food. In this episode, Shawn Shafner (The Puru) talks to Kim Nace, co-founder of the Rich Earth Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont, where hundreds of local citizens collect their pee for science. But this is no kids stuff--the Rich Earth Institute is blazing a new trail and quickly gaining the attention of big-name foundations, National Geographic, and even the US Government. Tune in to understand why our pee is polluting the planet, how we can turn that waste into a resource, and what your tax dollars are doing to help. Soon morning tinkle will be music to your ears...

Also mentioned in this podcast: Abraham Noe-Hays, poop, pee, World Toilet Day, United Nations, Uzbekistan, Vermont, Rose George, The Big Necessity, waterless sanitation systems, nutrient reclamation, Sanitary revolution, Coney Island, wastewater treatment plant, Brooklyn Historical Society, Clean Water Act 1972, factory farming, depletion of Phosphorous, peak phosphorous, urine nutrient reclamation project, community-scale, pasteurization, wastewater treatment plant discharge, urinals, pissoir, sterility, pathogen-free, urine diverting toilets, vacuum flush toilets, composting dry toilet, ergonomic design, Carol McCreary, PHLUSH, Portland, Public Hygiene Lets Us Stay Human, primary, secondary, tertiary, toilet to tap, Class A sludge or biosolids, agricultural runoff, algae, algal blooms, stormwater runoff, swale, alienation, manure, ammonia uptake, tile drains, soil, agribusiness, waterlog, human waste, design, infrastructure, pharmaceutical, caffeine, antidepressant, anti-anxiety, volume reduction, Sasha Kramer, SOIL Haiti, Sanergy, bioregion, An Inconvenient Poop, prozac on shrimp, estrogen, nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, Kenya, nutrient flow, topsoil, golden shower, greywater, biodigester, stakeholders, Water Environment Research Foundation, EPA, USDA, National Geographic, liquid gold, Carol Steinfeld, World Health Organization