[indistinct chatter]

Aliza Hollister
  • 5.0 (2)
  • History
  • Updated Weekly

you know that friend who always has the most random info and somehow makes it the most interesting thing you've heard all week? hi, that's me. i'm aliza and indistinct chatter is where i break down the news, spiral into history and conspiracies, talk pop culture, and somehow tie it all together. no fluff, no lectures. just the scoop! new episode every tuesday. love ya!

  1. 5d ago

    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! 😽

    44 min

  2. Jun 2

    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!

    42 min

  3. May 26

    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

    45 min

  4. May 19

    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)

    28 min

  5. May 12

    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! 😽

    31 min

  6. May 6

    Met Gala Explained: The History Behind Fashion's Biggest Night

    Last night was the Met Gala, so today I’ve got a little history lesson for ya (and the news). Spirit Airlines is gone, 17,000 people lost their jobs overnight, and the abortion pill drama is back in the courts. Also, a woman just made history at the Kentucky Derby, and California billionaires are losing their minds over a 5% tax. You know, normal Monday stuff. For the main course: Everyone watches the Met Gala for the looks, but barely anyone knows how it started. Well, I do! And you will too. Spoiler: it started as a $50 dinner with no theme, no carpet, and absolutely zero celebrities. A woman named Eleanor Lambert threw a party to save a museum department that was about to go broke. That was 1948. Then Diana Vreeland showed up and started spraying Chanel No. 5 through the air vents. Then Anna Wintour took over and banned parsley. And now it costs $100,000 just to get in the door. New episode every Tuesday. Find me on Instagram @indistinct.pod or @alizahollister. Rate, review, share. Love ya. 😽

    42 min

  7. Apr 28

    Walpurgis Night: Halloween's Witchier, Older Sister You Never Knew About

    This week I found out Halloween has a sister. 🧙‍♀️ A twin depending on how you look at it. She's been here the whoooole time. She just lives in April instead of October. But first, I break down some of the news. Elon got summoned to Paris and didn't show up. Apple and Google are running ads for apps that digitally undress women. MrBeast's company is being sued by a former employee who took work calls from her hospital bed while in active labor. An Amazon worker died on a warehouse floor in Oregon and coworkers were told to turn around and get back to work. Someone tried to shoot up the White House Correspondents' Dinner. OpenAI knew a mass shooter was planning something eight months in advance and didn't tell a soul. And Forbes put a betting widget inside an article about eight murdered children.  Then we get a little witchy. April 30th is Walpurgis Night. Halloween's twin who sits directly opposite on the calendar. She’s got the same thinning veil, same energy, same chaos. Witches have been flying to a mountain in Germany for this for centuries. Get your brooms ready. 🧹 Come, we fly! Also the flying ointment ingredients are truly something else. I’ve got the recipe, but you have to promise you won’t make it at home. New episodes every Tuesday. Find me on Instagram @indistinct.pod or @alizahollister. Rate, review, share. I’ll love ya for it. 😽

    44 min

  8. Apr 21

    The Chainsaw Was Invented for Childbirth (And Other Things You Didn't Know)

    This week I’m keeping it light. Well. Mostly. Tim Cook is out at Apple, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame dropped its 2026 class, and 1,000 activists showed up to a Wisconsin beagle research facility and got met with tear gas and rubber bullets. Also, the Midwest got absolutely hammered by tornadoes this week, which got me thinking about tornado sirens, which led me down a rabbit hole (as anything will). Because those tornado sirens? They were invented for bombs. Not tornadoes. Bombs. And that's kind of the whole vibe of today's episode. Because Lysol used to be marketed as birth control. The chainsaw was invented for childbirth. Rogaine is a blood pressure medication that accidentally grows hair. And cotton candy was invented by a dentist. Two dentists, actually. I'll explain. Things are not what they seem. Especially the stuff under your sink. New episode every Tuesday. In the meantime, find me on Instagram @indistinct.pod or @alizahollister. Please share, rate, review. All that good stuff. I’ll love you long time. 😽

    37 min
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About

you know that friend who always has the most random info and somehow makes it the most interesting thing you've heard all week? hi, that's me. i'm aliza and indistinct chatter is where i break down the news, spiral into history and conspiracies, talk pop culture, and somehow tie it all together. no fluff, no lectures. just the scoop! new episode every tuesday. love ya!

Information

  • Creator
    Aliza Hollister
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Aliza Hollister
  • Show Website
    [indistinct chatter]