This episode sees the mighty Shed Dogs preparing to break out onto the global stage at last. RJ reveals his quest to make the Canadian Senior Foosball team and represent Canada at the ITSF World Cup next year, while KJ prepares to jet off to the Big Apple on someone else’s dime to help represent Schmigadoon! at the Screen Actors Guild nomination process. We get another round of fun listener mail, and RJ makes a compelling pitch to one-up those Tesla owners by donating to a charity dedicated to reducing global carbon emissions. Meanwhile PJ continues to pitch dubious get rich quick schemes…

This week’s episode opens with some more excellent listener mail before taking a look at the charitable and not-so-charitable aspects of “We”, the organization which has given the Trudeau family and the Liberal Party fits. By fun contrast, we also have KJ’s fabulous Snappers, and as a bonus, Al Franken. We (and by that we mean us, not the Great White Saviors) have some sad tales of changing driving habits in our demographic, which are then redeemed by a story of great detailing services, which we heartily endorse. It’s an emotional rollercoaster with the proverbial happy ending. Okay, maybe not the proverbial one.

Not only do your Dogs spill the beans about “The White Lotus”, but we also have a good look at what happens when mercury is spilled these days—believe us, it’s not like Mr. Fodor’s Chem 11 class any more. We get to hear about RJ’s and Sue of Burnaby’s new Prius Prime, and in case their happy experience there whets your shopping appetite we also touch upon the coming wave of Chinese-made EVs. Warning: if you dislike spoilers and are planning to watch “The White Lotus”, maybe just accept our enthusiastic thumbs up and skip the last half hour or so here. We were very excited about that series…

In the virtual Shed the Dogs anachronistically yet contemporaneously predict the outcome of the 2021 federal election in Canada. What is RJ’s new doctor really trying to say in his introductory letter to his new patients? Spit it out. Now, cough! In an epic ’splainer PJ draws back the curtain on the mighty machinery of the electoral process and shares his new and hard-won insights into why federal elections cost so much. All three Dogs arrive at a hopefully clearer understanding of what is and is not insider trading. We close with a shout out to newlyweds Chroner and Deb of Duncan as well as a precise (if temporary) understanding of what the “cis” prefix means. This compact episode is a great deal when calculated on a per minute basis!

In our second of two special episodes with Nancy of New Westminster the dogs look at plastic scale models, Christopher Columbus, Constable Tom, phallic rockets, Nancy’s work for Peter Julian, and shopping for EVs. Hey don’t think this episode is not super special. It is, but our regular effusive blurb writer is otherwise engaged. Come for the Chevy Monza, stay for the Austin Mini conversion!

Hey everybody, here is our special pre-federal election episode, with Shed Dogs resident political correspondent Griffin of Burnaby. Herein we have 35 solid minutes of insightful political analysis about the debates, who the NDP will partner with, poll accuracy, electoral reform, the Greens, and the media, and we then close with projections for BC and Canada as a whole! Afterwards we follow up the interview with the usual inane drivel, including introducing one of Canada’s newest senior citizens.

Weddings and standup and ghosts, oh my! Friend of the show Nancy of New Westminster joins us in the Shed for our 120th episode, and it’s a fun one—including ghosts in the attic; officiating weddings, surprising mutual friends; what our forebears did and didn’t talk about and teach, comedy stylings, and a pile of great listener mail. We have viewing and reading recommendations, and find out that life in the arts isn’t all fun and games: there is such a thing as Emergency Acting and KJ tells us about his recent experience doing it. You’ll feel safe, informed and amused by the end, or possibly haunted, we’re not certain—but you certainly won’t be bored!

After a long and insistent letter writing campaign from our listening audience (there have been none), the Shed Dogs at last wade into the murky and roiling waters of The Great Marmite Debate. For three years now we’ve avoided this subject (it’s never come up) but at this point we felt we had no choice but to bring the full weight of our journalistic experience (we have none) to helping our faithful listening audience come to grips with the defining question - Marmite: Love it or hate it? We then remain in the Chateau to look briefly at robot lawnmowers (uncomfortably close to a brief segment on grass) and then move on to beautiful old trucks and where to get them repaired. But really this episode is all about the brewing byproduct commonly called Marmite. Clear your palates and plug in because It’s All Marmite All the Time Baby™!

The Dogs are in situ, in the real Shed, rising to the challenge of more Short Snappers from KJ at the same time as we get to read a bunch of listener mail. We also discuss a very cool recording of KJ’s and Shauna Sylvester’s fathers on the day they fired up a paving company. Plus our pithy observations on e-bikes, mercury, minstrel shows, JW predictions, and a short celebration of the state of health care in the West Kootenays ensue as we whisk you through a potpourri of palaver!

We’ve been treading a little lightly these last 16 months because we know you’ve been dealing with a lot. But now, we’re flush with vaccines and the gloves are off: it’s time to weigh in on the inflammatory question of what is an ideal banana, how do you go about eating it, and can it really fit in your pocket? We know you can do this. We also have an album review, some questions about whether public indecency has gone up, and an update from the dark recesses of KJ’s sleeping mind. On top of all that, we put Spam musubi out there, and RJ gifts us a delightful label for many of the YouTube channels we love: competence porn. Happy to see you!

