MFM Minisode 504

this is exactly right discover pandora talisman a new collection designed to help you express every side of who you are because the most powerful statement you can make is being yourself featuring meaningful zodiac symbols and personalized jewelry pieces each design tells a story that's uniquely yours a reflection of what you stand for what you believe and how you choose to show up every day pandora talisman a new language of self-expression because every version of you deserves to be seen shop new styles in store or online at pandora.net goodbye we know so much more about our skin than we used to and we know how important it is to take care of it with cera v cera v facial cleansers don't strip the skin they strengthen the skin barrier from day one i've always used cera v they have little samples at my dermatologist as i'm leaving and they don't do that with just anything cera v is the number one dermatologist recommended cleanser brand and offers a range of facial cleansers for all skin types find yours goodbye hey everybody here's the thing about other home security systems they're all designed for after after the window breaks after someone's inside after you get the notification after the police come simply safe is the first system designed for before stopping a break-in before it even begins that's right unlike traditional security systems that only alert you after a break-in is already designed to help prevent the crime before it starts their cameras can detect suspicious activity at the perimeter and alert live us-based agents then simply saves agents assess the threat intervene speak through the camera to scare off the intruders and call for 9-1-1 dispatch that's right and simply safe has been protecting your world for 20 years everybody so celebrate their anniversary and save 60 on your new simply safe system at simply safe.com stuff that's 60 off you guys at simply safe.com slash stuff plus when you order write in our show name and the how did you hear about a survey to let them know that we sent you don't forget there's no safe like simply safe my hey to my favorite murder the minis the back to school mini so the back to school very special episode of the mini so we're going to do just teacher adjacent stories right school stories teacher stories yes but because we're doing this we're also going to have a little fun with it last year we reposted a bunch of teachers wish lists so that other people could help and clear them and everybody responded of course it's the murder you know community so they showed up and they showed out and they cleared a ton of wish lists so this year we are going to join in and like double down on that we're going to clear as many wish lists as possible by donating $10,000 to kids in need foundation and the name of all our teacher murder he knows teacher he knows and kids need foundation is really great because it actually focuses on under resourced classrooms so that feels even better totally so if you'd like to help and give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little of us we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little of us we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little as well and clear teachers wish list we're going to give a little letters back and forth. Two sisters, Juanita and Betty Wagner, wanted to write another set of sisters and found a pair listed, Anne and Margo. The Wagner girls excitedly spoke of living on a farm and what life was like in a small community compared to the other sisters' city experience. Hashtag? Quote. Holy shit, I got to stop scrolling. Come with me. Come with me. Quote. I almost did it again. It was just friendly talk to write to somebody overseas was a great experience. End quote. Betty later said Anne and Margo wrote back in English, translated by their father, Otto, with photos and postcards of Amsterdam. Do you know where I'm going? Juanita and Betty wrote back immediately, but never heard from the girls again. The Netherlands had been invaded by the Germans two weeks later, and any letters going out to America would have been impossible. That is not where I thought you were going. I forgot that it was the 40s. I didn't want to say it. I didn't want to spoil it. But the sisters, Juanita and Betty Wagner in Iowa, wrote to Anne and Margo Frank and their father, their father, Otto, translated. Oh, my God. I know. When the war ended, Betty decided to write to the Frank's old address in hopes that Anne and Margo were still there. She was answered months later by Otto Frank, the only survivor who then told Betty and Juanita the entire story of his family's experience. In hiding, being caught in the deaths of his daughters. In 1956, Betty heard of a new play called The Diary of Anne Frank being opened and hoping it was her old pen pal bought the book. The girls were shocked that their old friends were now faces of the Holocaust. Thankfully, Juanita and Betty had kept their letters from Anne and Margo. Anne and Margo's letters are currently in the Simon Wiesenthal Center, kept safely in a vault. You're just doing a little pen pal program. The tiny Danville Anne Frank Museum is the only place granted permission to showcase digital copies. So because of this, Danville opened Anne Frank Museum. Because of these sisters. Yeah. Since 2012, Danville eighth graders collect postcards like the ones Anne and Margo