The Pod Files

 

The ‘casts -

(Notes spoken to Siri, and edited later if I remember

(Changed tactic now where starred dialogue denotes quoting from the show’s own notes

New Podcasts - 9 April 2026: *Sport Is History - What really happened behind the headlines? / What turns victory into legend... or controversy into history? Sport Is History is new today, from Mark Pougatch and Marcus Buckland; the first show focuses on the Grand National, which was unexpectedly postponed in 1997.

Daily Dad Jokes - 21 August 2025

New Podcasts - 9 April 2026: *Electric Futures - Electric Futures starts its third season today, focusing on the large-scale data centers needed for Al, and what they mean for the places where they're built: environmental impact, electricity costs, and who benefits anyway? It's from the University of Southern California.

MinuteEarth - 13 June 2025: Why People Hate Hyenas

New Podcasts - 9 April 2026: *Cross-Examined is a new podcast from the Law Institute of Victoria. We cover the hot topics in the law and changes shaping the legal profession. Regular episodes and miniseries cover topics from Al and cyber threats to ethical dilemmas, workplace taboos and practice management insights. In the debut mini-series (released through March) the show explores the use of Al in the courts and legal industry.

The Slowdown - episode 1266: 6 January 2025: Today's poem is Echo by Christina Rossetti.

New Podcasts - 9 April 2026: *Albatros Project is a theatrical crime podcast where every voice is Al-generated — and they say you'd never know it. The first season, Stolen Smile, tells the story of the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, with a full cast of Al voices directed using ElevenLabs voice tags as stage directions. Created by a Polish audio drama producer who already makes theatrical podcasts with real actors, this is what happens when an experienced storyteller teams up with Al to go global.

New Podcasts - 10 April 2026: *The Persistence - If you've ever thought history was boring, The Persistence is here to prove you wrong. You'll hear the overlooked stories of rebels, visionaries, and communities who shaped the world, told with sharp insight, unexpected twists, and just enough wit to make you wonder why none of this made it into your textbooks.

The Daily Quiz Show - 22 November 2025: Science and Nature 

New Podcasts - 10 April 2026: *The Mechanics of Toxic Relationships, Narcissistic Abuse, Gaslighting & Covert Narcissist Patterns - Have you ever walked into a room and instantly felt like you'd done something wrong? But you had absolutely no idea what? / Nobody's talking. But there's sighing, cupboards getting slammed like they owe someone money, and the emotional atmosphere feels like a thunderstorm about to kick off. The Mechanics of Toxic Relationships helps you navigate what happened in your relationship - and how to recognise these patterns before they repeat.

New Podcasts - 10 April 2026: *Cryptocurrency Case Law Review - Law is local, but cryptocurrency is borderless. / The Crypto Case Law Review is a podcast for legal professionals about cryptocurrency litigation. Each episode, learn about a new legal case that involved cryptocurrency evidence - the arguments presented, and the issues considered by the court.

7 Good Minutes - 6 December 2025: *7 Good Minutes: Extra - The mind that can... - In today's 7 Good Minutes: Extra segment, we explore how the simple act of clearly visualizing your desired state of focus creates the neural foundation for achieving it. Reflect on what destination you can see most clearly for your attention and presence.

New Podcasts - 13 April 2026: *Forthlane Off the Charts | with Andrew Sarna - With Andrew Sarna, Forthlane Off the Charts breaks down three market headlines each episode, and what they mean for financial portfolios. Based on Andrew's extremely popular Off the Charts newsletter, this podcast brings practical context on the macro environment shaping your investment decisions. No extra babble. No guests you don't need. Just the headlines and the Forthlane perspective on what to do with them. 

Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus - season 4 episode 7: 6 May 2026: *Julia Gets Wise with Jean Smart - On this episode of Wiser Than Me, Julia sits down with 74-year-old scene-stealer Jean Smart. They get into the final season of Hacks, the highs and lows of a career in Hollywood and what it feels like when great material finally meets the actor it was meant for. Jean opens up about parenting a teenager in her 70s, dating as a widow, and her family's witchy past. Plus, Julia shares behind-the-scenes Seinfeld writer's secrets, and her 92-year-old mom Judy reflects on her days as a beauty queen.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day - 1 May 2026: Beltane 

StarDate - 30 April 2026: Desirable Stars

BirdNote Daily - 1 November 2023: *The Music of Birds Migrating in the Night - Ornithologist Bill Evans has helped us better understand the sounds that birds make as they migrate at night. Known as nocturnal flight calls, many species can be identified based on their signature sound. Using special handmade microphones left outside overnight, Evans, his colleagues and many volunteers recorded countless nocturnal flight calls — and not all of them have been identified yet. In this show, revel in the beauty of the calls that birds make as they fly high in the air.

