Perfect for listeners interested in: LGBTQ+ podcasts, Appalachian culture, queer identity, rural America stories, 1980s-90s nostalgia, internet history, and authentic conversations about growing up different in small-town America.

Beck and Dash chat about internet nostalgia, Olympic figure skating, and growing up queer in Appalachia. They swap stories about celebrity encounters (Tiffany from the '80s, anyone?), childhood games, questionable gifts, and the terrifying critters of rural life—from brown recluse infestations to snakes shooting across driveways.

This week's Noun of Appalachian Interest: Camden Park, the stubborn 1903 amusement park in Huntington, West Virginia that's survived everything from floods to the apocalypse (literally—it's in Fallout 76).

Plus: The Gravel Grapple All-Terrain Wrestling Mat sponsors this episode, because every backyard wrestling alliance needs proper equipment.

Send us mail at mailbag@queernecks.com

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram at @Queernecks

Subscribe to out newsletter for the Queernecks ramble expansion pack: https://substack.com/@queernecks

And join our discord by joining our Ko-Fi for $2 a month: https://ko-fi.com/queernecks

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Welcome

to Queer Next, the podcast that puts

2

the Yee Hall in y'all means hall.

3

I'm your host, Beck,

4

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

and I'm your host.

5

Dash.

6

Welcome to today's episode.

7

Happy Friday.

8

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Woo-hoo.

9

How's your day been?

10

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Not bad.

11

It is cold here again and

had some, some meetings.

12

I meet with some of my students,

one-on-ones on Fridays.

13

You know, I'm, I'm allowed

to work 20 hours a week.

14

That's how many meetings I have.

15

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Oh, wow.

16

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: It

was just, I mean, student affairs

17

is just meetings and meetings.

18

Hell,

19

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: It

was cold as hell here today,

20

like in the twenties.

21

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: yeah,

it's, uh, 12 degrees here and then

22

the windshield is like negative 10.

23

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Ugh.

24

' dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

cause the wind is 20.

25

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

degrees here the other day.

26

It

27

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah, right.

28

Like for the majority

of this, of this week.

29

Was it this week or last week?

30

Not long ago.

31

It was several days of like

50 degrees was glorious.

32

All the snow melted and now it's all back.

33

Oh, well how was your Friday?

34

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Pretty good.

35

We, uh, we went to Bob

Evans for b for breakfast.

36

She worked the overnight, so she slept

in, and so we went to a late lunch.

37

That was

38

nice.

39

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah.

40

It's cheat day.

41

So I have had two donuts

today and I'm high as a kite.

42

I.

43

On sugar.

44

I have found something hysterical

that I wanna play for you.

45

Um, you remember when we were

talking about the little Lee Bryce

46

and his song about his to-do list?

47

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Right.

48

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Somebody

has done something hysterical to it and

49

it's, it's like it's a win for editing.

50

Like the wonders of editing and

how like omitting certain words

51

can make something sound worse.

52

So I just want, you want

to play this for you.

53

Hot.

54

My fish, my truck here I

my grass, my dog, my boots.

55

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Jimmy

Kimmel every week has, uh, this

56

week an unnecessary censorship.

57

And they'll play like that and

they'll, they'll beep it out.

58

that, that's funny.

59

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: It

just tore me up when I found it.

60

that's some of my favorite kind of humor.

61

There was one video that I found of,

you know, that show the Big Bang Theory.

62

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah.

63

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

You know, it's whatever.

64

It's very mid, you know.

65

But they use, they use a live audience

'cause it's just a classic sitcom set up.

66

And the audiences for those are queued

on when to laugh, but sometimes they're

67

also allowed to laugh naturally.

68

But somebody took out the sound of the

live audience reacting to the jokes

69

and just edited in the sound of Ricky

Gervais laughing, just him laughing with,

70

and he has a very, like, he cackles.

71

And so they would do their kind of

dumb jokes and then, and that was it.

72

That was the only sound I

was like, whoever did this,

73

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

People are so funny.

74

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: they are,

I, I just love the things people

75

get up to just for the hell of it.

76

And the internet like that is the

internet and it's the purest form.

77

And that's how I remember the internet.

78

From back when, you know, 20 years ago.

79

That doesn't mean that it was a

pure place because I'd say people

80

got away with worse things.

81

but like the surface level net, which is

where most of us hung out all the time,

82

I just remember like that being what we

used it for before, before social media.

83

Right around the Web 2.0

84

era.

85

Would you call what we're in now Web3 0.0?

86

I'm curious.

87

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

It is definitely a step up.

88

I, I think we're in the

third wave of queer.

89

Of queer activism.

90

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Okay.

91

Um, are I did, do we do that?

92

Are there waves of queer activism?

93

I guess there would be.

94

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah.

95

I've never heard it like.

96

I've never seen it written down somewhere.

97

But I mean the first wave would

be like the Stonewall era, that

98

kind of, those kind of movements.

99

And then the AIDS movement

would be the second one.

100

And then the third one

would be where we're at now.

101

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Mm-hmm.

102

Right.

103

Yeah.

104

And I've been thinking just from like

a media, perspective, like studying

105

media, the way people express themselves,

it's kind of changing in, especially

106

in like the context of say like the

Olympics, the way we've been filming

107

and streaming them has changed.

108

I, I think about you actually, um,

whenever I watch the figure skating

109

because of your, misophonia with the sound

of dry ice, like ice scraping because

110

they have a mic to the ice, like the

sound of their, so every time I see it

111

now I'm like, oh God, I bet be hates that.

112

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: I listen to it.

113

I watch it with the volume

down for that reason.

114

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: because

even for me, I'm like, oh, I

115

kind of, I kind of see her point,

116

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: it's terrible.

117

It gives me goosebumps.

118

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: but the,

the way the kids are interacting

119

with media and, and being themselves

a bit more is really refreshing.

120

Especially like, and the, the

women finished up their stuff

121

last night, so have you seen the

results of that and everything?

122

I don't wanna spoil any.

123

Listeners, if you haven't, we're about

to discuss who, who got what medal.

124

So skip 30 seconds ahead

if you haven't seen it yet.

125

But it's so interesting with the

three Americans in particular, of

126

the way they are on camera, like

they're cussing and stuff on camera.

127

And you know, the one who is

like representing her queer

128

identity is very important to her.

129

She keeps bringing that up

in interviews and stuff.

130

And, but this one girl who won

the gold, Alyssa, she retired a

131

champion I think when she was 16

and then like just got bored and

132

decided to become a gold medalist.

133

And I just like, that

is not how this worked.

134

What, what is possible now that

we are, are sort of loosening the

135

reigns a little bit on young people.

136

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: 40 something

year old Olympian, uh, skater?

137

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Hell yeah.

138

There was a 50 something year old, curler.

139

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: I can see that.

140

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

Yeah, I could, I don't know.

141

I mean, I don't know

if my back would do it.

142

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah,

you have to get folded up pretty,

143

pretty tightly there to serve it.

144

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah,

they've got, they've got like,

145

you know, some dump trunk muscles.

146

Probably

147

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

When does feeling frisky?

148

So if you hear her in the background,

she'll sleep and sleep and sleep and

149

then she'll decide she wants to play.

150

And so she'll just start like

throwing a little temper tantrum.

151

But in a cute way, like not angry,

she just barks at you a little bit.

152

She's like, Hey, pay attention to me.

153

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: So

we are not yet in Web3 0.0.

154

Technically it's still, we are in Web 2.0.

155

Interesting.

156

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

Where was the dividing line?

157

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Well, web 1.0

158

is like, people might call

it like the static web.

159

it was very like, uh, not interactive, so

people had email, but like websites when

160

it came to, to surfing there was very

like way less capable infrastructure.

