It is unlikely that a ChrisMix will be released this year. Partially that's due to a hectic year limiting listening in general. This was confounded with a moderate NPR kick for a good portion of the year and listening to my new record collection, consisting of old music. The final nail was my "discovery" of podcasts. The quotation marks because the concept isn't at all new, but I finally dove in and started following them.
I was hesitant because I'm a completionist. I like to see every episode of a television show, get every item in a game, and if I had a stamp collection I imagine it would be quite large. So it does bother me that by following several podcasts, I'm just not able to keep up to date on any of them. I want to hear each one, and if not that I want to hear the best ones, and there's no way for me to know which one those are. So I'm a little bothered by the whole thing, but I'm getting over it.
The following are podcasts I enjoy. Because of their nature they can be inconsistent. Some episodes aren't great, so you need to give each a couple episodes to prove themselves. To anyone familiar with the world of podcasts, there's not much to my recommendations. They are some of the most popular ones around so you would likely come across them without my recommendations. In any case:
The time of the year when I rank my top ten podcasts:
10. This American Life/Wait Wait Don't Tell Me - Basically Saturday on NPR/PRI. I prefer podcasting them so I don't miss bits and pieces, particularly of TAL, during the times I leave my car while on errands.
9. Doug Loves Movies - Many of the podcasts on this list are comedians appearing on each other's shows, talking about a certain topic. This one is comedians talking about movies. Which is near perfection for me.
8. Freakonomics - I like the books, I like the audio version. The topics they delve into aren't always things I care about, but at least 50% are very interesting.
7. Good Job Brain! - I haven't found a trivia podcast I love. But I like this one quite a lot. The presenters are very nerdy and not professional comedians, but they do tend to talk about trivia I find very interesting.
6. WTF - This one is pretty sweary, as the name suggests. It's comedians talking about comedy, but on a more personal level (motivations, trials, childhood issues etc) that the more jokey podcasts. If you're into comedy, it's really engrossing.
5. The Nerdist - Comedians talking to each other, again. But this one is a little more about them talking shop.
4. Pop Culture Happy Hour - An NPR production. It might be on the radio sometime, I'm not sure. It's intelligent conversation about pop culture, both trashy and artsy, but leaning much more on artsy.
3. Professor Blastoff - This show has guests most weeks, but its strength is the regular hosts who banter continuously. More so than the other podcasts, this one seems like just hanging out with awesome people. They pick a broad topic each show to discuss and center the conversation around that.
2. Who Charted? - I love music but have found few music podcasts I like. This one ostensibly talks about the top rated music and movies in various categories (ranging from that week's box office results to best fat-suit movies) and discusses them. But mostly they fool around. I find Howard hilarious. I'd love to have a show with him and Karl Pilkington.
1. Comedy Bang Bang - It's yet again comedians talking about comedy. But after a little bit of catching up, game playing etc the guest usually assumes a new personality and does an extended comedy bit with the host. It's basically radio improv, which might sound horrible to you, but I think makes for quality entertainment.
Honorable mentions:
11. The Pod F Tompkast/Smartest Man in the World - To be honest, I don't love these shows. But I give them this high ranking because Paul F Tompkins and Greg Proops make awesome guests when they appear on many of the other comedy podcasts in the top 10. And their own shows are good as well.
12. All Songs Considered - The only podcast where I get new music.
13. How Did This Get Made? - Basically MST3000 on the radio, with stinkers both new and old.
14. The Moth - Usually great stories about wide variety of subjects.
15. TED talks - Probably would be in top 10, but many of the talks require visuals, so the translation to podcast isn't seamless.
16. Mike and Tom Eat Snacks - Michael Ian Black talking about different snackfoods each week. Sounds ridiculous, and in fact is ridiculous. But usually funny, and if you're buying snackfood, informative.
17. Skeptoid/Things You Missed in History Class - I find the concept of these podcasts, debunking myths and historical trivia very interesting. The presentation isn't super.
