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  • Forward This to Five People and Good Things Will Happen

    Forward This to Five People and Good Things Will Happen
    2023/04/23
    I don’t know about you, but I have limited patience for films and TV shows that pile mystery upon mystery, with a promise of resolution that never seems to be fulfilled. There are shows that walk the line really well, like Counterpart and the outstanding Severance. But no matter how many times someone tells me The Leftovers is amazing, I know I can’t trust their recommendation. A good mystery keeps you hanging just enough to remain curious, then rewards you with a bit of a clue. It’s like a key turning in a lock that then leads to another lock. Get the timing right, and you can signal to the viewer, the reader, or in our case the listener, that you’re in safe hands – that you’ll have questions along the way, but they’ll all be answered to a reasonable degree of satisfaction. This week’s minute comes to us courtesy of Petrified, a horror anthology podcast set in 1980s Ireland you can binge in a morning. If you’re the squeamish type, this particular episode from March 1st isn’t one that’ll scare you silly or anything. The minute I’m referring to starts at around 12:38 in my copy. In this scene, we get our first turnkey moment. We’ve been following a young student, broke, and looking desperately for work. When a seemingly ever-lucky flatmate offers her a job in a strange, brightly-lit room, the tension built up by the episode’s little mysteries slackens just enough. [podcast "https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-why-will-show-the-way/id1446214817?i=1000602206749"] There’s a real Doctor Who quality about this story that I appreciate. I could see the Doctor sweeping in at the last minute, admonishing Catherine for taking advantage of her flatmate, and using her sonic screwdriver to keep the monster-of-the-week at bay. And that, my friend, is your minute for this week. If you haven’t yet twigged the connection between the subject linen and this podcast, listen to the episode and you’ll get it. Or if in doubt, just encourage five of your mates to subscribe and good things will happen. On the other hand, I can’t vouch for what might happen if you don’t… 😉 Anyway, lulz aside, have a great week. Keep listening, and I’ll do the same.
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    4 分
  • Now You Have a Nazi Bar

    Now You Have a Nazi Bar
    2023/04/16
    The dimly-lit crustpunk bar was not a place where anyone would want to spend their evening, but that’s where Mike found himself, after work, looking for a beer. He and the bartender were busy ignoring each other when a punk kid sat, a couple of seats down. Without missing a beat, the bartender pointed a finger at the newcomer and said "Get out". "Hey, I'm not doing anything. I'm a paying customer!" said the punk. The bartender reached for a bat. "Out. Now." The punk kid left, although not quietly. The bartender caught Mike’s quizzical expression, and in answer said "You didn't see his vest, but it was all Nazi shit. Iron crosses and stuff. You get to recognise them." Mike crooked an eyebrow. "You have to nip it in the bud immediately”, the bartender continued. “These guys come in, and it's always a nice, polite one. And you serve them because you don't want to cause a scene. And then they become regulars, and after a while, they bring a friend. And that dude is cool too. “And then they bring friends, and the friends bring friends, and they stop being cool. Then you realise, “oh shit, this is a Nazi bar now”. And it's too late because they're entrenched. If you try to kick them out, they cause a problem. So you have to shut them down." This little playlet is a dramatisation of a tweet thread posted by @lamRageSparkle (who is sensibly no longer on Twitter). This story was invoked by Mike Masnick in a post for TechDirt, in which he likened Substack to that same crustpunk bar, but without the proactive bartender. Why? Because Substack’s policy has long been iffy – and now is getting more problematic – when it comes to censorship of hate speech. I’ve “known” for a while that it wasn’t a wholesome place when it came to moderation, but couldn’t dig up any actual evidence. Which brings us to this week’s minute: from Decoder, with Nilay Patel. The bit in question starts at around 48:04 in my copy, and is the slow melting of a tech CEO under the glare of a journalist that’s about as blazing hot as a desk lamp. That is not a knock against Nilay. He asks good questions… I just don’t think they’re all that hard. Essentially, Patel asks Substack’s CEO Chris Best if his platform would censor an overtly racist and inciting comment. The correct and obvious answer is “yes”, and somehow Best manages to completely miss the target. It’s as if he were trying to throw rolled up pieces of paper into a bin, but somehow completely missed the bin and stabbed himself in the eye. [podcast "https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/is-substack-notes-a-twitter-clone-we-asked-ceo-chris-best/id1011668648?i=1000608829763"] I don’t know if this is good journalism. Best accuses Patel of asking a “gotcha” question which I think is wrong. Whether it’s good journalism to make the question s personal one, I don’t know. What I do know is that it was a fascinating listen, with Patel not giving any quarter and even calling out how Best was blowing the answer. I wanted to share it, not because of the sensationalism of it, and not to revel in someone’s epic PR fail. But there are moments in audio when everything else drops away. When you’re no longer folding the laundry, or watching the dog run around, or chopping vegetables, or getting out of your car. You’re still – in a timeless vacuum – just waiting to hear what they say next. And with that, it’s closing time. Please take your gasses back to the bar. We’ll reconvene next week. So until then, keep listening, and I’ll do the same.
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    6 分
  • Selling Pigeons to Chinese Restaurants in Exchange for Crack

    Selling Pigeons to Chinese Restaurants in Exchange for Crack
    2023/04/09
    I don’t travel on public transport all that often since my commute is the clichéd ten feet of the work-at-homeer. But in my early days of employment I remember catching the bus to work and back, thinking how cool it would be to carry a Zoom recorder and talk to people. Well, someone actually did it. And it’s really good. Where Are You Going? was a radio show from the BBC World Service that’s now been reborn as a podcast. In it, host Catherine Carr interviews people on their way somewhere. She asks one simple question: “Where are you going?” and then follows her curiosity. In many ways, podcasting was always the right medium for this kind of storytelling. When stuck inside a 27 minute scheduling window, you end up either having to stretch what you’ve got, or cut something good. But as anyone who’s made a podcast for any length of time knows, there’s no such thing as too long, only too boring. So, to that story I alluded to in the subject line. It wasn’t much of an allusion; the New Yorker Carr interviewed literally said he caught pigeons in the park where he slept, sold them to Chinese restaurants, and used the money to buy crack. That came from the BBC series, but the stories Carr pulls out from people are no less fascinating in podcast form. As a case in point, the minute I’m bringing you is from 8:20 in my copy, and concerns the story of a gentleman who works on boats owned by the super rich, but whose life story is far from luxuriant. Earlier in the episode we hear about how this man saw two friends die in a horrific accident. This clip sums that up, and offers us some wisdom too. [podcast "https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-central-line-an-anchor-and-a-crown/id1679013017?i=1000607797529"] The clip ends with the interviewee reminding us that “people don’t know what other people have been through”. I’m thinking about that as I remember the story of the man in the park selling pigeons to buy crack. That man once had a successful carer, and savings that would see him through to retirement. I’ll be thinking about that the next time I see someone in the street and rushing to judgement. And on that lofty note, I’ll leave you. Take excellent care of yourself, keep listening, and I’ll do the same.
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    4 分
  • A Hand-Wrapped Gift for Your Ears

    A Hand-Wrapped Gift for Your Ears
    2023/04/02
    There’s something wrong with my building. Every so often, at random intervals, a little echoey bleep will be emitted from the communal corridor above my apartment. I went to investigate it last night, but as I started to zero in, it stopped. Of course it started back up again the moment I shut my front door. It’s irregular sounds like that that can set a person’s teeth on edge. And it’s in those moments when we need to find peace. The minute I’m bringing you is from Terra Firma, which is NPR as all hell. It’s a podcast that explores our connection to nature through reflections and stories. Poetry from Indigenous writer C Marie Fuhrman is paired with lush soundscapes recorded by sound recordist Jacob Job. Each short episode combines words and sounds from the nature that inspired it. I love to hear audio that feels lovingly crafted, where each episode feels like a little hand-wrapped gift. This is prime headphone listening fare, and best done when you’re not going to be disturbed or distracted by anything else. It’s 10 minutes max of time just for you. I want to draw your attention to an episode from March 8th. At 1:22 in my copy, you’ll hear a perfect illustration of what this podcast offers. C Marie’s gentle voice carries her beautiful words, as Jacob’s soundscape help us paint our own picture. If you don’t have time to listen, imagine yourself at the crest of a wooded hill overlooking a gently winding river, with mist-covered mountains further out. Take a seat on a log, and listen to the wind whisper through the trees. Now enjoy these words from a real writer: The hillsides are green from a late winter and from heavy spring rain. Walking the trail to get here, the balsam root air leaf with their sunflower faces made south-facing slopes golden. When the head of a bloom turns just so, the deep center of brown becomes an eye. Then it appears as though the entire hillside is arrow leaf-eyed, and I am peering into the heart of the Salmon River Mountains. [podcast "https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-eyes-of-ancestors-payette-national-forest-idaho/id1663542464?i=1000603287211"] Whenever you’ve got a metaphorical gnat buzzing around in you brain, it’s always nice to have something in your pocket you can turn to – something to pop in your ears to give you a moment of escape. Or something to remind you of the beauty and the peace to be found in outdoor spaces. Honourable mention I wanted to give a shout-out to Jodi Krangle of the Audio Branding podcast. Keeping the nature theme going, I want to point you to the first in a run of three episodes about the past, present, and future of sonic warfare. She explores tactics used by sperm whales and tiger moths, and reaches all the way back to the Bronze Age via World War II to uncover how humans have been using sound to set our minds and our pulses racing. [podcast "https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453?i=1000586413261"] Until next week, keep listening, and I’ll do the same.
