Podcasts Now: Things I Want To Listen To

by | Mar 23, 2025 | Uncategorized

What I’ve been listening to / What’s inspiring me / What I’m looking forward to exploring.

Every so often I go through a listening lull, realizing that I haven’t been actively feeding myself with new things. This is my current effort to top off my podcast list (I love lists!), loosely organized by the subjects that I’m most interested in. I’ve also added a list of specific episode recommendations from friends.

*PS: I interchange between linking to podcast websites, wikipedia, Apple Podcasts, Spotify.. Sorry if this drives you insane! At some point, I’ll clean it all up!

How I listen to podcasts:

  • Pre-choosing: I find if I have podcasts queued up, I’m more likely to listen to them. Like my weekly meal planning, if I plan out my options in advance, I always have something vetted to try depending on mood and time.
  • Timing: when I listen: I listen to podcasts primarily on my walks. I tend to walk a few hours a day outside, and this ramps up in the summer time.
  • Integrating podcast listening into my lifestyle: I haven’t quite figured out how to integrate podcast listening into my day to day at home. I know folks listen while doing work (I can’t multi-task that way), or while doing chores (I’m usually doing thinking time during that).
  • Walking and listening seems to be ideal: I also prefer listening to things while I’m moving outside to better integrate what I’m hearing: when I listen to a podcast (or non-fiction audio book), I’m able to map what I’m listening to my surroundings, and it helps with recall.

How I choose things what I listen to:

I generally like:

  • A combination of popular podcasts (of the cultural moment), and finding hidden gems.
  • Podcasts that are a deep dive primer on a topic in 1-8 episodes (similar to a lecture based course.)
  • Whenever possible, I prioritize startlingly good interviewers and interviewees over the topic at hand. I’ll listen to anything that is down someone’s deep rabbit hole of curiosity.
  • Solo podcasts: someone who can capture my attention for a full hour or more, crafting a great narrative.
  • I’m equally interested in someone who can take me along in their learning journey vs. an expert.
  • I prefer limited series and specials to ongoing podcasts (or at least seasons) so I can take a natural break

Where to Start:

Podcast discovery is hard enough, but when you do find a podcast you think you’d like, then you have to figure out where to start.

I’m thankful for the podcasts that put a “where to start” section on their websites. (If you have a podcast and don’t do this, please consider adding one! It will help people get started!)

Starting at the beginning of a podcast series is often NOT the right choice. And I think most podcasters would agree with this. Ideally I’d like to see a list of both listener favorites, and podcaster favorites.

Reddit is usually a good place to see what episodes fans recommend.

New vs. Old Favorites: Why I love being a “Regular”

“The Regulars”: I like listening to a handful of my favorite podcasters, where I can jump in at any point, and I’ve already gotten to know their quirks and styles.

This is the same reason I like watching 20 season shows and reading sweeping book series:

I’ve developed a relationship with the world already, so I already have a frame of reference while diving in and it’s easier for me to get started.

Unsurprisingly why I enjoy Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere, and Terry Pratchett’s Discworld – after listening to more than a dozen years of Tim Ferriss, RadioLab, and the Splendid Table I always find it comforting to hop back in wherever they are.

Watching vs. Listening:

It’s arguable that Youtube is actually the best podcast aggregator out there. I tend to bucket radio shows, audio podcasts, and video “podcasting” into one bucket. (I’m rethinking paying for Youtube premium again so I can do more listening on the the go.)

Youtube is also great at finding the top episodes of shows.

I know a lot of folks think that video podcasts are weird (I’ve heard people say verbatim in disgust “who wants to watch a podcast?” but as someone who subscribes to Youtube premium, I actually enjoy getting to watch the faces behind the screen at least every so often.

Open question: what makes something a video podcast vs. a vlog?

Who is putting out great content?

Trying not to invent the wheel, these are some of the organizations and podcast networks putting out great podcast content.

People Who Think About This Stuff

I also try to keep track of awards as a source of vetted good stuff: Pulitzer Audio awards, Peabody Awards, The Ambies (great for discovery), British Podcast Awards, iHeart Media podcast awards, Shorty Awards, The Webby Awards (great for discovery), Dupont, IRE, Murrow awards. James Beard Awards.

Of course YMMV, and awards of any kinds tend to have significant bias.

