The Pod Piper

1. Hang Up and Listen - "The Balls Can Ball Edition" Hang Up and Listen consistently provides alternative takes on mainstream sports as well as unearthing quirkier stories that tend to evade the headlines.  "The Balls Can Ball Edition" is quite representative on both counts, and the heavy does of basketball pushed this episode to the top of this week's list.   HUAL  capitalized on the shocking trade of Demarcus Cousins to New Orleans for basically nothing, and by inviting ESPN writer (and recent Cousins profile writer) Kevin Arnovitz to guest co-host in Mike Pesca's stead.  Add in a story about fan empowerment in decision making, an interview with basketball dad LaVar Ball, and a compelling argument for San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to run as the Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, and this edition of the show lands with a satisfying amount of whimsy, wit and analysis. 2. Kurt Vonneguys  - "Mother Night" Kurt Vonneguys combi...

1. Love + Radio - "How to Argue" The Love + Radio episode "Silver Dollar"  was one of the first pieces from the show that really grabbed my attention.  The episode is enigmatic, appropriately representative of L+R , but it also painted a picture of a person I would love to meet.  Perhaps the greatest gift a podcast can give is the illusion of an intimate conversation with an intriguing stranger, so in a way I felt like Daryl Davis and I had sat down for a chat.  Davis, musician and properly subtle anti-racist mercernary, is back on "How to Argue" to discuss discourse in Trump's America.  And true to form, Davis highlights his even-tempered message of assuming the best while observing the worst in people.  It's a crucial attitude for survival in a climate so rife with hostility and doubling down.  To paraphrase Stephen Colbert's executive producer, interviewed this week on The Gist , we must give our adversaries a chance while not allowing th...

1. This American Life - "It's Working Out Very Nicely" Amidst the hoards of Trump coverage in more traditional forms of media, the podcast world is often forced to struggle with churning out content before it is rendered irrelevant by the latest crazy-making move of the new administration.  I've enjoyed the daily and semi-weekly takes from The Gist and NPR's Politics Podcast , but was pleased to find this tight and timely episode from This American Life .  Ever the champions of human narrative, TAL reports on the implementation of the travel ban in "It's Working Out Very Nicely."  It's possible that the tenuous stays on the ban could fluctuate by the time you read this, but the structure of this episode is comprehensive and highly effective.  It's nice to see this sort of up-to-the-moment work from a show well-known for honing in on the minute kitsch of interpersonal tales.  Certainly not unprecedented, but good to see the juggernaut flex ...

It was another massive week of listening - 30 logged podcasts, and a queue of 3 not-yet-listened-to episodes after the dust settled.  In light of the volume, I'm adding a few 'Honorable Mentions' after the top episodes this week.  This is the golden age, people.  Get out there and soak up these shows! 1. The Cracked Podcast - "The Enormous Lie About Modern Life (You Likely Believe)" I'll grant that the title of this episode reads a bit like unabashed click-bait, though the knowledge that this is a podcast and not simply a listicle should assuage any doubts about the thoroughness of this piece of media.  The show is pretty lengthy, clocking in at a little over two hours, but considering the depth of the subject matter that doesn't seem so bad.   Cracked 's conceit is essentially that the world has been steadily improving in almost every measurable way, despite contrary press from any and all ideologies.  I could see this conveying as a long-winded p...

1. Reply All -  "Man of the People" This may be the most timely podcast release I've ever encountered.  Dropped on the heels of the Trump inauguration, "Man of the People" delivers a story with an unbelievable analog to the new leader of the United States.  In addition to expertly painting a picture of a megalomaniac, the episode serves as a great reminder that human fallibility cannot be erased by any amount of democratizing technology.  Populism isn't new, and while an increasingly open media landscape may lead us to assume truth will win out we should be wary of any such conclusion in our current climate. Absolutely essential listening that also happens to be incredibly entertaining. 2. Strangers - "Wouldn't It Be Nice" As a fairly long-tenured listener to Strangers and narrative storytelling podcasts in general, I should not be surprised by the potential for profound emotional impact such things hold.  Nevertheless, I was taken aback by...

1. Hidden Brain - "Getting Unstuck" "Getting Unstuck" is the perfect episode if you find yourself frustrated with a lack of resolve regarding promises made at the start of the new year.  It's also more broadly applicable to anyone who has struggled to find a direction in life, or who has set out on one path only to be stymied somewhere along the way.  By no means does this offer a one-size-fits-all solution to such a quandary, but it does present a helpful perspective from which to take stock of ones present circumstances. 2. Love and Radio - "No Bad News" In a post-9/11 world, it can be difficult to empathize with the 'other' - particularly if that 'other' is someone widely considered to be a malicious dictator with little regard for humanity.  I always strive to humble myself and assume everyone has some inherent amount of redeeming goodness, and this episode somewhat confirms that assumption.  At the same time, however, it chall...

1. The Cracked Podcast - "The 80s: Our Most Bizarre Decade (Is Happening Again)" This episode that dropped in the wee morning hours of 2017 reminded me what endeared me to The Cracked Podcast - comedic, insightful commentary on familiar cultural entity.  The target on this episode is 1980's culture, with a large amount of time dedicated to a wild take on the TV show Saved By The Bell.  There is also a lot of political and broader societal critique wrapped into the episode amidst whispers of regression on the eve of a new administration in the US. 2. Happier with Gretchen Rubin - "The One Minute Rule" I passed on this show after briefly sampling it last spring, but just this week I binge-listened to seven episodes.  The 20-minute installments make the show very palatable and the content of each episode moves briskly enough to convey valuable information concisely. Rubin has recently announced a new imprint of shows on Panoply (so far just two in addition...