10 More Podcasts You Should Start Listening To (Fall 2017)

October 7, 2017

About 6 months ago, in April, I wrote a blog post called, "Top 10 Podcasts To Listen To Today". It was all about how I had just started this new hobby, and included my suggestions of the best podcasts I had been listening to. From that post, I received a few suggestions from friends and I still have been driving in my car just as much, so I began to listen to even more Podcasts. If you like podcasts just as much as me, do yourself a favor and read the first post before reading this one! Now get listening and read about 10 more podcasts to start listening to.

Update: Listen to 10 more podcasts I found interesting in early 2018!
Update #2: Check out the fourth installment from October 2018
Updated #3: Check out the newest 20 at Let’s Talk Podcasts #6 and Singular Story #5

10. Revisionist History
"Revisionist History is a new podcast from Malcolm Gladwell and Panoply Media. Each week for 10 weeks, Revisionist History will go back and reinterpret something from the past: an event, a person, an idea. Something overlooked. Something misunderstood."

Many of you may be familiar with the name Malcom Gladwell, as he is a famous author of the best-selling books Outliers, The Tipping Point, and Blink. Even though I think Malcom Gladwell is kind of a "know it all who thinks his opinion is always right," he makes some interesting points in this 2 season, 10 episode per season podcast. A lot of the topics covered in this podcast include racism, sports, rich vs poor, and even McDonald's! Now you only have twenty, 30 to 45 minute episodes to listen to, so get on it and start to question moments from history!

9. Convicted
"In 1996 Richard Nicolas was accused of the murder of his two year old daughter. He was convicted and is now spending the rest of his natural life in prison. The thing is - what if he didn't do it?"

This new "serial-esque" podcast is only 11 full episodes and reminds me of two of the podcasts on my last list of 10 Podcasts to Listen to, "Serial" and "Up and Vanished." Serial in the sense that it is about trying to prove a man's innocence, and Up and Vanished because it is a new podcaster going at it for the first time. In fact, this was recorded in the closet of the author, Brooke Gittings. So if you liked Serial, you should enjoy this podcast, although it got somewhat repetitive at the end, I suggest you give it a try.

8. Up First
"NPR's Up First is the news you need to start your day. The biggest stories and ideas — from politics to pop culture — in 10 minutes."

Don't have time to read a bunch of news articles or watch the news on TV like my parents? Try out this Monday-Friday podcast from NPR. Up First delivers the daily news in 10-13 minute segments that usually cover how dumb the President of the US is lately, all of the natural disasters that have been hitting the US, and other worldly news. I highly recommend for those who are fans of NPR.

7. Hidden Brain
"Hidden Brain helps curious people understand the world – and themselves. Using science and storytelling, Hidden Brain reveals the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, the biases that shape our choices, and the triggers that direct the course of our relationships."

Another NPR podcast on the docket, no surprise here as they always are putting out great content. This podcast hosted by Shankar Vedantam really gets you thinking about certain trends and styles from a psychology and neurobiology standpoint. With most episodes coming in around 25 minutes every week, you'll be thinking and using your brain regularly.

6. Sword and Scale
"Sword and Scale is an internet radio show and website covering the dark underworld of crime and the criminal justice system’s response to it. The show features stories of murder, abduction, rape and even more bizarre forms of crime. It’s the purest form of true-crime where nothing is off the table. Everything from 911 calls to court testimony, interviews with victims and sometimes with perpetrators give listeners a 360 degree look at the entire story. Told from the narrator’s point of view, Sword and Scale goes beyond the news clips and the sensationalist headlines to give listeners the whole story and deeper insight into the cases it covers than any other medium."

Shout out to Adam for getting me hooked on this podcast. These hour long episodes usually come every 2 weeks and never disappoint. Providing new stories of crime, mystery, and murder. Some episodes are definitely better than others, but my crime junky friends definitely need to give it a listen or two.

5. Song Exploder
"Song Exploder is a podcast where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made."

This is a super unique podcast that I came across over the past 6 months. It takes a song from a specific artist and breaks it down literally instrument by instrument, lyric by lyric. The latest post was about the song Sober by Lorde. This podcast is also released every 10-14 days and covers a wide variety of music genres. I highly suggest quality headphones for this one as sound quality is key! The best part about Song Exploder is that you hear all the reasoning and details behind the song straight from the source, the artists themselves.

4. Ear Hustle
"Ear Hustle brings you stories of life inside prison, shared and produced by those living it."

Ear Hustle is one of the coolest podcasts I've come across, as it takes you inside the walls of San Quentin State Prison in California. The podcast is produced almost entirely by inmates in the media lab there, although it always needs to be approved by the guards of course. It gives insight, knowledge, and fantastic stories about what goes on behind bars of a prison. Soon enough, you'll be waiting for every new informational episode every two weeks, just as I do.

