On a sunny afternoon in the Shed, your Dogs enjoy great listener mail, albeit with several sidebars. Part of the outcome of that great mail is us taking our first and best shot at offering travel accommodation advice. We are now dying to hear whether it worked. We remember the 1980 cinema classic “Popeye”, and then to remind ourselves that people a…

We’ve touched on KJ’s painting accomplishments several times over the years, as well as his acting, and we get yet another look into both in this episode, in which he shares his ingenious homegrown approach to painting landscapes, his creation of very special cards for special occasions, and the latest in his acting and video dancing career. We als…

There are probably caves in France where Stone Age artists depicted the tribe’s appreciation for those who didn’t lead the hunt or strike the final blow, but who showed up and helped out. In this episode we reiterate that some things have not changed as much as old haters might think, and that just showing up was rewarded back in the ’60s as well a…

Listener Leigh of Courtenay gives us a lot to talk about in another great email, leading us to into the whole business of clearing out the house for sale, and eventually into the topic of bank money. KJ once again hits it out of the park with a selection of Snappers, which leads quite inevitably to getting some fun facts about the Jewish lunar cale…

Being in the latter half of one’s 60s isn’t all bad: you have time to learn things like how to make a decent video, as RJ did to celebrate a notable foosball celebrity, or learn how to paint, as KJ has been famously doing for some time now. You begin to feel free to express your thoughts and opinions perhaps more candidly than you ever have, or tak…

We have Snappers galore, a PSA, another money making idea, a few collisions with and observations on our ongoing development into Cranky Old People, and then suddenly out of nowhere a couple surprising and insightful observations about words and identity that we wish way more people would hear. We manage to get past that and resume our usual postur…

As we go through our days, we do some things well, some badly, some by dint of noble effort and some by chance. And some things we do just work, for no reason we can name. KJ tells us a story of a thing that just worked when dealing with earnest visitors. No one was hurt or offended, but we were very amused as well as forearmed should we receive th…

Faithful listeners will know, and new listeners should know, that KJ of the Shed is a productive and well known actor, in addition to his many creative endeavours within the actual Shed. Here in Episode 180 we hear more about how the other two more shadowy Dogs are spending their time, working, playing, and absorbing little bits of occasionally use…

We went to the locally legendary Northern Cafe and Grill, and brought back our opinions. This episode was recorded the afternoon of that visit, and also includes our customarily excellent Listener Mail, a marvelling discussion of the anachronistic and fabulously talented genius YouTuber named Bobby Fingers, and a seldom seen phenomenon that occurs …

We’re still here, and so are you—win/win! This episode finds us enjoying ourselves in the Shed with a lot of Listener Mail (thanks to all of you - so appreciated!), a dissection of what makes Costco shoppers tick, our genuine awe at KJ’s ever more sophisticated art skill, PJ’s new(ish) job, RJ’s cool new high tech wallet, throwing shade at Cybertru…

A belated and hopefully auspicious Happy Chinese New Year! We’re sorry to have been away for so long. This was recorded December 30, but then there were virii and work commitments and Buddy ate our show notes… we’re sorry and feel really grateful anyone misses us. In this episode we share yet another brilliant money making idea (MMI™), we discuss h…

RJ took a boat trip, touring the bay and inlet in a sporty rental with some in-laws, and we get to hear about how urban boating works these days: rules you have to follow, examples of navigational hazards we landlubbers are blissfully unaware of, and how a real ship’s captain behaves when questioned. We even managed to transition into Snappers with…

Okay, we were maybe a little caught up in our lives, Christmas, work, and families…we were getting behind both in new episodes and in revelling in email about episodes we did publish. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, from special precious knowledge about how to stop a pit bull attack, to how great Taylor Swift is, to theories on why Christ…

KJ, famous Shed Dog stage and screen actor, continues to be sought after in the acting world. Less important is our apology for the long delay between episodes. PJ has been asleep at the editing switch once more. Still…have you ever wondered what bath bombs do or what they’re made of? Me neither, but all of a sudden here’s KJ explaining it and work…

We cast the net of shareable experiences and learnings wide in this episode, as your faithful correspondents report from the far-flung reaches of Portugal and the Northeastern United States in autumn. Thrill to the pounding surf of Maine! Marvel at everyday Roman ruins! Let your mind wander free as we describe 40 degree heat, pounding rain, beautif…

By the time you read this, the Barbie Movie bandwagon we’re jumping on with two emphatic feet will probably be collecting dust on a Hollywood back lot, but in this episode we respond in a big way to Susinn of Vancouver’s challenge back in Episode 169: see the movie, give our thoughts. We also take time to enjoy another round of KJ’s Snappers, and P…

Podcasts are a lot like a stroll in the woods: one minute you’re wandering along soaking up the silence and sun, flowers and trees, and the next minute you’ve missed a step and find yourself worried about survival. In this episode, just like in the real world, we are going along enjoying Listener Mail after complaining about health care (as is our …

