1
00:00:00,893 --> 00:00:06,126
The comedy4cast Network.
Let's dog-ear that for now.

2
00:00:06,127 --> 00:00:14,024
This is comedy4cast, episode
884. Inconvenient Art Rocks.

3
00:00:14,025 --> 00:00:20,322
Hi, Clinton here. Welcome to the
Dog Days of Pumpkin Spice season.

4
00:00:20,323 --> 00:00:26,956
Yeah, August got away from me again.
So this is another edition of my unofficial

5
00:00:26,957 --> 00:00:31,456
extension of Dog Days of Podcasting.
For more information on that,

6
00:00:31,457 --> 00:00:34,608
go to dogdaysofpodcasting.com.

7
00:00:34,609 --> 00:00:39,686
This year, I'm providing you with
even more totally useless odd news.

8
00:00:39,687 --> 00:00:44,094
In fact, two odd news stories
that I think deserve each other.

9
00:00:44,095 --> 00:00:50,599
So let's have some fun
with odd news times twos.

10
00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:57,096
You may recognize this as the
location of a convenience store.

11
00:00:57,097 --> 00:01:02,258
Or, more specifically, a 7-Eleven store.
By the way, do you know where that name

12
00:01:02,259 --> 00:01:09,563
came from? Back in the 1940s, it was unusual
for a store to be open from 7AM to 11PM.

13
00:01:09,564 --> 00:01:11,890
So the store name played that up.

14
00:01:11,891 --> 00:01:16,555
Of course, these days, a lot of
7-Elevens are open 24 hours a day.

15
00:01:16,556 --> 00:01:20,268
So maybe they should update the name to
something more appropriate.

16
00:01:20,269 --> 00:01:24,915
Like, say, Store 24.Hmm? Already taken?

17
00:01:24,916 --> 00:01:29,858
Okay, carry on. Now, where were we?
Oh, right, about to head into this Seattle

18
00:01:29,859 --> 00:01:34,641
store. But first, we need to
head up to the Great White North.

19
00:01:34,642 --> 00:01:38,815
Here we are in Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan, Canada.

20
00:01:38,816 --> 00:01:44,528
Not only is this apparently the home
of Sassy Tunes, it's also the location

21
00:01:44,529 --> 00:01:46,908
of a new three-piece work of art.

22
00:01:46,909 --> 00:01:53,008
Art that's certainly getting a reaction.
Earlier this year, the city of Saskatoon

23
00:01:53,009 --> 00:01:57,345
purchased the installation as
part of the city's public art policy.

24
00:01:57,346 --> 00:02:02,501
That directive incorporates
public art into civic capital projects.

25
00:02:02,502 --> 00:02:06,876
Not a bad idea, right? Who doesn't
need a little culture in their life?

26
00:02:06,877 --> 00:02:09,276
And their yogurt. Yum yum.

27
00:02:09,277 --> 00:02:13,518
This particular public art
installation, called Modern Erratics,

28
00:02:13,519 --> 00:02:17,614
was created by the Calgary-based
artist duo sans-facond.

29
00:02:17,615 --> 00:02:22,928
One part was placed in Diefenbaker
Park, the second in Saskatoon Forestry Farm.

30
00:02:22,929 --> 00:02:28,353
Park and Zoo, and the final part
can be found at the city's landfill.

31
00:02:28,354 --> 00:02:33,348
So what has some locals in an uproar?
Perhaps it's the fact that modern erratics

32
00:02:33,349 --> 00:02:38,012
is, in fact, a trio of huge plastic rocks.

33
00:02:38,013 --> 00:02:40,217
[SOUND OF FALLING ROCKS]

34
00:02:40,218 --> 00:02:45,332
That's right. The installation consists
of three massive artificial rocks that

35
00:02:45,333 --> 00:02:50,702
were inspired by the glacial erratic rocks
scattered across Canada's prairie region.

