Episode 302: Live From Philadelphia, PA 2016

Episode notes

“Un Chien En Deluge” and Swift Justice taped in front of a live audience at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia, PA on September 20, 2016 during the Tour of Live Justice! Plus, Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn catch up with Robert Hicks of the Mütter Museum and Nick and Sara from Episode 94: Bleached and Mounted Bones of Contention. And songs from Cynthia Hopkins!

For Cynthia’s music and podcast Moving to Philadelphia, visit CynthiaHopkins.com! If you’re in NYC, she’ll be performing her new show Articles of Faith from June 15 through the 17 at The Kitchen.

Here is the Dogville short the Judge had Bailiff Jesse watch during the show:

UPDATE!
Listener Melissa wrote in about this week’s episode. She is the training director New England Dog Training Club and had some thoughts about dog footwear. She wrote (emphasis ours):

Salt on sidewalks in cities, specifically, can literally burn the pads of the feet. That funny dance the dog does when it is in contact with salt is a dog trying desperately to stop the burning on their delicate paws. Secondly, sidewalks are not insulated so my veterinarian friends see several cases every year of frostbite on the paws, burns on the paws from sidewalk chemicals, and slices on the inside of the dog paws from ice that gets into the paws — injury that only gets worse when salt literally gets in those wounds.

In the summer, again, sidewalks aren’t insulated and were designed for we people to walk on said sidewalks with shoes. These sidewalks can literally burn the pads of dogs’ feet (I’ve had students walk dogs in the summer and end up with 2nd and 3rd degree burns on their dogs feet). If you can’t hold the back of your hand on the sidewalk for a count of 10, it’s too hot or cold for the dog to take a walk without appropriate barrier protection – boots.

I grew up in a dogsledding family in rural Maine, so when Jesse said “Who here has run the Iditarod,” I laughed because I sort of did! I was only shoved in a locker once as a result of that nerd-badge 🙂 We used boots on our dogs to protect against ice, sticks, and rocks slicing open their feet. But the chemical burns were not a concern. Running through puffy snow wasn’t as much of a concern (snow is insulating), but packed snow tends to have ruffage, sticks, nature poking through – this stuff can really slice open those feet.

So yes on sweaters on those that need it. Yes on booties for all dogs in the city during the winter at least.

Thanks Melissa for this important information!

Thank you to Nick Marritz for suggesting this week’s title! To suggest a title for a future episode, like Judge John Hodgman on Facebook. We regularly put a call for submissions.

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