Podnews Daily - 16 March 2026: *New partners announced for Apple Podcasts video - But who hasn't joined the HLS video party?

Daily Tips That May or May Not Help You - season 3 episode 77: 17 March 2026: A Tip For Turning Website Visitors Into Subscribers - Setting up an email capture form on a website helps creators build an audience they can reach again, even after someone closes the tab. An opt-in can live at the top of the page, appear as someone scrolls, or trigger as an exit-intent pop-up, depending on the web host. Services like Beehiv and Substack make it easy to collect emails now and decide later whether to send an occasional newsletter roundup.

Sheer Pod Attack - season 1 episode 9: 12 April 2026: *Son & Daughter - In this episode, we crank the amps and step into Queen's raw, proto-metal era with a deep exploration of "Son & Daughter," one of the heaviest tracks from their 1973 debut. Often overshadowed by the band's later theatrical hits, this early cut reveals a very different Queen-riff-driven, blues-soaked, and unapologetically loud. / We dig into: Brian May's monstrous guitar riff, the seed that would later evolve into the iconic Brighton Rock solo motif / Freddie Mercury's gritty, almost snarling vocal delivery, a world away from his later operatic flamboyance / The band's early sonic identity, where Sabbath-like weight meets Queen's emerging sense of drama / The song's lyrical bite-cryptic, confrontational, and brimming with early-career attitude / How "Son & Daughter" became a live staple, mutating into a showcase for May's extended guitar improvisations / Whether you're a die-hard Queen scholar or discovering the deep cuts for the first time, this episode uncovers why "Son & Daughter" is far more than a footnote—it's a blueprint for the band's evolution and a glimpse of the thunder they were about to unleash.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day - 2 May 2026: exasperate 

StarDate - 1 May 2026: May Day

BirdNote Daily - 2 November 2023: *Roadrunner - The Greater Roadrunner is a common species in the desert and brush country of the Southwest, but its full range reaches from California to western Louisiana. Its soft cooing voice hints at its connections to another bird: scientists group roadrunners with the cuckoos. Where to see a roadrunner? In the Us Southwest, you might spot one along the roadside, standing atop a boulder. It can reach speeds of nearly 20 miles an hour and can fly — but doesn't very often.

Daily Facts - 3 February 2026

Daily Tips That May or May Not Help You - season 3 episode 78: 18 March 2026: A Tip For Starting a New Job (w/ Maia Molina-Schaefer) - Career pivots go smoother when a person separates what should transfer from what should stay behind. Building a two-list inventory of skills and mindsets can reveal what will serve a new role, and what worked in the old arena but will not translate. This advice is especially useful for job changes, new leadership roles, and switching industries, including moves from hierarchical environments into coalition-based work.

Pod, Actually - season 1 episode 6: 2 March 2026: Jocelyn Bitch Sesh - In this episode of Pod, Actually, Jocelyn talks about her favorite podcast: Bitch Sesh, the cult-favorite show devoted to The Real Housewives franchise. / Jocelyn calls it a "guilty pleasure," but what unfolds is something more interesting: a portrait of why we turn to "ridiculous" television, why warmth matters more than expertise, and how much we need to like the people whose voices keep us company. / Jocelyn's top five podcasts: Bitch Sesh / Pod Save America / Stay Tuned / This American Life /    Lovett Or Leave It

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day - 3 May 2026: métier

StarDate - 2 May 2026: Degenerate Future

BirdNote Daily - 3 November 2023: *Birding for a Better World - Molly Adams founded the Feminist Bird Club to try to make birding safer and more inclusive. Along with coauthor Sydney Golden Anderson, Molly wrote a book titled Birding for a Better World that welcomes newcomers to birding and offers ways to make events more inclusive and accessible. The book debunks myths that can scare people away from birding and describes how mindful birding can help improve our world.

