Forensic Tales

#172 - The identity of a man dressed in a suit found dead on Australia's Somerton beach has baffled investigators for over 70 years. Can the use of genetic genealogy finally identify him?   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you woul...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday April 14, 2023: [00:30] From 7% to 67%: The EPA's proposed new EV standards [3:30] The dirty electricity turning point is here [5:30] Buh-bye, lithium? The rise of sodium batteries [12:00] 22K gallons for your swimming pool   Resources mentioned: Episode #260: The White Gold Rush Episode #131: 5 Fact About The Global Water Crisis Join our (free!) com...

We Americans are notorious for making our unwanted stuff someone else's problem. Part of the reason has to do with our desire to be altruistic: We tell ourselves we're helping the less fortunate when we pass on our perfectly decent items. But the reality is much bleaker: Both our recently-decluttered donations and our down-and-dirty trash create problems for the people and places that get...

Our culture's messaging angles household labor as unimportant and uninspiring. And while work within the home is largely undervalued, the sad reality is that the chores, cooking, laundry, and everything else simply must get done.  Here's something that's not often discussed: there's a quiet joy to be found in tending to the home. Today I speak with podcaster and homemaker extraordi...

#171 - A Chicago man mysteriously died just hours after he win a million dollars playing the lottery,. His family is now searching for answers. Can forensic science help explain what happened to Urooj Khan?   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Pa...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday April 7, 2023: [00:30] Changing tornados and tornado seasons [4:00] Amazon.com and the problem with climate "pledges" [5:30] Paris's electric scooters problem [10:00] Big Oil in the Niger Delta   Join our (free!) community  here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on  Facebook,   Instagram  +  Youtube . Email me and say hello! Mama...

Chances are we've all been influenced to buy something at least once before. But the rise of influencer marketing is a different beast that has fundamentally altered the way brands sell to consumers.  On today's show I suggest 5 ways to be influenced less.  Here's a preview of the tips we're discussing today: [13:00] Think of influencers not as friends but as salespeople [15:00] Lo...

After losing a loved one, deciding what to do with their possessions is a complicated process. We humans tend to attach sentiment to physical things; it's no surprise, then, that many of us find ourselves suffering over not just the loss of life but also over the perceived loss of memories embedded within their belongings. Today's conversation offers insight into decluttering through grief...

#170 - In 1999, a young rookie cop from Bald Head Island, North Carolina was found mysteriously shot to death while on duty. The local DA was quick to rule the incident a suicide, but the forensic evidence pointed toward something else. Something far more sinister.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday March 31, 2023: [00:30] iPhone's new eco-feature [4:00] Bee brains [7:30] Kids v. Montana [12:00] Why is Duluth, Minnesota suddenly popular?    Join our (free!) community  here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on  Facebook,   Instagram  +  Youtube . Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Our Sponsors: * Thank you to Lif...

"I wish you would do an episode on TerraCycle . They have been in the news about not truly recycling the items they collect [and] their boxes are expensive. Am I wasting my money?"    Here's a preview: [3:30] The Number One difference between TerraCycle's sponsored waste program and zero waste boxes [7:00] Have you seen the that cool infinity logo on products? Here's what it me...

Furniture and decor trends can be tempting. But trends peak then inevitably decline; after just a few years, our choices re: side lamps, accent chairs and everything in between often become (gasp!) outdated. It's true: hopping on and off the trend bandwagon can leave us broke and wasteful. On today's show interior designer  Betsy Helmuth  first offers this spring's biggest decor trends...

#169 - During a seven year period, at least eight men mysteriously disappeared from Toronto's gay village between 2010 and 2017. For many years, investigators feared their disappearances were linked to a cannibal stalking the Toronto streets.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 24, 2023: [00:30] Potential PFAS regulation? [3:30] The planet's enduring fever [8:30] 'Slow burn' television [12:00] We want what we want when we want it: Our love of off-season produce   Resource mentioned:  Episode #264: Forever Chemicals Join our (free!) community  here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on  Facebook,  ...

Goody bags, Easter baskets, and other junk culture opportunities: Revisiting the cheap plastic toys conundrum. Here's a preview: [3:00] Everybody hates goody bags, so why are we still giving them? [8:00] The history of gifting: 4 reasons why humans are wired to give gifts [20:00] Words of encouragement for listeners reluctant to go against the grain [27:00] 5 things to consider re: hosting a n...

Life is noisier, messier, and more complicated than ever. In our quest to keep up, we can try to do it all—with mixed results. Instead of life passively happening TO us, we each have the power to create the life we want to live. On today's show: A conversation with author  Elisabeth Sharp McKetta  about figuring out what matters most and hitting delete on what doesn’t.   Here's a preview:...

#168 - A Wisconsin stay at home wife and mother is arrested after a neighbor's six month old baby dies after spending the morning in her care. The medical professionals say Audrey Edmunds shook the baby causing severe head trauma but Audrey claims she's innocent.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can a...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 17, 2023: [00:30] Lab-to-table dairy [4:00] Norfolk Southern's dioxin problem [7:45] A failed levee and aging infrastructure [12:00] Bumpy flights and climate change [14:30] Cooking oil jet fuel?   Join our (free!) community  here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on  Facebook,   Instagram  +  Youtube . Email me and say hello! Mam...

Should you pay a bit more for carbon-neutral shipping? (Answer: It's complicated.) How do you best offset your next flight? (Answer: Pay much more than you think.)  On today's show we break down all-things carbon offsets.  Here's a preview: [4:00] Are carbon offsets a greenwashing gimmick? [6:00] How to calculate the equity weighted social cost of carbon of your next flight [15:30] Gui...

The answer to a happier, more connected life may be as simple as connecting with nature. Enter houseplants, a.k.a. an easy and accessible way to bring the outside in. Although caring for plants has been shown to reduce stress, increase joy, and cultivate connections with ourselves, others and the earth, many of us are epic plant killers. What then? On today's show author and podcaster  Maria F...

#167 - The life of a young Washington D.C. federal employee was cut short when she mysteriously disappeared after a night out with friends. Even after years of investigating, her sudden death remains a mystery.   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales...

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 10, 2023: [2:00] #StopWillow [4:30] 'Zombie' forests [7:30] The UN's (historic) High Seas Treaty [11:30] Poland Spring's unquenchable thirst   Further learning: Episode #137: 5 Facts About The Global Water Crisis   Join our (free!) community  here . Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on  Facebook,   Instagram  +  Youtube...

Corporations make money when consumers perseverate over what they don't have. And personal development? If you want to grow into the best person you can be, Step One is to abandon a mindset that's focused on scarcity. On this episode: how to radically transform your cognitive patterns from ruminating on what you lack to appreciating what you have in under 5 minutes a day.   Here's a pr...

When it comes to sustainable action, we tend to label behaviors as either/or: Either we're acting in a way that's "eco-friendly" or ..., well, not. But some lifestyle tweaks are greener than others: When time, energy, and funds are finite, where's the best place to focus our efforts? On today's show: A conversation with  Sam Schreiner  about the 4 categories of sustainable...

#166 - In 2019, Angel Bumpass was charged with first-degree murder for a crime committed when she was only a teenager. Prosecutors alleged that her fingerprints at the crime scene proved she was the killer. Is Angel Bumpass a cold-blooded killer? Or did someone set her up?   Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review....