Retrospective of Episodes 600 – 699 | Listener Fav #703
The recap retrospective reaches a new era as present Scoots brings past Scoots into the fold to talk of recording and lessons learned.
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Retrospective
The Noid
https://www.foodandwine.com/comfort-food/pizza-calzones/tragic-end-dominos-noid
https://movieweb.com/the-noid-dominos-villain-real-story/
The Early Days of Podcasting
https://riverside.fm/blog/podcasts
https://internationalpodcastday.com/podcasting-history/
https://medium.com/paradeim/a-brief-history-of-podcasting-2e73cfbca7d0
Hall & Oates
https://www.soulcountry.net/post/why-hall-oates-matter
https://www.vulture.com/2021/08/hall-and-oates-daryl-hall-interview.html
Instant Pot
https://www.eater.com/23351177/instant-pot-trend-over-air-fryer
https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/12/23758602/instant-pot-bankruptcy-new-products-2023-decline
DOWN TO BUSINESS
Thank you so much
Retrospective Re-Release
Deep Dark Night United
Misha (Helix Sleep)
PLUGS
WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strike Support; Orlando Park Stop / Trevor Project; Patreon; SleepPhones; Emily Tat Artwork; NAPAWF; Anti-Racism Resources; Ukraine Relief; Crisis Textline; The Midnight Mission
SPONSORS
Odoo; Polysleep; Helix Sleep; Progressive; Zoc Doc
INTRO
I’m gonna move my hand in clockwise motion
It’s important that you’re here, but it’s not too important
It won’t be devoid of pressure
I also hope this can be a little bit fun
This podcast is too mushy to withstand pressure
At least I’m consistent in my ability to be articulate
I’m in application status to be your friend
Tonight will be a retrospective
But in a really slow meandering way
I’d like to evoke a silly spirit
Memories of Denoid aka The Noid
The Noid looked a bit like a Renaissance-Style Jester (RSJ)
McDonald’s had the Hambungler
Mythologizing Pizza Delivery
Out of the miasma came the Noid
A mythological history of the Noid
The Noid liked to mess up pizza before you ate it
SWM: A Place Devoid
What if I just tickled the Noid?
I’m the Pied Piper of Noids
I tickled the Milwaukee Noid pink
Oh, are you talking about pizza jesters?
I’d love to be a pizza jester
STORY
Second Retrospective – looking at 600 – 699
It means so much that I can do this for you
Let’s start with a personal retrospective
I had no performing / recording experience when I started this podcast
Back in the early days of podcasting
I had a deep relationship with them
You can make a podcast about anything
I put off listening to the call for a long time
I was on a bus during a train strike when I decided to commit
I had no expectations of making any money
It takes about 3 years to build an audience
Releasing on a consistent basis will help build an audience
Consistency is important when it comes to people’s sleep
My creative workflow was established in the first 150 episodes
At first, it was 3 times a week
My first goal was to go for 2 years
It wasn’t sustainable at first
At the end of 2 years, we had a regular audience of around 10,000 listeners
I checked in after 2 years and decided to go on for another year
With 40,000 listeners it could pay a couple people’s salaries
But the fact that people fall asleep and don’t fully listen impacts the finances
For years, this was just an expensive hobby
The Patreon really helped to keep it going
I found Chris Posty PostersonI wanted to be able to pay the editors
Wide Spectrum of Audio Editor Pay
I hoped that the rest of the bills could be paid by sponsors
When you do things for free, your esteem gets mixed up in it
It’s not always the best version of your esteem
I just wanted to get 10% of listeners to support you
I was scared to ask for money
I had to ask for what I actually needed
Julie C made me really value my work and ask for more
10% was a mathematical impossibility
It was getting more sustainable by the end of Year 3
Patreon was about 1% of listeners
And we started to get sponsors
I started to cut back my work to make more space for the show
I had to make a leap of faith
Last year I finally did it
I left my career and pension to make the show full-time
It was a good decision to cut to 2 shows per week
I was connecting with the broader podcast community and get their advice
I hope that by the end of 2018 we’ll be able to still make 2 free episodes per week
The issue is that people just fall asleep very fast
A Victim of Its Own Success
It’s ok to have doubt and be nervous
Now I have clear goals to work towards
Time to recap the episodes
600 – 7 Stages of Banter
Star Trek: TNG
Fearless Flyer Review – maybe this was the last public one?
After the Glass Slipper
Hamlet with Brainbots – that was so recent
Costume Nostalgia was a popular episode
I couldn’t commit to a full Star Trek: Discovery series
Talking to a Bog
Clouds Heal
Apple at my Core
Home Alone Tale of the Tape
A Snow Sledding Episode
As The North Pole Turns
Scrooged Tale of the Tape
Holiday Knocks
Our first Doctor Who episode with Charles Dickens
Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
The Christmas Tree That Took a Walk
A Leaf Peeping Episode
This is when we moved to twice a week
Doctor Who Season 1
Interviewing Genny, the Username Generator
Look back on After the Glass Slipper & As The North Pole Turns
Pitching a Hall & Oates Musical
Food Pilgimager
The Weathered Weathervane – I’m proud of that
Carole King Label Maker Episode
Real Time Instapot Recipe episode
Panda Force
Empty Snore Child
Fairy Tale Gloom Game Unboxing
Conservatory Reading
Fan of a Fan episode
Rom Com Con Episode
Toy Town
Central Park Regret – that sounds like a Paul Simon episode
Starting The Good Place episodes
Alice Isn’t Dead crossover
Stan Chronicles / Nuns in Space
Bernie the Butterfly Tote Bag episode
Cloud Tower – a classic
Another Carole King episode
A tribute to 99PI
I’m recording this around ep 691
What comes next?