We are even more directionless than usual here, and we’re hoping the resulting unplanned conversations about the nature of light and heat, about the use of cookies and the practice of asking whether they’re acceptable, and about the concept of dark patterns in web design are both entertaining and educational. We also get to enjoy sharing listener m…

We recorded our record 169th episode on the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, and noting that fact led us to a conversation about the effects of nuclear bombing, levels of background radiation in several places, and the degree to which those effects are widely understood. But somehow we still managed to get to discussing the proposed Enhance…

Continuing our trademark quest to gather and share knowledge with faithful listeners, in this episode we get a first hand review of KJ’s quest for deep connection and insight via Golden Teacher mushrooms, and of Rich’s first hand observed report on how the shell game scam works, direct from the mean streets of Paris. We also talk a bit about eSIMs …

This time around the Dogs provide an uplifting (not) view on the state of the world with respect to climate. But we cheered up while hearing that KJ’s “Beachcomber” work is still paying residuals, that PJ had fun on Canada Day, that a pastoral setting accentuates the Pops, how East Van’s own English Corner is going, and whether VanDusen Gardens get…

Rob of Saskatoon returns to join us on a gripping journey through RJ’s recent confrontation with his citizenship, and let’s face it, himself. We manage to make a couple of complete meals out of just the titles involved in that process before moving on to other things like what it was like for Rob and RJ and Mike of Rossland to come to Canada as You…

RJ’s revered elder brother and serial listener Rob arrives from Saskatoon and his current listening position at about episode 61 (or put another way, about two years ago in Shed history), joins us in the Shed to the excited joy of all three Dogs. Mayhem ensues, and listeners will want to focus as a fast paced hour of chatter and laughs and coffee t…

Today you’ll learn (and tomorrow you’ll tell your friends about) the shocking new news about dental hygiene, and you’ll never believe what we tell you about sitzpinklers! Remember, you heard it here first. As an antidote to that graphic conversation, KJ steers us into uncharted waters as he reveals to us his recent learning and future plans around …

Love, derision, amusement, anger, wonder, curiosity, satisfaction and many other emotions accompany a tour of snappers (with bonus words from Brett K. and RJ), medical news on Alzheimer’s and tooth brushing, robins nesting under RJ’s deck, and KJ’s fascinating recent stint in Ottawa. We get some positive news on Sun Life, which is PJ’s new friend w…

This episode is more than just okay. In fact, we expect an avalanche of encomiums as we coin an all-new acronym while sharing a truck repair story that’ll singe hair (and find out that even the pros do dumb stuff now and then). It’s certainly egoism that leads us to think you’ll want to hear it, and egoism will decide if you do, not mere caprice. A…

Over the past few years we’ve said many times how much we appreciate, even love, the listener mail we get. Many times, the response to a segment generates more interesting conversation than the bit they’re commenting on. In this episode we have mail from Leigh of Courtenay (honourary weather Dog), Rustica of Portland, and Joanne of Rossland, coveri…

Episode 160 continues our lazy-faire approach to content management, and we give you another wide ranging session where we just…well, we just enjoy ourselves. We begin with RJ lawyering up, and continue on as the Junos and the Oscars (again) pass under our watchful eyes. We then cover Uncle Tim’s birthday and a fond farewell to one of our high scho…

In this episode we go with a light touch on the editing. Those of you who have joined us in the Shed will recognize the ways time slips away, interruptions come and go, laughs are had. This time, we let our listeners hear nearly all of it! We make our way through the Oscars, through a really bad movie, through Buddy’s endless antics, through giving…

Last episode we saw Shed Dog art, heard great listener mail, and enjoyed hearing PJ and RJ rightly savaged by KJ’s impenetrable Snappers. At the danger of repeating ourselves, in this episode we see Shed Dog art, hear great listener mail, and enjoy hearing PJ and RJ rightly savaged by KJ’s impenetrable Snappers. On top of all that we, after having …

This episode sees the Dogs reporting on trips to Calgary (KJ, for a month, for work) and Nelson (PJ, for a day, for fun in what ended up involving an artistic endeavour). We dabble yet again in thoughts of ChatGPT, and even talk a bit about a Tom Hanks movie that hardly anyone is likely aware of. But this episode also has us revelling in Listener M…

Special guest Cam of Vancouver joins us for a second episode and he and RJ go deep on their foosball experiences: how they got into it, how it’s going, their results at a recent tournament in Portland, and the mental and emotional journey they’ve both been on. To our surprise, it’s a journey that nearly everyone has undertaken in different avenues …

In this episode of Shed Dogs, we sit down with Cam Burrows to talk about everyone's favorite AI language model, ChatGPT! Join us as we talk about Chad’s impressive adoption rate and its wide range of uses, from writing to customer service. We'll also dive into the controversy surrounding the product, including attempts to jailbreak the model and th…

Thinking of renting a car? Heard any of the Hertz horror stories on your social media travels? RJ has his as-usual useful advice for doing business with the megalodon of motor vehicles, as well as any of the lesser fry. It could keep you out of jail! The Dogs also discuss escape rooms, melting keyboards, preparing old laptops for sale, and saving m…

