We are a mother-daughter team of creative artists irreverently discussing books, movies, TV shows, theater, art, bad grammar, or whatever else has captured our imaginations. This is a very serious podcast!!
Clare and Hannah both share a song that rocked their world. Hannah tries to rap (sort of), and Clare tells the story of the 10,000-pound haircut. Like the comments section of George Michael's "Careless Whisper," we hope you find this episode charmingly, wholesomely, vaguely off-color.The songs:“Change” by NF. “Careless Whisper” by Wham! featuring George Michael, 1984Sexy Sax ManSupport the showWe provide links and other resources to help you find and enjoy the things we talked about on this episode! Note that some of these may include “affiliate” links to books and other products. When you click through and purchase, the price of the item is the same for you. In fact, most of the time you'll get a discount! But the company gives us a little somethin' somethin' to say “thanks” for sending you their way! This helps you enjoy the website and the podcast EVEN MORE by eliminating intrusive advertisements. Thanks for clicking! Theme music: “Splanchnics Riff” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker
Clare and Hannah take on Jekyll and Hyde in a battle of Victorian proportions. In other words, we slink furtively through darkened doorways, scandalize young housemaids sitting up past their bedtime, and write letters to our lawyers with the tantalizing instruction: "Do not open until I have died or disappeared under mysterious circumstances." Get your own copy of this Robert Louis Stevenson classic, here at Clare's Bookshop.org store! Or, since Jekyll & Hyde is in the public domain, you can read it online for FREE at Project Gutenberg. Support the showWe provide links and other resources to help you find and enjoy the things we talked about on this episode! Note that some of these may include “affiliate” links to books and other products. When you click through and purchase, the price of the item is the same for you. In fact, most of the time you'll get a discount! But the company gives us a little somethin' somethin' to say “thanks” for sending you their way! This helps you enjoy the website and the podcast EVEN MORE by eliminating intrusive advertisements. Thanks for clicking! Theme music: “Splanchnics Riff” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker
This is a very serious episode. Clare and Hannah tackle a topic that is probably far beyond them, but that's never stopped them before. Today we discuss the difference between tragedy and evil. Hannah brings up vampires because at least she knows something about those.Support the showWe provide these resources to help you find and enjoy the things we talked about on this episode! Note that some of these may include “affiliate” links to books and other products. When you click through and purchase, the price of the item is the same for you. In fact, most of the time you'll get a discount! But the company gives us a little somethin' somethin' to say “thanks” for sending you their way! This helps you enjoy the website and the podcast EVEN MORE by eliminating intrusive advertisements. Thanks for clicking! Theme music: “Splanchnics Riff” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker
Clare and Hannah each share another song that rocked their worlds. Clare's song is a universal story about the plight of the working poor, just as relevant today as it was forty years ago. Hannah spends most of her allotted time describing what happens if you trespass at a war vet's house and pester his wife (You get shot, that's what). Also, her song made both of us cry a little.Hannah's song: “I Can't Help But Wonder” by Jorge Rivera-HerransClare's song: “Fast Car” written and performed by Tracy Chapman. And here is a live performance of the song: Luke Combs's cover.Theme music: “Splanchnics Riff” composed and performed by Clare T. WalkerSupport the showWe provide these resources to help you find and enjoy the things we talked about on this episode! Note that some of these may include “affiliate” links to books and other products. When you click through and purchase, the price of the item is the same for you. In fact, most of the time you'll get a discount! But the company gives us a little somethin' somethin' to say “thanks” for sending you their way! This helps you enjoy the website and the podcast EVEN MORE by eliminating intrusive advertisements. Thanks for clicking! Theme music: “Splanchnics Riff” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker
Clare and Hannah look back on 2024 as the year that blew their minds every other day. A few examples:The day that Israel blew the pants off their enemies.The presidential candidate who almost got his head blown off on live television.Amazing health discoveries that will keep you from blowing up the bathroom at your in-laws' house.Mentioned in this episode:“Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms” (Sorry if that's TMI…)The Brilliance of ‘Operation Grim Beeper'Innovative flours used as healthy alternatives to flours made from wheat and other grains actually contain toxins: Toxic Superfoods by Sally K. Norton, MPH. Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind by Georgia Ede, MD. Glyphosate (Round Up) is sprayed on crops just before harvest as a dessicant and/or mold retardant. Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying discuss this on Darkhorse Podcast Episode 182, beginning at 1:39:50. June 27, 2024: Presidential debate — former president Donald J. Trump vs. incumbent president Joseph R. BidenKamala Harris installed as Democratic candidate for President of the United States“Atrazine induces complete feminization and chemical castration in male African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis)” Dangers of “heart-healthy” vegetable oils made from seeds such as soy, peanut, corn, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, rape seed (Canola oi), grape seedThe first assassination attempt: July 13, 2024The second assassination attempt: September 15, 2024“Controlling Sugar Cravings & Metabolism with Science-Based Tools” | Huberman Lab Podcast #64. Detailed description of the hormonal and metabolic mechanism behind the fact that consuming large quantities of fructose makes us want to eat more. “American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion” - Senator Ron Johnson's roundtable discussion - September 23, 2024. Begins at 30:50. Wild RFKJ links:RFKJ and the dead whale carcassRFKJ and the Support the showWe provide these resources to help you find and enjoy the things we talked about on this episode! Note that some of these may include “affiliate” links to books and other products. When you click through and purchase, the price of the item is the same for you. In fact, most of the time you'll get a discount! But the company gives us a little somethin' somethin' to say “thanks” for sending you their way! This helps you enjoy the website and the podcast EVEN MORE by eliminating intrusive advertisements. Thanks for clicking!
