SPLANCHNICS: The Society for the Preservation of Literature, the Arts, Numinosity, Culture, Humor, Nerdiness, Inspiration, Creativity & Storytelling – Details, episodes & analysis

Clare and Hannah discuss themes of isolation, greed, and old age in Cormac McCarthy's 2005 Western Gothic novel, "No Country for Old Men."

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We 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 is an independent author who would love it if you checked out her books! If you like exciting thrillers featuring an “everyman” 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 urban fantasy stories. 

Clare and Hannah read "Ready Player One," Ernest Cline's 2011 LitRPG novel in which every challenge can be solved by being chronically online. Contestants plug in to the OASIS, a virtual universe where anything is possible, if you have the credits and enough one-joystick two-button dexterity to totally kick butt in Black Tiger. Finally, knowing Monty Python and the Holy Grail word for word is useful for something. It's a masterpiece of 80s nostalgia for the Gen-Xers and nihilism for the Millenials. 

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Click here to send us a text message!

Support the show

We 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 is an independent author who would love it if you checked out her books! If you like exciting thrillers featuring an “everyman” 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 urban fantasy stories. 

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, 1984

Sexy Sax Man

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Click here to send us a text message!

Support the show

We 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 is an independent author who would love it if you checked out her books! If you like exciting thrillers featuring an “everyman” 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 urban fantasy stories. 

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. 

Here’s a clip from the Jekyll & Hyde musical, where Dr. Jekyll confronts his evil alter ego, Mr. Hyde: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1Pyjw_ZnD8 Note the impressive use of stunt hair!!

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Click here to send us a text message!

Support the show

We 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 is an independent author who would love it if you checked out her books! If you like exciting thrillers featuring an “everyman” 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 urban fantasy stories. 

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.

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Click here to send us a text message!

Support the show

We 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 is an independent author who would love it if you checked out her books! If you like exciting thrillers featuring an “everyman” 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 urban fantasy stories. 

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-Herrans

Clare’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. Walker

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Click here to send us a text message!

Support the show

We 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 is an independent author who would love it if you checked out her books! If you like exciting thrillers featuring an “everyman” 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 urban fantasy stories. 

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.

Links:

“Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms” (Sorry if that’s TMI…)

The Brilliance of ‘Operation Grim Beeper’

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

“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 seed

The first assassination attempt: July 13, 2024

The second assassination attempt: September 15, 2024

“Controlling Sugar Cravings & Metabolism with Science-Based Tools” | Huberman Lab Podcast #64.

“American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion” - Senator Ron Johnson’s roundtable discussion - September 23, 2024. Begins at 30:50. 

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Click here to send us a text message!

Support the show

We 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 is an independent author who would love it if you checked out her books! If you like exciting thrillers featuring an “everyman” 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 urban fantasy stories. 

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. 

Get your own copy of The Island of Dr. Moreau.

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Click here to send us a text message!

Support the show

We 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 is an independent author who would love it if you checked out her books! If you like exciting thrillers featuring an “everyman” 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 urban fantasy stories. 

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. 

The Karate Kid Collection. Includes the original 1984 Karate Kid and its two sequels, plus the 2010 remake starring Jaden Smith. 

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Little boy trying to break a board in tae kwon do—so cute!!

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Click here to send us a text message!

Support the show

We 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 is an independent author who would love it if you checked out her books! If you like exciting thrillers featuring an “everyman” 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 urban fantasy stories. 

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.

Get your own copy of Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Click here to send us a text message!

Support the show

We 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 is an independent author who would love it if you checked out her books! If you like exciting thrillers featuring an “everyman” 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 urban fantasy stories.