Fasten your safety belts tight and low across your perfectly bronzed hips, because we're taking off. Destination: SWEET VALLEY, CA.

Fasten your safety belts tight and low across your perfectly bronzed hips, because we're taking off. Destination: SWEET VALLEY, CA.

Intro to Sweet Valley Diaries: THE TEASE

Host Marissa Flaxbart takes guests Selah Kahrmann and Kat Hazelton down the Sweet Valley rabbit hole as they discuss the very first book in the Sweet Valley High series. 

Host Marissa Flaxbart takes guests Selah Kahrmann and Kat Hazelton down the Sweet Valley rabbit hole as they discuss the very first book in the Sweet Valley High series.

Sweet Valley Diaries #1: DOUBLE LOVE

“Is Dad having an affair with his female coworker? She’s an attractive woman, right? So…probably.” - Every Wakefield Child Marissa and her guests Kat and Selah vent about this and other Book 1 B-Stories.

“Is Dad having an affair with his female coworker? She’s an attractive woman, right? So…probably.” - Every Wakefield Child Marissa and her guests Kat and Selah vent about this and other Book 1 B-Stories.

Extra Drama #1: DOUBLE LOVE's Double Standard!

Marissa is joined by filmmaker (and Sweet Valley aficionado!) Adaora Nwandu to discuss the past sins and present bad boyfriends of Enid Rollins, Elizabeth Wakefield's best friend. All secrets from Sweet Valley High Book #2 will be revealed!

Marissa is joined by filmmaker (and Sweet Valley aficionado!) Adaora Nwandu to discuss the past sins and present bad boyfriends of Enid Rollins, Elizabeth Wakefield's best friend. All secrets from Sweet Valley High Book #2 will be revealed!

Sweet Valley Diaries #2: SECRETS

Marissa interviews her guest Adaora about what it was like reading about the Wakefields et al from across the continents. Together, they consider: Is Enugu the Sweet Valley of Nigeria?

Marissa interviews her guest Adaora about what it was like reading about the Wakefields et al from across the continents. Together, they consider: Is Enugu the Sweet Valley of Nigeria?

Extra Drama #2: Keeper of the Sweet Valley SECRETS!

Sweet Valley's two biggest players (Jessica Wakefield and Bruce Patman) are burning hot and heavy for each other, and the fire is only 37% contained. Be careful out there, kids! Marissa is joined by media scholar Caitlin McCann to give this serious matter the academic consideration it so richly deserves.

Sweet Valley's two biggest players (Jessica Wakefield and Bruce Patman) are burning hot and heavy for each other, and the fire is only 37% contained. Be careful out there, kids! Marissa is joined by media scholar Caitlin McCann to give this serious matter the academic consideration it so richly deserves.

Sweet Valley Diaries #3: PLAYING WITH FIRE

The "S" word ("Sex") isn't a part of the Sweet Valley High vocabulary, but in this bonus conversation, Marissa and her guest, film scholar Caitlin McCann, cover lots of tricky s-words: Sex, Slut Shaming, and Subtext. Sooooo Scandalous! 

The "S" word ("Sex") isn't a part of the Sweet Valley High vocabulary, but in this bonus conversation, Marissa and her guest, film scholar Caitlin McCann, cover lots of tricky s-words: Sex, Slut Shaming, and Subtext. Sooooo Scandalous!

Extra Drama #3: He's STEALING Her WIND!

Yes, it's THAT book. The one where Robin Wilson is publicly shamed, doesn't get into PBA, retreats inward, starves herself, loses a million pounds, and then becomes fun and popular. High school BFFs Marissa and her guest, photographer Mary Kate Battles, have some rather strong feelings about all this.  Side note: It's the first ever remotely recorded episode of the podcast, and it's got the weird audio to prove it! Also, we gratefully welcome our first sponsor The Dairi Burger! ;)

Yes, it's THAT book. The one where Robin Wilson is publicly shamed, doesn't get into PBA, retreats inward, starves herself, loses a million pounds, and then becomes fun and popular. High school BFFs Marissa and her guest, photographer Mary Kate Battles, have some rather strong feelings about all this.  Side note: It's the first ever remotely recorded episode of the podcast, and it's got the weird audio to prove it! Also, we gratefully welcome our first sponsor The Dairi Burger! ;)

Sweet Valley Diaries #4: POWER PLAY

Lila Fowler

When did class snob Lila Fowler become the generous type? Why is Jessica Wakefield suddenly draped in old lady luxury from "Lila's Aunt"? Who does that bitchy clerk at Lisette's think she is? Marissa dials up her BFF Mary Kate Battles again to discuss these and other facet's of POWER PLAY's B-Story, a saga of parental neglect and *extremely* petty theft.  Click here for a "photo" of Lila cruising in her loud car.

