Episode Description
An episode after which Ashley will never be able to think about stomachaches the same way again.

Also, in honor of our Season 1 finale, it's a DOUBLE FEATURE, babaaaaaay!

How well did Ashley guess what these movies were about? ...well, her closest guess involved dairy products (and even then, calling that a "close" guess is generous).

Show Notes

1979's Alien was written by Dan O'Bannon and follows the crew of the commercial space tug Nostromo in the year 2122, who respond to a distress signal. They discover the signal comes from a derelict alien ship and enter it (an objectively bad idea), losing communication with the Nostromo. Inside, the crew discovers a chamber containing hundreds of large, egg-like objects. A creature springs out of one and attaches to the face of a crew member. It later detaches on its own and is found dead. All's well that ends well, right? Not quite. Turns out, the crew wasn’t quite done with the Xenomorph, a deadly and aggressive extraterrestrial set loose on the ship. 

1986's Aliens was written by James Cameron and continues Ellen Ripley's story. Ripley is rescued by a deep salvage team after being in hypersleep for 57 years. The moon that the Nostromo had visited in Alien  has been colonized, but contact has been lost with the colonists. Support is being sent in the form of a team of colonial marines with impressive firepower, and Ripley goes in with them. They find the colony deserted. Inside, they find makeshift barricades and battle signs, but no bodies; two live facehuggers in containment tanks; and a traumatized young girl nicknamed Newt, the sole survivor. What happened to the rest of the colonists, and why are all their signals coming from beneath the fusion-powered atmosphere processing station? 

Alien and Aliens kicked off a wildly successful franchise,  largely due to a brilliant team of artists, and a revolutionary genre switch from horror to science fiction/action between the two films. So let's talk about it! 

Sources
Alien Behind the Scenes Featurette
CineFix's Art of the Scene - Alien Chestburster
Aliens The Chestburster Mechanism  - Stan Winston School
Credited As: Creature Performer - Academy of Motion Pictures
Alien - H.R. Giger's Beautiful Monster
Cosmavoid 

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Episode Description
In the latest installment of, "WHY WASN'T I TAUGHT THIS IN SCHOOL?!" Ashley finally learns what a 401(k) is.

How well did Ashley guess how the retirement process works? ...well, she learned she's been pronouncing IRA incorrectly.

Show Notes
Have you ever dreamed what life will be like after retirement? You're not alone. Unfortunately, for Ashley, that dream is a long, LOOOOOONG, ways away. Still, it can seem like a daunting, expensive dream to have. So how the heck do you get started?

Let Ashley walk you through the basics, and then check out the sources below.

Sources
IRS - Retirement Topics
CNBC - Here's how much you should have in retirement at every age
Reddit - r/personalfinance
The Motley Fool - The Huge Retirement Mistake Millennials are Making
Next Level Life - Can YOU Afford to Retire?

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Episode Description
An episode in which Ashley begrudgingly makes her mother happy.

How well did Ashley guess what this movie was about? ...well, she didn't know Julie Andrews was in it.

Show Notes
"The hills are aliiiiiiiiive..." (surprisingly, at the beginning of the movie).

The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, with Richard Haydn and Eleanor Parker. The film is an adaptation of the 1959 stage musical of the same name, composed by Rodgers & Hammerstein.

Based on the 1949 memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp. The film takes place in 1938, and is about a young woman training to be a nun in Salzburg, Austria, who is sent to the villa of a retired widowed naval officer to serve as governess to his seven children. 

While the children were initially rowdy, they grow to care for Maria, and she begins to care for them. After bringing love and music into the lives of the family, she marries the officer and, together with the children, finds a way to survive the loss of their homeland to the Nazis. 

The movie won a sh*t ton of awards, but it's not entirely accurate to what really happened. So, let's talk about it. 

Sources:
National Archives
The Sound of Music Website
Trapp Family Lodge

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Episode Description
Ashley still had questions after the American Revolution episode, and lucky for her, that meant she got to get right back into researching. She's thrilled that she somehow managed to assign herself homework (she's not). 
 
In this episode, Ashley learns that there wasn't a President at the end of the American Revolution, she learns about some messed up sh*t that's in the ACTUAL body of the Constitution, and she FINALLY learns what the Federalist papers are.

Show Notes
The first government set up by the continental congress after independence from Britain was called the Articles of Confederation. It was…not great. 

Not only was it incredibly difficult to pass anything, but they were severely limited on what they could and couldn’t do - they could declare war, conduct foreign affairs, coin money, and make treaties. But, if you remember the general mood from the American Revolution episode, you can bet your ass that they couldn’t collect taxes.  

However, both the national government and the individual states had racked up an enormous amount of debt to pay for the war. But without the ability to collect taxes, how the heck were they supposed to pay for it? 

Well, the main source of revenue became tariffs, which are a tax on imports or exports. This made international trade a, and this is a technical term, clusterf*ck. Plus, Britain wasn’t particularly keen on trading with us, because, well, you know. 

Things weren't going well. And eventually, the states got together to make a new plan. And that plan, spoiler alert, was the U.S. Constitution. 