161

this is before like Alta Vista and Yahoo,

and SGS in them kind of had to know the

162

website and they weren't interactive.

163

So Web 2.0

164

was Internet Relay Chat.

165

Mud done dun, like dungeons, multi-user

chat rooms and stuff like that, and

166

comment sections on websites, geo

cities and stuff like it be Web 2.0

167

was kind of like, it became more

democratized, more accessible to

168

people who weren't like whizzes

at HTML and stuff like that.

169

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Like

what a OL opened up for people.

170

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah.

171

Um, yeah, so I ge I wondered like

my, I guess my question was, is there

172

some other type of paradigm shift

that, that we consider to be Web3 0.0?

173

And there is, we just haven't reached

it yet, and I don't know that we

174

will, because now we're, we're kind

of relinquishing control of the

175

internet to techno oligarchs and ai.

176

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: The

AI is getting overwhelming and

177

we are just at the beginning.

178

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Mm-hmm.

179

Yeah.

180

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

I am trying to stave off the

181

crying, so I gotta treat out.

182

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Oh,

183

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

We'll see if that that'll work.

184

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: you

have to give her like gummy treats

185

'cause she don't have no teeth.

186

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: No, I

just break 'em into little pieces

187

and she gums it and swallows it.

188

She could take pretty big bites.

189

She would be surprised.

190

She got Shannon sausage

from Bob Evans today.

191

She loved that I listened to

the weirdest book this week.

192

I don't even know how I came upon it, but

I was going through audio books and for

193

whatever reason I clicked on that one.

194

And it was called Burnt Ends, it was

a murder mystery basically, uh, set

195

around a Kansas City barbecue joint.

196

And so in, in the end, so if readers,

if you don't, our li our listeners,

197

if you don't wanna hear the, the, the

twist at the end of this particular

198

book, skip ahead like you did earlier.

199

So in the end, it turns out to be

her cousin who, his girlfriend.

200

So they're, it's like a, his

girlfriend is a vegan and he's

201

trying to turn her a vegan.

202

It's a whole meat empire, right?

203

And so the, the vegan is, is, is

drugging the cousin with p uh, PCP.

204

And he had a, a, an

obsession with Mickey Mouse.

205

And so she ma he like

turned into evil Mickey.

206

And when he turned into evil Mickey,

207

he killed it.

208

He killed his father by,

by putting a, a tick.

209

One of those lone star ticks that

have the alpha guy allergies.

210

The, the meat allergy that you

get once you get a tick bite.

211

I don't know if you've

heard of that before.

212

And so then he got a meat, 'cause it

was a meat empire and his meat allergy,

213

he died from eating his own meat.

214

And it was the twist.

215

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Jesus.

216

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: And the

whole time the narrator is on Oxycontin

217

the, the, the, the author has clearly

never done any drugs in her life,

218

the way that she described them.

219

Like, she's just kept, she's like,

well, I took three more girl.

220

If you took three Oxycontins,

you'd be so flat on your ass.

221

Right.

222

And in, in the, in, in the, in the

apex of the story the killer is trying

223

to kill our narrator and she injects

her with heroin, and she is, and she's

224

only been on drugs again for a week,

and she says that she's been on so much

225

oxy that her tolerance was up and that

they couldn't kill her because of that,

226

because she's been on 'em for a week.

227

Like it was.

228

It was, I had to finish it once I

started it, but it was a very odd book.

229

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

I can't find it.

230

Oh, there it is.

231

Private investigator, Tori Swenson.

232

Weird.

233

There's a, that show.

234

Oh, the Natasha Leone

one poker face has a,

235

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yes.

236

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

a barbecue episode.

237

That's pretty fun.

238

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

Yeah, I need to watch that.

239

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

Yeah, I love it.

240

There's.

241

I, I was realizing today, like every so

often I think I like come outta whatever

242

funk that we are all in because it's

February and also the World's on fire.

243

And I'll like remember, oh yeah,

I was in the middle of a bunch of

244

different series that I was watching

and didn't finish and so I had that.

245

I remembered that last

night with Welcome to Dairy.

246

I never finished that.

247

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: I

248

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: And

249

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: wheel of time.

250

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

is that a TV show?

251

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Oh yeah,

252

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: I had no idea.

253

They made a Robert Jordan.

254

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: first season.

255

It was beautiful.

256

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Wow.

257

That's Rosamund Pike.

258

Wow.

259

I had no idea.

260

Ooh, Alvaro Morte.

261

That's on Prime.

262

I think I, I always forget that

Prime exists and I just remain

263

if I'm forever out of the loop

on, on whatever they're making.

264

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

That's how I feel about Apple tv.

265

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: I've

watched exactly one thing on

266

Apple TV and it was Ted Lasso,

267

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah.

268

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

which I really liked.

269

And I think that there's, I think there's

actually four seasons now of Ted Lasso,

270

so I never even finished a second season.

271

Men like cis straight men really love

that show, and that is interesting

272

to me because the whole point of that

show is, to make a comedy that isn't.

273

Cruel to anybody necessarily that

explores real human relationships

274

and reactions to things.

275

But also, you know, it, it doesn't, it

isn't like misogynistic or transphobic

276

or, you know, like all of the lazy stuff.

277

It doesn't do that.

278

And it started just kind of as a, as

a joke, I think it was a Super Bowl

279

ad or something a few, several years

ago, based on this idea of a thing that

280

actually did happen, which is like a

dude, uh, this American football coach

281

went to coach of a soccer team in London,

and I think wrote some, some essays

282

about it, but then it got picked up.

283

I highly recommend it.

284

It's so interesting and it's

very much about masculinity.

285

Like what non-toxic masculinity could look

like in what is arguably the most toxic

286

masculine culture in, in British sports.

287

I mean, fucking soccer in, in Britain,

they have literal gangs that travel

288

from city to city with the, the, with

these teams and war with each other.

289

And like they kill each other and stuff.

290

They call 'em firms.

291

it is crazy.

292

Do I, so I put a few things

on the wheel of what have you,

293

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Oh yeah.

294

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: and I'm gonna,

we haven't done that in a while because

295

I just haven't had time to refill it.

296

So

297

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Right.

298

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

I'll give it a spin and see.

299

Okay.

300

I put it, so we landed on

redneck gifts or unhinged gifts,

301

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: The

first thing that popped into my

302

mind, my dad always made fun of

Shanna for being from West Virginia.

303

'cause we were from Ohio and

304

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: right.

305

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

right Christmas.

306

One of the things they bought her one

year was a towel that was half brown,

307

half white, and one side was for your

ass and one side was for your face, and

308

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: What?

309

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

He was an asshole.

310

Sometimes

311

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah.

312

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: When

I went away to grad school,

313

my cousins gave me moonshine.

314

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: that

sounds like kind of normal.

315

I did, yeah.

316

I remember it.

317

You know, some years like it, I don't, I

don't really know the full like economic

318

scope of how, of what determined this,

but there were some years where we

319

would have kind of like restrained small

amounts of gifts or something and then

320

some years they would be like big gifts.

321

Like one year I got a

guitar for Christmas, and.

322

Another year.

323

I remember I think that maybe they

couldn't afford very nice things.

324

And so mom would go for like quantity

over quality and she still does

325

this to this day and it's actually

kind of, it drives us crazy.

326

But, so she just went to the dollar

store and back then, like you could

327

get multiple things for a dollar

and would, she would just come out

328

with a cart full of utter garbage.

329

This was not, these were not good toys.

330

And then individually wrapped them so

that it looked like there was just a

331

mountain of toys under the Christmas tree.

332

And opening those was like every

year, like I'd be tired of opening

333

'em by the time we were done.

334

And I'm like, these aren't any, what

do you want us to do with these?

335

This is a 10 cent.

336

Do you remember like the, um.

