This is actually a preview of a new podcast where inanimate objects get interviewed, in this case a can of generic cola. This sounded like a one-note joke, but the story went into some very odd places.
A building collapse at a popular Boston nightclub in 1925 causes the death of 44 people and leads moral crusaders to campaign against the dangers of dancing the Charleston.
Unconventional thoughts about religion, science, and the paranormal. Not that I necessarily endorse this, but it’s interesting to hear something outside of the typical.
This examination of the late 80s output of the two great bands of Athens, GA – R.E.M. and B-52s – fills me with painful nostalgia.
Have You Heard? :: The Problem with Fear-Based School Reform
Do schools work better when they’re “run like a business” and teachers and administrators are forced to work in a culture of fear where they’re expected to get results or else? Or do we recognize the nurturing mission of schools and support reforms lead by educators who know the children best? And how much of so-called “education reform” is rooted in anti-labor sentiment anyway? These questions and more are discussed on “Have You Heard?”
Boston’s ongoing history of inequality and racism are addressed in two current stories about Faneuil Hall, a building named for a slaveholder, and the lack of quality education for the city’s most vulnerable communities.
There are times when a song, book, or tv show I loved leaves me with a feeling of crippling nostalgia, so I was interested in this examination on how our brains reflect on the past.
A podcast full of current music that sounds like it was made in the 1980s. But the good New Wave sounds of the 80s, not the crumby songs that actually made the top 40 in the 80s.
Present day anti-immigrant prejudice and hysteria has long historical roots as seen in these three stories from Boston history: the Sacco and Vanzetti case, Chinese tongs in Chinatown, and the destruction of the Ursuline Convent in Charlestown.
I’m not much a fan of “hair metal” but Chris Molanphy does a fair job of evaluating Bon Jovi’s role in pop music history even as he admits how much he hates them.
In 1968, Boston residents fought to stop luxury development and parking in the South End, winning community-informed affordable housing instead. Something we need to do again.
I always hated the laff track on tv sitcoms, but this show made me appreciate why it exists, how it’s done, the artistry of syncing the right laugh, and why laff tracks have vanished today.
The first live-audience Hit Parade episode features pub trivia questions about b-sides that became bigger hits than their a-sides and a performance by Ted Leo, “the nicest guy in punk.”
Filmmakers hoping to depict large amounts of U.S. currency on screen run into a problem that if their prop money looks too realistic they could be found guilty of counterfeiting, leading to many improvisations, including using old Mexican pesos.
Have you listened to the interview with me on the Five Questions with Betsy Rosenblatt Rosso podcast yet?
Did you know you can subscribe to the podcast on Podbean, iTunes, and Stitcher? You can also subscribe on Downcast and other smartphone apps.
Did you know there’s a Facebook page you can follow?
Did you know that this is an awesome podcast where you can hear everyday people share fascinating facts about themselves and you won’t be sorry for subscribing?
That time when the counterculture Yippies attempted a hostile takeover of the land. Disneyland to be specific. Except only about 200 of them showed and half of them were there for a goof. What a long strange monorail trip it’s been.
Home brewing is a big thing these days, among a stereotypical group of white men, but has a long history in the United States among women, enslaved people, and immigrants.
Here’s a new podcast based on ESPN’s successful television sports documentaries. This episode covers the history of the notorious Red Sox fan chant and how a bunch of hardcore punks made a profitable business out of selling t-shirts emblazoned “Yankees Suck!” Brings back good memories of late 90s Red Sox games.
All this month, I’ve heard about the campaign to spread the news of podcasts called TryPod. As I am a voracious listener of podcasts (you can see the complete list of my current subscriptions and other recommendations on my podcast page), I figured I ought to participate while I can. So I will post about one of my favorite podcasts every day for the last 9 days of March.
Maeve in America stars Irish-born comedian Maeve Higgins who interviews a different immigrant to the United States learning their stories and struggles in the anti-immigrant mood of present-day America.