sent to their pen pals, hoping to get 1.5 million to represent the 1.5 million children killed in the Holocaust. Juanita died in 2001 and Betty died in 2012. I try to pass along the story as much as I can. It is an ultimately devastating story, but it is amazing how two farm girls in the middle of nowhere were able to pass along a bit of history about two girls they didn't consider major figures. They didn't know the mark Anne's diary would make on the world. They were just children excited to make new friends. If only everyone can have that outlook. Stay safe. And pass along amazing stories. Morgan, she, her. I'm just blown away. I know. Why doesn't everyone know that story? I don't know. I know. I want to read those letters. I know. But they're just like, they're, they're just. Went out and played. This is what my life is like. Normal life. And tell. Amazing. Wow. Well, thank you so much for writing that in. Yeah, Morgan. That's incredible. This podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. Every successful small business starts with someone saying, I wonder if people would actually buy this. Squarespace gives you everything you need to find out. From consultations to events and experiences, you can showcase your skills with a customizable website designed to attract clients and grow your business. With Squarespace's collection of cutting edge design tools, anyone can build a beautiful, professional online presence that perfectly fits their brand or business. Get paid on time with professional invoices and online payments. Plus, streamline your workflow with built-in appointment scheduling, and email marketing tools. Head to Squarespace.com/murder for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, use offer code MURDER to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Goodbye. A closet can be completely full and somehow totally empty at the same time, much like your parents' refrigerator. It's time to rebuild around pieces you actually want to wear. And that's exactly what you'll find at Quince. Quince makes elevated everyday essentials using premium materials like Mongolian cashmere, organic cotton, and washable silk. Quince brings that same everyday elevation to everything they offer, from hotel quality bedding and bath to kitchen staples and thoughtfully designed furniture. I love that Quince has added this whole new level with their kitchen essentials, with their bedding and bath, with their home essentials, because they bring that quality and that affordability to pieces that are really nice. So I know I don't have to do a lot of research on them. I know if Quince is carrying them, they are good quality. I have like three of their 100% mulberry silk pillowcases. I've bought in throws from there. I've bought in bedding from there, and it is just as great quality as their clothes and super affordable. Find the fall pieces you'll reach for most at Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers or go to quince.com/mfm. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. Q-U-I-N-C-E.com/mfm. Goodbye. Okay, so the subject line of this email is teacher typo. Hello, Al. I am a high school English teacher, and I have taught middle school in the past. That's like saying I've been to war. This story is from my middle school days. At the time, we were not as into the digital age with all of the online classrooms like we are today in the post-COVID world, but I was posting weekly lesson plans onto my section of the school website so parents could see what we were—I just remembered what this is—so parents could see what we were doing in class for the week. Oh, God. One unit in particular was about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, Sharing the American Dream, which is a great speech and made for an equally great lesson. Of course, I posted the name of that lesson on the website with my weekly plans. Fast forward a bit, and we got a new teacher who is going to teach the same classes as me, so I shared my lesson plan calendars with her. A day or so later, I got a text from her with a picture of my lesson plan for that unit with a message that said something along the lines of, "I am laughing so hard, I'm going to go to school." copy editor. Like if I can't write ducking. You're telling me there's no, yeah, there's no red line under. Yeah. And it went up and no one said a word. Holy shart. Do you fear more a horrifying, humiliating mistake like this that you, no one ever says a word about or immediately you get the text and the phone calls of take that down. Which one's better or which one's worse? Because I feel like the slow burn is almost like more horrifying. Yeah. Like people are like, oh no, look away. Both sound just so bad. Both are making me like break out in sweat. Do we have to pick one? I guess is the real question. Neither. Okay. Sit in it. Sit in the shame. This had been up on the school website for parents to see for at least a whole year. Not one parent. Like that's a year. Okay. Anyway, I am not sure any parents ever read the plans or they just didn't see it, because I never received any type of email about it. I was tempted to leave it because I work with kids all day and that has become my sense of humor. But in the name of professionalism, I did change it. And I sincerely apologize to Dr. King for disgracing his speech in that way. Thank you for being my car companions during my 45 minute commute to work each day. These past few years have been pretty rough in the world of education and in the world in general. And your podcast has been a great help. Thank you. It's been an excellent way to decompress after the hard days. Thanks for reading and shout out to Laura for fighting the good fight. Stay sexy and always check your work, even if you're an English teacher. That's the worst part. Oh, my God. It's so bad. Mortifying. It's so bad. But it is true. People don't read stuff like that. I wonder if anyone had even ever seen it, except for the other, like the new English teacher, of course, got it. And if they did get it, it was a full year of risk. And here comes the second English teacher to say it. The first one's ass. Holy shit. America. Okay. My next one. I'm not going to reach the subject line. Hello, dear friends. I am woefully behind and listening to Minnesota 392, where Kelsey wrote in about her dad getting all kinds of good shit, including a bike from Pepsi points. He fraudulently sent in. Love that story. This reminded me of a Polaroid I have of myself on the first day of kindergarten, which Vince says as kindergarten. Kindergarten. I wonder if that's like a Midwest thing. I love it. Kindergarten. Wearing a questionable outfit. I know my mom, Maxine, would be pissed if she knew I was about to share her parents' names with a lot of strangers, but too bad. Her parents, Stan and Rose, owned a grocery store and would get all kinds of merch from alcohol, food, soda. Shout out to the R2-D2 Pepsi cooler we had when Star Wars episode one came out. I remember those on the top. It slid up like that. Remember? Like an R2-D2 thing? I'm pretty sure. Yeah. How much are those worth? And especially cigarette brands. So yeah, there's a picture of me from the first day of school wearing a giant Newport cigarettes t-shirt. That is. beautiful. I want one right now. Trash parenting win. I still have some of the bags, sunglasses, mugs, and a cool brand with a K, of course. Shirt, but not that one. Sad. Stay sexy and probably don't let your five-year-old promote tobacco products at school. Pam, and then Pam attached a photo. Oh, Pam. Newport. What was the saying for Newport? Something, the something. I don't feel the breeze or some shit. Feel the breeze. That is amazing. With Newport. Pam. A plus. It's so epic. I love that so much. Oh, God, it's so good. And people are just like, pretend it's the town. Pretend it's the town. Right. Oh, it's so good. Amazing. Georgia, it looks like the saying is alive with pleasure. Alive with pleasure. Something with something. Yeah, you knew it. Alive with pleasure. That's the best because you're going to die in pain if you don't do it. You smoke the alive with pleasure. Big time advertising. Totally. Just like, you're not dying at all. Like someone in a boardroom on so much coke thought of that saying. You know what? Alive. This is killing them. Let's say alive with pleasure. It's the opposite. Like it's worth it now. You're living now, so it's worth it because you get pleasure. Right. So like you're living it now because you're going to be fucking dead from it. Because you're smoking menthol cigarettes. Like fiberglass menthol. The cool logo. Was my, one of my favorite fonts of all time. So good. Because there's a K in it. Okay. Oh, sure. I mean, it's really all about narcissism at the end of the day. Absolutely. I use the Georgia font in every fucking thing I do. I'm here with you. Buying furniture is a lot of pressure. It has to look good, feel good, and hold up to everyday life. Take it from me, a bad couch can ruin your life. That's why Article focuses on stylish, high quality pieces designed to last. Article makes it effortless to create a stylish, long lasting home at an affordable price. They take great care in curating their collection, focusing on pieces that stand the test of time. There's no filler. Every item is chosen for its craftsmanship, design, and lasting value. And with Article's 30-day satisfaction guarantee, you can shop with confidence, knowing that if you're not completely in love with your new furniture, you can easily return it. Man, there was nothing I love more than when I was broke and I could still buy a furniture that I needed at Article. It wasn't cheap looking. It's like I was investing in these pieces that were comparatively inexpensive and I was like finishing rooms. I was like getting the kitchen table that was like bringing the whole thing together. And it was such an incredible thing because I never got to do that before. I love that about Article. Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit article.com slash murder and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout. That's article.com slash murder for $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. Goodbye. Summers for adventures, road trips, and adding a whole lot of miles to your car. That's why it's worth stopping at Valvoline Instant Oil Change first. If you need an oil change, make the smart stop at Valvoline Instant Oil Change before you hit the highway. Their trained techs can help you get road trip ready with an oil change and an 18-point maintenance check included with every oil change, checking your tire pressure, wipers, lights, and more. That means they're checking important things before you're halfway to your aunt's house with no cell service. And these aren't just any techs. Valvoline Instant Oil Change techs complete over 200 and 70 hours of training so your car's in capable hands. The best part? You can stay in your car and you're in and out in about 15 minutes. So before your next long summer ride, pull into Valvoline Instant Oil Change. Valvoline Instant Oil Change. Change wisely. Goodbye. So my last email is, the subject line says, it's a Catholic school nun story. And then I'm not going to read you the rest. That was just the first half. It says, it just gets into it. When my family moved to North Carolina, I was a Catholic school nun. I was a Catholic school nun. I was a New Jersey in 1980. I started attending Queen of Peace Catholic School. I mean, you just have to get into it. Sixth grade started out great, largely because our teacher was a 157-year-old nun who only taught us two subjects, spelling and saying the rosary. This is what Catholic school was like. It was really up to whoever the tallest person in the room was, what was going on. It felt very unregulated. I don't think she ever taught math. I don't think she ever taught math, history, geography, or anything else for that matter. I did not complain. I started to imagine that perhaps I, too, would become a nun. No math, just a bunch of praying. Not a bad life. This is my favorite email. One day I was working in my spelling book when Tommy Decker hit me over the head with his spelling book. I had not been taught how to tell someone to go to hell. So instead, I did the only thing a sixth grade Catholic school girl could do. I tattled. Sister Ann, Tommy Decker hit me on the head with his spelling book. Sister Ann, did not tolerate defiling spelling. Tell him to stop it and let me know if he does it again. I trotted back to my seat. I started working on my spelling again, and he did it again. Sister Ann, Tommy Decker hit me on the head again. Sister Ann marched her plump, habited form over to Tommy Decker, grabbed him by the hair, and dragged him to the front of the class. Then she called me to the front of the class as well. This made me nervous because clearly Sister Ann was deviating from the script. Tommy Decker should have been sent to our principal. Sister Ann let go of Tommy Decker's hair and turned to me. Hit him back, she demanded. I knew it. I love it. Hit him back in front of the class. Should I defy the bride of Christ and go to hell or slap Tommy Decker, who had done nothing but bother me for weeks? Clearly, I had to follow the path upon which I had been sent. Oh, God. I want to do it myself. Why do I want to hit a kid so bad? Well, you know Tommy Decker. I'd pulled my arm back, extended my hand, and slapped his face with all my might. Holy shit. I don't remember a single detail more about this incident until the phone call from Sister Michael that night. And it starts, you are not in trouble. But can you tell me what happened today? I gave her my story. She thanked me and hung up. I did my spelling. I prayed my rosary and went to bed. Oh, my God. The next day at school, we had a substitute teacher. Yeah, who did? Word quickly spread. Sister Ann was gone. She had been sent away to wherever bad nuns go and was replaced by a nice, stable lay teacher with dishpan hands who we would call Dishy for the rest of the year. Stay sexy and offer your suffering up to Jesus, Sarah. P.S. I teach preschool and whenever a kid's mad about something trivial, I do the look, listen, look and listen and look and listen. Until they get annoyed with me and stomp off. It works every time. Sarah, you just moved into my number one favorite fucking email. I because I don't I try not to read these. I just skim them for now. And so I know what's about to happen. Yeah. But that slapping slap that kid across the face. Right. Hit him back. You know, that kid's got a fetish now, a grown up fetish of being slapped in the face by nuns. But there's got to be a nun, someone watching schoolgirl outfit, a nun in a schoolgirl outfit. And then it's. You're bad, Tommy. You're bad. Exactly. OK, my last one. Let him live. Hero teacher was a bitchy queen. Oh, hey, love you. I was outed as gay at the beginning of my senior year in 1980 at a high school party. Starting off strong. That's in 1980. Horrifying. I'm so sorry. Although I didn't reap the whirlwind of abuse I'd expected from my southern small town classmates, it sent me into a downward spiral of fear and deep, deep depression. Understandably, I stopped doing any of the things I loved, including studying. I know, nerd. So my straight A's became C's and D's. My teachers noticed, of course, but none asked me what was going on or if I needed help. One told me my brain probably wasn't mature enough for calculus. Another pulled me aside and actually said, it's OK. Some people peak early. But my AP American history teacher, let's call him Mr. Patterson, never said a thing to me all semester. That wasn't unusual. He was a big, loud southern queen, like a cross between a football coach and Truman Capote. Brilliant. That's, what's his name on Modern? It's Cam on Modern Family. Totally Cam. That's incredible. Bitchy, intimidating, and mean. His vibe was always wanting to watch the school burn down while sipping a G&D. Hell yeah. One of his hallmarks was handing back our tests and papers one by one, walking up the rows of desks, telling us what a useless, talentless, decadent generation we were