Welcome to the 21st edition of the Cast of the Week awards (Breaking out of Lockdown Edition). Got the sick of home blues? Get outside! But first, read on for a double dose of winners and important info.
You can find this week’s nominees can be found at https://ykyz.com/f/cotwxxi.
Junior Microcaster Prizes
We will be experimenting with a dedicated Junior Microcaster award and might do a summer program. This would be open to anyone 18 or younger. We hope to offer at least one prize per week in this category, and if we get enough participants, we might offer a Junior Microcaster of the summer award. This is a great way for a teen to launch a career in casting. Note that if you take a teenage caster under your wing, you are eligible for our Mentor program, and will get referral credit for anyone you bring on.
And now, on to the CotW XXI winners! But first, some shoutouts:
Shoutout to PracticalMagic for episode 73. It is OKAY to rest! and the reminder that during the pandemic, lowering expectations for what you get done may be the only way to stay sane.
Shoutout to Rebekah of the SmartMoney microcast for a solid review of pay-to-play games in episode 318. Paid to Play Apps – Worth It?
Shoutout to BorisTheBlade for touching a nerve with the title and content of his 175th microcast episode Fat is not beautiful, Adele’s weight loss and Social Justice Warrior fascists pt. 2.
Shoutout to Asi the Voluptuous Voyager for episode 191. Ramblings… and her thoughts about the goal of her cast and reaching out to others.
Shoutout to Mistress of the Microcast for fearlessly asking the question no one else dares to ask in her episode 260. What happened to the Bermuda Triangle?
A few microcasters had episode milestones recently. Shoutouts to Snippets With Sophia, Doctor Irish, and Smart Money for hitting the big 300. Whoot whoot!
And now, on to the winners! But first, a few honorable mentions:
Honorable mentions:
Poegosi The Poet for his intriguing and highly interacted with episode 195. Selling feet pics online strange ways to earn online.
Snippets With Sophia for episode 302. Food-Based Insults, an excellent overview of the many ways to label another nation based on their food preferences, from Limeys to Krouts to Butter Stinkers (who knew!)
ThatbeardedSwede for episode 262. Nordic Walking voice chat debates online! Apparently, this awkward looking activity works not just for the elderly but can be good for fitness if you swap out lightweight poles for ones that weigh as much as mid-sized chickens.
And now, and this time we really mean it, on to the winners:
Bleats of the week:
This award goes to the most listened to (non-microcast) bleat of the past week. Since two weeks have gone by, we have two winners.
Should they be allowed? by Muslim Things
and
Live now 🔴 Gaming chat at 5 pm Friday! by Maleficent Gaming
Quote of the week:
This award goes to my favorite quote taken from a microcast episode or bleat. The two winners this time are:
“It’s as if you asked me what colors I would want the walls of my apartment painted while there’s a gaping hole in the floors and also the kitchen is on fire”, by Just Thinking Aloud in episode 186. Right/Left Wing and Other Pipe Dreams.
And
“Covid. I blame Covid. The entire last three months I blame solely on Covid. I mean, don’t you?”, by jenagain in episode 87. Ready or Not, pt 1.
For our regular microcast awards, we have:
Fourth prize:
In episode 242. Street Corn by Black Girl Baker, we get a great explanation of how to debug dense cake as well as a mouth-watering description of how to make homemade Street corn.
Third prize:
In Greek mythology, the Titans were pre-Olympian gods. In episode 260. Story Time: The Titans, Astrocast By Diz tells their wild and disturbing story with a mix of drama and delightfully strange detail.
Second prize:
Addie, of Music and Peace, gets a silver star and second prize for episode 384. Give Addie A Sticker – Rough And Rowdy Controversy, for her excellent contextualization of Bob Dylan’s latest album. In this packed cast, Addie covers the questions of how to judge new work of an old artist, music in the time of pandemics, and, as the title suggests, stickers.