Some TNG and Good Place episodes
Visiting the New York State Fair
More Stan Chronicles
698 will be a Chuck Tingle crossover
I record stuff so far ahead of time
I really feel a sense of family with all you listeners
VENMO THANKS (Old)
Anya
PATREON THANKS (Old)
Larissa, Lorraine, Chris, Trish, Nancy, Jan, Jordan, Morgan, Carter, Elizabeth, Sarah, Stacey, Jill, James, Lauren, Kat, Natasha, Eric, Anne, Caleb, Chris, Laura, Tim, Alexa, Joshua, Lily, Melody, TJ, Eiki, Kimberly, Mickey, Jim, Annie, Mary, Maureen, Hannah, Lisa, Anne Marie, Jackie, Hana, Seth, Christy, Dee, Matthew, Wayne, Julie, Sarah, Tristan, Megan, Andrew, Mark, Emily, Matthew, Kyle, Brittney, Sarah, Frieda, Jan, Purple, Daniel, Karen, Jeanine, Anthony
SUMMARY:
Episode: 1,192b / 703
Title: Retrospective of Episodes 600 – 699 | Listener Fav #703
Deep Dark Night United: Misha (Helix Sleep)
Plugs: WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strike Support; Orlando Park Stop / Trevor Project; Patreon; SleepPhones; Emily Tat Artwork; NAPAWF; Anti-Racism Resources; Ukraine Relief; Crisis Textline; The Midnight Mission
Sponsors: Odoo; Polysleep; Helix Sleep; Progressive; Zoc Doc
Venmo Thanks (Old): Anya
Patreon Thanks (Old): Larissa, Lorraine, Chris, Trish, Nancy, Jan, Jordan, Morgan, Carter, Elizabeth, Sarah, Stacey, Jill, James, Lauren, Kat, Natasha, Eric, Anne, Caleb, Chris, Laura, Tim, Alexa, Joshua, Lily, Melody, TJ, Eiki, Kimberly, Mickey, Jim, Annie, Mary, Maureen, Hannah, Lisa, Anne Marie, Jackie, Hana, Seth, Christy, Dee, Matthew, Wayne, Julie, Sarah, Tristan, Megan, Andrew, Mark, Emily, Matthew, Kyle, Brittney, Sarah, Frieda, Jan, Purple, Daniel, Karen, Jeanine, Anthony
Notable Language:
- Counterclockwise
- Devoid of Pressure
- Application Status
- Denoid
- Renaissance-Style Jester (RSJ)
- A Place Devoid
- Wide Spectrum of Audio Editor Pay
- Food Pilgrimager
- Weathered Weathervane
- Romamphlets
Notable Culture:
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- The Noid / Domino’s
- Charles Dickens
- Hamburglar / McDonald’s
- The Pied Piper
- Coverville podcast
- WDW Today podcast
-
- Disney World
- Being John Malkovich
-
- Ricky Gervais
- Stephen Merchant
- Karl Pilkington
- Star Trek: TNG
- After the Glass Slipper
- Star Trek: Discovery
- Home Alone
- Scrooged
- As The North Pole Turns
- Doctor Who
-
- Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
- Christmas Vacation
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- Hall & Oates
- Carole King
- “It’s a Small World”
- Paul Simon
- Mario
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- The Good Places
-
- Bell Biv Devoe
- Alice Isn’t Dead podcast
-
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Nuns in Space
- 99% Invisible
- Rick Moranis
- Roman Mars
- Steve Martin
- Chuck Tingle
Notable Talking Points:
- I’m gonna move my hand in clockwise motion
- It’s important that you’re here, but it’s not too important
- It won’t be devoid of pressure
- I also hope this can be a little bit fun
- This podcast is too mushy to withstand pressure
- At least I’m consistent in my ability to be articulate
- I’m in application status to be your friend
- Tonight will be a retrospective
- But in a really slow meandering way
- I’d like to evoke a silly spirit
- Memories of Denoid aka The Noid
- The Noid looked a bit like a Renaissance-Style Jester (RSJ)
- McDonald’s had the Hambungler
- Mythologizing Pizza Delivery
- Out of the miasma came the Noid
- A mythological history of the Noid
- The Noid liked to mess up pizza before you ate it
- SWM: A Place Devoid
- What if I just tickled the Noid?
- I’m the Pied Piper of Noids
- I tickled the Milwaukee Noid pink
- Oh, are you talking about pizza jesters?
- I’d love to be a pizza jester
- Second Retrospective – looking at 600 – 699
- It means so much that I can do this for you
- Let’s start with a personal retrospective
- I had no performing / recording experience when I started this podcast
- Back in the early days of podcasting
- I had a deep relationship with them
- You can make a podcast about anything
- I put off listening to the call for a long time
- I was on a bus during a train strike when I decided to commit
- I had no expectations of making any money
- It takes about 3 years to build an audience
- Releasing on a consistent basis will help build an audience
- Consistency is important when it comes to people’s sleep
- My creative workflow was established in the first 150 episodes
- At first, it was 3 times a week
- My first goal was to go for 2 years
- It wasn’t sustainable at first
- At the end of 2 years, we had a regular audience of around 10,000 listeners
- I checked in after 2 years and decided to go on for another year
- With 40,000 listeners it could pay a couple people’s salaries
- But the fact that people fall asleep and don’t fully listen impacts the finances
- For years, this was just an expensive hobby
- The Patreon really helped to keep it going
I found Chris Posty Posterson - I wanted to be able to pay the editors
- Wide Spectrum of Audio Editor Pay
- I hoped that the rest of the bills could be paid by sponsors
- When you do things for free, your esteem gets mixed up in it
- It’s not always the best version of your esteem
- I just wanted to get 10% of listeners to support you
- I was scared to ask for money
- I had to ask for what I actually needed
- Julie C made me really value my work and ask for more
- 10% was a mathematical impossibility
- It was getting more sustainable by the end of Year 3
- Patreon was about 1% of listeners
- And we started to get sponsors
- I started to cut back my work to make more space for the show
- I had to make a leap of faith
- Last year I finally did it
- I left my career and pension to make the show full-time
- It was a good decision to cut to 2 shows per week
- I was connecting with the broader podcast community and get their advice
- I hope that by the end of 2018 we’ll be able to still make 2 free episodes per week
- The issue is that people just fall asleep very fast
- A Victim of Its Own Success
- It’s ok to have doubt and be nervous
- Now I have clear goals to work towards
- Time to recap the episodes
- 600 – 7 Stages of Banter
- Star Trek: TNG
- Fearless Flyer Review – maybe this was the last public one?
- After the Glass Slipper
- Hamlet with Brainbots – that was so recent
- Costume Nostalgia was a popular episode
- I couldn’t commit to a full Star Trek: Discovery series
- Talking to a Bog
- Clouds Heal
- Apple at my Core
- Home Alone Tale of the Tape
- A Snow Sledding Episode
- As The North Pole Turns
- Scrooged Tale of the Tape
- Holiday Knocks
- Our first Doctor Who episode with Charles Dickens
- Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
- The Christmas Tree That Took a Walk
- A Leaf Peeping Episode
- This is when we moved to twice a week
- Doctor Who Season 1
- Interviewing Genny, the Username Generator
- Look back on After the Glass Slipper & As The North Pole Turns
- Pitching a Hall & Oates Musical
- Food Pilgimager
- The Weathered Weathervane – I’m proud of that
- Carole King Label Maker Episode
- Real Time Instapot Recipe episode
- Panda Force
- Empty Snore Child
- Fairy Tale Gloom Game Unboxing
- Conservatory Reading
- Fan of a Fan episode
- Rom Com Con Episode
- Toy Town
- Central Park Regret – that sounds like a Paul Simon episode
- Starting The Good Place episodes
- Alice Isn’t Dead crossover
- Stan Chronicles / Nuns in Space
- Bernie the Butterfly Tote Bag episode
- Cloud Tower – a classic
- Another Carole King episode
- A tribute to 99PI
- I’m recording this around ep 691
- What comes next?
- Some TNG and Good Place episodes
- Visiting the New York State Fair
- More Stan Chronicles
- 698 will be a Chuck Tingle crossover
- I record stuff so far ahead of time
- I really feel a sense of family with all you listeners
-
Retrospective of Episodes 600 – 699 | Listener Fav #703
[START OF RECORDING]
SCOOTER: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, friends beyond the binary, and my patron peeps, this is the podcaster that’s here to say thank you so much. Couldn’t have made it this far without you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and let’s get on with the show.
INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake, whether it’s thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, travel. Whatever’s keeping you awake, I’d like to take your mind off of that. I’m gonna take this safe place; I’m gonna move my hand in a counterclockwise…oh no, that’s clockwise position. It’s actually a motion.
I’m smoothing this safe place down and now I’m gonna go counterclockwise, which I could see is counterclockwise in…de-ruffle. Now I’m gonna go…now I’m gonna do some smoothing…oh, now I’m gonna take my thumbs and my forefingers and I’m gonna pull this safe place taut, and then I’m gonna pat it and say, hey, welcome to this safe place. I want you to feel treated…I’m glad you’re here. It’s important you’re here, but it’s also not super important. I want you to feel treated with dignity and respect, but this place is…not only is it safe; I want it to be…I don't know if I can make it devoid of pleasure. Devoid’s a nice word. Maybe we could come back to that; devoid. It also rhymes with something from my childhood, so I’ll cross my fingers on that.
But I want it to be a place with low pressure where you could say, okay, I’m relaxing here. If you’re new, here’s what I’m gonna do; I’m gonna send my voice across the deep, dark night. I’m gonna use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones and pointless meanders, extra tangents, I’m gonna go off-topic, I’m not gonna make a lot of sense. There will be a bit of sense in here, but it is a bit goofy and senseless. Just for example, structurally if you’re new, show starts off with a few minutes of business — that’s how we keep the show free and going — then there’s a intro which is about twelve minutes of me explaining what the show is, which for some people, they say, well, that’s…isn’t that…? I say, well, it’s part of the method. It’s part of the wind-down.
It’s part of me reminding you that I’m glad you’re here and that you deserve a good night’s sleep, and it’s also an attempt to be a little bit fun where I can try to take the seriousness out of your day, and you could use it while you unwind at home, while you brush your teeth, while you…when you first get in bed, or you could listen after you’re comfortable. Some people fall asleep during the intro, some people use it to unwind, some people skip it, and some people listen to it during the day as well. So, whatever works for you. There’s no pressure, but again, don’t put any pressure on the podcast 'cause it really will…it’s mushy. So, you say, well, I’m…I want this thing to make sense. I want to understand it.
I say, well, I’ve been doing these…I’ve done, whatever, 700-something episodes and I still have not found a concise way to explain the podcast even to people…at least people I’m related to or know me, they say, well, that’s…reminds me of you. So, give it a shot, but it doesn’t work for everybody. Creaky, dulcet tones, they may grow on you, or for a few people they…you say, well, those are more like creaky…the creaky, dulcet tones make me want to…whatever, take some dones or have a little groan. I say, okay, well, give it a few tries. There’s no pressure for you to like this show or to like me. Just give it a shot. I’m here to help. I’m here to be your friend if I can be. I guess I’m in application status to say, hey, could I be…could I…could you trust me? Let’s give it a shot. The onus is on me to talk pointlessly and bore you to sleep.
But the reason I make the show is 'cause I’ve been there, unable to fall asleep, tossing and turning. Even last night after reading and not being able to keep my eyes open…and then I said, what in the heck? Why am I sensing all these things that are…when I was reading, they weren’t getting on my…they weren’t getting my attention, and my eyes wouldn’t stay open. But as soon as I closed that book up, they say, hey, we…you know, let’s analyze this. So, I’ve been there and I believe you deserve a good night’s sleep. Oh, structure of the show. Tonight…so, there will be an intro, some business between the intro and the show, and tonight will be part of our retrospective 'cause we just crossed 700 episodes, so it’ll just be a look back at a little bit of the history of the show and then the last 100 episodes, but in a real slow, meandering way.
So, that’ll be this episode. Some people say, well, that’s a little…I say, well, it’s to celebrate everything the listeners have been along on this journey, and it’s also good bedtime story material when I say, huh, did I…? What was that episode about? Oh, I remember that; Charles Dickens is the name. Scoots is telling lulling anecdotes…non-anecdotes about me is the game. But I was saying earlier…is one of my goals is to make bedtime…oh, devoid of pressure, so that’s another thing I want you to know, is there’s no pressure for you to fall asleep. I’m gonna be here for an hour to keep you company and to kinda walk at your side, to talk to you across the bedroom, to be here while you fall asleep. This is more the podcast that’s here while you fall asleep than so much put you to sleep.
It’s like I’m trying to take your mind off of stuff, to keep you company as you drift off, as you slip through my fingers. So, no pressure to fall asleep, no pressure to listen, either. I shouldn’t be talking about anything super interesting, especially…I just recorded the episode, so I say, well, if you’re interested to the history of the podcast, you could listen during the day or listen to one of the interviews I’ve done in other podcasts or radio shows, or…yeah. But it’s a pretty meandering memory journey, and I think it’ll help you get off…so, you don’t need to listen to me. You don’t need to pay attention. I don't know, I think one of the things I strive for when I make this podcast is, yeah, to try to at least evoke a spirit of not just friendship or companionship or that I’m here to help and to take your mind off of stuff, but evoke a silly spirit.
It doesn’t…it could be a childlike spirit or it could be…adults goof around, too. Adults crack up and say…you start laughing uncontrollably sometimes. So, I’m not trying to get that far. I’m just trying to say, hey, wow, this is a little bit silly. This is a little bit goofy, and I was earlier talking about the word ‘devoid’. I say, well, devoid of pressure, devoid of seriousness, and devoid of comprehensible points for some people. But when I think about ‘devoid’, then I think about when I was a kid…I guess I already am wrong. I thought there was a pizza…one of the pizza companies that delivered pizzas. I thought they had a character named Denoid, but I think it was The Noid, but I guess you could say The Noid. That’s what I was thinking, is oh, that character is named Denoid, and it was…I think it was The N-O-I-D.
As my memory serves me, The Noid looked a bit like a jester that you might see in…more in the…maybe a renaissance-style jester. I may be reaching here, or a glorified…maybe turn-of-the-centry-esque and pictures of New Orleans and Mardi Gras jesters. I don't think an actual jester would say, I don’t…that’s not what I want to be portrayed as. But not negative, but not…so, The Noid was a bit like that. I forget what…I don't know if The Noid…even before The Noid, there was…the golden arches had a character, the Ham Bungler, but it was different where he went and took hamburgers. I don't think…but I think actually The Noid…if you took the real name of the Ham Bungler, I think that’s what The Noid was. The Noid was…what are those things called? The Noid was a bit of a pizza glitcher.
I don't think he worked for the pizza company, but what they said…I think it was a attempt at mythologizing pizza delivery. I never…they should have come out…if they had a…if I had a time machine, I’d go to their company and say, hey, have a seat. Let me tell you how this is gonna work. We’re gonna have a children’s book and a podcast. Maybe this could be a podcast episode, The History of The Noid. But the short version is once upon a time, there was a great invention; pizza. Then there was a greater invention; delivering it to your homesteads and castles and such. But with all great things…with great power comes stuff, and they said…out of the…whatever, out of the freakin’ miasma…whatever came the noids.
This was just one particular…it was The Noid, so I don't know if was the most famous noid or a representative noid or there was only one. If there was only one, it was really busy. I guess they said, well, that’s what you used to do. Now let’s just put you on TV and…so, I guess maybe they just…maybe it was just one…it was the Milwaukee Noid. They said, well, you’re the only one in existence, but we’re gonna pretend you exist everywhere. Sorry; I went off the mythology part. But they said everyone in this kingdom was happy getting their pizzas delivered until the noids came, and they would…at some point between when the pizza left the responsible corporate partner with only the customers’ pleasure and enjoyment in mind and the responsible delivery driver who wanted to be fairly tipped for their time, at some point in there, for most companies, there was a noid.
Is this what The Noid’s backstory was in…? What The Noid liked to do was mess up pizza before you ate it. Somewhere in that process. Then everyone was frowny-faced and they said, what did I just spent twenty-six bucks on? Then came a great and shining…whatever, mega…they said, in shining armor, and said, well, we were the same ones that had the insulated delivery bag, and now we’ve taken it…we’re gonna avoid…we avoid the noids. We have boxes, we have things to avoid…that was their big catchphrase; Avoid The Noid. I guess if there was a poetic version of this podcast, they’d say, devoid of…I don't know what I’d say. Devoid of noids? I don't know. A place devoid. I guess that would be it. Sleep With Me podcast; a place devoid of sense and sensibility and…but a seriousness.
There probably is a lot more about The Noid I could go on about, but really what I wanted to summarize is that, yeah, this is a place where The Noid…if you were getting a pizza delivered and you lived in that kingdom, you’d be…you wouldn’t be happy about it. I guess I would tickle The Noid. If I said, well, here’s the thing; you’re making a commercial about these noids and you’re taking all these precautions. You said…double-checking the pizza before you put it in the box, confirming the order and then walking slowly to your car and putting it in a flat…what if I just tickle The Noid? They say, wait a second, you mean we wouldn’t have to double-check our orders? Wouldn’t have to drive and walk reasonably? Wouldn’t have to make sure everything’s on a flat surface?
I say, no, not…no prob…I got…I’ll save you tons of…I’ll come to your stores and I’ll tickle all the noids in town. I’m like the pied piper of noids. Then they’d say, do you have any referrals? I’d say, oh yeah, remember…have you ever heard of the Milwaukee Noid? I tickled that Milwaukee Noid pink and made it…now it lives with nana there on the waterfront, just chilling, and she tickles it and pets it. We’re working on more…anyway, it’s a big project, but I’ll tickle your noids. Oh boy, nevermind. But I’m here to make…so they like that. It’s a bit silly like that idea. You say, well, why…what if I just tickle the noids? This is a little bit lighter version of that where I just try to keep you company and barely make you smile. I would posit, if you’re new, did…were you picturing…? You say, what is this noid?
This is a pizza jester. Oh, we have those where I come from. We call them pizza jesters. I say, yeah, this was a trademarkable name or something. I don't know. But yeah, maybe that could be…actually, that could be a position. I would like to do that, be a pizza jester. I think when I…but so, anyway, I’m here to be your sleepy pizza jester and do a little bit of jesting to try to…I don't think I have the power to make your evening devoid of seriousness, but maybe I could just lighten it a little bit. Maybe I could just make your shoulders unwind a little bit more, make that bed just a little bit…tuck you in there, 'cause I said I’ve been there. I appreciate you checking the show out. I appreciate you giving me your time. I work very hard on this show. It doesn’t work for everybody, but give it a few tries. That’s what everyone that listens says. But I really hope and I really yearn that I can help you fall asleep, so thanks again for checking this show out, and here’s a couple ways we keep the show going.
Alright everybody, this is our second retrospective episode, looking back at the last 600 episodes or the last 100 episodes of the podcast. Actually, I’ll be looking into the future before release, 'cause I’m recording this in early August. But again, just like in the other one, I couldn’t make this show without you, so thank you so much for all of your support, all of your listening. Let me really tuck you in bed. It really is an honor to be here and tell you bedtime stories and to help you go to sleep or to keep you company in the deep, dark night or to keep you company in the day when you might be under some stress. I can’t tell you…maybe you could feel it, because I can feel it in my chest and in my gut and in my heart right now, talking about it.
I don't know, I didn’t expect…so, maybe I’ll do a little bit of a personal retrospective, a quick one of the history of the podcast and then…of the history of the last year, and then go into the last 100 episodes, with maybe some personal…I don't know, but I’ll keep it sleepy; don't worry. ‘Cause we…definitely 700 episodes is pretty far from the beginning, 'cause when I started this show…and some of you may not know that…this. I really…I had no experience in podcasting or broadcasting or being recorded or performing on the mic, and I also had no idea that this podcast would work out. I wondered; I said to myself, why isn’t there a bedtime story podcast for grownups? I had said it for years and I said…and then the answer would come back from another childlike part of me; well, why don’t we make it?
I would say, no, no, no, that’s not…we can’t do that. That would…that’s too…we don’t have that experience, we don’t know what we’re doing. We couldn’t make that. That kid-like voice would come back and say, come on, let’s make that pod…I think we could make it. If you’ve heard the history of the podcast before, that was something that went on for years. I said, no, no, no…and said, well, we love all these podcasts. It was recently…it was just exchanging tweets with Brian from Coverville, which is one of the first podcasts I started listening to on a regular basis in the aughts. I don't know what aught. 0-something. ‘05. I don't know what year it was. That was one of the shows that I said, oh wow, you can really make a joy…podcasts are a joyful thing and they can really be about anything.
Brian’s show is about cover songs and it still continues to this day, and he’s in the Podcast Hall of Fame. He’s been doing it since the beginning. He’s also on the morning streams. I know a lot of…morning stream shout-out, 'cause I know a lot…I know we have some crossover in our audience, which is really cool. So, just hearing stuff like that encouraged my child. Brian…whatever, I don't know if Brian has a inner child. I think he probably does. But say, hey, his…look; he’s making his fun show about cover songs. Back then there were shows like Dawn and Drew, and Scott Sigler had these audio-book-style podcasts. Those were two other ones that my kid was like…hey, look at these shows.
Sometimes early on I would listen to podcasts with other people and they wouldn’t feel the same, and then there was this podcast…what was it called? WDW Today, and it was these guys, these five guys. Or, let’s see; Len, Mike, Mike, and Matt, and then sometimes they would have another guest talking about…in-depth about Disney World theme park, and it was just so interesting to just hear…it was literally like I was getting to look in through a window on their lives. Even though a lot of stuff they talked about was subtextual and there would be tension between them, it was…ostensibly, they were just talking about Disney theme parks, but it was like, hearing it…I just felt like I was getting to inhabit…like Being John Malkovich in each one of them.
I don't know, it was just another one that I said, wow, you really can make a podcast about anything and just do it. At the time, I think the big podcast out was Ricky Gervais’ a repurposing of a radio show as a podcast or as a radio…I don't know, I never looked…I think I have looked into the history, but it was Stephen Merchant, Ricky Gervais, and Karl Pilkington. I think that was Karl Pilkington’s kinda big debut in the world, and it was just another very funny, very different…especially from American radio. Again, my kid said, wow, look at all this…and there was so much other stuff that I was listening to, but those are just a few examples. I said, no, no, no, we…and I kept putting that idea to bed and saying, not listening to that call. Then at some point I did listen to the call, and we’ll skip over the years between them.
