WessCast

In this episode, Barb quizzes Rick about her upcoming two-person flight through the skies above Sedona, Arizona. 

This episode requires some setup. Beckham needed to interview a family member as part of a ‘life story project’ for his Psychology 351 (clinical and counseling psychology) class he was in during the Spring of 2025. It was conducted at Grandma’s house with a small audience: the two of them plus Papa, Randy, Barb, Campbell, and briefly Wendy. It was recorded with a single microphone, placed between the interviewer and the interviewee, so the quality wavers from good to mediocre throughout the recording.  We hope you enjoy the deep and thoughtful deep dive into Donna’s life.

On a very special holiday episode, our hosts talk to Jack and Donna about all things Christmas. We hear about shotguns, gas station puppies, standing room only Rock parties, little Jack fisticuffs, surrey woes, and lots of post-war rationing. And you’ll want to stick around for the post-episode ‘tar story’.

Hosted by Jackie and Jessica. A note about the audio: we mic’ed J&D with clip on microphones for simplicity, and the audio reflects their quality. It’s not great, but we did what we could. Merry Christmas!

We had a chance to capture some audio with Mom & Dad down at Disney this past November, but BEWARE: the audio isn't of the highest quality.  

In this episode, Randy, Barb, and Julie sat down with Jack & Donna to ask about their Disney recollections. We hear about their first Disney visit, Barb's first visit (spoiler alert, it wasn't 1971), how Dad maybe wandered into a renaissance faire, their zero-cash drive home from Florida, and how Dad's never taking sick days turned into a Disney Vacation Club membership.

Season 3 of the WessCast begins with all the fun of sitting in on random conversations at a retirement home! You hear about all sorts of medical wonders from heart aneurysms to spinal fusions, from aching knees to unbreakable bones, from retinas to rectums. Hosted by Jaclyn Parks.

Hosts Rick and Barb take us on a free-ranging discussion of Pat and Butch with special guest Megan Mensinga. We hear about a secret marriage, Pat’s oil paintings, the first mobile phone anybody’s ever seen, Butch’s pioneering golf style, a vicious and possibly narcoleptic dog, and much more. Throw on your International Elevator windbreaker and give a listen. 

We hope you enjoy the show! 

The exciting conclusion to the Rock sisters’ chat with Barb & Wendy. We hear all about giving cigarettes and beer to children, bouffant hairdos, what it was like for Arlene to work at Playboy (including the outfits and Vernon’s take on the matter), being the last kid at home, how the Rocks could afford the luxuries they had in the 1950’s, and we finally put to rest the questions about the mystery existence of the vomit pot.

We hope you enjoy the show, and reach out if you’d like to sponsor the WessCast. A 30-60 second ad of your design can run during future episodes. Dryer vent cleaning? O-Miami fundraiser? Liquor store ad? 

It’s an Super Sized episode of the WessCast, so we had to split it into two parts! In this special episode our two hosts Barb and Wendy tackle an interview with everyone’s favorite Rocks, Arlene and Donna. They talk about their early lives growing up in Chicago,  family dynamics,  accordions, Vernon’s tender feet, and much more. Thanks for listening! 

Advertisers: anyone interested in buying ad time, please contact Randy. All proceeds go toward cloud hosting fees. 

The episode all one of you has been waiting for! This is a deep dive into what makes Barb tick, why she does what she does,  who made her that way, and who’s to blame. Hosted by Jessica and Tyler.

Production note: due to unforeseen technical hiccups, this episode was cut short when the main microphone recording Jack & Donna’s voices quit abruptly halfway through the interrogation. Maybe a future episode will pick up where Tyler and Jessica left off.

Season Two of the WessCast begins with a discussion of important events from the 1950’s through present day, and what Jack and Donna can remember about them. 

**There was a technical glitch that knocked out one microphone early in the recording that gets fixed after a few minutes.

** This updated version of the podcast contains chapter markers and multimedia images that got stripped from my original file by the host. If you’re using a podcast player that handles chapter images, you’re welcome.