337

Water pistols that you filled actually

filled them with water and they leaked

338

real bad and never held the water.

339

It was, it's like 10 of those.

340

Gee, thanks mom.

341

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: yeah.

342

Three squirts and they break.

343

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah.

344

So it was a bunch of shit like that.

345

I'm like, I know this is about you.

346

This is about you feeling bad for

not being able to buy us Nice stuff.

347

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah.

348

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Like all

of my favorite toys and all of like

349

my favorite thing things that people

gave me was secondhand weird stuff.

350

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: I can

remember some of my favorites,

351

like they got me a Phantom of the

Opera, a CD set, and it came with

352

a really cool book and everything.

353

I listened to the hell out of that.

354

The C,

355

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah.

356

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

what was it with the Phantom

357

of the Opera in the nineties.

358

Everybody was obsessed with it.

359

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Everybody

was obsessed with Andrew Lloyd Weber.

360

Like

361

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah.

362

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

just, he could do no wrong.

363

I did, I used to sing a

phantom piece for competition.

364

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Oh yeah.

365

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah.

366

I used to do Wishing you

were somehow here again,

367

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: That's awesome.

368

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: because

it, I was a soprano one and it

369

has a g in it and I could hit it.

370

So, and I always knew I

would win if I did that song.

371

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

So that's awesome.

372

I've never been able to sing, but I

was in show choir, so there's that.

373

I just didn't sing loud.

374

I,

375

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

I think, I'm pretty sure.

376

Yeah.

377

My, my Geo was actually a

gift from my dad, the metro.

378

And it was, it was garbage.

379

As soon as like when he, by the time

he was done with it, it was trash.

380

And that's, so, I don't know.

381

What would you say, like, your

favorite gift you ever got?

382

Was

383

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Oh, wow.

384

Probably my car, the, the

Malibu that my dad bought me.

385

It meant a lot and it was,

it only had 800 miles on it.

386

When he gave it to me, he bought

it, totaled that he rebuilt it.

387

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: yeah.

388

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: old man had

pulled out the traffic basically five

389

minutes after buying it and crashed it.

390

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

Oh, that's heartbreaking.

391

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah.

392

But it was mine after that and I drove

it till it had 200,000 miles on it.

393

So I got my money's worth outta that one.

394

He was just so proud of it.

395

He gave it to me.

396

'cause when I, when I graduated

with my associate's degree, I was

397

asked to speak at the graduation,

398

It was wild.

399

And he was so proud and

that, that was my gift.

400

He told me that as long as I was in

school, he would keep me in a car

401

and he never knew I was gonna

make a profession out of it.

402

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

you found a loophole.

403

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: The

last time I saw him, he was

404

helping me get my car fixed.

405

I went home.

406

I, I drove down to Scio

County to uh, to his mechanic.

407

He had a friend that was a really good

mechanic and he would work real cheap,

408

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Oh.

409

I remember one year for Christmas,

my uncle Steve, who we, it's,

410

this is my dad's brother.

411

We just never really

have known him very well.

412

He's very separate to, to like you.

413

I don't think you can do,

there's no moderation with a

414

relationship with my grandmother.

415

She's like controlling and so he just

kind of milked out and I don't blame him.

416

And to my knowledge, he doesn't have kids.

417

He's not married, don't know

anything about the dude, but

418

he's always very sweet to us.

419

And we, we saw him literally twice

a year at Thanksgiving and Christmas

420

and one year, I don't know why.

421

He randomly bought all three of us,

a pair of snake skin, cowboy boots.

422

Real snake skin to growing children

423

like these are great for the

six months I fit into them.

424

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: That is wild.

425

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

It was so weird.

426

He, he had, he was just

a, he is a strange dude.

427

He is still alive, but ha I just

don't see him, um, that much.

428

But, I think he very much

just like still left.

429

He lived his life however

he fucking felt like it.

430

And um, he went into truck driving and

so he always had disposable income.

431

I remember one year he, uh,

had some sort of video game.

432

This was, it could have been an

Atari or something like that, but I

433

think it was, um, like proprietary,

like this system only did this one

434

thing and it was a flight simulator

that you hooked up to your tv.

435

And, uh, grandmother Papa had a big

TV down in the basement and so he

436

brought that I remember to whatever

holiday it was and plugged it up and

437

we just flew planes for the whole

time down there in the basement.

438

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: that's

439

fun.

440

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: was so cool.

441

Like, I, and I wish I was old enough

to remember it more clearly, but,

442

'cause we were pretty little and so

it was, I just remember, this is a

443

very magical experience in my memory,

even though it was probably fairly

444

normal, but this would've been,

you know, the, the late eighties.

445

So whatever it was, was probably

very expensive and ahead of its time.

446

But then now thinking back on it, it's

like he had that because he wanted

447

to play it because it wasn't a gift.

448

He just brought it so

we could play with it.

449

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

That's like, that's fun though.

450

I didn't have any cool uncles like that.

451

Glenn would beat your ass and

everybody thought it was hilarious.

452

Like, if it was your birthday, he would

get you down and instead of tickling

453

you, he would like, like hurt you.

454

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: yeah.

455

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: I hated it.

456

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: yeah.

457

The, the birthday whippings,

what even was that?

458

I, so, and listeners, do you, did your,

where you grew up, did people do this?

459

Especially if you're not, I assume if

you grew up in Appalachia and you're

460

anywhere near our age, you're familiar

with the birthday whippings, but like,

461

is this something in other places?

462

I, you just like, you just

resurfaced memories for me of that.

463

What the fuck?

464

Why would you do that?

465

Oh, it's your birthday.

466

Come here, let me beat you.

467

And one to grow on.

468

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: yeah,

469

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: I don't

remember that happening to me very often.

470

I, it wasn't something

that my parents did.

471

Um, but there was always a

fucking uncle or papa or somebody

472

that, that was ready to do it.

473

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: yeah.

474

That was my Uncle Glen.

475

He didn't have any kids of his

own, so he spoiled all the nieces

476

and nephews and he liked to play

with us, but man, was he rough?

477

Shoo.

478

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: That's no fun.

479

I think some, because I, I've,

I've had the, those like older

480

men in, in our lives too.

481

And even if it's nothing pervy

or something, it's still like,

482

you just like hurting us.

483

You like hurting children.

484

You know?

485

This hurts.

486

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: yeah,

487

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: The, the

tickling that's actually just like

488

fucking punching me or slapping me.

489

Like, you can't convince me you think

that this is actually how tickling works.

490

And matter of fact, stop tickling me.

491

'cause that's not pleasant either.

492

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: yeah.

493

You don't have the words

for that when you're little.

494

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: No, man.

495

The, the differences between how

we were raised and how, I think

496

probably a large number of gen alpha

is being raised is, is so wild to me.

497

Like the, the language that they're

being given to talk about themselves and

498

their autonomy and their needs and wants.

499

It's so cool.

500

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: I am a faculty

sponsor of a kids, uh, not, she's not

501

a kid of a student's honors project

for this semester, and she is creating.

502

A pamphlet that is basically

sex ed for kindergartners.

503

Talking about autonomy and agency and

consent and understanding your body parts.

504

Like nobody is saying, here's

a vagina, here's a penis, put

505

them together and make a baby.

506

Right?

507

That's not what you teach kindergartners,

but you do tell them about their bodies

508

because say Papa is touching their

cookie and they tell you that and you

509

don't know by what they mean by cookie.

510

You know, there's just so much power

and, and knowledge and information

511

for kids, and so that's the project

that we are doing right now.

512

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: There's a,

a, a friend of mine who works here wrote

513

a book, the Birds, the Bees, and the

elephant in the room talking to your kids

514

about sex and other sensitive topics.

