118. Interlocudogs

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!

KJ acts as interlocutor to PJ’s Mr. Tambo and RJ’s Mr. Bones, as we prepare to go door-to-door for the jehovah’s witnesses.

Here’s the interview of Jerry Sylvester and Dan McNulty we discussed in the episode, fathers of Shauna Sylvester and our very own KJ McNulty. Jerry’s interview is from the beginning until Dan’s portion starts at 6:40.

Links: Shed Dogs; E-bikes; reelyouth (organization that interviews LGBTQ2S+ for documentaries); mercury cleanups in school (excerpted below); minstrel shows, which had an interlocutor in whiteface (!); unfulfilled prophesies of the Jehovah’s Witnesses; detached retina.

Theme music by Voodoo Jazz!

As mentioned in the show, we occasionally would play with mercury in schools. It’s taken a little more seriously now. Read through to the end for the punch line: ““On October 2, 2003, the Washington, D.C.'s Fire Department Hazmat Unit responded to an emergency call unlike any call Ballou High School had ever had to make. What the D.C.'s Hazmat unit found that afternoon proved to be the beginning of a long, exhausting search for, and clean up of, an elemental mercury spill. A student had obtained 250 milliliters of liquid elemental mercury from a science laboratory and had sold some of it to other students. Students had to be dismissed. By the time the D.C. Hazmat Team and the D.C. public health officials arrived, it was too late to contain all the spills; varying amounts of mercury were found in the classrooms, gymnasium, and cafeteria. EPA responded by establishing a mobile command post, measuring mercury air concentrations and noting visual contamination of the science laboratory, cafeteria, gym and administration areas.

Contamination did not stop at the school. Students unknowingly carried mercury on contaminated shoes and clothing through the streets, onto city and school buses, and into their homes. Eleven homes and one common area were found to be contaminated and about 16 families were displaced for a month. EPA assisted with screening of residences.

As a result of the spill, Ballou High School was closed for 35 days and over 200 homes were tested for mercury contamination. Total cleanup costs were about $1,500,000.”