36
00:02:50,703 --> 00:02:55,216
What separates these stones from the
ones the glaciers dragged to the prairie

37
00:02:55,217 --> 00:03:00,012
is that modern erratics three rocks
are made from post-consumer plastics,

38
00:03:00,013 --> 00:03:03,492
recovered from Saskatchewan
and across the prairie region.

39
00:03:03,493 --> 00:03:09,606
Things like recycled grain bags, bottle
caps, and broken residential waste carts.

40
00:03:09,607 --> 00:03:11,867
The materials were diverted from the landfill,

41
00:03:11,868 --> 00:03:15,668
and transformed into
permanent public artworks.

42
00:03:15,669 --> 00:03:20,962
On paper, that sounds like an inspired
project, converting more than 10,000

43
00:03:20,963 --> 00:03:24,073
pounds of plastic waste into a thought piece.

44
00:03:24,074 --> 00:03:27,982
Tristan Surtees, one of the
two artists behind Saint-Sfecon,

45
00:03:27,983 --> 00:03:33,252
says the artwork is an invitation to
think about our place in modern society.

46
00:03:33,253 --> 00:03:37,822
Quote, hopefully people will take a
moment to think about Saskatchewan and its

47
00:03:37,823 --> 00:03:42,040
landscape and the materials
we're using and how we use them.

48
00:03:42,041 --> 00:03:46,548
Close quote. Unfortunately,
speaking about the use of resources,

49
00:03:46,549 --> 00:03:53,310
the final price tag for the installation
came to nearly $300,000 Canadian.

50
00:03:53,311 --> 00:03:58,309
And spending around $100,000
a piece for three fake rocks?

51
00:03:58,310 --> 00:04:02,441
Well, maybe you can appreciate
why some people are a tad upset.

52
00:04:02,442 --> 00:04:07,212
Celine Enger, the city's community
service general manager, defended the art

53
00:04:07,213 --> 00:04:12,638
installation, saying that public art is part
of building a vibrant and welcoming city.

54
00:04:12,639 --> 00:04:16,752
Meanwhile, Prairie Director
Gage Halbrick had other thoughts,

55
00:04:16,753 --> 00:04:20,771
saying, quote, I can't believe I need
to say this: Taxpayers shouldn't be

56
00:04:20,772 --> 00:04:26,207
shouldn't be paying hundreds of thousands
of dollars for plastic rocks, close quote.

57
00:04:26,208 --> 00:04:30,499
It's hard to believe that plastic rocks
have gone over like a lead balloon,

58
00:04:30,500 --> 00:04:34,782
but we can't stick around to see if
these things gather artificial moss,

59
00:04:34,783 --> 00:04:38,950
because we need to get
back to that store in Seattle.

60
00:04:38,951 --> 00:04:44,269
That thing is starting to make
me dizzy. Once we step inside,

61
00:04:44,270 --> 00:04:48,099
we notice that there's something
different about this 7-Eleven.

62
00:04:48,100 --> 00:04:50,842
For instance, there are
shoulder bags over there,

63
00:04:50,843 --> 00:04:53,952
made out of old Cheetos and Lay's packages.

64
00:04:53,953 --> 00:04:56,525
Here's a handy container of mortal salt.

65
00:04:56,526 --> 00:05:00,639
Oh, and here's a candle that
doubles as a yardstick. It works great,

66
00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:03,201
as long as you don't try
to use it as a candle. No!

67
00:05:03,202 --> 00:05:05,199
[MATCH LIGHTS, MAN SCREAMS "NO!"]

68
00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,948
How about this landline iPhone?
When you try to answer a call,

69
00:05:08,949 --> 00:05:12,041
it only plays Vertigo by U2.

70
00:05:12,042 --> 00:05:16,077
Hey, at least it's not the entire
Songs of Innocence album. Wow,

71
00:05:16,078 --> 00:05:21,546
that's quite the 2014 callback. But
seriously, folk, what's going on here?

