Jess & Hids Make A Podcast

Jess & Hids

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.

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20 episodes
Updated Thursday

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Episodes20

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Thursday · 1 hr 14 min
Hids' Haunted Campus & Jess' Mental Bake-Down. Oh, Did You Know We Hate Gen AI?
Send us Fan Mail 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 AI rant and some other random tangents and loads of warm embers! Jess' Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_milk_bread https://web-japan.org/trends/11_food/jfd202109_shokupan.html https://japanesetaste.com/blogs/japanese-taste-blog/shokupan-the-iconic-japanese-milk-bread Hids' Sources: https://historygoesbump.libsyn.com/webpage/ep-249-rocky-mountain-school-of-art-and-design rmcad.edu Support the show Join our Discord!
July 23 · 1 hr 34 min
Designing Cryptids With Jimothy
Send us Fan Mail 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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moo_Deng https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggis_(pygmy_hippo) Support the show Join our Discord!
July 9 · 1 hr 29 min
Stunt Girl Reporting From Lake Baikal (Or This Episode Is Liam's Fault)
Send us Fan Mail 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! Jess’ Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Bly https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/nellie-bly-0 https://www.nps.gov/people/nellie-bly.htm https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/ajp.2007.164.4.581 Hids’ Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Baikal https://www.lakebaikal.org/baikal-legends/ https://ancientpedia.com/the-lake-baikal-humanoids-reports-of-underwater-aliens/ https://www.gigglygarden.com/lake-baikal-russia/russell-crowbar/how-do-the-legends-and-folklore-of-the-indigenous-peoples-of-siberia-reflect-their-relationship-with-lake-baikal.html Support the show Join our Discord!
June 11 · 1 hr 21 min
A Dream-Eating ADHD Cryptid And A Bit Of Séancing
Send us Fan Mail 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 terrible war with an incredible loss of life on a level never before seen by the people of the time led to a need for closure and solace. Jess' Sources: https://hyakumonogatari.com/2012/10/20/baku-the-dream-eater/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baku_(mythology) https://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/Baku https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-asia/baku-legend-dream-eater-002383 https://yokai.com/baku/?srsltid=AfmBOoqB2TRlO6mShECRlsWmoGWAr2i--N8-gxtePW2F1q5IkcYiN9QA Hids' Sources: https://www.historyisnowmagazine.com/blog/2021/10/18/the-rise-of-spiritualism-in-19th-century-america https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritualism_(movement) https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/spiritualism https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2020/10/hollywood-houdini-and-the-halloween-seance-of-1936/ https://capemaymag.com/arts-and-entertainment/victorian-vignette/victorian-spiritualism/ Support the show Join our Discord!
May 28 · 1 hr 32 min
Hide Jewels In Your Wig Like A Lady, Then Walk Like An Egyptian
Send us Fan Mail 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.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/fermanagh/lady_cathcart.shtml https://scamsnow.com/the-abuse-of-lady-elizabeth-cathcart-a-historical-romance-scam-story-2025/ https://www.dib.ie/biography/maguire-hugh-a5358 https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BU5NP6HJj/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Rackrent Hids’ Sources: https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/exhibitions/napoleon-and-egyptomania-in-tennessee/ https://hauntedpalaceblog.com/2024/10/03/mummy-unrolling-in-nineteenth-century-britain-science-or-spectacle/ https://www.thecollector.com/victorian-egyptomania/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/bji99u/comment/em9gq51/?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/e3zzmv/what_kicked_off_the_egyptology_craze_in_the_18th/ https://www.epoch-magazine.com/post/the-curse-of-the-victorians-in-egypt-tourists-on-the-nile https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/9nbhwz/im_an_upperclass_englishman_in_victorian_england/ Support the show Join our Discord!
May 14 · 1 hr 31 min
We Bombarded The Giant Trees With Cute Orange Cats!
