We got to record an episode in the same room! In Dallas! With our friend Mitchell Glass who turns out to have briefly taken on the side-hustle of professional friendship for rent.

Yup! Turns out if you're looking for someone to hang out with for an evening and definitely not sleep with them (wink... wink... wink... sorry about the weird eye twitch. It's actually not sexual at all), then you can reach out to a local network of friends for hire, just eager to be your arm candy at that event or to just give you someone to talk to over dinner. 

Curious? Listen and find out more! 


Want to be our friend? Free of charge? Email us at [email protected]
 

Our intro and outro music is by Commuted. Find him at https://commuted.bandcamp.com/

Our art is by Jennifer Walker. Find her at https://www.jenniferwalker.design/

We conclude our epic trilogy on spam with the modern world of bots, worms, splogs, and all kinds of other strange, frightening innovations in the world of spam. Join us and our returning guest Brandon Knox as we fight our way out of the darkest corners of cyberspace. 

See and hear Brandon's other fun work at https://www.laughingvikings.com/podcast

Want to correct all the computer facts we got wrong? Email us at [email protected]

Our intro and outro music is by Commuted. Find him at https://commuted.bandcamp.com/

Our art is by Jennifer Walker. Find her at https://www.jenniferwalker.design/

 
Sources:

Brunton, Finn. Spam: A Shadow History of the Internet. Published 2013 by MIT Press.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_spam

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_email_spam

https://www.templetons.com/brad/spamreact.html

https://www.britannica.com/topic/ARPANET

http://www.juliandibbell.com/texts/mytinylife.html#VR8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis_Wolfgang_Hawke

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20060802/0854203.shtml

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mydoom

Monty Python SPAM

With the assistance of Brandon Knox of the Laughing Vikings Live podcast, we continue our deep dive into spam, this time examining recent examples of how people have made a living blasting out legal, legal-ish, or fully illegal spam campaigns. 

You can find more of Brandon's voice and talent at https://www.laughingvikings.com/podcast


Want to forward us your favourite spam? Email us at [email protected]

Our intro and outro music is by Commuted. Find him at https://commuted.bandcamp.com/

Our art is by Jennifer Walker. Find her at https://www.jenniferwalker.design/

Sources for this series:

Brunton, Finn. Spam: A Shadow History of the Internet. Published 2013 by MIT Press. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_spam 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_email_spam

https://www.templetons.com/brad/spamreact.html

https://www.britannica.com/topic/ARPANET

http://www.juliandibbell.com/texts/mytinylife.html#VR8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis_Wolfgang_Hawke

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20060802/0854203.shtml

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mydoom

Monty Python SPAM

We're joined by multi-talented theatre creator Breanna Maloney for a deep dive into the history of the Internet to learn what spam is, where it comes from, and some of the formats that people have used to make money off of this inbox-clogging nuisance.  And sadly, it looks like nothing at all has changed between the first computer networks and now. 

Keep up to date with Breanna and Alma Matters at https://www.almamattersproductions.com/current-1

Want to join the parade of spammers sending us fun 419 and phishing scams? Email us at [email protected]

Our intro and outro music is by Commuted. Find him at https://commuted.bandcamp.com/

Our art is by Jennifer Walker. Find her at https://www.jenniferwalker.design/

Sources for this week's episode: 

Brunton, Finn. Spam: A Shadow History of the Internet. Published 2013 by MIT Press.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_spam

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_email_spam

https://www.templetons.com/brad/spamreact.html

https://www.britannica.com/topic/ARPANET

http://www.juliandibbell.com/texts/mytinylife.html#VR8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis_Wolfgang_Hawke

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20060802/0854203.shtml

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mydoom

Monty Python SPAM

Our guest for this week's episode is Eric Branget, who has been producing two podcasts through Tall Tale Theatre Collective in Windsor: the horror anthology series Night Terrors and the live-play role-playing games podcast Fantasy Fantasia. We talk about the highs and lows of independent podcasting, different ways to make money and reach audiences in a saturated marketplace, and about how all three of us play Bards in our respective DnD games.

Pssst! Sean makes a guest appearance as a high school vice principal in the Leadership arc available for only $3. Check it out!  https://www.talltaletheatre.com/shop-1

Want to tell us how we can make our podcast better in the harshest terms possible? Email us at [email protected]

Our intro and outro music is by Commuted. Find him at https://commuted.bandcamp.com/

Our art is by Jennifer Walker. Find her at https://www.jenniferwalker.design/

Today we interview Brooke Adair Walters, whose multitude of businesses include life coaching,  digital marketing, consulting on live attractions,  producing films, and she runs a pretty great trivia night too! 