When did class snob Lila Fowler become the generous type? Why is Jessica Wakefield suddenly draped in old lady luxury from "Lila's Aunt"? Who does that bitchy clerk at Lisette's think she is? Marissa dials up her BFF Mary Kate Battles again to discuss these and other facet's of POWER PLAY's B-Story, a saga of parental neglect and *extremely* petty theft. <a href="http://www.sweetvalleydiaries.net/2018/01/extra-drama-4-lila-fowler-drives-a-lime-green-triumph.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Click here for a "photo" of Lila cruising in her loud car.</a>

Extra Drama #4: Lila Fowler Drives a Lime Green Triumph.

What happens when Jessica Wakefield defies her parents and stays out ALL NIGHT LONG with a sleazy, pornstachioed college guy? No, seriously, I'm asking YOU: What happens??! Listen in as Marissa and her guests, Jess and Brian Reece, enumerate the many ways they were scandalized by Book 5 of the Sweet Valley High series.

What happens when Jessica Wakefield defies her parents and stays out ALL NIGHT LONG with a sleazy, pornstachioed college guy? No, seriously, I'm asking YOU: What happens??! Listen in as Marissa and her guests, Jess and Brian Reece, enumerate the many ways they were scandalized by Book 5 of the Sweet Valley High series.

Sweet Valley Diaries #5: ALL NIGHT LONG

After years of wide-eyed blogging about the surreal 1980s perfection of Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley High book series (and the surprising  psychodrama that lurks below the town's perfectly-tanned surface), host Marissa Flaxbart is now forcing friends and family to read the series with her. Every other week, Marissa and a new guest – many of whom are new to the very idea of a "Sweet Valley" –  unpack one of these soap-operatic tales, starting with book #1. It's all good fun for both die-hard fans and new blood...but watch out, because nostalgia can get ROUGH.

#TIMESUP, Scott Daniels! Guests Jess and Brian Reece talk with Marissa about consent, Encyclopedia Brown, and fan mail(!!!).

#TIMESUP, Scott Daniels! Guests Jess and Brian Reece talk with Marissa about consent, Encyclopedia Brown, and fan mail(!!!).

Extra Drama #5: More Like ALL NIGHT WRONG!

Strap on your hot pink crash helmet! Just after Valentine’s Day comes a tale to warm the heart and then chill it so fast that it bursts and ruins your freezer. Pop culture lover and all-around funny gal Denise Boylan joins Marissa to unpack this tale of private jealousy, romantic gestures, and innuendo. Hot Clam Special, anyone?

Strap on your hot pink crash helmet! Just after Valentine’s Day comes a tale to warm the heart and then chill it so fast that it bursts and ruins your freezer. Pop culture lover and all-around funny gal Denise Boylan joins Marissa to unpack this tale of private jealousy, romantic gestures, and innuendo. Hot Clam Special, anyone?

Sweet Valley Diaries #6: DANGEROUS LOVE

What's more dramatic than a dramatic reading? Just to keep us all on our toes, here's something new: an impromptu audio drama rendition of the final paragraphs of Book 6, DANGEROUS LOVE – the very paragraphs that lead up to our ultra gargantuan cliffhanger and the extremely extra, extremely dramatic Book 7, DEAR SISTER. Enjoy!

What's more dramatic than a dramatic reading? Just to keep us all on our toes, here's something new: an impromptu audio drama rendition of the final paragraphs of Book 6, DANGEROUS LOVE – the very paragraphs that lead up to our ultra gargantuan cliffhanger and the extremely extra, extremely dramatic Book 7, DEAR SISTER. Enjoy!

Extra Drama #6: Let's Try Something DANGEROUS

In this tearful conclusion to the Sweet Valley High series, Elizabeth stays in a coma forever…PSYCH! But seriously, has Elizabeth awoken only to find that the events of DEAR SISTER are a fate worse than death? Actress Alex Jennings and Marissa give a wide-eyed play-by-play to a book that reads like the unholy lovechild of Freaky Friday and General Hospital.  Heads up: Due to forces beyond our control, this episode has a higher f-bomb count. Plan accordingly.

In this tearful conclusion to the Sweet Valley High series, Elizabeth stays in a coma forever…PSYCH! But seriously, has Elizabeth awoken only to find that the events of DEAR SISTER are a fate worse than death? Actress Alex Jennings and Marissa give a wide-eyed play-by-play to a book that reads like the unholy lovechild of Freaky Friday and General Hospital. Heads up: Due to forces beyond our control, this episode has a higher f-bomb count. Plan accordingly.

Sweet Valley Diaries #7: DEAR SISTER

We’ve read about fictional 1980s highschoolers, but what is it like to play one on TV?! Alex Jennings, who plays Carla on ABC’s The Goldbergs, is uniquely equipped to answer this question. But mostly we just talk about dry shampoo, what it would be like if Carla had a twin, and “enjoying the release of crying,” whatever that means.

We’ve read about fictional 1980s highschoolers, but what is it like to play one on TV?! Alex Jennings, who plays Carla on ABC’s The Goldbergs, is uniquely equipped to answer this question. But mostly we just talk about dry shampoo, what it would be like if Carla had a twin, and “enjoying the release of crying,” whatever that means.

