Hello and Welcome everyone to this episode of The Wayward Dragons! This is what the hosts will be covering in this episode:

Current Events & Politics:

• Government Standoff: The hosts express frustration over the ongoing government shutdown, discussing the political battles over health benefits and the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare").
• Royal Family Scandal: They cover the news of Prince Edward being stripped of all his titles, which they link to the Epstein files. One host gives the opinion that royal titles should no longer exist as they serve "no purpose" in the modern age.
• Midterm Elections: They celebrate the US midterm election results where a Democrat won every material race, with the majority of winners being women, calling it a "big victory".
• Age of Politicians: They debate the idea that there should be a maximum age (e.g., 65 or 70) for politicians to retire, arguing that "young blood" is needed in politics. They mention a politician named "Madani" as a good example of a grassroots candidate who engaged with the public by showing up at a gay nightclub to encourage voting.

Science & Nerd Culture:

• Prehistoric Snails: The science segment covers research on a 1 million-year-old fossil snail suggesting that prehistoric snails gave birth to live young instead of laying eggs. The information was sourced from IFL Science (I Fucking Love Science).
• K-Pop Expectations: They discuss the psychological toll and expectations placed on K-Pop musicians, comparing them unfavorably to the restrictive life of royalty.

Books:

Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan

The Lost Tomb: And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burials and Murder by Douglas Preston

Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn

Tv Shows:

Mayfair Witches

Interview With a Vampire

Gen V

Person of Interest

Tarot Cards:

Queen of pentacles

9 of pentacles

We are also happy to announce that we will be beginning our book club! We will be starting The DiscWorld Series by Terry Pratchett! We are moving to book 5, Sourcery (we are reading in publication order). Please be patient with Kelsey, she never reads a series start to finish without reading things inbetween!

Please rate, review and subscribe! Don’t forget to tell a friend!

You can join us on Facebook and Instagram!

If you have a topic/book recommendation or if you need someone to talk too, you can email us at thewaywarddragons@gmail.com

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

Hello and Welcome!

The News:

• Government Shutdown and Benefits: The main focus of the news section was the ongoing government shutdown. If a conclusion isn't reached, many people will lose food stamps and other benefits starting November 1st. Food banks will also be affected by losing funding. The Senate rejected a bill to pay federal workers.
• Healthcare Funding: A Californian union, the Service Employees International Union, proposed a one-time 5% tax on billionaires' net worth in the state to offset federal reductions in Medicaid funding. Supporters argue it's an obligation to help and that a small portion could also fund public schools. The federal reductions could lead to the state losing $30 billion annually and up to 3.4 million people losing coverage.
• Immigration and Accountability: The Governor of Illinois signed an executive order creating the Illinois Accountability Commission to investigate alleged civil rights abuses tied to federal immigration enforcement, in response to Trump's Chicago raids. The commission's core missions are to build a public record of abuses, document impacts on families, and recommend actions to prevent further harm.
• D.C. Protest: A man was detained by D.C. police for protesting the National Guard patrol while dressed as Darth Vader and playing the "Imperial Death March" song. Another protest incident involved a 61-year-old woman who was arrested for "lewd and inappropriate behavior" for holding a sign and wearing an inflatable penis costume.
• Quebec Religious Symbols Ban: Quebec's government is planning on banning religious symbols from being worn in government-subsidized daycares and child care centers. There would be a grandfather clause to exempt current employees.
• French Rape Law: France's Assembly Nationale approved a bill defining rape as any non-consensual sexual act. The bill was supported by a vote of 155 to 31, with only far-right lawmakers opposing. Consent is defined as "free and informed. Specific. Prior". This reform shifts the burden to the alleged offender.
• Golf Course on Slave Graves: The city of Tallahassee is planning to sell a golf course built on top of slave graves for $1.25 million. A condition of the sale is placing a commemorative plaque.
• A woman in Michigan won $100,000 in Powerball after ChatGPT helped her pick her lottery numbers.
• ChatGPT is reportedly changing its policies to allow the creation of "lewd or possibly offensive material" for users 18 and older, which the hosts predict will lead to a flood of AI-generated "smut books".
• Baker and Taylor Closure: The abrupt closure of Baker and Taylor, a major supplier for many US libraries, will cause supply and demand issues, resulting in longer hold times for library patrons.
• New Reading Rainbow Host: The announcement of the new host for Reading Rainbow

Books:

Johnny:The Ink and Sigil trilogy by Kevin Hearne. The Emaneska series by Ben Galley. The Legend of UH by Aaron N Hall.

Kelsey: Dreadful by Kaitlin Rozakis. When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Kanzaki. The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore.

TV Show Recommendation:

Johnny recommended the Netflix show Wayward.

Tarot Card Reading:

The Sun and Strength

We are also happy to announce that we will be beginning our book club! We will be starting The DiscWorld Series by Terry Pratchett! We are moving to book 5, Sourcery (we are reading in publication order).

Please rate, review and subscribe! Don’t forget to tell a friend!

You can join us on Facebook and Instagram!

If you have a topic/book recommendation or if you need someone to talk too, you can email us at thewaywarddragons@gmail.com

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

Welcome to the show!!

US Political and Social Issues

• Government Shutdown and Civil War Allegation: They state the US government is currently shut down , which is causing severe problems for federal employees, including one anecdote about a military family struggling to get medication for their children
• Protests and ICE Agents: They discuss videos of protests in Oregon, including humorous instances of a person in an inflatable frog costume , as well as more serious accounts of ICE agents using rubber bullets on a priest and ramming a woman's car
• Antifa and Ideology: The hosts debate the nature of Antifa, asserting it is an ideology rather than an organization, and note the irony of those speaking against it refusing to say the word "fascist"
• RFK Jr.'s Claim: They mock an alleged claim by RFK Jr. that linked circumcision to an increased likelihood of autism due to Tylenol use
• Trump and Other News: They mention Trump being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and the confusing headline about a Canadian provincial leader, "Alberta says Prime speaks from love". They also express interest in how outside-US listeners perceive the US, asking them to email the podcast

National Parks: The hosts discuss the effects of the government shutdown on National Parks, including reports of vandalism.

• Great Smoky Mountains and Car Rally: They recount an unpleasant experience in Gatlinburg during a car rally, where participants were driving recklessly and vandalizing businesses, leading to gridlock that prevented emergency services from getting through. They note that the Great Smoky National Park is largely handled by Great Smokies Organization and Native American/residential communities, allowing most of it to stay open despite the federal shutdown
• Fat Bear Contest: One host shares that the winner of the annual "fattest bear contest" is Bear 32, "Chunk," whose estimated weight is over 1,200 pounds

Book Reviews

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton: The first host found it confusing initially but praised the unique narrative structure, which is told from the shared point of view of a character named Abby, who is revealed to be a fungus injected into non-human, plant-based villagers. The plot involves a scientist's murder that triggers the plant-people to take control and build a utopia.

Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu: The second host discusses this book, which deals with themes of rape. The plot follows a man named Jai, who is a servant/handyman, as he escapes a massacre at a rehearsal dinner and sets out to avenge his brother. He finds and hatches a dragon egg and attempts to return to his homeland with a foreign princess, all while navigating a magical system that involves linking one's "mana"

Tarot Reading and Conclusion The episode concludes with a two-card tarot reading: the Four of Pentacles (examining one's relationship with money/financial security) and the Seven of Pentacles (hard work and persevering toward a better harvest). They thank the audience and encourage them to rate, subscribe, and email the show.

We are also happy to announce that we Have a book club! We are reading The DiscWorld Series! We are moving to book 5, Sourcery

Please rate, review and subscribe! Don’t forget to tell a friend!

You can join us on Facebook and Instagram!

If you have a topic/book recommendation or if you need someone to talk too, you can email us at thewaywarddragons@gmail.com

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