A quick queue for you

Diet coke hypnosis, holiday survival tips, infrastructure nerds, The Power Broker, mystery sounds, handsome fun, top internet moments.

Maybe you’re really busy this week or maybe you’re just trying to take a break from your usual routines. Either way, I thought I’d try keeping my thoughts a bit more concise this week. Even if all the podcasts are going on break for the holidays or running recaps, I’m listening and grateful for their company.

I spent many podcasts making ornaments for my tree this year. 10/10 great activity to pair with listening!

This week’s podstack

Beyond with Mike Kelton - TWO LITERS OF HYPNOSIS

I didn’t know what to expect going into this series or episode, but when I heard Mike Kelton had a two liter a day Diet Coke habit he wanted to kick, I was intrigued. Mostly because he was going to try kicking the habit using hypnosis. The closest experience he’d had with hypnosis before this was the fact that it worked for his dad when he wanted to quit smoking. But there’s a pivotal shift in mindset that Mike realizes before going into the hypnosis that I think might be the most important part of doing anything. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, it’s really fun to go along with Mike as he talks to his partner about his Diet Coke addiction, makes a special trip to have possibly his last Diet Coke ever, and even into the room as he’s hypnotized.

Well…Adjusting - Holiday Triggers and Glimmers with Dr. Money

If the holidays or any large family gatherings aren’t your favourite thing to endure, you’ll find a lot of helpful advice in this episode. Robin is joined by Montinique McEachern (A.K.A. Dr. Money), a therapist who also happens to host a great podcast about the WNBA called Rebound Revolution. Together they have a great time swapping stories of how they’ve adjusted their holiday habits, set boundaries, and found ways to feel less overwhelmed when there’s a lot of pressure to do everything and be everywhere for everyone. I loved their chemistry together and the way their stories always ended with helpful tips.

Culture Study Podcast - We're All Infrastructure Nerds

I think I might be dangerously close to becoming an infrastructure nerd. That’s what Deb Chachra calls herself and I’ve found myself gravitating to more and more conversations about the way our cities and societies are built. From water supplies and sidewalks, to parking and batteries, there’s a lot more to it than I realized. This is a perfectly nerdy conversation about how the decisions about how our communities are structured also shape the communities themselves. They talk about what’s working, what’s not, and what we might have to keep in mind as our climate changes.

99% Invisible - Breaking Down The Power Broker (with Conan O'Brien)

Speaking of nerding out over infrastructure, Roman Mars is starting a book club. Sort of? Over the course of 2024 he and Elliott Kalan are going to read The Power Broker together and release monthly bonus episodes covering 100 pages of the book at a time. Before listening to this episode, I knew nothing about Robert Caro, the author, or Robert Moses, a man who left a powerful mark on the structure and politics of New York. It sounds like it could be a dense read, but I got so absorbed in their enthusiasm for the book, that I’m very much considering following along with the episodes in some form. Then Conan O’Brien joined them and was equally enthusiastic about the book and I’m just too curious not to learn more! (transcript)

Twenty Thousand Hertz - Tournament of Champions

If you’ve listened to Twenty Thousand Hertz before, you know that every episode includes a mystery sound for listeners to guess. Some of them are unmistakable and some are so niche and fascinating. This annual tournament takes it to the next level! Three sound experts, aka people who work in podcasting, aka Travis McElroy, John Lagomarsino, and Emily Jankowski face off in the Mystery Sound Game Show. It’s full of video game sounds, pop culture audio references, and animal noises that might haunt you. Plus, it taught me that Slack has a hummus notification sound?! (transcript)

Handsome - Reese Witherspoon asks about gifts

Tig, Fortune, and Mae have been keeping me company on a lot of my last minute shopping this week. Their show is the perfect mix of light-hearted conversations and low stakes listening, which I find is a great match for being out and about. Sure, sometimes I end up randomly smiling or laughing in public for no apparent reason, but that’s not a crime! They’ve started coming up with so many funny ideas or bits they want to do that they keep telling their producer to write them down and plan a day to actually do them all. I want that day to happen! I was also inspired to listen to more Handsome after listening to how much fun Fortune had with Brett Goldstein on Films To Be Buried With. Seriously, go listen to that too! They have a blast!

ICYMI - Our Top Internet Moments of the Year (Part 1)

I’m so thankful for how well Rachelle and Candice keep track of the chaos that is the internet. I’m online way too much, so I usually have seen the stories and memes they’re talking about, but they help make sense of it all. If that’s even possible. This is one of those episodes that will make you go ‘that was THIS year?!’ They’re recapping the most iconic moments on the internet in 2023 and adding more info to each story since they last spoke about them whenever they first happened. It’s like recap meets follow-up and I kinda wish the list was longer! (transcript)

More sweet treats

• Toonstack featured a whole list of podcast-themed cartoons this week and called it a podstack! Total coincidence I think, but delightful!

• You probably know Carol of the Bells, but do you know Meryl of the Bells?

• Can you hear the difference between cold water and hot water?

• More Canadian winter content.

Thank you for reading! If you listened to something this week that made your heart sing, your imagination wander, or your brain ponder, I’d love to hear about it!