Misfit Stars

On this week's episode: surprising data on how marital status correlates with the amount of sleep that moms get; an amazing breakthrough happening with one profound psychiatric condition; the grueling and fun process of making our latest "80s kids" recording; and the story of how 15-year-old Jamie got kissed and heard a song that changed his life — on the same day! And that's a wrap on Season 5 of The Misfit Stars Podcast! We're going on summer break. Keep in touch! Don't ever change! Other perfunctory end-of-school yearbook sentiments! We'll see you again on the other side of summer! Have a good one! LINKS:  Listen to "Take On Me" here!  Psychology Today article on single moms and leisure time.  Seattle Times article about that catatonic woman who awakened after twenty years.

On this week's episode: all the awesome things that progressives can do when we give them power (way to go, Minnesota!); how orcas might be auditioning to carry on the John Wick vengeance franchise; all you never knew you needed to know about knowingness; and details about the best public toilet Shannon's ever encountered.

On this week's episode: we celebrate the first instance of actual legal accountability for the disgraced former president; what it means and doesn't mean that the WHO ended the Covid-19 emergency declaration; how the name David illustrates the absurd level of gender inequality in business; white supremacists' shocking (how are we still shocked?) and gruesome love affair with a murderous dictator; and how kindness cuts through all the bullshit. Here's that DNI annual threat assessment: https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ATA-2023-Unclassified-Report.pdf

On this week's episode: good news on gun legislation in our home state; a bonkers study about in-group dynamics and the implications it has for the fate of humanity; a recap of our very fun Good to Me theater debut; and the infallibility of actions that are centered in joy.

On this week's episode: conflicting court opinions regarding medication abortion, and the continuing assault on bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom in the US; holy corrupt courts, Batman!; baby surrender boxes (what the hell?); water, water … nowhere?; and a double dose of inspiration station (‘cause we really need it, y'all). It's our last episode for a few weeks since we'll be traveling for our big show debut! See ya on the other side.

On this week's episode: yes, we're talking about that infamous guy who was arraigned on a few dozen felony crimes this week, and since we're not legal experts, we're talking about the thoughts and feelings we have about it from the perspective of regular people who believe that no one is above the law; the truth about inflation; the liberating gift that trans and nonbinary people give to all of us; and a reflection on belonging and purpose. LINKS: Katie Brotten's very moving piece of writing about purpose and belonging, as considered through the lens of her relationship with her recently-deceased dog companion Vinnie: https://www.facebook.com/katiebrotten/posts/10228693302050003

On this week's episode: the vulnerable feelings that are inherent in creative work / being human; the unsolved mystery of decreasing life expectancy in the United States; a helpful perspective on the origins of America's unique-in-the-world gun culture; a fiery conversation about what can be done about all the damn gun deaths; and a published poem by one of our very own Misfit Stars supporting members. Here's where to subscribe to James Turner's (wonderful) newsletter: https://turnercreative.ck.page/one-creative-moment-signup Here are ideas for what you can do right now to help combat our gun death epidemic: https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/firearms-what-you-can-do-right-now Here's Misfit Star Jennifer Henry's wonderful new poem: https://www.consilience-journal.com/issue-12-excavate

On this week's episode: the fact that Fox News lies is (finally!) getting through to some of its viewers; how we've gotten the historical meaning of being a Luddite all wrong; how some revolutionary South Korean women aren't smashing the patriarchy, but rather opting out of it; a helpful metaphor of entrepreneurship as a rigged carnival game; and how when things feel like they're spinning out of control, they might actually be falling into place.

On this week's episode: taking a win for human rights in Michigan; why the head of the Federal Trade Commission deserves a superhero cape; how the social construct of tipping sucks and everyone would be better off if we did away with it; the latest in how the worst people in America are trying to grab power by destroying people's faith in our election system; and how sitting with the idea of death can be life-giving.

“Get out of the whirlpool of doom.” On this week's episode: practical, call-to-action advice from a trans activist about how to stop being an unwitting spreader of fascist propaganda and actually make a difference; the ten stages of genocide — guess where we are in that progression here in the U.S.?; and how reclaiming our personal power invites peace in our spirits. LINKS:Listen to Wouldn't It Be Good!Find Emily Gorcenski here.Donate to the Transgender Law Center here.

On this week's episode: how skepticism is abused by fascists to protect power structures that uphold their fragile wittle egos (poor babies); the four-day workweek revolution; how buses and trains and roads are all public transportation, and should all be free to use; and Jimmy Carter … what an absolute legend. LINKS: That fantastic Scott Adams-inspired essay:  https://armoxon.substack.com/p/the-case-for-shunning

On this week's episode: the healing magic of observing our feelings; how science busts the myth of a gender binary; the person we have to thank for ice cream; the two realities lived by immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised people; and the growth that can come with a narrowed focus. Buy tickets to our Sacramento theater show April 21: https://bstreettheatre.org/music/shannon-curtis/ Link to order our "Good to Me" book on Amazon (we get a small commission if you use this link to buy the book!): https://amzn.to/3WearA1 Listen to "Good to Me": https://songwhip.com/shannoncurtis/good-to-me

On this week's episode: a fun fact about letters; the scientific discovery of a protein that might become a covid-killer; the benefits of free lunch; why and how we must all get invested in the human rights of transgender people; and transcendental inspiration from a total brainiac. LINKS: Buy tickets to our Sacramento theater show here! WA State transgender protection bills: click to add your voice in support if you are a WA resident! Here's that excellent Jamelle Bouie op-ed on trans dignity. Here's where you can order our "Good to Me" book on Amazon (we get a small commission if you use this link to buy the book!). Listen to "Good to Me" here. /////

On this week's episode: a win for racial justice in future presidential nominations; bad habits we need our journalists to break for the sake of democracy; free bus rides to the future; allyship as a near enemy; and the gifts of mistakes and closed doors.

On this week's episode: some good, updated advice on how to use covid rapid tests; the shocking disparity in training hours required for various non-potentially-lethal professions as compared to those required for the police; in the wake of the murder of Tyre Nichols, a challenge for each of us to begin imagining how we build a safe, healthy society without police; and — oh yeah, one more item related to the police — how a pivotal study shows that power doesn't corrupt, it attracts. Tyre Nichols's photography: thiscaliforniakid2.wixsite.com/tnicholsphotography Listen to our new album: songwhip.com/shannoncurtis/good-to-me Link to order our "Good to Me" book on Amazon (we get a small commission if you use this link to buy the book!): amzn.to/3WearA1 And here's that covid rapid test article: www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/do-rapid-tests-still-work/

On this week's episode: the encouraging news about covid trends as we approach the pandemic's third anniversary; a perspective-enhancing view on the population of planet Earth; why it matters for all of us that a small-minded, insecure, control freak, power-lusting, opportunistic governor is taking his state full authoritarian (did we overstate how reprehensible this person is?

On this week's episode: how it's always been hard times, and how acceptance has always been the key to thriving and progress; why facts don't stand a chance against a person's dearly-held mental shortcuts, and how we can use that knowledge to have more productive debates with each other; the un-whitewashing of MLK Jr; and how the smallest moments of gratitude can have the biggest impact on our spirits.---Listen to our new album:songwhip.com/shannoncurtis/good-to-me Brian Klaas article on schemas:https://brianklaas.substack.com/p/schemas-and-the-political-brain Link to order our "Good to Me" book on Amazon (we get a small commission if you use this link to buy the book!):https://amzn.to/3WearA1---

On this week's episode: we're talking about saving the bees; how the story of a sketchy 18th-century doctor relates to our present-day epidemic of science denialism; how Shannon is attempting to rewire her brain away from scarcity-based thinking and toward thoughts centered in possibility; the inspiration we got from a tv series about a visualization technique for self-knowledge and -love; and the very big difference between 99 and 100 percent when it comes to commitment.

On this week's episode: we're talking about the welcoming power of inclusive language; the 10-year anniversary of Sandy Hook, and some breathtaking statistics regarding guns and gun policy in the US; the astonishing upward transfer of wealth that's happened in the last 50 years, and how we could all be doing so much better in myriad practical ways if that hadn't happened (or if we changed those bad policies!); the personally transformative opportunity we create when we make new friends; and how some teens are inspiring Jamie to maybe resurrect his flip phone. We're on break until the new year! See you in 2023. Listen to our new album: songwhip.com/shannoncurtis/good-to-meFree Covid tests: special.usps.com/testkitsLinks:washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/12/19/happy-holidays-christmas-inclusion-exclusion/theintercept.com/2022/12/12/inflation-covid-war-joseph-stiglitz-ira-regmi/nytimes.com/2022/12/15/style/teens-social-media.html

On this week's episode: we're talking about how the future's looking a little brighter for marriage equality, how scientists are recreating the power of the sun to get us closer to a sustainable energy future, how the information environments we've lived through have evolved, how we can be more evolved in how we each communicate, and the power of both teachers and music. Click here to listen to our new album Good to Me on your preferred service: https://songwhip.com/shannoncurtis/good-to-me

On this week's episode: we're talking about the emotional roller coaster of releasing a big creative project into the world, how the world is changing for independent artists and how we're changing with it, more wonderful words that aren't translatable in English, and the magic of a “hinge moment.”

