Home
Categories
EXPLORE
True Crime
Comedy
Business
Society & Culture
History
Sports
Health & Fitness
About Us
Contact Us
Copyright
© 2024 PodJoint
00:00 / 00:00
Sign in

or

Don't have an account?
Sign up
Forgot password
https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts211/v4/3c/76/29/3c762973-dc4a-8f8a-6285-128287a8f964/mza_1508209099356576628.jpeg/600x600bb.jpg
Short and interesting
Beau Kalden
29 episodes
1 day ago
Each week, we bring you short readings about interesting things you haven't thought about before. From philosophy and literature, to recipes and advice, occult and paranormal, theory and poetry, or just straight-up rumors and anecdotes. We read old, weird books so you don't have to.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
Books
Arts,
Society & Culture,
Philosophy,
Leisure,
Crafts
RSS
All content for Short and interesting is the property of Beau Kalden and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Each week, we bring you short readings about interesting things you haven't thought about before. From philosophy and literature, to recipes and advice, occult and paranormal, theory and poetry, or just straight-up rumors and anecdotes. We read old, weird books so you don't have to.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
Books
Arts,
Society & Culture,
Philosophy,
Leisure,
Crafts
Episodes (20/29)
Short and interesting
[28] What Does It All Mean?

Welcome to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. Is there such a thing as free will? Do your choices matter? Can you be held responsible for your actions, good or bad? Weighty questions are covered in a quick and breezy manner in Thomas Nagel’s “What Does It All Mean,” from 1987.


This book published by Oxford University Press, all rights reserved. Why not purchase a copy for yourself? You can do that here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-does-it-all-mean-thomas-nagel/1111620615


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at https://www.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
1 day ago
19 minutes 49 seconds

Short and interesting
[27] The Alchemists pt 3 [Gilles de Rais]

Welcome to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. For Halloween, we’re reading the single best story from Charles MacKay’s 19th “Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds,” about alchemists throughout history. The notorious Gilles de Rais wanted gold, so he turned to alchemy, and then the devil. He became one of history’s earliest and most notorious serial killers, but as far as we know he never ended up turning lead into gold.


Download this public domain book for free from Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24518


There’s plenty more about this historical figure out there. If you want some more gnarly details, you could simply start with Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_de_Rais


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
1 week ago
23 minutes 38 seconds

Short and interesting
[26] Discovery of Witches

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird books. This week is the game plan for Matthew Hopkins, self-proclaimed Witch-Finder, from 1698. When you go into town to find witches, some villagers will try to stop you. Here’s how you respond to all their arguments and win the debate. Some men really do know everything.


Download this public domain book for free from Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14015


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
2 weeks ago
27 minutes 29 seconds

Short and interesting
[25] SUBJECT: Brainwashing

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird books. Like this declassified memo from the CIA to the FBI about communist brainwashing techniques. Of course, they still work even if you aren’t communist.


This memo dated April 25, 1956 was formerly classified but was approved for release on February 8, 1984. I found this online a few years ago, but I’m currently unable to find a copy via web search … wonder when that changed? If I find it online again, I’ll post a link.


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 weeks ago
37 minutes 37 seconds

Short and interesting
[24] How to Lie With Statistics

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. You’ve heard the saying about the three types of falsehoods: there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. Well, Darrell Huff wrote “How to Lie With Statistics” (1954) to teach you how it works. A great little dose of skepticism and media literacy goes a long way in 2025.


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
4 weeks ago
31 minutes 8 seconds

Short and interesting
[23] Meta Given's Cooking: Game

ou’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. Ever wondered how to cook bear, possum, raccoon, squirrel, or woodchuck? Well this week we’ve got some recipes and techniques from “Meta Given’s Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking,” circa 1947.


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
1 month ago
38 minutes 35 seconds

Short and interesting
[22] How Not to Make MDMA

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. Have you ever wondered how to make MDMA? It’s surprisingly do-able. All you need is a strong working knowledge of chemistry, a fair bit of laboratory equipment, a supply of various chemicals, and a recipe. This week, we’re checking out the recipe.


But not really. For legal reasons we’re not actually going to tell you the recipe for MDMA. Instead, we took what purports to be a recipe, and swapped all the ingredients with some other chemical, pretty much at random. So whether you know chemistry or don’t, I promise this will be utterly incomprehensible. But give a listen anyway, it is still worth your time to learn how drugs are made.


This appears to have been self-published by two individuals whose pen names are Bright Star and Rhodium. I have no idea who they are and cannot verify whether their purported recipe is genuine or viable. Proceed at your own risk. This recipe is very much in the public domain. I will not be linking to a copy of the actual recipe here, but trust me, if you put five minutes of effort into searching for it, you should be able to find it.


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
1 month ago
38 minutes 17 seconds

Short and interesting
[21] The Lacerta Files pt. 2

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. We’ve got some more from “The Lacerta Files” this week, which is a 2004 interview with a purported Reptoid-being whose species lives underground. Adding insult to injury, not only are humans not alone in the universe, they aren’t even alone on this planet – and the so-called “aliens” couldn’t care less what happens to us. Can you blame them?


This appears to have been self-published by an individual named Jimmy Bergman, and translated by Chris Pfeiler. Whether those are real people or their real names is not for me to know. Technically this is in the public domain. It has been surprisingly difficult to find copies of this as of late, but I did find a copy available at this link: https://farsight.org/pdfs/FarsightPress/Support_Files/The_Lacerta_File_1and_2_Reptoid_interview.pdf


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
1 month ago
35 minutes 11 seconds

Short and interesting
[20] The Lacerta Files pt. 1

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. Ready for some alien stuff? Well too bad – the Reptoids aren’t aliens, they’ve lived on Earth much longer than us puny humans. You can call them many things – reptillians, ultraterrestrials, lizard-people, little green guys – but “alien” is just not accurate. All this and more in the famous 2004 interview-with-an-alien, “The Lacerta Files.”


This appears to have been self-published by an individual named Jimmy Bergman, and translated by Chris Pfeiler. Whether those are real people or their real names is not for me to know. Technically this is in the public domain. It has been surprisingly difficult to find copies of this as of late, but I did find a copy available at this link: https://farsight.org/pdfs/FarsightPress/Support_Files/The_Lacerta_File_1and_2_Reptoid_interview.pdf


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
1 month ago
30 minutes 34 seconds

Short and interesting
[19] The Ways of the Hobo

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. This week is a grand yarn from Leon Ray Livingston, a/k/a A-No.1, a/k/a ”The World’s Most Famous Hobo.” This is from his 1914 book “The Ways of the Hobo” which is a fun little book of folk tales told by hobos, to hobos. There’s a certain romance and charm to hobodom, but make no mistake, it’s a life of poverty, abuse, and exploitation. But you’ve got to find some way to laugh through it all.


This work is in the public domain. It’s easy enough to find online, for example you can find it here: https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=A-No%2E%201%2C%201872-1944


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
2 months ago
42 minutes 19 seconds

Short and interesting
[18] How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found pt. 2

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. We’re back this week with part two of “How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found,” by Doug Richmond. The “how” is interesting enough, but not enough people are asking “why.” If you’re thinking about destroying your life and disappearing to create a new fake identity somewhere else, one thing you might try first is a little thing called “therapy.”


This work is was published by Loompanics Unlimited in 1986 and is still protected by copyright. We are presenting selected excerpts in the spirit of fair use in order to stimulate public discussion. Why not buy a copy for yourself? It’s for sale, among other places, at https://www.rizzolibookstore.com/product/how-disappear-completely-and-never-be-found?srsltid=AfmBOoq62MWmsIraEpsie8GK1cgYbw2d2e9XS3xWMNZHql_92uMw4Cs1


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
2 months ago
30 minutes 5 seconds

Short and interesting
[17] How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found pt. 1

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. If you want to hear the worst, most depressing advice ever, you’re in luck today. We’re covering “How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found,” by Doug Richmond. Here’s how you can destroy your identity, disappear, and create a new, fake life to inhabit. This might have worked in 1986, but in 2025? Forget about it.


This work is was published by Loompanics Unlimited in 1986 and is still protected by copyright. We are presenting selected excerpts in the spirit of fair use in order to stimulate public discussion. Why not buy a copy for yourself? It’s for sale, among other places, at https://www.rizzolibookstore.com/product/how-disappear-completely-and-never-be-found?srsltid=AfmBOoq62MWmsIraEpsie8GK1cgYbw2d2e9XS3xWMNZHql_92uMw4Cs1


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
2 months ago
33 minutes 52 seconds

Short and interesting
[16] Democracy is Self-Government: the Money-God

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. We’ve sure got an old weird one for you today! This is a selection from “Democracy is Self-Government” by the esoteric philosopher Harold W. Percival. We’re reading the chapter ‘Money, Or the Idolatry of the Dollar,’ a good old-fashioned rant about how we shouldn’t be slaves to money.


This work purports to be copyrighted 1952 by Harold W. Percival, and copyrighted 1980 by The Word Foundation, Inc., but I believe this is actually in the public domain. I downloaded this for free from The Word Foundation’s website, to my knowledge this is free to distribute. Why not download and read it yourself? https://thewordfoundation.org/hlib/index.html


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
2 months ago
22 minutes 17 seconds

Short and interesting
[15] Be Your Own Bodyguard

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. This week we’re learning how to “Be Your Own Bodyguard” with this 1999 safety manual published by Peaceful Paths LLC. The best way to keep yourself from being a victim is to identify and avoid dangerous situations. And the best way to do that is to be aware.