I kinda talked about it on other shows, but I was trying other stuff and I had kinda slowly been starting to commit to living my life a little bit fuller, not in…and it was a very slow journey to do that and to take some action where I could. There was a lot of…a lot more backwards motion than forward motion, but there was still some forward motion. Then at some point one of the things I was working on did not work out, and I remember…and I’ve talked about this in another place. I was on a bus during the train…a transit strike where the trains weren’t running. So, it was a very, very long bus ride with a lot of stops and a lot of people, just because the trains were down and people were trying to get to work.
It wasn’t a bus you would normally commute on. This project kinda imploded with the other people I was collaborating with, and right at that point, I knew that project was done. I had had time every week committed to that project, and this part of me said, hey, why don’t you start that sleep podcast right…and I said, what, what? Yeah, where you were working on this other project, just start to work on the sleep podcast. Just put it in there. I said, okay. It said, just do it because otherwise life’s gonna close up and you won't get a chance to do it. I think you should do it. I said, okay, okay, yeah, let’s do it. So, I did it and I just started, basically, is the non-dramatic thing.
I was looking on YouTube and the internet for how to make a podcast, and borrowed some equipment, and I said, let’s just start trying to make this bedtime story podcast for grownups, and let’s start…from what I had learned on the internet and from listening to people that have been making podcasts, one was podcasts aren’t a money-making thing. Two, it’s very hard especially when you have no…so, I didn’t have any expectation of that. Then it said, well, it’s very hard to get people to listen to podcasts, especially if you don’t have an audience. So, I said, okay, that’s good, probably, those two things, 'cause I don't know what I’m doing. The consensus seemed to be that it took three years to get…to build any kind of audience.
So, I said, okay, well, two to three years, usually, but it definitely is three years…is the consensus, but it’s easier to say, okay, well, two to three years is a little more palatable. Then another consistent piece of advice…not 100%; this is a grey area, but a stronger…is if you don’t have an audience, releasing something on a consistent basis will help. That’s better than just releasing it randomly. For me, it’s like…and that worked. I said, okay, so I have a deadline. I did think about it when I was making the podcast. I said, well, people are falling asleep on…if this podcast did work and I was listening to it, I would want it on…I would want to know when it’s coming out and I would want it to be out then.
So, that’s something we’ve always kinda stuck to, is really having a consistent schedule — even down to the time unless there’s a glitch — that the episodes come out, which I think currently is 4:00 PM Pacific on Sundays and Wednesdays. Then what happened to us; I started making the podcast and I started putting it out, and I was learning. You could listen to the kinda content side and the lulling retrospective of the first 500 episodes, 'cause in that first 100, 150 episodes was really where the current state of the podcast was born, from all the experimentation. Not so much in the content of the content but in the creation of it and saying, what works? What’s sustainable for the creation standpoint? At some point in there, probably pretty early on, we settled on a three-time week schedule.
‘Cause I said, well, if I was listening to this podcast, again, I would want it five nights a week if I relied on it to fall asleep. I said, well, that’s not…that’s impossible. I said, if I push really, really…put a lot of work in, I can do it three times a week. Also there’s a part of me in my mind that said, well, if it’s at three times a week…yeah, maybe that’ll be good for the audience. Then I said, okay, can I do that for two years? That became my goal. That was my goal pretty early on, was like, can I make this podcast? Well, first it was with the goal of making it for two years but having points in-between, to be like, can I make two episodes? Can I make eight episodes? Can I make twenty episodes? Can I make fifty episodes?
I think when I got to fifty, I was like, I’m definitely making this for two years, and that was a bit of a…not having a little bit more…I think I maybe over-committed, so that was tough because between fifty and…there was 250 episodes between Episode 50 in two years. But I kept at it for two years and at the end of two years, I said to myself, well, can…should we keep making this podcast? Yes, but is this sustainable? The answer was no. It was just…the podcast is…making a podcast like this is the equivalent of at least a two or three-person team if each person’s working a normal work schedule of forty hours a week. I was also working a job this whole time to pay my bills and keep the…and pay the bills of the podcast, which at the time were smaller 'cause the podcast was smaller. But at the end of two years I said, okay, well, we have an audience.
I think at the time…maybe at the end of two years there was 10,000 regular listeners, which is really…I was really grateful for that, and that was really something that said, okay, this podcast does have potential. So, then I forget if I committed for another year or two…I think I said, okay…well, I think I said, can I make this sustainable in a year? Otherwise I’ll have to stop. I think that’s what I decided, or maybe I said two more years to make it sustainable. I can’t remember. But I said, okay, let’s see if we could get it to a number of listeners where it’s sustain…where it could sustain itself, which is…at the time…I don't think…I think this was more not-prevailing logic or consensus, but more just…internet opinion was like, oh, if you have 30,000 or 40,000 regular listeners, you could definitely pay for one or two full-time positions.
I did find out that for my podcast, that wasn’t true 'cause it puts people to sleep, so it makes it…adds this extra hurdle of trying to pay the bills when people are asleep. But so, I said…I think I said, by three years if I…be around that number, then maybe it’s…it’ll be…then I can find a way to sustain it. I think…I’m not sure; my memory is not perfect, but I think around three years we were right around that number, like 30,000, 40,000 regular listeners. But in there, I don't know if…when in three years…we never…we didn’t really have any money. Well, we didn’t have any money coming in. We had a tiny bit of Amazon money coming in.
Mostly I was still subsidizing…well, no; mostly I was subsidizing the podcast with my free labor and then all…any money I would spend I would have spent on myself or my leisure money, like it was a expensive hobby or something like that. At the end of three years…I think this was three years, but maybe this was two years. I don't know. I said, I don't think I can keep doing this. It’s just no…it’s easy to do something like this for two or three years. So, maybe I’m getting two or three years mixed up, but I said, I need help. I can’t keep putting this episode…show out three times a week. It’s just not achievable. So, I was like, okay, well, what can I do to get help? I think we tested some sponsors in there at some point, and that didn’t really take hold as a reliable source of money.
Then at some point we started the Patreon and I said, okay, if I can bring in enough money to pay someone to do the first edit of the show, the editing…after it’s recorded, editing the episode so it’s pretty much ready to go…I would listen and make any changes. I said, maybe I…if I could get help and I could build the Patreon to pay for help with one episode a week and then two episodes a week with the goal of getting to three episodes a week, I said, I could keep…I think I could keep going. Actually, before the Patreon started, I started paying out of my pocket. I said, well, I found someone; Chris Posty Posterson. I had heard his podcast; he had done the theme music for the show. I knew he was talented and capable. So, I think this was…yeah, I don't know if this was the two-year point or the three-year point.
Right around that, and I think it was November or October, so that was right when we started the show, but I don't know if it was after two years or three years that Chris started working for the show and I started paying him. I also have a philosophy; when you work on something for free, you realize that that’s kind of…sets this not-great precedent and you realize how much work goes into the show. There’s a lot…the spectrum of audio editors is…of pay is pretty wide and I knew Chris’ talent, and so, we agreed on what I think…I would love to pay him a lot more money, but it was…I said, well, if I was doing this, how much would I want to get paid an hour or per episode? So, we found a price that I was comfortable with and Chris was comfortable with and that I felt was reasonable by the quality of work and livable.