3. S-Town
"S-Town is a new podcast from Serial and This American Life, hosted by Brian Reed, about a man named John who despises his Alabama town and decides to do something about it. He asks Brian to investigate the son of a wealthy family who’s allegedly been bragging that he got away with murder. But then someone else ends up dead, and the search for the truth leads to a nasty feud, a hunt for hidden treasure, and an unearthing of the mysteries of one man’s life."

Even though S-Town is only 7 episodes long, it was one of my favorite podcasts, episode to episode, I've listened to over the last few months. It is produced from the same people as Serial and This American Life. Both featured on my last blog about 10 podcasts to listen to. This podcast immediately caught my attention and covers the story of a man named John B. McLemore. He is definitely somewhat autistic, fixes clocks for a living, and is tired of the town he is living in, which he names Sh!t Town. Although I don't deal directly with the same issues John has, he makes many statements that epitomize the entirety of the US. This podcast was downloaded a record of 10 million times in 4 days on its release, so why not join the masses and give it a listen?

2. Radiolab
"Radiolab is a show about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience."

After a little bit of research, I discovered that Radiolab was started in New York in 2002 by a guy from a school I played in lacrosse back at Adrian, Oberlin College. Quite different from the 3 hour episodes that aired on the radio back in 2002, most episodes now are around 45 minutes and cover a variety of topics through stories, interviews, and experiments. There are pretty much an endless amount of episodes, so start listening to the fun today!

1. Reply All
"Reply All features stories about how people shape the internet, and how the internet shapes people."

Coming in at number one right now is Reply All. Shoutout to Megan for introducing me to this hilarious podcast. This is one of the only podcasts that makes me laugh out loud almost every episode. Hosted by PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman, this Gimlet Podcast is focused on internet trendy stories and very nerdy. The regularly have a section called, "Yes, Yes, No" where they explain confusing and complex tweets which is super helpful to those of us who don't understand the internet slang of today. They also cover a variety of topics and often do some intense reporting/journaling on those topics. One of my favorite episodes I listened to recently (#102 & #103) was about investigating a scam call center in India, where Alex Goldman ends up going to India trying to uncover the scam they are running. If you like the internet, or want to know more about the things that go on there, check Reply All out, my number one podcast of the second half of 2017.

Just as I stated the last time I made a post about podcasts, I hope that you can take some time to listen to these wonderful podcasts. Each production crew does an amazing job to make the stories unique and an enjoyable experience for their listeners. The best part about podcasts though... they are FREE! Just download them on itunes, listen on their website links which I provided above, or listen through a Podcast app on your phone like me.

I now have a collection of 20 great podcasts that I listen to regularly. And if you haven't already, check out my first 10 podcasts to listen to: Top 10 Podcasts To Listen To Today

Do you know of any other top notch podcasts that I didn't mention? Please don't be shy and let me know about them in the comments below!

Thanks for reading, and maybe listening.

Josh

Grandpa - 11 Years Gone

August 21, 2017

I originally planned to make this post a year ago, but then things got busy, I was too concerned about what I was writing in this post, thought it was too personal, and I just didn't post it. August, 21st 2016 marked the ten year anniversary of my grandfather's passing. It was ten (now eleven) years ago that our family was shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of a great man, my mother's father, Walter Kutz.

After Prom 1957 - 60 Years ago Grandpa with Grandma

It can often be painful to think back on moments like this in life, when you are hit with such a blow that it brings you down to the ground. As time goes on, even though the pain is still there, it is enjoyable to think back about the fun and loving memories you had with that person. I want to take you back to the day that this tragedy happened.

August 21st, 2006. I was at the Ashbury pool with my sister and girlfriend at the time, Katie. They announced our names over the intercom multiple times and when we finally heard we headed to the front desk. It was our parents on the phone and they told us to come home immediately. At the time I was unsure what could be the problem. I was a good kid and surely could not have done something wrong. When you look back on this, you kind of wish you had done something wrong, as the news awaiting us at home was much worse. When we got back to our house we were told Grandpa had fallen and it was not good. We needed to head to the hospital now.