This company may be defunct and the following contact information might no longer be effective. But this document states: “This document may be duplicated and distributed freely on the condition that it is accompanies by our company name and contact information.” The contact information for Peaceful Paths LLC is as follows: (303) 233-8279 / Emailshawn@peacepath.com / www.peacepath.com


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 months ago
26 minutes 41 seconds

Short and interesting
[14] Porkopolis pt 1

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. This week is our first look at “Porkopolis” by Alex Blanchette. This book is definitely not an easy read, but it is really fascinating and we strongly recommend it as a first-hand look at an incredibly normal, ordinary, unremarkable part of modern American capitalist life. Today we’re reading an edited-down set of excerpts from the section on artificial insemination of pigs on an industrial scale. Ever wondered how the sausage is made?


This work’s copyright is owned by the Duke University Press (2020). We are presenting some text from this work in the spirit of fair use. Check out the Duke University Press’s website to buy a copy for yourself: https://www.dukeupress.edu/porkopolis.


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 months ago
32 minutes 25 seconds

Short and interesting
[13] Food in War Time

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. This week we’re checking out “Food in War Time” by Graham Lusk, written in 1918, right at the tail end of World War One. Eat your greens, drink your milk, and try to lose some weight.


This book is in the public domain. You can download it for free from Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32472.


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 months ago
23 minutes 16 seconds

Short and interesting
[12] The Book of Swindles pt 2

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. This week we’re dipping back into “The Book of Swindles” by Zhang Yingyu (夔衷). Another grab-bag of sneaky schemes and dirty tricks. Beware of eunuchs! This time we’re reading: “Handing Over Silver Before Running Off With It”; “Using Broom Handles to Play a Joke on Sedan Bearers”; “Three Women Ride Off on Three Horses”; “A Eunuch Cooks Boys to Make a Tonic of Male Essence.”


This (Chinese) work is itself public domain, but we’re reading from the English transaction, which is from Christopher Wray and Bruse Rusk in 2017, and is copyright of the Columbia University Press. We are reciting the text in the spirit of fair use. Check out the Columbia University Press’s website: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-book-of-swindles/9780231178631/.


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
3 months ago
27 minutes 40 seconds

Short and interesting
[11] Moby Dick (chapter 9)

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. This week we’re checking out a stone-cold classic: “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville. But don’t worry, we’re only reading Chapter 9 this time; the show is called ‘Short and Interesting,’ not ‘Famously Long and Boring.’


This book is in the public domain. You can download it for free from Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2701.


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
4 months ago
27 minutes 22 seconds

Short and interesting
[10] 60 Years in Space pt 1 (Types of Governments)

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. This week we’re checking out a tabletop role-playing game about colonizing space – and so much more. It’s called ‘60 Years In Space,’ and it’s as big a repository of brilliant ideas as you’re ever likely to find. Today we’re reading its list of all the different types of governments you might have in your space colonies. Can you think of any other types of government not on this list? I’m not sure I can. Which do you live under? Which would you rather live under?


Sixty Years In Space is the core rules for the officially licensed tabletop RPG of the board game High Frontier. Sixty Years in Space is written by Andrew Doull, copyright 2015-2023, all rights reserved. This reading is from This Space Intentionally, a supplement written by Andrew Doull, copyright 2015-2023, all rights reserved.


Check out and buy 60 Years in Space and its various supplements at https://half-apress.itch.io/60-years-in-space. Thanks to Andrew Doull for giving us permission to read this.


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
4 months ago
24 minutes 49 seconds

Short and interesting
[9] Make Your Own Hats

You’re listening to Short and Interesting – the podcast that reads to you short excerpts from old, weird, interesting books. This week we’re covering fashion – specifically millinery. It’s the 1921 book “Make Your Own Hats” by Gene Allen Martin. Find instructions on how to make a little velvet sailor hat decorated with ribbons and pom-poms, or maybe a classic, Napoleon-style bicorne.


This book is in the public domain. You can downoad it for free from Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19740.


Music by Dan Mason. Check out and buy his music at https://danmason.bandcamp.com. For this podcast we’re using clips of three tracks from his 2019 album Hypnagogia. Available under the Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Creative Commons License details at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/


Check out our website at podcast.plutocrat.biz. Donations are gratefully accepted. Find us on Bluesky, @shortandinteresting. If you’d like to discuss copyright, contact us at copyright@plutocrat.biz. All other inquiries received at podcast@plutocrat.biz.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
4 months ago
28 minutes 47 seconds

Short and interesting
Each week, we bring you short readings about interesting things you haven't thought about before. From philosophy and literature, to recipes and advice, occult and paranormal, theory and poetry, or just straight-up rumors and anecdotes. We read old, weird books so you don't have to.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.