What podcasts should I listen to?
If you’re not a mature adult please read no further. By mature, I mean someone with a broad mind and someone who is not puritanical and prudish when it comes to what well understood to be adult themes.
I’ve received critical commentary about the material I consume and my response is that it’s my business what I listen to.
If you are a prude then please leave this blog post and read my food blog which is safe. If you don’t want to be exposed to adult themes read no further.
Up until a few years ago, I didn’t listen to podcasts. I didn’t even know what a podcast was. I knew there was an app called Podcasts on my iPhone but I’d never opened it. It wasn’t until I renewed my interest in watching Star Trek 🖖 with the release of the Blu-ray versions did I venture into listening to podcasts and you guessed it, amongst the early podcasts I listened to were Star Trek shows.
I’ll also try to share the relevant iTunes link as well as a website so you can get the relevant link to whatever podcast app you prefer. Sorry Android users, I know I could share the Stitcher link plus others but I’m lazy. It’s not because I think Apple Mac MacOS iOS is better, it’s just what I’m accustomed to.
These are not all the podcasts I listen to but a good selection. I should also point out that I don’t always listen to every episode in its entirety. Some podcasts I listen to everything (almost) religiously. For others, I will skip through and listen to the parts I’m interested in.
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Not safe for work/Nerdy Geeky podcasts
Mouthy Broadcast
My second favourite podcast
NSFW
Mouthy Broadcast
The hosts are Jennie, Lauren, and Peter. The Facebook page is kept pretty well up to date and the website is very well maintained. I got to ‘know’ Jennie via another podcast about Star Trek and started listening to Mouthy Broadcast as a result. Mouthy Broadcast has gone through a few iterations, but it’s now in a stable and reliable format. This is important for podcasts. A podcast audience gets used to something happening in a specific way and drastic changes can cause a change in the audience. Sometimes it will increase the audience, but if you annoy listeners too much it can see your audience fall off dramatically. Each Tuesday, a new show will drop and the hosts spend around half an hour sharing stuff about what has gone on in their lives.
Each Tuesday, a new show will drop and the hosts spend around half an hour sharing stuff about what has gone on in their lives. This may include Jennie attending a comic convention, Lauren inhaling a sandwich and Peter experimenting with surgical-grade stainless steel implements. There may also be a discussion about dating app experiences, movies seen, and using household items for various uses.
The language is explicit and it can be profane. The topics are diverse and the hosts are generally uninhibited. Once you get to know Peter though, you can trigger him easily with a special sound (pun intended [inside joke]). The topics can cover science fiction, current trends and vocabulary. I have learnt so many new words since listening to Jennie, Lauren and Peter. Like I would never use the term “Woke AF” but at least I know what it means when I hear it now. There is a little sexual innuendo, so if you’re cool with that, you’ll love listening to the Broads. It’s best to listen to Mouthy Broadcast with the Urban Dictionary app open.
Like many podcasts, with popularity, the costs of web hosting and all the incidentals add up so the Broads have a Patreon account you can contribute to if you wish. Please note I have no affiliation with the Broads, I’m sharing their Patreon link because I’m friendly with each of them and a few regular listeners.
Zombie Anonymous
NSFW
Zombie Anonymous
The hosts are Freak, Mrs Freak, Jessi and Micro. I’m not as familiar with the ZA hosts as I am with the Broads although I’ve gotten to know Freak through the Broads’ chat room. If you like zombie stuff on TV or the Movies, this is a podcast you may enjoy. Each show starts with a description of the beer each host is drinking and then they start to talk about zombie stuff.
If they have a guest on, Freak asks the guest about the worst place to be during a zombie apocalypse, what preparation they would do for a zombie apocalypse, and what improvised weapon they would use to defend themselves against a horde of zombies.
For me, the worst place to be would be any situation that required me to run. I hate running. I can’t run. Flat feet, skinny ankles and bad knees!
In terms of preparation for a zombie apocalypse, I would secure myself safe accommodation near a freshwater dam and I would transport as many tinned goods including tinned vegetables to my safe house. I’d also buy all the Metamucil I could to keep regular.