My Current Podcast Short List

Wikipedia is a great source of podcasts by topic. Here’s a current short list (ok, long list) of things I’m listening to, and things I’d like to listen to right now:

Daily News and Current Events

  • NPR Up First – which I listen to on my daily mile. Perhaps ironically when the day is over. I’m also a fan of The Daily, Planet Money, Freakonomics Radio, and Marketplace.
  • BBC World Service
  • I didn’t know that 60 minutes has a podcast version of the episodes (and it’s less than 60 minutes!)
  • Science Friday isn’t all news, but it does cover more recent science information
  • New York Times now has audio stories in app which is useful
  • The Economist Podcasts – I love reading the Economist’s short recap sections as my weekly “slow news”.

Captivating Series – Storytelling & Investigative Journalism and (Radio Shows)

I like listening to complete seasons of gripping shows in quick succession. The Lazarus Heist, Dolly Parton’s America, Radiolab, Bone Valley, and Serial are all favorites.

Some caveats re: true crime – while I love true crime, I try to prioritize well researched and fact-checked journalistic true crime, rather than sensationalized weekly pulp true crime even though the latter can be fun. I’ve read too many articles about people whose lives have been impacted by shoddy hearsay true crime podcasting.

  • The Missing Cryptoqueen – listened to the first season (but have to listen to the 2024 update episode 33 minutes)
  • The Missing Madonna – about an Art Heist (also from the BBC). 9 episodes, 30 minutes or so each. 
  • White Lies – “decades-long story about immigration, indefinite detention, and a secret list” (start with episode one, 50 minute or so episodes)
  • Season two of Stolen with Connie Walker (surviving St. Michaels), 8 episodes, 35-45 minutes each
  • The Big Dig Podcast (local interest! 9 part series from GBH), 60 or so minutes each
  • The Retrievals: (a Serial podcast) about the Yale Fertility Center, inequity in healthcare, 50 min
  • Murder in Boston (the Boston Globe) limited series, 10 episodes, 45ish minutes
  • Scamanda (limited series, 8 episodes + bonus, 40-90 min each; they’ve now turned into a tv series)
  • The Telepathy Tapes

Arts:

Comedy:

Education:

History:

Science:

Psychology, Emotions, Feelings, and Culture

Food, Cooking and Culture:

Travel:

Gardening:

General Learning:

Tim Ferriss Episodes to listen to:

Health, Fitness, Wellness

Sports

Business and Entrepreneurship

Books and Reading:

Music:

TV and Film:

Random:

Podcasts from People I Know:

Specific Episodes Recommended to Me:

What are you listening to? Is it missing from the list? Drop me a note in the comments!

Shameless Consumerism: 2024 Prime Day Picks

by | Jul 16, 2024 | Shopping

Hello hello!

Okay, I’ve been making a list of things that I love and own, and here are some of them. The appliances I’ve now owned for years, and the consumables I’ve purchased many times over.

Yep, these are affiliate links, and I own all of these and recommend them.

My 10 (okay 12) top Prime Day Picks

Cuisinart 14 Cup Coffee Maker – you need caffeine, and you need it reliably. This is the machine for you.

GE Profile Countertop Nugget Ice Machine – this is the BAD BOY of ice makers. It will change your life.

A Kindle Paperwhite – I do half of my reading in paperback, the other half on a kindle. I like switching back forth with my audiobooks via Whispersync. You an also get library books sent to your kindle via the Libby app.

G2 Gel Pens 1.0 Thick Bois – these are my go-to, ride-or-die pen.

Loop Quiet Ear Buds – I have a few different types of Loops handy. They are great earplugs. (They aren’t digital, just nicely shaped.)

Magic Erasers – these are the most used cleaning product I own. It’s SO satisfying to get rid of bathroom grime, even cleaning off your sneakers.

A Manta Sleep Mask – I have several sleep masks, but this one is my newest and I’m in love.

Dash Egg Cooker – I use this every week to make medium boiled eggs. It’s one of the best single-purpose appliances I own, and no regrets.

The Artist’s Way – I’ve done this course multiple times over the years, and each time, I discover something new about myself.

Noxgear Tracer Light Up Running Vest – safety first.

Yaktrax for the snow (sorry.)

Bertram’s Donut E-Collar – this is one you hate to need, but love to have.

Not Prime Day but I love them:

Squatty Potty – #poopstrong. This is one of my favorite life changing recommendations.

Ninja 4 Quart Air Fryer – for about $90 bucks, this is the one I use every single day and have now for years.

Cuisinart Combi Steam Oven (Convection) – this is an older model that I own, and has been my main oven (I rarely use the large one.)

Duraflame Electric Fireplace – Bertram and I sit by the “fire” every morning. It’s wonderful for ambiance, and an effective actual space heater.

Breville Tea Kettle – another workhorse. I’ve used this as my daily kettle for almost 15 years now!

Aquanotes – I *love* these for my shower. You can also order a large pad from the company directly.

Pentel Sign Pens – very nice chubby felt tip.

A three pound bucket of Maldon – it’s the stuff I like. It makes a fun gift, too.

A wireless bluetooth camera shutter for your phone – this is just a handy handy little tool!

A Hugger Mugger Bolster – truly a standout bolster for your yoga practice.

Mead Cambridge Limited Action Planner – I use this for my weekly to-do list; love the side bar.

Cocofloss (the best floss) 

True and Co V Neck Bras (the best bras if you don’t need an underwire)

These Beckham Hotel Pillows – sweet sleep.

This OXO food scale – it’s great.

Self Care Short List

by | Jul 7, 2024 | Self Care

It’s easy to think that self-care is a cure all for your woes (spoiler, it isn’t) and a replacement for good healthcare and community care. (It definitely isn’t.) It’s easy to spend absurd amounts of money on “self-care” and “wellness” activities that you don’t actually need.

I’m mindful of this.

I see self care activities as a way to focus on personal care and personal growth. These are the systems and standards that I can set to have the energy to do the good things I wan to do in the world.

I like to think of my self care activities as a combination of addressing my basic needs, expanding in areas I could use more support, where I can tune the dial to focus more when I have time, money, or energy to spend.

And while it’s true that sometimes my passions run a little bit towards the silicon valley optimization path, most of the time my focus here is just helping me attend to the things I can do to help stay energized, emotionally balanced, and feel physically good.

One of the things I’ve been working towards for myself is setting standards rather than goals. Here are some of the questions I ask myself:

  • What’s the minimum viable dose?
  • What if I could spend unlimited funds?
  • What would good look like?
  • How much is too little? How much is too much?
  • How would you prioritize these activities?
  • What do you drop when you are feeling unbalanced?
  • What do you add when you are feeling unbalanced?

Physical Adjustment, Body Work

Note to self: you know you feel better when you are getting regular physical body work! Work hard, restore hard. When you are lifting heavy, active, and moving, it makes sense to actually get this work done.

Massage: for muscle relaxation, working out the large knots in my upper back, and general stress relief.

  • Thai Massage: over the past few years, I’ve been going to a Thai massage place that allows for relatively last-minute reservations.
  • Sports Massage: I’m adding in a new sports massage practitioner to see if I can do a little bit more pre-hab.
  • Wellness in Motion
  • Physical Therapy
  • Stretching

Manicure: as someone who picks at my hands because of anxiety, having regular manicures is the one way that I can generally avoid this behavior/habit.

  • I’m currently working on “the shame project” an Angie’s-list for local manicurists who will provide judgement free manicures for those working through cuticle healing process.
  • It’s all about the DAZZLE DRY lifestyle. This stuff lasts for two weeks.
  • Cuticle oil or bag balm to heal.

Acupuncture/Acupressure: addressing specific issues like my De Quervain’s (don’t use social media, kids!) and overall wellness. When I first started working for myself, I went to acupuncture weekly for a period of time to help reduce overall stress. It’s been a while since I’ve done this regularly and I need to go back.

  • I have a session scheduled in a few weeks with a new practitioner that I’ve heard good things about, and is relatively close to where I am locally.

Sauna and Cold Plunge: I’m a fan of the benefits of contrast therapy for both recovery and relaxation: it’s one of the only things that can get me to quickly get out of my own head and quiet all the channels. Kelo Spa is a Finnish/Ukrainian spa in the neighborhood. (Ideally I find a neighbor with a wood sauna though…anyone?)

Massage Gun: You have one! Use it! (I’d love a pair of Normatecs as well.)

Epsom Soaking: you have a big bag of it!