Clare and Hannah read H.G. Wells' "The Island of Dr. Moreau," and discuss universal themes like the hubris of science, the true nature of humanity, and their uncanny ability to shoehorn a C.S. Lewis shoutout into any discussion. Support the show
Clare and Hannah share their experiences practicing martial arts. By share their experiences, we mean they soared with exquisite grace through a grove of bamboo trees, exchanging blows that shook the surrounding wilderness and awakened a long-dormant volcano. Support the show
Clare and Hannah return with another book club, this time covering Joseph Heller's Catch 22, a satirical commentary on corporate malfeasance, nonsense, incompetence and bureaucracy. A classic war novel that coined a phrase still prominent in the modern zeitgeist, Catch 22 left Clare feeling like a dummy and convinced Hannah that she does indeed have a twisted brain. In other words, a bit of light reading for your summer.Support the Show.
In this breakfast chat, Clare shares a truly embarrassing story from a fellow veterinarian. Names and locations have been changed to protect those involved from further shame. This episode may be troubling for more squeamish listeners, as it contains terms like: uterine horn, testicles, castration, cervix, and litter-bearing animals. Also, Hannah ate spaghetti throughout this recording.Support the show
In part 2 of our series on the kings and queens of England, Clare and Hannah talk about two kings who embodied the term, "man-child." Henry II spent his entire wedding reception goofing off with his best friend and ignoring everybody else, including his new queen. Richard II surrounded himself with his favorite sycophants, spent a ridiculous amount of his country's money on clothes, and commissioned a religious icon featuring... himself. Support the show
Hannah takes the "reigns" for part 1 in a series about the kings and queens of England. Because royalty in England just cycled through the same three names over and over, today we learn about two kings named Henry:Henry II: the highlights of his reign were murdering his best friend in a cathedral, getting whipped within an inch of his life in the same cathedral, and giving a gorgeous castle to a six year-old out of spite.We talk about several movies: Becket (1964, starring Peter O'Toole as King Henry II), The Lion in Winter (1968, starring...Peter O'Toole as King Henry II again!) and Robin Hood, about vagabonds causing trouble for Prince John in England whilst his brother Richard I (the "Lionheart") is galavanting around the Holy Land. Henry III: Basically, he was pretty lame. He fled the battlefield, got captured, and had to be rescued by his son. Also, his brother-in-law called him a simpleton, which is worse than all that other stuff.References:Online: Historic UK has many excellent articles on the history of the British monarchy, including this comprehensive summary, "Kings and Queens of England & Britain" by Ben Johnson.Print: The Kings and Queens of England by Ian Crofton. (Note: affiliate link. Thank you for your support!)Video: Britain's Bloodiest Dynasty -- a 4-part documentary about the Plantagenet kings.Music: "The Battle of Agincourt," by The TwilightMusic: "Splancnics Riff" composed and performed by Clare T. WalkerSupport the show
Clare shares a song that terrifies both her and the man who wrote it. Hannah's song of choice did not so much rock her world as haunt her every waking moment for two weeks straight.Clare's song: "Cat's in the Cradle." Music, lyrics, and performance by Harry Chapin. In December of 1974 it was the Number 1 song on the Billboard Top 100. The link includes a brief interview with Chapin's widow and with his son, followed by a live performance of the song. The comments below the video are both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Hannah's song:"One." From the musical A Chorus Line, 1975. Music by Marvin Hamlisch. Lyrics by Edward Kleban. The link is to a clip from the 1985 film version. Music: "Splanchnics Riff" composed and performed by Clare T. WalkerSupport the show
Clare and Hannah read Charles Portis' 1968 novel, True Grit, and have not been able to talk normally since. We also analyze two movie adaptations of the book: the 1969 adaptation directed by Henry Hathaway and the 2010 adaptation directed by the Coen Brothers. To get your own copy of this amazing book and/or your own DVD copy of the movies, visit Clare's Bookshop.org store. (It's in the Splanchnics Book Club section). You'll get a discount AND you'll be supporting your favorite podcast! Thanks so much for your support!Music: "Splanchnics Riff" composed and performed by Clare T. WalkerSupport the show
