Talk Description to Me

Late in the night on December 10th and into the early morning of December 11th, a supercell thunderstorm ripped through four Mid-South American states. Multiple tornadoes within the storm devastated towns, cities, and rural areas, and took the lives of at least 90 people, with many more still missing.  This week, in an effort to provide contextual information to those profoundly affected by these...

Ever wondered how the surface of a round planet translates into a flat map? Christine has! This week, JJ answers questions about the visuals of maps, and how those visuals line up with reality. Then, with maps on the mind, JJ and Christine discuss the look of online tracking and navigation, from deliveries to Uber rides, container ships to Santa's Christmas Eve run! Send us a quick note! Supp...

Love 'em or hate 'em, personal vehicles are everywhere.  These days, people are zipping across town on silent e-bikes, delivering takeout on electric kick scooters, and coasting through neighbourhoods on seemingly magic skateboards. In this episode, Christine and JJ describe the visuals of personal transportation devices, from mobility scooters to hover shoes!  Send us a quick note! Supp...

Since our days as cave-dwelling hunter gatherers, humans have been creating and sharing art. Paintings by early humans still adorn the walls and ceilings of hundreds of caves around the world. Far from "primitive" sketches, many of these works of art demonstrate an evolving understanding of colour, form, symbolism, and pictorial communication. This week, Christine and JJ discuss Palaeoli...

You just can't escape advertising in the modern world. Even if you've been living under a rock there's probably a tiny billboard there promoting a New and Improved rock cleaner! With Thanksgiving upon us and the Christmas shopping season right around the corner, Black Friday advertising is everywhere. This week Christine and JJ describe viral videos of Black Friday chaos, and discus...

This week, the week of Remembrance Day and Veteran's Day, Christine and JJ examine wartime photos and propaganda posters. In this episode they describe early photographs from the American Civil War, black-and-white snapshots from WWI, and iconic photos and propaganda art from WWII, including The Battle of Iwo Jima, V-J Day in Times Square, and paintings of Rosie the Riveter.  Send us a quick...

Día de Muertos is a wonderfully vibrant and joyful Mexican holiday with an extraordinary aesthetic. Family traditions with roots in Aztec rituals are at the heart of the holiday, and are practiced throughout Mexico and around the world. Celebrations continue to evolve, with the alluring visuals of big budget movies like Disney's Coco and James Bond's Spectre adding to the mystique of the...

There's never a bad time to don fishnet stockings and dance the Time Warp, but if you're looking for an excuse, Halloween is it! This week, Christine and JJ breakdown the visuals of the greatest cult movie of all time: the Rocky Horror Picture Show! Sequinned heels, outrageous makeup,  hunky musclemen, and more corsets than you can shake a feather boa at; the Rocky Horror Picture Show im...

Several internet videos featuring strange contraptions and creations have popped up in Christine's social media feed over the last few months, but we haven't managed to slip them into an episode. Then last week, a painting by the mysterious street artist Banksy sold at auction for $25 million. The crazy story of its creation features an epic prank, a hidden contraption, and a viral video...

Energy infrastructure might not be sexy,  but it's vital to our current way of life. These systems bring electricity to your home and transport oil and gas across continents, but what they actually look like remains a mystery to many people. This week, Christine asks about pipelines, rooftop solar systems, and commercial wind farms, and JJ describes the network of wires that lead from power p...

How does life look underwater? What's a jellyfish like? How about coral? Are deep sea creatures really that bizarre?  This week, Christine and JJ don their virtual scuba gear (but not before describing it, of course!) to answer listener questions about the visuals of the underwater world. Send us a quick note! Support the show

When tight for time, Audio Describers often use shorthand phrases to sum up rich or complex visuals. Today, Christine and JJ expand on expressions like "futuristic" and "well-dressed" to help description users fill-in their mental pictures.  Prompted by online conversations with fellow description users and creators, Christine asks how Describers handle repetitive imagery,  ant...

