In this month’s special episode we are joined by friend of the show and spiritual leader Hayley of Vancouver for a laid-back near-hour discussing some great listener mail, Snappers™, movie reviews, and of course the Super Bowl Halftime Show. We apparently also have a pretty upbeat view of the current state of award shows that we want you to hear about, plus a shorter and more bittersweet encounter with AI-generated content, too. Don’t worry, it’s not as mindbending as those previous ones, honest. Relax. Forget current events for a while. Just envision Buddy sleeping happily while we go on about the mainstream culture world. Everything will be fine.

RJ is heading to the World Foosball Championships in Spain this summer! It’s true, and you’ll hear about it here. You’ll also hear: a valuable PSA on what to do if you’re involved in a hit and run; really fun listener mail, our thoughts about our mentally taxing Episode 193, and for no real reason a good long talk about about how we use our vacuum cleaners, and how much they have sucked.

Just when we thought we had exhausted our language and usage outrage, we stumble upon a new wave of pronunciation changes that has crept up and caught us napping in our rocking chairs. So that’s the big news, but we also have Snappers, more from the world of Artificial Intelligence, some food reports from nearby eateries we’ve visited, another car oil change PSA, an introduction to Lifting Straps (which given our demographic I initially thought might be just sock garters, but thankfully not), and discussion with KJ about his recent very successful turn as Kris Kringle in the Arts Club Theatre production of “Miracle on 34th Street”. There is other stuff too, but that last sentence has worn us right out, so just go ahead and have a listen and let us know what you thought, how you’re doing, and what you’d love to hear about from us.

We were so focused on our material in this episode that we were apparently taken by surprise that we are marking seven years of, ummm, Shed stuff. This episode is largely listener mail, which we always enjoy, in which we had to revisit old, old wounds from high school days, discuss health and medical care as people our age do, and marvel at the concept of digital dentures (which sounds a lot more fun and exciting than it actually is). So we’ve all penciled in entries on our paper calendars to remember to make a way bigger deal of it when we record our epic 200th episode. But until that shows up, feel free to enjoy this one!

Salty Dogs, you say? Yes, as in salt water taffy and sailing the seas in the late 1700s. Those are just a couple of landfalls this episode makes as we hear about RJ’s trip to Portland, Astoria, and points in between, eat the saltwater taffy he brings us (don’t worry, we were mostly careful about the misophonia), wonder how bathtubs in hotels and motels are somehow not slippery yet don’t feel like sandpaper, and by a route we no longer recall get to talking about DNRs and a few of the many questions there are on that topic. You may be able to help us out on that one—it’s an important topic and we are not really up to speed. Give us a hand. Have a few laughs. Maybe even learn something, who knows? Let’s go!

Our latest episode presents the listener with a bit of a puzzle: who are those two people that comment and expand upon most of the segments? You’ll figure it out, but if not, it hopefully will become clear by the time we get to a key segment later on. If it still isn’t clear, well that’s because what RJ said we’d do didn’t exactly match with what he finally did while up there in the control booth. He hopes the punishment issued by our podcast overlords isn’t too severe.

We also get a look at KJ’s glamorous acting life—riding horses, doing auditions, and attending gala events, among other things. The word “champagne” never comes up but you just know it’s being splashed around in there somewhere. We get so excited that we propose turning audition taping into a whole industry of its own. We also get really fun listener mail, and then discuss an AI-generated discussion of your humble yet fantastic Shed Dogs (see above). It’s a fascinating look into the evolution of AI applications, even if it has a certain “once you hear it, you can’t unhear it” quality. But you be the judge, and let us know what you think! 

Our latest episode includes a fount of ideas and information that range from interesting and entertaining (like attending a house concert) to borderline apocalyptic (like newly introduced, widely available, simple to use, and highly sophisticated image management software that allows realistic fakes). We try to keep our heads on straight by also discussing what we are watching and enjoying, as well as providing a taste of the nefarious powers of big banks in Canada. All in all it’s 40 minutes that should leave you with things light and things heavy to think about.

Happy New Year! As we hurtle toward our 200th episode, the Shed Dogs wish you all a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year! Here in Episode 191, we are once again enjoying letters from faithful listeners, thrashing our way towards understanding obscure words and phrases in Snappers, and getting the latest on how the PNE was feeling last September. Spoiler alert: it was feeling pretty good again. We also manage to fit in a surprisingly complicated approach to bifocals from RJ, and a short exposé on several of Ticketmaster’s super-seedy business practices. Just like we hope the New Year will be, this episode is familiar and comfortable but still new and informative, so put on a comfy sweater and settle in!

Happy Holidays to you and everyone you care about, from us to you! We hope the new year is way better than we expected or hoped. Episode 190 sees us pursuing our normal interests: wasting another golden yet ridiculous money maker idea from PJ, enduring his pontifications about the state of the world, hearing actual valuable advice and concert reviews from RJ, and diving into Listener Mail. But then… what to our wondering ears should appear but KJ responding to Leigh’s remarks about something we said about religion several episodes back. All of a sudden we have a casual yet plausible conversation around whether history indicates that the apostle Paul, writer of letters and founding architect of modern Christianity, was in fact a Roman plant! What…!? So anyway, get ready for that and let us know what you think, we are curious!

This time capsule episode vaults us back to the heady days of the Olympics, particularly the one-time magic of Olympic break dancing. We have a little look at how to watch sports events like that these days, throw in bits and pieces about free will, dealing with special dietary requests, and then find out a lot about “House, M.D.” (eg., is that even the title? Many of us don’t know). You’ll be relieved to know we’re not pitching our special diet plan that promises success at the geriatric Olympics. Not yet, anyway.

