Can I Tell You Something?

Why is book banning on the rise in the United States? Are the children in danger? And what does “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” have to do with all of this? This week, we tell the story of the modern book banning, the “Ed Scare” movement, and how adults project political messages onto children's literature. You will learn: Why are books banned? How did today’s book banning movement start? What...

Has your favorite artist had a thing or two to say about the ever-so-elusive club that makes up the Grammys? We are willing to bet that they have. On January 4, 2024, Jay-Z accepted Dr. Dre’s Global Impact Award at the Grammys with a poignant criticism of the misrepresentation of Black artists, specifically his wife Beyonce. In his own words, “She has more Grammys than anyone and never won album o...

How did Florence Nightingale manage to stop British soldiers dying of infection before germ theory was discovered? This week we are sharing the story of the Mother of Nursing, the Lady with the Lamp, the one and only Florence Nightingale as we ask questions about medical history, patriarchy, and the history of women in STEM.  Sections 00:00 - Intro 00:15 - Florence Nightingale’s Story 08:25 - Debr...

You may be familiar with NASCAR, you may also be familiar with Prohibition, but how did these two worlds collide? This week Brendan and Claire take you deep into Appalachia where between 1919 and 1933, outlaws hired the best drivers to deliver their Moonshine, birthing the culture that would one day become NASCAR. Sections 00:00 - Intro 00:55 - Prohibition & NASCAR 18:22 - Debrief & Discus...

If you’ve been to IKEA, you’ve likely noticed that every product name is Swedish. Now what if I told you that IKEA’s product names follow a set of rules created by its founder, Ingvar Kamprad? This week, Brendan and Claire put their IKEA product knowledge (and their Swedish) to the test with an IKEA Quizlet.  Socials Instagram - @roughdraftseattle TikTok - @roughdraftmedia Sources (in order of ref...

The BLM Garden in Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park was destroyed by the city on December 27th at 6am. This week, we bring you the story of how a beloved community garden was caught in the crossfire of Seattle mayor Bruce Harrel’s campaign to hide homelessness and other symptoms of poverty. Whether or not you’re from Seattle, this story will resonate with guerilla gardeners, DIYers, and community leader...

The clip of Rep. Elise Stefanik grilling the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and UPenn about antisemitism on college campuses seems to have reached every corner of the internet. This week, Brendan and Claire break down the events that led to this clip, providing viewers with the necessary context to dissect the far-right agenda behind Stefanik’s line of questioning. Learn how viral clips such as this...

What is gender essentialism? Who does it impact? In today’s first installment of Learning From Lesbians, we answer these questions (and more) with the guidance of our close personal friends, Emma and Sarah. Join us for a thoughtful discussion between a straight and a queer couple as we trace modern gender roles back to Pope John Paul II’s “The Theology of the Body,” a series of 129 lectures from 1...

Vail is a ski resort in Colorado and home to world-class skiing, restaurants, hotels, and shopping. For many, visiting Vail is an exciting family retreat. For locals, there is a unique perspective that challenges dimensions of class, occupation, wealth, and luxury. Join Brendan and Claire along with special guest Jussi–Claire’s dad–as they chronicle the local Vail experience from its founding in 1...

Does Survivor need to end? Since first airing in May of 2000, this show has created an over 650-episode catalog of American reality TV, providing a unique look into CBS’s challenge with media representation alongside an evolving American diaspora. Whether you are new to Survivor or have been there since the premiere, this discussion of the show's legacy is the tip of the Survivor iceberg. Sect...

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? IT’S HOOTERS AIR, the short-lived airline brought to you by the company that coined the term “breastaurant.” Operating from 2003-2006, Hooters Air sought to capitalize on a struggling post-9/11 airline industry, but were grounded by the oil price surges due to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Join Claire and Brendan as they tell the story of Hooters Air and discuss how the...

In 1977, Voyager 1 and 2 were sent on a journey through our solar system and beyond our home star. Aboard is The Golden Record, a compilation of sounds and images from Earth encoded on four metal disks illustrating the story of humanity. This week, Claire and Brendan discuss what’s included in The Golden Record, and how we would approach sharing our story with music through a 90-minute compilation...

