This week I have a, longer than planned, garden update, a mini rant about “autism” and “ADHD” being umbrella terms, and a landscaping whoopsie that is a result of my own ADHD tendencies. Plus, I pontificate on the lurking thoughts about quitting this show in order to start any number of other podcast ideas. And in an impromptu podcast recommendation, I briefly discuss “Succotash: The Comedy Soundcast Soundcast.”
*This episode is brought to you by “Coffee.” When you just need to stay up for 2 more hours. “Coffee” Go to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/odddadout to buy me a coffee and keep me awake, because sleep is overrated anyway.
An encyclopaedia of heroic failure Join Ben Van der Velde, Barry McStay and their guests as they brandish their wooden spoons of destiny and celebrate the losers, heroic failures and spectacular mis-steps that pockmark human endeavour. If you ever want to feel better about your progress in life, take a listen and enjoy a lovely schadenfreude bubble bath.
This week’s episode is going to gently percolate into your ears over several hours, but only after passing through the digestive system of both Ben and Barry. Joined by one of the finest stand-ups on the British circuit and self-confessed coffee snob Carl Donnelly (as well as fastidious father and son Patreon judging team David and Tyler), we enjoy tales of furious Ottoman emperors, how the CIA enjoy their coffee and the hollow depths of Melbourne hipster coffee culture.
Back in true form. I’m all over the place this week. I go from allergy meds to my cat coffee-ing my keyboard. The news brings a lot of porn, a big waste of money, and the worst penis enlargement idea ever. And in Recommended Listening it’s the now 5 time featured John Bukenas and his “Unbelievably Stupid Podcast.”
I’ve been so busy with podcast editing and working on business stuff that I just did not do much for news research this week. So I decided that I’m going to jump to the new format starting this week. At the same time, I have no clue what to talk about this week. It’s a good old fashioned ramble session. I get into my struggle with not buying new recording equipment, my attempt at a work/work/life balance, sacrificing sleep to get more work done and how I’ve always just run that way. I get interrupted by Sam deciding to change his name for a few minutes, and I get mildly philosophical about my views on calling myself selfless. So much crazy stream of consciousness this week. I get geeky with this week’s Recommended Listening feature, the Sometimes Geek podcast, and declare a bunch of health conscious festival goers the Jackass of the Week.
The Livestream For The Cure is over and they managed to raise over $11,000 for the Cancer Research Institute. I’ve got a small sidebar about my son and coffee, and this week I came to realization that I don’t really want to be rich. The news brings some questionable headlines, an irritable barber, and an absent-minded astronaut. At long last, the time has come for this week’s Recommended Listening feature: Who’s Right w/ Doug and Anthony.
What do I have in common with my dog? Both of us have had major weight shifts lately. On a similar note, almost all of this week’s news is about breakfast food. I’ve got garlic coffee, cops confused by donuts, a shortcut to chicken and waffles, and a little “green” something to help your appetite. All that food left me with only one choice for this week’s “Recommended Listening” feature: The RestauRant Podcast.
A Japanese coffee shop owner has created an alternative coffee beverage using burnt garlic. He claims that his drink, despite having an aroma of garlic, tastes like regular coffee and is completely free of caffeine.
A Florida man was arrested during a traffic stop when the officer saw a white substance on the floor of the car that he believed to be crystal meth. Lab tests showed it was in fact just doughnut glaze. The man received a $37,500 settlement after suing the city for false arrest.
A Michigan man, wanted on probation violation, claimed he would turn himself in and bring the police a dozen doughnuts if they could get 1000 shares on his “wanted” post. After going viral and getting 4000 shares, he kept his word and showed up to the police station with a bag of doughnuts in hand.
A Long Beach restaurant owner has been getting a lot of heat after it was discovered that the fried chicken on her menu is purchased from Popeye’s. She claims she has always used pre-made fried chicken since her kitchen isn’t equipped to make it, and has never hidden that fact.
A member of a Nigerian vigilante group shot himself to death during a new member initiation. He had been wearing a number of charms intended to protect him from gunshots. They didn’t work.
What do 90% of nerds have in common? COFFEE!! True nerds love coffee and research. As I am a nerd, what could be more fitting than researching coffee? This week we learn a bit about coffee and make fun of the strange history and haters of the “Wine of the Bean.”
Fun Coffee Facts / History
Coffee beans are actually the pit of a berry.
Legend has it that coffee was discovered by Ethiopian goat herders in the 9th century who found that their goats would “dance” after eating the berries.
Coffee comes from an Arabic phrase that means “wine of the bean”
Caffeine, and by extension coffee, is psychoactive stimulant and in extremely high doses can cause hallucinations and death.
But it would take drinking 100 standard cups of coffee in one sitting to actually die.
1.4 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day
Most expensive Starbucks coffee is a 16 shot espresso which will set you back about $24.
Most expensive coffee in the world comes from the feces of a Sumatran wild cat. While digesting the berries, the pits are fermented. The collected beans cost as much as $600 per lb.
Claiming to be the strongest coffee in the world, Death Wish Coffee boasts 660 mg of caffeine per 12 oz cup.
By comparison a standard cup of coffee contains from 100-150 mg of caffeine
A single shot espresso is between 80-120mg
Tea 40 mg
Average chocolate bar has between 20-60 mg caffeine
Standard 12 oz cola has from 40-60 mg
(For reference the lethal amount is approximately 10,000 mg for the average adult)
Coffee’s Bad Rap
For years coffee has been blamed for everything from hypertension and heart disease to birth defects and cancer.
Coffee houses were actually banned in England in the late 1600’s because the king thought that’s where people were plotting against him.
Italian priests in the 16th century labeled coffee as satanic until Pope Clement VIII declared it delicious and had it baptised. (Hence all the Italian coffee houses)
Fortunately for all of us coffee lovers, they were all wrong…
Modern research has found no concrete proof that drinking coffee has any long term negative effects and has actually disproven almost all previous accusations.
Long term moderate (2-4 cups a day) coffee consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of:
Some forms of Cancer
Cirrhosis of the liver
Asthma attacks
Parkinson’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
Regular heavy coffee consumption has actually been shown to reduce blood pressure and help strengthen the heart.
Coffee actually contains 4X the cancer fighting antioxidants as a cup of green tea.
Now that you know it’s not going to kill you, drink up, and make it a double.