New Podcasts for U – e29s1

episode 29 season 1

100th_ 29 New Podcasts for U
New Podcasts for U, my Top 6!

This week on Vsqd I’m sharing some of our favourite podcasts starting from the bottom up. For your kids and for you and your spouse. I recently went to a Podcast Meet-up and we discussed when do you listen, like what time of day do you listen to pods and there was a variety of answers..some listened to them while driving – typical and expected response, some listened while cleaning house, making supper but then a couple people were discussing which ones they listened to at certain times and why? For example, crime podcasts or serious and heavy ones seemed to be listened to while driving and others that were more upbeat were listened to while doing chores. When do you like to listen and which genre? There was also a comment about pods that we’ve listened to for a long time like 50 plus episodes of something similar like, news pods or comic pods, and how you can compresses these pods to get through them quicker or speed it up – huh never heard of this but now I’ve found out there’s software out there that can do this, interesting hey?

I always listened to the news in the morning while getting ready for work, I have an old iPad setup in my bathroom and I set the news to CBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation or BBC British Broadcasting Corporation until recently…with our economy here in Alberta not doing so well,  the news is so redundant and depressing – I needed something else to listen to. So…I’ve changed my choice to podcasts. For some reason I only listen through the TuneIn Radio App in this getting ready setting, so I searched for podcasts (yes mine is listed on there also) and found some new ones and gave them a go…amongst my other favourite go-to’s which I listen to in my cary – here’s my current top favourites:

6) Helen by Gimlet Media

Okay the first time I listened to Helen I was hooked, it’s funny, like a sit-com from back in the day. This show is about a women who goes to work at Helen – which is basically the Seri or Alexis – A.I. of the world corporate head quarters. Her position there is the intellect for every bird question, yes BIRDS. It’s hilarious and well written. Like, “Hey Helen, please tell me how to remove these pigeons in my attic” but she has a personal life that is also edgy like her x-husband has just escaped prison. Easy listening option, funny and intriguing, catchy. It’s a series you need to listen to chapter by chapter – it’s good.

5) CrimeTown by Gimlet Media

The second one by Gimlet media is Crimetown, this show is gritty, heavy and an all round reality documentary. The first season I’m just coming to the end and it’s on the subject of Providence Rhode island and the Patriarca Crime Family, It’s told by the people of the mob, First Hand, in their voices, their stories, the police – trying to catch the bad guys, and the mayor how burned his wife’s lover with a lit cigarette, robberies of armoured cars, crime guys who had wolves as pets. It’s racie and it actually makes you like and side with the bad guys. This is a good story, told well and produced excellently. Add this one to your line up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providence,_Rhode_Island

Patriarca crime family – Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarca_crime_family

4) Small Town Dicks

hosts Yeardly Smith, and Zibby Allen tell crime stories by first responder accounts alongside two detectives who just so happen to be twin brothers, Dan and Dave. They recount stories and bring in other members of law enforcement and peripheral support like 911 operators, EMS and community members to tell their parts of the stories also. It’s a neat round table q and a discussion. True stories, well told from the people who were there. Some of their content can be very graphic and some may involve children, The episodes that involve children, I just can’t listen too as somethings I just don’t want to know. But it’s a Great down to earth podcast full of banter and questions and the real answers…check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/SmallTownDicks/

3) Serial by This American Life

…this podcast really intrigues me, Sara Kanik can tell a story like no other, it’s her cadence…her voice tone, and her no BS the way she tells it, this current series (she’s had a few) is based on submersing herself within the Chicago judicial system, and the stories the these people have truly lived. It’s about the lawyers and judges, and the repetitive crimes, petty crimes and misdemeanours and how the game is played at every stop and level within this corrupt system. The judges are captured lecturing people about their place in this world, their conduct in society. It’s about the people being wrongly accused but taking a lesser sentence anyway. It’s about people witnessing a shooting and not telling anyone. Check it out , it’s worth a listen.

https://www.facebook.com/serialpodcast/

2) Uncover: Excaping Nxivm (nex-y-um)

I found out about Josh Block’s escaping Nxivm podcast from the SKS, Someone Knows Something podcast I reviewed in Episode One, Josh block was on vacation back visiting his home town, when he ran into a person he went to preschool, junior school and jewish camp with, her name is Sara Edmondson. As they were catching up he said he works for CBC and she said she just left a cult?

Intrigued?

This story is so interesting, the way Josh tells it about his friend, his friend escaped a cult and it’s all over the news…this is an easy binge listen and worth it, it’s so fascinating as these are just common people like us but one happens to be a reporter and the other one is his friend. Hightlight of this show,  sex ring, slaves and masters and a branded symbol beside her belly button! Check out all CBC podcasts, they are well done and I’m a huge fan.

