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    In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod and New England Podcast

    The In My Footsteps Podcast is a mix of Cape Cod and New England history, tips on New England travel, fun lifestyle topics, a slice of retro nostalgia from the 1980's and 1990's, and much more. Created and hosted by New England author Christopher Setterlund.

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    Episodes (141)

    Episode 135: The Goonies Made Me A Writer; Urban Legends 80s Kids Remember; Music From MTVs First Day(3-6-2024)

    Episode 135: The Goonies Made Me A Writer; Urban Legends 80s Kids Remember; Music From MTVs First Day(3-6-2024)

    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 back to 2nd Grade, my favorite teacher ever, and a surprising inspiration, the movie The Goonies.
    Kids who grew up in the 1980s get ready for some major flashbacks. We go way Back In the Day to look at urban legends that kids from the 80s will remember. Some are silly old wives' tales, some are much darker and serious, and all are in this segment.
    At 12:01 am on Saturday, August 1, 1981 MTV made its grand debut. Everyone likely knows the very first video ever played on the channel (hint: Video Killed the Radio Star), however, what came next? This week's Top 5 will look at the rest of Day One and the most-played musical artists during MTV's first 24 hours.
    There will also be a brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule centered around the introduction of the pain reliever aspirin by the Bayer company.
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 134 here 

    Support the show

    🔒 Subscriber-Only Bonus Episode 6: March 2024

    🔒 Subscriber-Only Bonus Episode 6: March 2024

    Subscriber-only episode

    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 be new here, 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, predictions, observations that would make Seinfeld proud, and some actual looks into the places I was visiting.
    In February love was in the air as I navigated around such random topics as: why mosquitoes love me, celebrity MySpace interactions, quarter-life crisis issues, crying over sports, and a Rubik's Cube of a shower.

    For March the wackiness shows no signs of slowing down as I look at subjects such as: dinner and a show at Subway, am I Jim from The Office, or am I the NFL, insects causing auto accidents, faux sports outrage, Crocodile Dundee in Rockport, MA, and more!
    These episodes might be a unique and sometimes embarrassing look into my psyche nearly fifteen years ago, but they are undoubtedly worth sharing with you, my most loyal subscribers!
    Thank you so much for subscribing to my channel and enjoy this sixth episode of the exclusive members-only podcast.

    Check out the YouTube Channel of DJ Williams whose music is used in both the main and subscriber podcasts!

    If you are not a subscriber go become one and get in on the fun of these crazy shows either on Buzzsprout or on Patreon!

    Episode 134: Memorable 1990s Commercial Jingles; Bassett's Wild Animal Farm; Famous Leap Day Events; First National Park(2-28-2024)

    Episode 134: Memorable 1990s Commercial Jingles; Bassett's Wild Animal Farm; Famous Leap Day Events; First National Park(2-28-2024)

    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 smartphones, young people had fewer options for fun on Cape Cod. One such attraction that is looked back upon fondly is Bassett's Wild Animal Farm in Brewster. Animals both native and foreign to Cape Cod were front and center for generations of kids. Learn the story of that beloved spot.
    Simpler times continue with a lot of earworms in the form of some of the best (and a few worst) commercial jingles of the 1990s. We go way Back In the Day and dial up the nostalgia to 11. Do you remember any of these?
    Once every four years we get an extra day. Not a warm summer day, but a day nonetheless. This week's Top 5 will share some of the historic events to happen on Leap Day, February 29th.
    Of course, there will be a brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule focusing on the creation of the very first National Park, Yellowstone.
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 133 here 

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    Episode 133: The Horror of Red Asphalt; Las Vegas Gambling Disasters; 1980s Teen Movies; Edison Invents the Phonograph(2-21-2024)

    Episode 133: The Horror of Red Asphalt; Las Vegas Gambling Disasters; 1980s Teen Movies; Edison Invents the Phonograph(2-21-2024)

    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. Even if you are a resident you cannot escape the pull of some of the vices. During my time living in Vegas in 2000-01 I found out that my major weakness was the lure of gambling. I will share some head-shaking yet hilarious stories of my days as a degenerate gambler.
    From laughs to horror. In 1964 a film was created to help scare straight potential new drivers. It was called Red Asphalt and its gory graphic content depicting real traffic accidents is still shocking 60 years later. We go way Back In the Day as I review this unique and terrifying driver's ed film.
    From horror to warm and fuzzy nostalgia we look back at some of the best 1980s teen movies this week in the Top 5. Get your Netflix, Hulu, or whatever streaming service you have ready to make a playlist.
    There is also a brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule centered around Thomas Edison's creation of the phonograph and how the way we consume sound changed forever.
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 132 here 

