A Boomer and GenXer Walk into a Bar

Jane Burt

Wit and wisdom, some smart assery, and a Mother and Daughter questioning “Are we even related?”

  1. 3d ago

    Your Water Is Telling A Story And It’s Not A Good One S:2E:42

    Iowa’s drinking water can look perfectly clear and still carry a chemical story you don’t want in your body. But Iowa isn't the only state in trouble; it's an issue in many states and countries. We sit down with environmental activist and artist Christine Curry to unpack why nitrates keep spiking, how Iowa’s altered landscape speeds pollution into waterways, and what it means when even a sophisticated nitrate removal system gets overwhelmed. If you’ve ever wondered why water bans happen, why cancer worries keep surfacing, or why “regulated” doesn’t always feel “safe,” this conversation puts real numbers and real experiences behind the headlines.  We talk through the big drivers: intensive corn and soybean production, concentrated animal operations, massive pesticide and manure inputs, and the role of tile drainage and heavy rains in washing contaminants straight into creeks and rivers. We also dig into PFAS and VOCs, the so-called forever chemicals, and why people are increasingly anxious about long-term exposure. Along the way, we share resources for learning more, including community sessions, trusted reporting, and farmer-led efforts calling for change because the status quo isn’t working.  Most importantly, we get practical about what you can do as one person. We discuss citizen water testing with Nitrate Watch, reporting suspicious discharges, cutting home pesticide use, skipping the lawn watering mindset, and building pollinator-friendly yards and rain gardens that actually help reduce runoff. If clean water is a public health issue, then public action has to be part of the fix. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review with one step you’re willing to take this month. email: boomerandgenxer@gmail.com

  2. Aug 11

    Did A Particle Collider Change Our Timeline? A Hair-Raising Discussion! S:2E:41

    A 17-mile machine buried under Switzerland and France sounds like a movie prop, but CERN’s (European Organization for Nuclear Research) Large Hadron Collider is real and it has been on our bucket list for years. From the Rabbit Hole studio (and through Midwest heat that should be illegal), we break down what a particle accelerator actually does, why the LHC smashes protons and heavy ions near the speed of light, and how those collisions help scientists test the Standard Model of particle physics while chasing bigger mysteries like dark matter and antimatter. We don't really have any answers, but we love to talk about the moments that made CERN a household name: the first major collisions after the 2008 startup, the energy records measured in TeV, and the Higgs boson discovery in 2012, aka the “God particle.” Then we get into what’s happening now, including why the collider is currently offline and what CERN hopes to achieve with the High-Luminosity LHC upgrade targeted for around 2030. If you’ve ever wondered why “more collisions” matters, we translate the science into normal-person logic without stripping away what makes it fascinating. Of course, CERN comes with a shadow side of internet lore, so we tackle the big ones: black hole fears, timeline shifting, and why conspiracy theories connect the Mandela Effect to 2012. To round it out, we compare CERN to America’s own unrealized giant, the Superconducting Super Collider near Waxahachie, Texas, a project that started in the early 1990s, burned through billions, and was abandoned before it could deliver its promised 40 TeV power. If you like science, big questions, and a little chaos, subscribe, share this with a curious friend, and leave a review so more people can find us. email: boomerandgenxer@gmail.com

  3. Jul 28

    Corn Sweats And Chemical Regrets!! HELP! S:2E:40

    If your town posts a “boil advisory,” do you assume your water is safe again after a few minutes on the stove? We challenge that assumption and explain why boiling does not remove nitrates and can actually concentrate them, which is a scary fact in a state already dealing with severe nitrate contamination in drinking water. From Iowa cornfields to kitchen faucets, we trace how this problem spreads and why it keeps coming back.  We talk through what’s driving nitrate pollution in Iowa and many other states, including agricultural runoff, fertilizer, and the tile drainage systems that move water off fields and into streams, then into major rivers. We also compare the public attention given to crises like Flint with the quieter, ongoing water quality problems many communities face, from Safe Drinking Water Act violations to aging infrastructure and the false comfort of small, everyday “solutions” like basic pitcher filters.  Then we get into health concerns and the messy reality of multiple contaminants. We unpack the difference between naturally occurring nitrates in foods and the added or environmental nitrates that raise red flags, plus how PFAS “forever chemicals” fit into the bigger water contamination story. Finally, we talk about what actually helps, why treatment is expensive, and why lasting change means prevention at the source and louder demands for action. Subscribe, share this with a friend who trusts boil advisories, and leave a review. What does your local water report say right now? email: boomerandgenxer@gmail.com

