Month: August 2015

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The Gist - Where to Find the Best Stories

Today on The Gist, professional storyteller Matthew Dicks returns to share a daily exercise for every aspiring storyteller. He’s the author of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. For the Spiel: Mike Pesca may not vocal-fry, but he sure hears complaints about his voice. Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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The Allusionist - 16. Word Play

Words are all over the place. So how do you turn them into fun games? Here to show the way is Leslie Scott, founder of Oxford Games and inventor of more than forty games – including word games such as Ex Libris, Anagram and Flummoxed, and the non-word game Jenga.

There is more about this episode at http://theallusionist.org/word-play.

Tell me about the word games you’ve invented at http://twitter.com/allusionistshow and http://facebook.com/allusionistshow.

Support the show: http://patreon.com/allusionist

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The Gist - Mike Pesca’s Origin Story, as Told by His Parents

On The Gist, an unusual episode about an unusual coincidence among our staff. Both Mike Pesca and managing producer Joel Meyer were born in cars in the 1970s. First up, Neila Pesca and Joe Pesca tell the story of the ultimate driveway moment, when our host was born in a Plymouth Barracuda. Then, Carolyn Wavrin and Greg Meyer recount how Joel entered the world in an Oldsmobile Cutlass. What are the chances? Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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The Gist - Summer BS Edition

On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker addresses the burning questions of the summer season, including the truth about SPF and the weirdness of ice cream headaches. Plus, filmmaker Jennifer Nelson explains how new research may finally restore “Happy Birthday to You” to the public domain. For the Spiel, what are Trump’s chances? Today’s sponsors: The Great Courses, engaging audio and video lectures taught by top professors. Courses like  “Scientific Secrets for a Powerful Memory.” Right now, get 80 percent off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/gist. And by Citrix GoToMeeting. When meetings matter, millions choose GoToMeeting. Get a free 30-day trial by visiting GoToMeeting.com and clicking the “try it free” button. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.

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Song Exploder - Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love

Multi-Love is the title track from the 2015 album by Unknown Mortal Orchestra. In this episode, Ruban Nielson tells the story of how he made the song with help from his brother Kody Nielson, and how it was influenced by Romeo and Juliet, Questlove, and a broken synthesizer.

This episode is sponsored by Hover, Lagunitas Brewing Company, and Simple.