Want to learn how to tell better bedtime stories to your kids? 

Gillian McDunn is an acclaimed children’s book author, mother of three, and the perfect guide to teach you the art of the bedtime story. She talks about how to make your stories entertaining, encourage interaction and connection with your kids, why “what if” is such a powerful tool, and how introducing problems defines our stories characters and teaches our kids powerful lessons. 

We also talk about Gillian’s book writing process, what it’s like working with editors and publishers, how it feels reading reviews of her own work, and we discuss the themes and characters of her first two books “Caterpillar Summer” and “The Queen Bee and Me.” 

Whether you’re an aspiring writer yourself, have children you’d like to tell better stories to, or just want a fascinating peek behind the scenes to understand how a writer goes about writing and publishing a book you’ll love Gillian’s stories and insight. Enjoy!

Links:

Caterpillar Summer on Amazon:

https://amzn.to/308Ckzg

The Queen Bee and Me on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/2FWOlB6

Gillian’s website:
https://www.gillianmcdunn.com/

Twitter:
twitter.com/gillianmcdunn

Instagram:
instagram.com/gillianmcdunn

Gillian’s article on bedtime stories:
https://bit.ly/331fmfj

Caterpillar Summer Reviews: 

“An engrossing, heartwarming, beautifully written debut.”
-Kirkus Reviews

“This absorbing, heartfelt novel seamlessly blends the challenges of life with a neurodivergent child into a story of one tween’s burgeoning self-awareness as she figures out how to reclaim her childhood.”
-New York Times

Want to win a book by Gillian?

Tag @ignorantcurious on Twitter or Instagram with your bedtime story breakdown. We’ll mail a copy of your choice - Caterpillar Summer or The Queen Be and Me - to our favorite. 

Got feedback for the podcast? Guests or topics you’d love to hear? Let us know!

Twitter.com/ignorantcurious

Instagram.com/ignorantcurious

ignorantcuriouspod@gmail.com

Randy Rarick is the most interesting surfer alive. He co-founded the pro surf tour in 1976, ran the Triple Crown contest in Hawaii for over 30 years, has traveled to 170 countries and surfed in 70; being the first person to surf in several countries around the world. 

He’s been mentored by Duke Kahanamoku, shaped boards with Dick Brewer, and surfed big Waimea with Eddie Aikau. He has also shaped and restored over 12,000 surfboards and is more knowledgeable than any person alive on the history and evolution of the surfboard. 

This episode is a fascinating lesson on surf history, philosophy, travel, race, and empathy told through one front row seat story after another. 

If you're not a surfer, or just wanna nerd out more, here's some cool links and movies to  fuel the stoke:

Encyclopedia of Surfing - website
Watch 110 year old black and white footage of surfing in Waikiki set to ragtime music, then see jet skis tow surfers into 60 ft waves to heavy metal. This is an insanely cool site full of articles, archival footage, vintage pics, and newspaper clips covering the history and movements of surfing over the past 100+ years. Thank you Matt Warshaw! Free for a week then $3/mo. 
https://eos.surf

EOS Bio on Rarick
https://eos.surf/entries/rarick-randy/

Riding Giants
Best surf doc ever. Amazing portrait of early days riding big waves on North Shore of Oahu. Tells story of Greg Noll’s ’69 wave at Makaha. Rent or buy on Amazon.
https://amzn.to/32Q1B1Q

Step Into Liquid:
Great surf doc to convey essence/stoke of surfing to non-surfer. Rent or buy on Amazon.
https://amzn.to/3brhkrT

Endless Summer 2:
Original Endless Summer is the most famous surf film of all time; RR was location scout for part 2. Free on Youtube.
http://bit.ly/endsum2

Bustin’ Down The Door
Talks about formation of pro surfing scene and clash between Aussies and locals in Hawaii and 70’s on North Shore of Oahu. Free with Amazon Prime.
https://amzn.to/35fOha3

Barbarian Days by William Finnegan
Best surfing book there is. Won Pulitzer Prize. You don’t need to surf to enjoy this. No other book, film, anything captures the essence of why we’re pulled back to the ocean and waves better than this.
https://amzn.to/3gTfOAd

Also,
Randy’s vintage surfboard auction in Hawaii:
http://bit.ly/hisurfauction

Got feedback for the podcast? Guests or topics you’d love to hear? Let us know!

Twitter.com/ignorantcurious

Instagram.com/ignorantcurious

ignorantcuriouspod@gmail.com

Sean Rash is a professional bowler, currently ranked top 10 on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour, and in 2011-2012 was voted PBA Player of the Year. 

I had a lot of questions. We hear a lot about massive contracts in NFL, NBA and other pro sports. Bowling? Not so much. How much do bowlers earn in sponsorships? What does it cost to play a year on tour? Do they exercise or have mental coaches? And what the hell does double wood, cliffed lanes, and playing the puddle mean? 

Sean explains it all, gives insight to life as a pro bowler, and even throws in some tips so we can all suck a little less at bowling. 

Relevant Links:

ESPN Sports Science Video with Sean
http://bit.ly/ESPNScienceSeanRash

Sean’s perfect 300 at 2014 PBA Wolf Open in Shawnee, OK
http://bit.ly/SeanRash300

League of Ordinary Gentleman bowling documentary:
https://amzn.to/3hvk361

FB Fan Page:
https://www.facebook.com/SeanRashFanPage/

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/sean_rash

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sean_rash

Website:
http://www.seanrashbowling.com/

2020 PBA Rankings:
https://www.pba.com/SeasonStats/TourWinnings/152

Feedback for the show?