Mental and Emotional Wellness

  • Therapy:
    • I feel thankful that I get to do therapy, and it’s largely covered by my health insurance. This is something that I’ve done intermittently throughout the decades, and I’m always thankful when I have someone who I can sit with to focus on introspection, challenges, and growth.
  • Journaling:
    • Writing is one of my primary self-care activities. It’s where I do my best thinking, organizing, and even feeling. It’s a way for me to connect my physical sensations and feelings with my mind. I also have a regular gratitude practice (identifying Good Things), and focus on identifying challenges, intentions, and more.
  • Supporting ADHD and cognitive challenges:
    • In the past few years, I’ve gotten more focused on supporting my executive function, learning more about my brain in order to work with my brain instead of against it. (Organizational support, OT)

General Relaxation and Stress Management

  • Bodies of Water:
    • My number one stress management tactic is to get outside and head to a body of water. I have a pond conveniently located on my daily walk, but the Ocean is my happy place.
  • The Forest:
    • Get deep into nature.
  • Travel:
    • One of my favorite ways to relax, learn new things, discover new places, experience novelty. I don’t do enough of it. Goal is to earmark in more time to travel, and actually make plans to do it.
  • Aromatherapy:
    • I’m not a fan of bottled scent or fragrance, but I love noticing particular smells – in the kitchen, the garden, outside (petrichor before the rains!)
  • Flowers of the Week:
    • I’m a happier person when I’m surrounded by flowers and plants.
  • Sound Therapy:
    • Taking Reggie’s Ompractice Sound Bowls class when I get a chance.
    • Live Music: concerts (particularly symphony)
    • IMAX animal and nature documentaries

Creativity: Inputs and Activities

This probably deserves a full page on it’s own. I’ve long been inspired by Julia Cameron’s Creative Dates as a path to self care: solo activities where you “top off” your creative inputs so to speak.

Creative Inputs:

  • Museums
  • Visiting all of the Trustees Properties in Massachusetts
  • Visiting all of the State Parks in New England
  • Visit a Botanical Garden or Greenhouse
  • Get on a boat
  • Watching films at the movie theater (weekly)
  • Reading (Goodreads Yearly Reading)
  • Bird Watching (Merlin App, iNaturalist)
  • A class at the Paper Mouse

Creative Activities

  • Writing
  • Tend to the Garden
  • Plant Care
  • Photography with my Nikon and my DJI Osmo 3
  • Flower and Nature Photo Walks
  • Color Walks (pick a color to notice on your walk)
  • Drawing and Painting
  • Cooking (Yearly cooking projects)
  • Outdoor Art

Systems Improvements

My systems are what keeps everything running! I have this earmarked as a separate section for self care, because when I don’t pay attention to these, things tend to fail fast.

  • List updates:
    • Inputs, Self Care, Bucket List, Creative Pursuits, etc. currently in Evernote, on the blog, in notebooks, etc. Building out a “Life Binder” over the summer.
  • Home Organization
    • Regular cleaning and organzation
    • Support with cleaning, chores, and overall systems
  • Won’t Do List
    • A list of things I’m explicitly not focusing on right now
  • Learning Goals
    • A list of courses that I’m taking, and things I’d like to learn, study, and research next
  • Boundaries
    • Values I hold in my interactions with people around me
  • Support Team:
    • people in my life in a variety of categories who I can directly ask for help from. I’m not great at asking for help, and sometimes in the moment, I don’t know who to ask, and how to ask. Working on flexing this muscle as self care.

Skincare and Personal Care

Generally, I’m a minimalist when it comes to any sort of beauty products or skincare.

  • Facials: Lily, who works in the neighborhood does a great job with facials. I’ve been going every four months or so. Would love to try a Hydra-facial.
  • Haircut: I’ve been going to Lucy who is awesome. Usually 2x – 3x a year.
  • Eye Masks in the Fridge: I have a bunch of them.
  • Scalp Treatments: I’ve been TikTok influenced – would love to try either SKA or Fashion Point in Chinatown.
  • Yearly Dermatology Appointment: thank you Dr. Sobell!
  • Refreshing my list of aspirational skincare products
  • Teeth management: 2x/year cleanings, cocofloss, reminder to swap out my toothbrush head on a regular basis

Nutrition and Food

  • Working with an RD: I’ve worked with Emily Field to help re-build habits to support my fitness and adventuring needs! Currently doing a monthly check-in as an accountability process for myself.
  • Weekly Meal Planning: this is the habit that helps me to feed myself! I’m less concerned about actually cooking the things I’ve planned as setting up placeholders so I have backup on the days when I’m done with decision making by the time I need to eat.
  • Farmers Market and Novelty Quests: regular trips to specialty food stores as entertainment and curiosity boosting
  • Novelty: Rancho Gordo bean club, Noma Tasting Club, Burlap + Barrel spice club
  • Let’s Eat Spreadsheet: pantry contents, global foods I’d like to try, bean backlog
  • 1000 fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds to try
  • Tea and Coffee Collection: this does double duty as a side quest and a relaxation activity.

