Posts tagged #cordle

15/4 - I Was A Drug Dealer

“I enjoyed the contact of it. I enjoyed punching other people just as much as I enjoyed being punched.”

Stu Otten was raised on a tough Liverpool estate, where drug-taking was rife, and established crime families enacted violent retribution.

Aged 17, he became a bar-room bouncer - and soon found himself dealing drugs, protecting human traffickers, and defending his territory in a turbulent turf war.

In this raw, insightful interview, Stu reveals to Olly the self-loathing, drug-induced hallucinations and spiritual awakening that led him away from his marriage, his city, and organised crime - and into seeking forgiveness from those he’d hurt the most.

Stu now works for Causeway, stepping in to prevent today’s young people from echoing his mistakes.

Find out more about his work, and donate, via their website, https://www.wearecauseway.org.uk/

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart examines how, in this election year, the war for our votes is being fought online - from A.I.-generated memes to disinformation campaigns.

How do MPs stay on top of fake news? How can social media users research who’s targeting them? And - eight years on from Donald Trump’s first Presidential election - how come foreign entities are still able to buy their way on to our Facebook feeds?

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox discovers ‘fraysexuality’, and asks if some men get off on… having STI swabs.

If urethral sounding does give you a kick, what’s the safest way to introduce it to your sex life? What are the downsides of a ‘doctors and nurses’ fetish? And IS ‘Cotton Eye Joe’ by the Rednecks really about syphilis?

With the help of Sophie Cohen from House of Vixens and Dr Kareem Mahmoud from Flo, Alix has the answers…

If you have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer, fill in the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

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Finally, for our record of the month comes from Aberdeen punk rockers Cold Years, and their not-very-aptly-for-a-podcast-named new track, ‘Radio’ - from their forthcoming album, ‘A Different Life’ 👇

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14/6 - Sex, Sobriety and Rock & Roll

“Can we value the artist? Can we put wellbeing above partying?”

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Booze, drugs and music are deeply intertwined - from the beers given to bands in their ‘riders’ to the excessive consumption facilitated by festivals and after-show parties.

For music promoter Chris De Banks, consuming up to thirty pints a day had become typical behaviour. In the fug of his addiction, he lost jobs, friends and self-respect.

Following rehab in 2016, he founded Not Saints, the UK’s only record label working with musicians in recovery from addiction.

In this candid conversation with Olly, Chris traces his problem drinking back to childhood, discusses methods for the music industry to clean up its act, and celebrates the artists he’s supported through their drug and alcohol recovery.

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*Olly Mann and Chris De Banks,*
*June 2023*

In the feature you’ll hear clips from Not Saints artists Ella Hayes, Mishkin Fitzgerald & The Chemical Perils, Phil Mac, and our record of the month, ‘Pedestal People’ by Little Tealeif👇

If you or someone you know thinks they may have a problem with drugs or alcohol then speak to your GP or contact your local Drug and Alcohol Services who will be happy to help and offer more guidance.

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Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart, inspired by the likes of YouTube sensation Odd Tinkering, is attempting to restore some retro tech.

His weapon of choice is a 1980s Philips AM/FM radio, picked up for a fiver in a Westcountry market - but, with a little help from Google Nest - can he make it ‘Smart’?

If you have a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to investigate in a future epsiode, fill in the Feedback form.

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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox unboxes the Womanizer Wave - the first ever shower head that doubles as a sex toy. (Well, the first one to do so officially, anyway…)

Her listener question of the month is from an anonymous MannFan who considers himself straight… and prefers to be in a relationship with women… but enjoys sexual encounters with men on the side. Is he simply bisexual, or … is he ‘heteroflexible’?

With assistance from integrative counsellor and psychotherapist Anthony Davis, and Vaneet Mehta, author of ‘Bisexual Men Exist’, Alix unpicks the pride, shame and stigma of queer categorisations - and explains why, for some people, it’s important to define their place on the sexuality spectrum with a specific label.

If you have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer, fill in the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.
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… And we’ll see you again on July 10th!

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10/5 - Porn Messed Up My Brain

‘Quitting porn is the hardest thing I’ve ever done’

Sebastian Schub was 19 when he first experienced erectile dysfunction.

But he wasn’t a big drinker. There was no clear medical cause, such as heart disease.

However - like most men his age - he was an avid user of porn tube sites.

Googling his symptoms, he discovered the Reddit ‘no-fap’ community, and diagnosed himself with PIED (‘porn-induced erectile dysfunction’).

Spurning masturbation, he attempted to ‘reboot’ his brain…

LISTEN NOW:

Elsewhere this edition: Ollie Peart has been fishing, kayaking, foraging, wild-swimming, cliff-jumping, fire-building, and sleeping outside… all because Mann-fan Stefan in Coventry asked him to. Will his attempts at micro-adventuring inspire him to have a new outlook on life? Or did those poor fish die in vain?

Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox meets the 'Queen of Farts', and considers how best to make a written approach to a professional dominatrix. (Offering a deposit, apparently, is a strong start...)

Finally, our record of the month is ‘Love Song Too Late’, from 70s-inspired folk trio Moorby Jones. It’s from their album 'Past Continuous', out now.

If YOU have a question of sex for Alix, a challenge to suggest to Ollie, or guest you’d like Olly to interview, please reach out via our Feedback page.

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See you when our next episode drops on October 1st!

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