But writing it wasn't easy. And neither was ratifying it. A lot of states had different opinions (some of which, objectively, sucked). 

Let Ashley walk you through the basics, and then check out the sources below. 

Sources
The 1619 Project
Crash Course
ushistory.org
The History Channel

Socials 
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Episode Description
An episode where Ashley thinks she's seen this movie before, but learns that she most certainly has not.

How well did Ashley guess what this movie was about? ...well, she CRUSHED the theme song this time (sorry, Jurassic Park).

Show Notes 
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as, respectively, Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler, a trio of eccentric parapsychologists who start a ghost-catching business in New York City. The film also stars Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, William Atherton, and Ernie Hudson (who was tragically underutilized). 

Peter Venkman, Raymond "Ray" Stantz, and Egon Spengler are scientists at Columbia University investigating the paranormal. Following their first encounter with a ghost manifesting at the New York Public Library, the dean fires them and dismisses the credibility of their research. In response, they create the “Ghostbusters,” a paranormal investigation and elimination service (who are surprisingly underpaid).  

Soon their business booms as paranormal activity increases across New York City. To cope with demand, they hire a fourth member, Winston Zeddemore. Supernatural activity is increasing in NYC at dangerous levels. But why? And who is Zuul? 

Well, stay tuned, “choose the form of the destructor,” and learn the story of how it all came together! And most importantly, don’t cross the streams. 

Sources
The Making of Ghostbusters - DVD Extra
Ghostbusters Special Effects Vignette
CineFix Art of the Scene
Slimer, StayPuft, and the Library Ghost
VF's The Making of GhostBusters

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Episode Description 
That's right; we're getting historical, y'all. And Ashley is toooooootally thrilled about it (she's not). 

In this episode, Ashley learns the name of "that guy who said the British were coming," and constantly wonders when the heck the Constitution comes in (it doesn't).

How well did Ashley guess what actually went down? ...I mean, she was technically right with her guessed time frame of "sometime between 1492 and 1776." 

Show Notes 
During the decade before the American Revolution in 1775, tensions had been building between the colonists and the British authorities.  

The French and Indian War, or Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) was expensive, and it led to new (and unpopular) taxes. Attempts by the British government to raise revenue by taxing the colonies (looking at you, Stamp Act of 1765) were met with heated protests. Colonists resented their lack of representation in Parliament and demanded the same rights as other British subjects.  

No taxation without representation, right?  

Colonial resistance led to violence in 1770, when British soldiers opened fire on a mob of colonists, killing five men in what was known as the Boston Massacre (or the worst snowball fight ever). Then cut to 1773, when colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor during the Boston Tea Party, which by the way, was worth WAY more money than you might think.  

By 1776, a growing majority of the colonists had come to favor independence from Britain. On July 4, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, and the British government sent a large fleet, along with more than 34,000 troops to New York. The Revolutionary War was in full swing.  

Things only escalated from there, until (spoiler alert), the colonists won.   

Let Ashley walk you through the basics, and then check out the sources below.  

Sources
Crash Course
Smithsonian Magazine
ushistory.org
The History Channel

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Episode Description
An episode where Ashley learns why people keep saying "hold on to your butts," and spends an ungodly amount of time researching how to correctly pronounce dinosaur names. Oh yeah, and she asks a key question: "...is Jeff Goldblum hot?" 

How well did Ashley guess what this movie was about? ...well, she REALLY did try to sing the theme song, bless her heart. 

Show Notes
Jurassic Park is a 1993 film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. The film is set on an island near Costa Rica where mysterious wealthy businessman, John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) and a team of genetic scientists have created a wildlife park for dinosaurs.  

How? Well, just ask Mr. DNA about it.  

It’s a big moment for Mr. Hammond. The park is finally close to opening, but a dinosaur handler is killed by a Velociraptor, and the park's investors demand that experts visit the park and certify its safety.   

The experts? Mathematician and chaos theorist Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern).  

When industrial sabotage leads to a catastrophic shutdown of the park's power facilities and security precautions (thanks, Newman), these experts (and Hammond's grandchildren) need to find a way to escape.  

A film that broke new ground in the realm of special effects, the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park were created with groundbreaking computer-generated imagery by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (who had an assist from some stop-motion models) and with life-sized animatronic dinosaurs built by Stan Winston's team.  

The story of how it all came together was fascinating, so let Ashley tell you about it! After all, she’s a clever girl.  

Sources
Films&Stuff
CineFix
The Academy 
Winston Studios - Raptor Suit
Winston Studios - Brachiosaurus

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Episode Description
What's that? This show isn't all about action and explosions?

Heck no - Ashley doesn't know a LOT of things, and we're covering the whole range here. In this episode, Ashley asks the key question of, "WHY WASN'T I TAUGHT THIS IN SCHOOL?!" Also, she finally learns what escrow is.

How well did Ashley guess how the process works? ...she missed like half the steps, but she does talk for WAY too long about how she creeps on her neighbors yards.

