Julie's Journal : Podcasts

My husband finds it unbelievable that I do not usually listen to music in the car.  He loves music and can't imagine being without it, but I find that in our always connected world, those fifteen minutes each morning and evening are some of my only quiet time.  However, I have recently discovered podcasts.  I know that podcasts have been around for awhile, but I have just now really gotten into them.  I have occasionally been listening to an episode during my drive.  A podcast is similar to a radio talk show, but normally on a specific topic and available to download or stream so that it can be listened to at any time.  I've listed a few of the podcasts I've been enjoying below.  If you are aware of any interesting ones that I need to know about, please let me know.

The first podcast I discovered was, fittingly, "What Should I Read Next?"  Anne Bogel talks to bookish people about their lives and interests and then asks them to list three books they liked and one they did not.  After discussing the books and what the guest liked or didn't about them, Anne recommends at least three books that she thinks they will enjoy.  I have found several helpful suggestions in Anne's recommendations, both for myself personally and for additions to the library's collection.  Plus, I just really enjoy listening to people talk about books and all the things that they love about them.

Beautiful/Anonymous is an interesting podcast.  Chris Gethard takes one anonymous phone call and is willing to talk about whatever the caller wants to discuss.  The first one I listened to was quite intense.  In the episode entitled "The Whirlpool Galaxy"  an astrophysics researcher talks about the science of the universe and galaxies and then segue's into a discussion of a great tragedy in her life.  She illustrates quite baldly how cruel people can be to others, even in the midst of great pain.  Be aware that depending on who calls in, the language in the podcasts can be pretty rough.  I have skipped around some in order to find episodes without as much language.

Stuff You Missed in History Class is just what it sounds like.  Yesterday at lunch, I listened to the story of Cassie Chadwick (born Elizabeth Bigley).  Chadwick was a con-woman and made a fortune trading on a lie.  She claimed to be the illegitimate daughter of steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie.  She forged a promissory note from Carnegie and then borrowed millions of dollars from several banks on his name.  Her scheme was particularly brilliant because of the social customs of the time. No one wanted to ask Carnegie if the story was true, so they took her at her word.  Eventually, of course, her lies were exposed and Cassie/Elizabeth died in prison.  The episodes include stories of individuals lost to history, unknown stories about famous individuals, and interesting events from history.

The Moth Radio Hour is a replay of stories told at live Moth events.  From The Moth's website:  "The Moth's mission is to promote the art and craft of storytelling and to honor and celebrate the diversity and commonality of the human experience."  StoryCorps records interviews between friends and family members.  People get to tell their stories and ask questions of their loved ones that they have always wanted to ask.

Podcasts are available on just about every possible topic imaginable.  You can listen to sermons from your favorite preacher, laugh with your favorite comedian, and learn from great teachers on any subject that interests you.  Let me know what your favorites are!

Chance's Corner: Ready Player One Review

Full disclosure, I never finished Ernest Cline’s science fiction/fantasy novel Ready Player One, where a dying tech-guru, James Halliday (Mark Rylance), coordinates a Willy Wonka-esque gaming competition to see who will inherent his trillion dollar empire. I didn’t even make it to the second trial. Either I wasn’t in the mood to read it, or it was just a terrible book. Perhaps it was the medium, seeing as it’s not really all that enthralling to read about avatars Parzival and Art3mis re-enacting every scene from 1983’s WarGames in an attempt to win Halliday’s Easter Egg Hunt. But to actually see it on the screen, not WarGames, but a living, breathing virtual world (aptly-named The Oasis), now that’s truly something - especially when it's under the direction of Steven Spielberg. Spielberg really knows how to craft a blockbuster, Jaws is considered the original summer blockbuster, after all, and Ready Player One marks his return to that market after directing a string of modest successes. And all I have to say is… wow, welcome back (not that he ever really left).

I know this is going to sound like sacrilege, but Spielberg’s Ready Player One is one of those rare films that actually improves on its source material. It scraps the original three trials and creates its own thrilling set pieces, which includes a high-stakes race where iconic cars (The DeLorean! Bigfoot! The Batmobile! Mach 5!) have to outrun King Kong and the T-Rex from Jurassic Park, a game of survival that takes place inside an awe-inspiring recreation of an iconic horror film, and a climactic battle that involves nearly every pop culture character imaginable. Honestly, the numerous crossovers and references left me awestruck. It was like I was a kid again! Throughout the film, I was beaming from ear to ear, I was covered in goosebumps, and I actually shed some happy tears. I’m as sentimental as Spielberg, okay?

In all seriousness, Spielberg’s knack for injecting childlike whimsy and sentimentality into his films is Ready Player One’s greatest attribute… as well as its weakness. My main problem is that I smelled the phony all over the ending, particularly when the central villain, Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn), smiled and was cleanly dispatched. Uh… okay? The tone never felt quite right after that, but it was the ending, so it didn’t last too long. Speaking of which, I was initially skeptical about the runtime of the film, 2 hours and 20 minutes, but those hours and minutes seemed to just fly right on by, seeing as Spielberg keeps Ready Player One pumping with action.

Unlike the novel, Ready Player One doesn’t tarry too long in the real world or in the quiet moments. Once we’re transported to the beautifully rendered world of The Oasis, we’re lost in it, which does limit certain character and plot developments. Like who are High Five? Well, I know who they are, but who are they? And supposedly there’s some great Rosebud in Halliday’s life, as it’s mentioned several times, but when the Rosebud is finally revealed, I wasn’t buying it. That part ties into the phony, and decidedly rushed, ending. Despite all that, Ready Player One still manages to be an overall fun and thrilling film that’s bursting with pure imagination.