Here's A Thought

Jan M Flynn

A blogcast for people who overthink. I'm Jan M. Flynn, a writer who thinks way too much about all kinds of things, so I know what that's like. Sometimes you need a little break from your brain — so here's a chance to get out of your own head for a bit, by getting into mine. Short, weekly episodes give you a glimpse into what's been on my mind: thoughts about life, the universe, and the weird or wonderful things people do. Occasionally I'll share some short fiction or poetry. Think of this as recess for your mind. Join me on my website at www.JanMFlynn.net, where you can leave a comment or suggestion on my blog page, and join my email list and receive a free download of my audio short story, "The Collector". Music courtesy of lesfm at pixabay. read less
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Episodes

Is That a Worm in Your Head, Or Are You Just Running For President?
May 22 2024
Is That a Worm in Your Head, Or Are You Just Running For President?
Send us a Text Message.The recent news that presidential candidate RFK Jr. has disclosed that doctors discovered a (dead) worm in his brain has me overthinking about . . . things that want to eat our brains. Real things, not zombies. Turns out it's not just worms. Join me for an introduction to some of the beasties that really want to get in your head.Sources:https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/rfk-jr-says-his-brain-was-partially-eaten-by-a-worm-that-crawled-inside-and-died-everything-you-need-to-knowhttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/08/us/rfk-jr-brain-health-memory-loss.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/08/us/rfk-jr-brain-health-memory-loss.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/08/well/live/brain-worm-parasites-rfk-jr.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/by/dana-smithhttps://www.nytimes.com/by/dani-blumhttps://biosci.unl.edu/scott-gardnerhttps://www.cdc.gov/parasites/cysticercosis/index.htmlhttps://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/infectious-diseases/cestodes-tapeworms/taenia-solium-pork-tapeworm-infection-and-cysticercosishttps://theconversation.com/finding-a-live-brain-worm-is-rare-4-ways-to-protect-yourself-from-more-common-parasites-212437https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1777167553317703852Support the Show.Do you have comments to share or an idea for an upcoming episode? Need something overthought? I'd love to hear from you!Email me at HeresAThought8@gmail.comOr, contact me on my website at www.JanMFlynn.netOr, DM me on Twitter: @JanMFlynnAuthorTheme music courtesy of Pixabay Music
My Classmate Didn't Just Drink the Kool-Aid: She Brewed It
Apr 10 2024
My Classmate Didn't Just Drink the Kool-Aid: She Brewed It
Send us a Text Message.The Jonestown Massacre happened 46 years ago. But to me, it feels way too close — because one of the people who died there was a girl I went to school with.  She was a quiet, shy girl, the daughter of a pastor when I knew her. For years I thought of her as a duped, innocent victim. But it turns out she was one of the leaders, and an architect of the plan to have everyone drink the poison. Is there a way to make any of this make sense?Content warning: suicide, murder, cults, sexual abuse, child murderReference links:Jonestown, basic background from Brittanica: https://www.britannica.com/event/JonestownMaria Katsaris, Wikipedia entryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_KatsarisJonestown: The Women Behind The Massacre documentary filmhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt8020376/"revolutionary suicide"https://inthesetimes.com/article/jonestown-mass-revolutionary-suicide-socialist"Moonies" (Unification Church)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unification_ChurchScientology/Church of Scientologyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology#:~:text=Scientology%20is%20a%20set%20of,or%20a%20new%20religious%20movement.Baghwan Shree Rajneeshhttps://www.neh.gov/humanities/2018/spring/feature/rajneeshpuram-was-more-utopia-desert-it-was-mirror#:~:text=Named%20after%20the%20iconoclastic%20Indian,utopia%20in%20the%20Oregon%20desert.Jonestown 45th anniversary article, Daily Journal:https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/45-years-later-peoples-temple-and-the-peninsula/article_3b001bee-85cc-11ee-aa8d-579b5c0b7b99.htmlAlternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Templehttps://jonestown.sdsu.edu/-transcript of Charles Garry's interview with Maria Katsaris re: sexual abuse by fatherhttps://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=125494Charles Garry, Wikipedia entrySupport the Show.Do you have comments to share or an idea for an upcoming episode? Need something overthought? I'd love to hear from you!Email me at HeresAThought8@gmail.comOr, contact me on my website at www.JanMFlynn.netOr, DM me on Twitter: @JanMFlynnAuthorTheme music courtesy of Pixabay Music
Season 3, Episode 2: A Solution to the Woman Problem
Feb 28 2024
Season 3, Episode 2: A Solution to the Woman Problem
Send us a Text Message.Thanks to the recent Alabama Supreme Court decision that says frozen embryos in test tubes equal are human beings, yours truly has been listening to the fallout (for example, what this means for IVF treatments) and overthinking what this means. Clearly, the GOP has a real problem with the woman question. Luckily, I have a solution.Content advisory: political satire, mention of abortion, oblique references to Christian nationalism.Reference links:https://abcnews.go.com/US/indiana-reprimands-doctor-ohio-rape-victim-abortion/story?id=99612853https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/12/11/1218625460/texas-woman-who-sued-state-for-abortion-travels-out-of-state-for-procedure-inste#:~:text=Hourly%20News-,Texas%20abortion%20ban%20leads%20woman%20to%20leave%20state%20for%20emergency,Texas%20to%20get%20an%20abortion.https://www.newsweek.com/idaho-republican-representative-apologizes-womens-health-farm-animals-1773507https://apnews.com/article/alabama-frozen-embryos-conservative-christian-views-ruling-d9b7f720b5ef865ab35205ad36061f2dhttps://states.guttmacher.org/policies/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5-uuBhDzARIsAAa21T-SrxE6nlipaxKbWzVCiEGioglq_FhUfmZ2hELKUqeXanmd2g-CRJ8aAl15EALw_wcBhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Mountain_Mandatehttps://abc7chicago.com/abortion-ban-map-where-banned-restricted-protected/13299140/#:~:text=Idaho%20has%20one%20of%20the,state%20lines%20without%20parental%20consent.https://abcnews.go.com/US/idaho-governor-signs-abortion-trafficking-bill-law/story?id=98399580https://apnews.com/article/alabama-abortion-justice-department-2fbde5d85a907d266de6fd34542139e2https://www.axios.com/2023/11/15/us-abortion-ban-republican-president-2024-trumpSound Effect from Support the Show.Do you have comments to share or an idea for an upcoming episode? Need something overthought? I'd love to hear from you!Email me at HeresAThought8@gmail.comOr, contact me on my website at www.JanMFlynn.netOr, DM me on Twitter: @JanMFlynnAuthorTheme music courtesy of Pixabay Music
Cheers to Episode 100! Now, Let's Get Serious
Nov 29 2023
Cheers to Episode 100! Now, Let's Get Serious
Send us a Text Message.In this episode, Here's A Thought reaches a milestone that a lot of podcasts never achieve — and that is entirely thanks to listeners like you. So I'm enormously appreciative.I'm also thinking deeply -- which is distinct, I hope, from overthinking — about the interview I did for another podcast I'm involved in, and how it was driven home to me by the recent news about Derek Chauvin — the former Minneapolis cop who was sentenced to 22 1/2 years for killing George Floyd in 2020 — being stabbed in prison.Whatever offense a convict has committed, violence, sexual assault, and dehumanizing conditions are not supposed to be part of the punishment. And the hard truth is that not everyone who is languishing in prison even belongs there.It's a reality that most of us are insulated from confronting — but after my  interview  with Dr. Greg Hampikian, co-founder of the Idaho Innocence Project, for an episode of the Crow's Feet: Life As We Age podcast (release date January 24, 2024), I've lost my insulation. I don't think that's a bad thing. Here's A Thought will be taking a hiatus after this episode -- so check out any of the previous ones you may have missed and please join me in the meantime at:Crow's Feet: Life As We Age -- on all major podcast platforms.Links for today's episodes:Dr. Greg HampikianIdaho Innocence ProjectAmanda KnoxBureau of Justice Statistics, report cited on sexual victimization in prisonsNew York Times, November 27, 2023: "The Stabbing of Derek Chauvin: What We KnowJesse Lerner-Kinglake, Just Detention InternationalPrison Policy InitiativeSharia Law and punishmentOpening Sound Effect from PixabaySupport the Show.Do you have comments to share or an idea for an upcoming episode? Need something overthought? I'd love to hear from you!Email me at HeresAThought8@gmail.comOr, contact me on my website at www.JanMFlynn.netOr, DM me on Twitter: @JanMFlynnAuthorTheme music courtesy of Pixabay Music