This is a weird one. Not at all what you'd be expecting. The names of locations, individuals, and 4-legged lifeforms have been changed to protect the innocent.If you enjoy funny vet stories, you might enjoy the books of James Herriot, a veterinarian plying his trade in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales of northern England. The stories take place before World War 2, in the days when farmers still used horse-drawn implements on their farms, and every veterinarian had to be knowledgeable about every species of animal. Hilarious, heartwarming, and poignant. Warning: will make you want to become a veterinarian. (That's what happened to Clare...) Go to Clare's Bookshop.org store and look for the "Clare's Favorites" section. You'll get a discount and your purchase will support this Very Serious Podcast. Thanks! Music: "Splanchnics Riff" composed and performed by Clare T. WalkerSupport the show
Clare has been doing some light reading... of Dante's Inferno. Music: "Prologue 2," by The Twilight. Listen to The Twilight on Soundcloud.Support the show
Today we discuss whether The Chronicles of Narnia should be read in chronological order or in order of publication. Clare has strong opinions about this one. Hannah doesn't care either way, but that may change...Support the show
Clare and Hannah share some more of the songs that rocked their worlds. Turns out they both really love heavy metal. Who knew?Clare's songs: "I See Fire" -- metal version! Performed by Malinda and Violet Orlandi"Clean Up Your Room" by Akira the Don featuring Jordan Peterson"What Faith Can Do" by KutlessHannah's songs:"A Question" by Bombadil "Hamburg Song" by Keane"Between the Stars" by Canyon City"Rain" by The Seatbelts. Vocals by Tom Conte"Wax and Wane" by Alana HendersonSupport the show
The four temperaments have been around since Hippocrates, who theorized that our human behavior is influenced by the quantities of various fluids present in our bodies. The four temperaments are: Sanguine (blood), Choleric (Yellow bile), Melancholic (black bile), and phlegmatic (phlegm). Clare (a sanguine) and Hannah (a melancholic) plumb the depths of the human psyche in their discussion of the temperaments and their influence on our behavior."The Temperament God Gave You" by Art and Laraine BennettYour purchase of this book at Clare's Bookshop.org store (affiliate link) helps support this amazing podcast! Splanchnics theme composed and performed by Clare Walker"Begone, Itch!" performed by Andrew KellySupport the show
Clare shares some of her veterinary exploits. WARNING: This episode is gross. If any of the following words or phrases gross you out, you may wish to forgo listening:PoopVomitBileRectumRectal examRingwormsAnal glandWheel of vomit"Head falling off"MoistSupport the show
Whether you're writing a book, a movie, or a play, there are three elements you need to think about when creating a character. Clare and Hannah discuss these three things, debate whether James Bond is funny, and discover that they both struggle to say the word "nemesis."Support the show
In this episode, Hannah and Clare continue to talk about Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World," through the lens of one of our favorite "Star Trek" episodes. We also manage to mention "Abolition of Man" again. See if you can spot it!Brave New World by Aldous Huxley includes adult themes. Listener discretion is advised.Support the show
In this episode, Clare and Hannah come off the reservation and step into a Brave New World where people are made in bottles, Henry Ford is God, and the police are armed with water-pistols. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley includes adult themes. Listener discretion is advised.Please enjoy this hilarious video from The Onion about how Disney grows childhood stars in their advanced genetic engineering laboratory!Support the show
Don't be fooled by the title. We're still talking about Shakespeare. This time Hannah and Clare talk about the elements of tragedy and comedy, why the Lancasters had to look good in the histories, and what kind of play The Tempest is anyway.Support the show
Hannah finally uses her drama degree! In this episode, our mother-daughter duo discuss Shakespeare, its challenges, its beauty, and its relevance to us today.This week's installment of "Splanchnics Math:" According to Clare (3:50), Shakespeare was born in 1864 and died in 1616 at the age of 52. This is, of course, incorrect. He lived to be 248 and lived his life going backwards in time. Support the show
Spanning 18 centuries, Walter M. Miller's "A Canticle for Leibowitz" follows a Catholic monastery's attempts to preserve knowledge through several apocalypses.In this episode, Clare and Hannah talk about very serious topics like the cyclical nature of history, mankind's self-destructive nature, buzzards, and a random shark. We also mention C.S. Lewis, but that's a given at this point.If you'd like to pick up a copy of this science fiction classic, head over to Clare's Bookshop.org storefront. This is an affiliate link--if you buy the book, you still get a discount but a small portion of the proceeds supports this podcast. Thanks so much for your support!Support the show