All this month, I’ve heard about the campaign to spread the news of podcasts called TryPod. As I am a voracious listener of podcasts (you can see the complete list of my current subscriptions and other recommendations on my podcast page), I figured I ought to participate while I can. So I will post about one of my favorite podcasts every day for the last 9 days of March.
99% Invisible is one of my absolute favorite podcasts. It’s a podcast about design, which is kind of vague and misleading, because this podcast encompass a wide variety of topics. Each episode, host Roman Mars leads the listener through the unoticed architecture and design that shape our world.
Some of my favorite episodes:
“Frozen assets” – The story of Frederic Tudor, the Ice King.
“Project Cybersyn” – Fascinating story of a futuristic room designed to be the place where the economy of Chile would be controlled under the Salvador Allende government. It would be destroyed by the Pinochet dictatorship with only one photograph surviving.
“On Average” – It’s a cliché to say that no one is average, but the science bears it out. Not only that but it’s actually dangerous to assume that an average can define a human characteristic. And who knew that the military was behind the sizing of everything?
“Photo Credit” – This episode is about the photographer Lucia Moholy who documented the architecture and designs of the Bauhaus movement basically keeping the style alive when World War II and the Eastern Bloc prevented access to the original works, but she received little credit for her art and contributions.
“A Sea Worth It’s Salt” – The unlikely story of California’s largest body of water, created by accident in the early 1900s, turned into a tourist resort in the 50s and 60s, and today scorned for it’s unaturalness even within the environmental movement, despite being home to scores of unique species of birds.
“Structural Integrity” – The story of how a New York City skyscraper almost fell over.
“The Shift” – dissecting baseball’s defensive strategy.
All this month, I’ve heard about the campaign to spread the news of podcasts called TryPod. As I am a voracious listener of podcasts (you can see the complete list of my current subscriptions and other recommendations on my podcast page), I figured I ought to participate while I can. So I will post about one of my favorite podcasts every day for the last 9 days of March.
The first podcast I think you should try is one I’ve been listening to for quite some time. Host Nate DiMeo tells stories of little known historical events in United State’s history in a soothing tone of voice. DiMeo’s strength is providing vivid descriptions of the sights, sounds, and smells of an event, allowing the listener to experience events as they unfold rather than from hindsight.
It’s a short podcast, so if you don’t want to commit much time to listening to podcasts it’s a good place to start. Here are some of my favorite episodes:
“Haunting” – The story of Washington Phillip’s mysterious gospel and blues music
“Numbers” – This podcast dramatizes the first nationally televised Draft Lottery on December 1, 1969.
“Oil, Water” – Whenever Cleveland is mentioned, one hears about the Cuyahoga River catching fire, but until listening to this podcast I was unaware that there were multiple fires over decades and the considerable damage that they caused.
“Dreamland” – Coney Island’s great early 20th-century amusement park.
“Victory” – The story of a an untalented baseball player taken on as a good luck charm by the 1911 New York Giants.
Better late than never, here is the report of what I was listening to in February, a short month punctuated by a delightful vacation where I mostly listened to the laughter of my children.
A discussion of the United States involvement with the rest of the world from isolationism to the world’s police to the more sinister activities of imperialism and corporate hegemony.
The divide between urban and rural populations is one of the major causes of political disagreement in the US today, and one that goes back throughout the history of the United States.
Movies have a track of audio description intended to help the visually impaired and this podcast describes the art of narration and how audio descriptions can benefit all viewers.
The chilling law of civil asset forfeiture that allows police to take property from suspects even if they’re not convicted or even charged with crimes.
All about why school turnarounds – a theory of fixing low-performing schools by firing the teachers and staff that has widespread, bipartisan support – is an idea that doesn’t work, and what actually does.
Song of the Month
Chicago singer-songwriter Zeshan Bagewadi (aka Zeshan B) provides a powerful interpretation of the 1970 protest anthem “Cryin’ in the Streets” by George Perkins that ties together generations of protest for justice and equality in the United States. Learn more about the song The World interview.
Albums of the Month
Artist: Tinariwen Album: Elwan Release Date: 10 February 2017 Favorite Tracks: “Sastanàqqàm,” Ténéré Tàqqàl,” “Assàwt,” and “Nànnuflày” Thoughts: The Northern Africa Desert Blues band from Mali’s most recent release includes guest appearances by indie artists like Kurt Vile, but the band itself is the stand out performer of this collection of melodic, resonant, and politically-charged tunes. Rating: ***1/2
Artist: Clap! Clap! Album: A Thousand Skies Release Date: 17 February 2017 Favorite Tracks: “Ar-Raqis” and “Elephant Seranade” Thoughts: Clap! Clap! is a project of Italian producer Cristiano Crisci, who creates instrumental dance tracks relying heavily on indigenous percussion. An earlier Clap! Clap! recording, Tayi Bebba, made my 2014 favorite albums list. While not as strong as its predecessor, A Thousand Skies is equally enjoyable as festive ambient music for a party or for getting through a gray day at work Rating: ***1/2
Artist: Visible Cloaks Album: Reassemblage Release Date: 17 February 2017 Favorite Tracks: “Bloodstream”, “Place,” “Valve (Revisited)” Thoughts: Somewhere between Phillip Glass, a church organist, and a lullaby lies this lovely collection of ambient tunes. Rating: ***
Artist: Molly Burch Album: Please Be Mine Release Date: 17 February 2017 Favorite Tracks: “Fool” Thoughts: A collection of retro, country-tinged tracks sung sweetly by a barroom singer. It’s pretty and well-produced, and while there’s nothing wrong with Burch’s album it’s nothing we haven’t heard before from Patsy Cline and singers produced by Phil Spector among others, so it’s just a tad bit dull. Rating: **
Okay, it’s been several weeks since the last Podcast of the Week, and I’ve decided this will be the last installment of this feature. In the future I may do a monthly roundup or an irregular schedule of posts.
To start of this final post, here are three new podcasts feeds I’m subscribing to:
Maeve in America – Irish comedian Maeve Higgins interviews a different immigrant to America in each episode
Hub History – a new podcast on one of my favorite topics, Boston history, which has already covered topics ranging from Cotton Mather’s smallpox innoculation and the Great Molasses Flood
Stranglers – a 12-part documentary focusing a particularly notorious time in Boston history, the strangler murders of 1962-64
And here are some good episodes from the past motnth or so:
Planet Money – Bad Form, Wells Fargo – Career destroying practices for employees involved in the Wells Fargo scandal
99 Percent Invisible – The Shift – the history of baseball’s revolutionary defensive strategy
Politically Re-Active – W. Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu with guest Roxane Gay on Anger After the Election
Sounds in My Head – Special Post-Election Episode with a playlist of very sad songs
I added another podcast subscription to my stable for this new production from The Smithsonian Institution. The debut episode explores various aspects of the human relationship with technology.
Did you know that there’s a job for someone to make fake wounds on volunteers participating in first responder training? Learn all about them in this podcast.
An eerie story of a woman’s experience waking up in a hospital with a head injury and no memory of how she got there. It’s well-told with details revealed in the order she learned them.
An exploration into the first type of residential architecture designed with the idea of immediately selling it to someone else and thus creating a style that no one likes.
Mike Pesca interviews the Green Party candidate for President. While Pesca is critical of Stein, nevertheless it’s good to hear her get a chance to speak and bring up some issues not being addressed by the major party candidates.
Despite being a hot button issue, voter fraud is exceedingly rare in the United States today and especially difficult to carry out on a large scale to effect national elections.
A short history of how the District of Columbia has been denied Congressional representation and how non-voting Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton is trying to change that.
