This American Life

[MediumTex]

I've always enjoyed listening to This American Life, but on the radio I hardly ever caught it when it was on.

Then, I got the $5 app for my ipad, and I listened to a few episodes, but still not that often.

A couple of days ago I got the $3 This American Life app for my phone and it's been awesome to be able to fill any down time with these interesting programs.  With almost 500 episodes to choose from there is something to hear about virtually any topic you can imagine.  The app even allows you to download an episode for later listening, which helps with data use charges.

I find that these stories are informative, entertaining and relaxing, which is so unlike many of the media streams that compete for out attention.  Based on the app reviews, apparently there have been many bugs in recent versions, but my app is working fine.  I haven't had any of the problems that reviewers report.

If you've got an extra $3 and are curious, you should check it out.

[Coffee]

I'm not familiar with that show.  What's it about?

On a related note: I downloaded the Downcaster app and have been listening to Jack Spirko's "Survival Podcast" in the morning, while I take the dog for a walk.  It's entertaining and informative.  Although I'm not yet sure if Jack Spirko is either the world's smartest man or the world's best bullshit artist.

[dualstow]

I'm not familiar with that show.  What's it about?

It's about the experiences of people around the country, non-famous ones. Usually, the shows have a theme. My favorite one -- I think it was about mistakes and regret -- featured the guy who (may have) accidentally killed the oldest living thing on the planet, a tree. Hosted by the fey-voiced but intelligent Ira Glass (yes, he's a cousin of Philip Glass the composer).

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/

[Gosso]

If you like This American Life, then I'd recommend something similar called Wiretap.  The host of Wiretap is a former producer for This American Life.

Here's a link to the latest episode, "The Game".

[dualstow]

I second that. Although very different, Wiretap is hilarious. I listened to pieces of it for weeks (randomly on FM)  before bothering to look it up and see what it was.

[MediumTex]

One of my favorite episodes was "Switched At Birth", which focused on two families that apparently swapped babies at the hospital for reasons that were never explained in a way that made any sense.

I listened to another good one the other day about a judge in Georgia who takes first time offender drug cases that would normally warrant a short jail stay or probation and turns them into elaborate multi-year programs of incarceration, isolation, and harassment.  One woman will have been subject to over 10 years of jail and probation for a first offense involving writing two bad checks totaling under $100 out of her parents' checking account that were believed to have been used to buy drugs.

[MachineGhost]

I listened to another good one the other day about a judge in Georgia who takes first time offender drug cases that would normally warrant a short jail stay or probation and turns them into elaborate multi-year programs of incarceration, isolation, and harassment.  One woman will have been subject to over 10 years of jail and probation for a first offense involving writing two bad checks totaling under $100 out of her parents' checking account that were believed to have been used to buy drugs.

Wow, what the hell is the justification for extreme measures like that?  What is the outcome?

[Coffee]

I listened to another good one the other day about a judge in Georgia who takes first time offender drug cases that would normally warrant a short jail stay or probation and turns them into elaborate multi-year programs of incarceration, isolation, and harassment.  One woman will have been subject to over 10 years of jail and probation for a first offense involving writing two bad checks totaling under $100 out of her parents' checking account that were believed to have been used to buy drugs.

Wow, what the hell is the justification for extreme measures like that?  What is the outcome?

Her dad was the judge.

[MediumTex]

I listened to another good one the other day about a judge in Georgia who takes first time offender drug cases that would normally warrant a short jail stay or probation and turns them into elaborate multi-year programs of incarceration, isolation, and harassment.  One woman will have been subject to over 10 years of jail and probation for a first offense involving writing two bad checks totaling under $100 out of her parents' checking account that were believed to have been used to buy drugs.

Wow, what the hell is the justification for extreme measures like that?  What is the outcome?

The outcome is the judge is still on the bench.  That was the point of that particular story--i.e., that this sort of thing is going on out there and is justified by the idea that what drug users (especially first time drug offenders) really need is for the system to treat them more harshly.