That's A Free Bee

Well, that’s the fastest I’ve ever managed to turn out a podcast. Phewwwwwww!

Links referenced in this episode:

• bugfixesandimprovements.com
• channel5.com

Keywords:

podcast episode, parenting tips, Dungeons and Dragons with kids, school holidays, family activities, busy parent life, podcasting tips, role-playing games for families, balancing work and family, funny parenting stories, family bonding activities, kids and creativity, managing a podcast, school leavers party, children's emotional development, storytelling in gaming, teaching kids teamwork, family game night, children's school transition, humorous parenting anecdotes

This week I’m talking about why one good day at school can actually mean everything—especially when the system doesn’t believe it. It’s a bit of a proud-parent moment, but also a bigger thought about how people underestimate progress that doesn’t come with a spreadsheet.

Then we pivot straight into a rage-fuelled breakdown of the Channel 5 app. Specifically, how Blindspot has me hooked, but the app itself seems hellbent on making me suffer. Five ads before the episode even starts? Cool cool cool.

We also get into why ad-supported platforms still dominate, even when subscriptions seem like the obvious answer. Spoiler: it’s about money. Shocking, I know.

This week I’ve got updates, big moves, sticky hands, and a shout-out to Scrub Daddy.

First up: PodTales is flying the nest and becoming its own podcast! It’s been great, but let’s face it — scripted segments shoved into an unscripted show felt a bit like putting pineapple on a lasagne. Draft is also off and running, and spoiler alert, the first two episodes are about sandwiches. Deep, meaningful sandwiches.

This show, That’s a Free Bee, is going back to basics — shorter, punchier episodes, more me being me. No fluff. (Unless we’re talking about literal rabbit fluff.)

I also talk about launching bugfixesandimprovements.com, the new home for all my podcast shenanigans, write-ups, and behind-the-scenes stuff.

Then I get into the emotional minefield of helping my daughter transition to high school while battling education bureaucracy and learning that even the new school agrees: “Oops, we made a mistake.”

Oh, and in lighter news — I lost a fight with flypaper. It won. My hands may still be sticky as you read this.

Strap in for a wild ride through chaotic hospital visits, airborne fundraising disasters, and philosophical questions about the value of metal. Oh—and someone may have prank-called a stranger 30 times from the bath.

This week’s highlights include:

💨 Make Me Laugh:

• A prehistoric punchline from the host’s daughter: “What do you call a fossilized fart?”

🎈 PodTales – BalloonFest ‘86:

• The United Way’s record-breaking balloon release over Cleveland.
• 1.5 million balloons in the sky—what could possibly go wrong? (Answer: everything.)
• Environmental chaos, a disrupted Coast Guard search, lawsuits, spooked horses, and an airport runway shut down.

🏥 Hospital Waiting Room Mayhem:

• A final wrist check-up turns into a full-blown admin disaster.

🛁 Sound Healing & Accidental Prank Calls:

• Can oat baths and ambient audio soothe chronic urticaria?
• Also, how to (accidentally) call a stranger 30 times using a £4 bathroom speaker.

🚲 Bike Rack Fiasco:

• The kids finally learn to ride—but the new bike rack only fits adult bikes.
• A “universal fit” turns into a universal fail.
• Some bonus DIY and mild rage included.

💎 A Very Pricey Charm:

• A trip to Pandora reveals the shocking truth: numbers cost more than hearts.
• I channel my inner grumpy economist and questions reality.

📬 Dear Diggy & New Website Alert:

• No Dear Diggy this week—send yours in via the brand new site!
• 🖥️ BugFixesAndImprovements.com is live!
• Submit jokes, Pod Tales, questions for Draft, or just marvel at the fancy redesign.

🎧 Members Only Bonus:

Stick around for the secret subscriber-only story: “How I Got Banned From a Charity Shop.”

Want to be part of the show?

Visit BugFixesAndImprovements.com to submit your:

• Make Me Laugh jokes
• Podtales suggestions
• Dear Diggy questions
• Draft topics

Contact:

📩 [email protected]

This week on That’s a Free Bee — what do a thieving cat, a soggy tram seat, and the sound of rain have in common? Honestly, too much.

• Bob from Nebraska actually makes me laugh. You’ll have to hear the joke for yourself.
• Meet Dusty the Klepto Kitty, who stole everything but your heart (because he already had that too).
• I reflect on eating better, giving up McDonald’s (sort of), and how coffee points have powered my mornings.
• Ever sat in orange juice on public transport? I have. Learn my tram seat safety tip—your butt will thank you.
• School admin chaos: Our ongoing saga navigating SEND placement gets another thrilling twist.
• Listener Susie shares her battle with chronic urticaria and angioedema—and a surprising new therapy: sound healing.
• I talk about my own experience using the Endel app to help with focus, productivity, and potentially even flare-up relief.

Bonus for Members:

This week, That’s a Free Bee Plus subscribers get access to something extra special—a sneak peek at a brand-new show I’m working on called Draft. It’s the pilot episode, so tune in and let me know what you think!

