Retrospect Station

Some of us are safe. Most of us are not. In this week's episode, Elizabeth reads and commentates on the first section of the infamous Communist Manifesto. We have more power and more control than we think, but we need to act. Also, we are living in the thick of 1848 elitism.Word of the Week: manifestoYou can donate to the podcast by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstation⁠⁠Credits:"Rites" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

I have been released into traffic. In this week's episode, Elizabeth details the journey she's taken to get her G2 driver's license. One does not simply turn left at a moment's notice. Also, I'm a heavy advocate of robust public transit, but at this rate we actually need subsidized mandatory driver's ed.Word of the Week: detrimentalYou can donate to the podcast by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstation⁠⁠

Moisturize me, like that Doctor Who episode. In this week's episode, Elizabeth elaborates on what it's like living with her chronic illness: eczema. When medicines, lotions, and potions don't always work, you're often left to suffer. Also, 'discoid eczema' sounds like 'disco eczema' and if only it were that fun.Word of the Week: nummularYou can donate to the podcast by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstation⁠⁠

I nearly died because this woman had ideas. In this week's episode, Elizabeth recalls the time her Greyhound bus nearly crashed because it was haunted by eyes. The lesson here is that if it's midnight, don't mess with the ghosts. Also, I completely forgot corneal transplants were a thing. I thought the eyes were for a science lab.Word of the Week: qualiaYou can donate to the podcast by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstation⁠Credits:"Very Low Note" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Give me back my Science Centre, Ford! In this week's episode, Elizabeth commemorates the Ontario Science Centre and the memories made there. With a few videos and maps along the way, come along for the tour on Elizabeth's last trip to the Science Centre, featuring testimonials from friends and community members around the GTA. Also, bother Doug Ford. Don't let him take our educational institutions.Word of the Week: surreptitiouslyYou can donate to the podcast by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstationTestimonials from:Grace Song, Ryan Thompson, Andy Ruffett, Rayn Lakhani, Amna, Noah, Emily, Jack, Drev, twinstagram07, annatruongx, decoylife, and others.Maps from:Grace Song, Save Ontario Science Centre, Ontario Science Centre Archives.

The way we interact with music has completely changed. In this week's episode, Elizabeth inspects the changes we've made to our habits as music listeners over the past 25 years. From records to robots, our approach to listening and the way we receive music has altered what we get out of the experience. Also, bring back Songza. Songza was a good little app.Word of the Week: holocaustYou can donate to the podcast by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstation

Lazy and fat, they lie about on the floor all summer, and they STINK. In this week's episode, Elizabeth shares her loathsome encounter with earwigs once she started living in a house. It turns out the best way to keep them away is garden herbs. Also, we have to learn to love the bugs immediately. Bugs are our survival.Word of the Week: ovipositorYou can donate to the podcast by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstation

I was supposed to be someone I chose. In this week's episode, Elizabeth gets emotional about her struggles with academia and career expectations growing up. Trying to fulfill someone else's well-intentioned goals can destroy your destiny. I've since had to convince myself I was never a failure, because it was never a fair fight.There is no Word of the Week this week. I feel this episode deserves to breathe.You can donate to the podcast by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstation

He saddled up, hopped on, and evaporated. In this week's episode, Elizabeth tells the story of the time her friend Tyson triggered a Minecraft bug and the void consumed him and his dinosaur. Schrödinger's cat applies to anything if you make enough mistakes. Also, you cannot recreate the bug; I have tried, they fixed it.Word of the Week: verandaUntil May 21st, if you donate $4 on Ko-Fi, I will personally send you a digital art image of The Viking, drawn by me, Elizabeth.You can donate to the podcast by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstationCredits:"Resignation" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Heartbreaking" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Not As It Seems" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Doh De Oh" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Call to Adventure" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Constance" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Circus Waltz" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Reaching Out" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Evening" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

When I was 10, I had a nemesis. In this week's episode, Elizabeth talks about her taekwondo sparring partner, aka her childhood nemesis. In the foot versus elbow matchup, the elbow wins. And if he's out there, and he finds this episode, hello I'm still ready to throw down.Word of the Week: referendumUntil May 21st, if you donate $4 on Ko-Fi, I will personally send you a digital art image of The Viking, drawn by me, Elizabeth.You can donate to the podcast by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstation

Mark Carney won the 2025 Federal Election. Now what? In this week's episode, Elizabeth gives us her thoughts as a poll supervisor on the recent federal election and its surrounding propaganda. If we want a better life, we need to look to each other, not any particular government or party. Also, let's all say a prayer for the poll workers in Ottawa-Carleton.Word of the Week: speciousUntil May 21st, if you donate $4 on Ko-Fi, I will personally send you a digital art image of The Viking, drawn by me, Elizabeth.You can donate to the podcast by visiting ⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstation

This is the story of the entity next door, colloquially known as The Viking. In this week's episode, Elizabeth remembers her next door neighbour, aka her childhood bogeyman. Still to this day, he's a mystery figure, with a face only Elizabeth invented. Also don't smoke, please.Word of the Week: perfidiousIf you donate $4 on Ko-Fi this month, I will personally send you a digital art image of The Viking, drawn by me, Elizabeth.You can donate to the podcast by visiting ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstation

Is voting confusing? I've got you. In this week's episode, Elizabeth breaks down what happens at a Canadian voting station. After working at three elections in a row, she's got the in's and out's of a poll station down to a science. Can you vote without registering? Who are these people at the desk? Is your vote safe? Your questions answered. Plus a fun little hallucination story.Word of the Week: epistemicideFeel free to leave any other questions about elections in the comments! I'll get back to you.You can donate to the podcast! Visit ⁠https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstation

horse.In this week's episode, Elizabeth finally tells the story of perhaps the most terrifying night of her life. She might also have barely avoided being taken by ghosts.Word of the Week: ostentatiousYou can donate to the podcast! Visit https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstationCredits:Galway by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Aftermath by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Anxiety by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Classic Horror 2 by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Very Low Note by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Join host Elizabeth Dean, a Mississauga writer and spoken word poet, every Wednesday as she looks back on some of her most strange and exciting life experiences, and shows us that life never fails to disappoint.You can support the podcast by donating at ⁠⁠ko-fi.com/retrospectstation⁠⁠

Three years in a row trying to fast for Ramadan, and it did not go well, at all. In this week's episode, Elizabeth dives into what it was like fasting for Ramadan for the very first time, as a non-Muslim. Life is like a box of chocolates— something, something, everything goes wrong always. Also, Elizabeth might just have a terrible immune system.Word of the Week: retrospectYou can donate to the podcast! Visit https://ko-fi.com/retrospectstation