18. Wits - Relatively new sketch show. Fun guests, but we'll see if it holds up.
19. The Bugle - Kind of like John Oliver doing the Daily Show on his own, on the radio, with more British news. I have only listened a couple times, but seems good.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
I get bored sometimes
C’tait la nuit de Noel
Twas the night before Christmas and all ‘cross the stratosphere
Not a creature was stirring, except birds, bats, insects, flying squirrels and reindeer.
Santa was making good time from Paris to Marseilles
When above his head he saw a light in the sky.
When Santa awoke he was in a large silver room
With only his sleigh and a new sense of doom.
“I shouldn’t have started my cholesterol medication,
Tonight of all nights, I have no time for hallucination.”
A figure appeared as if out of the floor
He was green and short, and about three foot four.
“Greetings Earthling, or should I say Santa.
I come from Mars, my name is Boon’yanta.”
“Boon’yanta my friend, I hate to be impolite,
I’d sit and chat were it any other night,
But I’ve only just started, and really must roll,
Kids need their gifts, and France needs its coal.”
The little green man crossed his arms and his face
From the floor appeared two more of his race
“You misunderstand, this is no social occasion,
You’re an important component of our coming invasion.
For a long time now we’ve been abducting, Saint Nick,
But can only collect the random drunkard or hick.
Most humans have a roofs which greatly slow our speed
We need your trans-chimney technology to proceed.”
Boon’yanta spoke clearly, each word sharp as a razor
His backup stood still, in each hand a red laser.
An encounter so close Santa Clause had never had
His gut had a feeling, it wasn’t jelly, it was bad.
“The surveillance you use, to know naughty or nice,
Our plans would expedited with such a device.
And the accelerant you use, allowing your Yuletide route,
It would greatly cut down our galactic commute.”
“I’ve heard quite enough” said Santa ”about your invasion.
I won’t warm up to your powers of persuasion,
In the Elfen Marines they called me Cold Cringle.
I won’t help you bypass one roof tile or shingle.”
“Persuade? Earthling Santa, I was only informing.
The North Pole will soon melt due to global warming.
But do us this favor, and Antarctica will be yours
Martians will even join elves in their workshop chores.”
“I’ve come to eat cookies and cheer the Earth.
I see no cookies, so get ready for some mirth.”
Ho Dasher you dash, and Blitzen you blitz.
Reindeer reign terror, stay frosty, keep your wits.”
Green Martians drew red lasers at Santa’s red suit
But were knocked to the floor with his big black boot.
Suddenly, from the floor, three more figures appeared.
Suddenly, from behind, by antlers they were speared.
A dozen more fired lasers, too frantic to aim.
Rudolph’s nose burned crimson and they burst into flame.
Santa swung his sack round like a great morning-star
And Martians went flying, some near, some far.
Boon’yanta saw the ash of his brethren fall down like snow
“Reports said you were jolly! How could we know?”
The sack of toys still spinning, now Santa hurled
“Not when you declare war on my world.”
The bag hit squarely, with both a thud and a crunch
As Santa looked on the reindeer finished off the bunch.
From a stocking on his belt he drew a pine cone
From which sprung a tree as soon as twas thrown.
Santa strode ‘cross the floor and as he picked up his sack,
He heard faintly “Let me phone home, I’ll call off the attack.”
“One night a year I visit two billion children or more,
This year I’ll visit Mars for the other three sixty four.”
The tree had kept growing and burst through the ceiling
The ship lurched downward, shaking and reeling
Through the ceiling slipped Santa, sleigh, reindeer and all
As the ship crashed down; the Arc de Triomphe broke its fall.
Dusting Martian from his shoulder and looking to the stars
Santa vowed as he left “Tonight, Christmas. Tomorrow Mars.”
The UFO’s burning wreckage made a true City of Light
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”
Twas the night before Christmas and all ‘cross the stratosphere
Not a creature was stirring, except birds, bats, insects, flying squirrels and reindeer.
Santa was making good time from Paris to Marseilles
When above his head he saw a light in the sky.
When Santa awoke he was in a large silver room
With only his sleigh and a new sense of doom.
“I shouldn’t have started my cholesterol medication,
Tonight of all nights, I have no time for hallucination.”
A figure appeared as if out of the floor
He was green and short, and about three foot four.
“Greetings Earthling, or should I say Santa.
I come from Mars, my name is Boon’yanta.”
“Boon’yanta my friend, I hate to be impolite,
I’d sit and chat were it any other night,
But I’ve only just started, and really must roll,
Kids need their gifts, and France needs its coal.”
The little green man crossed his arms and his face
From the floor appeared two more of his race
“You misunderstand, this is no social occasion,
You’re an important component of our coming invasion.
For a long time now we’ve been abducting, Saint Nick,
But can only collect the random drunkard or hick.
Most humans have a roofs which greatly slow our speed
We need your trans-chimney technology to proceed.”
Boon’yanta spoke clearly, each word sharp as a razor
His backup stood still, in each hand a red laser.
An encounter so close Santa Clause had never had
His gut had a feeling, it wasn’t jelly, it was bad.
“The surveillance you use, to know naughty or nice,
Our plans would expedited with such a device.
And the accelerant you use, allowing your Yuletide route,
It would greatly cut down our galactic commute.”
“I’ve heard quite enough” said Santa ”about your invasion.
I won’t warm up to your powers of persuasion,
In the Elfen Marines they called me Cold Cringle.
I won’t help you bypass one roof tile or shingle.”
“Persuade? Earthling Santa, I was only informing.
The North Pole will soon melt due to global warming.
But do us this favor, and Antarctica will be yours
Martians will even join elves in their workshop chores.”
“I’ve come to eat cookies and cheer the Earth.
I see no cookies, so get ready for some mirth.”
Ho Dasher you dash, and Blitzen you blitz.
Reindeer reign terror, stay frosty, keep your wits.”
Green Martians drew red lasers at Santa’s red suit
But were knocked to the floor with his big black boot.
Suddenly, from the floor, three more figures appeared.
Suddenly, from behind, by antlers they were speared.
A dozen more fired lasers, too frantic to aim.
Rudolph’s nose burned crimson and they burst into flame.
Santa swung his sack round like a great morning-star
And Martians went flying, some near, some far.
Boon’yanta saw the ash of his brethren fall down like snow
“Reports said you were jolly! How could we know?”
The sack of toys still spinning, now Santa hurled
“Not when you declare war on my world.”
The bag hit squarely, with both a thud and a crunch
As Santa looked on the reindeer finished off the bunch.
From a stocking on his belt he drew a pine cone
From which sprung a tree as soon as twas thrown.
Santa strode ‘cross the floor and as he picked up his sack,
He heard faintly “Let me phone home, I’ll call off the attack.”
“One night a year I visit two billion children or more,
This year I’ll visit Mars for the other three sixty four.”
The tree had kept growing and burst through the ceiling
The ship lurched downward, shaking and reeling
Through the ceiling slipped Santa, sleigh, reindeer and all
As the ship crashed down; the Arc de Triomphe broke its fall.
Dusting Martian from his shoulder and looking to the stars
Santa vowed as he left “Tonight, Christmas. Tomorrow Mars.”
The UFO’s burning wreckage made a true City of Light
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”
Friday, December 14, 2012
The Answers
What suspense! Clearly if you actually felt suspense you would have looked them up. But since I forgot to post them earlier, here they are:
Footloose:
Identify the dance: "It's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right. Put your hands on your hips, and bring your knees in tight"
The Time Warp
Not Betsy Ross:
What Frenchman designed the flag of Italy?
Napoleon Bonaparte
November 30th:
On this date in 1998 the 2 largest descendants of Standard Oil merged to form the world's largest company. They are: Exxon and Mobil
Diplomatic Dialogue:
The UN has 6 official languages. Name 5 of the 6 languages.
English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Mandarin
Paperweights:
Which of these books is the shortest?
In Search of Lost Time
War and Peace
Anna Karenina
Atlas Shrugged
Les Miserables
Anna Karenina
Inomnibenevolence:
In Hindu theology, who is known as "The Destroyer?"
Shiva
The Write Stuff:
This decorative style of writing comes from the Greek for "beautiful writing."
Calligraphy
Home Sweet Historical Home:
Whose home is called Monticello?
Thomas Jefferson
Who ya gonna call?
Which of the Ghostbusters was the director of Caddyshack and Groundhog's Day?
Igon (Harold Ramis)
Half Time
Name the state, commonwealth or territory best described by each phrase:
1. The newest state in the Lower 48 - Arizona
2. "Live Free or Die" - New Hampshire
3. Has the highest divorce rate - Nevada
4. Doesn't have counties - Louisiana, Alaska
5. Is a commonwealth - Virgina, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Pennsylvania
6. "Taxation without Representation" Washington DC (appears on license plate)
7. The most Irish - Massachusetts
8. The state with the highest percentage of residents from other states - California
Brand Rebranding:
Datsun vehicles switched to what name after 1986?
Nissan
History of Violence:
John Hinckley Jr. was attempting to impress what actress when he attacked President Reagan?
Jodie Foster
Creative Casting:
Characters from what book appear in Disney's Tale Spin?
Rudyard Kiplings The Jungle Book
Horticulture Clash:
What do the following have in common? Bell peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes
They are fruit
Treadmark:
This designer's trademark is a red sole on his shoes?
Louboutin
Punctuation Hybridization:
The Interrobang is a combination of what 2 punctuation marks?
The question mark and exclamation mark
The D List:
Name 3 countries that start with D?
Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic
Pop Culture Color Math:
Take the colors of the Power Rangers.
Subtract the colors of the Uno deck.
Subtract the surname of Tenacious D's lead singer.
What's left?
Pink
First Wive's Club:
According to Jewish folklore, who was Adam's first wife?
Lilith
Final Jeopardy
Place the following holidays in the correct sequence:
It is:
Vernal Equinox
Summer Solstice
Canada Day
4th of July
Canadian Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Hanukah
Kwanzaa
Footloose:
Identify the dance: "It's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right. Put your hands on your hips, and bring your knees in tight"
The Time Warp
Not Betsy Ross:
What Frenchman designed the flag of Italy?
Napoleon Bonaparte
November 30th:
On this date in 1998 the 2 largest descendants of Standard Oil merged to form the world's largest company. They are: Exxon and Mobil
Diplomatic Dialogue:
The UN has 6 official languages. Name 5 of the 6 languages.
English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Mandarin
Paperweights:
Which of these books is the shortest?
In Search of Lost Time
War and Peace
Anna Karenina
Atlas Shrugged
Les Miserables
Anna Karenina
Inomnibenevolence:
In Hindu theology, who is known as "The Destroyer?"
Shiva
The Write Stuff:
This decorative style of writing comes from the Greek for "beautiful writing."
Calligraphy
Home Sweet Historical Home:
Whose home is called Monticello?
Thomas Jefferson
Who ya gonna call?
Which of the Ghostbusters was the director of Caddyshack and Groundhog's Day?
Igon (Harold Ramis)
Half Time
Name the state, commonwealth or territory best described by each phrase:
1. The newest state in the Lower 48 - Arizona
2. "Live Free or Die" - New Hampshire
3. Has the highest divorce rate - Nevada
4. Doesn't have counties - Louisiana, Alaska
5. Is a commonwealth - Virgina, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Pennsylvania
6. "Taxation without Representation" Washington DC (appears on license plate)
7. The most Irish - Massachusetts
8. The state with the highest percentage of residents from other states - California
Brand Rebranding:
Datsun vehicles switched to what name after 1986?
Nissan
History of Violence:
John Hinckley Jr. was attempting to impress what actress when he attacked President Reagan?
Jodie Foster
Creative Casting:
Characters from what book appear in Disney's Tale Spin?
