12 chapters across the catalog
California legislation set for 2027 will allow for human composting as an alternative to traditional burial or cremation. Proponents argue the practice reduces the environmental footprint and helps fight climate change, while the hosts discuss the potential for home-based composting kits.
Green Burials and the Return to Nature Funeral Home Scandal
Police discovered 115 improperly stored bodies at the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Fremont County, Colorado, which specialized in "green burials." The facility reportedly eschewed embalming chemicals and metal caskets, leading to a biohazard situation that requires DNA testing for victim identification. The incident is used to satirize the "green" industry, with a dark joke about starting a "wood chipper burial" business.
A listener describes the radical shift at the Wiscon feminist science fiction convention, which now mandates masking and prioritizes speakers based on race. The conversation shifts to the irony of secular activists declaring certain lands "sacred" to stop development while simultaneously supporting human composting laws in California. The hosts critique the lack of logical consistency in these cultural movements.
California, Human Composting Legislation and Climate Change
Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill legalizing human composting in California, set to take effect in 2027. Assemblymember Christina Garcia, the bill's author, argued the process is more environmentally friendly than cremation or traditional burial because it avoids carbon emissions and chemical leaching. The process involves placing bodies in vessels with wood chips and mulch to create nutrient-rich soil over 30 to 45 days.
Human Composting Legislation, Oregon and New York Bills
Oregon passes a bill allowing for human composting, with similar legislation pending in New York. The hosts frame this as a "green" alternative to cremation, which produces carbon emissions. They jokingly link the timing of the bill to potential mass casualties from vaccines.
In Denmark, millions of mink culled due to a mutated strain of COVID-19 are reportedly "rising from the dead." The phenomenon is caused by gases from decomposition pushing the carcasses out of shallow, sandy graves. Local officials are now calling for the 15 million carcasses to be exhumed and cremated to prevent further public frenzy.
Death Penalty for Dead Suspects, Victim Burial Videos
A Washington Post journalist criticized President Trump for not calling for the death penalty for the Las Vegas shooter, despite the suspect being dead. The hosts mock the absurdity of the comment and ask listeners to stop sending videos of local burials and eulogies for the victims. They note the difficulty in finding public records of the 58 victims' funerals.
Tribal Consultation, Archaeological Surveys in North Dakota
Archaeological surveyors in North Dakota describe the subjective nature of identifying sacred sites like burial cairns and stone effigies. Under the Section 106 process, tribal consultation is required because only tribe members have the standing to determine what is sacred. Experts suggest that the destruction of sites during pipeline construction likely resulted from a lack of proper consultation rather than intentional malice by the oil companies.
Grand Duke David Foley, New Jack City and Stonehenge
The hosts read a donation from Grand Duke David Foley and discuss the cultural origins of the phrase "Am I my brother's keeper," linking it to the 1991 film *New Jack City*. A listener also writes in about Stonehenge, noting that recently discovered burial mounds are precisely 33 meters in length, connecting the "magic number" to ancient history.
Mike Morell countered Seymour Hersh's report that Bin Laden's body was dismembered and thrown out of a helicopter. Morell claimed to have seen video and photos of a proper Muslim burial at sea following the body's arrival in Jalalabad. He cited Admiral Bill McRaven's height-comparison test as proof of the body's identity, though the existence of such video evidence remains a point of contention.
While the White House praised Pakistan's recent elections as transparent, local reports suggest widespread corruption, ballot stuffing, and voter intimidation. Additionally, newly released emails suggest that no US sailors actually witnessed the burial of Osama bin Laden at sea.
The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is described as "Assassination Inc." by some critics, having flourished under General Stanley McChrystal. The hosts mock the official story of a "traditional Muslim burial" at sea, noting that Islam is a desert-based religion. They argue the decision not to use a Predator drone proves the mission was intended to recover intelligence.