First prize:
A Brewtiful Mind takes top prize for episode 189. Could You Drink 101 Beers in a Week? In it, Micah tells the true tale of a former school track star who drank 101 beers in a week and ran 101 miles in that same week. Mixing self-indulgence, Covid relief (funds were raised), excess drinking, and the return to much-neglected exercise, this cast perfectly captures our current moment.
Tag: music
Behind the Microcast:
Tell us about your accounts. You have a few usernames, don’t you?
Yes! I am known as Violaceous Curiosity and Mental Musings on the site now. Funny enough, Mental Musings started out as Snarky Side Dish by Sandrine, went to Babbling Old Bat and has now settled on the latest incarnation
What do your family and friends know you as?
Everyone knows me as Kayla.
Care to tell us where are you from?
Proudly from Monroe, LA.
Do you have any occupations outside of the microcasting world?
I keep myself busy. I see myself as a sociologist and activist, first and foremost. Then there is being a content creator for YKYZ…and a few other things.
How did you get into microcasting?
I started on YKYZ as a content creator, and when we got the opportunity to start microcasting I jumped on it.
Can you tell us a little bit about what your microcast is about?
Violaceous Curiosity is about fighting injustice from the perspective of intersectional feminism, which is the view that all people are equal regardless of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, class, etc. Mental Musings is my space to speak my mind more like a verbal journal, talking about daily life, random topics that may irk me, and pointing out the ridiculousness of humanity…all with a bit of sass.
What lead you to pick that topic?
As a sociologist and activist, the general topic for Violaceous Curiosity was an obvious choice since it is what I do on a daily basis and have been working on for many years. The other microcast has been an evolution of sorts.
Do you have a favorite thing about microcasting?
The platform on YKYZ allows people to really interact, and you don’t get that with regular podcasts, which takes this to another level. Much of what I am working on centers on starting a conversation and generating ideas, and with YKYZ I am able to do that.
What about a creative process? Do you have one?
I approach the process in more of an academic way with VC since it’s more fact-based, but I always try to find a good quote at the beginning to grab listeners’ attention. With MM I just let my hair down and let it flow.
Do you write scripts?
I have never scripted any episode. I gather my information and my quote, plan an overall idea in my head and let it happen naturally. If I script it I feel it will sound like I am presenting a research paper.
What type of recording equipment do you use?
I use a Samson Q2U microphone that was a lovely birthday gift from a friend.
If you could interview anyone for your microcast, who would it be and why?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg…hands down. She was only the second female Supreme Court Justice, overcame insurmountable odds to get there, and has fought for equality across the board for decades. RBG is fearless, and before Covid-19 hit, I had an appointment to get her initials tattooed behind my left ear.
If you could switch lives with another microcasters on ykyz for just one day, who would you pick and why?
ThatOneGirl– Teresa. She and I are the OGs of the site, so we’ve known each other longer than anyone on there. Plus, I would get to play with her dogs, her cat, AND her chinchillas! Bonus for her and my Dad would be them getting to spend the day together since they are BFFs on the site.
So it’s clear you like animals. Do you have any of your own?
I have 1 semi-inside Tortishelle cat named Southpaw and one full-time outside golden Tabby named Hamilton Jr. After Dad’s back is better we are adopting dogs again.
Let’s talk food. What’s your favorite thing to eat?
This is going to sound really sad, but I really am bored of eating. If I could take a pill every day for my nutrients and be done with it I would. That sounds like I have an eating disorder, which I don’t, but I just am not excited by food anymore.
Can you pick just one color as a favorite?
Purple clearly. I mean I am VIOLACEOUS Curiosity after all. Black and grey are my other favorites.
What are you hiding from everyone? Care to spill your hidden talents?
That I will admit here? Hahaha Well, I was an opera singer at quite a young age, and I have some nerdy talents, like being able to write grammatically correct sentences that are a page long or more and having an unusually exceptional long-term memory (My college communications professor had me tested). Other than those I am quite a medical oddity, and if anyone is curious they should feel free to ask me about it.
