Podcasts: Your new in-the-field entertainment
Written by a la mode on May 26, 2015
It’s no secret that appraisers spend a lot of time in their cars and out in the field. That time spent going from comp to comp or measuring vacant houses can get pretty quiet. If you’re tired of hearing AC/DC for the millionth time on the radio or your playlist has started to get too repetitive, it may be time to check out podcasts.
We’ve covered podcasts briefly before (The Appraiser Coach has a podcast covering the world of appraisal, you can read about it here). Basically a podcast is an online radio show. There are as many types of podcasts as there are types of TV shows. They range from comedy to news, life tips, product reviews, history, astronomy, politics, celebrity interviews, trivia, and much more. If you have an interest, there’s likely a podcast out there for you.
There are a number of options for you to find and listen to podcasts on your favorite mobile device. This article covers some of the popular apps here (my favorite is Pocket Casts).
To get you started, here are some of my favorites:
- Stuff You Should Know
This show comes from www.howstuffworks.com. Each episode addresses a single subject and covers everything you would need to know about that subject. Examples include karate, pinball, black holes, tea, the placebo effect, Venice, amnesia, and 3D printing. As you can tell, they run the gamut. What I like about this show is they tend to stick to the facts and they do a lot of research to get it right. They also have a great way of covering a subject that may sound boring or you may think “I know all about that already” – like termites – and make it new and interesting. With more than 700 episodes so far, you won’t run out of shows any time soon.
Episode length: 20 – 60 minutes
Episode you should check out: Is there treasure on Oak Island?
www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/ - This American Life
You may have caught an episode of this show on your local NPR station. It’s been on the air since 1995. It even had a TV show at one point, and it’s only gotten more popular as a podcast. Each week they present a theme and various stories related to that theme. The stories are usually first-person accounts from their reporters or guests and range from funny to heart-wrenching. Themes have included people who’ve made mistakes, who’ve changed their mind, and people who had documents used against them. This American Life produces great storytelling that instantly draws you in.
Episode length: 60 minutes
Episode you should check out: 549: Amateur Hour
www.thisamericanlife.org - 99% Invisible
This podcast is all about design and architecture, specializing in the little known, often unseen, and overlooked aspects of design. Some subjects they’ve covered have been the design of money, how and why palm trees are prevalent in California, the octothorpe (#), and “wayfinding” signage. I promise once you start listening you’ll start noticing crafty design elements everywhere. You may even have your own ideas to offer for the show to cover.
Episode length: 15 – 30 minutes
Episode you should check out: 129: Thomassons
http://99percentinvisible.org - Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me
It’s the NPR news quiz! Each week this hilarious game show asks a panel of celebrity guests questions about news from the past week. Much like “two truths and a lie,” guests are presented with several fake news stories and one real one. It’s up to them to determine which story is real. There’s lots of funny banter and a segment where they’ll interview a major celebrity guest.
Episode length: 60 minutes
Episode you should check out: Sir Patrick Stewart
http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/
- Serial
Get ready to be sucked in. Unlike the other podcasts I’ve mentioned, which offer typically one-off episodes that can be listened to in any order, Serial covers one story over 12 episodes. A spin-off of This American Life, the first season of Serial examines the true story of a man who was sentenced to prison for killing his ex-girlfriend when he was just 17. The case is unusual because he was convicted mostly on the story of one witness. The reporters interview just about everyone involved in the case, scour through the evidence, and uncover new information.
Episode length: 30 – 60 minutes
Episode you should check out: All of it! There are only 12 episodes and they tell a complete story.
http://serialpodcast.org
If you give one of these shows a try let me know what you think! And feel free to e-mail me your favorite podcasts too at amber@alamode.com. If I get enough, I’ll make a follow-up post with your suggestions. Happy appraising!