  4. Jul 14

    What Chaps YOUR Hide? Let's Discuss Shall We? S:02E:39

    What chaps your hide? What just makes your blood boil; okay maybe not boil but steam a bit?  Welcome to the show where minor inconveniences become major offenses. Have you ever wanted to launch a public speakerphone user into the sun? Do "stupid traffic requirements" make your blood steam? You’re in the right place. Join Bobbi (constantly on the verge of losing it), Jane (already crazy), and Dr. Domain (just trying to figure out what the heck happened) as they unpack the everyday absurdities that chap their hides. From the struggles of wearing glasses to the literal crime of Jane stabbing her fork into the nucleus of Dr. Domain’s waffle, no grievance is too small to obsess over. Tune in, laugh along, and validate your own petty rage. Look out listeners, it’s about to get wild! Feel free to give us feedback or tell us what topic you would like us to talk about at boomerandgenxer@gmail.com. Like, follow and share us please! email: boomerandgenxer@gmail.com

  5. Jun 30

    Death Rituals Around The World - Please Don't Shoot Me Out Of A Confetti Cannon! S:2E:38

    A bedazzled live beetle pinned to your shirt. Salsa made with stink bugs. A funeral plan that involves Disney, a confetti cannon, and maximum trauma. We start in pure chaos and end up somewhere unexpectedly human: how do you want your body handled when you die, and who is that choice really for? We (Jane and Bobbi) dig into burial vs cremation, grave sites, and the very real tension between “do whatever’s cheapest” and the need families have for a place to visit, remember, and feel like someone mattered. Dr. Domaine weighs in on preferring a traditional burial and side-eyes the idea of a made-up “celebration of life,” which opens a bigger debate about whether we should honor people while they’re still here.  Then we hit the darker stuff: funeral home scandals, what can go wrong when money and grief mix, and how planning ahead can protect the people you leave behind.  If you’ve ever wondered what a “good goodbye” looks like, this one will make you laugh, cringe, and think. Subscribe, share with a friend who avoids death talk, and leave a review, then tell us: burial, cremation, or something totally different? email: boomerandgenxer@gmail.com

  6. Jun 23

    New Episode Schedule Announcement; Moving to Every Other Week! Buckle Up Buttercups!! Season:02 Announcement

    Clutch your pearls and secure your toupees! Keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times! We are changing the instruction manual!! Yep, Bobbi and Jane are moving to every other week to drop a new podcast. This change allows them to dive deeper into each subject and provide more time for Bobbi to do her deep-dive investigatory fact-finding. Although both have admitted to not being experts at pretty much everything, the new schedule will allow them time to launch comprehensive inquiries (or just find more crap that is funny to talk about!) You can still reach them in between episodes at boomerandgenxer@gmail.com anytime! Stay tuned email: boomerandgenxer@gmail.com

  7. Jun 16

    Why Disrespect Is Spiking And What It Reveals S:2E:37

    Disrespect has become a default setting, and it is showing up everywhere from traffic stops to school meetings to the way people treat a server over missing fries. We sit down as a mother and daughter duo and ask a blunt question: when did “standing up for yourself” start looking like chaos? Along the way we separate peaceful protest from intimidation, and we talk about why yelling, threats, and property damage do not persuade anyone, they just harden the other side.  We are not asking anyone to stop questioning power. We are arguing for boundaries, civil discourse, and accountability without turning public workers into targets. If you want change, we make the case for civic engagement that actually moves the needle: vote, stay involved locally, and stop feeding the outrage machine. Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations, share this with someone who needs a calmer way to disagree, and leave us a review with your take: what does respectful protest look like today? email: boomerandgenxer@gmail.com

  8. Jun 9

    Cryptids 101 With A Boomer And Gen Xer - Bigfoot to Chupacabra S:02E:36

    Something is stomping around the edges of human belief, and we can’t help chasing it into the woods. We’re talking cryptids: the creatures people swear they’ve seen even when science rolls its eyes. From Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster to the Jersey Devil, the Kraken, mermaids, and the infamous chupacabra, we bounce through the legends that keep showing up in campfire stories, old maps, and late night rabbit holes. And Bobbi is really into it!! Are cryptids just “creepy things,” or are they folklore doing a real job, like warning people away from danger, keeping kids in bed, or putting a face on fear when life gets harsh? We connect the dots between mythmaking, oral tradition, and the way tales get softened or sharpened over generations, then we take a turn into the cases that make skeptics pause. We debate a twisty question: if a cryptid were proven real tomorrow, which one would you want found and which one should stay hidden so humans don’t ruin it? We also put out a challenge: help us track down someone who knows the Van Meter Visitor legend from Iowa. Subscribe, share the show with your favorite monster nerd, and leave a review with the cryptid you want us to cover next. email: boomerandgenxer@gmail.com

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Wit and wisdom, some smart assery, and a Mother and Daughter questioning “Are we even related?”

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