Jess & Hids Make A Podcast
Just a couple of aspiring writers that want to tell you about all the cool stuff we know about a lot of super random things.
PaTerodactyl Bros & Speleologists With Cave Pearls!
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We're back with an actual episode!
And to shake things up even more…Hids goes first! They're talking about Thunderbirds, a supernatural being and belief of many North American indigenous peoples. They also talk a bit about the alleged 'thunderbird' caught in Arizona in the 1890s. Spoiler: It's a pterodactyl. Maybe. Probably.
Jess takes us around the world to Yemen and the "Well of Hell" a massive sinkhole steeped in legend and mystery and is apparently rather beautiful and interesting once you get beyond the evil djinn that are said to be...
Metallica Should Write A Song About Blucifer
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We are doing things a little different this week. AGAIN! As you may have noticed, we did not have our regular episode last Thursday. Jess is ramping up to finals in her classes and her focus and energy is on studying.
We randomly bought a mystery trip early in the year and finally got around to making that happen. We ended up getting a little over 48 hours in Denver, which is really cool since it's a place we both wanted to visit, we have friends there, and it's where Hids' campus is!
Your Inner Coach Has Something To Say To You - Warm Embers!
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In this episode, Jess and Hids share thoughts on recent warm embers, power words, the start of their college classes and more! We also give an impromptu shoutout to our Patrons and apologize if we missed your name!
Thank you to our Patrons and everyone that has listened to our podcast! We appreciate you so much and are so thankful to have you with us on this journey!
Here's the content creator we mention! Give her a follow! She has plenty of whimsy!
https://www.emilydubious.com/
427 Suitcases And The Most Talented Mozart
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In this episode, Jess talks to us about the Willard Suitcase Project. This is a collection of suitcases that were found in the abandoned buildings of the Willard Asylum in New York State.
Hids talks about Mozart…but not that one. Did you know Mozart had a sister who might have been even more talented than he was? We didn't! But now we do! Maria Anna Mozart was a child prodigy and toured Europe with her brother from the age of 10 years old until she turned 15 and was no longer considered a...
Hids' Haunted Campus & Jess' Mental Bake-Down. Oh, Did You Know We Hate Gen AI?
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Wild Magic Surge!!!
Two wild magic episodes in a row! Well, that's where our ADHD has taken us yet again. We can't help it! Hids gives us a quick history lesson on the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design. Why? Well, because they are officially enrolled as a student there!!! (Also there are ghosts maybe probably.)
Jess is talking about bread. Why? Why the heck not? Bread is awesome! Not just any bread, but shokupan, also known as Japanese Milk Bread.
We also have an anti-Gen...
Designing Cryptids With Jimothy
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Wild Magic Surge!! We’re designing cryptids and discussing adorable animals. Yep, we’re talking about Jimothy, Neil the Seal and other adorable critters that have stolen our hearts! (RIP Grumpy Cat!)
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jul/22/who-is-jimothy-seven-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-internets-favourite-raccoon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumpy_Cat
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_the_Seal
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QROU5s9Zrqw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_(monkey)
https://www.pajiba.com/news/an-important-update-from-japans-monkey-mountain.php
https...
Stunt Girl Reporting From Lake Baikal (Or This Episode Is Liam's Fault)
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We’re back, baby!! Thank you all for your patience while we took a short break to reset.
This episode Jess leads off with another awesome and amazing woman from history! She tells us about Nellie Bly, the first female investigative journalist and honestly just a really amazing woman!
Hids takes a trip to Siberia and tells us about Lake Baikal, a rift lake in southern Siberia that is truly fascinating…and of course, as always there are some folklore legends and aliens tossed in for fun!
...
A Dream-Eating ADHD Cryptid And A Bit Of Séancing
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After some back and forth with the Uno Cards, Jess goes first again! (Huzzah, Hids says!) Jess’ topic this episode is one of our favorite recurring cards: CRYPTIDS! We learn a bit about the Baku, a Japanese creature that eats nightmares! But be careful, if they’re really hungry they’ll eat your hopes and dreams, too!
Hids gives us a look at the rise of Spiritualism in America during and after the Civil War and into the early 1900s. The rise in industrialism, innovations in science and photography and a terrib...
Hide Jewels In Your Wig Like A Lady, Then Walk Like An Egyptian
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Jess is back with another awesome historical woman, Lady Elizabeth Cathcart. She was locked away by her gold-digging husband for TWENTY YEARS when she refused to give up her jewels and her estate. But he got a healthy dose of karma in the end.
