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PODCAST

Condensed Soup

Condensed Soup is your daily 10-minute dose of sharp pop culture, delightful weirdness, and deep-dive comedy — hosted by Broadway veteran, comedian, and educator Lulu Picart. It"s part late-night monologue, part backstage hang — all wrapped up in a quick package you can take on your commute, your walk, or your pre-show warmup. Come for the small talk, stay for the big talk.

comedy daily news

All Episodes

10:02

Left-coiling snail shells: dating woes and...

Condensed Soup ·

2025/09/07

A snail named Ned has a rare trait: his shell coils to the left, making him part of a 1-in-40,000 group with mirrored anatomy—and a very limited dating pool. Discovered in a New Zealand veggie patch, Ned inspired a nationwide search for a match, echoing a 2017 quest for Jeremy, a similarly sinistral snail whose romantic journey included love triangles and 56 offspring. Turns out, snail mating is wilder than fiction—featuring love darts, hermaphroditism, and a whole lot of evolutionary drama. Ned is

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10:02

It's National Cheeseburger Day; Dairy Queen and...

Condensed Soup ·

2025/09/06

It’s National Cheeseburger Day soon, and Dairy Queen is giving away free cheeseburgers -- a fact that leads us to look at the DQ's influence in pop culture and its relationship with retro mall favorite Orange Julius. We chat about the surprise ingredient that made Orange Julius so unique, and how it can dress up your favorite cocktail. Dairy Queen announces National Cheeseburger Day deal: See how to get a free cheeseburger (James Powel, USA Today, Sep 3, 2025) 20 Things You Didn’t Know About

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10:02

Using the new hand signal for help in distress

Condensed Soup ·

2025/09/05

At a 7-Eleven in Alhambra, California, a woman flashed a hand signal behind her back — and someone inside the store recognized it as a silent plea for help. That simple gesture, created during the pandemic by the Canadian Women’s Foundation, led to the arrest of a man with an active warrant, a stun gun in his possession, and ties to a domestic violence incident. We talk about the viral “signal for help,” how it’s already saved lives across the country. Learn how to recognize it and use it (although

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10:02

James Patterson sponsors 12 authors in "Go Finish...

Condensed Soup ·

2025/09/04

James Patterson just gave 12 writers a golden ticket: $50,000 each to finish their books. It’s part of his new “Go Finish Your Book” campaign — and it’s not the only way he’s quietly becoming publishing’s greatest philanthropist. From grants for teachers and librarians to scholarships, bookseller bonuses, and even military book donations, Patterson’s funding the future of storytelling one check at a time. Also, I revisit my favorite library-centric romcom: Desk Set (1957), where Spencer Tracy meets

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10:02

Scaring off wolves with drones and heavy metal

Condensed Soup ·

2025/09/03

In today’s episode: howling drones, heavy metal wolves, and the science behind why your dog gives you those eyes. Ranchers are blasting AC/DC and dramatic scenes from the sky to scare off gray wolves — but what really separates those wild cousins from our couch-surfing pets? We’re going from wolf psychology to oxytocin experiments. Who rescued whom, indeed. Drones blasting heavy metal and Hollywood clips help biologists scare wolves away from cattle (CBS News / AP, Sep 2, 2025) Gray Wolf

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10:02

Secrets: China's proposed mega-embassy, a diplomatic...

Condensed Soup ·

2025/09/02

A proposed Chinese embassy (with secrets) is drawing scrutiny in London, which leads us to a gift that hung above the U.S. ambassador’s desk for seven years (but was listening the whole time.) Today we’re tracing the strange, musical science behind Soviet espionage in plain sight, how a Beach Boys–adjacent inventor pulled it off, and how to make sure you're not being spied on in your Airbnb. ‘The most ingenious stunt since the Trojan Horse’: The Soviet artwork that spied on the US (Matt Wilson, Aug

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10:02

You can get arrested for throwing your beer bottle...

Condensed Soup ·

2025/09/01

First, we catch up with the crosswalks in Orlando and how citizens are showing up. Then we shift to real crimes. From Miami high-rises to Margaritaville resorts, we’re looking at the people who can’t keep their beer bottles to themselves. Plus: the myth of the lethal penny dropped from the Empire State Building. Judge frees man arrested at former Pulse memorial crosswalk, no wrong doing found (Grace Bellinghausen, CBS 12, Aug 31, 2025) Judge Dismisses Florida Arrest Over Rainbow Chalk Art Near Pulse

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10:02

Redheads, assemble: Redhead Days in the Netherlands

Condensed Soup ·

2025/08/31

Every September, the Dutch city of Tilburg hosts Redhead Days, a free festival celebrating natural redheads with music, food trucks, and even skin cancer prevention workshops. The only rule? Only redheads can be in the official Sunday photo — which once set a Guinness World Record. Plus, my favorite redheads (one saved Star Trek!) Thousands of redheads celebrate their strands at a festival in the Netherlands (Molly Quell, AP, Aug 30, 2025) 5 Health Risks of Being a Redhead (Rachael Rettner, Live

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10:02

Grab bag! The Yankee Stadium squirrel; the Free...

Condensed Soup ·

2025/08/30

Today’s episode is a grab bag of oddball gems that didn’t quite fill a full show—but were too good not to share. We’ve got a Yankee Stadium squirrel that scored its own Topps card, a teenage founder of a micronation vying for Eurovision glory, and the uncanny reality of AI-generated podcasts that sound a little too human. From baseball field invasions to international law loopholes to synthetic podcast hosts, it’s a ten-minute tour of the weird and wonderful. Squirrel honored with Topps card after

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10:02

The great zipper merge debate: rage or right?