Extra Drama #7: DEAR Fictional '80s Highschooler

Now that all that coma/personality swap/assault unpleasantness is behind us, let’s get back to what really matters in Sweet Valley: the beach, boys, and miscommunications involving suntan lotion. Marissa is joined by Russ Nickel, funny guy, writer, and former beach boy (not the singing kind…though he does sing in this episode). This is the book about Bill Chase giving Dee Dee Gordon surfing lessons, some sexy Todd-interloper named Patsy, and the school play, Splendor in the Grass. 

Now that all that coma/personality swap/assault unpleasantness is behind us, let’s get back to what really matters in Sweet Valley: the beach, boys, and miscommunications involving suntan lotion. Marissa is joined by Russ Nickel, funny guy, writer, and former beach boy (not the singing kind…though he does sing in this episode). This is the book about Bill Chase giving Dee Dee Gordon surfing lessons, some sexy Todd-interloper named Patsy, and the school play, Splendor in the Grass.

Sweet Valley Diaries #8: HEART BREAKER

Outtakes, b-roll, and real talk about the actually important moral of HEART BREAKER. Marissa is joined once more by former youth body-surfing competitor Russ Nickel, who points out all the dad jokes in the book and reads some favorite passages. 

Outtakes, b-roll, and real talk about the actually important moral of HEART BREAKER. Marissa is joined once more by former youth body-surfing competitor Russ Nickel, who points out all the dad jokes in the book and reads some favorite passages.

Extra Drama #8: Relevant Surf Terms

So you love Ned Wakefield's dad jokes? We'll do you one better: a real life dad! Marissa's own actual father, the wise and weird Don Flaxbart, joins shares his thoughts and insights on this, the first "teenage romance of any kind" that he's ever read. Will the lanky boy get the imperious-looking girl he's sweet on? Marissa discusses this absurd question, and even more absurd book, with – cannot stress this enough – her very own father.

So you love Ned Wakefield's dad jokes? We'll do you one better: a real life dad! Marissa's own actual father, the wise and weird Don Flaxbart, joins shares his thoughts and insights on this, the first "teenage romance of any kind" that he's ever read. Will the lanky boy get the imperious-looking girl he's sweet on? Marissa discusses this absurd question, and even more absurd book, with – cannot stress this enough – her very own father.

Sweet Valley Diaries #9: RACING HEARTS

Marissa is joined once again by her dad, Don Flaxbart, and she's steering him straight down Memory Lane. Was high school in the 1960s Southwestern US anything like that Sweet Valley High life?

Marissa is joined once again by her dad, Don Flaxbart, and she's steering him straight down Memory Lane. Was high school in the 1960s Southwestern US anything like that Sweet Valley High life?

Extra Drama #9: Memories of Valle Dulce High

It's the final main episode of Season 1, and we've come full circle. This is the tale of a wannabe cheerleader with a bad reputation that started Marissa's obsession with Sweet Valley High lo, those many years ago. Mary Parker was there to see that obsession take root. Now Mary and Marissa take a closer look at "Easy" Annie Whitman, diagnose Elizabeth Wakefield with Stockholm Syndrome, and fantasize about wrecking Bruce Patman's Porsche. Oh, and that pesky Rick Andover is back.

It's the final main episode of Season 1, and we've come full circle. This is the tale of a wannabe cheerleader with a bad reputation that started Marissa's obsession with Sweet Valley High lo, those many years ago. Mary Parker was there to see that obsession take root. Now Mary and Marissa take a closer look at "Easy" Annie Whitman, diagnose Elizabeth Wakefield with Stockholm Syndrome, and fantasize about wrecking Bruce Patman's Porsche. Oh, and that pesky Rick Andover is back.

Sweet Valley Diaries #10: WRONG KIND OF GIRL

Witty Podcast!

Takes on Sweet Valley with the right mixture of nostalgia &amp; snark. Highly recommend!

Fun podcast

Sweet Valley Diaries

Susan Stewart is somebody, but is she *a* somebody, or is she a nobody? Nobody knows. Until somebody shows up and shows everybody who’s anybody what it really means to be somebody. Meridith Halsey is our guest.  Murphy Brown and Dan Quayle This episode features music from Purple Planet.

Susan Stewart is somebody, but is she *a* somebody, or is she a nobody? Nobody knows. Until somebody shows up and shows everybody who’s anybody what it really means to be somebody. Meridith Halsey is our guest. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/26/arts/television/murphy-brown-dan-quayle.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Murphy Brown and Dan Quayle</a> This episode features music from <a href="http://www.purple-planet.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Purple Planet</a>.