Hids talks about the Egyptian craze that spiked during the Victorian age and has influenced so much in architecture, art, and design ever since, with another big spike in the 1920s with the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Jess’ Sources:
https://www.b...We Bombarded The Giant Trees With Cute Orange Cats!
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Jess tells us about Orangey the Cat! Orangey was a famous cat of the 1950s/60s Hollywood movie and television scene. Well…Orangey was actually several cats, but who’s counting? We also learn a bit about Frank Inn and we really like him for his animal training and his care of a variety of animals during his life!
Hids dives into conspiracy theories…specifically one from 2016 about GIANT TREES! Did you know that the forests we walk in today are actually just bushes and shrubs? The MOUNTAINS are the remains of gia...
The Men In Black Don't Want You To Know About P. Anubis
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Once they finally stop laughing…sort of…Hids gives us a brief look at the Men in Black! They’re going back to 1947 and the start of the UFO craze in the US. We visit Washington State and learn a bit about the first appearance of the Men In Black. Are they supernatural? Are they FBI Agents? Are they just a hoax?
Jess takes us across the ocean to Egypt and tells us about an amazing fossil find called Phiomicetus Anubis. Cute oversized sea puppy or vicious prehistoric predator?
Hids’...
Smokey The Vampyre? NO! Just Smokey Vampyre
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Tangents abound! Hids takes a look at a Smokey Bear, the iconic and longest running public service announcement campaign in US History! Wildfires are a very real threat across the US and the world, and Smokey has been a voice for prevention and safety for over 81 years!
Jess takes a look at something slightly creepier than bears…vampires! Specifically the rise of the current ‘romantic’ vampire depiction from the Victorian era and a brief look at some of the earliest mentions of vampirism. We’ll definitely be looking forward...
A Soft Fascination For The Forest And An Incredible Fascination For Amelia
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We’re back! This episode kicks off our new schedule. We’ll be dropping episodes every other week for the foreseeable future. This week Jess reminds us to touch grass and how good it is for us to be outdoors as she discusses Sylvotherapy. Nature is really cool and we all need to spend more time in it!
Hids talks about another awesome woman from history: Amelia Earhart!! We’ve all been told the basics, she was a great pilot and did some cool things and then was lost at sea. But th...
Tell Me You Have ADHD Without Telling Me You Have ADHD
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This week we’re dropping a Warm Embers episode full of announcements, updates and conversations!
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COMING SOON! A Tale Of Two Kobolds: A Jess & Hids Podcast!
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Join us! Jess and Hids for a cozy, low stakes actual play D&D podcast! A Tale of Two Kobolds.
Follow the adventures of Fizzz and Bang, two adorable Kobolds, as they face a world that’s bigger than they are in an effort to find each other, and maybe learn a bit about themselves along the way.
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Project MK!REDACTED! And The Inability To See Brains Behind Beauty
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Order has been restored and Jess goes first in this episode.
She talks about the top secret illegal government project, MKUltra, famous now for dosing unwitting civilians with LSD and conducting horrible experiments on them.
Hids introduces us to the brilliant scientific mind of Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, the woman behind bluetooth and early forms of wifi. Oh, she was also the beautiful and talented actress, Hedy Lamarr.
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Arrrgh! Hoist The Jolly Pink Armadillo!
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We have a shorter episode this week. Hids is still recovering from being sick and their voice is less than stellar. The streak breaks with this episode and Hids goes first! They give us a quick look at the pink fairy armadillo, an adorable little creature from Argentina!
Jess pulled a recurring card and takes us back to the golden age of piracy and a look at the Jolly Roger and its variations and origins. Arrrr matey, yer gonna love this one!
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Indrid Cold Has High Bystandards
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Hids’ streak of not going first lives on as Jess takes us back to New York, 1964. She dips into a true crime story, so a trigger warning for murder, but what she really gets into is the fascinating psychology of the Bystander Effect and how the death of Kitty Genovese kicked off a decades long study, and paved the way for the 911 emergency call system.
Hids also travels back in time, but they go to West Virginia, 1966. A man is stopped on a lonely stretch of highway by…an alien spacecraft! Wood...
Raven Riffs! The Raven (1963)
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It’s been a while since we’ve done a Raven Riff, so we’re bringing it back with a fun look at The Raven. We love cheesy movies, Vincent Price, and Edgar Allan Poe and this wonderfully cheesy comedic horror from 1963 has all three PLUS Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre. Unfortunately for Jess, this movie also features a young Jack Nicholson.
