Several Tangents

Sometimes, you have to make some hard choices.

Hey. Did you know that, at the time of this episode's release, the pandemic isn't over yet? This week, Shelley gives an update on what's changed with regards to the current pandemic and provides more insight into what's happening in the labs.

Natalie is back and I think you guys know the drill. We just couldn't shut up on our other podcast so it spilled over to Several Tangents! We talk about our Chinese names, Asians defying stereotypes by not being meek but rather, in reality, loud AF, phlebotomy, and more! You can find the rest of our conversation on Forensic Friends in the episode about the Racial History of Medicine.

Yay for hodgepodge episodes! This week's episode are some snippets from another podcast, Forensic Friends. Over there, Natalie and Shelley discuss confirmation bias and psychology; over here, the conversation continues with personal experiences and anecdotes. As this episode was cut from the full conversation from the other podcast, the transitions are a little abrupt. Whoops. You can find Natalie on her podcast, Some Kind of Brown, and also in Forensic Friends!

Why is it so damn hard to get people to understand they're being racist? Ego, that's why. This week, Shelley dives into one of the reasons that "good people" might be against anti-racism, and what gets in the way of improving oneself and becoming a better person. And, if you don't support Black Lives Matter, then you can gtfo.

It's Several Tangents' one year anniversary! In this teeny tiny episode, Shelley looks back on how the podcast has changed and grown, and the challenges faced when making an indie podcast.

Oof, it doesn't look like this whole situation is really getting any better, is it? Shelley talks about road rage and drivers with tiny dicks. She also talks about the mental toll the pandemic is taking on her as well as all the self-esteem and body image issues that comes with the very first world problem of not having a gym to go to.

Happy National Med Lab Week! Shelley gives her fellow medical lab professionals a shoutout and gives some insight about what happens so that doctors get the lab results they need to care for their patients. It's a short episode, and unfortunately the audio towards the second half is a little messed up. Whoops.

This year has been absolutely surreal, and with many countries in lockdown, socializing can be a tricky thing to navigate. Shelley gives an update on what life is like as a healthcare worker during a pandemic and ponders about the strain on friendships that self-isolation might have.

Shelley might not be stuck working at home (yay health-care work!) but she understands the need to keep oneself entertained. So this week, she geeks out about all the things that keep her from dying of boredom.

This week, a very tired and very salty Shelley gets introspective about...well, saltiness. There's also a segment at the end about COVID-19, in case you are curious about a medical microbiology lab technician's opinions about this pandemic. Keep up with the podcast on social media! Twitter: @severaltangents Instagram: @severaltangents Email: severaltangents@gmail.com

Continuing from last episode, Shelley and Chantelle reminisce about the idiosyncrasies of high school, complain about their neighbours, discuss the merits of small boobs vs big boobs, and detail their hair care routine. It's a Several Tangents episode that is basically all tangents! Look for us on social media! Twitter: @severaltangents Instagram: @severaltangents Email: severaltangents@gmail.com

Chantelle is back! We chat about our memories growing up and how our mindset has changed as we become adults (even though we don't feel like real adults). We also get in depth about Chantelle's undying love for Antique Roadshow. There's also another, very special guest appearing in this episode, in the form of a derpy white husky constantly whining for our attention. Her name is Mina and she loves carrots.

Coronavirus! Antivaxxers! Shelley gets passionate this week about healthcare and the spread of misinformation, pointing out the logical fallacies of a recent run-in with an antivaxxer as well as shedding some light on the novel coronavirus outbreak.

A short episode this week, whoops! Going with the theme of goals and resolutions, Shelley talks about some tips for getting out of productive slumps when ~inspirational blog posts and videos of bullet journals aren't enough. We all love pretty planners and stationary, but do those things actually help?

Happy New Year! This episode, Shelley and Dylan talk about the fallacy of New Year's Resolutions, goal setting, and why goals fail. We take a mini dive into body image, Dylan's chest hair, and Shelley's inability to cook. Ten points if you know what all the letters in the acronym "SMART Goals" stands for without Googling it!

Happy holidays! It's the most jolly time of year but it can also be incredibly stressful and sometimes, downright depressing. In true Several Tangent fashion, we cram as many holiday (and winter) tangents into a single episode! This week, Dylan and Shelley talk about the non-magical aspects of snow, winter memories, and the less happy side of the holidays. Thank you to Dylan for sharing his very personal experience of Christmas with his family after he'd come out.

It's nearly the end of 2019, which makes it a good time to reflect. From co-hosting to social media to the intricacies of true crime, Shelley reveals the things she learned about podcasting. And, of course, she spills some more podcast tea.

This week, we tackle the topic of mental health and stress. Shelley's friend Chantelle joins the episode to discuss her and Shelley's experiences with stress and mental health struggles. As it turns out, keeping it all in is not a healthy coping mechanism. The reality is that there remains a huge stigma against talking about mental health, struggling in front of your peers, and accepting that you might need help. Because of the nature of this episode, there is a content warning for discussions of mental health and mental illness as well as suicidal thoughts. Neither of us are professionals in this field and are only sharing our own experiences and what we learned. We hope that this episode is not only informative but might be of some help to those of you fighting your own mental health battles.

Everyone has had a terrible boss...or five. Some of them are worse than others. This week, Several Tangents is joined by the oft-mentioned Dylan (and his cats), the closest thing Shelley has to a labour code expert. We discuss our worst work experiences and the some sketchy business practices we’ve witnessed. Dylan also mentions some shady practices you should keep an eye out for to ensure you’re getting all the pay you’re owed!

Finally, the Halloween episode! Talia returns to help Shelley cram as many spooky tangents as possible into a single episode! We talk about our favourite costumes, favourite horror movies, the creepiest creepy pastas, and a few tangents here and there about the kids a Talia works with.

Several Tangents is back, but a little different. Shelley gets into a little more detail about what has changed and why. She also spills the tea about a podcasting experience that she’d really, really not like to repeat.

Several Tangents will be undergoing some changes! As such, the podcast will be going on a (hopefully very) brief hiatus. Thanks for your understanding!

Following up on one of our previous episodes about professionalism, Talia and Shelley share their work-related frustrations. As it turns out, not paying attention to the kids you're supervising is not a good idea! And neither is talking shit about your professors. We also get a little loopy towards the end, but what else is new?

We weren't drunk, we swear! What started as an episode about social anxiety/anxiousness (there is a distinction, which we unfortunately never got to...) turned into the ultimate episode of tangents. Shelley and Talia talk about drinking and getting drunk (mostly Talia, whoops), road rage (mostly Shelley, whoops again), and gross men being actual trash. It's a rollercoaster of an episode! (The last bit is told in a sort of light-hearted way, but may be triggering! Feel free to skip the end if this will affect you).

The alternative title is "Holes on Holes", but "Oppa~" is probably more relevant. This week, we talk languages, even though neither of us are linguistics experts. We do, however, speak multiple languages and have had to pick up some new languages a little later in life. Talia also jumps into some impromptu Hebrew lessons and Shelley tries to Google Translate "poop".

This week, your two very tired, very done hosts discusses professionalism. We're giving tips on how to present yourself more professionally, and of course discuss the professionalism fails we have seen...or committed. Really, this episode is born out of Shelley's immense doneness with one of her coworkers, so there's always that part to look forward to in this episode.

We've still got interruptions this episodes, but there's fewer, so that's a win, right? This week, Shelley and Talia gush about their recent favourite books, from supernatural Chinese historical fiction to popular YA fantasy series. As it turns out, sequels are a tricky business even in the hands of a seemingly capable author. Send us your book recommendations, too!

SO. MANY. INTERRUPTIONS. Talia is back from her vacation, which means we are back to our regularly scheduled programming. And of course, it's not a Several Tangents episode without some technical difficulties, right? This is actually a re-recorded episode, but we thought it was an important one. Shelley and Talia answer a listener question about surviving high school, what it means to fit in, and how not to get overwhelmed by the academics. There's also a lot of sniffling and phone-related interruptions. Whoops.

Technology is not our friend. Nope. Technology devoured half of the audio from the episode that was supposed to be released this week. So instead of part 1, you're just gonna be getting part 2...as...part 1. It's confusing, I know. Like time travel. This week, Shelley and Talia relive some of their most memorable travel moments, which oddly enough often involves poop and mountains. It's a worrying theme, and also the reason why Shelley keeps laxatives in her travel medication box. Whoops.