Clare and Hannah share some of their favorite songs and explain why music is an essential part of character development. We manage to quote both Plato and Michael Jackson.Hannah's picks:I'm a Funny Dame (Eartha Kitt): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3l1K13naLMBlue Healer (Birdtalker): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL4AP-n091MSimple Man (Jason Manns With Friends cover): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKMbXOwXSdMClare's picks: Thriller (Michael Jackson, album 1982, single 1983): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaAHotel California (The Eagles, 1977): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVsbvFkhzY4How Could You Say No? (Billy Sprague): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cr0j-_mUHEPlato's Republic (affiliate link -- thank you for clicking through!)Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker.Support the show
In this episode, Clare and Hannah continue to geek out about robots, but to be honest we spend more time discussing humans. Typical humans, always talking about ourselves. We talk about the nature of beauty, being stewards of the earth, and something called an a priori cognitive structure. I feel smarter already.Check out the episode show notes for links, corrections, and more!Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker.Support the show
"The humans, who can think, are so afraid of those who cannot think..."In this episode, the first half of a two-part discussion, Clare and Hannah chat about the progress of robotics over the years, laying the groundwork for the second part, where we get super-duper philosophical and stuff. Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/splanchnics)
In our second episode about Lord of the Flies, things go hog wild.Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker.Special thanks to The Twilight and Donald Kozinski from AnimeRevProductions.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/splanchnics)
Clare and Hannah discuss William Golding's classic 1954 novel, Lord of the Flies. Like all civilized people, they pass the pig mug, and things get philosophical.Click the link above to pick up your own copy of this exciting page-turner! It's an “affiliate” link to our Bookshop.org page. When you click through and purchase, the price of the item is the same for you. In fact, you'll get a discount! But the company gives us a little somethin' somethin' to say “thanks” for sending you their way! This helps you enjoy the website and the podcast EVEN MORE by eliminating intrusive advertisements. Thanks for clicking!Clare is an independent author who would love it if you checked out her books! If you like exciting thrillers featuring normal people overcoming their deepest flaws and confronting their worst fears, you might enjoy The Keys of Death. It's a veterinary medical thriller about a small-town animal doctor who gets tangled up in a whistle-blowing scheme against a big biotech company. Or, if you prefer shorter fiction, try Startling Figures, a collection of three paranormal stories. If you'd like to support us more directly, consider "buying us a coffee" at our Ko-fi page: https://ko-fi.com/splanchnicspodcast. Even virtual caffeine really hits the spot! Thanks so much!Intro and outro music (“Splanchnics Riff)” composed and performed by Clare T. Walker.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/splanchnics)
Clare (Gen X) and Hannah (Millennial) talk about how different generations were shaped by technology, historical events, and in Clare's case, a whole lot of geopolitical mayhem.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/splanchnics)
Clare and Hannah watch Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film adaptation of Dune and immediately sit down to talk about it. We're both big fans of Duke Leto, and Hannah keeps wanting to talk about the Gom Jabbar for some reason.Dune by Frank HerbertWe provide these resources to help you find and enjoy the things we talked about on this episode! Note that some of these may include “affiliate” links to books and other products. When you click through and purchase, the price of the item is the same for you. In fact, most of the time you'll get a discount! But the company gives us a little somethin' somethin' to say “thanks” for sending you their way! This helps you enjoy the website and the podcast EVEN MORE by eliminating intrusive advertisements. Thanks for clicking!If you'd like to support us more directly, consider "buying us a coffee" at our Ko-fi page: https://ko-fi.com/splanchnicspodcast. Even virtual caffeine really hits the spot! Thanks so much!Clare is an independent author who would love it if you checked out her books! If you like exciting thrillers featuring a hero who rises to his or her full potential in the face of peril, you might enjoy The Keys of Death. It's a veterinary medical thriller about a small-town animal doctor who gets tangled up in a whistle-blowing scheme against a big biotech company. Or, if you prefer shorter fiction, try Startling Figures, a collection of three paranormal stories.