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    4 分
  • When Reconciliation is Based on Gaslighting – You Didn’t See Nothin

    When Reconciliation is Based on Gaslighting – You Didn’t See Nothin
    2023/03/26
    What is it about some humans that makes them brush their wrongdoings under the carpet and gaslight people into “moving on”? What happens when those gaslighters are enabled by members of the community who were wronged? That’s what we’re getting into in this week’s issue. The subject matter’s on the darker side, but while there’s violence, there’s a seeking to understand the people who are so quick to want to move on. The pandemic was so mishandled in so many ways here in the UK that there were lots of occasions when our then PM kept telling us, the public, that what the public wanted, was for us to stop talking about what the government screwed up. Now imagine someone you thought had your interests at heart started agreeing that now is not the time for people to face consequences, but for us to all move on and forgive. Multiply that by the value of a childhood, and you see my point. In 1997, a gang of older white teens beat a young boy into a coma because he was black. All he was trying to do was put some air in his tyres. One of the attackers was from a family with mob connections dating back to the days of Al Capone. Black religious leaders started calling for reconciliation between both parties, which is where our reporter steps into the story. Yohance Lacour in his early 20s, living in his dad's house on the south side of Chicago, writing plays, trying his hand at journalism, and selling drugs to make ends meet. The young boy’s beating and the subsequent rhetoric around it was a major sticking point for Yohance. Now, after serving a 10-year prison sentence for dealing heroin, Yohance returns to Chicago to track down and confront not only the religious leaders who called for reconciliation, but the man pinpointed as the ringleader in the young boy’s beating. The podcast is called You Didn’t See Nothin, and it’s just wrapped up. The minute I’m bringing you is from the penultimate episode, and it’s a mess. It starts at around 31:11 in my copy, and in it, Yohance confronts the mob-connected ringleader from the beating. The show’s producer accidentally dials the guy’s dad who they’d been in contact with, but the son won’t pick up the phone or talk to Yohance. Meanwhile, the dad’s on the phone and hears everything, and claims that his son might be too intimidated. It’s tense and chaotic, with Yohance describing the anger and frustration he felt as emotions from the past come flooding back [podcast "https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/never-had-a-friend-like-me/id1662015767?i=1000602251263"] The show’s a mix of memoir and investigation. I’ll let you know now that, as with most podcasts like this, there’s no resolution. But it’s a great listen, and very much about the journey rather than the destination. On a lighter note, this is issue 20 of The Big Minute! I’ve got lots more shows in my queue to review, but do keep ‘em coming. Also, if you want to hear the clips I mention – or you just want to give your eyes a rest – you can follow the Big Minute podcast. Alright then. You keep listening (to that or to anything else!), and I’ll do the same.
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    6 分
  • The Tavistock and the Fight for Gender Identity Support

    The Tavistock and the Fight for Gender Identity Support
    2023/03/19
    Hey. The language in today’s issue is going to be a bit less playful than usual. Not because I want to be dour, but because the subject matter needs a bit of respect. I’m going back to British slow journalism outfit Tortoise this week, to bring you a minute from a piece of reporting that uncovers the seemingly politically-motivated closure of the UK’s only gender clinic, the Tavistock. That’s the subject of The Tavistock: Inside the Gender Clinic. Before we crack on, a couple of things to note. Firstly, the story in this podcast relates to the UK’s bonkers 2022 when we went through three Prime Ministers in one year. Specifically we’re referencing the Truss government which famously lasted all of 50 days and managed to do even more damage than her party had already done to the country. Secondly, we’re going to talk about gender and gender identity, but only really on a social level – essentially we’re talking about people and their emotions, not what’s between their legs, which is none of our business. OK, so with that out of the way, let’s get into it. The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation ran their Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in London and Leeds, with the centre announcing closure in July 2022. The centre has been criticised on both sides, and has come under fire for how young people experiencing gender dysphoria are treated. What’s crucial about the minute I’m bringing you – which starts at around 25:02 in my copy, and is just before the mid-roll ad break – is how journalist Polly Curtis uncovered what was to replace it, which seems like not enough. As you might understand – and what I get from my limited understanding – young people may embark on a medical discussion about gender having already socially transitioned. That means they might wear clothes or use a name that better fits the gender they identify with. So before they discuss puberty blockers or other medical interventions, there’s a discussion to be had about how they present. What journalist Polly and the then head of the Tavistock – also called Polly – hit upon is the government’s seeming desire to reduce or remove support for social transitioning. Whatever you feel about gender, you must surely believe that a person has the right to express themselves. That’s what caught me about this particular minute, and why I wanted to bring it to you. [podcast "https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-tavistock-inside-the-gender-clinic/id1655638832?i=1000589760270"] Good journalism is thought-provoking. Not in that tabloidy way I think that phrase can be used. Not to stoke controversy for the sake of it, but to genuinely make you stop and think. When we take polarising viewpoints, we become more and more intrenched. What podcasting allows us to do – because we get right to the heart of a person by hearing their voice – is to connect with an individual story. That shows us the people who make up the faceless swathes who get demonised, lionised, or victimised in our minds. We’re invited to take a look, to take a listen, to engage with someone’s lived experience, not the blurred and smeared version we encounter elsewhere and that so often goes unchallenged. OK, soap box away. Let’s see what the podcast Gods drop in my lap next week. Until then, you keep listening, and I’ll do the same.
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    6 分
  • The Fourth Wall is the First Casualty When D&D Universes Collide

    The Fourth Wall is the First Casualty When D&D Universes Collide
    2023/03/12
    If you read my write-up of October’s Children you’ll know I’m a fan of those ballsy moments that make you go “you’re allowed to do that!?” I also love it when the fourth wall crumbles and we get meta. Today I bring you a moment from undoubtedly the most listened-to podcast I’ve covered, that satisfies both criteria. If you haven’t listened to The Adventure Zone, you’ll almost certainly have heard of it. If it’s new to you, I’d suggest starting with this season rather than the first, as it’s something like 8 years old at this point. The show started, as so many podcasts do, on a lark. The McElroy brothers – the Internet’s cleanest boys – already had a successful podcast in My Brother, My Brother and Me. But in 2014 they roped their dad into playing Dungeons & Dragons with them. That first episode is a bit of a slog, but their DM, editor, and littlest brother Griffin put out a shorter, more palatable version, which – if you’re inclined to start from the beginning – will give you all the important info. I speed-ran the binge process of this show, starting some time in January 2019 and ending up midway through the year, crying on my sofa listening to the end of their first campaign. I think watching Taako, Magnus and Merle grow up as their human operators became more adept was a major factor in how emotional I felt… and I know I wasn’t alone. We also got to see the incredible multitudinous talents of Griffin McElroy: character creator, storyteller, musician, sound designer, and podcast editor. That boy put in a serious shift in those early years. The latest campaign, Steeplechase, sees big brother Justin at the helm. It’s essentially Westworld meets Disney on steroids, with bits, goofs, and japes provided by him, the other brothers, and their dad. I’m going to blow the spoiler horn now. If you’re not caught up with TAZ and you intend to check it out, then skip on down past the podcast player as I don’t want to ruin it for you. OK, so. The bit I’m highlighting is the very last minute of gameplay from episode 18 of the current season. In it, the worlds of Steeplechase and Balance collide, as the characters in this latest campaign meet Taako, the much-beloved level 16 wizard, now turned TV chef, who was played by current-DM Justin. That’s a lot of context, but these are all necessary ingredients for that moment I described, when you put your pinched fingers to your lips and kiss ‘em like a chef. To be clear, up until this point, there’s been nothing – that I know of – to suggest any of the worlds created in seasons of TAZ share any kind of universe. But as Steeplechase is somewhat a patchwork of and love-letter to pop culture, it kinda sorta makes sense. I am, as the kids say, here for it. Before I started listening to actual play podcasts, I made my own, and what started out as a silly one-note goof ended up as a sprawling narrative about the nature of storytelling itself. So I know what i means to go meta. I love it, I’m a fan of it, and the fourth wall can be knocked through to make room for a conservatory as far as I’m concerned, as it’s not load bearing. [podcast "https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-adventure-zone-steeplechase-episode-18/id947899573?i=1000602469146"] I have an imperfect relationship with the McElroys. There exists within me a whole essay about what performative outrage is doing to their brand, and how its echoes are feeding back into the Internet… but you’ll have to get me drunk at a podcast conference to hear it. Suffice to say that TAZ is a show I look forward to each week. I enjoy Justin’s haphazard DM style, Clint’s earnestness, Griffin’s voices, and Travis is there too. That’s so mean! I like Travis. I just don’t think he has to try so hard. At least that’s my read… I could be wildly off-base. Any other business Do you have any questions about podcast marketing you’re too afraid to ask because you think you’re “supposed” to know the answer? Here’s a safe space to ask them. Our next Vocal Brew virtual meetup is on March 22nd, and will be all about AI in podcasting. I’m pretty bullish on ways we can put AI to good, ethical use. So if that’s a chat you want to be in, come and join us! My friend Anya Pearse is an expert on happiness. Each week I tip her upside down and rummage through the pearls of wisdom that fall from of her brain. On Monday 13th we’re talking insecurity, and how we can live with it rather than try and make it go away. Follow the show now – it’s good. That’s all I have for you this week. You keep listening, and I’ll do the same. x
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    8 分
  • Forensic Science Under the Microscope: Admissible Explores Evidence Tampering

    Forensic Science Under the Microscope: Admissible Explores Evidence Tampering
    2023/03/05
    In the UK we have a phrase: “cockup over conspiracy”, which cautions us against attributing malice to what is probably incompetence. More simply: when your steak comes back well done when you wanted it rare, it’s probably not because the chef doesn’t like you. This week’s podcast is true crime with a twist, in that it’s less about the crime and the criminal, and a whole lot more about the scientists — and one in particular — trusted to give us impartial facts, free of bias. To go back to the restaurant analogy, this is a story of how someone screwed up a steak order so badly, the wait staff weren’t sure whether it was an equipment error or a gastronomical experiment. Admissible, produced and hosted by Tessa Kramer, tells the story of Mary Jane Burton, the scientist whose evidence saw 13 men wrongly convicted. In the days just before DNA testing, Burton was considered a hero for saving scraps of fabric and other items in the hopes that science would eventually know what to do with them. But as Kramer’s investigation uncovers, Mary Jane was anything but heroic. The series is still ongoing so we haven’t really dug into the motivations, and Burton’s no longer around so there’s no way to hear her side of the story. But what it looks like so far is evidence tampering by a forensic scientist, done in the hopes of helping the police close cases. The minute I’m picking starts at 17:40 in my copy, and it’s a subtle piece of testimony that, to me, explains how miscarriages of justice like these happen over so many years. Someone relatively junior brings a concern to the suits. They don’t want to hear it because it’s inconvenient, so it goes ignored. [podcast "https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ch-5-politics-and-science/id1668887025?i=1000602049982"] What I appreciate in general about the show is that it doesn’t feel overly sensationalised. There’s a focus on getting to the truth and not on painting Mary Jane as a villain. In fact, episode four goes into her back story, which wasn’t always a happy one. I’ve been looking forward to covering Admissible since hearing the trailer. I think most true crime podcasts are disposable and salacious pulp, but I like this show’s willingness to get nerdy and process-based… after all, this is all about the process. Admissible is still ongoing, so you can catch up on the first five episodes now. As this goes out, I’ll be recovering from my 40th birthday party celebrations. I hope I had a good night. Hopefully I’ll be sober by next Sunday. Until then, you keep listening, and I’ll do the same.
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    5 分