These days the things that occupy the most of my recreational time are podcasts. I decree that 2016 is the year I give back for all of the free entertainment they provide me. In the past I paid lip service to doing that, but the extent to which I put it into practice was shelling out a buck or two for the Comedy Film Nerds' ebook when it was on sale. First up: I ordered a bunch of Relevant magazine merchandise. I've been listening to their podcast every week for 10 years - no, Serial didn't invent the medium last year - so it was about time I showed my appreciation. I picked up a couple of shirts and a sticker for my laptop. Free advertising for the gang! Back when I was unemployed last year I let my subscription lapse as a cost cutting measure, but now I'm back in full force. Bonus: I can finally enjoy the slick tablet version like the millennial that I am.
"I've achieved plenty and there's no better than the best." - Dwight Schrute on New Year's resolutions
January's coming to a close and, while I hate the whole resolution thing, I guess I should lay out some areas for improvement within the coming year. But unlike previous years, I'm keeping it simple with only three attainable goals:
1. Cool it with the other screens while watching movies and TV. At home, that is. I'm not a Philistine that disrupts fellow moviegoers. But within the comfort of my couch, all too often I multitask with my laptop and/or phone when I put on a movie or TV show. And without my full attention, I miss things and don't fully appreciate what I'm half-watching. No more! Well... Just during commercials! And the boring parts!
2. Give back to my favorite podcasts. These days I listen to more podcasts than music. They've entertained me so much for no cost at all. While I've been pretty good about doing my Amazon shopping through The Christmas Stocking's affiliate link, I feel I should be better at supporting them. Get a premium subscription to Never Not Funny? Buy a Doug Loves Movies shirt? See Paul F. Tompkins or the Sklar brothers if they ever do a show around me? Purchase the Comedy Film Nerds book and Girl on Guy app? Yeah, I think I should do all of those things.
3. Don't start another book series until I finish the ones I've already started. Currently I'm in the middle of The Strain and The Hunger Games trilogies. No more new ones until I get through those. (I'm not counting my beloved Parker books, since there are 24 of those and few contain arcs that carry through to subsequent books. Or so I've heard.)
Bonus! When talking about Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, and their spawn, I vow to never, ever use the loathsome word "Kimye".
Welcome to the first installment of Drink 'n Songs, in which, in order to maximize enjoyment of a beloved (likely alcoholic) beverage, I pair it with a group of five or so songs. I've been kicking around this idea for a couple of years now and figured Christmas would be the best time to get off of my duff* and unveil it.
And the beverage for this inaugural installment of DNS? Eggnog!
Now, you can go out and buy premade eggnog from a store - might I suggest Southern Comfort's go at it? - and mix it with your choice of spiced rum, Irish whiskey, brandy, or bourbon. Or if you're feeling your oats, you can make your own from scratch. Per the Behind the Bar Show podcast, here's a recipe:
Whisk eggs until frothy. Whisk in simple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and allspice. While still whisking, slowly add the milk. Serve in Irish Coffee glasses or mugs. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. Feel free to spike with rum or whiskey.
Got your eggnog all ready? Good. Just what songs would enhance the pleasure of consuming this Yuletide drink? Look no further! Actually, you will have to scroll down to see them...
1. The Minus 5 - "Your Christmas Whiskey"
"Christmas is the warmest time of year" is the repeated theme of this song by the Minus 5 and they are right. This is a time for sharing with family and friends, so pour them a mug of eggnog and let the warm fuzzies inside you grow.
2. Duke Ellington - "Sugar Rum Cherry"
You're sitting around the house, listening to the same old Christmas songs and the rage swells when Wham! shuffles onto your playlist. It's high time you class up the joint with this smokey take on "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy". And rum is in the title, so it kinda sorta is mandated that it be included in this list.
3. John Legend with Stephen Colbert - "Nutmeg"
Face it: eggnog is the most sensual of the holiday beverages. So, put the kids to bed, ladle out a couple of glasses, and get freaky with your loved one while John Legend ushers you through the quiet (snow) storm.
4. The Decemberists - "Please Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)"
While eggnog is one of the best things about the holiday season, you don't want to overdo it. You'll be regretting it when a fight inevitably breaks out during your party. Let the Decemberists' cover of this John Denver staple serve as a reminder that this drink is best enjoyed in moderation. (Plus, overindulgence will result in your "fat pants" becoming your "regular pants".)
5. The Morning Squirrels - "The Eggnog Song"
This is a bit of nepotism on my part, since this is a song my brother composed and performed back around 2005. Yes, it may be a little on the nose for this list, but it really lays out the eggnog-fueled joys of the holiday season (with assists from Charlie Brown and Linus).
So there you have it. Put these songs on the hi-fi in your space age bachelor pad, kick back with a mighty mug of nog, and revel in the waning days of the year. Merry Christmas!
*Duff beer! There's an idea for a future edition. Brilliant.
I don't see as many movies these days. I still listen to a lot of music, but not as much as in my trendsetting days. It seems there is one entertainment medium that has been increasingly dominating my free time (and work time, for that matter): podcasts.
While still in its relative infancy, podcastdom has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years. There is a show for pretty much any interest. While there are many podcasters still stuck in amateur hour, there are a slew that have carved out niches and set the standard.
The Pod F. Tompkast: It's nighttime on the internet and once a month (and sometimes here and there in between) stand up comedian extraordinaire Paul F. Tompkins puts out this hilarious hour long show. Each episode contains some of his riffing, an excerpt from his monthly stage show, a phone conversation with fellow comedian Jen Kirkman, and an ongoing story featuring his hilarious impressions of Ice-T, John C. Reilly, Dame Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Lithgow, the Cake Boss, and others. It really is the highlight of my podcast month.
The Sporkful: Two guys and occasionally a guest go into the minutiae of the preparation and consumption of everyday foods. This is not your high-falootin' foodie father's podcast.
This Week with Larry Miller: Larry Miller has long been one of my favorite comedians and his 30-45 minutes of stream of conscious rambling each week amount to a good helping of audio comfort food. I like to listen to this on the commute home from work.
Culturetopia: This used to be a weekly compilation of stories from NPR - well, it still is that - but it's been retooled to add a second weekly episode featuring a pop culture round table. I find panelist Glen Weldon nigh-intolerable, but can overcome my dislike of him because I enjoy listening to the other people on the show so much.
The Nerdist: '90s MTV darling Chris Hardwick and a couple of his pals descend into the depths of geekery with a special nerdy guest. They've also recently added a non-guest (or "hostful") chat each week, too.
Who Charted?: Howard Kremer (aka Dragon Boy Suede), Kulap, and a comedian guest dissect the weekly music, movie, and other charts. Simultaneously, it confirms my bewilderment regarding what the kids listen to and watch these days. Get off my lawn! (This wins my award for Best Podcast Name.)
My usage of Twitter waxes and wanes for no apparent reason, but one thing that I am pretty anal about is tweeting the stuff I put on my iPod. I don't know why I do it, but no one reads my tweets, so who cares, right?
Well, before leaving for work this morning, I sent this this tweet:
Imagine my surprise when I got this direct message later on in the day:
How cool is that? (Especially considering I didn't use a hashtag or link to his account and he doesn't follow me.)
So, professional humoredian Doug Benson, for taking two seconds out of your busy day to thank a fan, as well as providing me with countlesshours of entertainment over the years, I am adding you to the Micah World Cool People List. I urge everyone reading this to follow you on Twitter, subscribe to your "Doug Loves Movies" podcast*, and grab your stand up albums. Now, how about doing a show in Richmond?
It's only a matter of time before Kenny Rogers reaches out to me. C'mon, man! I ironically bought your shirt.
*I listen to way more podcasts than any normal person should - thank you, brain dead job! - and his is my favorite. Are you a comedy geek and a film buff? Then you'll like it.
Another day, another podcast mention. Okay, not quite. But I did make the Listener Hall of Fame for the Bored-Again Christian podcast ("Christian music for people tired of Christian music"). How did I reach such a lofty status, you ask? I e-mailed my picture to Just Pete, the guy behind the show.
When I Twittered Just Pete, suggesting that he start a BAC internet dating site, he replied, "I see it now: 'Smarmy, southern woman wanted for packing my pipe and long conversations peppered with trite niceties by the fire.'" Yeah, that pretty much sums it up, except he left out her being independently wealthy and possessing huge...tracts of land*.
As for the picture, it is nothing new to avid readers of this blog (or my Facebook and MySpace friends, as it is my profile pic), but it's one of the better ones of me, IMO.
Go listen to his podcast. It's chock full of good music and there's always one or three gems in each episode. Those seeking Petra or Carmen should look elsewhere, though.
*Hey, potential girlfriends: Put your time in and I will buy you this shirt.