Condensed Soup ·

2025/08/29

Is merging early the polite move—or just causing more traffic? This episode breaks down the controversial zipper merge. From real road rage stories to surprising laws in Illinois and Utah, we dig into why waiting to merge until the last moment may actually be the better move—and why doing it too early might be slowing everyone down. Plus: the psychology behind merging and why this one driving habit sparks so much fury. Should drivers zipper merge? Is it actually faster? What you need to know (Ahmed

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10:02

It's peanut butter jelly time!

Condensed Soup ·

2025/08/28

Trader Joe's has new crustless PB&Js; what do they have in common with World War II rations and NFL locker rooms? A lot more than you'd think. Today’s episode dives into the history and obsession behind America’s most nostalgic sandwich—now reimagined by a grocery chain that’s always up to something quirky. From vintage recipes to Reddit air fryer hacks, we trace the evolution of peanut butter & jelly from humble lunchbox staple to a cultural icon worthy of cheesecake controversy and Super Bowl

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10:02

Return to sender: Countries cut off U.S. package...

Condensed Soup ·

2025/08/27

New U.S. tariff rules are throwing a wrench into global shipping—just in time for birthday season. Nearly 30 countries have halted some parcel deliveries to the U.S., and that surprise international package from grandma? It might not arrive. We're breaking down how this affects personal gifts, small business imports, and your online shopping habits in a world of rising trade tensions and “Buy American” policies. Postal services around the world suspend deliveries to US: how will it affect you? (Luca

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10:02

Should you use Buy Now, Pay Later services for your...

Condensed Soup ·

2025/08/26

Buy Now, Pay Later services like Klarna, Afterpay, and Affirm have changed the way we shop—and the way we think about affordability. In this episode, we explore the rise of installment payment plans, from festival tickets and flights to takeout and groceries. Plus, some personal confessions: the purchases I’ll finance guilt-free, and the ones I refuse to put on a payment plan (looking at you, iPad). Let’s talk money detoxes, social pressure, and the power of drawing the line—even when it comes to

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10:02

Moo-ve over, cows, there's a "better" butter

Condensed Soup ·

2025/08/25

What if butter didn’t come from cows, or even plants? Meet Savor, a biotech startup in Illinois that’s making rich, creamy butter entirely from air and water. Using carbon dioxide and hydrogen as their building blocks, they’ve engineered fat molecules identical to dairy—all without a single animal or crop. It's futuristic food tech with a delicious goal: reducing the environmental footprint of butter by nearly 1,000 times. Chocolates made with this planet-friendly fat could hit shelves by the

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10:02

147: Your Instagram is stalking you.

Condensed Soup ·

2025/08/24

Is your web browsing flying through the air? What about your Instagram location? In this episode, we dive into Instagram’s new real-time location sharing map—a feature that may sound helpful, but could be giving away way more than you bargained for. Basically, your privacy settings need a refresh in 2025. Whether you're a tech-savvy listener, an online privacy advocate, or someone just trying to make Instagram feel safer, this episode has your back. We’ll keep it light but make sure you leave

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10:02

Putting the rainbow back: Orlando's Pulse memorial...

Condensed Soup ·

2025/08/23

In today’s episode, a rainbow crosswalk becomes a battleground. Overnight, state workers painted over Orlando’s Pulse memorial crosswalk, igniting outrage from local leaders and LGBTQ+ advocates. We break down why the move wasn’t just about paint—it was about politics, pride, and power. From Florida’s new ban on “surface art” to federal letters warning cities to eliminate crosswalk “distractions,” we explore how public space is being reshaped under the guise of traffic safety. Plus, a look at other

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10:02

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a ... burrito

Condensed Soup ·

2025/08/22

Chipotle is taking to the skies—literally. In today’s episode, we unpack a future-flavored mix of drone delivery, adult Happy Meals, and the rising cost of fast food in America. From a flying burrito bowl to the true weight of guac, we explore how convenience, tech, and inflation are reshaping what—and how—we eat. Automation is reshaping how we eat and pay. We dig into rising fast food prices, shrinking portions, and how inflation is pushing adults toward Happy Meals. Plus, the global economy gets a

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10:04

A Swedish town is moving a church... very slowly

Condensed Soup ·

2025/08/21

What happens when a whole town has to pack up and move? In Sweden’s far north, the Arctic town of Kiruna is literally rolling away—starting with a 672-ton Lutheran church. In today’s episode, we follow the incredible slow-motion relocation of Kiruna Kyrka, a beloved century-old church being moved five kilometers to make room for the expansion of Europe’s largest underground mine. But this isn’t just about architecture—it’s about land and identity. And a whole lot of mining. The ‘big church move’:

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10:02

Don't eat the radioactive shrimp!

Condensed Soup ·

2025/08/20

Intro: I'm at Podcast Movement, and I'm enamored with some of the tech. Our disco and conference eras are combining in a very clever way. The FDA has issued a warning about specific lots of Great Value frozen shrimp sold at Walmart that may be contaminated with Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope. While no contaminated shrimp has entered the U.S. food supply, a recall is in motion. Check the FDA recall notice (linked below) for lot numbers and safety tips. And let's chat about what shrimp you should

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10:02

142 | Waking up is hard to do...

Condensed Soup ·

2025/08/19

If you've ever wondered, "should I put my alarm clock on the other side of the room?" -- this episode is for you. Products for Waking Up Early, According to Actual Morning People (Griffin Wynne, HuffPost, Aug 19, 2022) Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast condensedsoup@proton.me

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