Stars, Stripes, and Secrets: The Real History of America's Flags

Stars, Stripes, and Secrets: The Real History of America's Flags

Flag day is June 14th, and America turns 250 next month! So it felt like the right time to get into something I didn't know that much about: our flags. All of them. I'm talking the full history of the American Flag (it changed 27 times… did you know that?), the Grand Union Flag we flew before the stars and stripes existed (which had the British flag on it, btw), the seventeen-year-old who designed the current fifty-star flag for a history class project and got a b-minus, the Gadsden Flag and what 'don't tread on me' was actually supposed to mean, the Confederate battle flag and the very specific timeline of how it got politicized, the pride flag and its beautiful 1978 origin story, and what the US Flag Code actually says about kneeling, burning, and flag-print swimsuits (there's more than you think). Plus the weekly news recap. Today's episode was suggested by a listener... thank you, Darcy! New episode every Tuesday. Love ya! 😽

Ticks, Lyme Disease, and... We Might Be Aliens

Okay, so this week I'm doing something a little different. No news recap because I recorded this one ahead of vacation. But don't worry! I still have plenty of chaos for you. I’m starting with a conspiracy: Some people genuinely believe humans didn't originate on Earth. Like, we might be the aliens. 👽 I break down the theory, the "evidence," and the scientist who wrote an entire book about it. And then… get ready to feel the creepy crawlies… I’m talking about ticks. Yup! The full deep dive! Becki from Minnesota asked, and what Becki wants, Becki gets! I get into it all… what ticks actually are (hint: they're not insects), all the species in the US, the history of Lyme disease, how it can stay with you long after treatment, what actually works for tick prevention (and what doesn't), and yes, chickens are our heroes. New episode every Tuesday. Please subscribe, rate, review, etc. Love ya! 😽 Things Mentioned: 📖 Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino 📖 Humans Are Not From Earth: A Scientific Evaluation of the Evidence by ELLIS. SILVER 🍿 Stepsister from Planet Weird (2000) streaming on Disney+ 📲 Check out @theorieshaunted on Instagram for more fascinating theories!

AI Data Centers: Eminent Domain, the Jobs Myth, and Why Graduates Are Booing

A shooting outside the White House. A trillion dollar bill. A woman arrested for a Facebook post about brown water. And graduates booing billionaires off their own stages. What a week in the news... Then the booing. Graduates at universities across the country booed commencement speakers off their stages this month for pushing AI. One school just used AI to read names instead. It skipped them. Twice. They called it a "lesson learned". Cute. I also talk about what's actually behind the booing. AKA: The data centers, the eminent domain, the electric bills, the jobs that aren't really jobs, and the town hall meetings. Including one right here in Colorado Springs that had get the fire marshal involved. Also Erin Brockovich has entered the chat. And I have movies that will make you appropriately furious. You're welcome! New episode every Tuesday. Find me on Instagram at @indistinct.pod or @alizahollister. Rate, review, share. It helps more than you know. Love ya! 😽 Mentioned in this episode:🍿Dark Waters (2019) streaming on Max🍿Promised Land (2012) streaming on Peacock🍿Erin Brockovich (2000) streaming on Peacock🍿99 Homes (2014) streaming on Tubi🍿Deepwater Horizon (2016) streaming on Netflix🍿The Big Short (2015) streaming on Paramount+📺Euphoria Season 3 streaming on Max📺Off Campus (2026) streaming on Prime Video📖Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

Vancouver, Vancouver, This Is It: Mount Saint Helens and the 169 Volcanoes in Your Backyard

We almost launched airstrikes on Iran. Shakira got $70 million back from Spain. And the DOJ was all sneaky sneaky and created a billion-dollar fund that nobody voted on. Just a normal week, right? Yesterday was the 46th anniversary of Mount St. Helens and there's this photo that was taken 13 hours before the eruption. The guy in it never came home. And the guy who was supposed to be there instead went to a job interview in California and lived… until he didn’t. You can't escape fate. Also, there are 169 active volcanoes in the United States. One of them is right off I-70 and last erupted only 4,000 years ago. You might’ve even driven right past it! Bring Her Back is messed up. North Woods was a surprisingly great read after its tough start (find me on Goodreads). And 25 Boy Scouts showed up to my first camping trip of the season. Wahoo! New episode every Tuesday. Find me at @indistinct.pod or @alizahollister. Rate, review, share. It helps more than you know and I’ll love ya long time. 😽 Mentioned in this episode: 🍿 Bring Her Back (2025) streaming on HBOMax 📺 Dutton Ranch (2026) streaming on Paramount+📺 Off Campus (2026) streaming on Prime Video, based on the book series by Elle Kennedy📺 Euphoria Season 3 streaming on HBOMax 📖 North Woods by Daniel Mason 📖 Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston (also check out her first book, First Lie Wins)

UFO Files Dropped, Scientists Are Missing, and Finals Got Hacked

There's a virus on a cruise ship, the abortion pill is back in legal limbo, the government just dropped 162 UFO files on a website called war.gov/UFO, and hackers took down THEE school app right before finals. Just your average week in 2026. But what I’m really here to discuss is the 13 scientists and researchers connected to US nuclear, aerospace, and defense programs have died or gone missing over the past few years. The FBI is investigating. The House Oversight Committee is investigating. The White House called it "pretty serious stuff." Some cases are solved. Some aren't. And the count only increases. Coincidence? Connections? You tell me. New episode every Thursday. Find me on Instagram @indistinct.pod or @alizahollister. Rate, review, share, DM me. Love ya long time! 😽