What kind of music would people catch you listing to?
Having spent so many years singing opera I now love the male operatic roles, classical, classic rock and folk, and some indie like early Tori Amos.
Do you have a favorite movie or show?
Dead Poets Society and Philadelphia are my favorite movies.
And the last one, What are some of your plans for the future?
I have my sights set on a few things, and continuing to help build YKYZ is a top priority. The past year or so has been a rebuilding process for me since I lost my mother, left the world of academia behind, found solutions to health issues, and discovered how YKYZ and what I want to do with my life work so well together, so I’m honestly just looking forward to working on all of that, getting even healthier, helping my father get healthier, getting more tattoos, and still not having kids…always not having kids. One day down the road I’m determined to have a non-profit in honor of my mother that helps people of any gender with issues of partner and sexual abuse/assault/harassment…but that’s one day.
Behind the Microcast:
Starting with an easy question, What is your ykyz username?
Aspie and Proud is my username on ykyz.
What is your name in real life?
Elsa
And where are you from?
France!
Mind sharing what your occupation outside of microcasting is?
I’m a freelance graphic designer.
How did you get into microcasting?
I saw Fred’s post on a subreddit I was following and got curious. I got into podcast two years ago thanks to my wife (a few of my favorites are The Adventure Zone, My Brother, My Brother and Me, The Magnus Archives…) and thought it would be interesting to make something out of my autism.
Can you tell us what your microcast is about?
It’s about autism in general, from my Asperger perspective.
What made you want to do a microcast on that topic?
I was diagnosed when I was 25, so two years ago, and I felt immense relief when I got a name picked out for what was happening to me. Through my microcast, I want to spread a positive vision of what autism can be, as well as our challenges.
What is one of your favorite things about microcasting?
It made me feel more confident to share my story and to talk out loud! It also helps with my spoken English ahaha. Also, I really appreciate how YKYZ allowed me to know new people, new horizons.
Can you share a bit about your creative process making microcasts?
I start out by thinking of a topic to talk about, then do some research and write my episode(s).
Are you a “using scripts” type microcaster, or do you rather freestyle it?
I do! It really helps me to focus my thoughts and to be precise.
Do you use any special recording equipment to make your episodes?
I have a pretty basic setup: I use Audacity on my MacBook Pro and a set of Apple earphones. They do a pretty good job for now! Though I really want to invest in a good microphone.
If you could interview anyone for your microcast, who would it be and why?
I would choose Daniel Tammet, a British author who’s also Asperger. I love his books and my sister had the chance to meet him. I’ve always been fascinated with his writing.
If you could switch lives with another microcasters on ykyz for just one day, who would you pick and why?
I would switch with DoctorIrish! I love his microcast and would love to see what life is through his eyes.
Are there any furry friends in your life?
Two cats, rescued from the streets!
What’s your favorite food?
Pasta and my mom’s lemon chicken!
Do you have a favorite color?
Purple.
Care to share any hidden talents you may have?
I can do two things at the same time! I speak four languages!
What type of music can people find you most likely jamming out to?
Rock and roll.
Any favorite movies or shows that you like to watch in your spare time?
Whiplash by Damien Chazelle.
Lastly, what are some of your plans for the future?
Taking things one day at a time, to be honest, aha!!
Cast of the Week XX
Welcome to Cast of the Week 20, the double X!
You can find this week’s nominees can be found at https://ykyz.com/f/cotwxx.
First, some shoutouts.
Shoutout to NerdyOldGuy for episode 267. What YKYZ Means To Gaming. We always appreciate the good vibes coming our way for our free speech ways. Our commitment to a censorship-free community continues to be rock solid.
Shoutout to Joanie Reviews Stuff for her episodes on Non-Online YKYZ Promotion Ideas!, Pt 1 and Pt 2.
