Okay so consistency is not my thing. This is obvious. I'm not going to apologize either. If someone wanted me to post something sooner they would have asked (or bitched about it) but you didn't. So I'm doing this on my time. You know what? I'm not even going to try very hard either. It wasn't the best time for great podcasts anyway so I'm going to give you a brief introduction to the best one I heard and I guess point you in the right direction for some other above average entertainment.
It wasn't exactly a competitive half month for podcasts but even if it was this would be in the running. The Iceman himself comes to the JRE to talk to Joe about his breathing technique, life philosophy and many other random things. The most important take away from this is how amazing the human body is and how easy it is to become "superhuman". Wim Hof goes into detail about how his breathing technique works and explains how deep breathing (or over oxygenating your body) literally changes your chemistry. Anyone who has meditated regularly knows this to be true. After a few minutes of deep breaths your entire mindset shifts. Add in the rule in this technique about breathing in more than you're breathing out and you will feel very different in less than a couple minutes. Totally worth your time.
BONUS! Check out the VICE documentary about the Iceman. It shows his... training camp? Cultist training center? Group meditative ceremony? It's all in how you look at it. Either way it's a very eye opening piece.
Ready for me to point you to another quality podcast? Well, if you haven't listened to StartUp before, now's a great time to go back and catch up. StartUp is a podcast about what it takes to start a business. More specifically, a media company that produces podcasts for season 1 and a look at what it takes to start a online dating company for season 2. It's hard not to get pulled into the world of Gimlet Media. To be honest I started listening early on because I had the same idea. In fact I'm still working on the same idea over at www.sparkfeedmedia.com, where I slowly work on starting a podcast company. The crew over at Gimlet works very hard to put out high quality and entertaining media and have been one of my main sources of inspiration in my own work. Even here!
This episode is the start of a mini season interlude between seasons 2 and 3 where we go back to the main focus of season 1; Gimlet Media itself. Between the end of season 1 and the end of season 2 there was a lot left in the air as far as how the company was doing so it's nice to see behind the scenes once more.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Friday, October 16, 2015
Best of October 2015 Part 1 - ReplyAll #42 Blind Spot
It was another good week in the podisphere. I was worried during the first 7 days. Could I really have a week where there was no podcast that would rise above the rest? I mean, nothing was particularly bad but... at the same time I couldn't honestly recommend any of them. If I can't imagine myself telling anyone in person I can't bring it here so what would I do then?
Then BAM Radiolab drops a damn entertaining audio. Then a couple days past... And again, BAM ReplyAll comes in snakes the win right out of Jad's hands. Sorry boys over at WNYC, Gimlet takes the win for October.
Okay, yes. I will admit I have a skewed perspective on a certain aspect of this story. I wont say which because the narrative of the story is much better without knowing.
It follows the story of Hope. A photographer who has strange migraines that pretty much disable her in the worst of ways and has absolutely zero luck finding out what is happening to her. Doctor after doctor passes it off as nothing while she gets worse and worse. She creates a journal tracking her symptoms and lengths of time in pain/blind only to have it dismissed.
This story is very well done so I wont spoil anything. But! I will say there is more to this story that I'm not going to go into because they've hinted at having a second part to this podisode. I'm not sure if they're going in the direction I'm thinking but I don't want to jump on them before then.
Another amazing podisode from Radiolab! In this one the WNYC team goes behind the origins of the phrase "Smile! You're on candid camera!" At this point the newest generations may or may not have ever heard it but I know I did. The 90's were the last time I last heard it used in a hidden camera show and ever since then it's been referenced every once in a while in TV and movies. After you listen to Gimlet's newest release from ReplyAll make sure to go snag this one.
...
Then BAM Radiolab drops a damn entertaining audio. Then a couple days past... And again, BAM ReplyAll comes in snakes the win right out of Jad's hands. Sorry boys over at WNYC, Gimlet takes the win for October.
Okay, yes. I will admit I have a skewed perspective on a certain aspect of this story. I wont say which because the narrative of the story is much better without knowing.
