Sound Effect

This show originally aired on February 17, 2018. This week on Sound Effect, stories about animals. We learn how one vet treats dogs who eat marijuana , and meet a pet bird who enjoys an unusual amount of freedom . Then we travel with a park ranger who is on a mission to make Tacoma's raccoons wild again , and hear dispatches from a 20th century war that pitted monkey against monkey . Finally, we hear why a Seattle scientist has spent three decades studying a colony of arctic birds , and we meet

There are thousands of stories about McNeil Island. And chances are, you haven’t heard any of them. This week on Sound Effect, host Gabriel Spitzer talks through some of them with KNKX reporters Simone Alicea and Paula Wissel, who host KNKX Public Radio’s podcast Forgotten Prison.

We start with a collection of people telling us about something they spent money on that wasn’t necessary, but was totally worth it. Then, a Seattle author talks about why she chose to pay a lot of money for a 150-square-foot apartment in the city. Also, a man takes a huge inheritance and spends it on building a school halfway across the world. Next, a local unrecognized tribe that doesn’t receive federal funding gets help with rent from a group of people in Seattle. Finally, a live storytelling

Back in the 1970s, before Nick Morrison was a KNKX staffer, some friends asked him if he would help them smuggle a few bricks of marijuana across the border from Mexico. He said, sure. What came next? In the beginning, normal drug smuggling stuff. A rambler with secret compartments, a jungle, a mango orchard, an operation that seemed to be going great. But in the end? A single terrifying moment that made Morrison regret his decision - and change his ways.

This show originally aired on January 13, 2018. This week on Sound Effect, we share stories of imperfect crimes. We start by talking to 88.5’s Nick Morrison, who was once hired to smuggle pot . We then meet a man who was a lifelong prankster , until one prank recalibrated his moral compass. Next, a story of an unlikely group of men who robbed a bank , how it went wrong, and some odd takeaways from it. Then, a police officer goes into a prison, and asks the prisoners to think about the one thing

Sarah Berns grew up on the East Coast of the United States in a family that valued academics and literature, and her parents expected that she would pursue some kind of cerebral, upper-middle-class career, just like her brothers. Instead, Berns chose to move west and become a wildland firefighter. In this story, Berns talks about what it’s like to be the lone woman on a fire crew, how she earned the respect of her peers, and how she balanced breastfeeding and firefighting. Plus, she talks about

We meet a comedian who lived with an all deaf family, and learned how to do impressions by watching television. Then, a shop teacher reflects on some of his students constructing a casket for a fallen fellow student. Finally, a cab driver shares what it was like to dress like Elvis on the clock.

Jack Gunter’s airplane paintings are on the second floor of his studio gallery on Camano Island .

We head to the Burke Museum to see how they are completing 200-million -year-old skeletons with 3D printing. Then, a Congolese refugee talks about her experience in foster care in Tacoma. Next, an unusual stone leads to a personal obsession for a local archaeologist. Finally, a DNA test tells one man something very different about himself.

We take a peek inside a fourth generation noodle factory to see how the noodles — and fortune cookies — are made. Then, a visit with one of the original television chefs. Also, an artist finds out that his artwork is edible , at least to ants. Finally, a woman overcomes her fear of vomiting . Sound Effect showcases stories inspired by the place we live. The show is hosted by KNKX's Gabriel Spitzer . The full broadcast version of this week's show, available below, also includes a conversation