The Anne Levine Show
Funny, weekly, sugar free: Starring "Michael-over-there."
The Anne Levine Show
Hobbit Holes & Space Farts
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Hobbit holes present unique engineering challenges; Germans have a word for people who can only use the bathroom in their own homes; Bilabial fricatives: These are just a few of the delightfully random topics that make up this week's episode of The Anne Levine Show, broadcasting from WOMR/WFMR in Provincetown/Orleans.
Anne and Michael take listeners on an intellectual joyride through linguistics, architecture, animal trivia and space physics. The German language offers fascinating compound words that capture specific human experiences - like "Heimscheiße" for those who physically cannot use public restrooms, and "Kummerspeck" (literally "grief bacon") for the weight gained while emotional eating. These linguistic gems reflect the beautiful specificity possible in language that English speakers can only admire.
When the conversation shifts to television reviews, the hosts provide thoughtful criticism of documentary series "The Americas," lamenting its beautiful but superficial portrayal of natural phenomena like synchronized fireflies in Kentucky - a unique event that happens nowhere else on Earth but is never properly explained in the show. This leads to a passionate discussion about the importance of storytelling and depth in documentary filmmaking.
The educational highlights continue with revelations about capybaras - the world's largest rodents - which were classified as "fish" by the Catholic Church in the 16th century so they could be eaten during Lent. And did you know astronauts can't burp in space? Without gravity to separate gas from stomach contents, this everyday bodily function becomes impossible beyond our atmosphere.
The episode concludes with a heartfelt tribute to Vincent van Gogh, recognizing the often-overlooked role of Johanna Bonger in bringing his work to worldwide acclaim after his death, followed up by Don McLean's "Vincent." Join us for what might truly be "the most educational show broadcast anywhere on Cape Cod (Or maybe even the world)" - where random facts and thoughtful conversation create radio magic every Tuesday.
Find our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/447251562357065/
Hello, happy Tuesday. It's March 25th 2025. And this is the Ann Levine Show coming to you from WOMR 92.1 FM in Provincetown.
Speaker 3And WFMR 91.3 FM Orleans, and streaming worldwide at WOMRorg. Welcome to the show, thank you, michael.
Hobbit Architecture and Round Doors
Speaker 2How's your week been Eventful? Oh well, I hope we'll get to hear about some of those events as we make our way through this next wonderful hour of fun and radio with friends. Radio with friends what's the thing with friends?
Speaker 3Words.
Speaker 2Words.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2Words and radio with friends. I'd like to say one more time, happy birthday To Artemis, even though we said Happy birthday already, but I got a message that just reminded me of how much I do Adore Artemis. That just reminded me of how much I do adore Rardemus. Rardemus, yeah, uh-huh yeah, who stayed in a Shire hotel Very fun.
Speaker 3I know.
Speaker 1And they had mini golf the day after.
Speaker 3I posted that thing. It was so you know the thing in Springfield, massachusetts.
Speaker 2Yeah, Well, the one that Rardemus was in had putt-putt golf. Okay, it sounded exactly like what I'm picturing.
Speaker 3Well, mini golf for the Shire sounds about right, that's you know it would be like a full-size golf course for them, for a hobbit.
Speaker 2Well, exactly, and so everything's hobbit sized right and sort of hobbit brained um. So anyway, it was just kind of hilarious to hear about it people do love those round doors and stuff like that I know know, they just love that stuff. Well, I'm sure there are plenty of people that are putting round doors in their home.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2I wonder what the disadvantages of a round door are. What do you think they might be Sealing it?
Speaker 3Right, I don't know. Yeah, I mean, like around the bottom you're going to have, the bottom part of your door is going to have to have some sort of curve going up to you know to seal the door when you close it.
Speaker 2Well, maybe it would be round on the sides.
Speaker 3Round on the sides and square in the middle.
Speaker 2Well, no, like up at the top.
Speaker 3Right, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2And at the bottom. You know, I don't know what. I'm saying yeah.
Speaker 3See, that would just be an arch.
Speaker 2Okay, but all right, fine, but here's the story. Okay, but all right, fine, but here's the story. If you're staying in a hotel that has round doors, those are going to be. The door to your room is going to be unsealed.
Speaker 3No, they have to have figured out some way to do it, but it's going to. It won't be as open a doorway, I don't think as a rectangular door.
Speaker 2So how do you get in and out, do you?
Speaker 3have to be careful. You might have to. If you're walking straight through the middle of the door, you wouldn't have to worry about it, but if you're walking near the edges, you might have to yeah, might have to pick up your feet.
Speaker 2Yeah, see, this whole thing sounds like I mean that's what I would think from an engineering standpoint.
Speaker 3That's what you'd have to do. I've got to call Sokolov or Morgan and Morgan or someone you know. There's got to be some other way to do it. I don't know. I don't know how hobbits did it?
Speaker 2I'm thinking about calling— Maybe they used grommets of some kind giant grommets?
Speaker 3I don't know. Yeah Well, giant grommets, I don't know.
Speaker 2Yeah, well, you know, hobbits have their own way of I don't know moving.
Speaker 1I suppose, yeah well.
Speaker 2And I think they're kind of like weebles, you know, like they might wobble over a door frame, but they wouldn't fall down Right.
Speaker 3Well, they got very big feet so, yeah, so, although you would think the big feet might make it easier for them to trip, yeah, that would make it worse.
Speaker 2But it helps them be weebles.
Speaker 3Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2Do people born, say, after the year 2000 know what a weevil is?
Speaker 3I wouldn't think so. Uh-huh, no, I wouldn't think so. I would think they would think you're saying weevil, right, they might have heard that word.
Speaker 2And they'd correct you yeah.
Speaker 3Yeah, it's, weevil Mom.
Speaker 2Yeah, I don't like anyone that was born since the year 2000.
Speaker 3I really don't.
Speaker 2All right those are my enemies.
Speaker 3Well, they are harder to understand.
Speaker 2Yeah, there's some word I learned like two weeks ago that I hadn't heard, and I was speaking to one of my best friends from college and I used that word. She said what? One of my best friends from college and I used that word. She said what? And I said, oh, that's what that that means shoot, I can't remember. But okay, I said it's what the young people say nowadays and I said it's like cuffing season. And she said, oh, I've known that for ages. So she does have a daughter that's 28 years old.
Speaker 3Yeah, so she's more— A little closer to it, maybe.
Speaker 2She's more exposed to things like cuffing season.
Speaker 3Right, yeah, do you know what cuffing season is Got no idea.
Speaker 2Okay, okay, for you and our other old listeners, cuffing season is when it's like after New Year's and it's for, say, january through May or April, and it's a relationship you have just during those months to keep you cozy and to keep you from being lonely. I see that's cuffing season.
Speaker 3I gotcha.
Speaker 2Give me a freaking break.
Speaker 3Seriously, I guess, I don't know. It doesn't make any sense word-wise, you know, language-wise, well, never mind that, but just in terms of the. I have to mind that my brain won't disallow me to ignore that.
Speaker 2That's fine, let's call it cozy season. Okay, I don't care what it's called, but the whole idea of I'm gonna get into a relationship for three months yeah, you know what I'm.
Speaker 3I'm gonna bet that there is a german word for this. I am just gonna lay it right out there. I know there must be a German word for this very thing.
Speaker 2Well, speaking of German words for this very thing, as you know, I'm a fan of those words. Yeah, and my favorite one is Kummerspeck. Right, which is the weight you gain when you're in grief usually after someone's died, and you're overeating comfort food to cope. Yeah, that's a great one, kummerspeck.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2So grief bacon, grief fat is really what it means, but people like to say grief bacon, those who've heard of grief bacon, which I think that's maybe like half a dozen people who know it that way, which is my fault. But anyway, I just heard a new one. Oh, okay, and I'm sure you'll know immediately what this word is, but you may not know why this word is. The word is Heimscheiße, heimscheiße. Yes, huh, I don't know what?
Speaker 3Heimscheiße, heimscheiße.
Speaker 2Yes.
Speaker 3Huh. Okay well, I don't know, what heim in German would mean. I know, you don't yeah.
Speaker 2So I'm going to tell everyone what that means.
Speaker 3I mean if I was to sort of translate it to other words that I know that sound the same, then it would. It's a statement.
Speaker 2Okay, it's not. It's an adjective, okay, and what it is is. It means someone or no, it's a noun. It's a noun, okay, it's someone who cannot poop unless they're in their home. So, yeah, yeah, and apparently particularly in Germany, which makes perfect sense to me that this is a German thing, you know, because they're all retentive and whatnot. That is awesome. Yeah, there are people.
Speaker 3That is a real thing. I'm totally aware of that. Yeah, that's absolutely real.
Speaker 2See, I was not aware of it.
Speaker 3Yeah, I didn't know, I mean, I've had friends who've had to leave parties because, hey, they got to go Because they're Heimscheissers.
Speaker 2Yeah, they're Heimscheissers Exactly. Well now, I didn't know that, I didn't know that.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2That such a thing existed? I certainly yeah.
Speaker 3You can't go to like a mall or something and suggest they use the bathroom there. No, no, no, no, no, no See, I can't. They got to go home at that point.
Speaker 2Well see, that blows my mind. I mean, what do you do?
Speaker 3I think I've known two people like that, by the way, yeah.