Book #37: RUMORS

Regina Morrow and Bruce Patman, in love? But…that would only work if Bruce had a total pod-person level personality shift! Marissa and her guest, CJ Hoke, discuss Bruce Patman’s pod-person level personality shift and (because this is a 33-year-old work of soap opera fiction) squirm their way into, and then out of, some uncomfortable “believe women” territory. Also: The need for a good therapist in sweet valley, the surprising number of things Lila finds “vulgar“, &amp; some good, old-fashioned goopy romance.   *** Additional Reading:  James Mathewuse   Sparkle Beach Ken  Glitter Beach Ken (I got two of these for one of my birthdays)  Totally Hair Barbie (mine was the brunette version)   What Time of Day Does High School Start in America? 

Regina Morrow and Bruce Patman, in love? But…that would only work if Bruce had a total pod-person level personality shift! Marissa and her guest, CJ Hoke, discuss Bruce Patman’s pod-person level personality shift and (because this is a 33-year-old work of soap opera fiction) squirm their way into, and then out of, some uncomfortable “believe women” territory. Also: The need for a good therapist in sweet valley, the surprising number of things Lila finds “vulgar“, &amp; some good, old-fashioned goopy romance.   *** Additional Reading: <ul> <li><a href="http://www.jimmyart.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James Mathewuse</a> </li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sparkle-Beach-Barbie-Doll-Bracelet/dp/B001K1VZ1G" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Sparkle Beach Ken</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Glitter-Beach-Barbie-Ken-1992/dp/B001JENOKY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Glitter Beach Ken</a> (I got two of these for one of my birthdays) </li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=657Vfcc12xo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Totally Hair Barbie</a> (mine was the brunette version) </li> <li><a href="https://www.quora.com/What-time-of-day-do-most-high-schools-in-the-United-States-start-and-end" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> What Time of Day Does High School Start in America?</a></li> </ul>

Sweet Valley Diaries #18: HEAD OVER HEELS

Is it possible to hang a black veil over a podcast episode description? No? Damn.  Mary Kate Wiles comforts Marissa in her time of crisis. Because...TODD!!! TOOODDDDD!!!!   Music in this episode: ELEGIAC SYMPHONY by Dee Yan-Key Fonte Abandonada by Real Vocal String Quartet   Links! Paper &amp; Slate Lizzie Bennett Diaries Shipwrecked Comedy on YouTube Proof that this whole glasses thing is not new

Is it possible to hang a black veil over a podcast episode description? No? Damn.  Mary Kate Wiles comforts Marissa in her time of crisis. Because...TODD!!! TOOODDDDD!!!! Music in this episode: ELEGIAC SYMPHONY by Dee Yan-Key Fonte Abandonada by Real Vocal String Quartet Links! <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/paperandslate/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Paper &amp; Slate</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/LizzieBennet" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Lizzie Bennett Diaries</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ShipwreckedComedy" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Shipwrecked Comedy</a> on YouTube <a href="https://www.marissaflaxbart.com/2010/03/1-get-these-glasses-2-look-like-nite-owl-3-be-sexy.html" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Proof</a> that this whole glasses thing is not new

Book #23: SAY GOODBYE

Frenemies Lila and Jessica think they're duking it out over a secret scion, romantically masquerading as a construction worker. Marissa and her guest, actor Mark Sullivan, walk you through it all, from the poolside objectification to the final knife fight. Yep, you read that right. Knife fight. Some music in this episode courtesy of Purple Planet. Links, references, explanations:  LA Theatre Works: Spill  Everything you probably never wanted to know about  Top-Siders Let’s add one more Jack Donaghy to the list “Gary Hart on the Monkey Business” (talk about simpler times btw) 

Frenemies Lila and Jessica think they're duking it out over a secret scion, romantically masquerading as a construction worker. Marissa and her guest, actor Mark Sullivan, walk you through it all, from the poolside objectification to the final knife fight. Yep, you read that right. Knife fight. Some music in this episode courtesy of <a href="http://www.purpleplanet.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Purple Planet.</a> Links, references, explanations: <ul> <li>LA Theatre Works: <a href="https://latw.org/title/spill" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spill</a> </li> <li>Everything you probably never wanted to know about <a href="https://www.sneakerfreaker.com/articles/sperry-top-sider-never-caught-slipping/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Top-Siders</a></li> <li>Let’s add one more <a href="https://youtu.be/WrLb3M_fK6w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jack Donaghy</a> to the list</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.americanheritage.com/node/132685" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gary Hart on the Monkey Business</a>” (talk about simpler times btw)</li> </ul>

Sweet Valley Diaries #19: SHOWDOWN

Steven is in a love triangle with Cara and a ghost. Elizabeth is hoping to replace Todd with a doppelgänger. Jessica is trying to get Winston to take her to The Caravan. In short, all three of the Wakefield siblings are back on their bullshit, and Katie LaDue returns to discuss it all.

Steven is in a love triangle with Cara and a ghost. Elizabeth is hoping to replace Todd with a doppelgänger. Jessica is trying to get Winston to take her to The Caravan. In short, all three of the Wakefield siblings are back on their bullshit, and Katie LaDue returns to discuss it all.

Book #24: MEMORIES

Jessica and Elizabeth are live-in babysitters, living a 90-minute drive from home. But don’t worry, they still manage to make it a thrilling soap-operatic adventure, replete with double-identities, murders, and deadly rainstorms. Frank Bednarz, Esq. joins Marissa to marvel at this book and congratulate it on its simultaneous climaxes.  Music in this episode is by Marissa Flaxbart (theme song), Jocelyn Scofield (Beautiful Boys) and courtesy of Purple Planet. Further reading: CIPHER IN THE SNOW (trigger warning: teen death, bullying, may induce lifelong feelings of misplaced guilt) In 2019, Bloomberg listed Malibu as the  43rd richest city in America  Can identical twins have different allergies?  Is it dangerous to be in a house by the ocean during a thunderstorm?

Jessica and Elizabeth are live-in babysitters, living a 90-minute drive from home. But don’t worry, they still manage to make it a thrilling soap-operatic adventure, replete with double-identities, murders, and deadly rainstorms. Frank Bednarz, Esq. joins Marissa to marvel at this book and congratulate it on its simultaneous climaxes.  Music in this episode is by Marissa Flaxbart (theme song), <a href="http://www.jocelynscofield.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jocelyn </a><a href="http://www.jocelynscofield.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Scofield</a> (Beautiful Boys) and courtesy of <a href="http://www.purple-planet.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Purple Planet</a>. Further reading: <a href="https://youtu.be/vp8vI-fMcNE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CIPHER IN THE SNOW</a> (trigger warning: teen death, bullying, may induce lifelong feelings of misplaced guilt) In 2019, Bloomberg listed Malibu as the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-13/silicon-valley-suburb-snags-richest-spot-in-u-s-for-third-year" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> 43rd richest city in America</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/25/science/q-a-twins-and-allergies.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Can identical twins have different allergies?</a> <a href="http://google.com/search?q=is+it+dangerous+to+be+in+a+house+by+the+ocean+during+a+thunderstorm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Is it dangerous to be in a house by the ocean during a thunderstorm?</a>

Super Edition #4: MALIBU SUMMER

If he can’t tell which twin you are, he’s probably not The One. Tim Redmond (the new voice of Jeffrey French) is back to talk twins, reminisce about juvenile fiction, and reveal relevant secrets about his past. 

If he can’t tell which twin you are, he’s probably not The One. Tim Redmond (the new voice of Jeffrey French) is back to talk twins, reminisce about juvenile fiction, and reveal relevant secrets about his past.

Extra Drama #31: Tell Us Apart

Season 3 Premiere! Marissa and songstress Jocelyn Scofield investigate Jessica Wakefield’s first emo phase, poor parenting in Sweet Valley, and that one time Elizabeth served Ricky Capaldo some deeply scalding tea.

Season 3 Premiere! Marissa and songstress Jocelyn Scofield investigate Jessica Wakefield’s first emo phase, poor parenting in Sweet Valley, and that one time Elizabeth served Ricky Capaldo some deeply scalding tea.

Sweet Valley Diaries #21: RUNAWAY

Marissa brings back newly-minted Bill Chase/Dee Dee Gordon expert Russ Nickel, and the results may surprise you: realistic and relatable depiction of romantic problems? Healthy lessons for young readers? This isn't the Sweet Valley High I fell in love with... 

Marissa brings back newly-minted Bill Chase/Dee Dee Gordon expert Russ Nickel, and the results may surprise you: realistic and relatable depiction of romantic problems? Healthy lessons for young readers? This isn't the Sweet Valley High I fell in love with...

Book #22: TOO MUCH IN LOVE

What do you get when you put the Baby-Sitters Club girls in a Sweet Valley world? Well if this bonus episode's best guess is correct, you get Janine Kishi and Shannon Kilbourne executing a computer plant heist alongside Kristy and Stacey. And that's in ADDITION to the big parade! Obviously, Jack and Tanner from the BSCC Podcast are back.

What do you get when you put the Baby-Sitters Club girls in a Sweet Valley world? Well if this bonus episode's best guess is correct, you get Janine Kishi and Shannon Kilbourne executing a computer plant heist alongside Kristy and Stacey. And that's in ADDITION to the big parade! Obviously, Jack and Tanner from the BSCC Podcast are back.

Extra Drama #26: JESSI AND THE STONEYBROOK PARADE

In the spirit of the NEW JESSICA, Marissa and local fashion icon Caitlin McCann reminisce about pushing wardrobe boundaries in high school and feeling at home in Los Angeles.

In the spirit of the NEW JESSICA, Marissa and local fashion icon Caitlin McCann reminisce about pushing wardrobe boundaries in high school and feeling at home in Los Angeles.

Extra Drama #32: Express Yourself

While Marissa takes a Christmas break from editing, enjoy this replay of the special SPECIAL CHRISTMAS Christmas episode with Marissa and Don Flaxbart.  Happy Holidays! See you in 2020, Gladiators!