My weapon of choice would be a cane knife and not just one cane knife but one in every room as well as in my vehicles. If you’re not familiar with a cane knife, they were designed to cut sugar cane during the harvesting process. The blade can be about 60 cm (roughly 2 feet for my American, Liberian and Burmese readers) long. On the opposing side of the blade is a large sharp hook. When wielded by an expert, a cane knife is a deadly weapon. It would take the head off a zombie easily. With a downward motion, it would also nicely split a zombie’s head apart. My maternal grandfather and his brothers owned sugar cane farms and cut cane alongside Italians and Pacific Islanders. I loved listening to their stories when I was a little boy. It seems they got into their fair share of trouble and they knew how to use a knife. A cane knife sharpened correctly is a very sweet tool and a beautiful thing.
The best place to make contact is via the Zombie Anonymous Facebook page.
Again, please note the language is explicit.
Dork Trek
NSFW
Dork Trek
Jennie from Mouthy Broadcast is also a host on this show which goes through an episode of Star Trek each show and the hosts basically weave their lives, loves, and interests into their discussion. Sometimes it goes really off topic but it’s fun to listen to.
At the moment, the hosts are watching Star Trek Deep Space 9 (DS9) which isn’t my favourite series of Star Trek. It’s the series with my second least favourite doctor, viz., Dr Bashir and it has Major (later Colonel) Kira, she is annoying but the more I watch DS9 the more she grows on mt. DS9 would have been better with Ensign Ro. DS9 also has Sisko and Jake. Two characters who I can’t stand. We’ll see what the hosts think when they begin to watch Star Trek Voyager (VOY). My only objection to Dork Trek is that some of the hosts don’t like Jeri Ryan who plays Seven of Nine in Star Trek Voyager. Hand on heart, Jeri is one of my favourite Trek actors and not for the reason most people would assume. Her facial expressions while playing Seven of Nine just suck me in every time I watch an episode with her in it.
The hosts of Dork Trek are seriously funny. Check them out.
The best place to make contact is via the Dork Trek Facebook page.
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Safe for work/Nerdy Geeky Podcasts
Mission Log
Ken Ray and John Champion host Mission Log which is a Rod Roddenberry Entertainment podcast. The aim of Mission Log is to go through each and every episode of each and every series and movie of Star Trek. These two are truly masters of podcasting and this is one of my all-time favourite podcasts.
One of the great things about this podcast is Ken Ray, I say that because Ken hosts another of my favourite podcasts, viz., MAC OS Ken.
Mission Log has a Facebook page and a website.
I can highly recommend the quality of Mission Log especially if you’re a fan of Star Trek.
The Promenade Podcast
This is a brand new Star Trek podcast by an online friend Robert Reyes. So far there has only been one episode, so we’ll see how this goes. Robert has told me the first episodes that cover Star Trek Las Vegas maybe NSFW but after those episodes, everything should be safe.
Trek Mate: A Star Trek Podcast
NSFW
Trek Mate: A Star Trek Podcast
An English podcast which when I get the time to listen is quite enjoyable. I just can’t get into a rhythm with it because the programming is a bit erratic.
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Photography podcasts
No Name Photo Show
This is a new photography podcast that I listen to. The hosts are Mike “Sharky” James and Brian Matiash. They have a Facebook page which is worth visiting. The show is basically Mike and Brian chatting with one another about photography. The show drops weekly.
Sharky also hosts another podcast which I’ll describe next.
PetaPixel Photography Podcast
This is Sharky’s main podcast and is probably the best photography podcast available. It comes out twice a week and is full of news and information on photography.
If you’re going to listen to a photography podcast, this is the one to subscribe to. You can also subscribe to the e-mail list from the PetaPixel Mother Ship.
reCOMPOSE
The hosts, Andy Williams and Juan Pons, are Sony mirrorless uses and they travel the world doing photography tours and teaching classes. The reCOMPOSE website is at http://recompose.photo/.
