Puzzles and podcasts are perfect complements. I can't just sit and listen to a podcast without doing something else, and that something else needs to leave me the brain space to enjoy and understand the podcast. Puzzling is just that thing. And puzzling in silence is sometimes nice, but why not multitask?
Here are the podcasts I listened to in 2021.
Weekly listening (or as often as they come out):
- You're Wrong About: A biweekly (or as often as they feel like it) podcast in which they reexamine moral panics and news stories of the past, and debunk misconceptions and misrepresentations. Toward the end of the year, Michael Hobbes announced that he was leaving the show. I miss the banter between him and remaining host Sarah Marshall, but Sarah's great on her own, too.
- Maintenance Phase: This is the podcast Michael Hobbes kept. He and Aubrey Gordon debunk myths and cover the rise and fall of health and wellness-related fads and schemes. Comes out biweekly, except when it doesn't.
- You Are Good: Formerly "Why Are Dads?", You Are Good is described by its hosts (Alex Steed and, surprise! Sarah Marshall) as a "feelings podcast about movies." It comes out reliably every week, but I only listen when it's a movie I've watched or know enough about through the zeitgeist.
- The Greatest Generation: "A Star Trek podcast by two guys who are a little bit embarrassed to have a Star Trek podcast" pretty much sums it up. I spent pretty much all of 2020 catching up, so 2021 was weekly listening for me. They finished Deep Space Nine at the beginning of the year and picked right up with Voyager, so I've had to keep my Star Trek viewing to just one episode a week to stay in sync with them.
- Judge John Hodgman: I'm sorry to say I've fallen out of the habit of listening to this podcast, which is Hodgman, Jesse Thorn, and other guests and regulars discussing disputes sent in by listeners. I'd been listening to it weekly as it came out, and also working my way backwards through the archive. I guess My Favorite Murder replaced it.
At my own pace:
- My Favorite Murder: In May, a neighbor recommended this to me and I've been listening to it ever since. Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark tell each other murder stories and occasionally read letters from listeners about murders and other weird things. Laugh-out-loud funny, even while horrifying. I decided to listen to it in order from the beginning, so it's not weekly listening for me yet because I haven't caught up to the new episodes. I'm skipping the live episodes (which a friend tells me are worth listening to, so I may go back and listen to those later). This is basically what fills my listening time once I'm through with the new stuff on my other podcasts.
- The Greatest Discovery: Another podcast by the guys from The Greatest Generation, covering the new Star Trek stuff as it comes out, and other related things. I only listen to it as often as I watch something they've covered (Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, etc).
- This American Life, 99% Invisible: There for me when I can't think of anything else to listen to.
- Sandra (Gimlet Media): Fictional podcast miniseries about a woman who works as the human question-answerer behind a "Siri"-like interface.
- I Am All In: A Gilmore Girls podcast hosted by former cast member Scott Patterson ("Luke"). I listened to a few episodes and I enjoyed them, particularly the interviews with other cast and crew members. I guess I stopped because it sounds VERY produced. You can tell from listening to it that this is something iHeartMedia is spending money on. I like listening to podcasts that sound off the cuff, that are hosted by the people who came up with the idea for the podcast in the first place. Also, I didn't want to work in a Gilmore Girls rewatch into my TV viewing. Maybe I'll come back to it.
- This Podcast Will Kill You: Good for a car ride (which is where I listened to I think the chickenpox/shingles episode). Didn't make its way into my pool of regular listening.
- Slow Burn: A podcast where they take a deep dive into one major news story/scandal per season. I've listened to seasons 1-3 so far (Watergate, Clinton impeachment, Tupac & Biggie) and I'm currently listening to season 4 (David Duke).
One-offs
- The West Wing Weekly: A Special Benefit for When We All Vote: Hrishi and Josh came back to record an episode about the special benefit West Wing episode aired on HBO Max.
Puzzles:
Here are glimpses from 9 of the 32 puzzles I did this year.
Clockwise from top left:
- Obergefell v Hodges, 500 pieces by Litographs, gift from mom & dad
- New York, 1000 pieces by Dowdle Folk Art, surprise in the mail from Beth
- Convergence by Jackson Pollack, 320 pieces by Springbok (and billed as the world's most difficult puzzle), from a neighbor
- Beachcomber Collection, 1000 pieces by New York Puzzle Company, gift from mom & dad
- The Ultimate Double-Sided Per Person Puzzle (dog side), 500 pieces by Ben Lenovitz, gift from mom & dad
- Full Bloom, 1000 piece by Galison, surprise in the mail from Justine
- Vikram Madan Social Distancing Double-Sided (rhino side), 228 pieces by Artifact puzzles, gift from Patty
- Crystal Snowflake, 1000 pieces by Bgraamiens, gift from Justine
- And in the middle: Graffiti City, 1000 pieces by "Fred", loaner from Lauren (while visiting her in Colorado)
The rest were also great. Take a scroll through my Instagram if you'd like to see them.
By piece count:
- 228: 1 (Social Distancing)
- 320: 1 (Convergence)
- 450: 1 (Swim Club)
- 500: 9
- 550: 1 (Paris)
- 750: 2 (Vatican and Thatched Cottage)
- 1000: 16
- 1500: 1 (Pizza Arcade)
I tend to stick to 1000 pieces or less so they'll fit on my table. The 1500-piece "Pizza Arcade" required a surface extension:
By brand:
- New York Puzzle Company: 4 (Night at the Opera, Leaf Peepers, Beachcomber, Mushrooms)
- Galison: 3 (Graymalin, Full Bloom, Spring on Park Avenue)
- Dowdle Folk Art: 2 (New York, Times Square)
- Mudpuppy: 2 (Birds A-Z, Bookish Cats)
- Buffalo: 2 (Cinque Terre, Pizza Arcade)
- Sure-Lox: 2 (Vatican, Thatched Cottage)
And one puzzle each by Litographs, Bgraamiens, Jiggy, Springbok, Pomegranate, Funwares, TDC, Ceaco, Fred, Ben Lenovitz, Eurographics, Artifact, and Ravensburger.
By subject matter:
- Cityscapes/buildings: 9 (New York, Night at the Opera, Cinque Terre, Times Square, Paris, Graffiti City, Vatican, Thatched Cottage, Spring on Park Avenue)
- Animals: 8 (Animals Planet, Birds A-Z, F is for Feline: 2 puzzles, Bookish Cats, 2-sided Pet Person, Social Distancing)
- Outdoor scene: 5 (Graymalin 2 -sided, Swim Club, Leaf Peepers, Seasine Beauty)
- Art/Abstract: 3 (Crystal Snowflake, Convergence, Diego Rivera)
- Collected objects on display: 2 (Beachcomber, Mushrooms)
- Map/diagram: 2 (Full Bloom, Tree of Life)
- Nostalgia: 1 (Pizza Arcade)
- Words: 1 (Obergefell v Hodges)
- Wine: 1 (Wine Time)
Where they came from:
- Gifts: 15 (5 from mom & dad, 2 from Jan, 2 from Justine, 2 from Jamie, and 1 each from Beth, Kathleen, dyAnne, and Patty)
- Neighbor swaps: 7
- Vacation puzzles: 3
- Friend swaps: 2 with Bjorn & Todd
- Found on the street: 2 (via Cricket and Kathryn)
I still have most of them in my apartment if you'd like to do a swap!
Success rate:
- I finished all the puzzles I started this year.
- Some were pissing a piece or two, but I have confirmed I did not lose any pieces. :)
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