Episodes

  • 199 – The Original Three Bears Got Sweet Revenge

    199 – The Original Three Bears Got Sweet Revenge
    Aug 21 2025
    The first recorded version of The Three Bears was a poem written and illustrated by Eleanor Mure for her little nephew’s birthday in 1831. It was never published, but was handed down through the years and now resides in the Toronto Public Library’s manuscript collection. This version of the story is hilarious, with a poetic … Continue reading "199 – The Original Three Bears Got Sweet Revenge"
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    10 mins
  • 198 – Amazon’s War of the Worlds Is a Waste of Ice

    198 – Amazon’s War of the Worlds Is a Waste of Ice
    Aug 6 2025
    I did not like this film.
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    7 mins
  • 197 – Mists of Iga: Teen Ninjas, Cool Swords, and Abiding Friendships

    197 – Mists of Iga: Teen Ninjas, Cool Swords, and Abiding Friendships
    Jul 30 2025
    My brother, Kyle Mortensen, published a wonderful indie book shortly before he died in an accident. He intended to publish three more books in this exciting historical fiction series set during the Warring States period in Japan, but I try to be glad that we at least have the first book, Mists of Iga, which … Continue reading "197 – Mists of Iga: Teen Ninjas, Cool Swords, and Abiding Friendships"
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    10 mins
  • 196 – The Rainbow Fish is Dystopian Horror

    196 – The Rainbow Fish is Dystopian Horror
    Jul 29 2025
    I am not a fan of The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister. It’s a book that portrays mooching, bullying, and gaslighting as good things, but lots of people don’t notice that because, well, it’s really, really pretty.
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    11 mins
  • 195 – James Gunn’s Superman is . . .

    195 – James Gunn’s Superman is . . .
    Jul 25 2025
    Middling movies are the hardest to review!
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    8 mins
  • 194 – George Orwell Predicted AI Art

    194 – George Orwell Predicted AI Art
    Jul 18 2025
    This show starts with some hilariously wholesome news about how Fantastic Mr. Fox broke into the Twickenham Library, and of course Orkney Library had to weigh in. Then it’s on to our main segment, which is just a tad heavier what with it being about how the current challenges presented by AI art were forseen … Continue reading "194 – George Orwell Predicted AI Art"
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    20 mins
  • 193 – The Star Spangled Banner Explains Why Americans Love Big Flags

    193 – The Star Spangled Banner Explains Why Americans Love Big Flags
    Jul 4 2025
    Here’s the back story about how Francis Scott Key came to be trapped on a boat in Baltimore harbor for 25 hours, waiting to see if in the morning . . . the star-spangled banner would still be there!
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    9 mins
  • 192 – Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean

    192 – Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean
    Jul 3 2025
    Here’s a reading of the moderately racy, earliest printed version of Jack and the Beanstalk. There’s nothing really dirty in here, but please listen to it on your own before deciding to share it with kids. This story, first printed in 1734 in a wild collection of funny stories called “Round About Our Coal Fire, … Continue reading "192 – Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean"
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    34 mins