Responding to requests from several listeners, Christine and JJ take a look at flags from around the world and describe their symbols, colours, meanings, and histories. Can a simple design inspire patriotism and pride? How literal are the symbols? And can there ever be too many Welsh dragons?! Send us a quick note! Support the show
It's all about Mars and the Perseverance Rover on Talk Description to Me this week. To enhance the commentary and resources that come directly from NASA, Christine and JJ describe the look of mission hardware, discuss the compelling visuals of the Martian landscape and landing site, and break down NASA’s cinematic representation of a perfect entry, descent, and landing. For more information, including details on the rover's onboard microphones, check out the mission's official website: https://m...
Whether you call it the Spring Festival, Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year - this is a time to celebrate with family and friends. With guidance and listener support, Christine and JJ discuss and describe the visuals of the holiday, from food and clothing, to lanterns and dragon dances. Gong hei fat choy, everyone! Send us a quick note! Support the show...
What’s it like to watch people communicate in ASL? Are the gestures remotely comprehensible to those who don't speak the language? How is tone conveyed? And (apparently) most importantly, what's the sign for "Hamburger"?! This week, Christine and JJ discuss the look of ASL, ask more questions than they can answer, and give a quick described tutorial for the phrase "Nice to meet you!" Send us a quick note! Support the show...
On December 17, 2020 Talk Description to Me hosted a live event on Zoom, giving Christine and JJ a chance to talk shop with long-time listeners and new-found friends from across the continent. Community members from around the world emailed questions in advance, and others switched on their mics and asked their questions directly. In this second of two episodes featuring conversations from that event, curious listeners inquire about Mount Everest, printing fonts, TV in the COVID era, and a harro...
If you heard a gleeful squeal of delight echoing through the halls of podcastdom last week, it might well have been Christine discovering the latest TikTok sensation: Sea Shanties! With JJ describing and Christine singing, it's all hands on deck for this wee musical bonus episode. Send us a quick note! Support the show
This was an American Presidential Inauguration week like no other. With the nation's capital in lockdown, a field of flags standing in for real-life spectators, enhanced security to ward off further insurrection, and a COVID memorial to honour the 400,000 US lives lost in the ongoing pandemic, the visuals from Washington continue to provoke strong emotions. Join Christine and JJ as they describe the visuals of American history in the making. Send us a quick note! Support the show...
New images and videos concerning the January 6th attack on Capitol Hill continue to be released to the public. Journalists, pundits and investigators have been examining this visual material, and their opinions and interpretations have dominated news cycles around the world. This week, Christine and JJ extend their coverage of the Capitol Building riot to describe these new visuals, and add contextual information to the images and videos discussed in Part 1. Send us a quick note! Support the sho...
In this Breaking News episode, Talk Description to Me covers the historic events of January 6th, 2021, in Washington DC. Using images and videos pulled from social media and news reports, be they terrifying, surreal, or gut-wrenching, JJ and Christine seek to follow the visual chain of events that unfolded on this extraordinary day. Send us a quick note! Support the show...
On December 17th 2020, Talk Description to Me hosted a live Zoom event in which listeners were invited to help Christine steer the conversation, and ask JJ their most pressing description questions. In this, the first of two episodes featuring conversations from that event, curious listeners inquire about the famous Charlie Brown Christmas tree, holiday celebrations in New York City, N95 masks, the Kentucky Derby, and wonders of the natural world. Send us a quick note! Support the show...
In this special Christmas episode of Talk Description to Me, Christine and JJ don their masks, put on their parkas, and walk through Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood on a cold winter's eve. Recording face-to-face for the first time in the series, they take in the lights and decorations of the upscale shopping district, and describe the visuals of this most unusual Christmas season. Send us a quick note! Support the show...
At this time of year when the days are cold and the nights are long (and even colder!) many of us turn to fire, food, and festive celebrations to help get through the winter. In this episode, Christine and JJ warm their souls by describing the symbols and celebrations of Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the Winter Solstice. From socially distanced latke-making and Yiddish hip hop line dancing in neighbourhood alleys, to fire breathers and giant puppets of years gone by, we pack a lot of joy and warmth int...
In this episode, Christine and JJ look up; way up, to the Northern Lights. The aurora borealis is a beloved symbol of winter in the northern hemisphere, but it's clouded in mystery for those who have never seen it. Cup your hands around a hot drink, pull on your toque and scarf, and travel with us to the far north. Send us a quick note! Support the show...
Remember when we used to travel, and had to navigated places like airports and train stations? This week, Christine and JJ explore the international language of symbol signs and pictograms, used to help travellers find lodging, taxis, and restaurants, and determine where (and where not!) to relieve themselves. But first, our descriptive elegy to Puerto Rico's Arecibo telescope, and a formal invitation to our upcoming Year in Review Zoom Event. All in one globe-trotting edition of Talk Descriptio...
Minecraft is one of the most popular video games of all-time. With a blocky, pixelated aesthetic and no clear goal, the world-building pastime holds players captive to their own creativity. But Minecraft is much more than a game. Within the virtual space, real life problems are addressed, and solutions are crafted, block by block, by players around the world. In this week’s episode, Christine and JJ discuss the visuals and surprises found in this international video game phenomenon. For links to...