It follows the story of Hope. A photographer who has strange migraines that pretty much disable her in the worst of ways and has absolutely zero luck finding out what is happening to her. Doctor after doctor passes it off as nothing while she gets worse and worse. She creates a journal tracking her symptoms and lengths of time in pain/blind only to have it dismissed.
This story is very well done so I wont spoil anything. But! I will say there is more to this story that I'm not going to go into because they've hinted at having a second part to this podisode. I'm not sure if they're going in the direction I'm thinking but I don't want to jump on them before then.
Another amazing podisode from Radiolab! In this one the WNYC team goes behind the origins of the phrase "Smile! You're on candid camera!" At this point the newest generations may or may not have ever heard it but I know I did. The 90's were the last time I last heard it used in a hidden camera show and ever since then it's been referenced every once in a while in TV and movies. After you listen to Gimlet's newest release from ReplyAll make sure to go snag this one.
...
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Best of September 2015 Part 2 - Love + Radio - A Red Dot
The end of September 2015 had a podcast that has finally done something I've been waiting for. It's the type of podcast that really pulled me into the world of podcasting. In fact, I'm over a week late because I don't even know how to introduce such a grand piece of art (no, not really), so I decided to would just clumsily spit it out.
A Red Dot is an interview with a registered citizen. I guess this is the new politically correct term we are supposed to use when referring to a registered sex offender because Frank is a registered sex offender. Now, it's not that I'm particularly interested in sex offenders but with the kind of deep dive interviews podcasts tend to produce it's always been hard to not to imagine what this would be like.
Now, Frank isn't just going over what his life is like. Well, yes, he's mostly doing this, but he has his own agenda he's pushing forward as well. Frank is an advocate for the for the rights of these registered citizens. It's definitely not what I was imagining in my head but they got the perfect man for the job. He makes the obvious point amount how an 18 year old can sleep with a 17 year old being considered rape even it was consensual. If the parents don't like the situation, the kid, or are just going on a power trip, they can pretty much end the kids life.
As far as registered citizen rights that's about as far as that goes. It's always been somewhat obvious that each of these cases should be handled on a case by case basis. There's no way that 18 year old needs to be on the list for the rest of his life, but with the problems we have with our unregistered citizens (race, sex, class, religious, etc...) and the complete disdain from a majority of the global population it's hard to see any of that coming soon.
The best part of this podcast is listening to the interview play out. There's a particularly salty palpable tension in the room you can hear through the headphones. This is consistent even through the long sections that just have Frank talking. You even get to hear him blow his top and take several smoke breaks. It's exactly what I always wanted from this interview.
In no way can I talk more about this. I've already spilled too much and the way this podisode of Love + Radio plays out is all part of the thrill of it. Head over there now and take a listen to this piece of art.
That's all for now. If I'm keeping track of things correctly I believe I have another post due on Friday. We'll see if the week allows the time for it but I make no promises. Besides, it's not like I have any regular readers to keep happy right?
A Red Dot is an interview with a registered citizen. I guess this is the new politically correct term we are supposed to use when referring to a registered sex offender because Frank is a registered sex offender. Now, it's not that I'm particularly interested in sex offenders but with the kind of deep dive interviews podcasts tend to produce it's always been hard to not to imagine what this would be like.
Now, Frank isn't just going over what his life is like. Well, yes, he's mostly doing this, but he has his own agenda he's pushing forward as well. Frank is an advocate for the for the rights of these registered citizens. It's definitely not what I was imagining in my head but they got the perfect man for the job. He makes the obvious point amount how an 18 year old can sleep with a 17 year old being considered rape even it was consensual. If the parents don't like the situation, the kid, or are just going on a power trip, they can pretty much end the kids life.
As far as registered citizen rights that's about as far as that goes. It's always been somewhat obvious that each of these cases should be handled on a case by case basis. There's no way that 18 year old needs to be on the list for the rest of his life, but with the problems we have with our unregistered citizens (race, sex, class, religious, etc...) and the complete disdain from a majority of the global population it's hard to see any of that coming soon.
The best part of this podcast is listening to the interview play out. There's a particularly salty palpable tension in the room you can hear through the headphones. This is consistent even through the long sections that just have Frank talking. You even get to hear him blow his top and take several smoke breaks. It's exactly what I always wanted from this interview.