That car ride was one of the worst of my life. I remember crying in the car the entire ride, especially after hearing that he had officially passed on. Sitting in the back next to my sister as she did the same. When we got to the hospital we rushed in to confirm the sad, terrible truth. Grandpa had left us. We went in to say our goodbyes. I remember just standing there with my dad, mom, grandma, aunts, and sister around his body. I could not hold my tears back as they flowed down my cheeks. He looked so peaceful laying there, eyes closed and mouth open, as if he was napping. I eventually said my goodbyes and touched his hand and gave him a kiss on the head telling him I missed him. Death is something in all of our lives, and often can be so very difficult to deal with. I felt really weird for so long, as if he was still with us, and I am sure he is and was in some way or another. It was frustrating and I didn't understand it and didn't want it to be that way.

I remember going home that night and playing a song I had heard on the TV show Grey's Anatomy. How To Save a Life by The Fray. That song was on repeat for the next day, week, months, year, as I recalled memories of Grandpa. If you wish, play that song now while you continue to read and check out the photos.

Here is a list of memories I had wrote down the days following my Grandpa's death:

Him giving us Orange Tic-Tacs every time we were over. We got a pack of orange tic-tacs, often for helping with yard/house work, but sometimes just for stopping by. I recall he would enjoy the mint (white/green) ones in the car for himself.
Building goals (posts) for us out of 2 boxes taped together. He would tape multiple boxes together to make the posts on a goal for my brother and I to play soccer or hockey in their basement with.
Playing catch with him, football and baseball on their “driveway patio”.
Having him tie their basketball hoop that had no base (just a pole) to the house so I could play with one of those yellow/brown squishy balls. Living in the city, their patio was also a driveway and also a spot to play games.
While he tied the basketball hoop, he would tell me about knots, especially square knots. He learned to tie these knots while serving time in the Navy.
Making a hockey puck out of a small pink tin and taping it together with electrical tape for me and my brother to play hockey with. In order to play hockey in the basement, we needed a puck and didn't have one, so he made one for us.
Making a grunting noise each time he caught or threw a ball when we would play catch with him. This is funny now that I look back on it because I do the same exact thing. Wonder where I got it from!?
Him coming to my football games in 7th grade, the first time I had played a "real" organized sport.
Coming to all my lacrosse games and then going to stand off by himself at the end of the field I was playing at. Grandpa would come to all of my games and cheer me on.
Grandpa was my biggest fan. He always thought they were giving the ball to me when they called out our formation, 30 set, 30 was my number so he figured the play was for me.
Giving me a dollar for every goal or assist I had in a lacrosse game. To my benefit, I was paid a lot of $$$ for all those goals/assists.
Him telling me to not pass and just shoot in lacrosse (“I need to shoot more”)
Him telling me that I need to lift weights and build my muscles up. He sure was correct, as I gained something like 30 lbs from senior year of highschool to end of freshman year of college.
Taking me and my family out to Steak 'N' Shake or Culvers after my lacrosse games to celebrate, win or loss.

Taking me (and brother) to the bank and then asking the teller for lollipops (safety pops) for us to have to eat. This was when we were younger I imagine.
Making ice cream cones when we slept over at their house, his favorite was pecan icecream, which I never enjoyed at the time, but now think its quite tasty.
Having him take me and my brother to a Magic Shop and my brother putting his eye on a scope with black stuff on it.
He would sleep in the basement on the couch with a space heater by him when me and my sister and brother would sleep over because my sister wanted to sleep in bed with grandma
Being stopped by a train, and counting all of the railroad cars with him, the most I ever counted on one train
Him dancing, shaking his “new” hips at a party (Christmas after he had his hip replacement surgery)
Him singing How Great Thou Art in church. I'm pretty sure whenever this song is played in church everyone in my family starts crying even today.
Going to the Lord Jesus Church and seeing my Grandpa and Uncle Henry be the head people, hand out papers, do collection, run the show.
Him sleeping at all the family parties in weird positions, usually sitting with his head back and mouth open. Sometimes even snoring!
Him telling me and my brother (sister sometimes) “life lessons” and other sorts of things. I wish I remembered more of these now.
Going to see Anchorman with him at Hollywood Blvd and both of us thinking it was funny. Quite the movie to see with your grandpa, but it has been one of my favorite movies ever since.
Him always making me popcorn when I would sleep over at their house
Trimming the bushes and sweeping up pine needles with him and him telling me that I shouldn’t walk so far with the needles/branches in the pan but move the bag closer to me because that makes it easier. Smart man!
Having to clean the gutters on the roof and one time crawl out the window (He had me do it!)
Playing in my grandparents’ basement before it was redone, with the really hard carpet that was red and had diamonds on it, Grandpa had it duct taped down in the middle of it to keep it together. He was very handy at fixing things any way he could.
Seeing the Christmas lights around the outskirts of the basement always up, grandpa set them up and would just leave them up year round for the most part.
Hearing him whistling as he walked around the house looking for something. I do the same now too!
Having him tell me about his job as a pizza boy and how he used to make pizzas when he was my age 16/17 at the time.
Him telling me to always be nice to my sister because she is a girl.
Giving my Grandpa hugs, not handshakes
Eating French toast in the morning with him and my sister and having him tell me to cut mine into pieces because I would always eat it whole (pick it up and bite off it). Even though I still don't like to cut my food into small bits, I think of this anytime I do.
Last Time I saw him: After my parents vacation, he answered the door wearing a wife beater
Last Time I talked to him: On the phone when he was in California, he asked if the cubs had won and told me to tell my sister that he didn’t hang up on her, he lost the call

My Grandpa was the biggest Cubs fan. Yes he was at the Bartman game in 2003.... Even though it took the Cubs 10 Years after his death for them to win the World Series, I know he would have been extremely happy and proud on that day. I wrote his name on Wrigley Field in chalk after the World Series Victory to commemorate him. Here are a few words my Aunt Ruth wrote after the Cubs won the World Series, "Growing up as a Cubs fan in Brighton Park was pretty crazy back in the 60s and 70s - but when your Dad is a diehard Cubs fan - we had no other choice. Dad listened to WGN radio for every game he could - with the sound off on the TV. (wish we could still do that!). I was able to score some playoff tickets back in 03 - yes - for the Bartman game. It was a memorable night - in many ways! Dad passed suddenly in August of 2006 - and is one of the many who has gone before us - only dreaming for this day! Go Cubs Go!!"

I love you and miss you Grandpa.

And now a bunch of photos of my Grandpa & I from over the years. Enjoy.

2016 also marked the 20 year anniversary of the passing of my Great Grandma. My Great Grandma was my Grandmother's Mother and was an amazing woman who lived to be 90 years old. She passed away in 1996, and even though I have very few memories of her, I know she was a special and amazing woman. One of my only memories of her is how she would watch figure skating in her room upstairs at my grandparent's house. Here are a few photos of her and I.

I hope you too can bring yourself to remember things from the past, good or bad, and share them with others, as they make us who we are today.

Love. Happiness. Tears.

-Josh

Top 10 Podcasts to Listen to Today (2017)

April 22, 2017

A couple of months back, my wife turned me on to listening to podcasts. With over an hour drive to and from work, this was something much needed that I had the ability to do every day. Prior to podcasts, I had been listening to a lot of book on CD, but was tired of changing the discs and how lengthy they were. Because of this, I have been listening to a lot more podcasts these days. Here are my "Top 10 Podcasts To Listen To Today" as of April 2017.

UPDATE: Be sure to check out my suggestion for 10 more podcasts to listen to (Fall 2017) after you read this! And 10 more from 2018!
Update #2: Check out the fourth installment from October 2018
Update #3: Check out the newest 20 at Let’s Talk Podcasts #6 and Singular Story #5

10. The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
"All good stories have a twist, and all great storytellers are just a little twisted. Join me for a different take on the people and events that you thought you knew, from pop culture to politics, Hollywood to history… The Way I Heard It is a series of short mysteries for the curious mind with a short attention span."

I really enjoy these short stories by Mike Rowe. Each 9-12 minute episode begins with an ad, but each ad is actually a story in itself, so it is pretty enjoyable to listen thru. After that we get to the actual episode which is usually 5-10 minutes long. Mike is a great story teller and I really appreciate how quick these podcast episode stories are.

9. Embedded
"Hosted by Kelly McEvers, Embedded takes a story from the news and goes deep. What does it feel like for a father in El Salvador to lie to his daughter about the bodies he saw in the street that day? What does it feel like for a nurse from rural Indiana to shoot up a powerful prescription opioid? Embedded (EMBD) takes you to where they're happening."

Although this is less than 10 total episodes, Embedded listens like an interactive news story. Each story does what the description says, they go deep, into the specifics and details of each specific topic they cover. The latest season is covering police videos. Listen up for a story from the front lines of the action.

8. All Songs Considered
"Hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton spin new music from emerging bands and musical icons."

A great way to discover new music and learn about the origin and details of the newest festivals/bands of today. This is a must listen for anyone who has the slightest interest in the music scene. Episodes range from just a few minutes to over an hour long depending on the topic.

7. This American Life
"This American Life (TAL) is an American weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass."

This weekly program tells fantastic stories about specific events happening in the world today. Each episode has it's own theme that these journalists do a lot of research on, then providing us with a quick 60 minute story.

6. TED Radio Hour
"The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas: astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, new ways to think and create. Based on Talks given by riveting speakers on the world-renowned TED stage, each show is centered on a common theme – such as the source of happiness, crowd-sourcing innovation, power shifts, or inexplicable connections. The TED Radio Hour is hosted by Guy Raz, and is a co-production of NPR & TED."

Interested in new technology and ideas? This is the show for you, as each episode explores new inventions and new ways to think about things in today's world. This show will provide you with an hour of fresh material every week.

5. The Moth
"The Moth Radio Hour features our most beloved tales and the stories behind the stories. The series debuted in 2009 and is now airing on more than 400 stations nationwide. The Moth Radio Hour is co-produced by Jay Allison at Atlantic Public Media and presented by PRX."

Listening to others tell stories can be happy, sad, inspiring, depressing, and even get your skin crawling. The Moth podcast provides the listeners with a variety of stories from stand-up shows happening nation wide. Even some of the stories in episodes are recorded right here in Chicago. Check out and be inspired by other people's stories, and maybe even have the courage to tell your own.

4. Up and Vanished
"Up and Vanished is an investigative podcast that explores the unsolved disappearance of Georgia beauty queen and High School teacher, Tara Grinstead, an 11 year old mystery that is the largest case file in Georgia's history."

If you've heard of Serial, you're going to love this podcast. This podcast is told by a former Youtube rapper (Right Side of the Tree), and video producer Payne Lindsey. This is Lindsey's first podcast and he ends up hitting it big, as his investigative work leads to the eventual solving of this murder case that had gone cold over 10 years ago. Some may say he didn't have anything to do with it, but his work brought the interest of this case to a national level and uncovered many long forgotten details. Although there are some extra episodes with interviews and case evidence that I found repetitive and skipped over, the main episodes are quite the treat. Funny to hear the voice of a kid who was making hilarious rap videos back in 2007, but if you don't know Payne from his YouTube days, you will be able to take this one more seriously right away. One of my favorite podcasts of 2017.

3. Serial
"Serial is a podcast from the creators of This American Life, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Serial tells one story—a true story—over the course of a season. Each season, we follow a plot and characters wherever they take us. We won’t know what happens at the end until we get there, not long before you get there with us. Each week we bring you the next chapter in the story, so it's important to listen to the episodes in order."

This podcast has gone through two seasons. While season one was significantly better, discussing the arrest of Adnan Syed for the murder of his ex-girlfriend back in 1999, which he ensures us he is innocent of. Season two focuses on a army soldier Bowe Bergdahl who leaves his outpost in the middle of the night, eventually being captured and needing rescue. This podcast is by far one of my favorites of all time. I highly suggest this one, especially if you enjoyed Up and Vanished.

2. How I Built This
"How I Built This is a podcast about innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists, and the stories behind the movements they built. Each episode is a narrative journey marked by triumphs, failures, serendipity and insight — told by the founders of some of the world's best known companies and brands. If you've ever built something from nothing, something you really care about — or even just dream about it, you'll love this podcast."

A very inspiring podcast that I enjoy listening to on my morning commute. Each episode is about a particular company, and covers it's evolution through a 20-40 minute epiosde. This gets the creative juices flowing and will surely make you think you should drop everything and start your own business. It is awesome to see how so many famous companies today started from nothing so long ago. If you are an innovator or have your own business, I highly suggest this awesome podcast. One of my favorites of 2017.

1. 99% Invisible
" 99% Invisible is about all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about — the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world"

My number one podcast to listen to in 2017 is 99% Invisible. Roman Mars and the rest of the staff at 99PI do an incredible job of putting together a new story every week. This is my favorite podcast for a few reasons. One, each week every topic is super interesting and they have a unique way of telling the story that keeps me entertained and listening. Two, episodes are the perfect length and ads are at the end. Podcasts with ads at the very beginning and very end are perfect because you don't have to do any unnecessary listening. 99 PI does just that, which makes it easy to hear nothing more than the 20-30 minute episode. Number three, I genuinely enjoy listening to Roman Mars tell each tale every week. Whether it is Roman or the other guests on the show, I find the amount of content they present perfect and it is told in a way that really catches my ear.. If you are interested in architecture or design at all, I highly highly recommend this podcast. If you aren't like me, but are looking for a great podcast, I suggest this podcast!

I hope that you can take some time out of your busy lives to listen to these wonderful podcasts. Each production crew has done an amazing job to make the stories unique and an enjoyable experience for their listeners. And above all, they are FREE! Just download them on itunes, listen on their website links which I provided above, or listen through a Podcast app on your phone like me.

Know of some great podcasts that I didn't mention? Let me know about them in the comments as I would love to listen to some new material on my way to and from work.

Until next time.

Josh

UPDATE: Be sure to check out my suggestion for 10 more podcasts to listen to (Fall 2017)