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/uncover/listen-to-uncover-escaping-nxivm-1.4675949
1) What if World

This one’s for your kids: I commute a lot, if you live in Calgary I live in the Mount Pleasant Tuxedo area, I work either at the airport or way in the SE part of the city 52 street SE and 102 avenue – ish. My daughter goes to school in the deep southwest part of the city. My full trip commute is typically an hour and 15 mins or maybe longer depending on traffic, ONE WAY. You heard me right people, So I leave my house, go to London’t school, and head to work, approx 1.25 hours. I spend a lot of time in my car with my daughter…we listen to podcasts and this one my friends is our FAvourite!! Mr. Eric, the host does each story adhoc off the cuff, completely without preparation, his background is a primary/elementary school teacher- he may still be. He does all of the voices himself and his characters are really thought out thorough and have true character traits- like Fred the Dog, Peety the Pirate, Alabaster, and so many more…incredible, believable voices, the adult puns and humour within his lines, makes me laugh louder than my 7 year old- check out his show.

I reached out to Eric and all of the podcasts companies and hosts to see if they would have a snippet or a promo clip that I could use within my show for this episode, as it’s so nice to hear promotions of other pods to get the feel of the show’s host, topic and production. I reached out to all these shows for their pod promos and Currently I heard back from Eric at What if World, he did a special shout out to my show –  take a listen…, good right?  We will make

if I hear from the others, I’ll be sure to post an update to this episode and share them.

https://www.facebook.com/whatifworldpodcast/

TmTs

As you’ve likely noticed, for my podcast I’ve started to publish some shorter content I’m finding it difficult to record, produce and publish weekly when my podcasts are taking more time to research, write and produce plus working full time.  Jeff suggested instead of posting less often as I was thinking of going to bi-weekly posts to posting shorter segments.  To continue creating and publishing content and staying active with my listeners. I really liked this option so for the TmT episodes I’m Capturing Calgary, from bugs, to stampede to restaurant reviews it will be encapsulated within these snippety segments. If you have a question about Calgary, text/email me valerie@valeriemoss.ca, what makes this Calgary unique to you and what do you want to learn about it? What do you love and hate about this amazing city, let me know.

I wanted to add cover art for these TmT episodes, resorted to my trusted Adobe Spark account I designed 3 options, and then put it out there for you all to vote on Facebook here’s the options:

Option A, blue black and grey, 2 small boxes on top or a large box, the 1 of small boxes is blue with black writing and houses the words Valerie & YYC the 2nd small box is grey with black writing and says 120 secs – the last box which is larger has a giant white number 2 and beside that it says minute in blue and Tuesday in off white. Overall look – Trendy

Option B, has a 2 minute vertical kitchen sand timer image, glowing circle around the timer with the siltiest hint of a city caputured roughly in the background, the overall look is mysterious black and white, with Valerie & YYC in the upper right corner white on a black background and the words 2 minute Tuesdays beside the timer in a dark red colour. Overall look – Mysterious

Option C, is green, brown and white. Essentially a large green background square and a smaller brown rectangle below this. It starts with a large white number 2 with a brown shadow box behind this, and the word minute in a scribble font that white again on a brown rectangle border. There’s a stamped white circle with a border, within this stamp it reads Tuesdays in the green from the background coming through. Overall look – News

Check these images out at ValerieMoss.ca as I’m not sure I can do them justice in my descriptors. When I posted to facebook for feedback by a landslide the Option B was chosen. Altho not all of my TmTs will be mysterious…I like this look, it reflects the objective of the TmT segments so…thank you for all of your input in helping me pick this new cover art. If you didn’t have a chance to vote, check out my website and let me know if you think option B should have won!

TmTs cover art options
Poll results from TmT cover art

Check out ValerieMoss.ca for more information pictures

Thanks for listening to the podcast today which as produced and written by me, Valerie Moss, intro and outro for this podcast recorded by London Moss. Thanks to Eric from What if World for contributing your amazing talent within this podcast review episode, such talent!

If you like this podcast and have a second to select a 5 star rating on iTunes or your podcast app to provide me some feedback I’d love to hear from you even by leaving me a comment on my blog or join my facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/ValeriesVarietyPod/ or send me a text/email to Valerie@ValerieMoss.ca – would love to hear from you.

Thanks for listening.

Compass? Which Way! – e28s1

episode 28 season 1

100th_ 28 Compass
Honing Device for North

Welcome back to Valerie’s Variety Podcast and our TmT segment for this week, we’re checking out the calgary street names…or numbers and our internal compass’ or lack their of.

If you’re new to Calgary or have been here for many years our number and named street system can be an like herding cats trying to figure this out. Hopefully you aren’t too bewildered by the numbered street system. Up until the year 1904, Calgary actually used a street naming system instead of numbers. Even today there are some who hope Calgary will revert to the old street naming system, and are even pressing for political action to make it happen. Today, there are some Calgary communities who use both systems. Crowchild Trail, or Highway 1A, Richmond Road or 37 Avenue SW, Glenmore Trail or High 8, 24 Street SE or Ogden Road – to name a few. Which do you prefer and Why? I think naming after significant people or to reflect on past transgressions of a government Reconciliation Bridge for example, speaks to great Truths our city is willing to promote to get recognition – which holds more strength and compassion then 9th street SE. Where do you live and what’s easier for you to navigate through the city? Landmarks, street names or numbers?