On this week's episode: we're talking about this week's big win for marriage equality, a danger of volcanic eruptions we had never heard of before, how eggplants got their name (but remain gross — fight me), words from non-English languages that are untranslatable (but very cool and useful), evidence that karma might be catching up to a certain political party that's been trying to cheat their way into minority rule, and the kickoff for our "Good to Me" release celebration. It's our first fundraiser in two and a half years! Please become a small-dollar monthly supporter of our work — whatever "small-dollar" means to you — at https://misfitstars.com/support. (If you are already supporting our work, and would like to support it more, you can just go to the above link and make a new pledge; they will coexist harmoniously.) Thank you! ❤️

On this week's episode: we're talking about all the feels accompanying our upcoming album release, unexpected places in which we've lately found a sense of belonging to something larger than ourselves, the role we all have in battling hate speech, how Tucker Carlson is a loser and a terrorist, and the mechanism by which a practice of gratitude changes the state of our spirits.

On this week's episode: we're talking about what Shannon means when she says it's “barista season,” the very good news about US election results, how 8 billion people on planet Earth feels different depending on where you live, how someone got cancelled so hard 150 years ago that we all know his name today, and what midcentury superstar Patti Page has to tell us about using our voices.

On this week's episode: we're talking about how connecting with people on the Fediverse for only one week has started to free our brains from the lies of corporate social media, how colonialism rears its ugly head within the details of music copyright laws, why kidney transplants are perhaps cooler than you'd imagined, and how—as potentially terrifying a moment as this week's US election may be—we are still the ones who will write the future. Links: https://joinmastodon.org/https://locusmag.com/2019/03/cory-doctorow-terra-nullius/

On this week's episode: we're talking about how the people of Brazil might have saved the planet this week, how the “Fediverse” has inspired us to love the internet again, why anti-monopoly enforcers are heroes, how the disgraced former president is still trying to take a wrecking ball to democracy, and how a bit of little-known Julia Roberts trivia ties her to a major historical figure and makes us smile. Today's a great day to subscribe—on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts—so you don't miss an episode of our new season! (And it helps us when you subscribe, rate, and review—so thank you!)

We're officially back for Season 5! We're talking about how great it is when the government we've elected actually does good stuff for us, how monopolies suck, why Shannon has become a cold-blooded murderer, why we can't merely ignore Kanye West's hate speech, what it feels like to go out of your depth, and — inspired by Jamie's birthday — just how very old we all are, with a fun perspective brought to us courtesy of Seinfeld's George Costanza. Here's the link for Vote Save America, in case you need to get registered / learn about your local ballot issues / sign up to volunteer (HINT HINT). Today's a great day to subscribe—on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts—so you don't miss a single episode of our new season! (And it helps us when you subscribe, rate, and review—so thank you!)

On this week's episode: we're back-ish from summer break! We're starting a whole new season … but not for realsies until the second half of October when we've gotten back from a work trip for Jamie. For now, we're just stopping in to say hi and see you soon! We're so excited to resume our ongoing conversation with you. ❤️

It's our last podcast before summer break! For the first time in American history, the Supreme Court has removed legal protections for a fundamental human right. We share how we're processing our emotions around this development, what it signals about future moves by the white christian fascist movement to cement their power and establish minority-rule authoritarianism here, and some concrete steps we can take to channel our energy into fighting the hell back. We also debut the final song from our album project — “Good to Me” — which is centered on the personal commitments we'll need to make to ourselves in this time, in order to cultivate peace in our spirits, and to access and use our power. Links: - abortionfunds.org - votesaveamerica.com/midterm-madness - fourmore.us - mitch hedberg

We're talking about the vulnerability hangover Shannon had after finishing the writing for the last song of her album, the sober birthday celebration of the fact that Jamie's last actual hangover was 18 years ago, and how we think it's impossible for someone who's legitimately done their inner work to be a fascist (lookin' at you, Texas Republicans — the platform you just adopted is telling on the black hole of your souls). Links: https://aftontickets.com/ShipwreckedMusicFestivalhttps://misfitstars.com/2021-sobriety-series/https://statuskuo.substack.com/p/the-texas-gop-just-went-full-fascist

This “been conned” theme runs through a couple of our conversation topics today: the mind-bending / heartbreaking unreality in which MAGA folks exist, and the bombshell evidence the Jan. 6 Commission is revealing about the coup attempted by the disgraced former president. We also talk about some sexy anti-monopoly action coming down the pike, and we make the world debut of our new song, “Serenity.” Links:https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/06/12/election-suspicion-georgia-greene-trump/https://mattstoller.substack.com/p/torpedoes-in-the-waterhttps://current.thedispatch.com/p/getting-smart-on-intelligence

We're getting smart about topics that are painfully useful in 2022!

We are arming ourselves with facts for the gun reform debate!

Oof. It's another horrifying day in a horrifying time in the so-called home of the brave. We spend a lot of our conversation doing unfiltered and honest exploration of our thoughts and feelings about the mass gun murder at a Texas elementary school, and how it connects to the broader landscape of rising fascism in America. We also talk about the message a river had for us yesterday: how making a conscious connection to something bigger and more everlasting than this moment in history may be essential for us to survive it, and to love ourselves and each other through it.

It can often seem like we're powerless against the horrors of white supremacist fascism on the rise here in the U.S. — like the murder of 10 Black people at a grocery store this week — but there is one small, yet vitally important and powerful, weapon that every last one of us has at our disposal: our language. We also cruise through other topics like how we can be better media consumers, how goth is a black hole (answer: so goth), and the Zen Buddhist nature of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” Here's the Washington Post article on how to spot a fake video: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/03/19/how-spot-fake-video/ And here's that InVID site ... just paste a video link from Twitter / Facebook / YouTube, and it'll help you figure out how trustworthy the video and the person sharing it are! https://www.invid-project.eu/

We're still unpacking thoughts and feelings about last week's Supreme Court disaster for reproductive rights. In doing so, we learn about the 17th-century douchebag dude whose writings the right-wing extremists on the court think are the bomb, we find practical inspiration from an 80s kids' movie, and we debut our new song, which is 100% related to our effort to find power within ourselves during this frightening time.

We're back from break! And it appears there is a whole lot going on in the “this feels important” category upon our return. We talk — from a few different angles — about the impending ruling by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs. Wade, and what it means not only for bodily autonomy but also for democracy. And, not to focus solely on doom and gloom, we also take fun detours into medieval timekeeping and the evolutionary importance of caring. Here's the Politico article Shannon mentions: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/religious-right-real-origins-107133/ And the number for the Capitol switchboard: (202) 224-3121. CALL YOUR SENATORS.

We're visiting family! Might we suggest revisiting last week's episode? It was dense. See you next week, most likely, unless we return home to find that something's blown up. We'll keep you posted. * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lwpS5M7hgA

Are we the only ones who have been feeling like the dumpster fire of world events seems to be particularly dumpster-fire-y lately? Well … we're feeling it, and we're talking about it. Specifically, we discuss how real the pull can be toward cynicism (and how we can practically help each other through moments like that), the myriad ways in which the drama-addicted media in the U.S. really needs to get their shit together in the face of rising authoritarianism (or, more realistically, how each of us can and must be mouthpieces in our own circles about what is true), how non-mask-wearers are killing the independent touring industry, and how lies create wars (this is pretty much a Timothy Snyder fan-cast at this point). We also go in-depth about our brand-new song, “Sweat and Butterflies.” Here's a direct link to an English translation of the Russian "Genocide Handbook," which you should absolutely read. https://medium.com/@kravchenko_mm/what-should-russia-do-with-ukraine-translation-of-a-propaganda-article-by-a-russian-journalist-a3e92e3cb64

We've recovered from the Great (two-hour-long) Central Tacoma Power Outage of 2022 to bring you more riveting Misfit Stars discussion! Topics this week include unions (hopefully!) making a comeback, the scientific possibility that Fox News addicts' alternate reality can be set straight (when they stop mainlining Fox propaganda), an inclusive teacher in Florida calling out the absurdity of that state's new “Don't Say Gay” law in a beautifully snarky letter (which may or may not be real, but we don't care — it's glorious), and inspiration from author E.B. White about the possibility and terror of a blank page. To hear the first Small Dinosaurs record "Household Songs," click here: https://smalldinosaurs.bandcamp.com/album/household-songs-2 And to read the Fox News study cited in the podcast, click here: https://osf.io/jrw26/

A busy schedule required us to record this one super early this week … so if any really important things happened in the world and we aren't talking about it here, well, we hope you'll give us a pass.

