Flightless Bird - David Farrier

Latest Episodes:

ICE Detention Center Visit May 05, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s episode, David and Rob head to the Adelanto ICE Detention Centre in which is imprisoning New Zealand woman Everlee Wihongi, who holds a valid green card. Rob goes inside and spends an hour with Everlee, discussing what conditions are like, and why the New Zealand government refuses to offer any help. Meanwhile, David calls Everlee’s mother Betty at her home in Wisconsin, to talk about what it’s like to have a family member kidnapped by ICE.
Email us your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com
Everlee’s GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-free-and-get-everlee-home

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICE Kidnaps A Kiwi Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s Flightless Bird we tell the story of Everlee Wihongi, a 36-year-old New Zealander on a green card, snatched by ICE at LAX airport. We talk to her mother Betty, trying to figure out why her daughter got kidnapped, and how to get her out again.

Email us your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmal.com

LINKS:

- GoFundMe for Everlee’s legal fees: https://gofund.me/c9217e4f1

- Original Webworm reporting: http://www.webworm.co/betty

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wisconsin: Cheeseheads Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David Farrier travels to Madison, Wisconsin, to investigate the World Championship Cheese Contest. With 3375 entries and 150 classes, we are talking a lot of cheese. Hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, the comp has been running since 1957 - and this year was bigger than ever. Why is cheese so big in this part of the US, and what exactly is a cheesehead? All will be revealed in this very cheesy episode.

Links:

Join us for bonus Flightless Bird episodes on Patreon: patreon.com/flightlessbird

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pro Puzzler Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

On this week’s Flightless Bird, David and Rob discover that doing jigsaw puzzles is not just a hobby - it’s a sport! They talk to US speed puzzler Karen Kavett - AKA Karen Puzzles - who’s about to head off to the 2026 USA Jigsaw Nationals. How big is the scene and what does it take to get to the worlds? What is the secret to doing puzzles very, very fast? David also reveals that he’s being sued in America after an article he wrote for Webworm, and Rob and David discuss the recent Flightless Bird tour which featured the one and only Rosabel!

Links:

Email us your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com

Karen Puzzles on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenpuzzles/

Rosabel on tour & our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-rosabel-155107678

Why is David being sued? https://www.webworm.co/wildingpart9/

Vote for us at the Webbys:

Or - https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/features/best-indie-podcast

1. ⁠Go to webbyawards.com

2. ⁠Click “Go Vote” button

3. ⁠Hit SEARCH

4. ⁠Type in “Flightless Bird” and click on “Flightless Bird” when it turns up

5. ⁠Cast your vote

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parasocial Listener II Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s Flightless Bird, we return to Nick from last year’s Parasocial Listener Episode. Nick had been diagnosed with a rare kind of brain tumor - rare in that you can remove it, but it keeps coming back. In today’s episode, Nick has taken a leap of faith and arrived in New Zealand, to eat meat pies, surf, and visit Hobbiton. We catch up with Nick as he meets some fellow Flightless Bird listeners, goes on some soaring adventures, and has a terrifying encounter in a cave.
Links:
Nick’s paragliding experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l8QYZW2v_I
Nick’s band Pookie: https://www.instagram.com/pookietheband/
The Friendship Paddle: https://www.friendshippaddle.org/
Vote for our Webby: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/features/best-indie-podcast
Join us for bonus Flightless Bird episodes on Patreon: patreon.com/flightlessbird
Contact us with your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nest Sessions: Genevieve Schatz on being clairvoyant Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s Nest Session, David and Rob are joined by Genevieve Schatz, frontperson of Chicago indie band Company of Thieves. Schatz has been on quite the journey since fronting that band - which includes delving into a new type of field: being a clairvoyant! What does this mean exactly, and what’s the boundary between woo and reality? Genevieve also performs in the Flightless Bird studio, showcasing her lyricism and vocal prowess in a pretty hypnotic way!
Email us your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com
Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/flightlessbird
You can find Genevieve here:
https://www.instagram.com/gemmebean/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Goosebumps Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David and Rob talk iconic series Goosebumps - discussing their favourite books in the series, the joy of the Scholastic Book Fair, and how Goosebumps have managed to sell over 400 million copies around the world. David then interviews the man himself - R.L. Stine - who has just finished writing his latest book: A book for adults.

Join us for bonus episodes on Patreon: patreon.com/flightlessbird
Contact us with your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Food Trucks with Roy Choi Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David and Rob have Korean-American chef Roy Choi in the studio to talk food trucks. The creator of legendary Korean-Mexican taco truck “Kogi”, Roy talks about his influences growing up, launching a game-changing food truck, and what makes food trucks so important in America’s DNA.
LINKS:
Upcoming Flightless Bird live shows:
3/29 in Salt Lake City at the Depot https://bit.ly/flightlessSLC
4/2 in Austin at Emo's https://bit.ly/flightlessATX
4/4 in Dallas at the Texas Theatre https://bit.ly/flightlessDFW
Join us for bonus episodes on Patreon: patreon.com/flightlessbird
Contact us with your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Train Crashes Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David talks to a woman who’s been working at a law firm for over a decade that represents motorists who get hit by trains. How is this a full time job? Well, there are around 1300 train derailments in the US every year - 3.5 per day. Since 1975, those derailments have killed 467 people, 12,500 people maimed along the way. Then there are all the incidents of trains hitting cars, mostly at railway crossings. Last year, trains hit cars 1,870 times. 247 people died in the process - and 623 were injured. The year before that, even more people died being hit by America’s trains. David talks survival tips, and tries to get to the bottom of why this is happening. LINKS: Upcoming Flightless Bird live shows: 3/29 in Salt Lake City at the Depot https://bit.ly/flightlessSLC 4/2 in Austin at Emo's https://bit.ly/flightlessATX 4/4 in Dallas at the Texas Theatre https://bit.ly/flightlessDFW Join us for bonus episodes on Patreon: patreon.com/flightlessbird Contact us with your feedback: flightlessbirdchat@gmail.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jehovah's Witnesses Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David talks to two former members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses religion in the USA, to find out what it’s really like inside. Can members really not pledge their allegiance to the American flag? Are they really not allowed to have blood transfusions? Are they not allowed to be gay? Is there anything JW’s *are* allowed to do, besides door knock? David tries to find out.

LINKS:

Upcoming Flightless Bird live shows:

3/29 in Salt Lake City at the Depot https://bit.ly/flightlessSLC

4/2 in Austin at Emo's https://bit.ly/flightlessATX

4/4 in Dallas at the Texas Theatre https://bit.ly/flightlessDFW

Join us for bonus episodes on Patreon: patreon.com/flightlessbird

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices