Assorted Goods

Well this is it, after 3 1/2 years, about 70 episodes, hundreds of thousands of words researched and written, it's time to wrap up the Assorted Goods Podcast. Joining Dan to look back on the podcast is fellow podcaster and producer Jeff Feightner, who has heard Dan waffle over the decision to move on, or keep going about 50 times. Thank you to the guests who have stopped by and of course, to the listeners who have suppo...

Back at the start of Covid, I had teacher, football coach, and a good friend of mine Carlo Trentadue on the podcast to talk about the challenges of teaching at a time like this. Now, 2 years later and as we return to a "new normal", Carlo has come back to talk more about digital literacy, having a keen eye for quality information, navigating 'social norms' online, and so much more. Of course there's a little football t...

Scientific studies have revealed that microplastics aren't just in our oceans and trash dumps, they're in our food and hanging around the inside of our bodies. Figuring out how we got to live on a planet overrun with plastic and why after half a century of knowing we'd get here, the forecast for the future? More plastic! Source List: https://www.disinformed.ca/ag-sources/plastic-world-microplastics-and-the-big-oil-probl...

Our history textbooks and classes have never told us the full story of our own history, and when it comes to the stories of Black America, those stories are often never told at all. This episode I'm joined by Michael Motley of the OneMic Black History Podcast, as we get into what it's like to tell the stories of history that people either haven't heard, or don't want to. We also talk about how to navigate the minefield ...

When a war breaks out, a government has to build and deploy its lies as much as its military. As Russia carries out a violent campaign of terror in Ukraine, we're taking a look at the narrative web of lies that President Vladimir Putin has spun, and how his tactics are part of a long pattern of leaders misleading their own people, and the world as a whole. Source List: https://www.disinformed.ca/ag-sources/lies-and-...

Coke vs Pepsi, Marvel vs DC, Republicans vs Democrats, Anything vs Damn-Near Anything. No matter where we go, every issue, big or small, gets boiled down to one side against another side. "Us vs Them". This episode of Assorted Goods, we're taking a look at how "Binary Thinking" is part of who we are as people, and how it gets easily exploited. Source List: https://www.disinformed.ca/ag-sources/us-vs-them-how-binary...

Something else may be brewing at your local Starbucks, and it's not overpriced coffee with complicated names. A union movement is spreading across Starbucks locations, and it may be a sign of the times ahead. A big company vs its own workers, a classic matchup. Source List: https://www.disinformed.ca/ag-sources/starbucks-venti-unionization-movement-february-15th-2022 Show Notes: https://www.disinformed.ca/ag-sho...

Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs have boomed in the past year, becoming a iconic piece of internet culture, a lucrative economic force, and yet another advancement in technology that people are simply confused by. But are NFTs just going through the 'growing pains' of being a new technology? Or are they as suspicious as they seem to be? Getting to know NFTs from the beginning, and what they really are at their core. Rig...

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...  a government drone spying on you? 5 years ago Peter McIndoe thought up a conspiracy theory on a whim, and now, the Birds Aren't Real movement has hundreds of thousands of social media followers, branches in multiple cities, and a presence that is still confusing the major news networks. 

But how does a satirical conspiracy theory fit into the modern age of disinformation? Are there risks?...

Revisiting a classic episode of the podcast from December 2019 (what a different world it was back then!). It's a Christmas edition of Assorted Goods, looking at Christmas related stories, including the shortage of Christmas trees, and our tradition of spending ourselves into serious debt. Also, a look at how Christmas has evolved since its Pagan roots, and telling the tale of when holiday traditions put a World War on pau...

In the past two-decades, Gift Cards have become the most popular gift-giving idea on the planet, booming into a nine-figure market that is set to grow to over a trillion dollars a year in the next decade. In the spirit of our favourite holiday gift idea, we're diving into gift cards. Where did they come from, why do we love them so much, and is there a dark side to them?

*The podcast is redeemable at any set of ears for as ...

Almost a decade ago, the National Football League pushed through a scandal involving the effects of the sport of the brains of its athletes. After years of denials and obstruction, the NFL settled a lawsuit in 2013 to provide healthcare benefits to its former players to treat their cognitive issues. The problem? It turns out the league actively used racist medical ideologies to make it harder for Black former players to re...

Exploring the world of independent podcasts and harnessing your creativity with Jon Williams and Ben Robinson from the Geeksploration Podcast. A pair of talented and interesting people who have also turned their comic book ideas into a reality with their 'Space Oddities' comic book series, currently in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign to fund and launch volume 2 of the series.

Good talks with good people, that's what it...

Facebook changed its name to 'Meta', and then placed a bet on their future, and really, the future of the digital spaces that are a central part of our world now. So is this just a classic attempt to re-brand away from a bad reputation? And what is "The Metaverse" that the company is investing heavily into?
Follow the show on twitter and instagram @disinformeddan

Show Notes :  https://www.disinformed.ca/ag-show-notes/nov...

Re-launching the pod and diving into a couple of topics that are central to every day of our lives. The Great Resignation is on, but why are so many people quitting jobs? And, a lot of money has changed hands over the past 20 months, but who's been making the most gains? 

Things are shaking up, its the same old story. 

Follow the show on twitter and instagram @disinformeddan

Show Notes : https://www.disinformed.ca/ag-show-not...

Episode Originally Published June 7th 2021. 

There's a lot to know about the human brain, but what do we know about the inner-workings of gifted and Twice-Exceptional (2E) individuals?

My guest this episode is Dr. Nicole Tetreault, as we discuss her book 'Insight Into A Bright Mind', as well as an assortment of topics including; anxiety, imposter syndrome, meditation, why we focus on the negative over the positive, and of co...