I Like You

Megan and Frank tell us how bipolar II disorder and depression have affected their relationship. JP and Elah come out about their own mental health stuff. It feels scary to even write that. More info, including music notes, at ilikeyoupodcast.com

Michelle hates being single, despite the many benefits. We investigate why. Read more: http://ilikeyoupodcast.com/2012/08/78-party-of-one/

Kat Angus was the cool ex: she got over her breakup with Brandon quickly, and they stayed friends. Then things went bad. An email was sent to Brandon’s new girlfriend – it was filled with lovey words from Kat – and pictures… Read more: http://ilikeyoupodcast.com/2012/08/77-junk-mail/

Elah’s mom spent most of her life feeling unattractive, but in some ways, it was the best thing that ever happened to her – and in other, more obvious ways, it was the worst. Read more: http://ilikeyoupodcast.com/2012/08/76-unpretty/

This week we have four short stories from fantastic contributors. They all have to do with the beginning, middle, and/or end of a relationship. Huge thanks to Dave Pickering, Jonathan Harris, Whitney Jones, and Dave Huth for letting us use their stories on the show. Also thanks to Cowbird – a great storytelling site where three of this week’s stories were originally published. Read more: http://ilikeyoupodcast.com/2012/07/75-start-to-finish/

This week JP and Elah play matchmaker and send real people on real dates! The catch? Our volunteer Nicole has to pick the gentlemen using smell alone. Will her favorite smell also be her favorite date? We’ll reveal all at the end of the show. Read more: http://ilikeyoupodcast.com/2012/09/79-the-set-up/

Ayla Newhouse is a Toronto-based designer who’s looking at dating and relationships through the lens of design – and working to solve relationship problems using the tools of design. She tells us how ethnographic research helped land her a boyfriend, and about how she’s helping others tackle their dating woes. Read more: http://ilikeyoupodcast.com/2013/01/84-dating-by-design/

Marissa had been with her partner for two years when the proposal came. She had two options: say yes to a marriage she wasn’t ready for, or say no, and likely break up. We talked to her about what happened. Read more: http://ilikeyoupodcast.com/2012/11/82-runaway-train/

Konstantine and Salina met in Grade 1 at Faywood Elementary School in Toronto. By grade 4 Konstantine had developed feelings for Salina, and maintained that crush right through to grade 8. They parted ways and went to different high schools, and different universities – but that’s not where the story ends. Read more: http://ilikeyoupodcast.com/2012/10/81-the-return-of-the-childhood-crush/

Lindsay Miller says she wasn’t born gay – she chose it. Why is that a problem for so many people? To learn more about what “queer by choice” means to Lindsay, you can read her article in the Atlantic and a more recent article where she explains why “bisexual” doesn’t cover it for her. Read more: http://ilikeyoupodcast.com/2012/10/80-born-like-a-baby/

I asked four elders in my family what they wish they’d know about love and relationships when they were younger. Mostly they ignored my questions and freestyled it, but their answers were insightful nonetheless. And sweet and blunt. Read more: http://ilikeyoupodcast.com/2013/02/85-seniors-on-love/

Bathhouse tales from insiders – this week, we get the lowdown from a customer, as well as Peter Bochove, the legendary Toronto entrepreneur. Pull up a seat, and let us regale you with stories of secret plots, lawsuits, the lengths some people will go to for their soup and crackers, and yes, sex too. Check out the original post for music credits and comments.

I asked four elders in my family what they wish they’d know about love and relationships when they were younger. Mostly they ignored my questions and freestyled it, but their answers were insightful nonetheless. And sweet and blunt. TO CAIT’S MOM: Severe cussing warning for the end of this one. Stop when the Elvis cover starts. Thanks to Dominadora, AK Listens, Dragonsdream and Kevin Luu for the kind reviews and support. Music this week by Abigail Clarke, as well as the songs below courtesy of IODA. You can download them for free, no logins or strings attached, by clicking the download links below. This might be your last chance to get all these MP3s for free because the service is shutting down! NB: We make no money on this. We just like this music and want to share it. [NOTE: Unfortunately our music provider was acquired by another company, and they no longer offer free mp3 downloads. Below are the tracks used in this week’s show.] Marc Ribot “Delancey Waltz” Jimmy & The Rackets “Black Eyes” Liberace “The Love Nest” Vince Hill “Can’t Help Falling In Love”

Ayla Newhouse is a Toronto-based designer who’s looking at dating and relationships through the lens of design – and working to solve relationship problems using the tools of design. She tells us how ethnographic research helped land her a boyfriend, and about how she’s helping others tackle their dating woes. Ayla is holding a pre-Valentine’s mixer here in Toronto on February 9th, and you can also check out her upcoming online workshop on Skillshare. You can find more about Ayla and the project at Dating by Design, where you can also grab a free PDF of Ayla’s dating canvas. Image above by Ayla Newhouse. Theme music by Drew Danburry. Other music this week by: [NOTE: Unfortunately our music provider was acquired by another company, and they no longer offer free mp3 downloads. Below are the tracks used in this week’s show.] Monster Rally “Color Sky” Kishi Bashi “Bright Whites”

A conversation with Carlyle Jansen (founder of Good for Her) about how she’s keeping her relationship fresh and fulfilling by re-evaluating it every year. Carlyle incorporated a Celtic handfasting into her wedding ceremony, and in doing so she’s committing to her partner for a year and a day. This means every anniversary is a chance to evaluate how they’re doing, and set goals for the coming year. Can this kind of quasi workplace performance evaluation help a relationship thrive? We think it just might. This episode was inspired by a talk Carlyle gave at TEDx Toronto. During our conversation Carlyle mentions an article by Dr. Peggy Kleinplatz titled The components of optimal sexuality: a portrait of “great sex”. Theme music by Drew Danburry, other music this week by: [NOTE: Unfortunately our music provider was acquired by another company, and they no longer offer free mp3 downloads. Below are the tracks used in this week’s show.] The Cactus Channel “The Colour of Don Don” Delicate Steve “Love”