Listen Like Fans- For The Love Of INXS - Trailer: 24 February 2026: *Hi Legend! / Get ready... because something special is coming / Listen Like Fans is almost here. / Made by INXS fans, for INXS fans — for the love of INXS — this is more than just another music podcast. It's a place where the global fan community comes together to celebrate the sound, the swagger, and the soul of one of Australia's greatest bands, INXS. / From deep cuts that deserve more love to the defining moments that shaped a generation, we'll dive into the songs, stories, and legacy that still move us today. Expect personal memories, passionate debates, unexpected discoveries, and those goosebump moments only true tans understand. / Whether you were there in the early pub days, lined up for vinyl releases, blasting Kick on repeat, or found INXS years later and fell just as hard — this podcast is for you. / No gatekeeping. / No egos. / Just connection, community, and a shared obsession with the music that continues to soundtrack our lives.

Daily Tips That May or May Not Help You - season 3 episode 79: 19 March 2026: *A Tip For Remembering Gift Ideas - For anyone who freezes when it is time to buy a meaningful gift, the fix is simple: capture gift ideas the moment someone mentions them. A quick note inside a contacts app builds an easy, searchable gift list for friends and family, so gift giving stops being a last-minute scramble. This habit turns everyday "I wish l had.." comments into personalized presents later.

Sheer Pod Attack - season 1 episode 10: 17 April 2026: *Jesus - On this episode of Sheer Pod Attack, we shine a spotlight on a Queen track that rarely gets the royal treatment — and, let's be honest, probably for good reason. "Jesus" isn't top-shelf Queen. It's not even the secret masterpiece hiding in the deep cuts. It's that odd, early-career experiment that sits somewhere between "interesting curiosity" and "well... they got better." / But that's exactly why it deserves an episode. / We dig into how this lower-to-mid-tier tune fits into the band's evolution, what it reveals about Freddie Mercury's early songwriting instincts, and why Queen's debut album has such a strange, theatrical charm even when the songs don't fully land. Expect playful critique, affectionate ribbing, and a genuine appreciation for the band's willingness to try absolutely anything on their way to greatness. / If you love Queen enough to explore the tracks that aren't on the greatest-hits playlists, this is your kind of pilgrimage.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day - 4 May 2026: scrupulous

StarDate - 3 May 2026: Moon and Antares

BirdNote Daily - 4 November 2023: *Urban Cooper's Hawks - Next time you're in the city, look up. When pigeons are wheeling, you might just see a different bird in pursuit. The Cooper's Hawk, once known as the "chicken hawk," used to be in steep decline due to hunting and the effects of DDT on breeding. Today, it's the most abundant of the bird-eating raptors over much of North America, living even in the city. / Males are smaller and often prey on Mourning Doves and other easy pickings at city parks. / The bulkier females hunt pigeons, adding a dash of wildness and drama to the modern cityscape — in the form of pigeon feathers falling silently from the sky.

Everybody Knows But Me - Trailer: 1 April 2026: *Holly Brown may have grown up right next to Hollywood, but her life was a world away from her 90s sitcom dreams. Instead, Holly's childhood was filled with family secrets, immense loss, and heartbreaking grief. SO. / What's a girl to do? Create a genre-bending, dark comedy podcast, of course! Welcome to... Everybody Knows But Me: A dark comedy podcast about the secrets we inherit and the stories we tell to survive / Holly revisits her dark, twisty past and proves that you actually can make your life into a 90s sitcom, if you only try hard enough. Grab your beanie babies and gushers, and strap in for a story that even Mr Feeny can't resist.

Daily Tips That May or May Not Help You - season 3 episode 80: 20 March 2026: A Tip For Lifting Oil Stains Off Countertops - Oil stains on granite and other countertops can look permanent, especially after an olive oil bottle sits too long. A thick baking soda paste pulls oil out when it sits under plastic wrap for 24 to 48 hours, then wipes away clean. For stubborn stains, hydrogen peroxide can be used to strengthen the paste while it works.