515

Um, just came out, I think last

year, the year before that is, you

516

know, fairly, fairly revolutionary.

517

Her bio is so funny, known as Suge to

her nearly 1 million TikTok followers.

518

I can, I'll send you the

link to that for your student

519

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: do.

520

Thank you.

521

I appreciate it.

522

I've got one dog wedged behind me, between

me and the back of the couch, I've got

523

one sitting here crying for no reason.

524

Oh, I miss having a cat so much.

525

I need to play with a cat.

526

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

I will send you this one.

527

You could volunteer at the shelter,

528

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Oh, no.

529

I could not.

530

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: you'd

come home with one in each pocket

531

. beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

I, yeah, for real.

532

I come home with like five of 'em.

533

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: It's tough.

534

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: I got

my first cat at the shelter and

535

it was so hard 'cause I wanted

to bring home the whole litter.

536

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: I

was thinking about my first cat

537

I think it was this morning.

538

How did you, well, how old

were you when you got yours?

539

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Oh, well,

um, we had a cat growing up, but I

540

wasn't in charge of it or anything.

541

And his name was Pedro, the Devil Cat.

542

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah.

543

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: but

on my own I was, it was after I

544

dropped outta college the first

time, so I had to have been 20 ish.

545

And I was with my first girlfriend

and we went and we had our apartment

546

together and we went and got a cat.

547

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: I

remember being obsessed with cats

548

for as long as I, as long as I have

been able to like think on my own.

549

I've been obsessed with cats and I

begged and begged and you know, mom

550

had very good reasons for saying no.

551

We lived in a pretty small trailer

in a trailer park there was five of

552

us in this little trailer, and it

was like a, literally one of those

553

trailer parks where the o every

other trailer was 10 feet away.

554

So there was no yard.

555

It was right on in the

middle of a bunch of streets.

556

And then, you know, she was like,

who's gonna take care of it?

557

You know, it's gonna need care.

558

And I begged and begged and begged.

559

He's trying to lay on the

microphone, gimme that.

560

And then one day, I guess I think I

was pro, I think I was about eight, I

561

guess they decided to let me try it out.

562

And we went.

563

Uh, around to various vet offices.

564

' cause there wasn't, um, like

shelters or anything in Jellico.

565

And so we just drove around to

vet's offices and I remember

566

being like, do you have any cats?

567

And we went to Corbin and there

was a vet's office there and we

568

went in and maybe mom had called

him or something, I don't know.

569

But I just remember we went

in and I was like, do you have

570

any cats that need a home?

571

And they handed across the counter and I

was like, barely tall enough, or not even.

572

I remember having to look up at

the counter and they like reached

573

this cat over top of it to me.

574

And it was a, it was a kitten, but like

up to the larger, you know, the stage

575

where it plays a lot and it's very fluffy,

solid black, like bright green eyes.

576

I, I just.

577

This memory is seared into my brain

of watching this beautiful cat just

578

sort of float down to me over the,

the counter of this vet's office.

579

And she stayed with us for a while.

580

We didn't know that you're

supposed to get 'em spayed.

581

And she got kind of bored and she

wanted to go out and get pregnant.

582

And so we just didn't really understand

her behavior needs at the time.

583

So she went to live at Papa's house

at Granny and Papa's house up on the,

584

like they lived up in Woodbine, holler,

and had, it was like quite a ways away

585

from a road that had traffic on it.

586

So she had a pretty good life after that.

587

And we, I, we didn't have cats

again until we moved up to the

588

mountainside that we lived on, and

then we had like 30 of them at a time.

589

We kept a colony of cats.

590

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Wow.

591

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: There

was so much vermin on the side of

592

the mountain, that he's like playing

with the mouse, with the track pad.

593

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: I heard ago.

594

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

Yeah, he's right up on this.

595

But you know, there was, there was

all of the regular wildlife on the

596

mountainside, but then there was all

of the snakes and the, the pests and

597

stuff wanted to come down to the house.

598

I remember, well there was this one

cat, this mother cat, she must have

599

had five or six litters that were,

it was like, they were carbon copies,

600

the exact same number every time.

601

All of them had the same

patterns as the previous one.

602

We named them the same thing every time.

603

She would have them.

604

We named 'em after ice cream.

605

Well, we named them Cream and Sherbert.

606

But like, so she, she was responsible

for a large part of the population.

607

But they, there was so much

for them to eat up there.

608

We just kept them and they would fight

with, um, with the possums and things.

609

So the possums would get

the babies sometimes.

610

So there was kind of a, a control on

it that didn't get too outta control.

611

But we had quite a few there for a time.

612

But if we didn't have 'em, I'd

hate to think how many mice

613

we would have in the house.

614

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

Yeah, we couldn't have cats

615

up on the hill and the holler.

616

'Cause my dad always kept dogs and it

was their job to keep the hill clear of,

617

of all the vermin and stuff like that.

618

So, had there been a cat, it

would've been made at lunch

619

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Right.

620

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: order.

621

We did have have a lot of

wild bunny rabbits though.

622

I can only imagine how many

bunny rabbits that baby ate.

623

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: I guess

they could get it or they would

624

just the way that they proliferate.

625

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah, I

only saw snakes up there a couple

626

of times, but the last time I saw

it, I swore I would never, I was

627

so glad I was selling that place.

628

There was you had to come up the driveway

and then make a left at the top of the

629

driveway and drive out a little ways.

630

And then park in the, in the little

parking lot area in front of my mom's.

631

And there was a hill there that

w up beside the uh, uh, driveway.

632

And I was driving through there one

day and a snake shot out from this

633

little hillside across the driveway

and went down towards the creek

634

and like it shot out like a gun.

635

It was like, it was like wild.

636

That's where I would never

walk down that driveway again.

637

Hell no.

638

I do not like snakes.

639

One

640

time, I might have told this

story before, but my dad used

641

to keep the grass really short.

642

They had a pull out back and

a wraparound porch and stuff.

643

And I was, uh, walking around the,

the side of the trailer one day and

644

I looked down and there was like a

garter snake or something very small.

645

It wasn't a big snake.

646

And I didn't even freak out, but I,

I mean, I came in and told my dad

647

there was a snake and he came out with

his gun and he shot it three times.

648

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Did he hit it?

649

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah,

650

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Wow.

651

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

he got up close to it.

652

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Oh no.

653

Like point blank.

654

That is so much more metal

than what I was picturing.

655

Damn.

656

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

He made short work of that.

657

Woo.

658

He said one time he

was down in his garage.

659

'cause the garage was between, uh, it was

down down the hill at the bottom of the

660

driveway and there's a creek down there.

661

And so there were, of course there

were snakes and stuff like that.

662

Right.

663

And he said one time he had one that

was about as big around as his arm.

664

He said, climb up the,

the wall of his garage.

665

I would, I wouldn't

step foot back in there.

666

I wouldn't do it.

667

Hell no.

668

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: I saw a woman

on TikTok who I did not explore further.

669

It just came across my FYP, but

like she's, her stated goal was to

670

demystify and destigmatize brown.

671

Recuses recluse.

672

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Ah.

673

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah.

674

And so like, she just starts out the

video and she's got some sort of stick in

675

her hand and garage behind her is open.

676

She goes, well, uh, it's been warm lately,

so I'm gonna go in here and see if any

677

of my, if my brown recluse have melted.

678

And I was like, well.

679

I'm gonna stick with you, but I don't

know why like later when I regret this

680

I could ask myself why I did this.

681

and she did.

682

She knew a lot about 'em.

683

She went in there and she's like, so

yeah, these, they've been molting.

684

So there's a really big one

running around here somewhere.

685

'cause these are all the times.

686

It's molted.

687

here's how you, can tell if you have an

F infestation because they do infest.

688

And I have had a brown recluse

infestation before for years there.

