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Astu lugude lõputusse maailma

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David Farrier

Flightless Bird follows journalist David Farrier as he learns about what makes America special from his unique perspective as a Kiwi accidentally marooned in the Land of the Free. Infinitely curious but never judgmental, each week, David (along with cohost and American Rob) seeks to understand what makes America so unique, strange, and wonderful.

Flightless Bird

In this week’s Nest Session, we’re joined by Peter Matthew Bauer of The Walkmen, who brings in a fresh Kentucky Southern Casserole for David and Rob to sample. Peter shares some pie, as well as what it was like growing up as part of a meditation cult, the oddness of astronomy to the current moment, and how saying no to your own destruction can be fun. Peter then preforms his songs Doom, Knife Fighter and Gold Paint for Blue Skies. Email us your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.comJoin us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/flightlessbird You can find Peter Matthew Bauer here: https://petermatthewbauer.bandcamp.com/ https://www.instagram.com/petermatthewbauer/ Doom Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1R_qJnxdTc
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Nest Sessions: Peter Matthew Bauer on Growing up in a Meditation Cult

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David meets Doretta, an American who met and fell in love with a New Zealander - a man who happened to be one of NZ’s most well known celebrities: The Milky Bar Kid. Sort of. Back in the late 80s and early 90s the Milky Bar Kid starred in NZ’s biggest commercial. How did he end up in America, and with a woman who also has a past forged in chocolate?- Support Flightless Bird on Patreon: www.patreon.com/flightlessbird- Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod- Email us your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com
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Milky Bar Kid (AKA Falling in Love)

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David meets Phil - a man who’s been playing the same Dungeons and Dragons campaign since D&D was first released in 1974. Phil explains what’s so important about the game, and the friends he’s made and lessons learnt along the way. David then talks to the team behind D&D, to discus how the game has transcended generations and continues to grow in relevance after 50+ years! 

Support Flightless Bird on Patreon: www.patreon.com/flightlessbird

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod

Email us your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com
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Dungeons & Dragons

On this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier temporarily halts his New Zealand holiday to bring you the guest to end all guests: Rosabel. If you've listened to Flightless Bird for awhile, you will be familiar with the Rosabel calls that kick many episodes off. You may also recall the time David cracked an egg on Rosabel's head. In this episode, let's learn a little more about Rosabel - and whether she has revenge in her heart.

Support Flightless Bird on Patreon: www.patreon.com/flightlessbird

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod

Email us your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com
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Rosabel

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David explores the world of the tribute band - meeting “Dirty Deeds”, America’s best AC/DC tribute band (yes, there are lots of them). With their youngest member in their 30s and their oldest in their 70s - David explores how these American friends ended up choosing to portray Australia’s biggest rock band, learning that the world of the tribute band is expansive, surprising, inspirational... and often deeply weird. 

Links:
- Email us your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com

- Join us on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/flightlessbird
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Tribute Bands

In this month’s Nest Session, David and Rob are joined on the couch by Chat Pile, one of David’s favourite bands who hail from Oklahoma. Raygun Busch and Stin talk about their shared - and differing - experiences being sent to church camp growing up, and explain the origin of their name, referencing the massive hills of hazardous waste found in their home town. If you want to find out what a “chat rat” is, then this is the episode for you. The two then dish out their favourite American snack, before performing broken down versions of two of their deeper cuts - Tenkiller and King. Email us your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.comJoin us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/flightlessbird You can find Chat Pile here:https://chatpile.nethttps://www.instagram.com/chatpilebandDavid recommends God’s Country, Cool World and In the Earth Again (with Hayden Pedigo).
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Nest Sessions: Chat Pile

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David looks at Best Friends, one of America’s largest animal rescue groups. Promoted by the likes of Mark Wahlberg, and with its own Nat Geo show “Dog Town”, David discovers Best Friends had its origins in a cult called “The Process Church Of The Final Judgement”. They wore a lot of black, had big big iron crosses around their necks, and liked keeping big dogs as pets - mainly German Shepards. Rumours spread they were involved in ritualistic murder - and by the time the Manson murders happened, prosecutors alleged there were links between Charles Manson and “The Process”. Under the leadership of “Mary Ann MacLean” the cult would undergo a series of changes, eventually ending up as - you guessed it - Best Friends. David meets a corner member who was born into the cult, and alleges what is now Best Friends’ Utah HQ was built - in part - by children. 

Support Flightless Bird on Patreon: www.patreon.com/flightlessbird

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod

Email us your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Best Friends: Animal Cult

Before Flightless Bird takes a few weeks off for the holidays, we hear from self-proclaimed parasocial podcast listener Nick. He emailed us with a story he wanted to share - explaining how it all started on a Zoom call with his boss, when suddenly he felt like he’d been hit over the head with a bat. We think Nick’s story is intriguing and inspirational - and we wanted to share it with you as we head towards the end of 2025.

Flightless Bird is taking a few weeks off, and returns on Tuesday January 6.

LINKS: 

The Friendship Paddle: https://www.friendshippaddle.org 

Nick’s bands are Uncle Uncle (https://www.instagram.com/uncleuncleband/?hl=en) and Pookie - whose track “Thank You For Your Service” played us out this week: https://open.spotify.com/track/7zOeJ0T7S5VEgp5RvsRCAL?si=f5277282b92043c6 

JOIN US ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/flightlessbird 

Email us: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod 

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast
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The Parasocial Listener

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David and Rob delve into the deeply American world of Reality TV. They talk to Sara Reddy - one of the minds behind Honey Boo Boo and a number of record-breaking reality TV shows - before meeting reality TV veteran Jordan Wiseley.

- JOIN US ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/flightlessbird
- Email us: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com
- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod 
- Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast
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Reality TV

In this month’s Nest Session, David and Rob are joined on the couch by Nathan Willett and Matt Maust of Cold War Kids, an indie rock band from Long Beach, California. They talk about their love / obsession with collecting very specific vintage t-shirts, before sharing their memories and passion for their friend and collaborator, musician and producer Richard Swift, who passed away in 2018. They are then joined by their bandmates to perform some of their tracks for your enjoyment. “The Nest Sessions” are a monthly music-focused series where each week Rob and David have a different musician in the studio to talk about a piece of American culture they’re obsessed with, before they share some live music in the studio. Join us for more on Patreon: www.patreon.com/flightlessbirdEmail us: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.comFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast
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Nest Sessions: Cold War Kids on Vintage Shirt Collecting

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to understand why America - despite all its advancements in innovation and technology - has decided to stick with the puzzling shower curtain. Why, while countries like New Zealand embrace the shower door, is America stuck in a long-term love affair with the fabric (or sometimes plastic) mistress? David calls his old friend Harvey from the Toilets episode to discuss American showering habits, before spending the day with the self-proclaimed “Glass Queen” who spends her days removing shower curtains and replacing them with glistening shower doors. He talks to professor David Schmidt about his complex mathematical simulations of shower curtains, to discover why the shower curtain insists on sticking to your body while you shower. Maybe this is a clue to why 66% of Americans shower daily, compared with 80% of Australians… and why 10 million Americans shower once a week or less.
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Shower Curtains

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