Nancy of New West teams up via Listener Mail with RJ to settle once and for all what a saucepan actually is. That’s just one of several very satisfying emails we get to read here, and the mail leads to an even more satisfying kayaking travelogue shared by Ogre of Nelson. Since all that exercise left us mentally razor sharp, KJ puts the other two Dogs to a stern test and kicks off his new Short Snappers feature. Finally, RJ presents us all with The Best Graphic Explanation of Internal Combustion Engines Ever. Warm and aromatic, yet explosive and powerful, this episode has it all!

Normally when we say “greatest idea ever” it’s an ironic setup to a laugh at a silly idea. NOT THIS TIME. KJ has suggested something genuinely exciting, seriously, and here it is: If there’s someone you know whose life story or reminiscences you’d love to capture, we can help. We thought mainly of elderly parents or relatives, but who knows? We’d do a video or audio interview, do a basic edit, and then send it to you. We wouldn’t publish it as an episode unless that was something you (and the subject) wanted. Listen to the episode for more about how we imagine this working. Also listen for great listener mail , RJ’s psychic skepticism, and a rousing walkthrough of “9 to 5”, which none of the Dogs have seen. And get in touch if you would like us to talk to a loved one about their lives.

Friend of the show (and Chief Fact Checker) Leigh of Courtenay joins the Dogs this episode as we take a tour through a truly different Oscars show, provide deep coverage on the difference between pots and pans, and revisit The Crown. Fortified by our success with those topics, we move on to looking at just what are Non Fungible Tokens, and then pretend we understand crypto currencies like BitCoin and Dogecoin. Finally, as a palate cleansing delight, we deal with joy, outrage, and comedy as we go through some terrific listener mail. Real and surreal content is here in a dizzying mix of edification and confusion, so take a pre-emptive Advil and have a listen! Don’t ever funge, man.

Most widely known for her 2018 run at becoming Mayor of Vancouver, KJ’s family friend Shauna Sylvester is an award-winning thinker and social analyst. She shares with us her inspiring and insightful thoughts on poverty, the housing crisis, what leadership is and is not, which local leaders are making a difference, and much more. If you’ve ever wanted to clarify your thoughts on what kind of leaders you want or the kinds of things we can do to improve our collective lot, this is your episode. Take some time with it. Watch the video. Talk to your friends and loved ones. It’s worth it.

As you listen to our dynamic and energy packed episodes, it’s easy to assume we are always on the go, never sitting down, constantly pursuing information and entertainment. Here in Episode 112, we reveal our more relaxed side, and share what we’re enjoying on Netflix and YouTube, how to locate programs you’ve heard about, theories on what makes a great action movie, and more. We also get to read great listener feedback on recent episodes. So take a load off, maybe get a favourite beverage, and take a moment to hear what your fellow Doggites are thinking and pick up viewing tips into the bargain!

In a time traveling episode spanning a full month, the Dogs of the (virtual) Shed go over a lot of thoughtful and entertaining listener mail, ask for help with inventing new words and playing solitaire, and worry about the stab-in-the-back myth. Things are looking up! In the Spring an old dog's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of vaccination—fancy passing a little time waiting with us? Red jack on the black queen!

Honestly, we started out talking about serious stuff like how we’d rule our private islands and what’s been going on with the stock market lately. We talked about finding old letters we sent and received back in the dawn of our time, and how they’re a cool look back into who we were, or maybe still are. It was all going so well, and then somehow we drifted into...pickup trucks and imploding pianos. Now our lives are upside down. Have a listen, but be warned: it could be life changing.

We received great responses on the episode with MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, so we share them here, along with a first exposure for KJ and RJ to “Gone With the Wind”, a tip on how to be notified about email ID theft, and our thoughts on Twitter bans and those pesky half-awake dreams. Nothing here should disturb your days or nights, so tune in and listen on, Garth. Back in the day, toasters could fly!

This very special episode features a conversation with Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, the NDP MP for Nunavut. We touch on a wide range of issues and topics focused on life in the territory, its differences, challenges, problems, and joys. Listen to this committed, people-focused parliamentarian talk about her work, her constituents, and her colleagues and leader in the NDP, as well as some of the ups and downs involved in representing Nunavut and being a young female indigenous MP. It’s food for thought and a call to action. We hope you enjoy special theme music by permission from Nunavut-born songwriter Becky Han, as well. Come along for the commute without leaving your chair!

It’s more of the arts this week, as KJ chats about his recent online performance in the National Arts Council’s “The Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer”, and we provide our review of “Nate - a One Man Show” on Netflix. After loading up on all that culture we get the pleasure of reading a ton of Listener Mail (always a favourite activity in the Shed), difficult vaccination choices for RJ, and a smattering of reminiscences. You can’t get 193 years of life in one room without some reminiscences, let’s face it. So come along, enjoy our new Voodoo Jazz podcast music, and have a few laughs!