2022 Podcast Picks

It's that time of year again. I've done the listening for you. Start your 2022 right by subscribing to any/all of these.

Click here for my?2021, 2020,?2019,?2018, and?2017?picks. Most of those are still in my playlist.

If I had to recommend only 3 podcasts:

• Making Sense?- The only podcast I've ever paid for. Sam Harris applies rational thought to both current topics and eternal, existential questions. He is equally hated (at times) by both Leftists and Rightists. That's probably one reason he resonates with me.
• Jordan Harbinger?- Fantastic interviewer with a focus on making you better. Recent guests include Metta World Peace, Steven Pinker, Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, Yeonmi Park, and Rick Ross. I learn something in every episode.
• Brain in a Vat - Attainable philosophy discussions with South African flavor. These guys somehow manage to bring deep philosophy just within my reach. Before them, epistemology was what happened after I drank too much beer.

Notable drop:

• The Joe Rogan Experience

Joe made my top 3 for the last 4 years. He's done almost 1800 interviews with people from every end of all spectrums. Most of those are 3 hours or more in length. How could he not be a skilled interviewer at this point?! He's one of the best. I appreciate his willingness to talk with anyone about anything, usually setting aside personal bias with a true "seek first to understand" attitude.

So, what happened? He has been sucked too deeply into pandemic battles. The episodes on this topic are littered with cherry-picked anecdotes and rhetorical fallacies. And, lately, most episodes seem to veer into pandemic talk.

He does often employ CYA by stating that he's no expert and that people should not look to him for answers. But, his reach and influence are massive. I do still savor his non-COVID episodes. Looking forward to more of those.

Compelling new additions for 2022:

Forward - Andrew Yang preaches his ideas for a non-partisan path forward for the US. His solutions always lean hard towards the practical and actionable. Common sense. Ranked-choice voting. Open primaries. And, crazy as it sounds at first to us Capitalists, UBI.

In the Dark - Premium investigative journalism. I first stumbled upon the Season 2 coverage of Curtis Flowers' wrongful imprisonment. Drop what you are doing and subscribe. I think it's the best example of this "Serial" genre. Season 1 wasn't quite as good. Can't wait for whatever they are planning in Season 3.

Harsh Reality - This one was advertised at me relentlessly through way too many other podcasts. One day I had nothing queued and relented. It's the story of a 2004 British dating show featuring a group of unsuspecting alpha males attempting to woo a secretly trans woman. It's an awful story with no redeeming value. But, it'll hold your attention... like any horrific train wreck.

As usual, please comment with your favorite podcasts from any genre. Always on the lookout for quality!