Steve's Podcast Reviews

I've been listening to Household Name  podcasts while in my car. They are short, easy to listen and don't get serious. Basically, a lot of quirky facts about stuff you've heard about. 5 out of 5 stars episodes Episode 34: The legend of the Atari Burial. If you are a video person from the 80s you will like this. Episode 31: Bill Nye the GMO Guy. Bill didn't always like GMOs Episode 1: TGI Fridays: The Tinder of the 1960s. Just in time for the sexual revolution Episode 9: The Mattress Firm Conspiracy Theory. I really enjoyed this one, who knew? 4 out of 5 stars episodes Episode 33: Muzak listening and Alexa eavesdropping. Where did elevator and shopping music originate? Alexa is listening.... Episode 20: Does Panera care?  Interesting and give a lot of kudos to the CEO Episode 36: A town called Dish. Politics in a small Texas town 3 or less stars Episode 2: Who owns the Oakland A's. Only listened because it was about baseball. Episode 3: The Last Blockb...

I finally started a new podcast, Criminal . I started with a few episodes but this series is now one of my favorites. The series is produced by three woman who have done there homework. I like this series because the topics are unique and interesting. Also, most are under an hour. I've now become a Phoebe Judge fan. Updated February 26, 2020 5 Star Episodes so far: Episode 51,  Money Tree. Identity theft is not new, but this young lady's experience was not typical. Episode 125, The less people know about us. This the follow up to episode 51 three years later. Episode 85, The Manual. Murder case to legal case Episode 88,89   Story of a woman taking matters into her own hands. Go Girl Episode 91,92. Story of the first "it"girl Evelyn Nesbit. If you have seen the movie Ragtime, it loosely based on that character. Harvey Weinsteins existed at the time. Episode 94, The Chase.  This guy has been streaking public events for over 20 years. It's hard not to...

The Bagman , the story of the final days of Spiro Agnew. Listening to this podcast will make you say, "Was I asleep during this time?" Hosted by Rachael Maddow and expertly presented. thumbs way up 5 out of 5 stars

I listened to this last year but forgot to blog it. S Town is the most different subject matter you will every listen too. You will listen to an episode and tell yourself, "Not listening anymore" and then you will be back. The host of the podcast seems to share your opinion but still keeps coming back. I liked this podcast but don't know why. 3 out of 5 stars (but I still recommend it)

This podcast is the story of the Isabella Stewart museum art heist. The was biggest art thief in history and also unsolved. This podcast was produced by a team from NPR. The reporting is thorough and presented professionally. The entertainment is in the cast of suspected thieves, all with a possible connections. 4 out of 5 Stars

The Last Days of August  is the story of porn star August Ames and her death. The journalist, Jon Ronson takes on an investigation of August Ames, social media and the porn industry. This is Ronson's second podcast after "The Butterfly Effect" which are both about the porn industry. Jon Ronson does not condemn the porn industry, but looks at the story as a neutral observer. What starts out as a sad incident turns into an intriguing story. The podcast was top notch but I really wanted to judge the porn industry. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Butterfly Effect  is probably the podcast for which I had no expectations, but proved to be fascinating. This podcast is about the free website called Pornhub. If you're like me, you didn't know porn was free. It turns out porn is free now and everybody but me seemed to know it, hmmm. If you are expecting an earful of sexual moans and groans, you will be disappointed. Think hi-tech meets porn and you will get the idea. The initial story revolves around the starting of Pornhub in Montreal. The story continues with the effects of free porn on the established porn industry, mostly in Southern California. From there, the story progresses into other stories that well, you've got to listen to believe. The narrator has a very addictive British accent that keeps you interested. Nothing preachy here and no discussion on morality. Wait for the stamp collector episode. Definitely 5 out of 5 stars