And now, on to the winners! But first, an honorable mention:
280. The Mandalorian And Porringers by SnippetsWithSophia
While enjoying an episode of The Mandalorian, Sophia notices something intriguing. In a particular clip, the waitress asks if the guest would like a porringer of bone broth also. Doing what she does best, Sophia starts researching if this thing called a porringer is real or made up. Her detailed description, mixed with humor, makes learning about this new item all the more fun.
Bleat of the Week:
Polygamy; Yay, or Nay by Medievalscientist
Few Bleats this past week captured as much interest as this simple question, To marry, or To marry, marry, and marry? This simple question brought out many different views of the topic. Proving that sometimes even a simple question can spark deep discussions.
Second Prize:
171. My Pineapple Beer – 1st Taste by Voluptuous Voyager
Some say, “desperate times call for desperate measures.” While Asi of Voluptuous Voyager says, “desperate times call for DIY hooch.” During this pandemic-inspired lockdown on South African liquor stores, Asi explains that many South African people are resorting to making their own booze. In her first-ever attempt, Asi loosely follows a recipe for a pineapple beer.
Grand Prize:
365. Burn Out, Or Fade Away? What’s Your Dream? by Music and Peace
In this episode, Addie discusses the idea of whether it’s better for an artist to “burn up” or “to fade away.” The concept of “burning up” happens to a lot of artists that die at a young age right at the height of their fame. She ends the episode with just one important question. Is it better to live your life in a “blaze of glory” or to enjoy your time “in the sun” but also enjoy “the sunset” of life?
Behind the Microcast:
We will start with some easy ones, what is your ykyz username?
My main ykyz username is DoctorIrish. However, I also have a second one that I do reviews on and it’s called ImperfectReviews.
What do people call you in your everyday life?
In my everyday life, my friends and family call me Noah.
Where are you from?
I am originally from Ireland!
What occupation do you have outside of the microcasting world?
Outside of the microcasting world, I am a Doctor.
What got you into microcastings?
While looking up information on “microsatellite” I came across the phrase “microcast”, some further investigation led me to ykyz. I saw the website was pretty new and interesting and the idea of starting a microcast about health topics, stuff a Doctor could answer seemed really appealing to me. Eventually, I got offered a contract and that motivated me to keep on doing it. Now I find it a fun side hobby and a challenge to condense all these complex health information topics into 90 seconds or less.
What is your microcast about?
I always use the phrase “anything a Doctor could answer” because it’s more than just Health and wellness. We’re taught to address every aspect of the patient, including their lives. So, I make my microcast broad and try to talk about lots of different things, not just disease and health, but things like medicine, mental health, medicine and sociology or medicine and anthropology. The possibilities are endless.
What led you to pick the topic you did?
It’s the field in my life I specialize in, that I trained in for so many years. I have a passion for it and I want to keep growing. If I learn to condense information into 90 seconds or less of course that can be helpful also. I think this topic will help me grow as a Doctor and as a person. I’ve also always had a passion for helping people learn. If someone takes information that’s relevant to them from my microcast, then I feel very humbled and happy.
What would you say your favorite thing about microcasting is?
Tough question! There’s a lot to enjoy actually. Challenging myself to fit a topic into 90 seconds is always a satisfying outcome after creating the microcast. Microcasting has taught me a lot, like how to use recording programs, how to be more articulate and speak more confidently. It’s another way to express creativity because I can choose music, the intro, content delivery style and so much more. However, my absolute favorite thing about microcasting is engaging with my community on ykyz. I’m always happy to hear from people that bleat back regarding a microcast I put up. It’s exciting and so humbling that someone would take the time to listen.
Do you have a creative process you use when making a microcast episode?
I do have a formula I follow. First, I keep in mind questions that people have asked me in real life and of course suggestions I receive on Discord and Twitter and other social media. During my day I write on a bunch of post-it notes, ideas for episodes that occur to me also, and they do come up randomly! I ask myself questions a lot. Then, I write a script with bullet points, stick to them and from experience I know how much writing is going to translate into a 90-second microcast. Next comes choosing how I will deliver the information, what kind of intro is catchy and a title that both stands out and is informative.