Clare and Hannah continue to dive down the rabbit hole and talk about Richard Adam's 1972 adventure novel Watership Down. In Part 2 of this discussion, we talk about the qualities of a great leader: trusting your followers, offering peace to hostile neighbors, and saving the lives of random mice.Splanchnics is a labor of love for your mother-daughter team of hosts, but please consider helping us stay adequately caffeinated by visiting our Ko-fi donation page.If you'd like to enjoy your own copy of Watership Down, please consider purchasing through our affiliate link. Thanks so much for your support!Click here to visit the episode website on Splanchnics.com.Clare's website is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get! Go to www.claretwalker.com to check it out!Intro and outro music: "Splanchnics Riff," composed and performed by Clare T. Walker.
After a bit of a break, Clare and Hannah return to talk about Clare's favorite childhood book: Watership Down! (Spoiler alert: this book has nothing to do with ships going down).
Clare and Hannah may look exactly the same, but they're a lot different under the surface. One of them is introverted, and the other is extroverted. I wonder if you can guess which is which?
Clare and Hannah talk about the Plague, amputations, and blood spurting everywhere. Just your typical breakfast table conversation. Follow us, on Instagram if you wish: @splanchnics_podcast
Clare and Hannah had so much to say about the Martian Chronicles, we decided to record another episode about it. We talk almost exclusively about Hannah's favorite story in the book, and we manage to sneak a C.S. Lewis reference in there, too. This one gets pretty existential (which it usually does if you let Hannah talk for too long).
This episode, Clare and Hannah leave the planet!
Clare and Hannah talk about the positive effects of handcrafts, gardening, cooking, and building your own home!
We've both been reading Tolkien recently! It's a different experience every time, so we decided to share what stood out to us. Hannah dissects the theme of power and corruption throughout the legendarium, from Feanor to Frodo. Clare shares her favorite passages from the Lord of the Rings about how beauty brings healing to the hardened heart.
Clare and Hannah talk about the importance of art and creativity in our world.
My dear chap, it is never a bad time to talk about Dorian Gray. He was made to be worshipped. He's a minor minor gentleman, you know.Join Clare and Hannah for their first book club episode of Season 2. Join us as we discuss Oscar Wilde, Aestheticism, Hedonism, and other vocabulary words that will make you sound really really smart!
Clare and Hannah continue their epic journey through their 21 favorite movies. That's 21 for each of them, so according to their math skills, that's 57 movies... or thereabouts. Our movies include such famous lines as, "Do, or do not. There is no try," "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti," and "Waffles! She's frozen with fear!" Yeah, that last one seems out of place to us, too.
In this first episode of our second season, we return from our holiday break to geek out about our top 21 favorite movies. We chose that number for no particular reason, obviously. We won't give away any of the movie titles, but here are some hints: a llama in a diner, Grabthar's Hammer, and the man who cried, "RIIIICK!"
Clare and Hannah review some classic anime like Akira and Princess Mononoke, try to say "my hovercraft is full of eels" in Japanese and, as an all-powerful wizard once did, ask, "what's the point of living if I can't be beautiful?" We are certainly not experts on the subject of anime, but as always, we talk about it with great enthusiasm!
Clare and Hannah talk about the horror genre, its influence on society, and why the genre that is often disregarded as "trash" and "pulp" is actually really important to our development as human beings. We also discuss dualism, the possibility of a haunted ball pit, and finally promote the book that Clare wrote!
Clare and Hannah take a look at some of their favorite poetry and try to analyze it together. Very wholesome. We feel smarter already. Some of the poets featured include E.E. Cummings, Dylan Thomas, and Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of the Vogon Galactic Constructor Fleet.
Hey, thanks for the shoutout, Loth Wolf Pack! Here's a shoutout for your shoutout:The Loth Wolf Pack is a group of content creators in the Chicago area who geek out about Star Wars Destiny on their YouTube channel.
Clare and Hannah visit Brideshead Revisted, our book club book for July and August. You'll laugh, you'll cry. We won't go so far as to say it'll change your life, but you'll think about it a little bit afterward. Warning: This episode contains excessive amounts of ridiculous British accents.
In a little sidebar during Episode 20, Clare and Hannah talk about how delightful it is to have kids who play hide-and-seek in grocery stores.
Clare and Hannah geek out about Star Trek: The Original Series. We reveal Mr. Spock's side hustle as an auto mechanic, discover that space hippies have had way more of an impact on our lives than we realize, and that anything can become an android if you spin it fast enough.Opening Riff composed and performed by Clare Walker.
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