The Peripheral

Today, I speak with Ben Schmidt, a licensed funeral director and content creator. I ask him questions about what happens after you die, how the body is prepared for last rites, and what families should expect during the process. We also delve into the case of Kendrick Johnson—the teen who died under mysterious circumstances in a gym mat—and the condition in which his body was returned to his family. We really get into the weeds, nerding out on the details surrounding embalming and cremation. I even ask Ben about the pros and cons of smoking formaldehyde. Ben shares some fascinating scientific insight into the embalming process, especially in the first 20 minutes. Personally, I love the level of detail, but don’t worry—we mix up the topics regularly throughout the episode. Email ben@mortraqr.com [ben@mortraqr.com] IG: @mortraqr [https://www.instagram.com/mortraqr/?hl=en] @thefuneralcast [https://www.instagram.com/thefuneralcast/]    Facebook: The Funeral Science Podcast [https://www.facebook.com/funeralsciencepodcast], The Funeralcast [https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Funeralcast/100095594190764/?_rdr]   Tik Tok:   @funeral_science   Podcasts (Spotify Links):  The Funeral Science Podcast [https://open.spotify.com/show/4ngf674x1djypHNUidcpAE?si=1d5fba0c6e974567]  The Funeralcast [https://open.spotify.com/show/2aB5gHgUj2FIzJNevGHyC7?si=35b9beab0e3b424b] Blog Sights: www.frigidfluid.com [https://frigidfluid.com/blogs/frigid-fluid-blog] www.ravenplume.com [https://www.ravenplume.com/blog/blog-1]

I met Xavier many years ago at a meetup in California. He’s incredibly talented and radiates positivity. Over the years, he’s been involved in several music projects as a singer and songwriter, and we hit it off immediately. In today’s episode, we discuss a family vacation he took with his father—what should have been a relaxing getaway in a tropical paradise instead turned into a tense ordeal, navigating family conflicts. Adding alcohol to the mix doesn't help.    https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ai61DeA6TloJOZ8TYcqMf?si=Mx9Anxn1RCCbybz3QgE_WQ [https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ai61DeA6TloJOZ8TYcqMf?si=Mx9Anxn1RCCbybz3QgE_WQ]   https://www.instagram.com/virtualnobodies/ [https://www.instagram.com/virtualnobodies/]

"Consent is the voluntary, informed, and enthusiastic agreement to engage in an activity, particularly when it comes to personal boundaries or intimate situations. It involves clear communication, mutual respect, and understanding that any party has the right to say "no" at any time, without facing pressure or consequences. Consent is crucial for building trust, ensuring safety, and promoting healthy, respectful interactions in all areas of life." I pulled this definition of consent from ChatGPT because even a robot gets it when the rest of the world seems to struggle.  CONSENT CAN BE WITHDRAWN AT ANYTIME  Today's episode I speak with Kenna about a situation she found herself where she became intimate with a man who did not respect her wishes, care about her as a person and only wanted to take. She shares details about the attack, the actions she took and the emotional toll it left.  As much as I like to mix my topics up, I felt this was needed to piggyback off the last update episode. I have many more topics coming up, from morticians to healthcare.

On today's episode, I welcome back Lisa, who was featured on episode 21, "Why We Don't Report Rape." A quick recap: she served in the Coast Guard and was attacked in her room while stationed there. She couldn’t identify her attacker, nor was she allowed to put a lock on her door for security. It was a very upsetting episode, and when she reached out, I was thrilled to hear from her. I was hoping for good news, but instead, she shares how she was attacked again. From there, she confides in me the treatment that worked for her, and we discover that we have something in common. I was really excited to speak with her and had some unexpected surprises during the conversation.

Happy Halloween! For tonight's creepy episode, I interview Joe Diamond (what a name!) who is a mentalist and magician. He's had a storied career and life growing up in a conservative town while pursuing his dreams of becoming a magician. We talk about his time on Penn and Teller's Fool Us, delve into philosophy, and even do a few magic tricks. https://www.joediamondlive.com/ [https://www.joediamondlive.com/] https://www.instagram.com/joediamondlive/ [https://www.instagram.com/joediamondlive/] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kql5oar-UIE&t=2s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kql5oar-UIE&t=2s]