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Head On Fire

Paranormal Podcasts

What’s the best chapstick for a dead body? How much do marketers really know about us? Is there such a thing as a “minimalist table?” Join author Don Martin every other week on Head On Fire, a search for answers to life’s biggest and smallest questions. He interviews experts in overlooked fields about subjects you either think you already know everything about or have never considered. From how morticians can turn you into a coral reef to the best way to investigate a cult, he asks the questions you didn’t even know you wanted answers to.

Location:

United States

Description:

What’s the best chapstick for a dead body? How much do marketers really know about us? Is there such a thing as a “minimalist table?” Join author Don Martin every other week on Head On Fire, a search for answers to life’s biggest and smallest questions. He interviews experts in overlooked fields about subjects you either think you already know everything about or have never considered. From how morticians can turn you into a coral reef to the best way to investigate a cult, he asks the questions you didn’t even know you wanted answers to.

Language:

English


Episodes
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How do you make cars less scary? with Chaya Milchtein, the Mechanic Shop Femme

4/30/2024
Chaya Milchtein is known to the internet as the Mechanic Shop Femme. She uses her platform and her new book Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership— to make every facet of car ownership less terrifying—from the day you decide to purchase to doing your own regular maintenance and care—and she’s showing folks in the margins of society who are typically left out of these spaces that we belong in the shop and showroom too. Email: contact@headonfirepod.com Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:00:51:23

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What's it like being Out in the NFL? with Kevin Maxen

4/16/2024
Kevin Maxen is a strength and conditioning coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s also the first male coach in major American men’s professional sports to publicly come out as gay. I sat down to talk to him about what it takes to train some of the world’s best athletes, divorcing yourself from outside criticism, and whether the NFL is finally becoming more welcoming to the queer community. Email: contact@headonfirepod.com Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:00:46:50

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How do you fall in love with poetry? with Dr. Maya C. Popa

4/2/2024
Dr. Maya C. Popa is a poetry educator, a poetry critic, and a poet in her own right. She is the poetry reviews editor at Publishers Weekly, a professor of poetry at NYU, and her most recent collection, titled Wound is the origin of wonder, was named one of the Guardian’s Best Books of Poetry and has been featured in The Washington Post, The Irish Times, The Harvard Review, and Booklist. I sat down with her to talk about the state of poetry education, why poetry gets such a bad rap, as well as the juiciest gossip I’ve seen in the poetry community in decades. Email: contact@headonfirepod.com Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:00:58:18

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What makes good sex advice? with Dan Savage

3/19/2024
Dan Savage has done a lot of things in his life. He founded both the It Gets Better project and the Hump porn festival. He popularized the Campsite Rule of relationships. He made Rick Santorum’s name a dirty word. And he’s been one of the country’s foremost sex, dating, and relationship advice columnists since the creation of Savage Love in 1991. He’s a pioneer of podcasting, a former drag queen, and he is my guest today. We discussed sex, advice, and sex advice. Email: contact@headonfirepod.com Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:01:18:29

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Are we cleaning everything wrong? with Melissa Pateras

3/5/2024
With spring right around the corner, many people are thinking about cleaning their homes and turning to social media for tips and tricks only to suddenly learn we all seem to be doing everything wrong. That's where Melissa Pateras, the lesbian queen of Laundrytok and author of the new book A Dirty Guide to a Clean Home, comes in. She told me all the secrets of folding a fitted sheet, the magic of swapping your fabric softener for vinegar, and whether any of those homemade washing powder recipes actually work. Email: contact@headonfirepod.com Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524

Duration:01:02:08

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Why is drag important? with Jinkx Monsoon

2/20/2024
Jinkx Monsoon (she/her) is a two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, Broadway breakout star, and soon to be villain on the beloved British sci-fi series Doctor Who coming to Disney+ in 2024. The self-proclaimed “internationally tolerated” drag icon has taken over the entertainment industry as an award-winning stage actress, acclaimed vocalist, stand-up comic, and theatre sensation. Jinkx first garnered an international fan base following her win on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 5 (2013), and continued her winning streak on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 7 (2022) where she was crowned “Queen of All Queens,” winning the competition against all previous winners. In January 2023, Jinkx made her highly-anticipated Broadway debut as Matron “Mama” Morton in Broadway’s longest-running musical, Chicago. Jinkx's monumental and extended 10-week run broke box office records, achieving the highest selling non-holiday week in the show's 26 year history (as reported by Playbill). Following the run, she went on to sell out theaters across 45 North American cities with her first ever concert tour titled "Jinkx Monsoon: Everything at Stake" from June through August 2023. Jinkx closed out 2023 with the 6th annual "The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show" tour which sold out the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles and traveled for 8 weeks across the U.S., UK and Canada. Jinkx has toured the world performing her original cabaret shows with music partner Major Scales, including highly-acclaimed shows like The Ginger Snapped, The Vaudevillians (which became a hit Off-Broadway sensation) and their most recent production, Together Again, Again (2022). As a recording artist, Jinkx has released three critically-hailed albums of original music written by Major Scales including her most recent The Virgo Odyssey (2022), The Inevitable Album and The Ginger Snapped. No stranger to film and TV, Jinkx has voiced characters for such animated shows as Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake (playing the beloved character Lemongrab), Steven Universe, Mighty Magiswords, Bravest Warriors. She has also appeared on the CBS cop drama Blue Bloods and the Netflix original AJ and the Queen. Jinkx has been the subject of two documentaries: Drag Becomes Him, and The Queens. She is an award-winning stage actress, having won the Gregory Award for her portrayal of Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and most recently, The MAC Award for her show The Ginger Snapped, co-written with Major Scales. email me: contact@headonfirepod.com Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524

Duration:00:53:30

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Why is math a drag? with Kyne Santos

2/6/2024
Kyne Santos uses social media to teach math subjects that range from simple addition and subtraction to more esoteric concepts about impossible objects or quantum mechanics. And he does it in drag. Because sometimes Kyne puts on a wig, drops the surname and becomes the Canadian Drag Race superstar alum Kyne who teaches us how math can be a living, breathing, interesting subject that both enriches and entertains. Kyne's new book, Math in Drag, comes out March 5, 2024. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524

Duration:00:46:42

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Burn 2023 down! with Meg Elison

12/26/2023
2023 was great and terrible. There were technological marvels, horrible television, phenomenal movies, brilliant books, and more author drama than you ever thought possible. Come around the dumpster fire as Meg Elison and I build the year its funeral pyre. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:01:40:01

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What is comedy? with Bonnie Klopfer

12/12/2023
Bonnie Klopfer is an actress and comedian whose videos have been loved by millions of people around the world. She’s a stand up regular in LA and makes content online about finding the funny in mundane things, including a breakout series of shorts about product packaging. Find her here: https://linktr.ee/boobieklapper Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524

Duration:01:18:07

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Can anger make us better? with Dr. Heather Lench

11/28/2023
We are often told to ignore anger, to repress anger, that anger has no value in a polite society. Anger gets us in trouble. Anger removes our ability to think rationally. Anger is always bad all of the time and we should never, ever feel it. Or, at least, that's what we've been told. Some researchers wanted to test that theory, and turns out it might not be true. Dr. Heather Lench is a professor specializing in affective science, personality processes, and social & personality psychology. She recently led a team of researchers in publishing a paper that tells us what anyone who has ever washed the dishes after a fight knows: anger might make us more productive and better at problem solving. We might actually get more accomplished if we do it out of spite. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:00:38:04

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Why are editors so scary? with Hannah Robinson

11/14/2023
Hannah Robinson has been an editor at some of publishing’s biggest houses. HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster—where we met—and now Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette. She primarily works with non-fiction, which is a massive slice of the publishing pie that seems to get all but ignored on social media. We had a discussion about what the job of an editor is, what it isn’t, and whether they’re the scary gatekeepers aspiring authors make them out to be. And because I couldn’t resist, we talk a bit about the making of The Dabbler's Guide to Witchcraft and why certain things did and didn’t make the cut. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:01:20:38

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What makes a good critic? with Jerry Saltz

10/31/2023
Jerry Saltz is one of the last real critics, the kind of critic that matters, whose voice is held in high esteem both by the art world and by the artists who make the world go round. He’s been the senior art critic for New York Magazine since 2006. He also happens to be one of, if not the most, widely read critics in the world—possibly outranked by his wife. He is a former long-haul truck driver, a failed artist, and a Pulitzer Prize winner, and he is my guest today. We had a far reaching discussion about what makes good art, the democratization of critique, and whether he really is just a professional hater. Follow Jerry on Instagram here. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:01:32:34

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Can you become a witch in a year? with Diana Helmuth

10/17/2023
My guest today is Diana Helmuth. She is an award-winning author of a book about hiking who decided to take a page, or several, out of the books of people who I look up to: AJ Jacobs, Mary Roach, Elizabeth Gilbert. Authors who spent time approaching a field as a complete novice in order to learn everything they could about it, to see how it might change them, to see what we can learn about ourselves through the challenge of transforming some integral part of our lives. Her project? The Witching Year, a book about becoming a witch and finding a bit of magic in a modern world. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:01:36:05

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Why is food so hard? with Alicia Simpson

10/3/2023
Alicia Simpson is a registered dietitian and the Executive Director for Pea Pod Nutrition, a nonprofit dedicated to the nutritional health of Georgia families. She holds a Master’s degree in Nutrition from Georgia State University and a PhD in public policy. For years she worked as a professor teaching these issues to college students, but for the past several years she has made it her mission to provide this vital information to children and families. I sat down with Alicia to have a conversation about why, exactly, food is so hard and whether it has to be. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:01:23:54

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Should we be afraid of fungus? with Dr. Leslie Holland

9/19/2023
From best-selling novels like "Mexican Gothic" to blockbuster media hits like "The Last of Us," it seems like everyone is buzzing about fungi these days. Think of it as your houseplant's weirder, spongier, and creepier cousin. Fungi have a significant role in decomposition, which adds to their eerie reputation. However, they can also serve as food, a recreational drug, a source of medicine, and even a multi-story residence if you happen to be a Smurf. As we delve deeper into the world of fungi, things get even stranger. Did you know that the largest organism on Earth is a fungus? Fungi can have thousands of different genders, and they reproduce and communicate in ways that we are just starting to comprehend. Yet, there are dedicated individuals attempting to unravel these mysteries. Meet Dr. Leslie Holland, a mycologist specializing in the study of fungi. She joined the University of Wisconsin's Department of Plant Pathology in 2020, where she focuses on researching how fungal diseases impact fruit crops. With a teaching schedule that most professors can only dream of, Dr. Holland is the perfect person to demystify the fascinating world of fungi. Join me for an enlightening conversation with her as we separate fact from fiction when it comes to these remarkable organisms. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:00:45:53

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What does the ocean sound like? with Dr. HEATHER SPENCE

9/5/2023
When you think about what the ocean sounds like, what does your brain conjure up? Maybe the gentle ebbing and flowing of tides? Maybe you think of marine life? Perhaps the songs of whales or that clicking sound dolphins make. But what about the snapping of air bubbles created by thousands of shrimp in tide pools? What about the ambient noise of both the shallow and deep parts of the ocean? Have you ever considered those, and, more importantly, have you ever considered that what the ocean sounds like can have an impact on everything from conservation to energy to video games? Dr. Heather Spence is the living embodiment of every 90s kids’ dream of growing up to become a marine biologist. But unlike most 90s kids, she didn’t get there by dreaming of swimming with dolphins. She got there through sound. Dr. Spence is a cellist who became fascinated with the concept of sound in college, and that fascination led her all the way to the depths of the ocean. Now her research is in a curious field called Marine Bioacoustics, and her work is used both by the Department of Energy and video game developers. And lately she’s even studying whether the ocean has a memory and how we can access it. We sat down for a conversation spanning the blue depths that make up the majority of our planet’s surface. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:01:02:20

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Can drag queens and gospel music mix? with Flamy Grant

8/22/2023
Matthew Blake, better known as Flamy Grant, is a shame slaying, hip swaying drag queen from the Bible Belt who also happens to be a gospel singer. Her debut album Bible Belt Baby came out in 2022 and largely flew under the radar until she came under fire from a conservative preacher that decided to make her the target of an online hate campaign. The campaign backfired. Big time. Instead of sending the drag queen’s gospel album off into obscurity, he put a massive spotlight on it which sent it rocketing up the gospel charts where it peaked at number 1. It should be noted that as of this recording, the album is still sitting comfortably in the top 100 at number 62. I sat down with Flamy herself to talk gospel music, drag, and figuring out a space where both fit just fine. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:00:59:37

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How do you get to Hot City? with Bonnie McKee

8/8/2023
Bonnie McKee is a singer, songwriter, director, actor, and world class DIYer. She's written numerous number 1 hits for artists like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Cher, and Katy Perry. She's also a pop star in her own right, having released the album Trouble, the EP Bombastic, and the single American Girl among many, many other indie hits. After a decade of writing smashes for everyone else in the music business, she's making a return behind the microphone with her much anticipated new album Hot City. We sat down for a conversation about the craft of songwriting, what the critics get wrong about pop music, and what it takes to make it in an industry built around putting people in boxes and keeping them there. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:00:54:53

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Can Dungeons & Dragons improve my mental health? with Dr. Megan Connell

7/25/2023
As a lifelong geek I will preach the good word of all things niche and nerdy to anyone who will listen and even some who won’t. I’m the kind of person who strongly believes that a good story can change your entire outlook, that a well-crafted game can be a balm for the soul, and that superheroes can save you even if they aren’t real. But there are a lot of aspects of geek culture that are still seen as far-fetched, laughable, even dangerous by authority figures, especially when it comes to the field of mental health. Geeks, gamers, and other folks with insular or niche interests oftentimes have to spend time explaining fandom dynamics or the concept of internet friendships or why they spend so much time reading and writing fan fiction to people who aren’t always welcoming. Enter Dr. Megan Connell, Licensed Psychologist & Therapeutic Dungeon Master with over a decade of experience in the field. She’s an incredibly accomplished therapist, educator, author, and content creator in her own right who has turned her attention to creating a safe space for geeks who want to get serious about their mental health in a space tailored for them. She is the author of the upcoming book Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy. She is a board member for Geek Therapeutics a training platform that develops professional programs teaching the inclusion of games in clinical practices. Dr. Connell speaks nationally on the intersection of gaming and psychology and on geek culture. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:01:11:20

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What is Gender Affirming Care? with Dr. Ashley Brandt

7/11/2023
This show is all about overlooked or misunderstood fields, and in 2023 I can think of no more misunderstood field than that of gender affirming care. It is the boogeyman of every conservative talking head and your transphobic aunt’s Facebook feed. There is so much misinformation floating around social media and YouTube, oftentimes masquerading as fact-based or presented by experts. So I wanted to talk to an expert. Dr. Ashley Brandt is a board certified OBGYN with a fellowship in gender affirming surgery. She’s a queer surgeon who uses her platform to help educate the public about gender affirming care and remove the stigma around those who provide treatment, those who seek it, and those who love them. We have a broad, frank conversation about the myths and misconceptions of her work, the changes in technology, what it’s like working with kids, and where the field is going. Please note that this episode does contain information, but it should not be taken as medical advice or opinion. Here’s Dr. Brandt. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod

Duration:00:56:41