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Medicine and science podcasts
QuackCast
Hosted by Dr Mark Crislip who is an infectious diseases physician and a sceptic of everything about supplements complementary and alternative medicine.
GP Sceptics
Hosted my Drs Justin Coleman (Brisbane) and Liz Sturgess (Canberra). This podcast comes out irregularly and while it is aimed at general practitioners, it is worth listening to for medical information with a sceptical slant.
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Technology podcasts
Your Tech Life
Two Blokes Talking Tech
This weekly show is hosted by Australia’s two most well-known technology journalists, viz., Trevor Long (See Your Tech Life above) and Stephen Fenech. These two blokes work well together. The main reason why I refuse to give this podcast a 5-star rating is because Stephen is a South Sydney and New South Wales (Cockroach) supporter. You can check Stephen’s website at http://www.techguide.com.au/. The other reason not to give a 5-star rating is that Stephen prefers Star Wars over Star Trek.
Just for the record, Stephen Fenech is a great bloke and an excellent technology and sports journalist but you know me, I’m a Queenslander first and foremost, a Brisbane Broncos supporter in the NRL and a Star Trek fan through and through. If I started liking Stephen too much, people would suggest there was something wrong with me.
I can highly recommend both Your Tech Life and Two Blokes Talking Tech (Stephen has his own show but I’ve never listened to it). I always listen to them because Trevor and Stephen put technology news into an Australian context. They are both platform and device agnostic so you can get a balanced feel for all new technology.
If you want to get their attention on Twitter use #ziggyzaggy (you have to be a regular listener to understand why).
Mac OS Ken
Ken Ray, aka, Mac OS Ken is the host of the week daily show which runs from between 15 and 30 minutes. Ken (yes the same Ken from MissionLog Pod [see above]) runs through all the news about Apple and Mac, MacOS and iOS. If you like or even love Apple products, this is a great podcast to keep up to date.
EYE Chart Radio
Originally hosted by Ken Ray (yes again!) and Mike LaPlante, it is now just Mike with a different guest each week. Sometimes the guest is Ken Ray! EYE Chart Radio is a weekly in-depth examination of everything Apple. For me, each show normally drops on a Sunday morning and each show is just under one hour long. Long enough for me to walk around Lake Ginninderra.
The Checklist by SecureMac
This weekly podcast about IT security issues relevant to Apple Mac and iOS users is hosted by Ken Ray [see above], Nicholas Raba and Nicholas Ptacek. This is a very informative podcast and keeps listeners up to date on the latest IT security problems for MacOS and iOS.
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Blogging podcasts
ProBlogger Podcast
Hosted by Darren Rowse this is THE podcast for bloggers, even if you have no interest in making money from your blog it’s worth listening to Darren.
Hilah’s Happy Hour!
Hilah Johnson is my favourite food blogger/YouTuber/Podcaster. Well, Hilah doesn’t do that much YouTube now but she was huge on YouTube. She’s a Texan who lives in California and she has a great personality and I love her Texan accent. Hilah’s Happy Hour! is now a weekly podcast for up to about an hour and Hilah chats with a guest and the discussion is more often than not food and lifestyle oriented. If you don’t mind a little swearing, you’ll love Hilah. I promise. You can find more from Hilah’s website at https://hilahcooking.com/.
The Chopped Podcast
Hosted by Marly McMillen this is a podcast for food bloggers. The focus is on having a balanced approached to food blogging with a general understanding that not all bloggers are interested in making money but that we want to share our posts and make the most of them. Of course, unlike Yummy Lummy I reckon most listeners have monetisation in their sights. Marly is a really friendly approachable and a very likeable host.
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Comedy Podcasts
No Such Thing as a Fish
My favourite podcast
In many ways, NSTF is my favourite podcast of all time. Like Mouthy Broadcast, I wait in anticipation for each show to drop. For me, in Canberra, it’s early Saturday morning and I like to walk around Lake Ginninderra listening to Anna, Andy, Dan, and James who are the regular four hosts. Anna is my favourite host, she has a wicked sense of humour and is smarter and funnier than the other hosts. Join the campaign to get Anna on Twitter!