Find Brooke and her work at https://www.cunningfoxcreative.com

Want to ask us a series of questions that help us realize what we're doing wrong? Email us at [email protected]

Our intro and outro music is by Commuted. Find him at https://commuted.bandcamp.com/

Our art is by Jennifer Walker. Find her at https://www.jenniferwalker.design/

In this week's episode we're joined by Dane Johnston to talk about the retro side-hustle of hunting witches, using the notorious Malleus Maleficarum as our guiding text. Is there any truth to the claims that led to so many women being tortured and burned? No. No there isn't. But it's a fascinating if horrifying chapter of history and it's worth exploring for those of us who may not know as much about it as we think. 


Want to accuse your neighbour of witchcraft in the hopes that we'll help bring them to trial so you can seize their assets? Email us at [email protected]

Our intro and outro music is by Commuted. Find him at https://commuted.bandcamp.com/

Our art is by Jennifer Walker. Find her at https://www.jenniferwalker.design/

Sources for this episode:

Kramer, Heinrich and Jacob Sprenger. The Malleus Maleficarum 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2018/10/31/canada-pretending-be-witch-is-punishable-offense/

https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-365.html

https://www.britannica.com/topic/witchcraft/The-witch-hunts

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/

Today's capstone episode on our pyramid scheme trilogy examines the story of Victor Lustig, and we examine his methods to plot how you too can sell a national icon. Perhaps even the great pyramids themselves... 

Have a national monument you'd like to sell us? Email us at [email protected]

Our intro and outro music is by Commuted. Find him at https://commuted.bandcamp.com/

Our art is by Jennifer Walker. Find her at https://www.jenniferwalker.design/

Sources for this episode:

Podcast: Behind the Bastards. Part One: The King of Con Artists, Victor Lustig. March 30, 2021. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/part-one-the-king-of-con-80313813/

https://english.radio.cz/victor-lustig-man-who-could-have-sold-world-8079199

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/12809/smooth-operator-how-victor-lustig-sold-eiffel-tower

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-smoothest-con-man-that-ever-lived-29861908/

Lustig, Betty Jean and Nanci Gerrett. From Paris to Alcatraz: The true, untold story of one of the most notorious con-artist of the twentieth century - Count Victor Lustig. 2011. Xlibris. 

https://www.weirdworm.com/how-to-sell-the-eiffel-tower-twice/

On part 2 of our trilogy on pyramid schemes, today we talk about probably the most widespread version that almost everyone has encountered at some point: multi-level marketing schemes. 

We talk about a few notable examples, establish the difference between an MLM and a pyramid scheme, and give you an exact road map to starting one of your own! 

Want to invite us to a house party where you can sell us some plastic containers and cut your own thumb off to show off your knives? Email us at [email protected]

Our intro and outro music is by Commuted. Find him at https://commuted.bandcamp.com/

Our art is by Jennifer Walker. Find her at https://www.jenniferwalker.design/

Sources for this episode:

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/multi-level-marketing.asp

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/pyramidscheme.asp

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mlm-pyramid-scheme-target-women-financial-freedom_l_5d0bfd60e4b07ae90d9a6a9e

https://www.reddit.com/r/antiMLM/comments/c5gg94/got_this_message_from_a_hunny_6_weeks_after_my/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x

https://www.reddit.com/r/antiMLM/comments/c5ad5s/one_of_the_benefits_of_having_pcos_is_that_i_get/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/01/21/how-mlms-are-hurting-female-friendships/

https://www.vice.com/en/article/43e573/how-to-get-a-friend-out-of-an-mlm-herbalife-amway-younique-

https://mlmtruth.org/

https://www.managementstudyguide.com/multi-level-marketing-history.htm

https://www.allbusiness.com/the-oldest-network-marketing-company-52948-1.html

https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_scheme

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/business-guidance-concerning-multi-level-marketing

Multilevel Marketing: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

This week we begin our trilogy on pyramid schemes with one of the biggest pyramid schemes you can pull off: the Ponzi scheme. Learn the history of this bit of financial trickery, who  this Ponzi was in the first place, the German woman who actually invented this crime, and the destructive legacy of Bernie Madoff. 

Plus you can learn how to pull off one of these yourself! You monster! 

Want to rope us into a lucrative and exclusive investment opportunity? Email us at [email protected]

Our intro and outro music is by Commuted. Find him at https://commuted.bandcamp.com/

Our art is by Jennifer Walker. Find her at https://www.jenniferwalker.design/

Sources for this week's episode:

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/ponzischeme.asp

https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/09/ponzi-vs-pyramid.asp

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bernard-madoff.asp

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-ponzi-we-trust-64016168/

https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/charles-ponzi

https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/behind-the-badge-case-histories-scams-and-schemes/ponzi-scheme

https://apnews.com/article/bernie-madoff-dead-9d9bd8065708384e0bf0c840bd1ae711

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adele_Spitzeder

https://moneyweek.com/511836/great-frauds-in-history-adelheid-luise-spitzeder

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Howe_(fraudster)