Flightless Bird

David and Rob take Flightless Bird to Seattle, doing a live episode to a sold out crowd at the Neptune Theatre. They interview a former homicide detective who penned a book on Seattle’s forgotten serial killer Gary Gene Grant, before turning their attention to the Rain City Jacks - a “jackoff club” preparing to celebrate its 20th year. What makes a group of over a 100 men come together to masturbate, and why? Rob and David also share what they love about the city, before David goes back into old interviews and finds one with grunge legend Chris Cornell. Links: - David’s full 30 minutes with Chris Cornell: https://www.webworm.co/p/chriscornell - Chris Cornell tribute by Frank Guan: https://www.vulture.com/2017/05/chris-cornell-lyrics.html A giant thanks to: - Real Don Music for performing an amazing opening set, and live theme song (https://linktr.ee/realdonmusic) - Paul Rosenberg of the Rain City Jacks (NSFW: https://www.raincityjacks.org/) - Cloyd Steiger, author of “Seattle's Forgotten Serial Killer: Gary Gene Grant” (https://www.amazon.com/Seattles-Forgotten-Serial-Killer-Grant/dp/1467143626) - Sydney Paulsen for her amazing photography - Betty Putnam for her taxidermy to dress our set (https://www.eputnamstudio.com) - Matt & Kate for stage managing - The staff at the Neptune! - All those in the audience who came to our first live show - stay tuned for me. Email us: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David and Rob are joined by Gareth Reynold’s from “The Dollop” and “We’re Here To Help” podcasts. Gareth tells them about the story of Gallagher, an American comedian who pioneered the "Sledge-O-Matic" - and got into a bitter feud with his younger brother Ron. Along the way they talk infomercials, Carrot Top, and the dangers of impersonating someone else. LINKS: Mental Floss story: https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/gallagher-vs-gallagher-ii | Pop culture hyperfixations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCbYP2mzFhQ The Dollop podcast: https://www.dolloppodcast.com/podcast We’re Here To Help podcast: https://www.heretohelppod.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, David meets the man who squatted in Kanye West’s Simi Valley house, sleeping in Kanye’s bed, eating Kanye’s pasta, and shitting in Kanye’s backyard. While there, John wrote a book called “Squat” which is, in this podcast’s opinion, fantastic. David then has an update about Melbourne’s Fake Seizure Guy, and reads listeners emails about other local legends around America, Canada, and the world. NOTE: While this episode about Kanye may seem incredibly timely, we actually recorded the studio part of this episode a day before Kanye’s latest X/Twitter tirade, which saw him saying a bunch of mindnumbily dumb, stupid, and offensive stuff. He was racist, extremely anti-semitic, and sent out porn. In a way it doesn't really change anything because we already knew all this about Kanye West - he’s done all this before - but in the chaos of keeping up with everything that’s going on in the world right now, some of that felt a million years ago. I guess I could sum up my feelings by what I texted Rob just now - “I wish we’d gone a little harder here”. Links: - John Safran’s book, Squat: https://www.amazon.com/Squat-John-Safran/dp/1760890170 - Beware the Serial Squatter of Malibu’s Point Dume: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/serial-squatter-malibu-point-dume - Update on Fake Seizure Guy’s Arrest: https://www.webworm.co/p/fakeseizureguy2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"In this week’s Flightless Bird, David continues his series in Australia. This week, he arrives in Melbourne to try and solve the mystery of “Fake Seizure Guy”, a local man who appears to fake having a seizure so locals can sit on him. Why does he want people to sit on him, and how long has this been going on? Do you have more information? Email us: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com Links: - Webworm article on Fake Seizure Guy: https://www.webworm.co/p/fakeseizureguy - Flightless Bird on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast - Carrot Man: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/12/melbourne-fitzroy-carrot-man & https://www.instagram.com/whereiscarrotman/ " Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode, David and Rob take a pause on regular programming to try and make sense of what’s happened since the inauguration of Donald Trump. From social media chaos, Elon Musk’s “hand gesture” and mass deportations, to the new D.O.G.E logo and presidential pardons - we are all just trying to make sense of this together. Email us: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com Find us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast Show Links: - David Farrier’s Webworm piece on inauguration: https://www.webworm.co/p/welcome-to-american-hell - The Present Age with Parker Molloy: https://www.readtpa.com/p/news-organizations-are-tiptoeing - Ezra Klein: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/22/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-trump-inauguration.html - Presidential Pardons: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-proud-boys-tarrio-rhodes-release-pardon-b2683691.html - Officer beaten by mob works 14 hour day at Trump’s inauguration. Comes home to pardons: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/us/politics/officer-jan-6-trump-protection.html - “Trump pardons Silk Road dark web market creator Ross Ulbricht”: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz7e0jve875o - “Trump pardons two police officers convicted in murder of Black man in Washington”: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-pardons-two-police-officers-convicted-murder-black-man-washington-2025-01-23/ -The Bishop who angered Trump: https://time.com/7209222/bishop-mariann-budde-trump/ - How We Learn To Be Brave book: https://www.amazon.com/How-We-Learn-Be-Brave/dp/0593539214/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid= - “Only two genders”: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/23/trump-executive-order-fetal-personhood - Royalty Family YouTube video on LA fires: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7K1FKOV9ns - The Shit You Should Care About newsletter: https://shityoushouldcareabout.