In between raving about spring springing in Washington, we manage to have some good non-weather-related conversation! Topics include: a couple of unexpected wins in the effort to protect trans kids, a beautiful and emotionally intelligent mechanism of the Irish language, the relevance of truth both in anti-authoritarianism and in having hope, and how we think this year's Best Picture Oscar nominees could be … well, better.

We get into some good, deep stuff this week, all wrapped up neatly in roughly an hour of us on mics — which stands for microphone, and does not refer to one or more persons named Mike. Just … FYI. Topics include: good news about California vehicle emissions standards, a brain-bending perspective on the size of the solar system, the relationship between internalized capitalism and self-worth, the great daylight savings debate, a new song about the power in admitting powerlessness, how to respond to right-wing propaganda-addled folks who (wrongly) complain that Biden is to blame for high gas prices, how anti-trans efforts are (horrifyingly) aimed at nothing short of extermination, and how the people of Ukraine are reminding all of us about our values, our humanity, and what's worth fighting for. Here is a good list of specific ways to help advocate for trans kids in some of the states in which they're coming under attack, courtesy of Misfit Star Bonnie R: https://20465691.hs-sites.com/rally-against-anti-trans-legislation-a-state-by-state-guide

"Try to be the pond." There's a thread running through a few of the topics we cover this week: how fomenting unreality can turn into real harms suffered by real people in the real world. Like how Russian propaganda led directly to Putin's war against Ukraine; like how deregulation of media in the US has allowed a mythological “patriotism” for conservative Americans to fester, which has increasingly manifested as real-world violence; and like how Republicans' inventing an imaginary and extraordinary need for retirement funding nearly killed the Post Office. We also cover a couple of nifty new words for our vocab repertoire, and an elementary school lesson about ponds and fish that every adult needs to hear.

Hoo boy. This last week has been a long year. We're talking all about it: 80s-kid duck-and-cover flashbacks; a supreme Supreme Court nominee; turning the perfect English phrase; the direct line between the autocrat trying to violently rebuild the Russian empire and the horrifying new anti-trans policy in Texas; and … what each of us can do about it all, in our little corners of the world. Here's a good list of resources for where to donate to help Ukraine: https://snyder.substack.com/p/a-few-ways-to-help-ukrainians And here are a few ways to help support trans kids in Texas:https://txtranskids.orghttps://txtranshealth.orghttps://transtexas.org

We're powering through the final week of our carb fast-induced brain fog, and we're covering lots of meaty topics: U.S. women soccer players getting PAID, our immune systems going to vaccine school, how simple physics alleviates a common flying phobia, how the Russian invasion of Ukraine is relevant to the survival of democracy on Earth, and the benefit of becoming a master of pain (or is it “Master of Pain?” … sounds like a cartoon villain … or a WWE wrestler … maybe both. What's even the difference. Can we have sugar yet?).

We're gritting our teeth through sugar withdrawals to cover lots of ground — a nuclear fusion future, Jamie hogging all the gold stars, the toddler tantrum (I mean, “trucker protest”) in Ottawa, the dark side of superheroes, the debut of our new song, “Sandstorm” … and more! If you can even believe it. With no sugar!

Buckle up, because this week we're talking about: Girl Scout cookies, congressional redistricting, the history of world map orientation, no-knock warrants, the vulnerability of uncertainty and potential rejection, unsolicited advice, and some right-on-time Buddhist inspiration. Who else do you know who is willing to tackle such a wide range of topics in one episode? Yeah, that's what we thought.

We're still learning how to avoid stubbing our toes on the furniture in our new podcast digs, but we're loving the new format. This week, it takes us through topics like: the good (?) news about a new covid variant, broadening the conversation about what makes someone “qualified” for a position like Supreme Court justice, Spotify's history of being a bad actor, astroturfed book-banning efforts, what triangles have to do with god, and the goth-approved debut of the peppy first song from our new 2022 album project.

New year, new podcast format! We've freshened things up for the new year and the first of the new episodes drops today. This week we talk about the power in naming feelings, loads of good news from the last month, a fact you may not have known about squids (which Shannon now kind of wishes she didn't), saving democracy, and the inspiring intersection of French food, beauty, and revolution in the 2021 film Delicious.

We're taking some much-needed downtime to rest and recharge! We hope you are too.