in in a booming lisp. It was funny, but he wasn't joking. At the beginning of the second semester, when I was at my absolute lowest, he was handing back the term papers we were supposed to have written over the break. As he slammed each paper down on a desk, he saved a little hidden insult for that particular student. Quote, they wouldn't hold your hand in college, slam, if you even get to college, slam, which is unlikely when you cannot spell or write, slam. When he got to me, I braced, but knew it didn't matter. My depression had numbed me to almost anything. He stood next to my desk and said, quote, but maybe your generation isn't a total loss. Some of you can write better than the textbook. Yeah. Slam. That's right. I peeked at my grade A plus with the note, you write like an angel. If you're thinking that solved everything or that he became my mentor, no. He never said another thing. He never said anything to me until just before spring break. I was not only after class because I didn't like to linger in the crowded. corridors. He looked up from the papers he was grading and said with a little wave at the noisy hallway, Mr. S, these people are turkeys. Don't become a turkey. I mostly pulled myself out of my depression that spring, at least enough to get away from high school. I spent the next 40 years as a writer, editor. I'm now married, semi-retired, and working on my first novel. Mr. Patterson was never in the front of my mind over the years. Other than those few interactions, there wasn't much to remember. But in hindsight, that man probably saved my life by simply reminding me I wasn't worthless. He knew, then as now, we bitchy queens have got to take care of each other. SSDGM and don't be a turkey, Mr. S. Oh, Mr. S, congratulations. I had a teacher that saved my life in the same way. Like Mrs. Mercer was her name. And I wouldn't be where I am. I've written about her in our book. I would not be where I am today. Because she took an interest. She saw you. Yeah, totally. It's huge. I mean, especially that age where you do, like, unless you're a cheerleader or a football star, you go invisible. And then you're kind of grappling with that. And the irony of someone being outed at a time where it was only a punchline. And the risk, there's like real physical risk. Yes, absolutely. Yeah, it definitely was like everyone else around you is having the time of their life. Everyone's telling you it's the best years of your life. And you're fine. You're fine. You're fine. You're depressed and miserable. And you think something's wrong with you. Or you believe that you don't belong. You don't get to have that or something. Yeah. What I really love, too, is like that idea. He wasn't his mentor. Nothing else. Yeah. Because he was actually being a great teacher. He's just like, get your fucking head on straight. Yeah. And focus on what you need to be doing. This shit isn't this shit is not like not worth it. Right. Don't worry about these people. Bye. And then there's no like, please come and tell me how it's nothing. It's just like, go actually do it. Yeah. So you guys remember Kids in Need Foundation is where we're donating to and to post your Instagram story with a link to your wishlist teachers and tag us at My Favorite Murderer. Let's get some wishlets cleared. I was gonna tell a story because this is my sister's last year of teaching. Yeah. Oh, my God. And she has I think it's 30 years, if not 32. Holy shit. She has been a grammar school teacher. And she's taught every grade and she's done. I mean, she's done every single thing. But the last like five years, she's done every single thing. And she's done every single thing. And she's been focusing on kindergarten because she loves getting little kids and basically teaching them how to learn. Totally. That's like her favorite thing. And I just wanted to she doesn't listen to the show and she doesn't like this show. But we all know her and to be a teacher for that long and to be dedicated the way she's been. Yeah. It's just like these are the people who make it possible when we all learn this lesson in COVID. Yeah. These people make it possible for families. Absolutely. And they get paid absolute shit because it's a female dominated job. And all of those things hopefully will change sooner rather than later. But in the meantime, there's people who are really keeping it together in the most egregious circumstances. So if you have anything extra and you can give it in any way you can clear one item on one list. Yeah. There's a lot of things that you can do. Yeah. Yeah. There's a lot of things Well, thanks for listening, you guys. Happy back to school. I feel bad for you, but, you know, enjoy. Totally. Stay sexy. And don't get murdered. Goodbye. Elvis, do you want a cookie? Goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye. Hey, everybody. Here's the thing about other home security systems. They're all designed for after. After the window breaks, after someone's inside, after you get the notification, after the police come. SimpliSafe is the first system designed for before stopping a break-in, before it even begins. That's right. Unlike traditional security systems that only alert you after a break-in is already underway, SimpliSafe is designed to help prevent the crime before it starts. Their cameras can detect suspicious activity at the perimeter. Explore more at 4imprint.com.