    Support the show

    Episode 132: The Love Episode. I Love The Simpsons; Favorite Love Songs; Helen Keller's Love of Cape Cod; Worst Date Story(2-14-2024)

    Episode 132: The Love Episode. I Love The Simpsons; Favorite Love Songs; Helen Keller's Love of Cape Cod; Worst Date Story(2-14-2024)

    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 Cod during her childhood through early adulthood. We will look at her connection to The Cape.
    I love The Simpsons. At its peak it was arguably the best show ever made, at least in the conversation. For more than three decades it has entertained millions. This week we go way Back In the Day to try to shine a little light on why the show has been successful and of course share some funny memories of the show.
    Those celebrating Valentine's Day need their own romantic playlist of music. I will share some of my own picks for you as we look at my Top 5 love songs.
    There is of course a new This Week In History and Time Capsule centered around the first ever news brief sent via the telephone. What does it have to do with love? Who knows.
    Also there may or may not be a story told of someone's worst first date, get ready!
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 131 here 



    Support the show

    Episode 131: Cape Cod's Resort Hotel on the Water; Sports Illustrated; Top 5 Stupid Inventions; the Importance of Bob Marley(2-7-2024)

    Episode 131: Cape Cod's Resort Hotel on the Water; Sports Illustrated; Top 5 Stupid Inventions; the Importance of Bob Marley(2-7-2024)

    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'll look back at its story this week.
    For 70 years one magazine has captured the world of athletics better than all others. Sports Illustrated has been more than just a sports magazine, it became a cultural institution. Anyone who is anyone in sports has been either on the cover or extensively written about in the magazine. With questions looming about its future it's appropriate to go Back In the Day and cover the legacy of Sports Illustrated.
    There is a fine line between innovative and impractical. This week's Top 5 is going to cross way over that line as we look at some of the most ridiculous, dangerous, and downright stupid inventions ever.
    On a brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule we look at the importance of Bob Marley. Few people have transcended their industry to become a cultural icon in quite the way Bob Marley did and we'll look at some reasons why.
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 130 here 

    Support the show

    🔒 Subscriber-Only Bonus Episode 5: February 2024

    🔒 Subscriber-Only Bonus Episode 5: February 2024

    Subscriber-only episode

    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 a behind-the-scenes look at my travel trips but ended up as a fever dream mix of random quotes, predictions, observations that would make Seinfeld proud, and some actual looks into the places I was visiting.
    In January I dove headlong into such subjects as: the worst things spilled on me when I worked in restaurants, singing servers at Subway, a shocking misspelling of YouTube, lunch break at the nut house, and whether monkeys could be trained to be flagmen.
    For February love is in the air as I navigate around such random topics as: why mosquitoes love me, celebrity MySpace interactions, quarter-life crisis issues, crying over sports, an a Rubik's Cube of a shower.
    These episodes might be a unique and sometimes embarrassing look into my psyche nearly fifteen years ago, but they are undoubtedly worth sharing with you, my most loyal subscribers!

    Thank you so much for subscribing to my channel and enjoy this fifth episode of the exclusive members-only podcast.

    Check out the YouTube Channel of DJ Williams whose music is used in both the main and subscriber podcasts!

    If you are not a subscriber go become one and get in on the fun of these crazy shows either on Buzzsprout or on Patreon!

    Episode 130: Restaurant Storytime VII: A Great First Impression; 1994 Year In Music Pt. 1; Most Unusual Phobias; Creation of Coca-Cola(1-31-2024)

    Episode 130: Restaurant Storytime VII: A Great First Impression; 1994 Year In Music Pt. 1; Most Unusual Phobias; Creation of Coca-Cola(1-31-2024)

    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 not an ordinary day.
    1994 was a monumental year for the music industry. There were numerous groundbreaking albums and songs that made their way into the world. There were also events that occurred that are still shaping the music landscape to this day. We will go way Back In the Day to look at 1994 the Year In Music Part 1, January through June, with Part 2 coming later this year.
    Fears of things such as flying, the unknown, deep water, and darkness, are fairly common. However this week's Top 5 will focus on those fears that are far less common, and at times oddly specific, as we dive into some of the most unusual phobias.
    There is also a brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule centering around the creation of the soft drink juggernaut Coca-Cola. Why has this drink held such an important place worldwide for so long?
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 129 here 

    Support the show

    Episode 129: Classic Mall Stores of the 1970s, 1980s, & 1990s Part 1(1-24-2024)

    Episode 129: Classic Mall Stores of the 1970s, 1980s, & 1990s Part 1(1-24-2024)

    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 as the 'mall rat' identity only required you to be inside a mall hanging out with friends. Kids of the day could spend hours sitting on benches or wandering the corridors looking into some of the stores that will be mentioned this week.
    In Episode 129 of the podcast, we will look back at some of the popular, beloved, and maybe some lesser-known mall stores that attracted customers, or perhaps at least hordes of wandering mall rats.
    How many of these stores did you spend hard-earned money at?
    If your favorite store of the past isn't mentioned have no fear as there will be a Part 2 coming in the future!
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 128 here 

    Support the show

    Episode 128: The World of MS-DOS Computer Games; Pro Wrestling at Cape Cod's Mill Hill Arena; Defunct Fast Food Chains; Black Dahlia Murder(1-17-2024)

    Episode 128: The World of MS-DOS Computer Games; Pro Wrestling at Cape Cod's Mill Hill Arena; Defunct Fast Food Chains; Black Dahlia Murder(1-17-2024)

    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 Hill in West Yarmouth on Cape Cod was a haven of entertainment for nearly a century. The Mill Hill Club is the most well-known establishment while the Mill Hill Pavilion was the original. Sandwiched in between was a spot that was both a novelty and a success story. The Mill Hill Arena spent nearly 40 years supplying Cape Cod with world-class professional wrestling and amateur boxing. Learn its story this week.
    When it comes to fast food, not all chains are created equally. For every McDonald's and Wendy's that has become ingrained in society, countless others might have had success but ultimately faded away. This week's Top 5 looks at discontinued fast food chains. Whether as big as any chain ever, a relative flash in the pan, or too ahead of its time, many different roads led to these chains ending.
    There is also a brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule featuring one of the most infamous crimes of the 20th century. The Black Dahlia murder was equal parts sad and gruesome, and surprisingly Elizabeth Short has a connection to New England.
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 127 here 

    Support the show

    Episode 127: A Wacky 1983 McDonald's Training Video; Origin Story of Cape Cod Hospital; Forgotten 1980s Cartoons; Invention of Photography(1-10-2024)

    Episode 127: A Wacky 1983 McDonald's Training Video; Origin Story of Cape Cod Hospital; Forgotten 1980s Cartoons; Invention of Photography(1-10-2024)

    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 are a 24-hour business in the 2020s. A century ago it was a far different story. On Cape Cod in the early 20th century it was common for the Hyannis Hospital to close during the winter with people needing to find ways off-Cape for their needs in the off-season. This week we tell the story of how Cape Cod Hospital came to be and the people that made it possible.
    Children of the 1980s rejoice. On this week's Top 5 we are going to unearth some forgotten 80s cartoons. Whether you haven't watched them in decades, watched them this morning, or have never heard of them, these are bound to give you a tasty dose of nostalgia.
    There will be a brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule looking back at the dawn of photography and Louis Daguerre unveiling his Daguerreotype process in 1839.
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 126 here 

    Support the show

    Episode 126: When Bird Poop Was Big Business on Cape Cod; Rescue 911 Traumatizes 90s Kids; Obscure Advertising Mascots; New Year's Podcast Resolutions(1-3-2024)

    Episode 126: When Bird Poop Was Big Business on Cape Cod; Rescue 911 Traumatizes 90s Kids; Obscure Advertising Mascots; New Year's Podcast Resolutions(1-3-2024)

    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. Why were bird droppings considered big business on Cape Cod back in the 1800s?
    Jumping ahead well over a century children of the 1980s and 1990s will either smile with warm memories, or recoil in childhood fear as we go way Back In the Day to reminisce about the informative yet terrifying docudrama series Rescue 911. Hosted by William Shatner and with an intro that can still send chills up your spine this show included reenactments of incidents and included real 911 calls.
    Some advertising mascots have withstood the test of time. However for every Ronald McDonald, Tony the Tiger, and Pillsbury Doughboy there are ones the came and went in a flash or were just plain forgotten. This week's Top 5 is all about obscure and forgotten advertising mascots.
    There will also be a brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule featuring the abject failure that was the attempt at making Daylight Savings Time permanent.
    As this is the first show of 2024 there will also be some podcast-related New Year's Resolutions to share.
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!
    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 125 here 

    Support the show

    🔒 Subscriber-Only Bonus Episode 4: January 2024

    🔒 Subscriber-Only Bonus Episode 4: January 2024

    Subscriber-only episode

    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, predictions, observations that would make Seinfeld proud, and some actual looks into the places I was visiting.
    Last month I shared such monumental subjects as: popular phrases that need to go, more Dunkin' Donuts than people, looking for Steve Carell, living to be 100, my killer GPS Part 2, and more!
    To kick off the new year we are ratcheting up the fever dream with subjects including: the worst things spilled on me when I worked in restaurants, singing servers at Subway, a shocking misspelling of YouTube, lunch break at the nut house, and whether monkeys could be trained to be flagmen.
    These episodes might be a unique and sometimes embarrassing look into my psyche nearly fifteen years ago, but they are undoubtedly worth sharing with you, my most loyal subscribers!
    Thank you so much for subscribing to my channel and enjoy this fourth episode of the exclusive members-only podcast.

    Check out the YouTube Channel of DJ Williams whose music is used in both the main and subscriber podcasts!

    Episode 125: BONUS - 1980s & 1990s Christmas Memories(12-20-2023)

    Episode 125: BONUS - 1980s & 1990s Christmas Memories(12-20-2023)

    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 for Toys r Us on TV, watching the Charlie Brown Christmas with only the lights of the tree on in the living room. All of the nostalgia is here this week.
    Plus where applicable I will toss in stories of my own childhood and a little holiday music. Perhaps you have similar stories? Otherwise, you can sit back and laugh at mine.
    Merry Christmas, I hope that you get to spend as much time as possible with those who matter most.
    See you in 2024!
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Music In This Episode:
    Christmas Village - Aaron Kenny
    Holly Dazed - RKVC
    Home For the Holidays - Chris Haugen
    and of course as always...
    James River - DJ Williams

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 124 here 

    Support the show

    Episode 124: Most Annoying Christmas Songs Ever, Nighttime Photo (Mis)Adventures, Kraft Holiday Recipes Show, Colonel Sanders(12-13-2023)

    Episode 124: Most Annoying Christmas Songs Ever, Nighttime Photo (Mis)Adventures, Kraft Holiday Recipes Show, Colonel Sanders(12-13-2023)

    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 tips on getting the most out of shooting after dark. There will also be some hilarious and head-scratching stories of previous night photo shoots for your entertainment.
    Christmas music can add a warm, fuzzy feeling to anyone's holiday season. This week's Top 5 will not be featuring those songs. The return of Me v. AI Top 5 showcases the most annoying Christmas songs ever released. Yes, even ChatGPT had choices for annoying music.
    Kids have their favorite holiday specials to watch each year. Many of them debuted in years long gone by.  One Christmas movie that might have slipped through the cracks of 80s kids' minds comes back to the forefront as we go way Back In the Day. The Christmas Toy, created by Jim Henson Studios, debuted in 1986. However, the movie itself is not the most interesting part. No, that goes to the fact that Kraft sponsored the entire show. This meant that in place of commercials, there were nonstop Kraft Holiday Recipes to be shared!
    There is also a brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule looking back at the death and legacy of Col. Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

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    Episode 123: 1986 Year In Boston Sports, The Pink House of Plum Island, Weirdest Sears Catalog Products Ever, Woodstock NH(12-6-2023)

    Episode 123: 1986 Year In Boston Sports, The Pink House of Plum Island, Weirdest Sears Catalog Products Ever, Woodstock NH(12-6-2023)

    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's Road Trip has exactly what you're looking for and then some. We travel up to Woodstock, New Hampshire, the home of the spectacular Ice Castles. There is much more to see and do in this Northern New Hampshire gem and we'll discuss a lot of them this week.
    Boston is a tremendous sports town. Growing up nearby has been a blessing giving the opportunity to witness many championship seasons and elite-level players. This week we go way Back In the Day as I relive my very first year as a sports fan, 1986. What happened in Boston sports? What happened nationally?
    It was once a beloved staple of the Holiday season. The Sears Catalog gave generations of people countless memories. However, all was not sunshine and roses. This week's Top 5 will showcase some of the weirdest products ever sold through the Sears Catalog. Live chickens, anyone?
    Plus there will be a brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule featuring the deadly London Smog of 1952.
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 122 here 