Well, this has been a banner week for me, as I was on yet another podcast, this time on This Show Again. They had a contest where the 100th caller would win a big box of mostly useless stuff (mismatched socks, ball of cables, old cell phone, SI Swimsuit Issue, bag of Milanos, etc.). After a couple of months - and about 75 calls - the contest drew to a close. I emerged victorious.
They called one night and interviewed me "on the air." Because of the guys' speakerphone/Skype set-up, I couldn't hear them too well, so I sound kind of disoriented. Of coure, as with anything involving people who don't know me, there's a lengthy debate about as to how to pronounce my name.
Anyway, you can listen to it here (the episode is #88 titled "Your Google Gangers") and my segment starts around 23:35.
Well, I was (kinda, sorta) featured in another podcast, this time for the one put out by Relevant magazine. Okay, I wasn't actually on it, but I did have a question answered. Every week they throw out a question to the their listeners and read some of the responses the following week. This time, though, they turned the tables and invited questions to be submitted to them. My question was something I had always wondered about the magazine industry (namely, why it takes so long to receive your first issue after you subscribe).
Ask a boring question, get a boring answer. But now I know. You can download the podcast here. It's the 5.23.08 edition and my question comes in towards the end, about 1:17:22 into it.
It was kind of funny that they couldn't determine my gender from my e-mail, so I was referred to as "Southern Micah." At least they pronounced my name correctly. Thanks, guys.
I've been a regular listener of the Filmspotting podcast for about two years now and amidst the movie analysis, former co-host Sam comes back and gives nicknames to people who make donations to the show. Well, they recently announced that they would stop doing that with episode #200, so I figured that, since they've provided me with countless hours of entertainment, I'd kick a few bucks their way and get a nickname before it's too late.
So, from now on you can refer to me as...Micah "Dreck For Sale" M____.
If you feel the need to hear them give me my new nickname, listen to episode #200 and it is around the 47:05 mark.
Just some things (old and new) that have been honkin' my bobo lately...
Silly Putty - Cheap AND fun. At this stage in my life, I should be pressing it up against the Wall Street Journal, but I'm not. When have I ever followed the rules?
"The Knights of Prosperity" - This mid-season replacement started off slowly, but it has found its stride. The show was created by the guys behind "Ed", so you know it is full of quirk. Sadly, I think it is not long for this world (damn you, AI!), so catch all of the episodes online while you can.
Future Retro - A bunch of alternative 80's tunes given the contemporary remix treatment. Fun stuff.
Today in Music History podcast - Did you know that on Feb. 19, 2004, the estate of Johnny Cash rejected a pharmaceutical company's request to use "Ring of Fire" in a hemroid relief medicine ad?
Back to Black by Amy Winehouse - A marvelous retro-soul album. Hopefully, when it hits stateside (in March), they'll be some bonus tracks tacked onto it.
in my science classes this year my good pal monty and i have started up this podcasting project with some of my students in which they create podcasts covering the topics we have investigated in class and then post them on the web. they do all the work - they write it, record it, and produce it all on their own.
in the beginning of the year, as a kick-off to this project, some of my students entered this NASA podcast competition in which the question was posed "how will space travel affect your future?"
well, turns out, one of my girls is among the top 10 finalists in the nation for this competition. her name is quinyawna and she rocks. she takes her academics very seriously, works very hard, has an awesome personality, and is going places in life. voting for the top 3 ends this week. i would LOVE to see her take this thing...and monty and i think she has a very good shot after listening to all the other finalists.
so if youre feeling generous, hit the link below and scroll down to "quinyawna's podcast" and hook her up with a vote. and if youre feeling REALLY generous, forward this along to some others.
I'm famous. You see, I sent a little e-mail to Tim at "Distorted View" saying how much I enjoyed his podcast (and I also attached a couple of Christmas songs - "I Farted on Santa's Lap" and "Christmastime For My Penis") and he read it on today's show. My plan for worldwide media domination, which began last year with this blog, is right on schedule.
If you listen to today's podcast, beware. It's "Sextastic Tuesday" (in which a ridiculous and/or gross pornographic short story is featured) and the story Tim read today is particularly disgusting. My mom would be proud.
This week's Crush is Lala from the Tiki Bar TV video podcast. Hailing from the Great White North, she can mix a mean drink. Hot chick, alcohol, and lounge culture. That's what I'm talking aboot.
Now, admittedly, this selection is a bit of a cop out, as she is also THSE's Crush of the Year (I even nabbed the pictures from him - thanks!). But she's a cutie and deserving of being a Crush. Also, I'm kind of busy at the moment, what with compiling my Christmas CD and baking cookies.