Show Notes
Have you been fantasizing about painting your walls or landscaping your backyard? You're not alone. The thought of putting down roots is a nice one, and a key component in many people's American dreams. But it can seem like a daunting, expensive dream to have. So how do you get started on buying a house?

Well, the first step is to get your finances in order. What are your incomes? What are your debts? How much can you afford in monthly payments? Are you willing to spend additional funds on renovations? Did you remember to calculate in the closing costs?

Let Ashley walk you through the basics, and then check out the sources below.

Sources
Honestly, there were a TON but here are some good ones for beginners:
Investopedia
Business Insider
Zillow

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Episode Description
An episode in which Ashley learns that Bruce Willis is not Kiefer Sutherland, and she learns that Die Hard is totally a Christmas movie (albeit, one with significantly more murder than the Santa Clause).

How well did Ashley guess what this movie was about? ...this is probably the closest she'll ever get to nailing it, to be honest.

Show Notes
"Yippee Ki Yay..." The greatest one liner in movie history? Probably.

Die Hard is a 1988 action movie that changed the idea of action movies forever. It takes place on Christmas Eve 1988, and surrounds John McClane, an NYPD detective, who traveled to Los Angeles to be with his estranged wife and children for the holidays. His wife, Holly, had recently taken an executive job in LA for a Japanese-based business based out of the sleek new Nakatomi Plaza. McClane went straight from the airport to his wife's company Christmas party (which was held on Christmas Eve for some reason).

Shortly into the party, a group of European terrorists invade the building. Led by Hans Gruber, they’re heavily armed and incredibly organized. Quickly and efficiently, they lock down the building, seize control of the computer system, and cut off all outside communication. The terrorists gather up the partygoers and hold them hostage.

Except McClane, who escaped into a stairwell. There's a rogue loose in the building; does he have what it takes to save the day? (Given that there are sequels, you may be able to guess, but I won't spoil it for you).

The action movie that has inspired other films for decades, Die Hard has some interesting behind the scenes facts. Did you know that Bruce Willis' tank top was displayed in the Smithsonian? Or that the view from the top of Nakatomi tower doesn't exist? And that, technically, neither does Nakatomi tower?

Mistakes kept in the final cut, permanent hearing damage, and an (insanely) high glass budget all factored into the film that skyrocketed two actors, who had yet to find their big break, into true film superstardom.

Welcome to the party, pal!

Sources:
Netflix's "The Movies That Made Us"
Bruce's Tank-top at the Smithsonian (told you!)
ScreenRant

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Episode Description
An episode in which Ashley worries that she might have to watch Tom Hanks die, and she learns that Apollo 13 was not, in fact, about the moon landing. Quite the opposite, in fact.

How well did Ashley guess what this movie was about? ...well, she knew it was in space, at least.

Show Notes
"Houston, we have a problem" (or, if you want to be historically accurate, "Houston, we've had a problem here").

Apollo 13 is a 1995 film starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton as real-life astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise, and tells the real-life story of NASA's Apollo 13 mission. 

Apollo 13, the 7th mission in the Apollo program, and only the third planned to land on the moon, launched from the Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970. Two days into the mission, shortly after a live broadcast to Earth (that very few watched), a routine stir of an oxygen tank resulted in an explosion that vented the contents of the service module's oxygen tanks to space. As a result, all systems had to be shut down to conserve remaining resources for reentry, forcing the crew to transfer to the lunar module as a lifeboat. Enduring freezing temperatures and navigating territory unfamiliar to all, the astronauts and the mission controllers worked to bring the crew home alive.

So, what caused the oxygen tank to explode? A fascinating series of events two years before the launch of Apollo 13 that essentially boils down to this: somebody accidentally dropped it. 

In October 1968, the tank eventually used on Apollo 13 was in Downey, California. There, technicians who were handling the tank accidentally dropped it a distance of about two inches (oops). After testing the tank, there didn't appear to be any detectable damage. Later, the tank was eventually cleared for flight and subsequently installed on Apollo 13. After installation, it passed additional rigorous prelaunch tests, except for one small issue.

One month before launch, after a practice session, ground crews tried to empty the tank and couldn’t, as the draining mechanism was damaged by the drop two years before. To get around the problem, they turned on the heaters inside the tank to warm up the remaining liquid oxygen to turn it into gaseous oxygen (you know, the stuff we breathe). In its gaseous form, the oxygen could then simply be vented out of the tank - easy peasy. While the ground crew was heating the tank, the thermostat inside the tank was supposed to prevent the temperature from exceeding 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Unfortunately, as the temperature inside the tank rose, the thermostat welded shut. Temperatures inside the tank rose to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit instead, and the intense heat damaged some insulation on wiring inside the tank, leaving some exposed wire (that could easily spark). 

The tank now had all the makings of a small bomb, which then went off on April 13, 1970...in the middle of space. Great timing, right?

P.S. - Sorry about the audio, I promise I'll keep learning how to do this right!

Sources:
NASA 50th Anniversary Video of Apollo 13
Space.com - "What Caused the Apollo 13 Accident?"

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