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    🔒 Subscriber-Only Bonus Episode 3: December 2023

    🔒 Subscriber-Only Bonus Episode 3: December 2023

    Subscriber-only episode

    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 look at my travel trips but ended up as a fever dream mix of random quotes, predictions, observations that would make Seinfeld proud, and some actual looks into the places I was visiting.
    Last month saw such thought-provoking topics as: preferring grizzly bears over beautiful girls, the stench of death at the gym, frivolous lawsuits, reasons I don't bet(anymore), and who was the toughest human ever to live.
    This month we delve into: popular phrases that need to go, more Dunkin' Donuts than people, looking for Steve Carell, living to be 100, my killer GPS Part 2, and more!
    These episodes might be a unique and sometimes embarrassing look into my psyche nearly fifteen years ago, but they are undoubtedly worth sharing with you, my most loyal subscribers!
    Thank you so much for subscribing to my channel and enjoy this third episode of the exclusive members-only podcast.

    Check out the YouTube Channel of DJ Williams whose music is used in both the main and subscriber podcasts!

    Episode 122: Me v. AI Top 5 Debut, Shopping at Angelo's Supermarket, 90s Internet Trends, Middletown RI(11-29-2023)

    Episode 122: Me v. AI Top 5 Debut, Shopping at Angelo's Supermarket, 90s Internet Trends, Middletown RI(11-29-2023)

    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 age, Angelo's Supermarket was destination shopping. From its beginnings in the Tedeschi family and from under the thumb of Stop and Shop, Angelo's carved out its own legacy that is still fondly looked back upon even thirty years after its name was erased from history.
    You've heard of middle children, but middle towns? This week's Road Trip showcases Middletown, Rhode Island. The actual 'middle town' on Aquidneck Island, it is passed through by thousands headed to and from Newport. However, it is filled with attractions, both natural and other, and is deserving of its segment this week.
    Despite it feeling like it's still a new thing, the internet has been going strong for more than a quarter century. For all of the improvements that it has undergone, there were some major growing pains when it first came around. This week we go way Back In the Day to look back(fondly?) at some of the laughable, annoying, head-scratching, and downright baffling internet trends and fads of the 1990s.
    Never has there been a Top 5 like this. A new wrinkle in this segment debuts this week. In addition to my own top 5 list, I am enlisting AI in the form of ChatGPT. We will battle it out in the first Me v. AI Top 5 as we look at the best 1980s professional wrestlers!
    There will also be a brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule featuring Alice's Adventures In Wonderland.
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 121 here 

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    Episode 121: BONUS - New England's Greatest Inventions(11-22-2023)

    Episode 121: BONUS - New England's Greatest Inventions(11-22-2023)

    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 telephone, the helicopter, and...coffee milk.
    Each state gets its own Top 5 list with honorable mentions for good measure. How many of these inventions did you know were created in New England?
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 120 here 

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    Episode 120: Help Woodsy Spread the Word, Cape Cod's First Automobile, Forgotten(but Great) 80s Musical Artists, Windsor CT(11-15-2023)

    Episode 120: Help Woodsy Spread the Word, Cape Cod's First Automobile, Forgotten(but Great) 80s Musical Artists, Windsor CT(11-15-2023)

    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 are commonplace with most people owning one. However a little over a century ago 'horseless carriages' were new and novel. When the first automobile came to Cape Cod it was front page news. Literally. Learn the story of the first car on the Cape and the way the newspapers went wild over it.
    For every musical artist that crosses over into legend or icon status, there are many more that fall between the cracks. Some truly talented artists have been forgotten when they should be remembered. This week's Top 5 looks at some forgotten 1980s musical artists that should be remembered more.
    This week's Road Trip brings us to the oldest English settlement in Connecticut as we visit the town of Windsor. With one hand holding onto its roots and the other hand ushering in the present day Windsor is full of history, scenic riverfront views, delicious places to eat, and much more.
    The brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule looks back at journalist Nellie Bly's attempt to go around the world in less than 80 days to defeat the protagonist in Jules Verne's literary masterpiece.
    For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon or Buzzsprout!

    Helpful Links from this Episode

    Listen to Episode 119 here 

    Support the show