Pop It

Originally aired in August of 2018—radio and podcast gender bias & our favorite female voices on the airwaves. Experts Lance Reenstierna and Tim Pilleri share what it takes to wrack up millions of downloads on iTunes and the story behind their breakout podcast success “Missing Maura Murray.” (22:00) Plus, a crack at "Runaway Bride" inspired by Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.

Honorable Madeline Singas was born in Worcester and went on to become the Nassau County District Attorney and then an associate judge of the New York Court of Appeals. As the District Attorney, she oversaw the prosecution of criminal cases, including that of Jesse Friedman who was a subject of the 2003 Academy Award nominated documentary, “Capturing the Friedmans.” Singas was notably the special prosecutor, concerning allegations of sexual assault by attorney general Eric Schneiderman, who had previously been an outspoken advocate for the #MeToo movement. We did our best to piece together her career highlights based on the information available to us.

Lillian Asplund was the last survivor of the Titanic who could remember the infamous voyage — she was 5 when the “unsinkable ship” struck an iceberg, and more than 1,500 of her fellow passengers perished at sea.

Later, Asplund worked as a secretary at State Mutual Life Insurance, headquartered in Worcester’s first skyscraper, at the corner of Main Street and Maple, downtown. She lived a quiet life, gardening and caring for her mother and younger brother. They, like she, huddled together on a lifeboat, watching the ship go down like a tall building crumbling into the ocean at 2:19 a.m. April 15, 1912...

Gabi Bennett's takeover of The Barn in Princeton marks the third generation of her family's ownership since 1983. Under her management, the restaurant is serving 'mountain chalet.' Bennett grew up in Princeton, but spent the bulk of her professional career in Hollywood. 

We discuss Andrea Riseborough's controversial Oscar nomination & recap Beyonce, Bennifer 2.0, Harry Styles, Madonna, & more at the Grammys. In the end, a game of "guess that Super Bowl commercial" with baby Sloane. 

There are thousands of books to support educators, and with good reason—teaching is the noblest profession. But, in recent years, teachers are leaving the classroom in droves. SMALL TEACHING K-8 takes a unique approach to combat teacher burnout with a series of research-based practices that are low-effort and high-reward. 

Awards Season, Royals, Alec Baldwin, and *feel-good* TV.

Ms. Porter is on a different coast & we had our wires crossed. Molly & I will catch up with her very soon. In the meantime, here is a meandering overview of her life and work with honorable mentions to Falling for Christmas (ft. Lindsay Lohan), Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, The Redeem Team, Sumner Stroh, A Chorus Line, Every Little Step, & of course, Curly Sue. Alisan Porter will perform at Polar Park on October 22 as part of Rhythm for Ribbons. xoxo

Bennifer 2.0, Don't Worry Darling, Funny Girl, Abbott Elementary, Do Revenge, and wine.

Meet Julia Germaine and Jessie Heasley of Worcester's first cannabis delivery service, KindRun. KindRun’s mission is to provide convenient and seamless home delivery of cannabis products to clients across Massachusetts from a high-quality e- commerce platform. As a Social Equity, Veteran-owned and female-led business, we support a diverse and accessible cannabis market, and seek to normalize the responsible use of cannabis by adults. (Photos by Unity Mike!)

Reverend Dr. Debora Jackson is Dean of the Business School at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a premier STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) based institution recognized for project-based education that integrates the theory and practice of management. In response to changing industry needs, Dr. Jackson seeks to promote research, collaboration, and partnerships that understand broader societal needs and recast the vision for business education in ways that prepare leaders to disrupt, reorient, and innovate for societal impact.

Troy Kotsur and Youn Yuh-Jung stole our hearts, Will Smith and Chris Rock made our jaws drop, Timothée Chalamet and Kristen Stewart showed us some skin...this year's Oscars Ceremony was full of surprises.

The Pink Boots Society exists to ASSIST, INSPIRE, and ENCOURAGE women, beer professionals, through EDUCATION. We stopped by Redemption Rock Brewery to learn more about their 2022 Pink Boots Brew, "Spare us..." 

Our favorite things to read, watch, and listen to in 2021, plus a few thoughts on Adam McKay's new Netflix release "Don't Look Up." 

Molly's Picks

Reads: New Gawker (lol), honestly considering just cracking open a Babysitters Club book at this point in the pandemic 

Movies: Dune. West Side Story, Mortal Kombat 

Songs: Solar Power, Last Train Home

Shows: White Lotus, Hacks, What We Do in the Shadows, The Beatles: Get Back

Sarah's Picks

Reads: Who is Maud Dixon, Elen Hilderbrand, and Jane Green

Movies: Plan B, Licorice Pizza, The Power of the Dog 

Songs: "Nothing New" by Taylor Swift ft. Pheobe Bridgers, and  “Happiness is not a place” by the wind and the wave

Shows: White Lotus, Maid, Succession, The Great Pottery Throwdown, The Other Two

Enjoy our guided tour of Worcester Historical Museum's landmark exhibit "Pretty Powerful." Listen as co-chairs Marlene Persky and Moyra Moynihan Manoog take us counter-clockwise through the gallery, along with curator Charlotte A. Haller and Director Anne Sadick. Hear the stories behind special pieces contributed by former First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as local legends like Senate President Emerita Harriette Chandler and Southeast Asian Coalition Executive Director Anh Vu Sawyer. The exhibit is open to visitors from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM through March 31, 2022.

Patty Ann was a 17-year-old student at South High in 1984. Her two best friends are also named Patty. Patty Dansereau and Patti Weagle L’Ecuyer. Collectively, they were known as “the 3 Patties.” On a cold, rainy Wednesday night in October, Patty Ann called her mom to say she'd be late coming home from her boyfriend's house where she was playing Trivial Pursuit. The next morning, family and police discovered her belongings in an alley near the train tracks and her body in a window well at a factory on Grand Street. Before her passing, Patty’s mother told the Telegram and Gazette, "I still have to believe that somebody saw something that night, or the murderer has told somebody something, and that person or persons aren’t talking. Maybe someday someone will come forward, and that will be the break in this case that we’ve been waiting for...” Thank you to Heather Bish for shining a light on this Worcester cold case.

Worcester Fire Department gear comes under scrutiny. We referred to Diane Cotter as 'Worcester's Erin Brockovich' after reading the September 2021 feature in Men's Health centered around her activism. (Then, we found out how true that moniker has become...) Cotter walks us through her husband Paul's battle with cancer and her own fight for justice. She is a force, born and bred in Worcester. We are eager to see what comes next.