In no way can I talk more about this. I've already spilled too much and the way this podisode of Love + Radio plays out is all part of the thrill of it. Head over there now and take a listen to this piece of art.
The Joe Rogan Experience #702 - Milo Yiannopoulos
I'm not going to bother writing out a bunch of other podcasts from this time. There are too many new ones to listen to and share to bother going back in time. I will say that this JRE is very much along the same lines but instead of thick heavy tension it's more aggressive. This Milo character is very controversial (as any basic google search will show you) and while I don't agree with everything he says, he does bring up a lot of good points along the lines of radical feminist culture silencing men. That is, before the last 45 minutes where things get weird.
That's all for now. If I'm keeping track of things correctly I believe I have another post due on Friday. We'll see if the week allows the time for it but I make no promises. Besides, it's not like I have any regular readers to keep happy right?
Friday, September 25, 2015
Special Focus - Serial Podcast
Don't even pretend to read this. Nobody who listens to podcasts can possibly not know about Serial. Seriously. Stop. Are you reading this ironically? Does irony describe this situation? Probably not. The point is, Serial is an amazing way to spend your podcast listening time.
How amazing? Imagine a crazy crime drama meets murder mystery in audio form. The show is about a young man, Adnan Syed, who has been in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, while in high school over a decade ago. The show follows the as the host/narrator delves into different people's lives trying to figure out how much actual evidence there is against Adnan. It jumps from his friends, to Hae's friends, to other possible suspects all the way to people who's testimony could have changed Adnan's fate. Not to mention the legal organizations and professionals who weigh in on how well the case was constructed. There are even recordings of the interrogations to really immerse you in the case.
Looking at this case from all the different angles gets you to think about these cases very differently. I've flipped how I feel not just about the person they have in jail but another person of interest three or four times. Between the unanswered questions, inconsistencies in evidence and prosecutors timeline and the fact that people with key information were not even contacted based on the fact that it "didn't help the prosecutors case" this ongoing story is as frustrating as it is enthralling. It's a must for everyone. Not just people who listen podcasts. Everyone. It's exactly what audio art is.
Moral of the story? Listen to the podcast. Head of to the SERIAL website and listen to the first 3 episodes then come back here and let me know what you thought.
How amazing? Imagine a crazy crime drama meets murder mystery in audio form. The show is about a young man, Adnan Syed, who has been in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, while in high school over a decade ago. The show follows the as the host/narrator delves into different people's lives trying to figure out how much actual evidence there is against Adnan. It jumps from his friends, to Hae's friends, to other possible suspects all the way to people who's testimony could have changed Adnan's fate. Not to mention the legal organizations and professionals who weigh in on how well the case was constructed. There are even recordings of the interrogations to really immerse you in the case.
Looking at this case from all the different angles gets you to think about these cases very differently. I've flipped how I feel not just about the person they have in jail but another person of interest three or four times. Between the unanswered questions, inconsistencies in evidence and prosecutors timeline and the fact that people with key information were not even contacted based on the fact that it "didn't help the prosecutors case" this ongoing story is as frustrating as it is enthralling. It's a must for everyone. Not just people who listen podcasts. Everyone. It's exactly what audio art is.
Moral of the story? Listen to the podcast. Head of to the SERIAL website and listen to the first 3 episodes then come back here and let me know what you thought.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Best of September 2015 Part 1 - Radiolab & Harmontown
Wow, first official post and it's a tie. It's not something I was hoping to do this early but I didn't have much of a choice. One of these podcasts hit a very on point topic that shows how backwards our culture is the other is and the other, while entertaining (if not rambly), is about autism awareness. Both of these topics are a huge part of the world we live in today awareness is key so take a listen and educate yourself!
In the wake of the Cecil the lion controversy Radiolab has released a very on topic episode (podisode?). The information isn't really new to me, as Cameron Hanes has been on the Joe Rogan Experience to explain this exact situation, but it still lays out the misunderstood nature of hunters that don't just hunt for trophies. His story, especially now, is definitely one people need to hear.