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David and Rob reflect on the California wildfires, talking to a variety of people affected both directly and indirectly. We hear from one of the team from Watch Duty (the app downloaded by over 2 million people in the last week) about how it works and how it’s saved lives, before talking to one of the people organising at Mutual Aid LA. We then hear from Flightless Bird listeners about various aspects of American wildfires - and what makes this wildfire different. HOW TO HELP: -Lydia & Ryan's GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/fa89b9fc -Mike Rothschild’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MikeRothschild -GoFundMe main list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/10gvOxituYvxxknoY9IQa-YEqfK8WvCjcLBcg4hsmME4/htmlview?ref=theconsciouscitizens.org -Where to volunteer: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eaSXTYlLY_spJ-_w43ac55qu6X4YtgApgRGfads3cM4/htmlview -Mutual Aid LA - what is needed and how you can help: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KMk34XY5dsvVJjAoD2mQUVHYU_Ib6COz6jcGH5uJWDY/htmlview?gid=439359427#gid=439359427 ARTICLE MENTIONED IN EPISODE -What Happens When a Plastic City Burns https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2025/01/los-angeles-fire-smoke-plastic-toxic/681318/ -David Chamberlin - Creed-tastic cover of our theme song: www.RecordLA.com -Lingering Effects of the wildfire: https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/01/indirect-death-toll-from-the-l-a-fires-may-end-up-in-the-thousands/ -Gunman at the LADWP building: https://www.foxla.com/news/ladwp-headquarter-center-heavy-police-presence -Incarcerated firefighters: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/wildfire-camp-incarcerated-teens -Thread from former inmate who fought fires: https://www.threads.net/@5456236980/post/DEkYYlPv4H1 CONTACT US: -Email Flightless Bird: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com -Watch Flightless Bird on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird David is on the ground in Australia, looking at topics that are distinctly… Australian. Australia has, relatively speaking, a lot of shark attacks. So many there’s a whole Wikipedia page called “Shark attacks in Australia”. Of the 69 “unprovoked shark bites” around the world in 2023, 22% of them happened in Australia. David meets with two men who survived shark attacks - who share their motivational stories of recovery, and talk about an elite members club called “The Bite Club”. Rob and David also discuss the LA fires. Links: -Flightless Bird is looking for first hand stories from Californians affected by the fires. First responders, or those who’ve had their lives changed by these fires. Please send your voice memos to: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com -MALAN Fire & Wind Storm Resources: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KMk34XY5dsvVJjAoD2mQUVHYU_Ib6COz6jcGH5uJWDY/htmlview?gid=439359427#gid=439359427 / Displaced Black Families GoFund Me Directory: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pK5omSsD4KGhjEHCVgcVw-rd4FZP9haoijEx1mSAm5c/htmlview -Brett Connellan - shark attack survivor and motivational speaker : https://www.saxton.com.au/speakers/brett-connellan -Reach the Bite Club’s Dave Pearson (shark attack victims only!): dave.pearson1963@gmail.com -Flightless Bird on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Jason Pargin, author known for his sharp insights into internet culture, as he explores the cognitive impact of TikTok and modern social media on our brains. He humorously critiques the authenticity of content in an algorithm-driven world. The conversation takes a quirky turn with stories from New Year's celebrations, including a surreal Creed concert in Las Vegas. As misinformation becomes rampant, they also delve into the bizarre intersection of media and culture, highlighting the importance of discernment and the strange dynamics of viral phenomena.

This week on Flightless Bird, David calls his friend Leon Wadham who plays "Kemen" in Amazon's Rings of Power series. Rob and David then look back at one of their favourite Flightless Bird episodes, when David visited Hobbiton. Calvin then reviews the first two Lord of the Rings films, and Rob gifts David a birthday present! Links: -Dave Kloc: https://www.instagram.com/davekloc/ -Flightless Bird Shirts: www.webworm.store -Email us: flightlessdbirdchat@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Flightless Bird, Rosabel slips on a leaf and David and Rob look back at one of their favourite episodes and what’s changed since it first aired: Leaf Blowers. They also read feedback on the American Girl episode - and there is a lot of it, including horror stories, and trips to the American Girl doll hospital. David also learns that there is a place you can go where Cabbage Patch Babies are birthed. Links: -Cost to convert entire Greenwich fleet to electric leaf blowers 'shellshocking,' officials say: https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/greenwich-leaf-blower-electric-cost-19972096.php -The Leaf Blowers Will Not Go Quietly: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-11-08/cities-that-banned-leaf-blowers-are-getting-an-earful-from-landscapers -Town of Huntington to begin banning gas-powered leaf blowers in January: https://www.newsday.com/long-island/towns/huntington-gas-leaf-blower-vaubzdxa -NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-leafblowers/ -Angry Hugh Grant: https://youtu.be/DF-9R_yCUBw?si=ccwRRA-FfRAMwfTx&t=484 -Angry Cate Blanchett: https://www.tiktok.com/@katewheeeler/video/7358794083625717025?lang=en -Flightless Bird Shirts: www.webworm.store -Email us: flightlessdbirdchat@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices