The Free Bin

The gang discusses their New Year's resolutions, and Cindy celebrates National Science Fiction Day with a deep dive into Timothy Zahn's influential Star Wars novels.

In this episode:

"Heir To The Empire" (book, 1991) by Timothy Zahn

"Dark Force Rising" (book, 1992) by Timothy Zahn

"Dragonriders of Pern" (book series) by Anne McCaffrey

"The Last Command" (book, 1993) by Timothy Zahn

"The Martian" (book, 2011) by Andy Weir

"The Martian" (film, 2015) dir. by Ridley Scott

"A Song of Ice and Fire" (book series) by George R. R. Martin

The gang reflects on some of their favorite holiday films and traditions. Sophia's got a brand new nog. Cindy's got a brand new holiday. Harrison gets earnest about Ernest.

In this episode:

"Ernest Saves Christmas" (film, 1988)

Jim Varney playing dulcimer on "The Chevy Chase Show" (TV, 1993)

Judy Garland singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (From "Meet Me In St. Louis")

"Meet Me In St. Louis" (film, 1944)

"While You Were Sleeping" (film, 1995)

In preparation for the holiday break, Harrison decides to just do a quick, easy show-and-tell episode about what the gang's been learning this week. It doesn't quite work out that way, and the result is a sprawling discussion of traditional candy, music genres and subgenres, and the wonders and horrors of reality TV.

The gang discusses some lesser-known winter holidays, as well as unique regional traditions from around the world! World Kindness Day fills our hearts with compassion. Two dudes from Albany, Oregon fill our mouths with pirate jargon. El Caganer drops some humanity. A goat burns in Sweden. A barrel burns in Scotland. A log is beaten in Catalonia. A cat receives an answer during an awkward conversation in an elevator.

Bakhtin's "carnivalesque"

Caganer.com

Gävlebocken

Talk Like a Pirate Day

World Kindness Day

Harrison shares some exciting announcements while the gang preps new episodes!

Sophia leads the gang in a discussion of the Salem witch trials, their historical context, and the ways that communities fall into paranoia, persecution, and cat noises. Sophia shares an overview and chronology of the events, and presents a questionable warrant. Cindy discusses Puritans' role in the colonization of North America, and several historical examples of mass psychogenic illness. Harrison discusses self-appointed "Witchfinder General" Matthew Hopkins, and the speed of phantom clowns.

In this episode:

"A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials" (Smithsonian Magazine)

"Overview of the Salem Witch Trials" (University of Virginia)

"Salem Witch Trials" (Britannica.com)

"Salem Witch Trials Chronology" (Salem Witch Museum)

"Spectral evidence" (Wikipedia)

"TAMUC History Professor Busts Myths About The Salem Witch Trials" (East Texas A&M)

Music used in the episode:

"Mourning Song" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Content Warning: This episode includes detailed discussion of death, historical embalming practices, and historical cannibalism.

For Spooky Season 2025, the gang ventures deep into the topic of mummies, and how they relate to Western horror fiction, cultural anxieties, history, heritage, and dubious medical practices. In their travels through time, they encounter Chinchorro grief, Germanic mysteries, and Floridian brains. Sophia unwraps rare British foods. Cindy dispels curses. Harrison unloads his headcanon.

In this episode:

"Bubba Ho-Tep" (2002)

"Encino Man" (1992)

"The Famous Mummies of the Inca and the Chinchorro" (from The Collector)

"From the Dark" (2014)

"The Gruesome History of Eating Corpses as Medicine" (From Smithsonian Magazine)

"Lot No. 249" by Arthur Conan Doyle

"Memorials of Edward Burne-Jones" by Georgiana Burne-Jones

"The Mummy" (Universal Pictures franchise)

"The Mummy's Foot" by Theophile Gautier

Natural History Museum of Utah

"Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo" by Mary Douglas

"7 Surprising Uses For Mummies" (from Britannica.com)

"To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum" by Edward Bleiberg

"Under Wraps" (1997)

In preparation for National Magic Week, The Magical Mr. B. stops by to discuss the life and work of Harry Houdini, as well as the history of magic in general.

The gang discusses [redacted] for Banned Books Week! This conversation covers the rights provided by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I of the Oregon Constitution, the role of public libraries in upholding these rights, why access matters, filter bubbles, the importance of parent/guardian involvement, the ending of Michael Crichton's "Congo" (spoiler alert!), and also something about aphids.

The gang continues to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing stories of some important figures, from history to the present day. Along the way, they encounter mobile puppets, ubiquitous '90s musical collaborations, unfed bears, baseball emergencies, powerful paintings, space flutes, and much more!