To boldly describe what no one has described before! Ok, that might be overstating it a bit, but can you blame us for being excited? We’re describing the world of Star Trek here! Inspired by the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ casting of Bruce Horak in the role of Hemmer — a blind actor playing a blind character! — Christine and JJ indulge in a descriptive conversation about the every-changing look...

Some of the most iconic pop culture images of our times come from album art. But for many Blind and Low Vision music fans, album covers are little more than cardboard sleeves to protect precious vinyl. Today, Christine and JJ describe art from Billboard’s Top 50 Album Covers of All Time, and throw in some listener requests for good measure. For Billboard’s complete list, visit: https://www.billboa...

It's been a harrowing  few months in Afghanistan with the Taliban advancing during the US military withdrawal. In mid August, the Taliban took control of Kabul and the chaos peaked. In this episode, JJ describes some key scenes from the Taliban takeover including the seizure of the Presidential Palace and the desperate evacuation at the Kabul airport.  Then Christine asks about ongoing protes...

Constellations are delightful and magical; a curious mix of astronomy and fantasy.  They are also a cross cultural phenomenon, with groups from around the world using their own stories to construct and name connect-the-dot pictures in the night sky.  This week, Christine and JJ use Astronomer and Data Visualization Designer Nadieh Bremer's innovative "Figures in the Sky" project to...

The Paralympics are underway, giving us a new slate of athletic heroes to cheer on. But ParaSports sports receive limited coverage between international tournaments, and that makes them a bit harder to follow. To help fill in those gaps, Christine and JJ break down the visuals of some popular Paralympic sports, including wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, running events, and goalball. They t...

Why are some bugs considered beautiful, and others considered creepy? What is the visual impact of a spotting a single bug versus a swarm? When you cook an insect, does it still look like a bug? Join Christine and JJ for a description-rich conversation about insects that's so vivid you'll swear they're buzzing all around! Send us a quick note! Support the show

When summer in the city gets unbearably hot and muggy, many of us dream of a road trip to the cottage. Having just come back from one such weekend getaway, Christine seeks to extend her swim-in-the-lake, sunbathe-on-the-dock, feel-good-buzz with descriptions of a cottage escape. And what road trip is complete without a couple of goofball kids hamming it up in the back of the car? As a special trea...

The Olympics are in full swing, and daily audio description coverage has never been better. This week, Christine and JJ discuss the visuals that don't necessarily make it into the prime time recap, including Olympic memes, protest signs, and slow motion gymnastics. Plus, a few description-rich stories of Olympic sportsmanship.   Audio Description of NBC's prime time coverage and opening...

Ok, this is the big one. In this action-packed episode, Christine and JJ go where no Description podcast has gone before: though a carwash! And not just any carwash -- the longest, most sophisticated, full service car wash in North America. And not with any old microphone -- but with binaural mics for full 3D sound. So put on some headphones, lean back in your seat, and join us for a trip to the A...

For some of us walking through a city is a navigational challenge with little opportunity to stop to and smell the flowers. For others, we're so glued to our phones we barely notice what's around us. This week, Christine and JJ take some time to appreciate the wonderful gems hidden around town; from quirky houses and guerrilla art projects, to tiny front yard libraries and secret doorway...

Tattoos are everywhere. In Canada, the US, and the UK, 1 in 3 young adults have at least one, and lots of folks have many more. But how do they look? And how do they age? What does a prison tattoo look like? Or Inuit skin stitching? And is it true that JJ has the Talk Description to Me logo tattooed on his back? To find out, join us for another description-rich episode! Send us a quick note! Suppo...

The Euros, one of the world's biggest soccer tournaments, is wrapping up this weekend, which has us thinking about the visuals of the planet's most popular sport.  As curious outsiders, Christine and JJ describe the particulars of the game, and how they affect the uniforms, the athletes, the celebrations, and the hilarious on-field drama.  Send us a quick note! Support the show

It's the 4th of July weekend, which means there are lots of celebratory visuals for a couple of curious Canucks to talk about. From red-white-and-blue picnic foods, to stars-and-stripes fashions, and fireworks exploding in the sky, Christine and JJ consider it all. If you are interested in taking your fireworks experience to the next level, check out the innovative verbal description techniqu...