Thursday, March 30, 2017

Attack of the pod people, or Casting the line to catch a pod (I have a million of these)

I was on the schedule to write a Back Jacket Hack Job post, but I decided to forgo that in favor of barking at you about my favorite podcasts.

I'm a podcast junkie. Podcasts have improved my life tenfold. It's no longer boring to fold laundry when I'm being entertained through my earholes.

So in no particular order, here are my favorite podcasts. Then at the end of this post, you tell me yours because there's no end to the amount of laundry and lame chores I have to do, and I might as well be entertained.

My Favorite Murder
I'm a mystery writer so crime's my thang. And no one makes it more fun and humorous than Karen and Georgia. There's no macabre here. The ladies dish about their favorite murders using information from online sources like Wikipedia, YouTube, Forensic Files. (They don't claim to be crime experts, and you're not expecting them to be either.) Then with humor, and sensitivity, they discuss the murders in all their shudder-inducing glory. I'm never freaked out when I listen to these ladies from California, but I do find myself being extra careful when I'm out at night alone. I bought a mace bracelet for jogging. They end each episode with their catch phrase, "Stay sexy and don't get murdered." I don't intend to.

Pod Save America
I have such a crush on the three of this political podcast. Jon Lovett, Tom Vietor, and Jon Favreau used to work for President Obama and hosted the Keepin' It 1600 podcast before they started their own media company after Trump's election. They keep me informed, entertained, and empowered. They curse. They rail against the dopes in Washington. They interview congress members I wouldn't otherwise know. They're funny. They're my age -- presumably younger by a few years, but who's counting? Check out Tommy's podcast, Pod Save The World, which is all about foreign policy; Jon Lovett's podcast, Lovett or Leave It, a little bit variety, a lot of fun; and With Friends Like These, hosted by Ana Marie Cox.

How To Be Amazing
Michael Ian Black -- I have loved this man since he was on The State on MTV. Fun fact, I emailed him when I was fifteen years old and he wrote me back! He interviews a bunch of cool people like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Daniel Handler, fellow State-alum David Wain. The list goes on. MIB is delightful.

The Writers Panel with Ben Blacker
Ben Blacker ("like the color, only more so") hosts a panel of writers, mostly screenwriters, but a few novelists. Most days, I feel like I've missed my calling. I love hearing about television writing and production. I think writers do themselves a service when they learn about different forms of storytelling. If you're young, hungry and an aspiring screenwriter, you'd do well to listen to this show.

Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast
True crime and history makes for a bone-chilling podcast. Host Erik Rivenes interviews various authors who've written tomes on the macabre, everything from John Dillinger to the famous Black Dahlia murder to this weird pioneer family that murdered people going West. It's freaky and fascinating at the same time. Very addictive.

I have more to add, but I'll save it for another post. So, please, share with me your favorite podcasts. I can't get enough.

5 comments:

Stephen Kozeniewski said...

The Horror Show With Brian Keene! Yay, I win because I was first.

Kimberly G. Giarratano said...

Winner!

Carrie Beckort said...

I don't listen to podcast, so sorry I can't help! I've taken to listening to audiobooks while doing mundane tasks around the house.

Brenda St John Brown said...

I don't listen to podcasts either, but I like the sound of a few of these! Thanks for the recommendations.

Cheryl Oreglia said...

I always enjoy Krista Tippett who does a podcast for On-Being, has to do with spirituality, which is an interest of mine. I also like Seth Godin who has a daily blog but also does podcasts on occasion. I also listened to Serial, the first one about Adnan Syed who was convicted of murder. Podcasts are perfect for a three hour commute to the lake on weekends.

 
Blogger Template by Designer Blogs