So, what does this blasted Coronavirus actually look like, anyway? What is 'Now This News' and why is it clogging up my Facebook feed? And there isn't actually a TV in every dentist's office, is there? This week, Christine's curiosity takes centre stage, and it's JJ's job to keep up! Send us a quick note! Support the show
Public memorials honouring those lost in war will be quite different this year, with many opting to pay their respects virtually, rather than in person. With that in mind, Christine and JJ describe the memorials where national ceremonies are held in Canada, England, Australia, and the U.S. Then, they shift their focus to instantly iconic images of VP-elect Kamala Harris, and perhaps the most bizarre press conference of 2020: Rudy Giuliani at Four Seasons Total Landscaping Send us a quick note! S...
In this companion episode to our coverage of pre-election visuals, Christine and JJ discuss images of voters casting their ballots, neighbourhood polling stations, and the dedicated election staff and volunteers working in extraordinary conditions. Then they scan the morning papers to see how last night's front page news was covered in the English-speaking world. Send us a quick note! Support the show...
This has been an unprecedented U.S. election campaign rife with political and social drama. In this special election-day episode, recorded at 9am on Tuesday November 3rd, Christine and JJ discuss the visuals of the final days and hours of the campaign, including courthouse clashes in North Carolina, Trump Trains in Texas, fences surrounding the White House, and long lines of voters determined to do their part. Send us a quick note! Support the show...
Has your neighbour's lawn become a graveyard overnight? Do wispy green ghosts float in nearby bedroom windows? Is the little old lady down the block dressed like a creepy, silent serial killer? It must be Halloween! From barfing jack-o-lanterns, to Zoom meeting costumes, and gory DIY illusions using iPads and projectors, Christine and JJ delight in the visuals of Halloween, and share some blood-curdling laughs while they're at it! Send us a quick note! Support the show...
Editorial cartoons have a long history of stirring up emotions by distilling complex societal problems and complaints for the masses. But are today's cartoonists adding to important political conversations, or just preaching to the converted? In this episode, JJ and Christine describe and discuss recent political and editorial cartoons, and discover that neither end of the political spectrum corners the market on hard-hitting, cringe-worthy, dark humour. Send us a quick note! Support the show...
For many of us, Zoom has become a feature of daily life, and can sometimes be a lifeline to the outside world. In this episode, Christine and JJ explore the visuals of the platform, from the Touch Up tool to custom backgrounds, and share uproarious laughs over scandalous scenes captured by Zoom's cameras. Then JJ takes us on a virtual tour of fall colours around the world. Send us a quick note! Support the show...
Many important political and social justice issues have come to a head in 2020, dominating the news cycle and shifting focus from another problem with global ramifications - the climate crisis. In this episode Christine and JJ examine photos and videos of the natural world in distress, and discuss the visualization tools that help us understand and appreciate the scientific data and satellite imagery. Plus witty and empowering protest signs from student climate strikes! Send us a quick note! Sup...
"Never get into a TikTok battle with the teenage daughter you've just infected with Covid" might not be a common political proverb, but this is 2020! In this short bonus episode we wade into the recent TikTok drama between Claudia Conway and her mother - Trump insider Kellyanne Conway. Send us a quick note! Support the show
All around the world, kids, parents, and teachers are wading into the school year, figuring it out as it goes. In this episode, Christine and JJ tug at the old heart strings as they discuss the visuals of back to school resourcefulness and resilience. From socially distanced kids in schoolyard lines, to re-imagined desks and forest schools, we look at learning in the COVID present, and dig up photos of education during earlier pandemics and outbreaks to see how they did it “back in the day.” Sen...
“In politics, appearance matters more than truth,” writes American author Robin Hobb. In advance of the upcoming debates, Christine and JJ consider each of the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates in the 2020 U.S. election, and discuss their looks, expressions, styles, and mannerisms. It's all about the visuals of political personas in this extended episode of Talk Description to Me. For links to articles and videos discussed in this episode, check out our latest blog post . Send us a q...
The makers of DC Comics have recently released trailers and concept art for their upcoming offerings, and "Holy melancholy, Batman!", are they ever dark! Meanwhile, fast food advertisers have been changing tactics to sell product in the COVID world. Instead of tempting us with glistening burgers and fresh ingredients, they now soothe and reassure us with images of hand-washing and mask-wearing. In this episode, Christine and JJ discuss the visuals in recent ad campaigns, and how our visual langu...
The events of 9/11 were shocking and tragic, and the visuals from New York City have become synonymous with national heartbreak and loss. In this extended episode, we look back at the wrenching photos and videos of the attack on the Twin Towers. Visuals that take us from the large-scale devastation to the individual human cost. With this episode we attempt to honour those who died, and those who survived, by broadening access to these vital images. Listener discretion is advised. Send us a quick...
What could be more 2020 than sightings of terrifying fire tornadoes? How about the dismantling of postal infrastructure in advance of an election where mail-in ballots may well determine the winner? In this episode, Christine and JJ discuss the fire tornadoes recently spotted in Northern California, then sort out the mail sorting machines at the heart of US Postal Service controversies. Recorded August 20th, 2020. Send us a quick note! Support the show...
In this Breaking News episode, Christine and JJ discuss the visuals of Hurricane Laura, which was tracked through the Gulf of Mexico by satellite, and made landfall in Louisiana earlier in the day. Then the topic shifts to deadly monsoons in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which have left cities, towns, and villages flooded with rain and sewage water. Send us a quick note! Support the show...