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Can Anyone Tell Us What Cometpunk Is?
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Episode eight has arrived and we’re bringing out the Punk! Jess revisits various punk genres and we come up with a few of our own along the way.
Hids does a bit of science-y stuff as they discuss Halley’s Comet and the Comet Panic of 1910!
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Chill Vibes, Warm Embers, And An Undertone Of Violence
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In our second episode of 2026, we finally decide it’s time to set some intentions and talk about our plans for the new year! The goal? Chill.
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Would You Rather Picnic In Centralia Or A Cemetery?
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Hey we’re back! We had a bit of time off to recharge our batteries and now we’re ready to kick off the new year and continue on with Season Two!
Jess starts us off (are you surprised?) with the wild story of Centralia, PA, a town that burns with an eternal fire.
Hids goes into a little bit of a linguistic journey through cemeteries and graveyards and tells us about the symbolism and meanings behind the markings, epitaphs, and various designs of headstones and grave markers.
Su...
Have A Scary Werewolf Christmas With The Silent People
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Jess opens with a holiday vibe and tells us about various holiday legends and superstitions from around the world.
Hids had a bit of a wild magic surge and takes a little trip to Finland to see an art installation by Reijo Kela called The Silent People.
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Get Your Jack Nicholson Fish Out Of My Fantasy World!
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Things are slightly back to normal this week…well, only in the fact that Jess is going first! Huzzah! Jess gives us a brief history of the rise of the Fantasy genre in literature. Did you think Tolkien invented it? You might be surprised.
Hids has a quick topic this week simply because there is very little known about the Telescope Fish! Hids thinks they’re kinda cute…in a creepy way. Seriously, look online for images. Cute or Creepy? Let us know what you think!
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Spoons And Spell Slots
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We have a short episode today!
It's a bit of a wild magic surge because we don't actually talk about the topics we drew in the last episode. Instead, Jess talks about The Spoon Theory, from its origins to how the metaphor is used today.
Hids dives a bit deeper and talks about a handful of metaphors that branched from The Spoon Theory, including the avid TTRPG player's favorite, Spell Slot Theory.
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The Mirage Is Superior But Poe Says Your Writing Is Commonplace
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Come along with more unedited chaos and science!! Jess tells us about fata morgana, a fascinating mirage that only happens in very specific conditions and has led to failed expeditions and oceanic superstitions like the Flying Dutchman!
Hids wraps up their discussion on Edgar Allan Poe with a look at some of Poe’s influences on American literature as well as his many appearances in pop culture.
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Price And Poe: Peas In A Macabre Pod
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We’re so stoked to be here with our first episode of Season Two! And oh boy, do we have a good one for you!
This episode was recorded just a couple hours before upload, so it’s coming to you totally unedited and full of our usual chaos.
In an odd synchronicity with our very first episode, Jess starts this season talking about one of our all-time favorite humans: Vincent Price!
And in yet another little synchronicity, Hids talks about one of Vincent’s favorite authors: Edgar A...
That Googie Style Makes My Foot Go Pop
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Wild Magic Surge!
ADHD strikes… and so does the d20! Hids has gone first again!!
Hids takes a quick look at the Hays Code. This was an attempt by Hollywood to avoid government regulation and censorship on the movies that were being produced from roughly the 1930s to mid 1960s.
Jess spends some time in the same era, but she’s focusing on some of the architecture of the time, Googie! It’s fun to say, right? If you like The Incredibles, Jimmy Neutron, The Jetsons or anything with that...
Backhanded Compliments From Posh Hedgehogs
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Wow! Fifty episodes!!
We are so close to one year of Jess & Hids Make a Podcast! This episode is chaotic because why not? About ten minutes before we started recording, we asked a couple of our Patrons to give us 50 questions to answer. So… Well, here you go! Have fun and we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording!
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Stop Messing With Your Clocks!
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Something is seriously wrong with Hids’ d20. For the somethingth time in a row, they’re going first!
This week, Hids delivers a brief history of the Wild Hunt, you know, the topic they promised early in October? Yep, finally making that happen!
Jess is back on track with her famous women of history and tells us a bit about Doris Duke, an heiress to a massive fortune and her (mostly) philanthropic life. You’ll want to check out our Patreon bonus content for the scandal.
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...Good News And Warm Embers!
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Episode 48 is a wild ride!!!
