Aaron Armstrong's Blog, page 26

The Nicolas Cage of Podcasts

So, we had a plan for this episode. We were going to have some fun talking through some decent questions Goodreads has been posting lately. But instead… well, you’ll have to listen to what exactly happened this week.

Because none of us are entirely sure. But we did have a lot of fun as we discussed:

Nicolas Cage’s method of actingDave’s unexpected trip to the ER (and pro-tips for getting to the front of the line)Real bacon vs turkey “bacon”Aaron butchering the pronunciation of a Nigerian ...

A Conversation on Learning About Other People’s Experiences

So with everything that’s happening in the world recently, we decided to talk together about books we’ve read that have helped us explore the experiences of others. Specifically, the experiences of African Americans.

This conversation was, honestly, a pretty awkward one for us to have since none of us are African American, and we didn’t want it to be perceived as “three white people helping you understand the African American experience.”

That’s not how we roll, and it’s not something any...

Pet Advice, Dave’s Deflection, & SWAT Team Rabbits

Recently it looked like we were maybe hopefully getting toward a happier and healthier place in this pandemic. The sun was shining, stores were opening… and well, 2020 keeps happening. But we’re not talking about terribly serious stuff on this episode because it was recorded before 2020 got even worse. Maybe we’ll get serious and talk about some of that next week. We’ll see. But in the meantime, we do talk about some pretty fun and hopefully life-giving subjects, including:

What it was lik...

Pet Advice, Dave’s Deflection, & Swat Team Rabbits

Recently it looked like we were maybe hopefully getting toward a happier and healthier place in this pandemic. The sun was shining, stores were opening… and well, 2020 keeps happening. But we’re not talking about terribly serious stuff on this episode because it was recorded before 2020 got even worse. Maybe we’ll get serious and talk about some of that next week. We’ll see. But in the meantime, we do talk about some pretty fun and hopefully life-giving subjects, including:

What it was like ...

Hope, Happiness, & Lunch Shovels

So, many weeks ago, back in the long forgotten times when people socialized together and we recorded our podcast in-person, and before Scarlet teamed up with us to class up this show and keep it firmly in the mostly-family-friendly radio space, there was another co-host.

But his life got too busy with a new job, his other show, and a book deadline, so he had to say goodbye to his regular gig here. It took us—especially Dave—some time, but we healed. So, today, Barnabas joins us on the show t...

American History Pop Quiz, Hot Shot!

As you all know, Dave loves history (almost as much as he loves cats). And because I am a Canadian, he and Scarlet both wanted to help me learn more about American history, in the hopes that I can someday pass a citizenship test. So, we thought, why not have Thomas Kidd join us to help with both?

Listen in as we discuss:

Is there really more that can be said about some of these well-known historical figures?Why we need to be careful to not read back in our views and context into the pastWhy...

The YA Grab Bag of Surprise!

Recently I discovered that McKays, our favorite second-hand bookstore, has been offering themed grab bags of books to help people stay on top of their reading during this season.

So, of course, I bought oneand it was 100% YA fiction.

But what kind of YA fiction was it? Youll find out as Scarlet, Dave and I discuss:

When we can record in person againWhich books from our bag seem like theyre worth readingIf our McKays bag accurately reflects Nicholas Cages career choicesDave prepping for the...

Concentric Circles of Canadian Hatred

Two countries unite on todays episode of the show as Drew Dyck joins us for a chat about being Canadians in Americaland, Canadian geography, and life on the interwebs. For those not in the know, Drew Dyck is an acquisitions editor at Moody Publishers, an author, and a fellow Canadian. Listen in as we discuss:

What Drew loves best about the online world right nowWhats the worst thing online right nowFun Canadian city namesWhy everyone hates TorontoIf Canada would be a good place to be in a...

Reading in the Time of Quarantine, Losing Literacy, & Favorite Reading Spots

As we continue to trudge through this season of social distancing and everyone sheltering at home, were all finding it to be a struggle to do some of our favorite things. Yknow, like reading. So today, Karen Swallow Priorone of our favorite guests from 2019makes a return visit to the show to talk about reading habits, binge-watching, and generally class up the program.

Listen in as we discuss:

Which female literary characters men should make a point of studyingWhy its hard to read in...

Real Celebrities, Diet Ice Cream, & How We Speak Online

Were back with a brand-new episode, and weve brought a friend along! Daniel Darling joins us to talk about some nice, easy subjects including politics, online discussion, and the nature of celebrity. Listen in as we discuss:

The difference between being Christian famous and actually famousWhy we need to be wise with how we speak onlineThe continued debate over retiring the sucker punchBecoming a writer before social mediaScarlets plan to go back to schoolDiet ice cream and parenting...