Speaker 2Were you married to either one of them? No, okay. Did you give birth to either one of them? Okay, did you give birth to either one of them? No, no, okay. So not people you're related to just friends, no, just friends, yeah, I would. So what do they do? All right, now, I can understand when you go to someone's house, depending on the situation, that you would definitely not want to do that that that could be very awkward and uncomfortable, right, yeah. What I don't understand is, let's say, you're on a road trip.
Speaker 3Yeah. That is a problem.
Speaker 2Let's say you're driving from New England to Florida for the winter Right, I mean there have to be exceptions, yeah, but I think at that point the exception is like your hotel room.
Speaker 3What if you're driving straight?
Speaker 2through. I mean, these are people who literally can't poop in any pub in a public bathroom right I can understand in a in someone's house right or in a private no, they just can't.
Speaker 3I mean it's, yeah, it is so. They're so weirded out by it that it has to be a place that they, that they can at least temporarily say this is my place, I'm safe in here, there's a, there's two doors and a lock.
Speaker 2Yeah, oh yeah well, you might want to get in touch with them and let them know that there's an actual word in in. So from now on, if you find out that someone you know has that problem, yeah, I will know yeah, you'll have a, you'll say you're a heimscheisser.
Speaker 3yeah, yeah, heimscheisser, yeah.
Speaker 2Yeah, heim, heim. That's hilarious, I don't think it's Heim. I think it's probably Heim. No, I don't think it's. You know, there's no he in Germany.
Speaker 1Heim.
Speaker 2Yeah, heim, yeah. So it took me a really long time to learn how to make that sound. But now that I know how to make that sound, I can't use it. So it took me a really long time with a German person who didn't know how to teach someone how to make a particular sound.
Speaker 3Right.
Speaker 2Like there are some people that can teach a ha and some people who don't know how to teach someone to use a ha. Right, it's actually really easy, and people make that sound all the time. Yeah, they just don't know it, they don't realize it.
Speaker 3Right, so deliberately making it is harder for them.
Speaker 2Right. But once you say to them, say blech, or say you know what I mean, yep, like or ich, or something like that, then they realize, oh yeah, it's just where you're and you explain where in the throat You're putting it at the front of the word instead of the end. Well, I had this problem with. So I would say something like Ich lebe dich.
Speaker 3Right too much.
Speaker 2And I was told no, that's not how you say it, it's ich.
Speaker 3I can't do it without like Right, because you've got a practice hooker.
Speaker 2But even so, so it might be. So it might be, heim scheisse.
Speaker 3Right. But I can't say it without sounding like I just had braces put on. Yeah, well, maybe you just need to practice calling people heim.
Speaker 2Yeah, I don't think I'm going to See. You used to ha, but it's shh. It's the most annoying sound and it's the most annoying language. What can I say?
Speaker 3It is a fascinating one, though, because if they don't have a word, they're just going to put 14 words together to describe something, and there's your word.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2And they don't. So, in other words, instead of coming up with a different word for someone who's publicly retentive, that's how I'm going to put it. Okay, yeah, in English. Yeah, I'm going to put it in English. They put together, they make a, instead of making a word for that. Now. So I've got to look this up and see what it's called, how they refer to it in English, because if it's an actual thing or a syndrome which sounds like it is well anyway, enough of that.
Speaker 3Yeah, we'll figure it out. So, and by the way, while we're here talking about things that are endlessly fascinating, I want to remind people that this is one of the most educational shows that you're ever going to hear on the radio. Already, you've learned something new, right A?
Speaker 2couple things.
Speaker 3And we've got more to go.
Speaker 2Oh, yeah, we've got more.
Speaker 3Yeah, we're here to teach you some new stuff.
Speaker 2We've got so much learning.
Speaker 3Yeah, it's all about the learning.
Television Reviews and The Americas
Speaker 2This might be the most educational show broadcast anywhere on Cape Cod.
Speaker 3I think you're probably right. Maybe perhaps even the world.
Speaker 2Yeah, I'm not going quite that far. But hey, you know what? You're probably right. I'm confident. Yeah, yeah, with good reason. All right, I'm going to quickly run down some television. It's all current and it's all I can handle at this time.
Speaker 3Okay.
Speaker 2So we are in the season of the following.
Speaker 3Survivor. Oh right, yep. Season 48 Amazing Race. Right season, what 312? I don't know, maybe you could look that up.
Speaker 2And a new one called the Americas Michael, and I watched the first episode. It's a. Is it National Geographic, or is it?
Speaker 3Discovery. It's one of those, yeah.
Speaker 2And it's about the animals and wildlife in North and South America, which is a tremendous undertaking.
Speaker 3You know, they tell you at the beginning of it it was what? Eight years In the making, right Like 500 and some different locations across the world, and they tell you about how many people were. Yeah, it's just an astounding accomplishment, what they did, everything that they captured.