When I first moved to Calgary, having no sense of direction it didn’t help me if it was Glenmore Trail or 50 Avenue – since I have no internal compass this wasn’t what I needed – it was useless, I get lost in parking lots, get turnaround inside malls. I need to focus on landmarks, memorize and take pictures of parking stalls, get my bearings by this red door, or stairwell or specific store – not North. I literally think the path ahead is always north or up no matter what direction I’m facing. Crazy right?

Because this is such an issue for me and moving to Calgary when I was just 20 has been a long road lol to say the least. I recently went to a family reunion and my cousin and I were running errands, I was driving, we were sharing directions – she said to turn left, the sign said EAST and I said EAST? to her – she’s like I don’t know EAST just turn left here… and she too has this obstacle, and thanks to google for helping us out getting EAST, left turn where we needed it.

In my profession I have the requirement to be on job sites, I must know North…I typically will memorize a map of the area and orient myself to always know north and really map out my area, spatial surroundings so I know exactly what people are referring to. ‘North west wall, in the south corridor’ this would just make me cringe inside. I didn’t know this instinctively,  but I could review my map and know the top meant north, then be sure of where they were referring to. Overtime, I memorize and store this information to make my personal life and work life easier, but it doesn’t come naturally like a lot of people I know.

Within the last couple of weeks this has truly tested and frustrated me, picture this, I have a compass app on my phone, I have my iPad for documentation, I have the compass in the truck, as I move through the city to all of the these MAX BRT bus stops I need to document, westbound/eastbound/northbound and /southbound directions for the platforms, so I have all of these compass’ tools and help and I’m still like, well this is sort of north-west ish. Good god it’s so frustrating even with the tools I have, I still second guess exactly. Point me straight north or straight west or put me on a road that is exactly this and I’m good, any variance I’m totally mixed up. I’m not the only one, I realize but it effects me on a grand scale as it’s takes me more time to figure this out…

A funny story, while on a large job site, I was meet another sub-trade, in the north east end of the Airport’s international area – this i had memorized long before this meeting as I’d been on this job site for months by this point, once I walked closer to him, he was on the phone speaking to a delivery driver…he said “you need to go north” the driver asked which way is that? – the sub said I don’t know how to explain this, point your ass north and drive…I just laughed, thank god that wasn’t me on the phone but feeling sorry for the guy trying to figure out which way to point his ass…was very funny.

Did you know our brains map this by Magnetoreception meaning that the brain can map by magnetic force a certain path and distance to home or north for example. Whales, birds and even dogs poop according to a magnetic poles. Some insects have a rotating signal that can be used as a homing compass. The entorhinal region fires with neuron signals continuously when you ‘know’ instinctively you are on the right path.  Entorhinal cortex calculates these reactions, determining the best direction, quickly. If you get lost, it means your brain cannot keep up to the twists and turns and fails to adjust accordingly.

One way to successfully navigate from any point is to simply remember and store this solidly within your brain. So when you are in another area and want to get back to this area..this previous storing will come to be valuable. Some people can remember these reference points better than others. This makes them quick navigators.

What’s your sense of direction like, does my situation sound like yours? I hope my daughter gets my husbands jeans and just knows her way and doesn’t struggle with which way.

Thank you to these articles: Global News, Daily Mail, BBC, IFL Science, and Science Daily that enlightened me in finding my way to writing this post.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4530490/Brain-s-internal-compass-revealed-flies.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-30530674

https://www.iflscience.com/brain/found-missing-part-brain-s-internal-compass/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160830084004.htm

The intro and outro for this episode is recorded by London Moss, the music I chose for this finding your way podcast are reflective of the content within

  • Darcy – Lost at Sea
  • Cats Meow 05 03 and 02
  • Lost Bits Beat 01
  • Northern Lite Synth
  • Northern Star Bass
  • Far East Drums 02
  • Whale Cry
  • North Star Bass
  • Bird Song Erhu FX 01
  • Dogs Barking
  • Dez – South Side
  • Southbound Beat 02

Thanks for listening.

Vsquared Promo Take One – e27s1

episode 2 season 1

Have you listened yet? Catch clips of the first 12 episodes here.
Cover Art

Welcome back to Valerie’s Variety Podcast, VSquared and our first promo clip, this clip is encompassing highlights from our past episodes 1 through to 12. April 15 from our very fist episode to July 17 q and a between mom and 6 year old. Was very fun to put together and reminisce although it hasn’t been very long…it was still nice to go back and listen to these episodes.

Would love to promote your show or product on my podcast? Interested in doing an exchange – let me know as I’d love to collaborate and spread the word about this show and yours.

The intro is by Janice Wilby and outro for this podcast is recorded by London Moss. The music included within these snippets is all through Garage Band The podcast is written and produced by me Valerie Moss, through Garage Band and WordPress.

Thanks for Listening.