72
00:05:21,547 --> 00:05:26,979
Well, while there was once a 7-Eleven at
the corner of 3rd Avenue and Pine Street,

73
00:05:26,980 --> 00:05:31,959
right now it's been transformed
into a pop-up exhibit and store called,

74
00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,489
appropriately enough, Inconvenience Store.

75
00:05:35,490 --> 00:05:40,829
More than 70 artists, mostly local to
the Seattle area, created the pieces,

76
00:05:40,830 --> 00:05:45,931
reimagining everyday convenience
store products across 14 departments.

77
00:05:45,932 --> 00:05:51,800
In the everyday inconveniences section,
familiar objects get decidedly impractical.

78
00:05:51,801 --> 00:05:56,367
For instance, can I interest you
in these pre-tangled USB cords?

79
00:05:56,368 --> 00:05:59,590
Such an inconvenient time saver.

80
00:05:59,591 --> 00:06:04,028
And don't forget to check out the
ATM-inspired sound sculpture.

81
00:06:04,029 --> 00:06:07,058
[ATM SOUNDS]

82
00:06:07,059 --> 00:06:11,534
If you find yourself back here in
Seattle anytime through mid-2027,

83
00:06:11,535 --> 00:06:13,266
be sure to check it out.

84
00:06:13,267 --> 00:06:15,548
While items are available for sale,

85
00:06:15,549 --> 00:06:20,697
ranging in price from
a buck to $10,000, admission is free.

86
00:06:20,698 --> 00:06:27,253
But unlike the old 7-Eleven, the hours are
Saturdays and Sundays only from noon to 4 p.m.

87
00:06:27,254 --> 00:06:29,373
So what did we learn today?

88
00:06:29,374 --> 00:06:34,045
I think it's that art is subjective, but
some people who are subjected to it

89
00:06:34,046 --> 00:06:37,404
would rather reject it and change the subject.

90
00:06:37,405 --> 00:06:41,685
Also, never pay $300,000 for three rocks.

91
00:06:41,686 --> 00:06:45,104
[SOUND OF FALLING ROCKS]

92
00:06:45,105 --> 00:06:48,743
That about wraps it up for
today's Odd News Times Twos.

93
00:06:48,744 --> 00:06:54,577
But first, a very special shout-out to my
Patreon patrons, including producer-level

94
00:06:54,578 --> 00:06:58,676
patrons Paul Barrie from the
Window to the Magic podcast,

95
00:06:58,677 --> 00:07:00,758
Kirby Bartlett-Sloan,

96
00:07:00,759 --> 00:07:03,994
Chuck Tomasi from the Technorama podcast,

97
00:07:03,995 --> 00:07:05,708
Kyle Nishioka,

98
00:07:05,709 --> 00:07:07,288
Brian Martsolf,

99
00:07:07,289 --> 00:07:08,641
Amy Murphy and

100
00:07:08,642 --> 00:07:17,923
Steve Ng from steveng5.com.
That's S-T-E-V-E-N-G, the number 5, .com.

101
00:07:17,924 --> 00:07:20,102
You too can show your support.

102
00:07:20,103 --> 00:07:26,498
Just search for comedy4cast, all one word with
the number 4, on Patreon.com.

103
00:07:26,499 --> 00:07:31,414
Original script, voices and
original music by me, Clinton Alvord.

104
00:07:31,415 --> 00:07:37,643
Copyright 2026. All rights reserved. Talk to
you again next time, but for now...

105
00:07:37,644 --> 00:07:41,335
[SIR PATRICK STEWART] My goodness, look at
the time. Let's wrap this up, shall we?

106
00:07:41,336 --> 00:07:45,213
As always, this is
Sir Patrick Stewart, that's it,

107
00:07:45,214 --> 00:07:50,664
We're done, done, done, done, done,
done, done, done, and bye-bye.

108
00:07:50,665 --> 00:07:54,411
[MOMENT OF SILENCE]