Speaker 2It's astounding sounding. Well, that's the problem. Unfortunately, and Tom Hanks is the narrator, so it's great having Dad in charge.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2You know that's a good feeling, but we watched season one, episode one, expecting to be astounded because it's astounding sounding Right, and we were completely underwhelmed.
Speaker 3It was beautiful, yeah, but they didn't spend enough time on really anything to any really fascinating things that were. You know where they were. They just glossed over a lot of things. Yeah, over a lot of things, yeah. If you want to know what the Americas look like, sort of in general, this might be a really good show. If you want to really learn something about them, I'm not sure. So far that this is it.
Speaker 2I mean something's missing. It's missing, I think it's missing storytelling.
Speaker 3It's not. I agree, I totally agree with you.
Speaker 2And so the part of it that I found the most fascinating was the description of the uh, the leaves in new england, the changing of the colors of the of the foliage, and how and why it happens, and how and why it happens every year, that incredible transformation yeah. And they showed photographs from way out.
Speaker 3They were saying that even from space, at the right time of year you can see this like red and gold section lots of people have maples that turn these fat, which is what we're talking about, but in the UK they never turn red, they only turn yellow yeah, that's why it's and here though, oh my goodness that's why it's just in the Americas right it's so gorgeous. The Americas, right, it's so gorgeous, oh my. If you've ever seen it in person, you will still be in awe, I'm sure.
Speaker 2Well, I think most Americans have seen it Well. Photos, yeah, seen it. Or photos, yeah, well, or even, you know, driven by at least one maple tree at some point. But anyway, we should watch more.
Speaker 3But frankly, I was disappointed in the first episode. The fact that they just kind of glossed over so much.
Speaker 2They did. What did they do, eagles?
Speaker 3Yeah. They were talking about the Atlantic coast Of the United States. That was the first episode.
Speaker 2The wild horses of the Outer Banks Right, but I felt like they didn't spend enough time on that. No. And the wild horses of the Outer Banks Right, but I felt like they didn't spend enough time on that, no.
Speaker 3Like how did they get there? What are they about?
Speaker 2You know, I don't know they said you know, it's believed that they were brought from Spain on Spanish galleons Right and decided to stick around on Cape Fear. I don't know. My question is why do they stay there?
Speaker 3Well, yeah, that's a good point. I mean, other than the fact that that's where they were born and everything that's where they live, I mean I don't know.
Speaker 2I mean, I would think that there would have to be a horse or two that was like you know what?
Speaker 3Yeah, I'm out of here. I'm tired of wading up to my chin when the tide comes in.
Speaker 2I want to go to Denny's. I'm tired of living on seaweed. Yeah, you know what do on seaweed. What do they eat? I don't know. I just felt like yes, as soon as they showed horses frolicking in the water. I knew exactly what they were. I knew they were the North Carolina wild horses.
Speaker 3Yep, you did. You called that right away, you know. I think I told you when we were watching it they need to.
Speaker 2Ken Burns this thing it needs to be more in-depth. Yeah, it needs to be more story here's the story of the wild horses.
Speaker 3Yeah, and I agree with you. People need to be involved, because not only are these places to see in North and South America, in the Americas, there are people, billions of people, and you know they're interesting too. Well, yeah, and they are affecting, you know a lot of the other beautiful things. So I mean you really should be seen as a whole rather than just hey, look, here's some horses. Oh, look, here's a river in Tennessee. Hey, up here we're going to say the Appalachian Mountains, but we're not really going to look at anything in them.
Speaker 2Michael of course with his defining exactitude, pointed out that they did show I don't remember what. Oh, in Kentucky and I've described this before on the show there are fireflies that light up simultaneously.
Speaker 3That's so cool they synchronize and it's only in one place, in Kentucky that this happens.
Speaker 2Well, they showed that. Now Michael, again, with his exactitude, pointed out that that's not part of the Atlantic coast.
Speaker 3That is correct. We are well inland with both Kentucky and Tennessee from the coast.
Speaker 2But what I found because I just found out about these fireflies about six months ago, and what I found frustrating is that they didn't go into at all why that happens. You know why fireflies anything. You know why there are flies that light up, right, yeah, except it's a mating like come hither Romeo or come hither Juliet. Whoever, yeah, is putting on the red light as it were.
Speaker 3Yeah, they're putting the light on.
Speaker 2But why do they synchronize in this one place on Earth?
Speaker 3Yeah. I don't know, it's so cool, and why didn't?
Speaker 2they describe and explain how. What a phenomena that is like, how completely singular that is. Yes, all right.
Speaker 3And I agree with you, and the fact that they showed it to us is fascinating.
Speaker 2But it's not enough.
Speaker 3I want to know what I'm looking at, right, I mean, tell me something about it. Yeah, and that's the problem, I think, with this particular show is that we're going to get to see a very surface level, look at some cool stuff, but nothing in depth at all.