The Shed Dogs finally talk about our very great, hugely enjoyable 50th high school grad reunion: what we thought, what we noticed, and how well we enjoyed it. Spoiler alert: it was just great. KJ then floors us by announcing that he’s nominated for not one but two Leo awards (BC Film and TV industry awards). Realizing again that we are in the presence of acting greatness leads us to talking about what we are watching these days, and “Ripley” on Netflix comes in for some very warm acclaim indeed. Of course we mix in our usual bits of super valuable advice on how to live your lives, and finish by bidding farewell to the AM 730 traffic station, which left without saying goodbye. We look to you, listeners, to help fill the void they left. Okay, done, and thanks.

On a sunny afternoon in the Shed, your Dogs enjoy great listener mail, albeit with several sidebars. Part of the outcome of that great mail is us taking our first and best shot at offering travel accommodation advice. We are now dying to hear whether it worked. We remember the 1980 cinema classic “Popeye”, and then to remind ourselves that people are decent, we share a great lost and found story. Generally, we recall that it’s pretty great being around and doing whatever it is we each do, which is a recollection there can never be too much of.

We’ve touched on KJ’s painting accomplishments several times over the years, as well as his acting, and we get yet another look into both in this episode, in which he shares his ingenious homegrown approach to painting landscapes, his creation of very special cards for special occasions, and the latest in his acting and video dancing career. We also have a great time with our special friend Leigh of Courtenay as she once again sends us mail that makes all the little neurons fire off in all directions. Throw in a little of our usual grumbling about pronunciation and usage and there you have it! It’s us again, your Shed Dogs, lowest on the totem pole.

There are probably caves in France where Stone Age artists depicted the tribe’s appreciation for those who didn’t lead the hunt or strike the final blow, but who showed up and helped out. In this episode we reiterate that some things have not changed as much as old haters might think, and that just showing up was rewarded back in the ’60s as well as it is today. We also unveil wondrous new software for creating music, a little PSA about glasses, a ton of Snappers, and an amazing robotic foosball table, not yet available in Canadian Tire, but amazing all the same. We invite you to listen in… and participate! 

Listener Leigh of Courtenay gives us a lot to talk about in another great email, leading us to into the whole business of clearing out the house for sale, and eventually into the topic of bank money. KJ once again hits it out of the park with a selection of Snappers, which leads quite inevitably to getting some fun facts about the Jewish lunar calendar. The stars and planets align for 35 or so minutes of fun in the Shed, and we’ll be happy to see you there!

Being in the latter half of one’s 60s isn’t all bad: you have time to learn things like how to make a decent video, as RJ did to celebrate a notable foosball celebrity, or learn how to paint, as KJ has been famously doing for some time now. You begin to feel free to express your thoughts and opinions perhaps more candidly than you ever have, or take an interest in politics, like PJ. You can use the depth of long experience to provide Public Service information about things like Old Age Security, or brake fluid, or leap days. However…this intellectual and temporal freedom can be perilous, as we get a light taste of in this episode along with those positives above. How do younger people change word pronunciations on us, and get away with it? How can they not be reprimanded for their glib and arguably unconscious mimicking of the Speaking Styles of the Rich and Famous? And how did that bumblebee get in here and why can it not just shut up? If you’re too young to find it relatable it’ll at least be educational, and if you can relate…well, misery or even fleeting irritation loves company. Get some company and have some laughs by taking a listen.

We have Snappers galore, a PSA, another money making idea, a few collisions with and observations on our ongoing development into Cranky Old People, and then suddenly out of nowhere a couple surprising and insightful observations about words and identity that we wish way more people would hear. We manage to get past that and resume our usual posture as Geriatric Adolescents (we can just hear the emcee introducing this band name) to conclude a pleasant session in the Shed. It’s a little educational, a little foolish, and very easy. Take it in. Put your feet up. Order some takeout from the I Don’t Care Cafe.

As we go through our days, we do some things well, some badly, some by dint of noble effort and some by chance. And some things we do just work, for no reason we can name. KJ tells us a story of a thing that just worked when dealing with earnest visitors. No one was hurt or offended, but we were very amused as well as forearmed should we receive these same visitors. We also got to do Snappers and discuss another sure fire blockbuster money maker, and RJ was able to give us an overview of how to navigate city bureaucracy and neighbourhood tensions at the same time. There’s some first class adulting paired with the usual hefty glass of foolishness here, so sit down and dig in!

Faithful listeners will know, and new listeners should know, that KJ of the Shed is a productive and well known actor, in addition to his many creative endeavours within the actual Shed. Here in Episode 180 we hear more about how the other two more shadowy Dogs are spending their time, working, playing, and absorbing little bits of occasionally useful information, like: the real story behind the old “I want all green M&Ms in the green room” diva trope, the world of used tires, the little known connection between the trivia business and the pub business, and speculating about what kinds of substance abuse the early creators of moving cartoons were indulging in. Your head may well be spinning coming out of this one, so take a good look at your surroundings as you begin listening!

We went to the locally legendary Northern Cafe and Grill, and brought back our opinions. This episode was recorded the afternoon of that visit, and also includes our customarily excellent Listener Mail, a marvelling discussion of the anachronistic and fabulously talented genius YouTuber named Bobby Fingers, and a seldom seen phenomenon that occurs when an uninvited rodent guest finds its way into a large and crowded food venue: the Rat Wave. There’s all that and quite a bit more in here, so settle in and have some laughs! 

Bonus: Keep listening after the music fades to find yourself on a road trip with the Dogs to the Northern Cafe!