Round 17 - Christmas Crackers!

This week the girls take aim at Christmas...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 

Tonight we take aim at some crazy Christmas shopping, decorating, and holiday traditions.    

But first, what were we drinking?

Bianca was drinking Little Birdwood Semillon Savvy B

Available from Aldi

Sarah was drinking Brown Brothers Moscato & Pinot Grigio

Available from Dan Murphy's

Amy was drinking Montalto Pinot Gris

Available from Montalto Winery on the Mornington Peninsula (represent y'all!)

Amy opened up this week's episode giving a brief description of some of the Christmas craziness each of the girls takes aim at.

Amy then jumped into a couple crazy holiday shopping stories which involved pepper spray, fighting people with no pants, and lines that go nowhere.

Sarah who has always thought her family went a bit crazy over Christmas discovers that there are people out there that go far beyond what she has ever seen. Sarah delves into a couple of Christmas obsessions, the first being a lady who has way too much love for Christmas trees and the second with a lady who has gingerbread on the brain 24/7.

And just for Amy & Bianca's sake here is my lounge room this year.

Bianca unveiled 3 Christmas traditions from around the world; Norway, hide your broom, and make sure the gnomes are fed. Ukraine, the origin of tinsel. Finally, the Czech Republic where single women throw a shoe over their shoulder (we are all trying this! follow us on Facebook or Twitter for the results)

Shout outs

Are you a regular listener? This week we thanked some of our regular listeners across the world and "plugged" a couple of podcasts that we have stumbled across in our podcast journey.

This week we recommend you look up-

Watts up? (the Chris Watts Family Murders)

The real housewives of reality

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Round 16 - Urban legends

This week the girls chat about Urban legends...

Who doesn't love an urban legend? Is there a basis that created the legend? Who knows?! The girls have a chat about some interesting urban legends and the tales behind them.  

But first, what were we drinking?

Bianca was drinking Gossips - Sweet lips Moscato (coz I'm legit a trash bag)

Available from BWS

Sarah was drinking Ballini Lambrusco

Available from Dan Murphy's

Amy was drinking Wiley Rooster Merlot

Available from Naked Wines

Sarah opened up this week's episode with a background in what an urban legend is and how it can come about. She then went on to talk about the Icelandic Christmas legends, Gryla, The Yule, and their Murder Floof the Yule Cat.

Bianca bought some frivolity to the episode with 2 short tales; the first was about a man who is now one of our heroes and the second is about a bank robbery gone wrong.

Amy discussed the big cats of Victoria in her home country of Australia. For over 100 years there have been stories about sightings of big cats in the bushlands of Victoria. Some of these big cats include panthers and pumas.

Amy discussed some of the possible origins of the cats and how they managed to survive in the Victorian bushland. As promised here is the link to the story published by the ABC news click here.

If you are interested in this urban legend we highly recommend that you watch a documentary by the Discovery channel available on Animal Planet called The Hunt.

Here is a trailer:

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Round 15 - The best gig's we've been to

This week the girls chat about the best live gigs they have been to...

Most people have seen a live band or artist at some point. Our girls love going to see a band or artist they like (or in some cases not so much) and basking in the magic that is a live gig.  

But first, what were we drinking?

Bianca was drinking on the Grapevine Pinot Grigio

Available from BWS

Sarah was drinking her leftover Brown Brothers dolcetto & Syrah

Available from Liquorland

Amy was drinking Feet on the Ground Pinot Grigio

Available from Naked Wines

Bianca enlightened the girls and you listeners with the fun fact of "skin orgasms", only 50% of the world population experiences them! wild!

Then she cracked on to her segment - 2013 Warped tour Melbourne & Adelaide (road trip!). Bianca was over the moon to follow her favourite band across 2 states, she is not a groupie though, groupies sleep with bands to get closer to them. Bianca appreciates the music.

Warped Tour Poster

Lauren, Bianca, and Dani (left to right)

Amy chatted about the first time she saw Alice Cooper in concert. Alice Cooper was touring Australia promoting his seventeenth studio album Dirty Diamonds in 2005 and Amy was lucky enough to get tickets to the show at the Palais Theatre in St Kilda. Amy was stoked to hear her favourite Alice Cooper song, feed my Frankenstein, live.

*Correction to the recording - Amy thought she saw this tour twice but it was actually the Psycho Drama Tour she saw in 2007 (not 2006). Both gigs were still awesome.

Sarah, much to Amy's and Bianca's disgust, talks about the time she went to see her favourite K-pop group B.A.P (yes sir) on their carnival world tour at Festival hall. She also recalls the feelings of after-concert withdrawals.

Special mention: Amy and Bianca get special claps for keeping their mouths mostly shut through this segment.

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Round 14 - Cults

This week the girls chat about cults...

What is a cult? What does a cult do? The girls chat about some more interesting groups of humans which have gotten together and created what we call a cult. 

** Graphic content warning! This episode may not be for all people as there are stories relating to abuse which includes that of children. 

But first, what were we drinking?

Bianca was drinking Yarra Burn Premium Cuvee Brut

Available from BWS

Sarah was drinking Angel Song, Angelic Rosé

Available from Liquorland

Amy was drinking Heresy Pinot Grigio

Available from Naked Wines

Amy introduced the topic explaining what a cult is, how some religions were once considered cults, and what the telltale signs are of a destructive cult.

Amy followed on with a description of a cult she looked into that might be considered "not that bad" on the scale of cults. These people are called the Cosmic People of Light Powers and generally want to save the human race from an alien invasion.

Amy also wanted to give a special shout-out to our fellow Victorian podcasters - Two brothers one pilot. These guys are hilarious! They review pilot episodes of TV shows and provide a unique critic! Get on to it you will love it -

Black Rock Broadcasting

 

Bianca discussed NXIVM (pronounced nex-e-im), this has been described as a pyramid scheme, a sex-trafficking operation, a cult, and a sex cult. NXIVM is a self-proclaimed American multi-level marketing company created in 1998 by Kieth Raniere and Nancy Salzman and is based in Albany, New York.

The company offered personal and professional development seminars through its "Executive Success Programs"  which most just called ESP and is basically large-group awareness training. 

Raniere claimed that the programs' "main emphasis is to have people experience more joy in their lives."

In early 2018, NXIVM's founder, Keith Raniere, and his associate, actress Allison Mack, were arrested and indicted on federal charges related to DOS, including sex trafficking. Others associated with NXIVM were also charged with federal crimes.

So what is DOS? Dominus Obsequious Sororium, a "secret sisterhood" within NXIVM, in which female members were allegedly called slaves, branded with the initials of Raniere and Mack, subjected to corporal punishment from their "masters", and required to provide nude photos or other potentially damaging information about themselves as "collateral". Law enforcement representatives have alleged that DOS members were forced into sexual slavery.

(survivor) Sarah Edmonson's Brand - on the hip

Sarah closes the episode talking about the Children of God, also known as Family International, and its beginnings as Teens of Christ. She then talked about its history as a sex cult, how it gained new members, the celebrities that were members and escaped, and the downfall and reboot of "the family".

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