So, a little confession here: Kari hates having to socialize with her coworkers.
Don’t get me wrong. My peers are great friends (well most of them, but more on that in a bit) and my mentor is the kindest, sweetest man in the entire office, and our boss is like a mom to us all.
But see, I have a really short tolerance for social interactions, and sometimes I just get really aggravated with my coworkers... one in particular. He’s... well, to put it one way, people expect me to call him out on his shit for a reason. And... shit tends to piss me off into erupting like a volcano.
Unfortunately, I have to share the general area with him, and since I really do not want to converse with someone who sends my blood pressure shooting through the roof, I have turned to podcasts to save my sanity (and his life) from getting destroyed utterly! And it’s working! So I thought I’d share with you...
Kari’s Top Ten Podcasts for Surviving Idiotic Co-Workers and Preventing Grisly Office Murders!*
*in no particular order, all on Apple Podcasts
The first podcast I ever listened to, and one near and dear to my heart as a Nerdfighter. I find their “dubious advice” actually quite helpful at times, and their banter is hilarious. Also getting the weekly news from Mars and AFC Wimbledon is much appreciated.
Another Nerdfighter related podcast, this time from Hank and his wife Katherine. The commentary on Hank’s tweets is enlightening, and I love Katherine’s sense of humor. Sometimes I find myself listening just to find out if Hank tweeted at Trump, which I have been tempted to do and would’ve if I had a Twitter account.
3. The Anthropocene Reviewed
Yet another Nerdfighter related podcast, where John reviews random things from the so-called Anthropocene, mundane and not. It’s only started recently and updates once or twice a month, but John’s deadpan delivery of his review never fails to crack me up.
A podcast by HowStuffWorks, and as the title suggests, a food podcast at that. Who can get pissed when they’re thinking about food?! Lauren and Annie also give you more info about the things we stuff into our bodies... which honestly made me rethink a lot about my food choices, not only because of its nutrional value but because of its history and cultural impact.
Another HowStuffWorks podcast, this time about cartoons! It’s so informative about the Western animation industry, and features soundbites from all kinds of cartoons and interviews from people in the industry. It’s co-produced by Cartoon Network, and some of the interviewees are the network head honchos, too! Holly’s also genuinely enthusiastic about the subject, it’s very endearing.
And yet another HowStuffWorks podcast, this time about anything and everything nerdy! They’ve had episodes on the MCU, ComicCon, Power Rangers, Sailor Moon, video games, cosplay and loads more to come for sure! Also, Dani and Iffy are just so awesome, they seem like totally cool people to be friends with.
From the DragonWagon network, this podcast presents the Greek myths in a fun and interesting way. I’ve loved Greek mythology since I read the Illiad and the Camp Half-Blood series in high school, but it’s really come to life thanks to Paul’s storytelling and Sarah’s no-nonsense, vulgar commentary. (note: It can be explicit though, so listen with headphones on!)
I don’t actually follow Rhett and Link much on YouTube, but I think they’re absolutely hilarious here. Though they can be serious and solemn at times, which I appreciate, for the most part it’s a lighthearted conversation between two lifelong friends. It’s the podcast I wish I could have with my friends.
Neil deGrasse Tyson. That is all.
10. TED Talks and The TED Radio Hour
These are actually two different podcasts, but they’re similar so I grouped them together. Obviously as it’s from TED, you’re bound to learn something useful. Which is pretty damn cool. TED Talks is also available in video format, which is also uploaded on their YouTube channel. The TED Radio Hour features several talks with a common theme, and interviews from the people giving said talks.
And there you go! I actually listen to a few more aside from these, but these are my go-to for surviving the insanity of my workplace.
Bonus podcast: For news, I listen to the NHK World News podcast from 20:00 the previous night. It’s only about fifteen minutes long, and it’s the first thing I listen to each workday. Why NHK? Well let’s just say the PH media is a shitstorm right now, and I frankly do not trust American news networks either. I also watch a fair amount of NHK so NHK news it is.