Fitness and Mobility

My primary interest in fitness and mobility is to stay active and enjoy movement over a lifetime.

  • Personal Training and Strength Training: I’ve been working weekly with Ryan at AnkFit. Although I’m decently self-directed with my fitness, I’ve been enjoying getting out of the house, and letting someone else take the wheel.
  • Yoga, flexibility, mobility: classes on Ompractice. I haven’t taken an in-person studio class in quite a while, would love to try something locally. I’d also like to build a repeatable stretching routine that I can do on a regular basis to support hypermobility.
  • Hiking: need to update my shortlist of local hikes and actually get after some this summer! In April, I did an ultra in Blue Hills which had me traversing pretty much every trail, and I had such a good time out there (without even needing an earbud or music.)
  • Walking and Running: my primary joyful activity!
  • Forest Walks: I want to spend more time in the woods!
  • Fun and Novelty: things I’d like to do more of – martial arts, particularly a tumbling class, Zumba, acro-yoga

Sleep + Rest Enhancements

  • Sleep Optimization: I’m thankful that I’m relatively blessed with good sleep lately. That said, I’ve been working to improve my bedtimes, and shift my waking to slightly earlier so I have more time in the morning to do nothing.
  • Digital Detox Days: I’m not very good at unplugging. (This is partially because I get a lot of joy out of being chronically online.) But I’m working to spend more days with a computer closed.

Gadgets

Back in my Runkeeper days, working on the HealthGraph, I was wearing every gadget in the books! I like gadgets as carrots: a way to give myself a gold star or extra-credit for behavior that I want to keep doing. (They work poorly for me as a stick.)

  • Currently: Apple Watch, Oura, Rise App, Headspace, Withings scale

Health and Wellness Auditing and Monitoring

I probably could have put this at the top of my list, but a regular part of my self care is to do snapshot assessments of both my physical health, and ongoing habits:

  • Wheel of Life: a quick and regular snapshot of assessing how I’m feeling across key areas: physical health, mental wellbeing, my environment/surrounding, my hobbies/joy/restoration, relationships, friends and family, finances, giving back, purpose or work, spirituality, and personal growth.
  • Weekly and Monthly Retrospectives: what’s working, what’s not working, what you can improve. (My substack newsletter is a public version of this!)
  • Regular Check-Ups: my annual physical with my doctor (who is incredible! both a general MD and a functional specialist – I’m lucky to get to sit with her for at least a full hour and work through my current health.
  • Blood Work: I try to test regularly – my doctor is great at pro-active healthcare. (In the past year or so, I’ve also done a few extra marker checks via Levels. And in the past I’ve used Inside Tracker.) Would be curious about getting a Function test (several friends have).
  • Mental Health Check-Ins: I’m a fan of regular therapy!
  • DEXA/RMR/VO2max Testing: It’s been several years since I’ve done a workup – my first time getting these done was over a decade ago in a BIDMC research study on Brown Adipose Tissue!
  • Fitness Assessments: As someone generally very active, I haven’t actually done this in a while! I’d like to do some strength, flexibility, and speed testing in the coming months! (I’m working on building out assessments at Ompractice, which is a good excuse to re-take some of these to get a snapshot of my current fitness levels.

Would Love To Do List

  • 1000 Great Places in Massachusetts
  • Walk the full Freedom Trail (I think I’ve done this, but it’s been probably two decades)
  • Day at a Korean Spa
  • Mud Bath
  • Cacao Tasting
  • Tea Class
  • Scent workshop at Byredo
  • Pottery Workshop
  • Cooking class at CCAE or NCE
  • Writing Retreat
  • Meditation Retreat
  • Viking River Boat Cruise
  • Culinary Tours: Ballymaloe, Japan, Scandinavia