Send us Fan Mail 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 giant trees that once stretched miles into the air!! Yeah…we think it’s whack-a-doodle, too. Jess' Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangey https://filmmakermagazine.com/109592-the-hardest-working-cat-in-show-biz/ https://cinemacats.com/the-shocking-truth-revealed-about-orangey/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PATSY_Award https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1248838/ https://filmmakermagazine.com/109611-online-premiere-sofia-bohdanowiczs-the-hardest-working-cat-in-showbiz/ Hids' Sources: https://itgetsweird.libsyn.com/episode-13-extra-big-pharma https://youtu.be/VAp9a9ubT1c?si=doTnBIO9ztEKw_sB https://www.reddit.com/r/facepalm/comments/xhen1x/a_theory_claims_that_mountains_are_actually_the/ https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Giant_Sillicon_Trees https://www.reddit.com/r/theydidthemath/comments/12drjza/request_if_the_theory_that_devils_tower_is_an/ Support the show Join our Discord!
April 30 · 1 hr 14 min
The Men In Black Don't Want You To Know About P. Anubis
Send us Fan Mail 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’ Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_in_black https://www.history.com/articles/men-in-black-real-origins Jess’ Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phiomicetus https://www.livescience.com/ancient-whale-god-of-death.html https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article/288/1957/20211368/86341/A-new-protocetid-whale-offers-clues-to Support the show Join our Discord!
April 16 · 1 hr 36 min
Smokey The Vampyre? NO! Just Smokey Vampyre
Send us Fan Mail 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 to future episodes and deeper dives into this topic! Hids’ Sources: SmokeyBear.com https://www.adcouncil.org/campaign/wildfire-prevention/spread-the-word https://smokeybear.com/#tips https://youtu.be/Myz93sXW66Y?si=kMshDXgnU7o7aYqk Jess’ Sources: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/how-popular-culture-changed-our-view-of-the-vampire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Paole https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petar_Blagojevi%C4%87 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_vampire_panic Support the show Join our Discord!
April 2 · 1 hr 48 min
A Soft Fascination For The Forest And An Incredible Fascination For Amelia
Send us Fan Mail 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 there’s SO MUCH MORE! Support the show Join our Discord!
March 19 · 58 min
Tell Me You Have ADHD Without Telling Me You Have ADHD
Send us Fan Mail This week we’re dropping a Warm Embers episode full of announcements, updates and conversations! Support the show Join our Discord!
March 15 · 1 min
COMING SOON! A Tale Of Two Kobolds: A Jess & Hids Podcast!
Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show Join our Discord!
March 5 · 1 hr 8 min
Project MK!REDACTED! And The Inability To See Brains Behind Beauty
Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show Join our Discord!
February 26 · 49 min
Arrrgh! Hoist The Jolly Pink Armadillo!
Send us Fan Mail 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! Support the show Join our Discord!
February 12 · 1 hr 25 min
Indrid Cold Has High Bystandards
Send us Fan Mail 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! Woodrow Derenberger experienced one of the first and most intriguing encounters with a being known as Indrid Cold, or the Grinning Man. He’s been tied to Mothman, but likely only because they were both seen in West Virginia around the same time frame. Was Indrid a bounty hunter going after Mothman? Was Mothman really Indrid’s lost pet!? Who knows!? Support the show Join our Discord!
February 5 · 1 hr 4 min
Raven Riffs! The Raven (1963)
Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show Join our Discord!
January 29 · 1 hr 32 min
Can Anyone Tell Us What Cometpunk Is?
Send us Fan Mail 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! Support the show Join our Discord!
January 15 · 1 hr 4 min
Chill Vibes, Warm Embers, And An Undertone Of Violence
Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show Join our Discord!
January 8 · 1 hr 37 min
Would You Rather Picnic In Centralia Or A Cemetery?
Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show Join our Discord!
Dec 25, 2025 · 1 hr 15 min
Have A Scary Werewolf Christmas With The Silent People
Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show Join our Discord!
Dec 18, 2025 · 1 hr 17 min
Get Your Jack Nicholson Fish Out Of My Fantasy World!
Send us Fan Mail 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! Support the show Join our Discord!