I’m at the ride-a-stationary-bike-for-many-hours stage of my Achilles recovery, so I binged while pedaling this week. Dropped several inspirational sports and fitness pods into my media diet, too.
I also listened to Slow Burn. I don’t think getting infuriated by Linda Tripp helped my recovery any.
7 Pod Takes
1) “It’s the most crushing non-important thing that can happen to you in life.”
Listen: The Rewatchables: ‘Rounders’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey(28:15)
- That’s Fennessey, during a 1 hour, 33 minute deep dive on “Rounders,” on the whiplash of losing at poker in a particular way.
- The moment defined: “[Y]ou hit a big hand and you’re so deluded with euphoria about hitting the hand you don’t realize there’s a better hand out there.”
- My take: Find someone who talks about you the way Fennessey and Simmons talk about “Rounders.” Or maybe run away from that person? Your call on how comfortable you are with obsession.
2) “Central casting couldn’t have cast a better villain.”
Listen: Slow Burn: Tell-All (5:12)
- That’s Linda Tripp, acknowledging the perception of her backstabbing role in the grand saga of Bill Clinton’s impeachment.
- My take: It’s an excellent, layered ep of the multi-part chronicle, with a meta subplot that hinges on host Leon Neyfakh’s own surreptitious recording of Tripp.
- Says Neyfakh: “I had thought that taping Linda Tripp without her knowledge was a violation of her trust. She seemed to think that it has brought us closer together.”
3) “That was my lowest point of my life, to have to eat a Thousand Island sandwich.”
Listen: Ear Hustle: Birdbaths and a Lockbox (12:54)
- So says San Quentin inmate Michael Williams, on what he had to do to get through a lockdown.
- Recipe for a Thousand Island sandwich, for the uninitiated: Thousand Island salad dressing, bread.
- Williams’s admission comes in the Season 3 opener, a deep dive into prison lockdowns.
4) “It’s amazing how [sports] provide a kind of structure of meaning in people’s lives.”
Listen: Freakonomics Radio: How Sports Became Us (9:51)
- That’s Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist with no innate interest in sports, talking about … sports. She came to her interest through one of her children.
- Egan’s one of an eclectic, interesting bunch of people talking to host Stephen J. Dubner for a Freakonomics series “The Hidden Side of Sports,” which will ask what pushes athletes to excel, among other topics.
- Other sources on tap include: Mark Cuban, Mikaela Shiffrin, Kim Ng, Daryl Morey, Kerri Walsh Jennings, and a busload of economists, of course.
- My take: Extremely relevant to many of my interests. High hopes for the series.
5) “I ate goulash before every race … I ate Spam on Christmas Eve. I’m not an elite athlete.”
Listen: Another Mother Runner: #329: In-Person Conversation with Two-Time Olympian Kara Goucher (9:02)
- That’s Goucher, who is indeed an elite runner (evidence: two Olympics appearances), with a funny and poignant articulation of her gnawing self-doubt.
- Controlling that doubt has been “so important in my career,” she says.
- AMR co-host Dimity McDowell gives Goucher props for her openness and emotionalism.
- My take: Goucher’s elite, but a relatable elite.
6) “That’s like an elevator, but sideways.”
Listen: Everything is Alive: Ana, Elevator (11:35)
- That’s Ana the Elevator, with her elevator-centric view of the world, talking about a bus.
- If you’re wondering what an elevator thinks of stairs, this pod’s for you.
- Spoiler: Upon seeing stairs for the first time, Ana says, “Wow. These are beautiful.”
7) “My dream is that I’m in bed by 8:30 every night.”
Listen: Queery: Tig Notaro (46:34)
- That’s Notaro, on life with kids and why it’s hard for her to do standup.
- She says of her current lifestyle: “There’s nothing I’d rather be doing.”
- My take: Right on, Tig.
Go Deep
1) Hurricane Harvey
Listen: The Daily
- A two-parter tells the story of how Houston’s emergency systems failed during last year’s hurricane, and how that affected one family.
- Binge time: 51 minutes
2) “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”
Listen: Binge Mode
- Another book, another binge epic. Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion continue their Harry Potter immersion with a 10-part deep dive into the fifth book in J.K. Rowling’s series, including the movie.
- Binge time: 14 hours, 45 minutes
3) “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy
Listen: The Bechdel Cast
- The two-part “epicsode” breaks down the three “LOTR” films.
- Binge time: 2 hours, 4 minutes
Guest Appearances By…
Apatow, Judd Anna Faris is Unqualified
Arguello, Marcella The Mash-Up Americans
Banks, Patrice Raising the Bar
- Convo with founder of Girls Auto Clinic.
Belsky, Scott The Tim Ferriss Show
Burr, Bill The H3 Podcast
Byer, Nicole Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig, Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness
- Convos with the “Nailed It” host.