By now, many of you will have heard of ChatGPT. If you haven’t, you will before long, so here in Episode 153 you will find an opening round of info about this groundbreaking software, in advance of an in-depth interview with friend-of-the-show Cam, who makes extensive use of the product. It’s way too important to just call a Public Service Announce…

Maybe it was all the talk about the long-forgotten Robson Zoo (and whatever happened to Charlie the Lonesome Cougar, anyway?), or maybe it was our conversation around the Trophy Town documentary on the 1961 Trail Smoke Eaters, or possibly our warm reminiscence of this Christmas just past… But whatever it was, it led us to a long contemplation of th…

PJ publicly announces his doddering phase as he struggles to come to grips with how much movies cost, while KJ and RJ happily discuss what they’re watching these days, and we all detail how movies will change when it’s us making them. In our ongoing quest to actually improve your life, RJ comes up with yet another golden PSA nugget on how to find y…

Our special guest this episode is Jenny of Rossland, with whom your Dogs went to school and generally hung out 50 or so years ago. We talk about what she’s been up to over the long past and will she will be up to in the near future (Ecuador!), and she helps us out with KJ’s Snappers and some bespoke Listener Mail as well. Anecdotes and arguments ab…

Another afternoon in the Shed sees your Dogs coming to grips with a veritable shintangle of words and phrases in a KJ’s Snappers session. After he showed us the ropes we got a close-up tour of the ins and outs of renouncing one’s U.S. citizenship—this might be useful info for some listeners, so you’re welcome, it’s just what we do. Finally, we also…

As they shelter in the Shed from unexpectedly wintry winter conditions, your Shed Dogs wander along and talk about some old stuff (like Star Trek and California Dreaming), some pseudo old stuff (like Mad Men) as well as some more contemporary themes: revelations from IOS 16, some thoughts on the business of weather, and of course dogs—specifically …

Long time listeners will know that we Dogs occasionally enjoy a K-drama. Like, you know, all the time. If you weren’t aware of that, this episode should bring you up to speed as we discuss, praise, and generally swoon over “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” on Netflix. We liked it a lot. We also take quick looks at RJ’s recent trip to Seattle and experie…

On a blustery cold November day, your Dogs warmed their old erudite hearts reading emails from resolute listeners… and then reverted to propense form by prattling on about KJ’s Snappers and genteelly discoursing on why Apple has appellations and numbers for operating systems, what canine Buddy has been up to, impedimenta PJ is spending money on, an…

Checking in at a small but busy hotel can be tricky business, as RJ explains to us here in a little segment we call Down in the Bayeux. Attentive listeners will pick up a small yet vital tidbit that could avert all kinds of problems, and globe-trotting sophisticates like our audience will do well to lean in and listen. To complement that informatio…

A little over 5 months ago, we spoke of a few interesting things, as we do. Here at last, we share it with you: some good phone-related travel tips (hint: avoid roaming charges!), some great listener mail (thanks!), and as always some reflection on how we are dealing with things like using the tap with debit cards, what music RJ is listening to, an…

The Shed Dogs fall back into Daylight Losing Time with a look at all the fun things Apple’s new operating system brings to your phone: good tips, highs and lows, and favourite features. When we’re done with that, we need a change of pace and so bring you, under RJ’s tutelage, a thorough background on baguettes, followed by a rigorous taste test of …

Have you wondered what “ortolan” might be? Have you ever been dissatisfied with the air conditioning in your discount hotel or motel? Perhaps you’ve been looking for a solid gold business investment opportunity and just haven’t landed on the right thing yet. Maybe, even, you want to wear your own dog’s fur. Regardless, do we have an episode for you…

About 50 years ago, the Whole Earth Catalogue was published, providing people with all the information and tools they needed to build their own geodesic dome homes and grow gardens and weave clothing. It also had a fun story in a lot of episodes entitled “Divine Right’s Trip”. In this episode we mainly hear about RJ’s recent 31-day sojourn in Europ…

Way back in Episode 95, Member of BC’s Legislative Assembly (MLA) for North Vancouver – Lower Lonsdale Bowinn Ma made her first appearance here on the podcast via Zoom. Here in Episode 140, she returns for a live in-person visit to the Shed. We spent a great hour or so discussing major transit projects with BC’s Minister of State for Infrastructure…

Hayley and Ron of Montreal return to experience first-hand the swirling, murky mental landscapes of a session in the Shed featuring KJ’s Short Snappers. We are very fortunately grounded by excellent listener mail, but our connection to Earth gets a little tenuous here…again. Strap in and turn on! Links: Shed Dogs; gruesome video of flesh being cut …

Special guests Hayley (formerly of North Vancouver but now of Montreal) and her partner Ron (grew up in Montreal) step into the Shed to…well, really just to compare notes, pros and cons, of the two cities. Food and weather, culture and history, and of course the big one: language. PJ’s hope for a black or white, right or wrong opinion on which is t…