Actually…it’s a slightly chaotic shift into a realm of good news and Hope Punk vibes. We both found good things from around the internet to share and hopefully spread a little joy and scatter some warm embers across the downloads.
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A Puhunchy Carnivorous Crustacean And An Alien Text
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There’s something seriously wrong with Hids’ dice… FIRST AGAIN! They rolled with it and took us down for a tropical dip in the oceans to meet the Mantis Shrimp! Neat Thing: it’s not even a shrimp! These awesome creatures not only pack a powerful punch, but they can also see in 16 different colors AND the ultraviolet spectrum. Humans can only see in 3 colors, how dull is that?
Jess took us back in time to learn about the incredible Voynich Manuscript, a document that has puzzled historians, antique book collecto...
An Incredible Infantorium And Hollywood Curses (Or Coincidences...?)
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What’s happening with the dice? Hids went first again! They took us to some fairgrounds and sideshows from the early 1900s…but not for the reason you might think! Hids introduces us to Dr. Martin Couney and his Infantorium! Thousands of premature babies were saved by Dr. Couney and his incubator sideshow and despite the critics, he was instrumental in finally getting incubators into hospitals in America by the middle of the century.
Jess’ topic was less heartwarming. In keeping with the spooky vibe of October, she talks about some haunte...
AnniversaBirthdaMonth Shenanigans!
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What can we say? We are so excited for our third year with our growing community on Patreon and Discord! We are going over all the details of our month-long celebrations, including our Scavenger Hunt and Rook Runners 5k virtual run!! Did we mention it’s a HUGE wooden laser-cut medal? Seriously… 4.5” x 7.5”!!!
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Buy Some Dreams From Jess And Hids Of Parasols And Pigs
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Hids kicked us off this week with a quick discussion about the Womanly Art of Parasol Self Defence! This was trending in the early 1900s in London and in the US as a ‘rise in hooliganism’ and the growth in women leaving the home without chaperones or entering the work force began to see more attacks and inappropriate advances from men toward women.
Jess dove into dreams! She did a dive into the Korean culture of buying and selling dreams, which is pretty fascinating! She also talked a bit about the psych...
Get Jack'd
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It's another unconventional episode!!
We decided it would be super fun to give you, our dear sweet listeners, a glimpse of the bonus content our Patrons get! We chose, not only one, but TWO And Another Thing Episodes to share with you all!
We chose episode 25 - The Line Between Cure And Kill With Bobby Lasagna and episode 34 - Baking Up Some Hot Fresh Minhwa Wild Magic Surge! If you need a refresher about those episodes, why not listen again?
And if you want more And Another...
A Great Woman And Some Great Lakes
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Jess is back with her stories of amazing women in history! In this episode, she tells us about Octavia Butler, an award-winning African American author who broke barriers in science fiction. Known as the "Grand Dame" of the genre, she was the first Black woman to achieve renown in it.
Hids’ original topic was shipwrecks on the Great Lakes of the United States & Canada, but many rabbit holes forced them to focus simply on some of the amazing facts about the Great Lakes, a bit about the geology of the area an...
I'd Rather Meet Mothman Than Meet Meatman
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Strange things are afoot! Hids went first! The d20 has betrayed them!!
Hids takes a brief look at the legend of Mothman, the curious cryptid/paranormal entity that was first seen in Point Pleasant, WV in 1966. Is the Mothman a harbinger of doom or is he just a brooding fluffy boi?
Keeping on theme with odd and spooky things, Jess takes us on a little trip to Flagstaff, Arizona and the Hotel Monte Vista! We are actually staying there this week and our Patrons will get a LIVE video fr...
Let The Anniversabirthdamonth Planning Commence!
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We noticed a small trend in the final episode of the last couple months: They’ve been kind of ‘off the rails’ from our normal episodes. We ended up having the same thing happen this month! BUT - we are excited to bring you some sneak peeks about future plans for our Patreon, and some of the fun things we are working on for our October anniversabirthamonth celebration! We launched our Patreon and began our official writing journey three years ago! We’re so happy with how far we’ve come and the community...
Wanted: Cowboys And Aliens. Orphans Preferred
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Last week was cowgirls and aliens…this week is…ponies and possible bureaucratic cover ups?
Keeping her streak alive, Jess goes first again and dives into the story of the Pony Express! Although short-lived, it was the fastest way to get important mail from the East coast to California in the 1860s.
Hids follows up on the aftermath of the Roswell Incident from our last episode with a dive into Project Blue Book, the US Air Force’s efforts to study and classify the massive influx of ‘flying sa...