While Marissa takes a Christmas break from editing, enjoy this replay of the special SPECIAL CHRISTMAS Christmas episode with Marissa and Don Flaxbart.  Happy Holidays! See you in 2020, Gladiators!

Replay: SPECIAL CHRISTMAS w/Marissa's Dad

What’s worse: your boyfriend cheating on you; your boyfriend crashing the plane he’s flying you in; everyone agreeing that your cheating boyfriend should stay with you because you’ll never walk again without his love; you convincing yourself you can’t walk without his love; or your best friend tricking you into walking by hanging the life of your hot teacher’s child in the balance? Marissa debates this pressing question with Lauren Shippen, creator of The Bright Sessions podcast. The quest for an answer takes the podcast into untrod territory. Also, Jessica learns to cook. Further Reading:  Maybe closed mussels are okay after all?  Tip on  Preventing Psychosomatic Illness 

What’s worse: your boyfriend cheating on you; your boyfriend crashing the plane he’s flying you in; everyone agreeing that your cheating boyfriend should stay with you because you’ll never walk again without his love; you convincing yourself you can’t walk without his love; or your best friend tricking you into walking by hanging the life of your hot teacher’s child in the balance? Marissa debates this pressing question with Lauren Shippen, creator of <a href="http://www.thebrightsessions.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Bright Sessions</a> podcast. The quest for an answer takes the podcast into untrod territory. Also, Jessica learns to cook. Further Reading: <ul> <li>Maybe <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/food/Mussels-Myths-Debunked-2439055" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">closed mussels are okay</a> after all? </li> <li>Tip on <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-handle-psychosomatic-illness-3145090" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Preventing Psychosomatic Illness</a></li> </ul>

Sweet Valley Diaries #20: CRASH LANDING!

It's a full-on first-cousin extravaganza! Marissa is joined by her real-life cousins Meghan Shattuck and Corrie Borgman to chat about fictional cousins Dana Larson (lead singer of The Droids!) and new-in-town Sally Larson, recently rescued from foster care a brief 13 years after entering the system. It's all just nuts and everyone is awful, we don't know what color anyone's eyes are, and Jerry is apparently a nickname for Jeremy.  Apologies in advance for the sub-par audio quality on this one – we were trying out a new mic setting. Takeaway: not all settings are created equal!

It's a full-on first-cousin extravaganza! Marissa is joined by her real-life cousins Meghan Shattuck and Corrie Borgman to chat about fictional cousins Dana Larson (lead singer of The Droids!) and new-in-town Sally Larson, recently rescued from foster care a brief 13 years after entering the system. It's all just nuts and everyone is awful, we don't know what color anyone's eyes are, and Jerry is apparently a nickname for Jeremy.  Apologies in advance for the sub-par audio quality on this one – we were trying out a new mic setting. Takeaway: not all settings are created equal!

Book #33: STARTING OVER

Guest reader Caitlin McCann is back, and a lot has happened since she watched Jessica snag (and be snagged by) Bruce in Book 3: PLAYING WITH FIRE. This time, Jessica dyes her hair black and pretends to be a Francophile. Meanwhile Elizabeth imagines she’s in her own personal version of the Distracted Boyfriend Meme. The more things change, the more they stay the same in Sweet Valley, California.

Guest reader Caitlin McCann is back, and a lot has happened since she watched Jessica snag (and be snagged by) Bruce in Book 3: PLAYING WITH FIRE. This time, Jessica dyes her hair black and pretends to be a Francophile. Meanwhile Elizabeth imagines she’s in her own personal version of the Distracted Boyfriend Meme. The more things change, the more they stay the same in Sweet Valley, California.

Book #32: THE NEW JESSICA

Ah, complicated teen friendships. Ah, high school sororities. Some experiences are universal. Avid girlhood Sweet Valley reader (and current therapist) Cherelle Solomon joins Marissa to examine this timeless text.   Reference Shelf:  Joanne the Scammer  The DUFF BTW, the last PBA pledge season was 26 books ago, not 16. Time flies!

Ah, complicated teen friendships. Ah, high school sororities. Some experiences are universal. Avid girlhood Sweet Valley reader (and current therapist) Cherelle Solomon joins Marissa to examine this timeless text. Reference Shelf: <a href="https://www.thefader.com/2016/03/29/joanne-the-scammer-scamming-messy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Joanne the Scammer</a> <a href="https://www.thefader.com/2016/03/29/joanne-the-scammer-scamming-messy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The DUFF</a> BTW, the last PBA pledge season was 26 books ago, not 16. Time flies!

Book #30: JEALOUS LIES

Marissa and songstress Jocelyn Scofield discuss the story of Jocelyn's ode to all the former Rick Andovers out there, her song "Bad Boy in High School." Spoiler alert: they're probably NOT the best years of your life.

Marissa and songstress Jocelyn Scofield discuss the story of Jocelyn's ode to all the former Rick Andovers out there, her song "Bad Boy in High School." Spoiler alert: they're probably NOT the best years of your life.

Extra Drama #21: Bad Boy (Stuck) in High School

The best podcast episodes on global issues affecting everyone. Covering topics such as the #metoo movement, climate change, the impact of technology and some of the biggest global issues facing us right now. For anyone interested in learning more about the world, and some of the issues we're facing, pick an episode below and start listening! Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

OwlTail

Elizabeth Kolbert covers climate change for the New Yorker. She's the Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction. And she recently wrote a paragraph I can't stop thinking about. "The problem with global warming—and the reason it continues to resist illustration, even as the streets flood and the forests die and the mussels rot on the shores—is that experience is an inadequate guide to what’s going on. The climate operates on a time delay. When carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere, it takes decades—in a technical sense, millennia—for the earth to equilibrate. This summer’s fish kill was a product of warming that had become inevitable twenty or thirty years ago, and the warming that’s being locked in today won’t be fully felt until today’s toddlers reach middle age. In effect, we are living in the climate of the past, but already we’ve determined the climate’s future."Kolbert lives, to an unusual degree, in the planet's future. She travels to the places around the world where the climate of tomorrow is visible today. She has watched glaciers melting, and seen species dying. And she is able to convey both the science and the cost with a rare lucidity. Talking with Kolbert left me with an unnerving thought. We look back on past eras in human history and judge them morally failed. We think of the Spanish Inquisition or the Mongol hordes and believe ourselves civilized, rational, moral in a way our ancestors weren't. But if the science is right, and we do unto our descendants what the data says we are doing to them, we will be judged monsters. And it will be all the worse because we knew what we were doing and we knew how to stop, but we decided it was easier to disbelieve the science or ignore the consequences. Kolbert and I talk about the consequences, but also about what would be necessary to stabilize the climate and back off the mass extinction event that is currently underway. We discuss geoengineering, political will, the environmental cost of meat, and what individuals can and can't do. We talk about Trump's cabinet, about whether technological innovation will save us, and if pricing carbon is enough. We talk about whether hope remains a realistic emotion when it comes to our environmental future.Books:-Edward Abbe’s “Desert Solitaire”-Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”-David G. Haskell’s “The Forest Unseen”-Bill McKibben’s “The End of Nature” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vox Conversations

Elizabeth Kolbert covers climate change for the New Yorker. She's the Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction. And she recently wrote a paragraph I can't stop thinking about. "The problem with global warming—and the reason it continues to resist illustration, even as the streets flood and the forests die and the mussels rot on the shores—is that experience is an inadequate guide to what’s going on. The climate operates on a time delay. When carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere, it takes decades—in a technical sense, millennia—for the earth to equilibrate. This summer’s fish kill was a product of warming that had become inevitable twenty or thirty years ago, and the warming that’s being locked in today won’t be fully felt until today’s toddlers reach middle age. In effect, we are living in the climate of the past, but already we’ve determined the climate’s future."Kolbert lives, to an unusual degree, in the planet's future. She travels to the places around the world where the climate of tomorrow is visible today. She has watched glaciers melting, and seen species dying. And she is able to convey both the science and the cost with a rare lucidity. Talking with Kolbert left me with an unnerving thought. We look back on past eras in human history and judge them morally failed. We think of the Spanish Inquisition or the Mongol hordes and believe ourselves civilized, rational, moral in a way our ancestors weren't. But if the science is right, and we do unto our descendants what the data says we are doing to them, we will be judged monsters. And it will be all the worse because we knew what we were doing and we knew how to stop, but we decided it was easier to disbelieve the science or ignore the consequences. Kolbert and I talk about the consequences, but also about what would be necessary to stabilize the climate and back off the mass extinction event that is currently underway. We discuss geoengineering, political will, the environmental cost of meat, and what individuals can and can't do. We talk about Trump's cabinet, about whether technological innovation will save us, and if pricing carbon is enough. We talk about whether hope remains a realistic emotion when it comes to our environmental future.Books:-Edward Abbe’s “Desert Solitaire”-Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”-David G. Haskell’s “The Forest Unseen”-Bill McKibben’s “The End of Nature” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Elizabeth Kolbert: We have locked in centuries of climate change

Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan delve deep on free speech for 3 hours! Somehow it gets more interesting through the episode, not less! Hear why often it's best to "be tolerant of the intolerable".
Canada tried to pass laws compelling people to use pronouns like zi and zur. Should you be compelled to call someone a certain pronoun? Jordan Peterson pushed back saying he had no problems using pronouns like zi and zur for people who have non-traditional genders, but that he had a problem being compelled by law to use certain pronouns. 
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Voltaire. 
We have gone from homosexuality being illegal in most of the west 60 years ago to same sex marriage being legal today. "Free speech is the master value because it is the value which allows us to update all other values." Sam Harris.

Free speech, only a small topic!

Jordan Peterson is a clinical psychologist and tenured professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. https://www.youtube.com/user/JordanPetersonVideos  100% off the Future Authoring Program code: "ChangeYourself" - The offer is valid until the end of Nov 30th.

The Joe Rogan Experience

Jordan Peterson is a clinical psychologist and tenured professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JordanPetersonVideos" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/JordanPetersonVideos</a> 100% off the Future Authoring Program code: "ChangeYourself" - The offer is valid until the end of Nov 30th.

#877 - Jordan Peterson

Best Episodes on Global Issues

What is this?
1 quote, 3 ideas & 1 question from a carefully curated podcast episode.
Every Monday & Wednesday.

Want a 3rd insight and episode every week? Email me at curation@owltail.com.

How our mind explains things:[topic-start]
“The way that the mind works, very frequently, is that we start from a decision, or we start from a belief, and then the stories that explain it come to our mind. Conclusions come first, and rationalizations come later.”[topic-end]
How we come to believe things:[topic-start]
"The real cause of your belief in a political position, the real causes are rooted in your personal history. They’re rooted in who are the people that you trusted and what they seemed to believe in, and it has very little to do with the reasons that come to your mind, why your position is correct and the position of the other side is nonsensical."[topic-end]
Who is Daniel Kahneman:[topic-start]
Nobel prize winning psychologist and economist who helped created the field of behavioural economics.

The Nobel Prize-winning psychologist on why we think and act the way we do — and why facts matter less than we think in forming our beliefs.
With his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman emerged as one of the most intriguing voices on the complexity of human thought and behavior. He is a psychologist who won the Nobel Prize in economics for helping to create the field of behavioral economics — and is a self-described “constant worrier.” It’s fun, helpful, and more than a little unnerving to apply his insights into why we think and act the way we do in this moment of social and political tumult.
Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.

On Being with Krista Tippett

Daniel Kahneman — Why We Contradict Ourselves and Confound Each Other

Real scenarios of a hospital during a war:[topic-start]
“... we were hand squeezing his ventilator as we ran out of oxygen" and when we finally found the physician to get more oxygen, he said "We don't have any oxygen left, you're going to have to let him go"[topic-end]
Who is Sheri Fink:[topic-start]
An investigative journalist who won the Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of Memorial Hospital (the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina).

Sheri Fink on the tragedy of being forced to choose who's life to save

When people are dying and you can only save some, how do you choose? Maybe you save the youngest. Or the sickest. Maybe you even just put all the names in a hat and pick at random. Would your answer change if a sick person was standing right in front of you? In this episode, we follow New York Times reporter Sheri Fink as she searches for the answer. In a warzone, a hurricane, a church basement, and an earthquake, the question remains the same. What happens, what should happen, when humans are forced to play god? Produced by Simon Adler and Annie McEwen. Reported by Sheri Fink.  In the book that inspired this episode you can find more about what transpired at Memorial Hospital during Hurricane Katrina, Sheri Fink’s exhaustively reported Five Days at Memorial You can find more about the work going on in Maryland at: www.nytimes.com/triage Very special thanks to Lilly Sullivan.  Special thanks also to: Pat Walters and Jim McCutcheon and Todd Menesses from WWL in New Orleans, the researchers for the allocation of scarce resources project in Maryland - Dr. Lee Daugherty Biddison from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Howie Gwon from the Johns Hopkins Medicine Office of Emergency Management, Alan Regenberg of the Berman Institute of Bioethics and Dr. Eric Toner of the UPMC Center for Health Security.  Support Radiolab by becoming a member today at Radiolab.org/donate.    

Radiolab

When people are dying and you can only save some, how do you choose? Maybe you save the youngest. Or the sickest. Maybe you even just put all the names in a hat and pick at random. Would your answer change if a sick person was standing right in front of you? In this episode, we follow New York Times reporter Sheri Fink as she searches for the answer. In a warzone, a hurricane, a church basement, and an earthquake, the question remains the same. What happens, what should happen, when humans are forced to play god? Produced by Simon Adler and Annie McEwen. Reported by Sheri Fink.  In the book that inspired this episode you can find more about what transpired at Memorial Hospital during Hurricane Katrina, <a href="http://www.sherifink.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sheri Fink’s</a> exhaustively reported <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Five-Days-Memorial-Storm-Ravaged-Hospital/dp/0307718972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1471783956&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=five+days+at+memorial" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Five Days at Memorial</a> You can find more about the work going on in Maryland at: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/triage" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.nytimes.com/triage</a> Very special thanks to Lilly Sullivan.  Special thanks also to: Pat Walters and Jim McCutcheon and Todd Menesses from WWL in New Orleans, the researchers for the allocation of scarce resources project in Maryland - Dr. Lee Daugherty Biddison from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Howie Gwon from the Johns Hopkins Medicine Office of Emergency Management, Alan Regenberg of the Berman Institute of Bioethics and Dr. Eric Toner of the UPMC Center for Health Security. Support Radiolab by becoming a member today at <a href="https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=radiolab-redirect&amp;utm_campaign=pledge&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Radiolab.org/donate</a>.

Sweet Valley Diaries

Weekly hand curated podcast episodes for learning