Speaker 2I mean, if I hadn't just learned about this and I was watching this show, I might know or excuse me, I might assume that this is something that happens wherever there are fireflies.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2That they all line up occasionally.
Speaker 3So cool.
Speaker 2Anyhow.
Speaker 3I mean, and it's not even that they necessarily blink at the same time. They will blink like in order, so like in a line. So it would be, you know, down a line of fireflies. They're still flying around and they will go off one after another like a little line.
Speaker 2It's so crazy. And that happens in other places, but the simultaneous thing only happens in one part of Kentucky.
Speaker 3It's so weird, but it's very cool. I just wish, like I said.
Deal or No Deal Island and Parvati Shallow
Speaker 2So I wish they had explained that? Yeah, and also, why not mention, oh, and while we're at it, this isn't near the coast.
Speaker 3Yeah, that's a good point yeah.
Speaker 2All right. So that's our scintillating review of the Americas.
Speaker 3Okay, well, that was a good one.
Speaker 2Amazing Race and Survivor are what they always are.
Speaker 3Season 37 of Amazing Race, by the way.
Speaker 2Thank you for that. And another thing that Michael and I have I don't know if I'm going to say addicted, but that we have become attracted to I'm not sure how to put this and it's a guilty pleasure, it's embarrassing, it's deal or no deal. Island.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2And.
Speaker 3I don't know why I watch it. I do, though, and yeah, same with me.
Speaker 2Yeah, and I know why I started watching it. I started watching it because Parvati, who is someone that Michael loves to hate.
Speaker 3From Survivor.
Speaker 2yeah, Right, and how many seasons?
Speaker 3Two seasons yeah, I think she was on a couple and did she win twice or something? I don't know, I don't think so, but I could so.
Speaker 2But anyway, and who became famous, and then who was on that show? Treason that, alan Cumming, is it called.
Speaker 3Treason. Oh yeah, some I don't know what it's called the Traitor or something like that Traitors? Yeah, I don't know what it's called.
Speaker 2The Traitor or something like that. Traitors or Traitor or I don't know, but it's this show with Alan Cumming that is actually pretty fascinating. Fascinating because you've got a group of yeah, it's called the Traitors, yeah, and there have been. It's in its third season, or the third season just ended, yeah, and so Parvati was also on the first season of that.
Speaker 3She was in four seasons of Survivor, by the way.
Speaker 2Okay, and then a season of Traitors, and now a season of Deal or no Deal Island. Now she is getting to the point where she's too recognizable that she's not going to be able to go.
Speaker 3So she's going to be on the Australian Survivor. It's going to air this year.
Speaker 2Well, this guy, one of the sort of the superstar of Australian Survivor, was on this season of Deal or no Deal. And he's this big sort of. He's got a, I mean, except he's a million times more gorgeous, but he's got a Fabio thing. Like you can see him on the cover of a gothic bodice ripper. Oh sure, yeah, jennifer lopez. Those are the two things I could say. Anyway, I wanted to get to why I'm a fan of parvati shallow. Did you know that her last name is shallow?
Speaker 2yes, I do which I think is appropriate well, see, I really like parvati, and I'll tell you why, as know if you listen to me at all, which God knows probably. Well, anyway, I'm an absolute fan of Handsome Podcast. Yes, podcast, yes, and the handsome podcast, which, if you haven't listened to yet, you still can do it, new ones are coming out every week and it's fantastic. And it is tig, notaro, fortune feimster, both of whom you've probably heard of, and Mae Martin. Right, mae Martin is the least known of the three.
Speaker 3Right, yeah, she doesn't have at least as big a career, Although you know what? To be honest, Fortune's career has really just started taking off. I mean, she's been around for a while and not gotten a lot of notice, but now it's really rolling.
Speaker 2Yeah, she's everywhere. Yeah, well, you know she did a series with Arnold Schwarzenegger called FUBAR, and she's been. She's starting to get spots in a lot of films, in a lot of films, yep, and I'm guessing she will, and she should get a film, maybe like a Melissa McCarthy type, you know where it's a comedy, but based on her brand of funny, I mean, I think Fortune could carry a film very easily. At any rate, fortune is all over the place, and so is Tig.
Speaker 2You know I think people forget that or don't know that. Like don't make the crossover, Tig is on Star Trek.
Speaker 3Uh-huh.
Speaker 2Yep Tig has been in.
Speaker 3I mean as a regular yeah.
Speaker 2Every week or every whatever there's Tig. This year they have yellow suits, last year they had blue suits, things I know you gotta mix it up, you do. She liked the blue better, so did I. What can I say?
