Flightless Bird

This week on Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to discover why America is yet to fully embrace the electric kettle. Why does America insist on the stovetop kettle when it could be boiling its water so much faster? To find out, David talks to Bruce Richardson, a tea master who founded Elmwood Inn Fine Teas in Kentucky, and wrote a book called “The New Tea Companion”. Bruce is a man obsessed with the correct boiling point of water, whose worst enemy is the microwave. Richardson teaches David about the shady events of 1773, in which a bunch of costumed protestors threw British tea into the ocean in a case of tea treason. Could these events still be felt today in America’s rejection of the British invention of the electric kettle? Or is it a voltage issue? Tony Gebely, author of “The Philosophy of Tea: A User's Guide” has some of his own theories - theories which lead the creator of America’s premiere electric kettle brand, Fellow. Jake Miller prefers his boiling water on coffee, not tea - and he argues (somewhat in jest) that the electric kettle could have a massive impact on America’s GDP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Flightless Bird, David becomes fixated on the beaver, the rodent that’s become synonymous with Buc-ees, the giant American gas station. But David quickly learns there is so much to the beaver, the biggest rodent in the United States. With over 15 million of them spread over North America, they were once hunted almost to extinction for their pelts. David talks to Leila Philip, author of Beaverland, an incredible book about how the beaver transformed America. David learns that the beaver was responsible for creating America’s first multi-millionaire and how that money was turned into a real estate empire that we can still see today. David also finds out how important America's beavers were to building America and how we might need them to survive on a planet where wildfires are becoming increasingly prevalent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Flightless Bird, David sets out to look at drug rehab in the state of Florida. According to the CDC, since 1999 over 932,000 people have died from a drug overdose. Since 1999, overdoses involving opioids have increased eight times. With those stats came an exploration of drug rehab facilities - many of which gamed the system and became corrupt. Why did Florida end up leading America in having the most drug centers per capita? What went wrong and has it been put right? To find out, David met with a number of former patients of rehab centers to find out what’s going on in 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to understand Florida’s obsession with exotic pets. Why does the sunshine state have more exotic animal species than any other state and, quite possibly, than any other country? David discovers that there are about 50 different reptile species now thriving in Florida - most of them imports. With that in mind he explores the burmese python, an escaped imported creature which is now eating alligators out in the Everglades, taking the positions of top dog in the ecosystem. David wants to find out what happens to Florida’s unwanted exotic pets, visiting the Everglades Outpost in Homestead to meet skunks, foxes, and wolves - plus the odd goat, lion and giraffe. He ends his trip by meeting Snakes, an exotic snake dealer who is dealing with the law changes in Florida. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Flightless Bird, David sets off for The Villages, America’s biggest retirement community - home to over 100 thousand people over the age of 55. What lies in this mysterious land spread out over about 32 square miles, an area bigger than Manhattan? David discovers The Villages are so big, they get their own designation on the census. Taking a tour with a resident, Farrier discovers golf courses, pickleball courts, grocery stores, banks, and a roading system just for golf carts. And while the local paper is full of positive stories, is there a dark underbelly that runs underneath? And is there any truth to the ongoing rumor that The Villages is the STI capital of the United States? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Flightless Bird, David continues his Florida series by going to EPCOT, Disney’s “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.” Joined by two Disney Adults, Elizabeth and Patrick, David eats his way around the world, and discovers why many also choose to drink their way around the world. Along the way, Farrier discovers Figment, a Disney character that only exists in EPCOT. After finding out why no one is allowed to die in Disney World, Farrier heads back to LA to compare Disney World with Universal Studios. He meets up with theme park YouTubers Peter Sciretta and Kitra Remick of “Ordinary Adventures” to talk Super Nintendo Land and gets a tour from Jon Corfino, Vice President of Creative at Universal Studios. Why is Mario so popular and what do the kids think about the Super Nintendo Land? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to discover Florida’s relationship with its 2000 crocodiles and whopping 1.25 million alligators. Traveling to America’s oldest city, St Augustine, Farrier visits the Alligator Farm to discover why crocs are more feisty than gators, and what food they like eating. He then dives headfirst into the phenomenon of Florida Man, after discovering a man high on bath salts once climbed into the very croc enclosure he’s now looking at! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to the “psychic capital of America”, Cassadaga. On the way he comes across his first Big Tent Revival, so stops to find out what’s going on. Eventually winding his way to Cassadaga, Farrier encounters a group of Americans who not only believe in life on the other side of death, but the fact that you can communicate with those who have crossed over. David discovers Spiritualism, a religion that once boasted 8 million followers in America - amongst them, a former president! David visits a seance room, and comes face to face with a lot of cats - because this sleepy village has also become the unofficial home of hundreds of stray felines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to Florida’s south, deep into the Everglades, in search of the men who live in the glades: Gladesmen. Descending by airboat into the wet marshlands, David discovers he’s on a giant river 100 miles long and 60 miles wide. Surrounded by alligators, bugs, birds and fish, his guide Steve - a third generation gladesman - takes David to a “camp” - the place where gladesmen live. While there David discovers the legend of the skunk ape, Florida’s swampy version of sasquatch. From there he tries to find the truth about the skunk ape, talking to prominent skunk ape expert Dave Shealy. Is this monster legend, or is there a chance the 7-foot tall creature is the original gladesmen? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to understand why Americans put their eggs in the fridge. Why the fridge, when the rest of the planet puts them in the pantry? David learns that each year each American eats an average of 277 eggs each, and that America has enough chickens to provide each American with at least an egg a day. David then discovers a plethora of organizations exist around the humble egg, from the International Egg Commission to the American Egg Board. After learning America also washes all their eggs, Farrier wonders if the two are linked. But no egg organization seems to have the answers Farrier needs - including the USDA and the FDA! Eventually Farrier finds a comrade in an egg expert at Purdue University, Darrin Karcher. Does Darrin have the answers Farrier needs? Sort of. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices