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

Everybody Knows But Me - Season 1 Episode 1: 22 April 2026: *The One With My Dad's Confession - Holly Brown is like any millennial teen: obsessed with sitcoms, Clueless, and fitting in. But what happens when her life is anything but normal? Her family has a lot of secrets and she’s just starting to understand how many. We meet the ultimate secret keeper, life of the party, and star of the show: her dad. 

5 Good News Stories - 5 May 2026: *Johnny Mac shares five good news stories: DJ AG volunteered at the Ann Owens Center, turning a senior center into a rave with a karaoke-style singalong to combat loneliness, with 84-year-olds Helen and Lenny praising the inclusive, memory-filled afternoon.  / Lorraine swam about 50 feet in cold water for over five hours in a wetsuit to rescue an injured seagull tangled in fishing line; the bird is now recovering with local staff. Tom set a Guinness World Record by tattooing 63 Marvel comics characters on his body, starting with Thanos in 2016, and his tattoos have been signed by Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olson. Japan's Prime Minister met Deep Purple, revealed she bought "Machine Head" in 1971, and said she once played keyboards in a Deep Purple tribute band. In North Carolina, an injured alligator was found near a bank drive-through, treated as minor, and relocated by wildlife officials.

Birdnote Daily - 8 November 2023: *Providing Water for Birds - From chickadees to Cooper's Hawks, most birds love a good bath. Some birds get the fluids they need from their food, but many birds need a drink at least twice a day. Water is essential for birds, and supplying clean water for them to drink and bathe in is a great way to help maintain native bird life.

StarDate - 20 May 2026: Moon and Gemini

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day - 27 May 2026: benevolent

Daily Tips That May or May Not Help You - season 3 episode 86: 30 March 2026: A Tip For Walking Safely When Traveling - Cobblestone streets vary from city to city, and the shift can throw off walking patterns fast. / Staying safe in old towns can be as simple as slowing down, watching footing, and not assuming the next street feels like the last. / Keep an eye on uneven stones and changing textures to avoid a trip while traveling.

Sounds Profitable - 26 May 2026: *Podcast Show London Recap, Spotify Launches Narrated Articles, & More - Today in the business of podcasting: The Podcast Show 2026 wrapped up in London with a wave of industry activity, including the debut of a new UK advertising landscape study from Sounds Profitable and Sound Insights showing podcast ad recall is at near-parity with broadcast television, plus analyst presentations, an annual Podcast Standards Project meetup, and a live episode of Podnews Weekly Review recorded on stage. / RAJAR's MIDAS Spring 2026 survey found that 25% of UK adults listen to podcasts weekly, a figure that has remained relatively static since Winter 2024, with podcasts accounting for 6% of adult listening hours - ahead of owned music at 5% and audiobooks at 3%. / Goalhanger launched Goalhanger Ventures, a new investment and partnership arm that will back creator-led media businesses, with initial activity including an equity investment in Invisible Media and support for the podcast Backyard Cricket. / Spotify announced a wave of new features: a Memberships program for creators, an Al-driven Personal Podcasts feature, and Articles — a library of over 650 narrated long-form magazine pieces available to Premium subscribers through their monthly audiobook allowance or purchasable individually for $1.99.

5 Good News Stories - 7 May 2026: *Johnny Mac shares five upbeat stories: Jamie turned his intentionally clumsy "bad" paintings-first made as a joke gift for his wife in 2024—into a side business earning thousands, with pieces selling for $60 to several hundred; he's fulfilled heavy demand and even had Judi Dench sign and donate one for auction. A hot air balloon with 13 passengers made a controlled emergency landing in a California backyard due to shifting winds, low wind, and limited fuel. / "The Baron" set a record by pulling a 2,184-pound carriage using nipple piercings. In North Carolina, 6,500+ volunteers and Lowe's employees built 10,027 beds in 24 hours for children in need. Finally, three people were sentenced for staging fake bear attacks on luxury cars in an insurance fraud scheme.

BirdNote Daily - 9 November 2023: *Common Potoo: Branch or Bird? - Common Potoos are champions of camouflage. In the daytime these nocturnal creatures perch perfectly still on branches: heads pointed upward, bodies outstretched, and eyes closed down to tiny slits. It's hard to tell where the branch ends and the bird's body begins — which helps them avoid predators. They're birds more often heard than seen; with a melodious but mournful song, made at dawn, dusk and by the light of the moon. The song earned potoos the name

'Poor-me-one' in Trinidad and Tobago.

StarDate - 21 May 2026: Space Rescue

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day - 26 May 2026: Gordian knot

Daily Tips That May or May Not Help You - season 3 episode 87: 31 March 2026: *A Tip For Freshening a Smelly Garbage Disposal - Citrus peels can keep a kitchen garbage disposal smelling clean without extra cleaners. Toss lemon or orange peels into the disposal periodically to cut lingering food odors and reduce how often the sink needs a deep clean. If the disposal starts feeling gunked up, a handful of ice cubes can help knock buildup loose.

The Gerry Anderson Podcast - episode 385: 23 March 2026: *The Randomiser | Space 1999: Catacombs Of the Moon - Our special guest, actress Rosalyn Landor, is back to enjoy an episode of Space 1999, as chosen by the Randomiser! / With an appearance in Star Trek under her belt, travel in outer space should come naturally to her, but what will she make of the Alphans' struggle to survive - particularly when a mind-bending space cloud comes their way??

BirdNote Daily - 10 November 2023: *Decibels Per Gram - Some of the tiniest birds in the world have impressively loud voices. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet — that bright-headed sprite of the treetops — would be downright deafening if it were just a little bigger. Hummingbirds were originally named for the mechanical buzzing produced by their inconceivably fast wing-beats. But some males, such as this Costa's Hummingbird of the Southwest, are equally notable for their vocal attainments. Late in winter, these tiny gems flash their purple throats and utter a startlingly loud, ear-piercing whine.

StarDate - 22 May 2026: Moon and Regulus

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day - 25 May 2026: sacrosanct

The Podcast Mogul's Playbook - season 1 episode 15: 27 June 2025: *Monetise Your Podcast Fast: Building Profitable Funnels for Every Audience Size - Hey Moguls! Ever feel like you're pouring your heart into your podcast but the money just isn't showing up? Or maybe you're stuck hustling for sponsors, grinding away on content, and still feel like your show isn't making the impact-or income-you know it could? Trust me, you're not alone. In this episode, I'm spilling the REAL secrets to podcast growth and monetization that work— even if your audience isn't huge (yet). / What's Inside This Episode? / This week, we're digging into the two real ways to make money from your podcast (hint: it's NOT chasing sponsors or growing downloads for the sake of big numbers). I'm answering the most burning podcaster questions straight from the trenches—my favorite Facebook groups-so you know you're not getting theory, but real, proven strategies from people who've been exactly where you are.

Daily Tips That May or May Not Help You - season 3 episode 88: 1 April 2026: A Tip For Not Being a Jerk (w/ actor Josh Rivera) - Guest tipper Josh Rivera says it straight: "Be nice. Nobody wants to help an asshole." Rivera is currently on Broadway in The Rocky Horror Show, and shares what rude customers can expect: longer waits and an experience that ends up "mid."

Podnews Daily - 27 May 2026: *Now you can charge for video - ...gated, subscriber-only podcast video comes to Spotify

BirdNote Daily - 11 November 2023: *Migrations: Veeries Predict Hurricanes - In some years, tawny-colored thrushes called Veeries cut their breeding season short. / Researchers discovered that Veeries tend to stop breeding early in the same years that the Atlantic hurricane season is particularly severe. Surprisingly, Veeries are sometimes better at predicting hurricane conditions than computer models! Despite their forecasting prowess, though, Veeries are vulnerable to climate change.

StarDate - 23 May 2026: Martian Clock

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day - 24 May 2026: onus

Space News and Weather Today - 22 May 2026: *Astronomy News and Sky Watch for May 22, 2026 - Rocket Lab Electron launch coming up. Plus space news and stargazing. / Portions of the podcast are made with the assistance of Al which helps us gather informaton from the NASA and other sources.

On The Bubble podcast - season 10 episode 1: 17 May 2026: *Stakes, Development & Respecting Core Characters - The 9 Elements of Highly Rewatchable TV Shows (p1/3) - The 9 Elements of Highly Rewatchable TV Shows (part 1/3): The Show Has to Be Good. / Core Characters Must Be Continuously Developed. / The Core Group of Characters Needs to Be Manageable and Memorable.