Speaker 3Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2But I've also seen her on Hollywood Squares. Recently she and the gang were on After Midnight, which was one of the funniest things I've ever seen was the episode of After Midnight. Which was one of the funniest things I've ever seen was the episode of after midnight. Taylor Tomlinson's, the host, and Fortune Tig and May were the guests and they had them at like SNL Jeopardy thing where each one had a little podium and they had a buzzer and Taylor would ask questions.
Speaker 3Okay, all right, sounds all legit to me. It was hilarious.
Speaker 2Anyway, mae Martin refers to themselves as non-gender Right. So Mae Martin was born female and quote transitioned, had top surgery and enough about that. Really Refers to themselves as they them and when asked anyone's gender, says May Martin went on date recently and Fortune and Tig asked the gender of the person because Mae dates men and women said gender is fluid and it's on a spectrum. Okay, that was their answer to that question. So, anyway, however, Mae Martin and Parvati Shallow were together.
Speaker 3Right.
Speaker 2Living together for a year and change with Parvati's five-year-old daughter I guess she's six or seven now. Guess she's six or seven now but I heard about parvati every week, um, when I listened to handsome podcast and to parvati's partner in life, may martin. So I learned a lot of things about parvati, very private things. I'll tell you one of them, michael, because I think it might make you laugh. Okay, may, who disclosed. One of the reasons they broke up, I'm pretty sure, is that May would disclose anything and everything on this podcast.
Speaker 3Yeah, that could be a problem if you want to be kind of private about some things. Yeah.
Speaker 2You're the mother of a five-year-old.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2And May said that the first time they met it was at a resort in Mexico Okay, Some very expensive, whatever resort. They got together and they did a role play their first or second night together the captain and the cabin boy and Parvati was the captain, uh-huh okay so now, everywhere parvati goes, people shout out captain, hey, captain, oh there you go, okay. So I can totally understand why there was a breakup there and May didn't stop there. They had another role play, that was the caveman and the cavewoman.
Speaker 3Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2And just really and I'm just telling you the details of what then ensued, the actual act that ensued. Anyway, that's why I kind of love Parv.
Speaker 3So Parvati has won Survivor one time. Okay, that was the fans versus favorites in Micronesia in 2008.
Speaker 2But has been on four times.
Speaker 3She's been on four times and she's going to be on the Australian Survivor. She's been on the Traders once, deal or no Deal Island and she's going to be on the Traders again for season three, but not as a contestant. She's going to be a co-host of one of the missions with Kate Chastain.
Speaker 2That's what I was going to say, because you can't possibly be on Traders if anyone knows who you are? Yeah, I mean that's part of the whole whole thing is that no one has any clue who the other contestants are. Anyway, parvati Shallow is someone that I really really like because I got to know her as.
Speaker 3John Lovitz would say I can't stand her. Hey, I want to get back to some educational things if you don't mind.
Speaker 2No, this is what I wait for.
Educational Facts: Capybaras and Space
Speaker 3Well, you told me to tell people this, so yeah, you should be waiting for it. You know what a capybara is?
Speaker 1Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3Yep, they're like big, uh giant. They should be called guinea pigs. They're like giant guinea pigs, uh-huh. They're over four feet long, they weigh over a hundred pounds and they live in South America. It's the largest rodent in the world, and in the 16th century, so in the 1500s, the Catholic Church classified the capybara as a fish, so people could eat it during Lent.
Speaker 2Okay, I have a few questions. Of course it is Lent. Okay, I have a few questions, of course it is Lent currently.
Speaker 3It certainly is. It's a very timely education.
Speaker 2I'd like everyone out there to tell me what they've given up for Lent. I'll tell you what I've given up for Lent. I've just given up.
Speaker 3Oh yeah, oh well, that's. You mean a general sort of yeah Well, that's hardcore, that is as hard as you can go.
Speaker 2This Lent is very hardcore, yeah, and it came a little late, but you know, I'm just a Christian.
Speaker 3Right.
Speaker 2And so I'm assuming Jesus can forgive me for not. You know, I should have had this Ready to Rock by Mardi Gras, by Ash Wednesday True true. But I didn't have it together yet. But I've still got a couple weeks to go. Yeah, About three weeks to go until Easter.
Speaker 3Well, do some penance or something you know.
Speaker 2Oh, I am.
Speaker 3Hit yourself with a stick or something.
Speaker 2I am I'm self-flagellating.
Speaker 3All right.
Speaker 2Good yeah, good for me yeah. So what else Okay?
Speaker 3Okay.
Speaker 2So now wait a minute.
Speaker 3So capybaras Yep.
Speaker 2Okay, now aren't capybaras just native to Australia, or something?
Speaker 3South America.
Speaker 2South America yeah. So when you say the Catholic Church, yeah, and this was when the Catholic Church— yeah. And this was when this happened In the 1500s. Okay.