The idea that hunting can help animals seems extremely paradoxical. People hate hunters because they kill animals, end of story. We've become a bandwagon culture who makes decisions based on the most recent BuzzFeed article or most controversial headline. Actually understanding a topic beyond the surface headlines, even just an hour's worth of research, seems to be enough to be more well read than 95% of the population. "Knowledge is power" has never been more true in this day and age.
Cameron Hanes' life has become infinitely more difficult since bidding for a tag to hunt a black rhino. A black rhino that was going to have to be killed/removed from the group anyway. A black rhino that could make hundreds of thousands of dollars for the conservation of black rhinos. A black rhino that was going to kill the younger males around him because of his advancing cage. Of course I'm a born and raised Alaskan so fishing/hunting is something I grew up with so most of this is pretty obvious to me but for those of you still confused about the subject must listen to this episode. It's much shorter then the Joe Rogan Experience going over it with all the most information boiled down. Not to mention the glimpse into Cameron's life since placing his his bid which has been... Well, just take a listen.
The idea that hunting can help animals seems extremely paradoxical. People hate hunters because they kill animals, end of story. We've become a bandwagon culture who makes decisions based on the most recent BuzzFeed article or most controversial headline. Actually understanding a topic beyond the surface headlines, even just an hour's worth of research, seems to be enough to be more well read than 95% of the population. "Knowledge is power" has never been more true in this day and age.
Cameron Hanes' life has become infinitely more difficult since bidding for a tag to hunt a black rhino. A black rhino that was going to have to be killed/removed from the group anyway. A black rhino that could make hundreds of thousands of dollars for the conservation of black rhinos. A black rhino that was going to kill the younger males around him because of his advancing cage. Of course I'm a born and raised Alaskan so fishing/hunting is something I grew up with so most of this is pretty obvious to me but for those of you still confused about the subject must listen to this episode. It's much shorter then the Joe Rogan Experience going over it with all the most information boiled down. Not to mention the glimpse into Cameron's life since placing his his bid which has been... Well, just take a listen.
Do vaccines cause autism? Does the rise in adult autism diagnosis have anything to do with our diet? Are kids being inappropriately diagnosed by parents who don't have time to pay attention to their kids and just went them to be on meds all the time?
The answer to these questions are no, probably not and sometimes. Actually, I'm no professional so don't take my word for it, go out and buy Steven Silberman's new book NeuroTribes. As someone who has an autistic brother all I can say is this guy has the right idea. Autism is such a casually tossed around term (like GMO) that hasn't really been defined clearly for the culture. A lot of people still think if your child is autistic that they are considered abnormal and something to grieve over which is utter nonsense. Steven goes over some common misconceptions about the history of autism and how the mind of these individuals work. The book is in my queue. A must hear for all.
For my posts I believe I mentioned (too lazy to look at my last post) that I would put "runner up" podisodes so here we go! If you have extra time after checking out these awesome podcasts then take a gander below.
Another podisode focusing on concussions or injuries of the brain and how to combat them. This should all be common knowledge for humans as a whole. We, as a nation, average 12 deaths in high school and college football a year and I'm betting that repetitive brain trauma might have something to do with it. She even gives you a technique to help reduce psychological trauma which could prevent PTSD or flashbacks in general. If you have any extra time this week, please stop by the JRE Youtube or download it from the podcast player of your choice.
Ever get a call from you cable company wanting to have you take a survey? How about ask you how your customer service experience was? Well, did they ever ask you to take down a tweet from your personal Twitter account? Well, this is the story of a man who got just such a call from someone over at ComCast! Reply All doesn't have very long episodes so you should definitely take some time to check out this episode. It's quite a rabbit hole to trip down...
Have a splendid couple weeks! I might release a post next week with a focus on a particular podcast that deserves a full listen through. That's right, from beginning to end. Should I give a hint? Would you even try and guess? Hm... I guess I could start a bi-weekly post to take a special focus on previous podisodes or podcasts that I feel deserve a listen through and have hints for people to guess? How about the winner gets to write a guest post on here putting your own top podcasts for the bi-week? There we go. So here's your hint: From the creators of the one of the most famous podcasts on the planet. Comment your answer here or tweet me at @ChrisGibson_17
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