Do you write scripts for your microcast episodes?
90% of my microcasts are scripted. I write bullet points that help guide me to the next point and in between points although I often improvise. The script is a kind of a template for the topic.
What type of recording equipment do you use?
I use a Blue Snowball Microphone with a pop filter and Audacity is the program that I use to record my microcasts and edit them.
If you could interview anyone for your microcast, who would it be and why?
Really tough question, there are a lot of people I would love to interview, so many actors and actresses definitely because there is definitely a lot to learn about the way they see health, their role in health as a role model, just the topics are endless… I’ll put a pin in that question for now! For now, realistically I would love to interview anyone else that has a passion for health.
If you could switch loves with another microcaster on ykyz for just one day, who would you pick and why?
I have mulled this question over and there are so many. I really enjoyed switching places with AlbaoftheCultureMix and talking about Ireland. I would love to talk about other cultures as I have lived all around the world. For now, I would have to say NerdyOldGuy because I too have a passion for gaming and the idea of being immersed in the industry of gaming, getting to write about it, microcast and get excited about new projects sounds amazing.
Do you have any pets?
Just the one, pet rabbit!
What’s your favorite food or type of food?
Nothing beats a homemade cheeseburger. Maybe a chicken tikka masala with warm naan comes close though.
How about a favorite color?
Black looks good on everything!
Can you share any hidden talents with us all?
I studied music and art for years before I knew what I wanted to do. I play guitar, bass, and even the double bass! I would love to pick up another stringed instrument. As well as that, I can speak French and Irish (maybe not as fluently as in the past).
What type of music do you like listening to?
When I was younger I would have said Nirvana, Dream Theater or Led Zeppelin. But now, after studying music, my appreciation for music in virtually all its forms has made it really impossible for me to pick any one song or band. Nevermind, I pick Led Zeppelin lol.
What are some of your favorite movies or shows?
I watch the same dumb shows over and over again. I’ve watched The Office at least 15 times. I watch Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Parks and Rec, Scrubs, Father Ted and Better Call Saul on repeat too.
Lastly, what are some future plans you have that you wouldn’t mind sharing?
To keep growing the microcast, work on improving the quality and the number of episodes and topics and of course reach out to more potential listeners. I want to help grow ykyz and become more involved in it and be there to see it when it inevitably succeeds! For my professional career, I want to enter into a subspeciality of medicine and help more people.
Cast of the Week XVII
CotW XVI
You’ll find all the nominees for this week at https://ykyz.com/c/na?faveOf=cotwxvii
And now I’m handing things over to u/Mattasher for the winners of Cast of the Week XVII:
Shoutouts
Some shoutouts this week to the people who made our week:
Shoutout to If You Were In My Shoes for her willingness to share a well-crafted and poignant personal dilemma, with episode 5. There’s no point anymore.
Shoutout to Joanie for getting a new mic and making a contest out of it. You sound great to us!
Shoutout MondragonMMA and A Brewtiful Mind for each hitting episode 100.
Shoutout to Demi Semi Quaver Note for the awesome recitation of Walt Whitman’s city of orgies, complete with spot-on sound effects. A reminder to please make sure any poetry you post to ykyz is in the public domain, as is the case with Whitman.
Shoutout to Primal Haze for the outstanding first episode, 3 Reasons Why Microcasting Is A Great Idea. We agree with all of them! A reminder, though, to all microcasters: It’s best to fade out your intro music as you begin speaking.
And, last but not least, Shoutout to all of you for continuing to help promote the site. We’re now ranked at about 120k on Alexa, just 20k away from our April goal.