Daily Tips That May or May Not Help You - season 3 episode 89: 2 April 2026: A Tip For Keeping Travel Memories Straight - Arielle Nissenblatt shares a travel memory trick for frequent travelers whose trips start to blur together. Pick one new album, musical artist, podcast, or book for each place, then revisit it later and the trip comes back. Use it in downtime like the hotel room while getting ready for a night out, the shower, or the gym.

Podnews Weekly Review - 21 May 2026: *Live From London, at The Podcast Show 2026 - We chat with Rox Codes from Flightcast, talk about the 'cavalcade of crap' from AI, and spill all the tea on a successful show. [it was Dan Kendall who asked Jeanine the question that “wasn’t answered.”] 

Too Long Didn't Listen - season 1 episode 1: 17 April 2026: *Trailer: Podcasting Explainee: 5 Experts, 5 Quick Answers | TLDL Trailer - What is a podcast? How long should a podcast be? And is video podcasting worth it? / Podcasting is either having an identity crisis or doing better than ever. Depends who you ask. / Too Long Didn't Listen aims to cut through the noise. / Inspired by the host's own experience of trying to develop his own podcasting skills and wading through more arguments on LinkedIn than useful resources - this series curates trusted industry voices and gets their takes on the questions of the moment. It's a podcast about podcasts and the people who love and make them (meta, we know). Now, they are answering the questions the industry can't agree on.. / This trailer is a preview of what's to come. / Series 1 guests include: Kevyah Cardoso, Chris Stone, Thuy Dong, Katie Stokes, Em McGowan, Adam Batty, Candace Wilson, Dee Safieh, Saskhia Menendez, Salman Ahad Khan, Adrian Bradley, Abi McNeil, Elsie Escobar, Sefa Nkyi / Start with Episode 1: What Is A Podcast? / If you're starting a podcast, growing one, or using podcasts as a marketing tool this is for you. / Topics include: podcast tips, podcast growth, podcast marketing, starting a podcast, video podcasting.

New Podcasts - 28 April 2026: *Whispers From the Void - a modern day eldritch horror/thriller set in Houston, Texas - has hit 10,000 downloads. Season two drops next month; the show was first published in May 2024.

7 Good Minutes - 9 December 2025: *Sacred Moments: Creating Sacred Space in a Busy Life - Discover how to weave moments of sacred connection into your busiest days. This episode reveals practical ways to create sanctuary and spiritual nourishment without needing perfect conditions or endless time. 

BirdNote Daily - 12 November 2023: *Loggerhead Shrike - Loggerhead Shrikes are found across much of the United States in open country, like pasture and sagebrush. Male shrikes are well known for impaling their prey on thorns, creating a larder that may help impress potential mates. / But pesticides and the loss of habitat to residential and commercial uses have reduced shrike populations. Conservation efforts are under way, such as allowing brush to grow along fence-lines, leaving small trees and shrubs on the roadside, and reducing or eliminating the use of pesticides.

StarDate - 24 May 2026: Martian Climate

The Slowdown - episode 1269: 9 Jan 2025: Today's poem is Grace by Orlando Ricardo Menes.

New Podcasts - 28 April 2026: *This Being Human is back with a new season - new host Mai Habib, new look, and now in video. From the Aga Khan Museum and The Walrus Lab, Season 5 brings you into conversations with the architect who designed the museum itself, a pro athlete, a Pakistani metal musician, and filmmakers pushing the edges of their craft-all exploring how Muslim cultures shape-and are shaped by-art, storytelling, and everyday life.

Podnews Daily - 29 May 2026: *Podcast advertising measurement "is broken" - We can't even agree on a shared definition of a podcast. 

BirdNote Daily - 13 November 2023: *Join the Flock - Songbirds in winter flocks benefit from having other birds nearby. They can recognize warning signals from other species and follow them to sources of food. We think of BirdNote's audience as our flock, and we're much stronger together than as individuals. / But every single member of the flock counts, and every action is important. Support from our listeners is what keeps BirdNote in the air and on the air. BirdNote is an independent nonprofit organization that relies on support from listeners like you. This week, we are asking you to keep us flying strong by making a donation now.

Too Long Didn't Listen - season 1 episode 2: 19 May 2026: What Is A Podcast? 5 Podcasters Answer - What actually is a podcast? Sounds like a simple question. But it seems there's no simple answer. In episode one of Too Long Didn't Listen, we asked five podcasters to define podcasting in 60 seconds or less. The result is a mix of perspectives on stor...