the letters and things

In this episode, fashionably late, just like the stars intended, the Libra Presidents. These mild guys just wanted things to be peaceful, but with great responsibility comes great compromise. A career military man that never fought in a battle, a gentle soul who spent his second act in great humanitarian service, and two dudes who faded into relative obscurity, overshadowed by the strong personali...

In this episode, we begin out series on the American wars, starting with the first American war, the war of Independence. Which, ironically, started in the French & Indian war, which was a fight over Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. So is Pittsburgh really the birthplace of a nation? Do all roads lead to the steel city?

In this episode, we return after an unplanned two-week hiatus. We live to fight another day, just like one of the subject of this week's episode, Captain Thomas Cochrane. We also hear about the 9/11 of the seas: the sinking of the Lusitania. Boat girl summer goes out with a bang!

In this episode, the penultimate episode of our boat girl summer series, we discuss the dark side of cruising and no we don't mean THAT. We're talking about the ecological terrorism that can be wrought with the largest of ships: cruise ships. Then we talk about straight up the most terrifying thing ever: lost nuclear submarines (which Sam is being too nonchalant about).

In this episode, we continue to talk about the US presidents by zodiac. This time it is Virgos, Lyndon B. Johnson and William Howard Taft. We totally forget to talk about anything to do with the sign of Virgo, but make up for it with some President Taft fan fic!

In this episode, we recount the story of one of the most notorious mutinies that has inspired - weirdly - multiple movies. While Hollywood has a romantic projection of this story, the real truth of the HMS Bounty is, in fact, very dark. And then we talk another maritime tragedy, a true tale of good versus evil, the bombing of the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior.

In this episode, we discover what happens when people stop being nice and start being boat with the boat reality tv dating show crossover. And then we talk about how to anger, or not anger, the sea gods. Get your cheeseburgers ready, for Poseidon demands his payment.

In this episode, we cover the drama queen of the zodiac, Leo. The technocratic Herbert Hoover, soup and corn loving Benjamin Harrison, charismatic Barack Obama, and diabolical Bill Clinton all share the distinction of being the zodiacs most extra sign. Join us as we continue to air our grievances (mostly with Bill) as we continue to recount the life and times of America's CEOs.

In this episode, we get the story of the whaling ship Essex, which is a brutal story of the sea and whales and another example of why we should respect the sea and all its creatures great and small. Then we pivot to the disaster behind the making of the best worst water movie - Waterworld.

In this episode, Manette is very sick and skips the intros and dives straight into chaos. Starting with aphorisms and parables - harmless and light. However then Sam decided to bring the mood down (again) with the story of a side wheel boat (never a good idea) and a disastrous search for a whole lot o' gold and a man named Thomas Thompson (why).

In this episode, we continue boat girl summer with two fresh, new boat topics. Manette talks about the boats of most historical importance in American history, and of course the war of 1812 gets name dropped. Meanwhile Sam recounts the disaster of the SS Princess Alice on the Thame River in London. This story has it all (in a bad way), a true maritime disaster.

In this episode we discover the top five ports, both modern and historical, the busiest sea routes, and the global maritime chokepoints. And then Samantha freaks us all the heck out with boat ghost stories and now we're all haunted and there's a ghost in possession of my creepiest cabinet. Trigger warning: ghosts.

In this episode, we talk through arctic explorer and boat guy, Ernest Shackleton and explore the artisan side of ship building with the Chinese junk ship. And despite saying we're not talking about the Titanic, we talk about the Titanic.

In the episode, we talk about the presidents born under the sign of cancer: sons George W. Bush and John Q. Adams, the silent Calvin Coolidge and Gerald Ford. The most interesting thing about any of these presidents is first wife Betty Ford, who was ICONIC. And though Andrew Jackson wasn't a cancer, he still manages to make it into this episode somehow.

In this episode, we are fully in swing with boat girl summer. This time we cover two museum boats. the Cutty Sark and the HMS Warrior, and then two sunken boats, the Vasa and Mary Rose. Lessons are learned, namely make sure your gun ports are more than 1 meter above the water line.

In this episode, we continue boat girl summer with submersible stories. Despite being terrified of undersea, deep sea, submarines, submersibles we can't seem to get enough of talking about these guys.

In this episode, it's anchors aweigh as we launch Boat Girl Summer! In this Boat 101 episode, we discuss the syllabus for Boat Girl Summer with a rundown of the main categories of boats, which Samantha takes issue with before proposing an even more nonsensical categorisation method.

In this episode, we go through two of the three Gemini Presidents: JFK and George H. W. Bush, or as he is now known Shady Bush. Both rich east coast Ivy League white guys that didn't even have to try to be President. Both terms a shit show in their own right. Chaos reigns supreme with the Gemini guys.

In this episode, Samantha does a deep dive on Samantha Parkington, American Girl, which is why my Google history now has "samantha parkington's dead parents". It is the final Lynn letters, also an American girl, and I don't think anyone will be sad about it, just like Samantha Parkington's dead parents.

In this episode, we read the birthday cards of Grandma Mickey, one of which contained none other than stickers! We also discover that Sam hates adhesive. Manette is shook by this revelation.

In this episode, we cover the Taurus presidents. These guys aren't as bad as some of the others and one of them we even kind of like. We've got two James, two guys with an S in their middle name, and some eye stuff. In addition to four presidents, we have a teaser and world premier of the new hit song Celsius inspired by the energy drink Celsius.

In this episode, we celebrate US Mother's Day and Thai Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day with Grandma's Mother's Day cards. Confused? So are we! All the time! Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, Mothers, and mom-like figures, but only if you read the podcast episode descriptions. ; 0 ) This one's for you!

In this episode, we continue reading through the 1960s letters belonging to Lynn, who was a pre teen girl. Many questions arise like why JFK is on a Mexican stamp and what is a bushel basket? Lots of questions, zero answers, and at least one US President, though he's in Mexico? Unclear.

In this episode, we read some letters to Lynn, grandpas second eldest daughter (of three), but in reality all we really want to talk about is unincorporated territories of America, Teddy Roosevelt, and the Supreme Court case that I don't think the Founding Fathers would be too happy about.

In this episode, we go over the Aries presidents - Thomas Jefferson and John Tyler. One is considered the worst president in history and the other one of the greatest, but take it from us - they both really suck. In this episode we get a long list of wrongs both to humankind and to the nation.