Honorable mentions
217. Sweden food, Swedish meatballs by ThatBeardedSwede
Our favorite Swede shares the history of meatballs and his own family recipe ingredients. IKEA may have spread this tradition around the world, but when it comes to meatballs, IMO there’s nothing better than homemade.
25. Let’s Eat and eat some more by Angelibean
Angelibean shares her newfound quarantine skill, eating all the snacks. She’s definitely not the only one stress eating, though apparently, some ykyz’ers are going in the opposite direction and stress fasting. Who knew that was a thing?
250. Tomatoes Indoors by SmartMoney
Turns out, a lot of us have food on the brain during quarantine. Our final honorable mention goes to Becky of SmartMoney with this perfect explanation of how to grow tomatoes inside.
CotW XVII winners
And now, on to this week’s winners!
Third Prize:
226. Raised And Cake Donuts by SnippetswithSophia
In this mouth-watering episode, Sophia explains the difference between the main types of donuts we consume. Spoiler alert, if it looks like a unicorn or a Pokémon, it’s a cake donut.
Second Prize:
42. “The talk” to save a life. by Doctor Irish
The good doctor gives straightforward advice for dealing with someone who might be suicidal. Never has an episode been so unfortunately timely, as one of the many, many un-considered side effects of extreme “social distancing” has been an all too predictable spike in depression and calls to suicide hotlines.
First Prize:
236. Animal Crossing Filipino textile outfits by fashionmusings
In this episode, Gem explores the intersection of fashion and gaming and describes how the Ayala museum is using in-game outfits to show off traditional Filipino textiles. In times when traveling abroad is virtually impossible, virtual fashion may be the very best thing to go viral right now.
Cast of the Week II
Cast of the Week (CotW) winners
All CotW entrants are nominated by you, and chosen by ykyz founder u/mattasher.
You can always find the most recent nominees at:
ykyz.com/f/castoftheweek
u/mattasher writes:
We had lots of great microcast episodes this past week! But before we get to the winners, I want to highlight a few non-microcast Bleats. The most interesting conversation starter of the week was Amandalotta’s “iPhone for littles?” which drew lots of strong opinions about kids owning expensive cellphones. Feel free to check it out for yourself.
Amandalotta also asked the vital question, Where do you find a dog with no legs? See the answer for yourself.
Special mention also goes to ThatOneGirl for her 4-bleat series on “The Demon Midwife”, a fascinating story that just missed the deadline for last week’s Cast contest.
Runner’s up for CotW:
Ep.4 Life Bites – Story Idea by Life Bites Podcast
Conner presents an interesting dilemma, Do you wake up a sleeper only to tell them that the world is about to end?
EP4 Travel Skincare by Brown Skin Pearls
Clare provides practical, specific advice about skincare and travel. Solid, informative, interesting.
Ep. 19 YouTube by IAmMillennial
IAmMillennial swears he doesn’t fall down YouTube rabbit holes, then takes us down his most recent YouTube rabbit hole, babies sneezing. Who knew that was a thing?
Second place:
EP35.Homeschool vs Public School by ILoveEveryone
ILoveEveryone presents a single strong, well researched argument related to equity and state funding of public school, vs the lack of support for home school students.
First place:
Ep29 Music and Peace by Music and Peace
Addie gives an impassioned, yet calm and thoughtful meditation on gatekeeping in music. Perfectly scripted and well recorded, Addie’s plea for opening up the musical garden to all those who want to admire it, is worth listening to at least twice.
Some final thoughts this week about the microcast. Some of you are beginning to get the hang of the format, and to dominate it. As you go about producing your episodes, keep in mind the distinction between microcast episodes and Bleats generally. General Bleats are about conversation. Microcast episodes present information and perspective. They may ask for feedback, but they aren’t just topic starters to kick off a conversation. Note in particular how The Broken Down Starship’s outstanding “Biggest Disappointment” episode introduces a topic, then does much more by going into details about the topic generally, and outlining a specific case of disappointment with well-thought-out context.