I mean, only as a side gig because it’s not like this is…the editing is not a forty-hour-a-week work. So, I kinda built the Patreon around that and then I started the Patreon, but I still had in the back of my mind that at some point we’ll have…all the rest of our bills would…becomes…would be paid before by sponsors, just 'cause that’s a lot of the podcast advice out there. So, a lot of my budgeting and stuff was like, okay, well, one, we have sponsors, regular sponsors. That’s how I’ll be able to pay myself and I’ll be able to pay some of the other bills, and the Patreon will be a supplement or the Patreon will be…the sponsors will be our A option and the Patreon will be our B option for funding. Then we had C, D affiliate Sleep Phones and…what else did we have?
Affiliate Amazon and stuff like that as other small…very small, but still, any money helps…funding options. Again, this isn’t all…I’m winging this, so there’s definitely some…probably holes in some of this stuff. But then I started the Patreon, and I guess when you start…you do something for free…and some listeners told me this; it’s like, does…this podcast is very valuable, but sometimes your esteem gets mixed in with it and it’s not always the most positive version of your esteem. I started to think, well, maybe I’ll just ask for…listeners for a dollar. Like, if I could have got 10% of listeners at a dollar…of the show…I guess part of me is still always blown away…this…was well, how hard would that be? It should be easy for Sleep With Me.
Even though the prevailing logic was only 0.5% to 2%, and 2% is really…nearly unachievable…of your listeners will support you on a platform like Patreon, will pay for something free. But I was a little…I think I was more delusional…I have a good relationship with the audience, so I was a little delusional of what was possible, but I was also scared of just asking for more money than a dollar. So, I asked for a dollar, and I thought we could get 10%, and then maybe 1% or 2% not a dollar. That was actually a big error 'cause one, we weren’t able to achieve…even come close to that 10% number, and it kinda let a lot of our initial patrons know, oh, a dollar’s all Scoots wants or needs 'cause that’s what he’s asking for, which was a totally reasonable conclusion on their part.
So, all…a lot of the initial people that became patrons were dollar-patrons, which is usually your core you get in the first three or four months of your patron…Patreon. But then a couple listeners, particularly Julie C., one of the edit…noderators said, do you know…this is…I don't think this is okay. The podcast isn’t just worth a dollar to me and it shouldn’t be worth a dollar to you if you’re working ninety…eighty, ninety hours a week and a day job to pay for that. Isn’t it worth…are you sure you’re not just…you’re devaluing the podcast for…? I said, you’re right; I am. So, then at some point we changed focus and also, other realists said you can’t get 10%, and the numbers were clear that it was like, we would never get to 10% support, not even…it was just almost…it’s a mathematical impossibility.
So, that was a little bit tough but we said, okay, well, let’s just go back. We’ll keep doing this and we’ll see how it goes, and we’ll take it one step at a time. This was somewhere in…yeah, between years two and four, which all kinda becomes mashed together. I said, okay, now, over years two and four, we’ll try to make this sustainable, because at the end of year four or end of year three or the end of both years, I was like, okay, if this isn’t sustainable, I have to stop or cut back. I guess it was at the end of year three, and at the end of year three, it wasn’t sustainable. I guess it was the end of year three, right? But it was getting there. I said, oh, geez, well, it’s just a matter of getting the sponsors.
We’re still…we had Patreon support of maybe 1% or maybe…somewhere in 1% of the listeners, and while we had a lot of dollar-patrons 'cause of the initial…the way I conducted it, it was still good signs. Then we had on-and-off paid sponsors, and I was like, well, sooner or later we’re gonna get…we got Casper, and Sleep Phones is an affiliate sponsor which is a little bit different, but it was like, okay, sooner or later this is all gonna work, 'cause I know it’s working. It’s putting people to sleep. I’m consistent. But it was still a lot of work. Then again, I got a point where I was like, I can’t keep doing this. It’s just not sustainable for me.
I started working with my job and my vacation that I had let build up, and…trying to work flex schedule and trying to cut back work when I could, and then trying to be like, okay, can I do some of this part-time or some of this from home? But it was clear that that wasn’t sustainable, either. It was like, okay, I need…I was like…it was approaching a place where I had to make a leap of faith, but one with my daughter in mind and reality in mind. It wasn’t…I knew…emotionally I had listener support, and there was a hardcore group of listeners that were supporting the show, but I said, well, it’s still a leap of faith, and I’m a person that overthinks and is anxious and stuff.
But at some point I took that jump, and I guess it was last year, but I said, okay, again, if I’m taking this jump, the show has to…now it has to be sustainable, 'cause I’m leaving my career which had a pension and stuff, so it was my main…it was like, oh, that was what I was planning my future around. But I also, over the years, had obtained a lot of skills, so I said, okay, well, I know I can produce and make podcasts, so I could always do something else in the podcast business. Not a big deal. Then towards last year…I guess that was four years. So, I said, listen, we gotta…I was honest with myself and the audience. I said, okay, I have to start looking at what’s sustainable, what is paying the bills, and what is not paying the bills.
So, that was…at first we tried to get funding to make sure…to cover the cost of Sleep to Strange and we weren’t able to do that, and so, we stopped putting out Sleep to Strange as far as a free show. Then it was like, okay, should we keep…it takes a lot of work to put the show out three times a week and it limited my ability to try to pursue other opportunities to keep…to make the podcast sustainable, which was…so, at the…I said, okay, can we…is it realistic to keep the show three episodes a week with the number of sponsors and patrons we have? At the end of the year, it was like, no, it’s just not. It’s just not sustainable for me as the creator or looking at the numbers. It’s just like, okay, we gotta cut to two a week.
That was a really good decision 'cause it enabled me a little bit more space to interact with the audience, to interact with the podcast community, and connect with other podcast…people that were creating podcasts, and it was also right around the time I left my job. So, all this happened in the winter of the end of 2017. So, I left my job, tried to focus…we had some other shake-ups in there, too. But I actually wasn’t…because of the Patreon, it was still in a place where I was like, okay, I still need to get this going and I still need to get more sponsors. It was like, I guess in some sense, I had made that leap, and so, it was like, okay, well, I’m committed to this podcast now and committed to find…making it sustainable. I said, okay, well, I do have all these tangible skills, so I don’t need to worry.
Because I was connected to more people creating podcasts, people at Night Vale Presents, people at PRX and Radiotopia and just a lot of my independent friends creating podcasts, it was like, I was able to get some better advice and say, okay, well, I think this…I think we’re gonna be okay, and to be like, okay, it’s 2018; let’s just see how it goes again. I guess when you’re listening to this, it might be further along. We still are in a see-how-it-goes kinda state, but things change faster now…a little bit faster. So, it’s like, okay, I think by the end of 2018 we’ll be able to keep making two episodes a week, free episodes, and I’m pretty confident we are, but I keep assessing things and saying, okay. The people that support the show, it’s been amazing, and I think it’s not a issue of people that don’t want to support the show.
It’s just the issue of people falling asleep very fast, which is…the podcast has been a victim of its own effectiveness and success, and it’s just a overall apathy in general to say, well, if it’s…it’s just a strange thing to pay for something that’s free or to not passively…or to not pass…we were kinda also taught to passively consume advertising instead of being like, oh, Casper and Brooklyn and Sleep Phones are a part of what keep this show going. So, it’s just…and then when you’re already asleep and in bed…but we’ve…able…the people are also great about word-of-mouth, so the show’s been able to grow in that way. I just learned so much about myself and about…that people are there to support you, listeners and other podcasters and friends and family, and that you can take these leaps and it’s okay to have doubt and to be a little nervous or A-F-R-A-I-D, because it is outside of your comfort zone.
