Episode 11: Cereal and Hostful Confessions

In this guest-free episode, Steve and Kathleen take a break from highlighting CUNY scholars and aim the mic at themselves, indulging in some hostful repartee. It begins and ends with cereal (or serial), and in between, listeners are treated to perhaps more information than is necessary about their hosts. Revelations include ambiguous criminal activity, secret ethnic lineage, and obsessions with NYC MTA material culture, handedness and the aforementioned cereal. Steve also lifts the curtain on his status.

Following the admirable model of actor Dax Shepard on his Armchair Expert podcast, we offer a post-recording fact check/errata/clarification. If you’re reading this before you listen, you’ll get an idea of the curiosities in store:

• Kathleen’s vest was not addressed to her, as she knows better than to open mail not addressed to her. But the packing slip clearly indicated that the company had sent her the item in error. It turns out that she did nothing illegal. The moral question remains.
• Steve was referring to the new ABC sitcom “Alex, Inc.” that is based on the origins of Gimlet Media, not a small replica of Jim nor a mini gym, as Kathleen was envisioning.
• CUNY can boast three Guggenheim fellows this year.
• We dismissively referred to the wildly popular podcasts Serial and S-Town.
• Steve occasionally enjoys professional development at varying speeds via Udemy.
• MTA motormen (correct term seems to be train operator) vs. conductors: who does what?
• It’s the pothos plant, which goes by many other names, that Kathleen feels confident will thrive even in a subterranean workplace devoid of natural light.
• Ancestry DNA results include a category called “low confidence regions” which, despite its benign name, has the potential to damage identities and/or families.
• Steve descends from the Romaniote, according to Steve and his still harmonious family.
• On sluggers and handedness.
• A dream deferred on London’s Brick Lane.
• It turns out you don’t have to make do with a variety multipack of breakfast cereals. Homogeneity, like most things, is available online!

Listen to Episode 11 now!

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