Twitter.com/ignorantcurious

Instagram.com/ignorantcurious

ignorantcuriouspod@gmail.com

Filipino-American Actor Kimee Balmilero has played Dr Noelani Cunha on Hawaii Five O and Magnum PI, was an original Broadway cast member of Mamma Mia, and acted on the popular children’s show Hi-5. She also makes a great dolphin noise. 

She talks about her the childhood acting coach that helped her to dream bigger, joining a Broadway touring group at 17, the differences between acting on TV vs Broadway, how she got the role of Dr Noelani, what she’s learned about getting into character, handling emotional scenes, breaking fake glass, performing believable subxiphoid incisions, and a ton more. 

Recommended Hawaii Five O episodes:

Season 9, Ep 22 - Noelani held hostage, grabs a gun, unathletically breaks glass

Season 10, Ep 16 - Noelani surfs!

Season10, Ep 18 - funeral scene with real life dad, Roy. 

Ways to find Kimee online:

Improvhi.com
Founded by Kimee in 2012. Offers online and in person improv and sketch comedy classes, workshops, and shows in Honolulu.

HIComedyFest.com
Her annual comedy festival featuring improv, sketch, musical, and standup comedy acts from HI and around the country. Oct 14-17, 2020. You can watch it this year online!

Twitter
twitter.com/kimeeb

Instagram
instagram.com/kimeebalmilero

Or just sing the shit out of Creed and she will find you. 
*My preferred method

Speaking of which: 

twitter.com/ScottStapp  

twitter.com/creed

Feedback for the show?

Twitter.com/ignorantcurious

Instagram.com/ignorantcurious

ignorantcuriouspod@gmail.com

What’s it like to be a detective? How do you solve a crime? How do you get a killer to confess? We’re all fascinated by these questions and have seen a million movies and TV shows to satisfy our curiosity. Today’s guest has decades of first hand experience. 

Det. Bill Hougesen spent 29 years in Chicago PD. He’s worked on undercover tactical operations. He’s solved auto theft cases. He retired as a homicide detective specializing in interrogations. And he can tell a good story…

Bill talks about how to analyze a crime scene, the keys to effective interrogations, TV vs. reality, and tons more. Along the way he shares several fascinating stories from the trenches, including an undercover pizza delivery bust, a bullet hole math problem, catching a high profile car thief, and what it’s like to get a killer to confess. 

He also discusses the internal investigation process that happens after a police shooting and what we as a society can do to prevent people from becoming criminals in the first place. 

Hope you enjoy the episode! 

And as always, please rate, subscribe, and share with a friend:)

Got feedback or ideas for future episodes?

ignorantcuriouspod@gmail.com

twitter.com/ignorantcurious

instagram.com/ignorantcurious

Brian Mogg is one of the top golf teachers in the game with his peers voting him to be a Golf Magazine Top 100 Golf Instructor every year from 2004-2020 and Golf Digest 50 Best Teachers in America from 2011-2019. He runs the Brian Mogg Golf Academy with locations in Florida, Tacoma, Honolulu, Ontario, and Korea. His students have 29 wins on the PGA and LPGA tours including 2 Majors and 1 USGA Championship.

Prior to teaching, Brian was an All-American college golfer and played 10 years professionally including 3 years on the PGA Tour where his best finish was T2 at the 1988 Sanderson Farms Classic. 

In this episode he discusses how his college coach prepared him for the PGA Tour, how to improve your game at home during a long winter (or quarantine), ideas for more interesting course design, the shot he taught Tiger that helped him win the 2002 Masters, some fascinating behind the scenes stories of working with YE Yang in the lead up to his historic win over Tiger Woods in the 2009 PGA Championship, and a ton more. 

You can check Brian out online at the links below or reach out to him for lessons if you live near one of his 5 academies:

Brian Mogg Golf Academy
moggacademy.com

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/moggacademy

Instagram:
instagram.com/moggacademy

Performance Golf Zone online course:
https://bit.ly/MoggPower

Tiger’s 2002 Masters shot:
https://bit.ly/2002MastersMogg

Mini feature on YE Yang’s 2009 PGA Championship win:
https://bit.ly/YE2009PGA

Got feedback or ideas for future episodes?

ignorantcuriouspod@gmail.com

twitter.com/ignorantcurious

instagram.com/ignorantcurious

What’s it like to be Miss Universe? 

Brook Lee, Miss Universe 1997, is here to tell us. In addition to winning Miss Universe Brook is an actress, TV and podcast host, model and at least 3x cooler than you or I. She shares a ton of hilarious and amazing stories from her pageant days, including reading a user manual for how to behave around a Thai princess, receiving demerits on the pageant bus, creepy moments and #Boatgate with Donald Trump, and the real story behind her famous winning answer at the 1997 Miss Universe pageant. 

Enjoy the show, and please share, subscribe, and let us know what you’re ignorant & curious about and would like to see covered on a future episode! 

Show links:

Brook’s new podcast (with video!) “It’s a Hawaii Thing:”
https://itsahawaiithing.com/

1997 Miss Universe Final Answer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5I8_t_YsbQ

1997 Miss USA Final Answer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbbkWK7DlWU

Send your feedback & show ideas to:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ignorantcurious

Email: ignorantcuriouspod@gmail.com

Have you ever been curious what it's like to be Miss Universe? Or how actors learn a new accent for a movie role? Or what causes hurricanes? This podcast features deep-dive interviews on a wide range of topics, ideas, people, or lifestyles we're ignorant of and curious about. Subscribe and tune in to explore the what, why, and how of our fascinating world!

P.S. Have something you're ignorant and curious about? Send your episode ideas to  ignorantcuriouspod@gmail.com or to @ignorantcurious on twitter:)