689

It followed me to along two

moves because one, you know, an

690

infestation of anything does and.

691

People will call you a liar.

692

They'll call you stu.

693

Like say you don't know

what you're talking about.

694

Like, oh, you're just freaking out.

695

You think every, every brown

spider you see is a recluse?

696

No, I, you don't know where I'm from.

697

'cause this was the Midwest.

698

And they're like, oh,

you're just in Carbondale.

699

They're like, oh, you're just a city kid.

700

I'm fucking from Appalachia.

701

I have slipped with

every critter there is.

702

I know what a brown recluse looks like.

703

And so I had to catch one and take it

to the the apartment that got infested.

704

Um, I had to, to catch one and

take it to 'em so they could

705

then call the exterminator.

706

And they were like, yeah,

that's brown recluse.

707

How, where'd you get this one?

708

I was like, I caught it.

709

It's, it was like in its little

hammock next to my sink, just

710

chilling there, just fucking chilling.

711

And he was like, wow.

712

That's, they don't usually

get that ballsy, right?

713

Like, they don't like, so like

the sign of an infestation is

714

that they get kind of brave.

715

And I was like, yeah.

716

And they're everywhere.

717

Like they're in my dishes and stuff it's

a miracle that I, I haven't seen one in a

718

really long time 'cause I just kind of got

used to living with 'em, but still, like,

719

she was like cultivating this infestation.

720

I to think there's something

wrong with this lady.

721

And that's why I, I was like, I'm

not gonna investigate further and

722

figure out what's wrong with you

here because this ain't right.

723

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Right.

724

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: do this.

725

This is, first of all, you clearly have

neighbors and you're over here feeding

726

and infestation, collecting the molts

going, oh, look how big this one's got.

727

No, we don't do that.

728

I mean, they're not as dangerous as.

729

As a lot of us may feel like they are,

or have, have been made to feel like they

730

are based on some really extreme examples

of things that have happened to people.

731

But still an infestation of anything

when you live in a community

732

with other people is a bad idea.

733

And if the, if it, if they

bite a baby that is dangerous

734

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah,

735

my spider story was the, the week of

high school graduation in my sleep.

736

Something bit me right in the

737

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Oh yeah.

738

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: And I had,

it was about the size of a nickel.

739

I had a scab right in the middle of

my, like right here on the corner

740

of my eyebrow, on my forehead.

741

And I assume it was a spider.

742

I've always, it's, I don't

know what else would've made a,

743

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah.

744

It probably was

745

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Because I

lived out in the middle of nowhere.

746

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: the

fucking bugs in South Carolina were.

747

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

It's why I won't move south.

748

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

Oh man, they were wild.

749

And where we lived,

there wasn't any grass.

750

It was sand.

751

And so it was scorpions and, um,

centipedes, gigantic centipedes.

752

And yes, I was a child, so

everything seemed gigantic to me.

753

Like the spiders that were, you know,

like on the wall in our bedrooms,

754

they, they seem gigantic to me.

755

But my mom has this story about

a time that she tangled with

756

a centipede in the kitchen.

757

And the trailer we lived in was one of

those like Airstream style bubble ones.

758

You know, it was like metal

on the outside, pretty small.

759

And so the kitchen, there wasn't

a lot of room for her to maneuver.

760

And she said she was in there

fixing cornbread or something, and.

761

Heard it.

762

Heard it like skittering 'cause they're

so big and they have those like hard shell

763

carists that when they get large enough

on the linoleum you can hear them like,

764

and so she said she tried multiple

ways to kill this fucking thing.

765

First she stomped on it, that didn't

do it, and then she decided she

766

didn't wanna be near it anymore.

767

She didn't wanna get close

enough to stomp on it.

768

So then she went and got the

dictionary, the heaviest book she

769

could find, and clumped it down on it.

770

Pulled it up and there it went.

771

Skittering again.

772

She said finally she just stuck

a, she put a pot on it upside

773

down, you know, on top of it.

774

Put the dictionary on top of that

and just waited for dad to get home.

775

I don't remember this at all.

776

I probably, I don't know, I was probably,

we lived there when we were very

777

little up until I was five, I think.

778

Yeah, five.

779

So that was probably when we were

still babies, but he was in the

780

army, so she was there alone with

us all day and she said the fucking

781

monsters that would come in there.

782

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: One

time mom, I was at mom's house and,

783

uh, I had a cell phone plugged in.

784

And the cord, it was, uh, one of

the big box, the box kind that

785

you plug in with the three prongs.

786

It was like old school

787

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Oh yeah,

788

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: it had a really

long cord on it, so it was hanging down by

789

the floor and I didn't pay any attention.

790

And my dad had put out a glue trap

for a mouse, and I didn't notice

791

that there was a mouse in it.

792

then my cord got stuck in it.

793

And so I went to yank it and I ripped

it and up came this mouse, trap mouse

794

and all, it like wiggled on the thing.

795

And my mom screamed like a

little girl, like so loud.

796

It was ear piercing.

797

It was freaking hilarious.

798

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: the.

799

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: I

still feel bad for that mouse.

800

I, I don't, I don't

advocate for glue traps.

801

I think they're inhumane.

802

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: are

pretty, they're pretty diabolical.

803

Uh, I mean, you know, it, it, it can

be really unsanitary and unhealthy

804

to live with vermin, but there are

perhaps less efficient, but also less

805

diabolical ways to deal with them.

806

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah.

807

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: But they

never did freak me out though, like

808

mice and voles and all that stuff,

like the little, the four-legged

809

things, that's fine with me.

810

I mean, I'd still try to get 'em

out, but I, I never and I had 'em

811

all over when, at the place I lived

down in Kentucky before I moved here.

812

I never did shit about them.

813

It's just kind of, uh, I mean, the

cats would catch 'em and stuff.

814

Ziggy would catch 'em, especially.

815

She, she was very efficient killer.

816

And so after a while they just

didn't try to come in the house.

817

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Nice.

818

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: I.

819

If I tell you what though, these boy Kats

are useless at killing, catching vermin.

820

They just watch her handle it.

821

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

Like the queen that she was

822

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah.

823

Right.

824

I saw a video, I, have you ever seen

the videos of people like when snakes or

825

frogs or something come up their toilet?

826

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

oh, let's not talk about that.

827

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Okay.

828

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Since

porkies, I've had a fear of, a

829

snake coming up through the toilet.

830

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah.

831

Well, it ain't gonna

happen where you live.

832

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: movie?

833

Porkies?

834

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: yeah.

835

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah,

836

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Plenty

of traumatic shit from that movie.

837

And not just that

838

somebody.

839

On YouTube, I think it was our

friend Techno Poptart said that

840

something about, what was the

name of the Na Don Knots movie?

841

You were talking about the ghost and,

842

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: and Mr.

843

Chicken.

844

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: yeah, they

said that they hadn't, uh, thought

845

about that movie for a long time.

846

Never heard of it.

847

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

It is a pretty good one.

848

I liked it.

849

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

Maybe it's in the public domain.

850

Lemme check.

851

Oh, it's not in the public domain.

852

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

Well, that's too

853

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Wow.

854

How did they get a copyright this long?

855

A hundred years.

856

Dang.

857

Universal.

858

Got some tricks.

859

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: I am gonna

give when her CBD drops early tonight.

860

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Poor baby.

861

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah.

862

She started getting days and nights mixed

up a little bit and she'll sleep all

863

day and then wanna be up half the night,

864

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Oh yeah.

865

That is not

866

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: does not

867

work for me

868

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: right.

869

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: because

she'll get to where she doesn't

870

wanna be in bed, and then she wants

to be in the living room and it's

871

like, girl, I gotta be in bed.

872

I gotta work tomorrow.

873

You know?