There are some questions that Google can’t answer, like why does envelope glue taste sweet? Or, how do you get that pumpkin smell into a candle? Join us as we take on unsearchable questions with the help of everyone’s favorite learning tool, Kahoot. Sections 00:00 - Intro 03:10 - Why does envelope glue taste sweet? 13:18 - Why can the government just… shut down? 35:22 - How do they get that pumpki...

What is magic? What powers determine whether magic is good or bad ? As Halloween imminently approaches, Brendan and Claire dive into magic's cultural and geographical origins, along with society's mystical fascination with wizards. However, not all magical beings have been awarded the same legacies, which sparks the question: why is there a cultural distinction between wizards and witches?...

In her latest act as Queen of all Media, Oprah created the People’s Fund of Maui and pledged $10 million to support the wildfire victims in Lahaina. Oprah’s act of charity quickly turned into a multi-media apology tour as she tried to confront her criticisms. Despite this effort, it appears that the social divide between billionaire-Oprah and working-class Americans might be too big to overcome. ...

This week, the Can I Tell You Something? podcast hops aboard the International Space Station to learn about what it’s like to live in outer space. Join Brendan and Claire as they tackle basic training with some help from astronaut Chris Hadfield (via YouTube). Check out the videos we watched this episode here ! – Sections 00:00 - Intro 12:58 - Takeoff (introducing the International Space Station)...

Welcome to PART 2 of “Speaking With The Trees”, where we expand upon the incredible research behind plant communication (bioacoustics and ultrasonic communication, specifically) and how that changes our assumptions of plants. We ask ourselves three important questions: what makes plants differe nt than animals, when does something become life, and at what point is life entitled to human rights? Wh...

This week we learn about the incredible research behind plant communication (bioacoustics and ultrasonic communication, specifically) and how that changes our assumptions of plants. We ask ourselves three important questions: What makes plants different than animals, when does something become life, and at what point is life entitled to human rights? What are your answers to these questions? Let u...

This week we take a look into the deceptive and predatory life coaching industry... with special guest "Larry the Life Coach" (distant cousin of infamous TONY ROBBINS). What are your thoughts on life coaching? Do you have one? Let us know --- TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwFOwyoH-3g SewerSlide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_YqsqJBUfw The Skeptical Inquirer:  https://skep...

In this week’s episode, we offer an honest account of the recent Orca "attacks" on boats off the Iberian Peninsula. From there we discover the truth behind the last Orca in captivity, Tokitae ( Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut ) , and her avoidable death. We find that there are many ways to help, both big and small, in becoming an Orca Ally. References can be found below. Tokitae's Story (longer...

On this week’s episode, we delve into the history of the popular New York Times mobile games, Worldle, Crosswords, and Spelling Bee. We are AVID fans of these puzzles in our household, so we wanted to share the “NYT” community with you all! On a zestier note, there has been a mystery brewing in the back of minds as to the illusive identify of the (almost) critically acclaimed “Steve G”, Spelling B...

We are so excited to have our first guests, Claire's mother Ann and Godmother Jutta, although we may get in trouble for referring to them so informally (if you know, you know!) This week we bless you with the wonderful stories of the "Fabulous Women", dive into the significance of lifelong friendship, and what it looks like to grow alongside another. Brendan shares his relationship w...

Despite your best efforts, you've probably been roped into taking a Myers-Briggs test for a class or job. If the experience of slogging through 93 questions nauseated you as much as us, you're in for a treat. We break down the history of Myers-Briggs, analyze the absurdity of the questions, and propose a new personality assessment for the business world. Sections 00:00 - Intro 01:13 - Wher...

UFOs and aliens in a US House Committee hearing? Learn with us as we discover what former intelligence officer and whistleblower David Grusch has to say about non-human biologics, recovered spacecraft, and the government programs involved. We left our tinfoil hats at home in favor of sharing the exciting news: the promise of better UFO detection and reporting combined with the brightest minds of o...

We give our honest opinion on the new Barbie movie and A24 resuming production during the Hollywood strikes. Join us as we break down the highlights, the low-lights, and the product placement in this block buster of a rebrand announcement. At least it's more thoughtful than Twitter's rebrand, right? Segments 00:00 - Intro 07:30 - Barbie movie review 1:11:30 - A24 and the Hollywood strikes...