obligatory links post
I’m getting back into the swing of blogging after a kinda-mandatory hiatus which wasn’t really my intent (there’s a handful of half-finished posts in my drafts which probably will never see the light of day). To make it simple, I’ll start with one of those lame, hey-I-just-saw-this-so-check-it-out kind of posts.
Of late I’ve found myself doing a variety of jobs on this remodel project of mine which are very quiet and lonely, like painting for hours on end. Usually I stick some music on and listen with headphones, but lately I’ve been really enjoying exploring a variety of podcasts out there in the interocean.
Podcasts are somewhat new for me, at least as a regular experience. It can be tricky to find uninterrupted blocks of time long enough to focus my attention fully on what’s being said. And unlike music, it doesn’t work terribly well as background sound when I’ve got to have my mental focus — such as it is — directed at a task, like web design.
But lots of my remodeling work is the perfect opportunity to listen, because jobs like painting and so forth don’t require much mental concentration. It’s kind of like my personal version of the morning commute.
Anyway. Most of the podcasts I’ve been listening to lately have been of the gaming and geeking variety. I’ve always been a fan of games, and it’s been really enjoyable to hear what others have been playing, or seeing, or discovering. And I’m always game for geek. These include:
Kick Ass Mystic Ninjas — this show seems quite popular, and I’ve heard quite a few of them by this point. Each show, Summer, Joe, and David pick a relatively vintage book or movie of the sci-fi/fantasy ilk and basically just blab about it. The show takes on the format of a review and essay, like old Siskel and Ebert. The shows I’ve heard recently cover Logan’s Run, Dune, Flash Gordon, and Ladyhawke. And while generally I’m not a huge fan of having to endure a half-hour of someone else’s critical opinion (I don’t really read reviews or even necessarily condone the whole critics industry), the fact that KAMN takes on more of the tone of a discussion makes it interesting, and generally pretty enjoyable. It doesn’t hurt that I tend to agree with at least one of them most of the time.
Boardgame Speak (aka Geek Speak) — seemingly on hiatus, this show by Derk and Aldie of boardgamegeek.com interviews the really big names in the board game world. And they’re monstrous, both in terms of size and detail. The episode in which they interviewed über-designer Reiner Knizia weighed in at over two hours, and the interview with Fantasy Flight Games founder Christian T. Peterson was so immense that they divided it into three episodes. Derk and Aldie make for odd interviewers, with their very loose, off-the-cuff style; Derk’s laconic, occasionally nasty delivery, and Aldie’s sort of wandering, half-there interjections. For such a strange duo, it comes as something of a surprise that the interviews are so meaty and rewarding, and that — even more bizarrely — the show comes across as a kind of professional leading podcast in its field. If you have any interest in board games, this podcast is almost required listening.
The Vintage Gamer — I like the concept behind this one, in which modern computer game designer Jim Van Verth picks a classic board, computer, or video game from the rosy past to discuss in detail. Obviously pre-scripted, Jim sort of drones on in this monotone that comes across as listless, but it’s fun to be reminded of these oft-forgotten classics from the past.
Slice of Sci-Fi — Michael and Evo seem to be everywhere, with about four hundred thirty three trillion different podcast series to their credit. I would suppose this is their flagship, an attempt at a more full-rounded radio show, with news, interviews, and so on. Summer from KAMN usually joins them as well, and … I don’t know. Something about the format doesn’t really grab me. The interview, for example, with Wil Wheaton back in February felt rushed and thin, like a distracted Jay Leno. There’s some great names who participate, though, including Shawn Piller in the most recent installment.
Radio Free Burrito — maddeningly sporadic, Wil Wheaton has been really just doing RFB as an experiment, feeling his way into a format. He spent an inordinate amount of time worrying about show length, but really, the longer episodes were his best. He probably found his best structure when he lay back and did a straight question-and-answer episode, creating a sort of virtual dialogue with his listeners. Very entertaining. And those episodes (#4 and #5 I believe) in which he took his iRiver out on the road to his auditions, roving reporter style, were also great fun. Regrettably, technical problems killed his most recent attempt at an episode, the one I probably was looking forward to the most: an all-geek q&a. If Wil can get into a routine of regularly producing episodes, and just toss aside all his worry and concern over a format and length and all that nonsense, RFB could really grow into something fun.
Does My Geek Look Big In This — a very silly title for a show I just discovered a couple days ago. Sarah and Nev, from Blighty, discuss three of the most important things in life: beer, gaming, and movies. This one came as a hugely pleasant surprise, and after just one episode has become something of a favourite. Sarah and Nev have a great rapport, their dialogue rolling smoothly together, and they’re terribly relaxed and cheerful (starting the show by cracking open a pub ale can’t hurt). They really seem to enjoy making their podcasts, and that enjoyment rubs off onto the listener. I feel cheerful after listening.
There have been others as well, such as the Official Lost Podcast, Roll 2D6, Have Games Will Travel …. there’s a huge world of stuff out there. Way too many to ever get to. But I’ve found the exploration very rewarding.