874

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: I actually

stayed up past 8:00 PM last night,

875

but it's probably because I took

a three hour nap in the middle of

876

the day after my physical therapy.

877

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

till like two in the morning.

878

She worked the overnight and once she

gets her tasks done, she doesn't have much

879

to do besides check on people, you know?

880

So I kept her company as long as I could.

881

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: I used

to work third shift in the dorms.

882

When I was an undergrad, I worked for

housing and I was the overnight person

883

twice a week, in two different dorms.

884

It was, I, I am not

sure how to describe it.

885

It kind of, you kind of go a little

crazy on a third shift in general,

886

like every time, no matter, probably no

matter what, but the way, like that time

887

between when it's reasonable for people

to be out and doing things and when it's

888

reasonable for people to be getting back

up and stuff, it's a very weird time.

889

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah.

890

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: And one of

the buildings it was called Walters

891

Hall, it was on e K's campus that has

892

And so they, it kind of

looks like a ski lodge.

893

And so people started calling it the

bunny lodge and around three, 4:00 AM

894

it felt like a fucking horror movie.

895

It felt like Jason was gonna come out.

896

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: That's how

Shannon, there's the, the house that she

897

works in has big windows all around it.

898

And so when you look out and there's

nothing but like cornfields around

899

it, so she gets really creeped

out and that's one of the, there

900

she's getting off night shift.

901

She has four shifts left, and

then she goes back to days.

902

So she, she can't handle it.

903

It's hard for her.

904

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: It?

905

No, it wore me out.

906

I mean, it made me, it like wore me down

so bad that I got shingles in my ear

907

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

Oh, bless your heart and your

908

ear.

909

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526:

it swelled up so big.

910

It was like my hand, the size of

my hand and I couldn't lay down.

911

It was crazy, but, 'cause I had to,

when I would get off work, I would

912

have to go to class and stuff, and

I had roommates that partied all the

913

time, so I just didn't get any sleep.

914

And you're not allowed to sleep

on third shift in the dorms.

915

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: That's how

it is with Shannon's job in her home,

916

you can't sleep 'cause she's got six

residents in that building and they have

917

different needs throughout the night.

918

So

919

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah, well,

back in the day, like we just did not

920

have very good, there wasn't surveillance

like the, the only way to know if

921

everything was okay was for somebody

to be awake and have their eyes on it.

922

This episode features a lot of wind.

923

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah, she,

she can be a lot sometimes when she's

924

not getting her way and she would

like me to be petting on her more so.

925

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Yeah.

926

Well, maybe it's a good time to

hear from this week's sponsor.

927

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

Okay, let's do it.

928

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: this week's

sponsor is kind of a sponsor of the

929

Wrestling Alliance, gravel grapple.

930

it's Saturday night.

931

The moon is high.

932

The mason jars are getting kinda low.

933

This episode is brought to you by the

gravel grapple All-Terrain Wrestling Mat.

934

We may not need fancy Olympic Gym

with fluorescent lights and men in

935

singlets that cost more than a used

mower, but we do need a surface that

936

can handle a power bomb and a spilled

light beer without losing aura points.

937

The Grapple Gravel is the world's first

industrial grade reversible wrestling mat.

938

Designed specifically for the backyard,

the barn floor, and the special

939

occasion rug in the parlor, made

from free range recycled a TV tire.

940

It's tougher than a hog's hide

and smells like a burnout.

941

I know why you're thinking.

942

Why do we need a mat for our

make-believe Backyard Wrestling Alliance?

943

Well, I'll tell you why it's

better than a patch of grass.

944

It has impact absorbing foam

developed by engineers who clearly

945

spent too much time in mosh pits.

946

It's soft enough to save your tailbone,

but firm enough to give you the

947

leverage you need for a proper plex.

948

It has the hickory tough

coating, puncture resistant.

949

Go ahead.

950

Wear your work boots.

951

it can handle a rogue spur, a drop

cigarette, or the sheer weight of

952

your inherited emotional baggage.

953

Easy clean technology.

954

We call it the morning after finish,

whether it's sweat, glitter, or secret

955

sauce from a late night drive through,

run it hones right off with a garden hose.

956

It's 10 by 10 feet of pure,

unadulterated find out territory.

957

So stop running your grandmother's

quilts and if you're trying to

958

recreate 1980s classic A CW.

959

Hell in a cell.

960

SmackDown do it on a

professional surface act now.

961

Use code chair shot.

962

We'll send you the mat.

963

A roll of heavy duty athletic tape and

a commemorative rough trade trophy.

964

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

Oh, that's fine.

965

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: We used

to actually like take the furniture

966

apart, get the cushions out and

put them out so that we could

967

like do suplexes and cannonball

and like fly into them and stuff.

968

I nearly, one of the many times I

almost killed David and might have

969

actually been trying to hurt him for

real a little bit, was that I Convinced

970

him to do this wrestling move and

pulled the couch cushions off and

971

laid 'em on and was like, yeah, yeah.

972

This will be plenty of padding.

973

And I just like ha heaved off of

the chair and like elbow right down

974

into his spine and I could feel it.

975

Yeah.

976

It's the only reason that we didn't all

break every bone in our body multiple

977

times is because we're fucking mutants.

978

Because we tried so hard

every so many times.

979

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: My brother

would do that shit in the pool.

980

He would try to kill me in

that pool, I swear to God.

981

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: yeah.

982

If, if we'd had a pool,

one of us had been dead.

983

Do you remember there was something

that happened that, that used to happen?

984

Like every time I would fall

or something like getting.

985

Getting the breath knocked out of you

and you know that feeling like of your

986

lungs, they get like squeezed shut

and they won't open back up again.

987

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526: Yeah.

988

dash_28_02-20-2026_170526: Why does

nobody prepare you for that fe?

989

Why doesn't anybody warn you like,

Hey, sometimes one, one of these days

990

you're gonna fall really hard and

your lungs are gonna stop working.

991

And you're gonna think

you're dying, but you're not.

992

Because I really thought I

was about to meet my maker the

993

first time that happened to me.

994

And you're always alone doing

something away from, you know, where

995

an a parent figure can see you.

996

So if I had known that was normal.

997

beck_29_02-20-2026_180526:

Yeah, I fell a lot.

998

I am not a graceful person in any measure.

999

That's why I was a catcher

when I played softball.

00:45:04,336 --> 00:45:05,326

You didn't have to be graceful.

00:45:05,326 --> 00:45:08,356

You just had to be like

stout, like sturdy.

00:45:08,756 --> 00:45:10,436

Try and knock my ass over

00:45:10,836 --> 00:45:15,041

really, I didn't play softball very much.

00:45:15,196 --> 00:45:21,231

I, I like did maybe a season or

two of conditioning and practice

00:45:21,231 --> 00:45:22,851

and I didn't hardly play.

00:45:23,251 --> 00:45:25,471

I just, I thought it was too on the nose.

00:45:25,531 --> 00:45:28,441

I was like, it's not gay for

all these other people to do

00:45:28,441 --> 00:45:29,911

it, but if I do it, it's gay.

00:45:29,911 --> 00:45:33,211

And I didn't, I was still,

I just really was trying to

00:45:33,211 --> 00:45:34,831

hold on to nobody finding out.

00:45:35,231 --> 00:45:37,091

even out to myself in high school.

00:45:37,091 --> 00:45:40,601

Like I, I knew that I

had a crush on a girl.

00:45:40,601 --> 00:45:44,231

You know, I, I knew that, but I

was still straight in my head.

00:45:44,231 --> 00:45:44,531

Like, I

00:45:44,561 --> 00:45:44,831

00:45:44,891 --> 00:45:45,821

myself go there.

00:45:46,151 --> 00:45:48,851

I didn't come out to myself until

the summer after high school.

