ICYMI - Playing Pretend With Rules: A Dungeons and Dragons Primer

ICYMI - Playing Pretend With Rules: A Dungeons and Dragons Primer

Dungeons and Dragons for beginners sounds like a rulebook problem. Dean McKinnon says it's actually a playing pretend problem, and once you solve that one, everything else opens up. Dean is a professional Dungeon Master who runs eleven campaigns a week for kids on every continent, hosts a D&D summer camp, and takes bachelor parties through their first dragon encounter. He makes the case that D&D isn't about the dice or the sword swings. It's about what happens when someone who struggles to find the words in real life suddenly finds them at a table, in character, saying something that surprises everyone in the room, including themselves. If you've ever felt more like yourself in a costume than out of one, this one is for you. Topics: Dungeons and Dragons, Dungeon Master, tabletop RPG, neurodivergent kids, collaborative storytelling GUEST: Dean McKinnon | http://dragonsloveparties.com [http://dragonsloveparties.com] | @‌dragonsloveparties Originally aired on 2026-07-02

If You Were Normal in 1974, Did You Play Dungeons and Dragons?

Flipping the script, going against the grain and breaking away from the norm. Dungeons and Dragons was crucial in setting up the counter culture of the 80s and 90s. And it started in 1974!   Guest: Ed Conroy Originally aired on 2026-07-02

Larry David Told Obama No. Canada Said Yes to Fox

Entertainment journalist Richard Crouse of http://richardcrouse.ca [http://richardcrouse.ca] joins for two conversations that together cover everything worth knowing about pop culture right now — from Canada's biggest honour going to one of its most beloved exports, to a new comedy that Richard says will land on his best-of list by year's end. Michael J. Fox, Larry David, and a 21-Year-Old Who Saved the Show Michael J. Fox has been promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada, recognised not just for his career but for his decades of Parkinson's advocacy. Larry David's new HBO series premiered this week, and his on-set exchange with producer Barack Obama — who gave a note, got brushed off, and had to remind David he once ran the country — is exactly what you'd expect from Larry David. Plus: a 21-year-old politics student sight-read an entire film score in front of a live orchestra in Sydney with no rehearsal and no warning. Booze and Reviews: The Invite Olivia Wilde directs and stars in a chamber comedy with Seth Rogan, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton that Richard calls a movie for adults — sharp, uncomfortable, and genuinely funny. Then Richard sets the table for your next dinner party with a run through of batched Negronis, Aperol spritzes, gimlets, and espresso martinis. Topics: Canadian entertainment, Michael J. Fox, Larry David, The Invite, dinner party cocktails GUEST: Richard Crouse | http://richardcrouse.ca [http://richardcrouse.ca]   Originally aired on 2026-07-02

What Your Canada Day BBQ Actually Costs This Year

Food professor Sylvain Charlebois has real-time grocery data for Canada Day weekend, and the news is mixed depending on what's on your grill. Ground beef, pork chops, and chicken breasts are all up this year. Strawberries and blueberries are more expensive, soft drinks are pricier thanks to aluminum costs, and potatoes are a little higher than last year. The bright spots: hamburger buns are cheaper, ice cream is holding steady or down in most of the country, and Okanagan cherries are tracking toward a solid season. Charlebois also explains why Quebec's moving day makes pizza the most ordered food in the province on July 1st, and why roadside berry stands charge more without apology. If you're shopping for the long weekend, this is the breakdown the grocery store receipt won't give you. Topics: Canada Day food prices, grocery prices Canada, Sylvain Charlebois, food inflation, summer groceries GUEST: Sylvain Charlebois | @‌foodprofessor Originally aired on 2026-07-02

The Record Nobody Expected a 69-Year-Old to Break

Cycling around the world qualifies for a Guinness World Record, and until recently the oldest person to hold it was 56. Mark Herbst looked at that number at age 69, decided it was beatable, and spent the next chapter of his life proving it across 35,000 kilometers and 25 countries, raising funds for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in memory of his wife Jackie. Mark walks through what a legitimate circumnavigation requires, the route planning around antipodal points, and how four completed Race Across America campaigns shaped what he believed he could endure. He also talks honestly about the days he didn't want to get out of bed, why he needed the ride to be about more than himself, and what Jackie would have said if he'd asked her permission. What he found in northern New Mexico, riding alone at 7,000 feet, is the part of this story that stays with you. Topics: oldest cyclist around the world, Guinness World Record cycling, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Race Across America, endurance and grief GUEST: Mark Herbst | @‌marksepicride