This is what happens when you get along with your guest way too well! Somehow, Shelley, Talia, and special guest Natalie from the Some Kind of Brown podcast ended up talking a whole lot about their favourite childhood shows and movies, YA fiction, elves (of the Dragon Age and LOTR varieties), and more! Most of it started out related to the collaboration's topic...and then took on a life of its own. Whoops? (Yes, this was meant to be broadcasted as a bonus episode, but because of life and things, it's basically a full episode. Whoops again.)

The conversation (and technical difficulties...) continues with Natalie from the Some Kind of Brown podcast! We discuss intra-racial racism, the real Crazy Rich Asians (of Canada), and racist jokes. Race is a lot more complicated than the colour of your skin, and we're really glad we're able to talk about some of its intricacies with Natalie. As promised, there will be a bonus episode coming out with all the tangents we ended up going on, so keep an eye out for that!

We've got a guest on the show! We're a real podcast now :) Natalie from the Some Kind of Brown podcast joins Shelley and Talia in discussing their experiences with racism and how differently race is treated between Canada and the States (and Korea, too!) Toronto is supposed to be the world's most culturally diverse city, but that doesn't mean it's a perfect racism-less haven. We went on so many fun tangents episode that we'll actually be releasing a bonus episode!

We are unapologetic (except not really, since we're Canadian) about this mess of an episode! A very itchy Talia tells a very congested Shelley about the worst of her relationships, at least some of which will make any reasonable person angry on Talia's behalf. Included in this episode is an update on the group date thing, a lot of sniffles, and a surprise visit by a HUGE spider (spoiler: it did not end well for the spider). There is a bit of a content warning for discussions about abusive relationships and manipulative behaviour, mental health, and the usual.

Guys, this episode is saucy. In all seriousness, though, there is a bit of a warning for discussion of sexual content in this episode. Like Talia said, she's very open about her romantic history and that includes talking about it on the podcast! From major red flags to super awkward werewolf encounters, Talia spills the tea on four of her most memorable (in the worst way) dating experiences. It's definitely a wild ride ;)

Looks, idioms can be a little difficult, ok? This week, we talk dating (or, in Shelley's case, the lack thereof). While some might find the dating scene fun and exciting, it can also be incredibly awkward. For Shelley, it's mostly just...awkward. In part 1, Shelley relives her very limited dating experiences (did the first one even count as a date?) and how one should NOT act during a (one-sided) date. The girls also throw a teeny bit of shade at the dating profiles they've come across, and give a little advice on how to present your best self on a dating app.

Hey, look (listen?), the audio isn't trash this week! What's worse for a friendship, confrontation or passive-aggressiveness? Talia discusses the behaviour of her former friends 'Spinach' and 'Kale', who were prone to sudden cold shoulders that left her confused and frustrated. The girls also tackle the ebb of flow of friends, faded friendships, and what happens when one friend puts more effort into the relationship than the other.

Look, I blame technology for the garbage audio quality this episode. The recording software got confused and...well, you'll know. The people in our lives often shape who we become, for better or for worse. In this two-parter, Shelley and Talia spill the tea on the pettiness of some of their former friends, how these toxic friendships have affected them, and where it all went wrong. This week, Shelley reveals all nastiness behind the sweet veneer of her high school friends—friends whom Talia had also known when they attended high school together. Keep an eye out for Part 2, coming out the next week, in which the girls delve into Talia's experiences and the trap of passive aggressiveness between friends. (And again, we're so sorry for the trash audio quality. It turns out Shelley's laptop has a potato for a microphone.)

For a lot of people, moving out feels like the first big step in adulthood. Whether you're moving out for school or just moving out, there's a lot to figure out — and that's assuming one can afford the impossibly high rent or housing prices! This episode, Shelley and Talia relive the good ol' days of living somewhere other than their parents' homes, the trap of freedom, the struggles of trying to move out, and nightmare roommates. It's all fun and games until your roommate ruins your $300 Rachel Ray cookware set.

Leaving high school or college are exciting milestones for many people; it's also kinda terrifying. In Several Tangents' very first episode, friends and cohosts Shelley and Talia reminisce about choosing a career path in high school, the ups and downs of university (spoiler alert: it's overrated), and diving into life after graduation. We promise it's an insightful episode....once you get past all the giggling.