But it says, okay, it’s not a all-or-nothing thing, either. You’ll be able to find your way, and I can parent myself and say, you know, I’m here to take care of you. It’s okay to be afraid. Let me pat your back. We’re gonna do the best decision we can, and we made a good decision. We have a podcast with about 1,500 regular listeners. Maybe at the time you’re listening, more, and people that really are invested in the show and people that support you, people that benefit from the podcast, people that interact with you, that shower you with kindness, and there’s a lot of people that believe in you and the show, so it’s gonna be okay. You’re gonna be okay, and let’s just take it one step at a time. I mean, that’s kinda where things are.
I think I have trust that it’s like, okay, things are gonna keep growing, we’re gonna add some more sponsors, we’re gonna get our archives back up, and we’re gonna keep the show at two episodes a week. That’s what I’m working for here towards the end of 2018, I guess, is my goals…is to get the archives back up, make sure they’re sustainable, and make sure the show, the free show, is sustainable twice a week. Yeah, and I’m pretty confident we’ll get there, 'cause we got a lot of great support, and I want to thank you for that. But yeah, I guess I’ve gone off, so let’s run through…yeah, okay. So, here we are. Let’s run through 600 and…to now. So, 600 was Seven Stages of Banter, which again, I can’t believe that was a hundred episodes ago, but that was a fun episode, another bore-win seminar episode.
Statue Love; that was another After the Glass Slipper episode I enjoyed. Little One and Mother; that was with Troi’s mom and Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Fearless Flyer Review in October; that’s funny. Maybe that was our last Fearless Flyer review? I don't know, but that was a good one. No, I think we did one with pumpkin pie spice. Pop Quiz After the Glass Slipper, Yesterday’s Enterprise, TNG, Hamlet with Brain Bots; that was October 24? Holy mackerel. That was about me procrastinating going to see Hamlet and then being happy I did. Castles and Compromise; that was another After the Glass Slipper episode. That was good. Fistful of Datas; so, we’re getting towards the end of…oh, we’re getting ready for the launch of this new Star Trek: Discovery series. Then 609; Costume Nostalgia. That came out on Halloween.
I know that was a popular episode, a fun look at nostalgia for Halloween costumes. Quilting Clues; that was another After the Glass Slipper one, Context…then we did Star Trek: Discovery, but I think…I enjoyed the show; it was just a matter of the combination of the paywall and I guess just that Star Trek…I was just having trouble with a large number of listeners not listening to the Star Trek episodes. So, I think those two things…and it was like, I didn’t love…I liked Discovery but I didn’t love it so much that I said, okay…then Talking Bogs; that was another on-location episode where I talked to a bog. Don’t Look Back; that was with…Talking Bogs was with…who was it with? Viola, maybe? I can’t remember.
Don’t Look Back; that was a cool After the Glass Slipper episode, then another Discovery episode, When Doves and Lambs Fly Together, then a healing, personal, fictional journey, Clouds Heal. That was 'cause I kept failing quizzes for clouds in fourth or fifth grade. Teaching Evaluations; that was towards the end of…or maybe that was the last episode of After the Glass Slipper. I think it was. Choose Your Pun; that was another Star Trek: Discovery episode. I think that was the last one we did. Plus, it was up against the holiday season. Apple at My Core; that was a fun one 'cause it was a look at apples, which I love, and apple-picking, and even a apple coaster, I think. Then we did a Tale of the Tape for the movie Home Alone, then I did a episode about snow-sledding, a little trip…immersive trip of snow-sledding.
Then As the Pole…As the North Pole Turns; that was a holiday series, a short holiday series, a soap opera at the North Pole. Then we did Tale of the Tape for the movie Scrooge, which was, again, a fun one. Then Stormy Sheep, which is another As the North Pole Turns episode, then we had our first Doctor Who episode with a visit from Charles Dickens, just 'cause it was the holiday season. Then a Macy’s Parade recap, Happy Pucks. I still…that was the best parade ever just 'cause of the…this guy, he was dressed as a puck. I think there was two of them, and they were dancing, and they were so happy. I still can see it. Then a holiday…a Macy’s…oh no, then the…As the North Pole Turns, another episode, Melorama.
Then National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Tale of the Tape, then the two characters from other holiday episodes; The Elf Nobody Knew and The Christmas Tree That Took A Walk…Went on a Walk Together. Then the finale of As the North Pole Turns, North Pole: Coco Square Dance. Then we had…Peeping Leaves, which was a leaf episode where I talked about leaf-peeping, then a on-location episode from Stow Lake, and this is when we moved to the twice-a-week schedule here, then our first…then we started doing regular Doctor Who, Season 1…and the first episode was Rose. Then we interviewed Genny the Username Generator. That’s another creative high point for the podcast. I can’t believe it was all the way in January.
Then we had Lentils and Plastic Toys, which was a look back at both After the Glass Slipper and…I think that’s what it was, and…let’s see, Genny the Username Generator…yeah, and As the North Pole Turns, I think. Then I Feel Fine, another Doctor Who episode, then a Pitching Curry and Moranis episode. I pitched them a Hall and Oates musical. Still haven’t heard anything from anybody about that. Then we kicked off our new series with Fairy Tale River Ride. That was a theme park series that never got a name, but it was about a young woman in a theme park. Then Friends in London, another Doctor Who episode, then Food Pilgrimager, which was another…what is that called? Fearless Flyer episode. It was called Food Pilgrimager.
Then another ride episode; Dark Side of the Pretzel, from the theme park series, a Doctor Who one; Once, Twice, Thrice a Doctor, and another good, creative episode; Weathered Weathervane, another one I was happy with how it came out. I wanted to do a story about a weathered weathervane, and it, again, took some turns I didn’t expect. Gliding Over Comfort; that was…I don't know if you’ve been on that ride, Soarin’, but that was…it was about…then Comic Dalek. I didn’t realize that kinda rhymed; Comic Dalek. Maybe I did at the time. Then a Carole King episode where I went on an adventure with a label-maker, then a theme park ride, a theme park with oceans, then 648 was Long Game; that was another Doctor Who episode. 649 was another interview episode with Matter Matters.
It was a TV show, Matter Matters, I think. Episode 650 was Curly Sue Rush, which is based on…what’s that ride called or influenced by? Big Thunder Mountain. Father’s Day; that was a Doctor Who episode. Real Time Recipe, real…with my InstaPot. Real recipe under pressure in real time. Then Panda Force, which was kinda influenced by the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland. Let’s see, Empty Snore Child; that was a Sleeping with Doctor Who episode, then we had a Fairy Tale Gloom Game unboxing where I unboxed the game Fairy Tale Gloom. Then we had a theme park episode, Conservatory Reading, which was kinda influenced by the land, then Fan of a Fan, which was kind of an episode about fandom and particularly that I’m a fan of my fan. Then we had Doctor Dances, another Doctor Who episode.
Episode Rom-Com Con, which was…had a little bit of tingler in there. I wrote romamphlets. It was about me going to…starting a romance convention and then going to a romance convention where I didn’t have books; I had romamphlets, romantic pamphlets. Toy Town; that was about…what’s that…? Happy Little World? What’s it called? A World of Journey? I don't know what that ride’s called where all the kids sing. A Small World? Yeah, that’s it, A Small World. Thanks, brain. Then Boom Town, another Doctor Who episode that…really getting close to the end of that season. Central Park Regret came out in April. That was…I still say Paul Simon should make a song about that. That was kind of…fiction and reality melded. Heart of a Candyman; that was a theme park ride episode.
Bad Wolf; that was a great Doctor Who episode, one I really enjoyed. 665 was Friends of Mario and Sonic where I said, who are all these people that hang out with Mario and Sonic? I was like, what the heck? Let’s look it up. Triple 6 was Jungle River Journey. I thought triple 6 was gonna be a Doctor Who episode, but it ended up being a Jungle River Journey theme park episode. 667, Parting of the Ways; that was the last Doctor Who episode. 668 was Sky Writer, where I met a sky…I tried to save sky-writing, successfully, by the way, but it was…it was fictional, but I successfully saved sky-writing. 669 was the finale of the theme park series, Caretaker’s Carousel, which part of it took place in the Carousel of Progress. 670 was The Good Place, episodes 1 and 2, A Good Place to Sleep, based on the TV show The Good Place.
That was kind of a surprise; I said, okay…I don't know, I just love that show so much. I said, we’re gonna do this. Bel Biv de Bib; that was for Memorial Day, and that’s a all-intros episode. Then we had the Alice Isn’t at Brunch…the Alice Isn’t in the Big Farm crossover with…the great podcast from Joseph Fink. So, that was a fun crossover. Then a review of the theme park series, a little run-through, then a episode about Tahani and Jason, The Good Place, Episode 3 and 4. Yeah, 3 and 4, then a comparison of the Pirates of the Caribbean rides with Ray, my neighbor. That was a good episode, I think. Ray kinda said that Disneyland and Disney World…the Pirates of the Caribbean rides are very different. Or, not very different, but…and Ray wanted to come on and explain to people all the differences.
Then another new series that…we’re still in progress right now; Stan Chronicles, Episode 1, Nuns in Space. Stan returns, Stan and Scooter. Then The Good Place to Sleep, episodes 5 and 6, then the Lemonade Experience, another kinda different episode where it was just about sipping lemonade on a porch and idealizing that. Then the Stan Chronicles 2, where Stan’s on the artist journey, working his way through that. Then 680 was The Good Place to Sleep, Episode 7 and 8, and then Bernie the Butterfly tote bag episode where Bernie the Butterfly comes on and talks about tote bags; 681. 682 was the Fourth of July, so we did a all-intros episode. More Pillows Than a Fancy Hotel. 683 was Smelling Space. It was Nuns in Space, Episode 3. Then we covered Good Place episodes 9 and 10.
685 was Cloud Tower, which was kind of a air traffic control tower in the clouds. Also, kind of meant to be soothing if you’re fly…if you’re in the air, you’re in a tube…you know, thing. Yeah, for people that don’t like that. Then Letter to a Younger Soda Machine Self; that was, what, Stan 5? 2, 3…2, 3, maybe 4? I don't know. Yeah, I guess 4. Then Good Place to Sleep episodes 11 and 12, then another Carole King episode; Mothership Connection, with a little bit of funkadelic in there. Then a 99 PI crossover or tribute…more of a tribute to Roman Mars in 99 Percent Invisible, where…a mash-up, too, with…pitching Moranis and Curry. It was pitching Roman Mars, Rick Moranis, and Tim Curry on the movie…it was a lot of layers in there.
When I record this, the last episode released was 691, Pom…Prom Free, Stan Chronicles, Episode 5, which was about a prom that you didn’t…it was a no-date prom, so kind of a dream prom. So, that’s all that’s released. So, let me see off the top of my head if I can figure out what’s coming next without looking. 691 is the Good Place to Sleep, Episode 13, 'cause I was just listening and editing that one. So, that would be…692 would be a visit to the New York State Fair, a little history of the New York State Fair. 691, 692…693 would be Stan Pt. 6. I was just listening to that one, too, but I don't want to spoil it. 694 will be a Troi…Star Trek: The Next Generation episode with Troi as the main…yeah, she’s the lead. She’s in command of the ship.
Had to change the title of the episode to Troi…I can’t remember what I named it, but…because the name of the episode’s not very sleepy. 695 should be a…should be State Fair, another visit to the New York State Fair. It’ll be interesting. I guess you’re hearing this after this all…come out, with more details about the New York State Fair and memories. 696 would be Stan Chronicles, Episode 7, which progressively gets more and more interesting and more and more sleepy. What is that, 696 or 697? I don’t know, 690…my finger says 7, so 697 would be Star Trek: The Next Generation, and I don't know the order of the release. Let’s see, there’s…Allegiance is one of them, so let’s just say…I don't know if it is…that’s the next one. But that’s one of the ones coming out, is Allegiance.
I think maybe that’s it, and it’s about two…there’s two Picards at one time in the episode, including one that’s ready to date, so that’s a good one. So, that’s 7…’98 is…is that ‘98? So, 7…’98 I think is gonna be a Tingler crossover. So, anybody that’s a Chuck Tingle fan will have the lulling…it should be on Chuck’s podcast, Pounded…the Pounded Podcast, for grown-ups only…will be a grown-up version, and then there will be a Sleep With Me version all about being okay. So, that should be 698, so that would make 699 Stan 8? Yeah, that looks right. Then 700 would be…I think 'cause of the schedule, there’s…somewhere in there is Labor Day, so it’s…one of theirs…somewhere in there is gonna be a all-intro episode.
Then somewhere in there would be…let me just try to figure out the next Star Trek one, 'cause I can’t remember, so it’ll be at least entertaining. The Star Trek episode after that would be The First Duty, with Wesley, but in-between those we did Allegiance…'cause I record stuff so far ahead of time. I probably recorded this last week. It was so long ago. I did Allegiance. I just recorded The First Duty this week, so what was the other one? I honestly don’t know. Then there will be those retrospective episodes and the rest of the Nuns in Space episodes, and then also we’ll be doing…Good Place season premiere will be in there, so that’s what we have on tap. I wish I could remember that other Star Trek one. Who was the main character? Was it…? Oh, there’s another one with…oh no, that one’s after the Wesley episode.
There was the Moriarty one, but that’s after it. Okay, you know what? I just remembered it. It’s one about…it’s called Brothers, I think. It’s about Data and Data’s brother. That might even be before the Wes…yeah, it is before the Wesley one. So, it’s about Data and Lore and then two other…the B story is very short, but it’s about two brothers on…aboard the ship. I really feel a sense of familyhood with all of you listeners, so thank you so much for being with me on this journey and supporting me on this journey and believing in me, 'cause I believe you deserve a good night’s sleep. That’s why I make the show. I say it a lot, but I’ve been there. So, thanks for the help keeping the show going or thank you for just being rested, asleep, and then putting energy, positive energy, on the world. Thanks, and goodnight.
[END OF RECORDING]
(Transcribed by Leah Hervoly) 1:04:14
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