Rudyard Kiplings The Jungle Book
Horticulture Clash:
What do the following have in common? Bell peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes
They are fruit
Treadmark:
This designer's trademark is a red sole on his shoes?
Louboutin
Punctuation Hybridization:
The Interrobang is a combination of what 2 punctuation marks?
The question mark and exclamation mark
The D List:
Name 3 countries that start with D?
Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic
Pop Culture Color Math:
Take the colors of the Power Rangers.
Subtract the colors of the Uno deck.
Subtract the surname of Tenacious D's lead singer.
What's left?
Pink
First Wive's Club:
According to Jewish folklore, who was Adam's first wife?
Lilith
Final Jeopardy
Place the following holidays in the correct sequence:
It is:
Vernal Equinox
Summer Solstice
Canada Day
4th of July
Canadian Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Hanukah
Kwanzaa
Friday, December 07, 2012
The Situation Room
The following was my entry to NPRs 3 Minute Fiction contest. I didn't win.
The Whitehouse contains three rooms named after former occupants. It
contains four if you count the Truman Balcony, but never let a realtor tell you
a balcony counts as a room. The Lincoln Bedroom is the most famous of these
eponymous rooms, but in the overall scheme of national administration it is
hardly a vital space. The Roosevelt Room is important enough, but the two
Roosevelts have to share the credit, which somehow lessons the import. A twofer
dedication is hardly a dedication at all.
Traditionally the Situation Room has been used during times of
national crisis as a command center where the president can receive real-time
information. President Kennedy built it after he wasn't able to receive up-to-date
information during the Bay of Pigs invasion. President The Situation uses it
much like that young, telegenic president before him. But rather than receive
real-time information he conveys it. And the crises are rarely national, though
to some extent they have become so.
The Present Situation with President The Situation puts Roosevelt's
fireside chats to shame. Although ratings weren't actually recorded during the
Great Depression, it can be safely assumed that TPSwPTS is a much more popular
program. If for no other reason, its broadcast isn't limited to the radio, but
is instead simulcast to satellite radio, MTV and it's own Youtube channel.
Comments on the Youtube channel alone number in the millions, and range from
Suri Cruise to Kim Jong-un. And it certainly helps that rather than focus on
the depressing subjects like economic depression and war like his predecessors,
President The Situation rarely mentions the ongoing recession.
And why should he? It's very difficult to make an economic downturn
entertaining, and even if he did there would be no real benefit in doing so. It
wouldn't make the country the superpower it used to be. And if it did, there
would be no real benefit in doing so. America didn't really want to be powerful
or influential. The American dream is happiness, and so many of the powerful
and influential lack happiness to an astounding degree. What they actually
wanted, was simply to be entertained. And the separation of entertainment and
state had lasted long enough.
America thought The Situation partied at all times and in all
places, but that simply wasn't the case. As he sat in his namesake room, he
simply sat. He didn't party, he didn't GTL; to the best of his ability he
didn't even think. He sat. Soon the cameras would roll and he would turn on. He
would entertain. But for now, nothing. Would he have won the national
popularity contest if this time of day were part of his broadcast? Most likely
not. They didn't want their national distraction to take a break. All's right in
the world if their entertainer in chief can spend his time in the club and not
sitting with his finger on the button.
There was no button, but he sat. The camera crew was beginning to
arrive. He didn't do his own laundry any more, but he'd take America with him
to the gym and to tan. He'd take them with him to pick out a fresh to death
t-shirt and hit 9:30 or Fur or the Shadow Room. He'd take them with him to stop
by and see Snooki or Barack. They'd feel like they were in on it; and they
were. They were in on America.
"Five minutes Mr. President. We'll be starting with the Dodging
Grenades and Finding First Ladies segment."
They were in on it. And he was their president.
Monday, December 03, 2012
Music Monday: To synthesize or not
Despite a baby infested video, I like this song.
If you prefer no synthesizers, here's a song, misleadingly titled Synthesizers. I put Come on Eileen on a playlist the other day and was criticized for it. The person didn't realize that Come on Eileen is awesome, and that this song is awesome by extension.
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