00:45:49,251 --> 00:45:54,179

I knew something was off and I knew that I

00:45:54,179 --> 00:45:57,819

should try to fix it, but for some reason,

none of the other sports were gased.

00:45:57,879 --> 00:45:58,749

It was just softball.

00:45:59,199 --> 00:46:04,689

I could play, I could play all the other

sports and not have to feel that way.

00:46:05,089 --> 00:46:08,184

Even though basketball did kind

of, basketball was raised issues

00:46:08,184 --> 00:46:10,674

for me because it was so intimate.

00:46:11,154 --> 00:46:16,474

It was intimate in a way that softball

was not like all that contact and

00:46:16,564 --> 00:46:22,874

the way the girls are in the locker

room, like it, it's, it's great.

00:46:22,874 --> 00:46:27,144

I'm so glad that people have spaces

like that and that, you know, I think

00:46:27,144 --> 00:46:30,054

that's what they're afraid of losing

when they think about trans women

00:46:30,054 --> 00:46:32,814

coming into like sports and things.

00:46:33,214 --> 00:46:38,464

Having experienced those spaces, I can

understand what they're afraid of losing,

00:46:38,664 --> 00:46:40,104

even though that's not how that works.

00:46:40,504 --> 00:46:44,494

But yeah, I didn't want to, I didn't

do basketball for more than just

00:46:44,494 --> 00:46:47,164

a couple seasons past Junior Pro.

00:46:47,224 --> 00:46:51,674

I played, I played every year in

elementary and middle school, and

00:46:51,674 --> 00:46:56,104

then in high school it started

to the intimacy and just like my

00:46:56,104 --> 00:47:00,004

attraction to a couple of the girls,

I was just like, no, I'm gonna quit.

00:47:00,404 --> 00:47:02,444

I'm, I was so scared of being exposed.

00:47:02,844 --> 00:47:05,184

played a full game of basketball in my

00:47:05,184 --> 00:47:09,784

life, so I don't know how, I didn't get

exposed to that, but I never, guess we

00:47:09,784 --> 00:47:11,644

just didn't play it in gym or whatever.

00:47:11,984 --> 00:47:12,974

We played volleyball.

00:47:13,394 --> 00:47:17,564

I was pretty good at serving, but I just,

I never got introduced to basketball,

00:47:17,564 --> 00:47:19,154

so who knows how I would've played.

00:47:19,554 --> 00:47:21,174

didn't play it in gym either.

00:47:21,174 --> 00:47:22,104

That I remember.

00:47:22,104 --> 00:47:23,544

We did play volleyball though.

00:47:23,664 --> 00:47:26,634

Like you, if you wanted to play

basketball, you had to either join the

00:47:26,634 --> 00:47:31,354

league, the team, or one of the intramural

leagues, um, or play after school.

00:47:31,754 --> 00:47:33,374

And I was not very good at it.

00:47:33,464 --> 00:47:35,324

I'm still not very good at it, so

00:47:35,524 --> 00:47:35,974

00:47:36,184 --> 00:47:37,804

for me to really stick it out.

00:47:37,804 --> 00:47:39,094

I wasn't getting much out of it,

00:47:39,416 --> 00:47:42,326

My favorite thing was academic team.

00:47:42,416 --> 00:47:44,291

I loved competition.

00:47:44,338 --> 00:47:45,278

We called it quiz bowl.

00:47:45,693 --> 00:47:45,933

00:47:45,933 --> 00:47:49,963

One of the, there was a TV

show that we did in Louisville.

00:47:49,963 --> 00:47:50,863

I don't remember the name of it.

00:47:50,863 --> 00:47:52,033

It called it something else.

00:47:52,033 --> 00:47:52,903

Kind of like that.

00:47:53,303 --> 00:47:55,753

But, um, but you like, you know.

00:47:56,253 --> 00:47:57,543

It's probably the same.

00:47:57,543 --> 00:48:02,113

You play against other schools and you

go to, you know, tournaments and stuff.

00:48:02,785 --> 00:48:04,029

I did mock trial too.

00:48:04,029 --> 00:48:05,469

Did you guys have mock trial?

00:48:05,634 --> 00:48:06,144

00:48:06,544 --> 00:48:11,634

There was one where they did

a, um, a fake car accident for

00:48:11,634 --> 00:48:14,334

a DUI thing, some dare thing.

00:48:14,734 --> 00:48:16,984

Uh, and it was pretty horrifying.

00:48:17,184 --> 00:48:21,231

Like they turned cars over in the street

right outside the high school and there

00:48:21,231 --> 00:48:25,221

were kids like laying there with blood

coming outta their mouth and stuff.

00:48:25,626 --> 00:48:26,131

00:48:26,416 --> 00:48:29,001

it was, they, there was a couple

00:48:29,001 --> 00:48:31,431

of times when they really went

for that scared straight thing.

00:48:31,831 --> 00:48:33,511

do that at my high school, but my high

00:48:33,511 --> 00:48:37,946

school was across the street from a, a

high security, maximum security prison.

00:48:38,346 --> 00:48:38,566

So,

00:48:39,046 --> 00:48:41,236

figured they already had that covered.

00:48:41,636 --> 00:48:44,156

I remember going to an

assembly at Jellico.

00:48:44,980 --> 00:48:49,510

Sitting up in the bleachers and they

wheeled in a tv, you know, like this,

00:48:49,570 --> 00:48:54,170

that, you know, the, the TV on a cart, the

standard that, you know, that's so small,

00:48:54,170 --> 00:48:55,940

none of us could see it, but we were.

00:48:56,030 --> 00:49:00,350

But it was a, a dare movie

about the evils of smoking

00:49:00,350 --> 00:49:02,660

marijuanas marijuana, cigarettes.

00:49:03,060 --> 00:49:06,260

And I just remember, yeah, I remember.

00:49:06,470 --> 00:49:08,520

I was like, I think it's too late.

00:49:08,585 --> 00:49:08,965

You guys,

00:49:11,190 --> 00:49:13,446

everybody in here is high right now.

00:49:15,255 --> 00:49:17,175

You should have started a lot younger.

00:49:17,575 --> 00:49:23,820

And they would bring their souped

up like V 12, like um, sheriff's

00:49:23,820 --> 00:49:26,700

cars that they bought with drug

money is what they would say.

00:49:27,100 --> 00:49:31,330

And, um, show off, show the kids

like how cool their cars were and

00:49:31,360 --> 00:49:32,950

how you can't get away from this.

00:49:32,950 --> 00:49:33,670

We're gonna catch you.

00:49:34,070 --> 00:49:35,810

It's like nobody thinks you're cool, man.

00:49:36,210 --> 00:49:36,810

00:49:36,810 --> 00:49:38,310

are thinking about stealing your car.

00:49:39,271 --> 00:49:41,821

I was working as a wedding photographer

00:49:42,241 --> 00:49:43,741

I got a real interesting couple.

00:49:43,741 --> 00:49:46,351

They were a lot of fun to work

with, and they had their wedding

00:49:46,351 --> 00:49:47,821

out in the middle of this field.

00:49:48,251 --> 00:49:51,731

They set up chairs and everything and a

little archway and all that kind of stuff.

00:49:52,151 --> 00:49:56,021

And the girl came in via

carriage, a horse drawn carriage.

00:49:56,231 --> 00:50:00,101

But before that happened, you, everybody

was sitting there, it was time for

00:50:00,101 --> 00:50:03,281

it to start, and all of a sudden

you heard a siren in the background.

00:50:03,641 --> 00:50:07,181

And then you saw like the, all the

groomsmen were on four wheelers.

00:50:07,181 --> 00:50:11,201

And they came like roaring over the

hill as fast as they could come.

00:50:11,261 --> 00:50:14,586

And one of their buddies was a,

a, a state highway patrolman.