Carden, D’Arcy I Think You’re Interesting
- Janet!
Christensen, Erika Inside of You
Clapper, James The Josh Marshall Podcast
Cohen, Joshua Bookworm
- Author talks about his book “ATTENTION: Dispatches from a Land of Distraction.”
Cole, Kat Skimm’d From the Couch
- Convo with President of FOCUS brands.
Dorsey, Jack Recode Media
- Twitter’s CEO on Twitter’s problems, plans.
Eichner, Billy WTF with Marc Maron
Fallon, Morgan The Joe Rogan Experience
- Convo with a producer and director of “Parts Unknown.”
Fonda, Jane Remote Controlled
Formichetti, Nicola Creative Conversation
- The artistic director talks business, working with Lady Gaga.
French, David The Ezra Klein Show
Gabbard, Tulsi The Joe Rogan Experience
Galifianakis, Zach Comedy Bang! Bang!
Griffin, Kathy The Breakfast Club
Hahn, Kathryn Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
- 2 hours, 47 minutes with the actress about monogamy, the Amish.
Haidt, Jonathan Waking Up with Sam Harris
- Convo with the author of “The Coddling of the American Mind.”
Han, Jenny Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!
Hawke, Ethan Modern Love
- Actor reads Pauls Toutonghi’s story “Learning Humanity From Dogs.”
Holder, Eric Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air
Holofcener, Nicole The Big Picture
Isbell, Jason Pod Save America
Jefferson, Cord Invisibilia
Landgraf, John Strictly Business
Jacinto, Manny The Good Place: The Podcast
- Jason!
Jealous, Ben Off Message
Jordan, Kim How I Built This with Guy Raz
- Convo with a founder of New Belgium Brewing Company.
Key, Keegan-Michael The Bill Simmons Podcast
LaBelle, Patti Oprah’s Master Class
Leibovich, Mark Recode Decode
Lessin, Jessica The Substack Podcast
Lethem, Jonathan Filmstruck
Lorre, Chuck Maltin on Movies
Lovett, Jon The Axe Files
McGarry, Flynn Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin
McKenna, Aline Brosh Scriptnotes
Minhaj, Hasan The JJ Redick Podcast
Miller, Amy The Soft Spot
- The comedian talks about all things Pee-Wee Herman.
Nolan, Katie The Bill Simmons Podcast
Olson, Martha Rossini House of Carbs
- Founder of Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar, which sells 1 million cookies a day at the Minnesota State Fair.
Rascoff, Spencer Inside the Hive with Nick Bilton
- CEO of Zillow shares why poor and middle class Americans are being priced out of the housing market.
Rhodes, Ben Pod Save the World
Rogen, Lauren Miller It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders
Ronan, Saoirse Feminists Don’t Wear Pink
Rothwell, Natasha I Think You’re Interesting
Saget, Bob Curious with Josh Peck
Stelter, Brian The Jamie Weinstein Show
Teigen, Chrissy Bon Appetit Foodcast
- She promotes her new book, makes pad Thai carbonara.
Thiel, Peter The Rubin Report
Tyson, Neil deGrasse Kickass News
Walsh, Jennifer Rudolph The Goop Podcast
- Literary agent talks storytelling, Together Live.
Whyte, David On Being
Winkler, Henry You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes
Wood, Anthony Recode Media with Peter Kafka
- Roku CEO talks streaming.
Wong, Nicole Recode Decode
- Convo with former deputy CTO of the U.S.
Yang, Jenny How It Is
Yarris, Nick The Joe Rogan Experience
- Writer talks about being wrongly convicted of murder and spending 22 years on death row.
Zeng, Ming HBR Ideacast
- Convo with Alibaba’s chief strategy officer.
Notable New Podcasts
1) Ellen on the Go
- A behind-the-scenes companion pod for “The Ellen Degeneres Show,” hosted by the show’s exec producers.
- Business Wars kicks off a series on the battle between two U.S. airlines.
- A dramatic podcast from R.J. Cutler asks, “What if that soccer ball Vladimir Putin gave to President Trump was covered in microscopic transmitters?”
- From Vice, Sarah Burke and Fran Tirado host “a multifaceted portrait of LGBTQ chosen family — the people who help us figure out who we are and inspire us to live as our most authentic selves.”
- Scarlett Curtis “interviews inspiring women about what feminism means to them.”
- Marvel’s first scripted podcast, which was previously available only to paid subscribers, is now free.
- New pod from Candice King and Kayla Ewell about “30-something women asking life’s questions and learning from the people who just might have the answers.
And a couple I missed last week:
- An investigative pod series about the cult.
9) The Secret History of the Future
- Tom Standage and Seth Stevenson “examine the ancient ingenuity that our modern digital technology can learn from.”
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