Send us a Text Message. The 30th anniversary of the movie The Crow. Some amazing diet and exercise fad fails of the 1970s. MTV shows that came and went in the 1980s. The very first McDonald's restaurant. Episode 144 will super-size your nostalgia cravings. It kicks off with a look back at the movie The Crow on the week of its 30th anniversary. Marr…

Send us a Text Message. The beloved Sweet Pickles books. Some forgotten 90s musical acts. The most toxic workplace I've experienced. Episode 143 of the podcast has a bit of everything. It begins with the return of a podcast staple, Restaurant Storytime. This 8th installment is a segment 143 episodes in the making. Toxic workplaces are unfortunately…

Send us a Text Message. Celebrating the 90th anniversary of the iconic comedy group The Three Stooges. An educational short film about life in 1800. Some long-forgotten discontinued sodas. Episode 142 of the podcast covers a lot of ground. It begins with a look at the Three Stooges and their legacy in comedy as their very first short film Woman Hat…

Send us a Text Message. Was the Winnebago Man truly the Angriest Man In America? Were any of these board games on your family fun nights in the 1980s? How about some of the forgotten 1970s cartoons? Episode 141 of the podcast is unique in a few ways. It includes a first, that being a review of a full documentary, The Winnebago Man. Jack Rebney beca…

Send us a Text Message. The rise and fall, and rise again(possibly) of Ames Department Stores. Old school trips to the mall to get professional photos taken. The best-selling Atari 2600 games ever. Episode 140 returns after a week off filled with fun nostalgia. It begins with the story of a Northeast staple for decades. Generations of those who gre…

Send us a Text Message. The death of a Gen-X icon 30 years later. Memories of Old Country Buffet plus tips on how to be a meat carver. Some heavy-hitting stores that closed in the 1980s and 1990s. The legacy of TV Guide magazine. Episode 139 of the podcast runs the gamut from heavy to light but is filled with nostalgia. 30 years ago this week the w…

Send us a Text Message. Some of the biggest failures of 1990s products. Some of the most dangerous vehicles ever created. The rise of Napster and the dawn of music downloading in general. The nuclear disaster at Three Mile Island. Episode 138 of the podcast has warm and fuzzy nostalgia, horrific and scary events, some laughs and some head-shaking a…

Send us a Text Message. Products that were here and gone in a flash. A serious 70s educational short film with some underlying humor. One of the most infamous unsolved crimes of the 20th century. Some of the best long songs. Episode 137 has nostalgia in bloom as the calendar turns to spring. It begins with a look at some products that were here and…

Send us a Text Message. Memories of when a trip to the video store was a must on a Friday night. What were the original games released with the Nintendo Entertainment System? How about the bad guys of advertising? Episode 136 is chock full of all of that and more! It begins with a time when renting movies was as much fun as watching them. In the da…

Send us a Text Message. The Goonies as writing inspiration. Urban legends 1980s kids will remember. What music played on MTV's first day? Everyone has their origin story, how they ended up where they are or doing what they are doing. In Episode 135 of the podcast, I share my story of how I first got interested in being a writer. It goes all the way…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Text Message. Hello subscribers! It's March, spring is arriving. The sun will bring some warmth and so will a new subscriber-only bonus episode of the podcast! This is the 6th monthly installment in the series where I review a blog I had written called Initial Impressions which I began in 2010. For those who might …

Send us a Text Message. Some of the most memorable commercial jingles of the 90s. A trip back to Cape Cod's beloved Bassett's Wild Animal Farm. Historical Leap Day events. Episode 134 takes a trip back to simpler times. First, it begins with a trip back to the days when a petting zoo was popular entertainment. In the time before the Internet and sm…

Send us a Text Message. A driver's ed film that scarred children of the 1960s. Stories of my time as a degenerate Las Vegas gambler. Some of the best 1980s teen movies, and more. All of this is front and center on Episode 133 of the podcast. Las Vegas is called 'Sin City' for a reason. All of the excesses that you could want are within arms reach. …

Send us a Text Message. Happy Valentine's Day! Love is in the air on Episode 132 of the podcast. Helen Keller was an icon of the 20th century and a true testament to the will of the human spirit due to her achievements despite being rendered both bling and deaf at an early age. One of the loves of her life was the many trips that she made to Cape C…

Send us a Text Message. It is the dead of winter and Episode 131 will try to bring the warmth. It begins with a trip back to a long-since-forgotten Cape Cod establishment. The Chequesset Inn of Wellfleet, the Grand Resort of the Outer Cape, was an oasis of luxury in the late 19th and early 20th century. However, it has been all but lost to time. We…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Text Message. Hello subscribers! It's February so here is a Valentine from me to you with a new subscriber-only bonus episode of the podcast! This is the 5th in the series where I review a blog I had written called Initial Impressions which I began in 2010. For those who might be new here this blog was meant to be …

Send us a Text Message. The first day at a new job can be exciting, it can also be nerve-racking. In Episode 130 of the podcast we look at a day of work that was a mixture of both. In Restaurant Storytime VII: A Great First Impression I share the details of my first shift ever in the hospitality industry. For it to be on the podcast you know it was…

Send us a Text Message. Let's go to the mall! Words that were always music to the ears of anyone who grew up in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. A visit to the mall was always a special and exciting time back then. The indoor mall is still a popular destination today, however, its heyday was definitely the '70s through the '90s. You didn't need much money…

Send us a Text Message. An AI Therapist? A Pixelated Talking Parrot? Ruining the Lives of Sims? These are just a few of the possibilities one could have found 30 years ago during the rise of the MS-DOS computer game. Episode 128 of the podcast will reminisce about some legendary titles that helped pave the way for the modern wonders of gaming. Mill…

Send us a Text Message. Have you ever wondered how to cook McDonald's Chicken McNuggets in excruciating detail? I know you have. Well, Episode 127 has the answer. It comes in the form of a wacky McDonald's training video from 1983 complete with classic food item puppets, ominous music, cheesy jokes, and stereotypes galore. Healthcare and hospitals …

Send us a Text Message. Happy New Year! Throughout history there have been some odd ways to make money. For a time in the 19th century one such way was the collection and selling of bird poop, otherwise known as guano. In Episode 126 we will take a deep dive into the Pacific Guano Company of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, luckily from a safe distance. …

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Text Message. Hello subscribers! It's a new year and a new subscriber-only bonus episode of the podcast! We begin 2024 by continuing to review a blog I had written called Initial Impressions. This blog was meant to be a behind-the-scenes look at my travel trips but ended up as a fever dream mix of random quotes, pr…

Send us a Text Message. Happy Holidays! Episode 125 of the podcast is going to have your fill of warm, fuzzy memories. We will take a look back at what the holiday season was like in the 1980s and 1990s from Thanksgiving all the way through the day after Christmas. Looking through the Sears Wish Book, daydreaming of the toys seen in the commercials…

Send us a Text Message. Annoying Christmas Songs? A Kraft cooking infomercial disguised as a children's Christmas movie? Drunk nighttime photography? It's a fever dream masquerading as a winter wonderland on Episode 124 of the podcast. We begin with a new Dedication to the Craft segment dealing with nighttime photography. There will be some helpful…

Send us a Text Message. Relationships can bring out the best and worst in people. On Episode 123 of the podcast, we look at an urban legend about the worst. The oddly placed Pink House of Plum Island, Massachusetts has two stories behind it. One is said urban legend, while the reality is far sadder. For those that love a winter wonderland this week…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Text Message. Hello subscribers! Thank you for coming back for another subscriber-only bonus episode of the podcast. These are currently monthly episodes but that is always subject to change. We are continuing to review a blog I had written called Initial Impressions. This blog was meant to be a behind-the-scenes l…

Send us a Text Message. AI choosing the best 1980s professional wrestlers? Nostalgic grocery store trips? The internet is now retro? No, it's not a side effect of the Thanksgiving food coma, it's Episode 122 of the podcast! We kick off the episode with a look back at a Southern New England staple of decades past. For those in the area of a certain …

Send us a Text Message. New Englanders it's time to pat ourselves on the back and humble-brag a little. Episode 121 of the podcast is chock full of some of the greatest inventions to ever be developed within the borders of the six New England states. This special bonus episode includes hugely important inventions like the sport of basketball, the t…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 120 is chock full of fun, facts, and foolishness. We go way Back In the Day to look at an informative and well-intentioned, yet slightly fever dream-ish 1977 educational short film starring environmental PSA icon Woodsy Owl. Give a hoot and check the full video out here: Help Woodsy Spread the Word Today automobiles …

Send us a Text Message. It is another special episode of the show this week as Episode 119 marks the 3-year anniversary of the podcast. We take a look back at the genesis of the show including a clip of my first intro in Episode 1, and how my sobriety was interwoven into the creation of the podcast. I also share words of encouragement for those who…

Send us a Text Message. It's Birthday Week on Episode 118 of the podcast! There's a cause for celebration as I make another trip around the sun. What better way to reminisce than by looking at how a birthday evolves and changes as we age? Oh, and also there will be a makeshift Top 5 as I share some of the best(worst) birthday memories! From a celeb…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Text Message. Hello subscribers! Thank you for coming back for another subscriber-only bonus episode of the podcast. These are currently monthly episodes but that is always subject to change. We continue reviewing a blog I had written called Initial Impressions. This blog was meant to be a behind-the-scenes look at…

Send us a Text Message. Not only is Episode 117 the special monthly bonus episode of the podcast, but it is the Halloween bonus episode! This year's Halloween bonus show centers around some of the spookiest, weirdest, and just downright unbelievable myths, legends, and lore of all of the New England states. There will be two stories from each state…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 116 is loaded with creepy, terrifying, sad, and unbelievable stories for the Halloween season. The show kicks off with a truly heartbreaking tale. Insane or not insane that is the question. Charles Freeman of the small Cape Cod village of Pocasset committed the ultimate crime when he murdered his 4-year-old daughter.…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 115 takes a trip to possibly the perfect place in America to visit for the Halloween season: Salem, Massachusetts. This week's Road Trip is filled with witches, spooky cemeteries, possible haunted houses, and so much more. If you enjoy this time of year Salem is for you! We go way Back In the Day and reminisce about …

Send us a Text Message. Episode 114 sees the show back after a week off. That was done to finalize podcast subscriptions. Now you can support the show and become a subscriber either through Patreon or Buzzsprout! More info at the links below. We kick off the Halloween season with the ongoing story of America's oldest missing teens case. Bonnie Bick…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Text Message. Hello subscribers! We are entering uncharted waters for the podcast with this premiere subscriber-only bonus episode of the podcast. These will likely be monthly but that is always subject to change. In these bonus episodes, we will take a fever-dream tour through life nearly fifteen years ago. This i…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 113 sees the return of film producer Frank Durant for a third interview. It is an all-encompassing chat as we look at what he's been up to over the last year. Frank speaks about traveling over to France to work on a spiritual successor to the beloved 1956 short-film The Red Balloon. It can be watched at this link: It…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 112 begins with a segment I've wanted to do and share for quite a while. Straddling the line between two generations has allowed me to see things the way they were and the way they became. I celebrate this fact as I look at my Cape Cod roots. Reminisce about things that used to be on the Cape, and for folks of my gen…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 111 sheds some light on a very important discovery that happened during the podcast's hiatus earlier in 2023. I am the resident family historian. For years I had been searching for the biological family of my great-grandfather as my Nina revealed that he had been adopted. It was a long and often fruitless search but …

Send us a Text Message. Episode 110 begins with a return to Restaurant Storytime. In this chapter, we go back to the beginning of my time working in hospitality. The days of food prep in a rustic barn, loud music causing problems, mosh pit cleanup parties, broken windows, and more. This is Restaurant Storytime VI: Prep Boys Rock. Small towns typica…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 109 is a special Bonus Episode. This is going to be a fun and unique episode. We are going to take a deep dive into what it would have been like for someone coming to visit Cape Cod on summer vacation a century ago in the year 1923. What would you see? Where would you stay? Where would you eat? How would you even get…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 108 is very Rhode Island-centric as we celebrate the smallest state in the country. It begins with a bit of pulling back the curtain. I spoke at length in Episode 30 about my friend Matt who tragically passed away in 2017. In that episode, I mentioned making two lifelong friends at virtually the same time. One was Ma…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 107 is filled with Cape Cod nostalgia. It begins with a bittersweet look back at the New England icon the Christmas Tree Shops as the company gets set to close all of its stores by the end of August. Although it grew to be more than a local gift shop this chain was born and developed on Cape Cod. Known as the 'Consti…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 106 takes a look back at Cape Cod's first air disaster. During the dawn of passenger air travel a company set its sights on Cape Cod for air tourism. This story goes from a spectacular triumph to a horrific tragedy in the span of a few weeks. Today however it has been mostly forgotten. This week's Road Trip takes us …

Send us a Text Message. Episode 105 is an extended trip down memory lane. It's a hybrid episode, part list, part Back In the Day, with some embarrassing stories sprinkled in. Growing up we all have our differing opinions on what is considered 'cool.' Born in the 1970s I was a child of the 80s and a teenager of the 90s. There are a lot of cool thing…

Send us a Text Message. Episode 104 is a return to the full-length format. It begins with a story that needed to be told. For a time, a very brief time, I was part of a show on a college radio station. That was ten years ago. What was the show about? Who was a part of it? Why did it only last a short time? All of that will be revealed in hilarious …

Send us a Text Message. After six months on hiatus, the podcast is back with Episode 103! This is a special bonus episode that will pair well with Episode 102. So much has happened since that episode dropped and I will go into all of it here. Three books have been published which have been the lion's share of where my time has gone. I will go into …

Mark Ellis is joined by Star Wars expert Ken Napzok to discuss season 3 of The Mandalorian. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nikkie Novak is joined my Mario fan Wendy Lee Szany to discuss all things 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie.' See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.