Speaker 3Just after the conquistadors went out there and started kicking butt and they're turning everybody Catholic that they can force into it.
Speaker 2Yeah, and that was everyone yeah, and that was everyone, yeah. Having been to the Dominican Republic, where Christopher Columbus's first. They call it a cathedral.
Speaker 3But that's where his first Catholic he thought he was in India, right.
Speaker 2Oh, I don't know where he thought he was. I mean personally, I think Christopher Columbus. That's why they got called Indians. No, I know that, but they didn't get called Indians.
Speaker 3No, Christopher didn't.
Speaker 2Native. All right, anyway, sorry. So Christopher Columbus would have been maybe someone who couldn't stand to eat a fish.
Speaker 1I mean, was this?
Speaker 2done and why the capybara? I mean I have questions about this.
Speaker 3You know when you think about it. If you're on a boat like all day, every day, forever, you're probably going to be tired of some fish.
Speaker 2Yeah, but I'm curious as to why. Why wouldn't they just say okay, you know what Cows are now fish?
Speaker 3Well, I don't know.
Speaker 2I I mean, why a capybara?
Speaker 3oh, because it's, uh, because they're not everywhere in the world, so you can limit it to just, you know, limit it to just one place, so it doesn't get it doesn't get spread doesn't get around doesn't get across the whole world that you don't really have to pay attention to Lent because you can eat a guinea pig.
Speaker 2Wow. Well, there's again. I feel like there's a lot to unpack there, Like how do they taste? Let's start with that.
Speaker 3Yeah, that's a good question, and how?
Speaker 2much meat. I mean, they're big guinea pigs.
Speaker 3How big 100 pounds.
Speaker 2Oh, so you can get a sizable amount of meat off one, I guess.
Speaker 3And guinea pigs themselves are eaten all the time In Peru. It's a big deal.
Speaker 2Well, yeah, but they're the little tender ones, Right?
Speaker 3the little guinea pigs. But yeah, these guys are.
Speaker 2And they're on a stick right.
Speaker 3I don't know about the guinea pigs on a stick, can't you?
Speaker 2buy guinea pigs on a stick.
Speaker 3I think you can. I think it is street food in Peru. Yeah.
Speaker 2So they're on a stick and it's totally nasty looking.
Speaker 3Yeah, I don't want to eat a guinea pig.
Speaker 2I don't want to eat any animal on a stick.
Speaker 3Okay, good point.
Speaker 2I don't want to eat any animal except chicken. Now, if there is some chicken on a stick.
Speaker 3Yeah, chicken on a stick can be pretty good. That I'll have Like chicken saute.
Speaker 2But an entire. Oh yeah, I like it when you make that yummy noise.
Speaker 3Yeah, well, that's good stuff.
Speaker 2But when there's an entire chicken on a stick.
Speaker 3Right, that's different too.
Speaker 2Beak and all Right, yeah, no Feet, no, no, no Feet, no, no. Yeah, chicken feet is a major component of the Jewish diaspora, the Ashkenazi menu, because chicken are kosher, but most people threw away the feet. Ah, and that's what a Jew could afford? Yeah, well, I mean, it wouldn't be the Ann Levine show if I didn't mention poor, beleaguered Jews. That is true, that is true.
Speaker 3So Do you want another super interesting fact? Oh, I do, I want them all.
Speaker 2Give them to me, Michael.
Speaker 3This is it Because we've got to save it for other shows. We are the number one educational show playing right now. You cannot burp when you are in space. Okay, it's impossible because gas requires gravity to separate from the liquid in your stomach.
Speaker 2So tell me other things.
Speaker 3So in space you don't have gas.
Speaker 2So in space you don't have gas.
Speaker 3So I'm assuming you also can't have a bilabial fricative? Well, you can do it, but I'm not sure what kind of sound it's going to make.
Speaker 2All right, I'm confused. You can burp in space, but you can't fart in space.
Speaker 3Well, a bilabial fricative is just a raspberry.
Speaker 2No, no, no, it's a fart no it's Okay, that's your lips Labial yeah. I apologize, all right.
Speaker 3So you can, but you probably won't fart in space because the gas doesn't get separated, see Right Because there's no gravity to do it.
Speaker 2So now, why can't Describe to me again?
Speaker 3Okay, you can't fart in space because there's no gravity. Gravity is required to separate the contents in your stomach from the gas, from the other contents of your stomach.
Speaker 1If you don't have that gravity.
Speaker 3It's all going to stay together, it's never going to separate, so you won't have gas. Yeah, going to stay together, it's never going to separate, so you won't have gas In the sense that we experience it here. So it's education for you folks. Now you know. Now you know. That's what I'm saying. That's all you need to know something.
Speaker 2Yeah, well, we're going to need a need a.
Speaker 3Well, we need something obviously.