Links & Mentions:

• Visit Fluxo Media to subscribe to That’s a Free Bee Plus
• Try the Endel soundscapes (or search for Endel playlists on YouTube)
• Keep up with me on social: all links at Fluxo Media

YouTube Keywords:

pets, klepto cat, Dusty the Klepto Kitty, cat behavior, funny pet stories, cat theft, pet podcast, animal stories, sound healing, chronic urticaria, personal anecdotes, public transport stories, parenting challenges, health and wellness, weight loss journey, productivity tips, food habits, McDonald's coffee, local shelters, pet adoption

What happens when animals infiltrate the education system? That’s exactly what we’re diving into today! We’re uncovering the ridiculous yet fascinating world of pets that have somehow earned diplomas, from cats with MBAs to dogs with medical degrees. I mean, if a pug can snag an MBA, maybe we should all rethink our student loans, right? We also share some chuckles with a new segment called "Make Me Laugh," where I test out jokes submitted by you guys—fair warning, my laughter gauge might be a bit skewed! Plus, I’ll catch you up on my recent adventures, including a chaotic bank holiday trip to a farm that turned out to be more of a playground than a petting zoo. So grab your headphones and prepare for a wild ride through the world of overqualified animals and my own not-so-glamorous car troubles!

Keywords:

animals in education, animals with diplomas, funny animal stories, diploma mills, animal qualifications, pet degrees, humorous podcast, education and pets, comedy podcast, animal antics, varifocal glasses, transition lenses, family day out, go-karting with kids, farm attractions, kids activities, car troubles, funny driving stories, pet certifications, educational pets

This week, we're diving into the hilariously disastrous Battle of Palmdale, where the U.S. Air Force faced off against a runaway drone in an epic fail that left a trail of chaos and confusion. We’ll dissect how armed jets, equipped with advanced fire control systems, ended up missing their target entirely, leading to more destruction on the ground than in the sky. Spoiler alert: the drones might have had the last laugh. I also share my ongoing saga with my broken wrist, including the unexpected twist of being told to start exercising it just a week after surgery. And yes, there's a tram story this week that you won’t want to miss—filled with the usual mix of annoyance and absurdity. So sit back, relax, unless you're driving, and let's get into the madness of this episode!

YouTube Keywords:

vampire jokes, Battle of Palmdale, air force history, drone warfare, laughable military failures, F89D Scorpion, hearing study, broken wrist updates, tram stories, UK tram system, broken wrist recovery, humor in history, military misadventures, funny war stories, aviation mishaps, drone malfunction, absurd military operations, medical advice humor, audience engagement in podcasts, podcast episode keywords

We're diving into the hilariously bizarre world of the Emu War, where Australia took on a feathered foe that turned out to be tougher than expected. That’s right, 20,000 emus wreaked havoc on wheat farms, and in a case of misjudged bravado, the military was called in to save the day armed with machine guns and a plan that quickly spiraled into chaos. From guerrilla tactics executed by the emus to the military’s disastrous attempts at ambush, the story unfolds like a comedy of errors that leaves us both puzzled and amused. Alongside this absurd historical escapade, I’ll also share my recent wrist surgery saga and sprinkle in some gems of wisdom from children that are sure to tickle your funny bone. So, sit back, relax, and let’s explore the lessons from this wild chapter in history and some light-hearted moments from life!

If you want even more then head to fluxo.media to see all my stuff and join That’s A Free Bee Plus.

For only £4 a month you get:

• The members only feed, This includes the Pre Show and the Post Show, both include extra content that’s not in the final show.
• First access to specials.
• Members only discord.
• You get to be one of the first to support a new upand coming show, when I’m the next big thing you can say “I was there from the start” 🤣

Keywords for YouTube:

Emu War, Australian history, absurd military conflicts, emu facts, military failures, Great Depression Australia, farming challenges, humor in history, bizarre wars, children’s wisdom, surgery recovery, wrist surgery, machine guns in history, guerrilla tactics, Australian wildlife, historical anecdotes, military operations, humorous podcast episodes, parenting advice, health and recovery tips

Waterbeds, once the pinnacle of luxury that had us all dreaming of floating away into dreamland, have seen better days. We dive headfirst into the history of these infamous mattresses, tracing back to their origins when they were more about comfort for bedridden patients than romance. You'd think that sleeping on a giant bag of water would be nothing short of a blissful ride, right? Wrong!

We explore the wild ride of waterbeds from their 22% market share in the '80s to a mere 5% today. It's a rollercoaster of nostalgia mixed with some serious reality checks about leaks and moving them. Who knew that the dream of waterbeds was just as fraught as trying to keep a straight face at a bad dad joke? We also share some wickedly funny anecdotes about our own experiences, or lack thereof, with waterbeds. So, grab your floaties and join us for some laughs and a good old-fashioned trip down memory lane!

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If you want even more then head to fluxo.media to see all my stuff and join That’s A Free Bee Plus.

For only £4 a month you get:

• The members only feed, This includes the Pre Show and the Post Show, both include extra content that’s not in the final show.
• First access to specials.
• Members only discord.
• You get to be one of the first to support a new upand coming show, when I’m the next big thing you can say “I was there from the start” 🤣

Keywords for YouTube:

waterbeds, history of waterbeds, waterbed market, mattress trends, Charles Hall waterbed, waterbed innovations, 1980s waterbeds, waterbed maintenance, ice skating accident, wrist injury stories, morphine pain relief, parenting stories, humorous podcast, Dear Diggy questions, cultural icons in mattress industry, bed sore prevention, modern mattress technology, personal injury experiences, podcast comedy, Fluxo Media

In Podtales this week. I look at the unusual story of the USS William D Porter. The ship that had such a disastrous journey that it almost killed a president.

In this weeks catch up I talk about bonding with my son and an update on my daughters school situation. I’ve also got a story about a guy who kinda messed around and found out.