The Gerry Anderson Podcast - episode 384: 9 March 2026: *This month, we're joined by prolific actress Rosalyn Landor. From appearances aboard the Starship Enterprise and Hammer House of Horror via Sherlock Holmes and over 500 audiobooks, Rosalyn has spent a lifetime working with our greatest actors - some of whom have an Anderson connection, too! / But does that mean - along with a love of UFO and Thunderbirds - that she's guaranteed a high score on the Andermeter? And just what will the Randomiser choose for her to watch with us next time? / Meanwhile, Jamie's always around when there's presents to unwrap, so he joins Richard and Chris for a special Voice Of The Podsterons - with gifts! 

New Podcasts - 14 April 2026: *Veil of Echoes - True crime and paranormal show Veil of Echoes launched in September and has already approached 10,000 downloads, the creators say. Listeners are increasingly bingeing episodes back-to-back, after the show leaned into a more cinematic, narrative-driven format. It's so far been played in more than 40 countries.

Podnews Daily - 17 March 2026: *Podpage acquires The School of Podcasting - Dave Jackson will continue working on the education resource, with more free access. 

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day - 5 May 2026: augur

StarDate - 4 May 2026: Eta Aquariid Meteors

Daily Tips That May or May Not Help You - season 3 episode 116: 11 May 2026: A Tip For Avoiding Travel Chaos - Buying the cheapest airfare can lock a trip into the worst rules when plans change. / Paying an extra $30 to $60 for the next fare tier can buy flight cancellation flexibility and seat selection, including that aisle seat preference. On JetBlue, the lowest tier can also earn fewer points, so stepping up can stack more points for future free flights.

Womanica - 28 August 2024: Louella Parsons

5 Good News Stories - 3 May 2026: *Johnny Mac shares five good news stories: a Chinese automaker patented a voice-activated car toilet that slides from under the passenger seat, stores waste in a tank with a rotating heating element to evaporate liquid and dry solids, and uses an exhaust fan to manage odors. A University of Oregon study of 20 healthy adults (ages 20-28) compared hot water immersion, traditional dry saunas, and far infrared saunas, finding hot water immersion raised core body temperature the most, boosting blood flow and supporting vascular health when done in moderation. / Chicago expanded the "81 Club," turning public school IDs into Chicago Public Library cards, with pilot usage up 63%. In Switzerland, archaeologists recovered 1,200+ artifacts from a 2,000-year-old Roman-era lake shipwreck. Ohio police found a 91-year-old woman safe, playing Bubble Pop while chasing a high score.

New Podcasts - 14 April 2026: *Foundering - In the Foundering podcast from today, a look into the killing of Bob Lee, a well-known tech executive famous for creating Cash App. / Many in the tech community placed blame directly at the feet of San Francisco politicians. Lee seemed to be the latest victim of the San Francisco Doom Loop. But when a suspect was arrested for his murder, it became clear that the rumors could not be further from the truth.

The Stupid History Minute - 13 May 2026: The Stupid History of Wheaties 

Sounds Profitable - 5 March 2026: *Frequency x Flightpath, Radiodays NA Speakers Announced, & More - Today in the business of podcasting: Sounds Profitable's Tom Webster pushes back on the idea podcasting has "finally" caught AM/FM radio in spoken-word listening share, arguing the milestone already passed. Share of Ear's audio-focused methodology leaves out the many hours of spoke-word consumed as podcasts people primarily watch. / Frequency and Flightpath announce a partnership integrating Flightpath's predictive inventory planning into Frequency's Premium Publisher Network, aiming to replace reactive ad selling with a scalable, multi-network monetization model. / Radiodays North America announces its 2026 speaker lineup ahead of its May 5-6 Toronto event, featuring CRTC Broadcasting VP Scott Shortliffe, Radiolab producer Simon Adler, and Tom Webster. / Audible reveals its first major podcast slate since absorbing Wondery, bringing new seasons of Dr. Death and Over My Dead Body, a new investigative series called OnlyFantasy, and the migration of former Wondery titles like Dying for Sex and Hysterical to the platform.

The Puzzler with AJ Jacobs - 17 July 2025: *"If it Ain't Penniless, Don't Neuter It" w/A.J. & Greg

The Puzzler with AJ Jacobs - 18 July 2025: *"Harry Styles, Association Football, and Extra Ex-Tensions!" w/ A.J. & Greg

The Puzzler with AJ Jacobs - 21/07/2025: *"Smells Like Teen Spirit Airlines" w/ Mike Pesca