The hosts are the ‘elves’ or more correctly researchers for the TV program QI, and they work together so well. In each show, each host shares a fact which has been discussed among themselves beforehand. It makes for a great show with facts and fun.
The Sporting Probe with Roy and HG Nelson
The Sporting Probe with Roy and HG Nelson
Rampaging Roy Slaven and HG Nelson are two of Australia’s best comedians and the two best comedians with the most knowledge about Australian sport. This show drops on a Saturday night on the East coast of Australia and will keep you up to date on the weekend and week in sport. The comedy is peculiarly Australian, so if you’re not familiar with Australian humour you may not get the jokes.
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Questions for readers
- Do you like listening to podcasts?
- What are your favourite podcasts?
- How do you like listening to podcasts? While walking? While driving? While in bed? While cooking?
- What app do you use to listen to podcasts?
- Do you have your own podcast? What is it called? What is it about?
- What genres of podcast do you listen to?
- Do you interact much with podcasters? How do you interact? What’s the best way to interact with podcasters?
- Are you thinking of starting a podcast?
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My answers to my own questions
- I love podcasts
- My favourite podcast is No Such Thing as a Fish and Mouthy Broadcast
- I listen while driving, walking and doing housework
- I use the native iOS Podcast app
- I like comedy, cooking, blogging, medical, technology and photography podcasts and combinations of each
- I love to interact with podcasters especially via social media like Twitter, Facebook and various chat rooms
- I hate the sound of my own voice
- I’m not sure about starting another podcast
Thanks for reading this blog post. I’d love to get some feedback from you on your thoughts about podcasting.
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Some photographs from the weekend
Click on a photo thumbnail and a gallery will open up
DS9 is the darkest and deepest of the ST family, I think.
It is, although I think Discovery is headed that way now.
I keep trying to get into Podcasts, but I always go back to my audiobooks. I feel like I’m just not finding the right ones.
I love podcasts! I listen to them while walking or when on the back of my husband’s motorbike. Mostly, I listen to food and health, comedy shows from Radio 4 and self-publishing advice. I use Podcast Addict. Congrats on having your own podcast. They look like they are a LOT of work.
Thanks Emma, there is a bit of work but it’s quite fun. I wish I had more time to listen to them all.
I got into podcasts this year when I got a good deal on my phone data. I can’t say I’ve heard many of those on your list, except for Problogger and Chopped. Good on you for doing your own!
Thanks, Elissa. I love walking and driving and listening. I haven’t listened to the radio this year at all!
I do love the ProBlogger podcasts, but I’m now going to check out Mac OS Ken! thanks so much!
I reckon Michele you’d be great podcasting travel and food secrets 👍
when I get back to the world of internet and reliable access, I am so going to step off into the path of pods! I adore you listen to so many Trek casts. Fun, fun, fun!!!!
Thanks Kris,
I hope when you get back to a reliable internet service, you can find some podcasts you really like.
I’ll start with your shares…
It was around 2003 or 2004 when I discovered podcasts online. They’d usually be podcasts or segments from my favourite radio shows. I’d listen to them when I came home from school or studying on the weekend. Since then, the podcast world has expanded and judging by the podcasts you shared and the podcast you make, you can be anyone anywhere and you can make a podcast quite easily. Hats off to you for having your own one, Gaz. It always seems like you have a lot of content going 😀
Thanks, Mabel, anyone can make a podcast now. It’s so easy with a smartphone or a laptop/desktop and nothing very fancy. Given the length of your posts, I reckon you could read them to record and attach them as an audio file for your own podcast.
I have thought about reading my posts out, and probably won’t have an issue since I was a radio host in community radio for a number of years some time back. But I’d need to find time to do it 😀
Very cool Mabel. I hope you can find the time. I will subscribe when you start a podcast 👍👍👍
Good to hear your thoughts on pods Gary. I don’t listen to any actually.
You’ve got a life Sue 😃👍