Speaker 2Yeah, raspberry, but it's most often used to mean a fart.
Speaker 3Okay so all right.
Speaker 2The more you know people, the more you know we need to get that. I'll get that.
Speaker 3Yeah, Okay, I want to talk about— and we need to get that.
Speaker 2I'll get that.
Speaker 3yeah, Okay, I want to talk about— and assign it to a button.
Vincent Van Gogh and Don McLean's Tribute
Speaker 2Yeah, precisely yeah, I want to talk about Vincent van Gogh. I read a book called the Secret Life of Sunflowers, written partly in the voice of Johanna Bonger, who was the sister-in-law of Vincent.
Speaker 3Right Teddy's wife.
Speaker 2She was married to Theo Van Gogh and was written by Maria Moldauer. Maria Moldauer, yes, hey.
Speaker 3Midnight at the Oasis she's got a new tour going on.
Speaker 2And the Secret of Sunflowers, and I'm not even kidding about that.
Speaker 3Yeah, I'm, sure you're not.
Speaker 2It's probably at the Melody Tent. I don't think so, but that would be the kind of place for her.
Speaker 3Do you remember when we were going up to see Ming and we saw signs? She when we were going up to see Ming and we saw signs she was playing at the place, kind of like right across the street.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, that was a little shocking, it was, wasn't it? Yeah, anyway, it's Myrta Molnar. Okay, myrta Molnar. So quickly about that book, and I think I mentioned it one other time. I don't recommend that book. It is not well written and let me just leave it at that. It is not well written and let me just leave it at that. I could tell you more about it, but let me just leave it at that it did get you kind of on a kick.
Speaker 2Well, there's a tremendous amount of information in it and stuff I didn't know anything about. Primarily, that the person responsible for bringing Van Gogh to the eyes and minds of a great audience was Theo's wife. Yeah, theo and Vincent died within a year of each other. Vincent killed himself and Theo died of syphilis. That's a fun way to go back then.
Speaker 3Well, I mean, doesn't it actually make you go literally crazy after a while? I mean it gets to your brain and it just tears yeah. So, he actually died of.
Speaker 2He was a stark, raving, mad lunatic himself.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 2Not unlike his brother, but from syphilis, and it also does things like make it impossible to urinate right?
Speaker 3oh yeah, I mean other than the physical.
Speaker 2So horrible, I mean the whole thing is, you know, I'm gonna say it's not worth having sex. It's not worth paying for sex with someone who has syphilis.
Speaker 3No, oh Lord no.
Speaker 2Yeah, I would say, he would.
Speaker 3You keep on paying, you do.
Speaker 2Yeah, until you die a horrendous death.
Speaker 3I think, Al Capone died of syphilis, didn't he? I believe he did.
Speaker 2In prison? Yeah, I think so All right. Well, theo didn't do a whole lot to deserve dying that way, but he kind of did. I mean, once Vincent died he didn't really want to do anything. He banished his son and wife from his sight, but she was determined to fulfill Vincent and Theo's dream of making Vincent a famous painter whose work had value. And she did it. She did the whole damn thing.
Speaker 2And so if I hadn't read this book, this not very good book, I wouldn't have known any of that and I wouldn't have gone on to read more and to find out more. So I'm going to tell you the books that you should read if you're interested in reading about Van Gogh. Okay, number one, above and beyond, is the Yellow House. Number two, the Letters of Van Gogh. Number three Van Gogh Complete Works, vincent, which is a graphic novel by Barbara Stoke. I really recommend that one. And Van Gogh the Life. And of course we Are Hearing Vincent. That one and Van Gogh the life. And of course we are hearing Vincent by Don McLean, often known as Starry Starry Night. Van Gogh will be in exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston from March 30th to September 7th. March 30th is Vincent Van Gogh's birthday. He was born on March 30th 1853. So for Vincent Van Gogh, please put a light on.
Speaker 1Starry, starry night. Flaming flowers that brightly blaze, swirling clouds in violet haze Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china. Blue Colors changing hue, morning fields of amber grain Weathered faces lined in pain Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand. Now I understand what you tried to say to me and how you suffered for your sanity and how you tried to set them free. They would not listen. They did not know how. Perhaps they'll listen now, for they could not love you. But still your love was true. And when no hope was left inside, on that starry starry night, you took your life, as lovers often do. But I could have told you, vincent, this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.
Speaker 1Starry starry night portraits Starry starry night Portraits, hung in empty halls, frameless heads on nameless walls, with eyes that watch the world and can't forget, like the strangers that you've met, the ragged men in ragged clothes, a silver thorn, a bloody rose, lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow. Now I think I know what you tried to say to me, how you suffered for your sanity, how you tried to set them free. They would not listen. They're not listening still. Perhaps they never will.
