The Nerdologues Present: MBSing

WOW what an exciting episode! Past guest of the show Timothy Dunn recently took a trip to Springfield, IL, and Abraham Lincoln appeared before him and said he’s returned to earth to guide the American people through this election. Tim convinced him to do a podcast for 15 minutes every week to discuss current events. President Lincoln reached out to MBS personally (!!!) to take a break from discussing the 2016 election to talk about his new favorite band, Weezer, on MBSing. But don't worry, for some reason he thinks they only have two albums.

For more fun with Lincoln, definitely listen to Tim and Abe's show at www.15MinutesWithLincoln.com

Thanks to Cards Against Humanity for sponsoring and the continued use of their studios, and thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for lending a sense of legitimacy to something that constantly feels like a thankless practice!

Jack Felker has been a fan of Kanye before Kanye was Kanye thanks to her brother playing Through the Wire for her before College Dropout dropped and became a became a musical phenomenon. Through thick and thin (except maybe his defending Cosby), Jack has stood by his musical brilliance, his resulting ego, and his marriage ("I felt an overwhelming sense of calm when I found out they were together"). She believes that to be a true fan of his, one has to accept everything that is his persona. To Jack, Kanye is a hero, and her explanation as to why may sway you to read The Book of Ye as well.

Get tickets for Cards Against Humanity Live here, Shebeast here, and my show at the Chicago Podcast festival here.

Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for its existance and coordination of sponsorships including this week's sponsor, Basecamp.

While we focus mainly on the politics of the time (and of ours), this conversation with Cody certainly reveals in him a broad, deep-seeded love of this time in our nation's history and a ton of insight on how it got us where we are as a nation. Cody just got back from some touring through the colonial states, so be prepared for more delightful Marquis de Lafayette stories than you can shake a musket at. There's also plenty of chatting about how we would fix the current political landscape (because clearly we are experts) and how the Internet Age has become its own Enlightenment of sorts. Check out In Falsitas Veritas and/or Star-Spangled Sitcoms for the fruits of Cody's creative labor, all in some way inspired by these topics.

Ticket link for Cody and I's shared slot at the Chicago Podcast Festival.

Thanks to Know Your Company for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their continued support and community.

Mike Jimerson is set on how much he loves the drums. From the driving forces of bands like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and The Jimmy Hendrix Experience to Jazz drummers like Jack DeJohnette, Tony Williams, and Buddy Rich, Mike loves what different drum sounds and skills bring to the music as a whole. He plays a bit and can even elaborate on the five-way independence training it takes to be really good, but mostly he fixates on watching and appreciating the best of the best.

Get tickets for my upcoming Chicago Podcast Festival show here.

Thanks to Basecamp for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for continued support and coordination of sponsorships.

From Toy Story to Finding Dory and everything in between, Nick Mestad has been a die hard Pixar fun since he was eight. He can rattle off the films, their directors, and other fun facts no problem, but the real joy of this conversation is how invested Nick has been as a fan and an aspiring creator all along. Pixar's fascination with effective storytelling has been a huge driving force in Nick's personal life and creative endeavors. Join us as we celebrate how Pixar has perfected making unique, believable worlds for over two decades.

Check out MBS's new podcast with a bunch of past MBSing guests, The Probe.

Thanks to Cards Against Humanity for sponsoring the podcast via the Chicago Podcast Cooperative.

Grab a hose and take some sweet sips of the shisha my friends because Chrissi is here to school us all on what goes into a good hookah session. From coals to bowls to holes in the aluminum foil, there's a TON of ways to affect the taste and quality of smoking a hookah that Chrissi navigates every day as a server at a hookah bar. We also get some insight into the culture surrounding hookah (www.reddit.com/r/hookah), the art of mixing tobacco flavors, and a general commentary on how the average customer treats someone in the service industry. Tip your servers, people. Christ.

Thanks to Cards Against Humanity for sponsoring (check out their scholarship for young women in STEM) and thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsors and creating community.

Ever since he realized how small cars made the world, Bill Stern has been obsessed with these sweet methods of transpo. Whether it was cautiously attending street races back in Texas or working on a project car that met a tragic end, Bill explores the world of automobiles with an interest that isn't always met by his peers. By the end we're comparing cars to everything from dating to Beanie Babies and exploring how the Fast and the Furious franchise took the car world by storm (kind of).

Thanks to Basecamp for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their continued efforts for bringing together a bunch of small artists and businesses.

Casey has always been a strong woman and a passionate performer, but a series of unfortunate events last year including one night of multiple break-ins and a long legal journey that resulted have made her rethink her own feminism. Hence: Feminism: REBORN. She's now turbo-charged and "feminist as fuck," and she has been writing, directing, and performing pieces and projects with women's issues at the forefront ever since. She even got a student note after her recent entry into teaching a writing class: "Clear she has a Feminist agenda." A+

Thanks to our sponsor, and one of Casey's employers, The Second City, and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsorships.

Kate Nash, Adele, Robyn, Tori Kelly, Hayley Williams... if you're a white lady with solid pipes and a story to tell, Shantira is probably going to invite you in to help her feel. As a woman whose "heart is like the ocean" and performances must have an array of experiences to reflect on, Shantira loves to be in touch with a wide range of emotions even though she's never had her ocean of a heart broken. Having a good cry to some powerful lady lyrics is one of her favorite ways to feel. After all, don't we all just want to know that we're not alone?

Shantira's Spotify playlist, White Tears.

New podcast venture from The Nerdologues, Blank Cassette, hosted by Eric Garneau.

One of Shantira's employers, Cards Against Humanity, is the sponsor of this episode. How fun is that? Thanks Chicago Podcast Cooperative!

From tap dancing to the My Little Pony Theme Song to biking from Zipcar lot to Zipcar lot all over Chicago, Hannah has always enjoyed being an active person. She had a carefree journey through youth sports and became a dang triathlete while she was in college. For her, it's about mind-clearing and feeling good, which she carries into her life as a performer (with a dream goal of having a gym/comedy venue all in one). What a great convo to throw on during a jog, riiiiight?!

Fitness Blender

Hannah is a part of the Improvised Star Trek, another show in the wonderful Chicago Podcast Cooperative. Thanks to the CPC, we get support from great small business in Chicago like the Busy Beaver Button Company. Check them all out!