00:50:14,856 --> 00:50:17,286

And he was running just as hard

as he could behind him, lights and

00:50:17,286 --> 00:50:19,056

sirens, chasing him to the thing.

00:50:19,476 --> 00:50:21,816

And they came up and like

they got off the, the four

00:50:21,816 --> 00:50:23,136

wheelers and stood at the altar.

00:50:23,404 --> 00:50:24,294

it was really funny.

00:50:24,494 --> 00:50:25,874

yeah, that is redneck.

00:50:26,274 --> 00:50:28,557

pictures they had me do was they lined

00:50:28,557 --> 00:50:32,307

all the four wheelers up in kind of like

a V formation and then had all the guys

00:50:32,307 --> 00:50:34,437

stand on theirs in their, in their tuxes.

00:50:34,797 --> 00:50:38,637

And we took a picture of that in, ended up

in a magazine, a four Wheeling magazine.

00:50:39,682 --> 00:50:42,262

they were the only couple that wanted

to do a set of their pictures in the

00:50:42,262 --> 00:50:44,032

outhouse that we had at the studio.

00:50:44,452 --> 00:50:45,442

They were a trip

00:50:45,842 --> 00:50:47,462

why did you have an outhouse?

00:50:47,862 --> 00:50:50,052

we had a whole little backyard.

00:50:50,292 --> 00:50:55,452

There was a, like a koi pond and

a, and a swing and just really

00:50:55,452 --> 00:50:59,142

pretty background areas to take

photography, like do senior pictures

00:50:59,142 --> 00:50:59,682

00:51:00,007 --> 00:51:00,457

like setting.

00:51:00,752 --> 00:51:01,042

Okay.

00:51:01,442 --> 00:51:01,922

00:51:02,102 --> 00:51:02,492

Yeah.

00:51:02,762 --> 00:51:05,582

And one of, I'll, I'll have to show you

the picture of my, I did a beautiful shot

00:51:05,582 --> 00:51:07,202

of my nephew in front of the outhouse.

00:51:07,542 --> 00:51:08,562

He's in his underwear.

00:51:08,562 --> 00:51:11,862

He was like two, and he is looking

back and he is smiling real big.

00:51:12,132 --> 00:51:15,012

But we, we printed it as a 16 by

20, and it was in the bathroom

00:51:15,012 --> 00:51:16,722

at the studio for like 10 years.

00:51:17,675 --> 00:51:20,345

My mom, I would, half of my

sister must have stolen that.

00:51:20,745 --> 00:51:21,525

Who knows?

00:51:24,074 --> 00:51:27,494

Week's noun of Appalachian

interest is Camden Park.

00:51:27,944 --> 00:51:30,824

If you grew up anywhere near

Huntington, West Virginia, you can

00:51:30,824 --> 00:51:32,504

probably smell it in your memory.

00:51:32,504 --> 00:51:33,854

Popcorn, hot pavement.

00:51:34,124 --> 00:51:36,374

The Ohio River air and sunscreen.

00:51:36,374 --> 00:51:38,324

That's been baking

since, well before noon.

00:51:38,654 --> 00:51:42,014

Camden Park isn't some mega theme

park with fireworks every hour.

00:51:42,194 --> 00:51:45,824

It's been sitting right there

00:51:46,184 --> 00:51:49,529

It started as a trolley park back

when streetcar were how folks got

00:51:49,529 --> 00:51:52,994

around and companies would build parks

at the end of the line, so families

00:51:52,994 --> 00:51:54,194

would ride out on the weekends.

00:51:54,574 --> 00:51:57,094

You take the trolley, spend

the day eating, laughing and

00:51:57,094 --> 00:51:58,444

maybe screaming on a ride.

00:51:58,684 --> 00:52:00,184

Then head home, tired and happy.

00:52:00,184 --> 00:52:02,914

It was a practical and

little bit of genius.

00:52:03,304 --> 00:52:06,184

And then there's the Big

00:52:06,184 --> 00:52:07,894

rollercoaster that does not glide.

00:52:07,894 --> 00:52:09,574

It rattles, it creeks.

00:52:09,794 --> 00:52:12,674

it sounds like it's telling

you stories from 60 years ago

00:52:12,674 --> 00:52:14,234

while it climbs that first hill.

00:52:14,414 --> 00:52:17,624

It's not smooth and it's not

fancy, but when you first hit that

00:52:17,624 --> 00:52:19,154

drop, you fill it in your bones.

00:52:19,334 --> 00:52:21,074

There's something honest

about a wooden coaster.

00:52:21,074 --> 00:52:23,924

No tricks, no timber,

gravity and commitment.

00:52:24,324 --> 00:52:27,948

Camden Park feels Appalachian because it

has never once tried to act brand new.

00:52:28,218 --> 00:52:30,948

The rides aren't retro,

they're just still here.

00:52:31,278 --> 00:52:34,398

The Big Dipper sounds like it's

clear, its throat before every drop.

00:52:34,638 --> 00:52:37,908

The arcade lights are so bright, you can

see them through your eyelids and the

00:52:37,908 --> 00:52:39,738

funnel cake grease, it doesn't linger.

00:52:39,948 --> 00:52:43,158

It settles in like a distant cousin

who said they were staying one night.

00:52:43,558 --> 00:52:47,188

been through floods, layoffs,

economic slumps, and every, this

00:52:47,188 --> 00:52:48,568

town ain't what it used to be.

00:52:48,568 --> 00:52:50,068

Conversation at the diner.

00:52:50,398 --> 00:52:53,968

And every spring somebody unlocks the

gate, flips the switch, and lets the tilt.

00:52:53,968 --> 00:52:55,843

The world starts spinning

like nothing ever happened.

00:52:56,243 --> 00:52:58,373

For a lot of folks, it's

first date nervousness and

00:52:58,373 --> 00:52:59,933

first rollercoaster bravery.

00:53:00,233 --> 00:53:01,793

It's paper wristbands that itch.

00:53:01,793 --> 00:53:04,643

It's tilt a world spinning a

little faster than you expected.

00:53:04,913 --> 00:53:07,853

It's summer nights when the sky

turns purple and the cicadas get

00:53:07,853 --> 00:53:09,533

loud and the whole place glows.

00:53:09,923 --> 00:53:11,033

And here's the wild park.

00:53:11,033 --> 00:53:14,573

Camden Park even made it

into Fallout 76 in the game.

00:53:14,573 --> 00:53:18,953

It's reimagined in a post apocalyptic

version of West Virginia still standing

00:53:18,953 --> 00:53:20,873

in its own weird way after the world ends.

00:53:20,873 --> 00:53:23,663

Of all the places they could have

chosen, they picked that little

00:53:23,663 --> 00:53:25,073

amusement park by the river.

00:53:25,373 --> 00:53:29,123

And honestly, that tracks, if anything in

Appalachia could outlast the apocalypse.

00:53:29,303 --> 00:53:32,273

It might be a wooden rollercoaster

in a stubborn gate operator.

00:53:32,693 --> 00:53:34,943

Camden Park isn't

polished, it isn't curated.

00:53:34,943 --> 00:53:36,593

It's not trying to impress anybody.

00:53:36,829 --> 00:53:38,989

that's this week's n of

Appalachian interest.

00:53:39,349 --> 00:53:42,289

Camden Park ain't perfect, but

it's ours and it's still open.

00:53:42,963 --> 00:53:46,003

play games or anything but fall

00:53:46,153 --> 00:53:52,143

Fallout 76 I don't know why, but it's

a post-apocalyptic West Virginia.

00:53:52,393 --> 00:53:56,563

And so it has all of this Appalachian

lore in it, and it's like, as soon

00:53:56,563 --> 00:54:00,240

as I, as soon as I found that out,