Tag: nerdyoldguy

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 XIV

CotW XIII
You’ll find all the nominees for this week at https://ykyz.com/c/na?faveOf=cotwxiv

And now, without any further ado, we present the winners of the 14th weekly CotW.

But first, some shoutouts:

Shoutout to Life in Ancient Egypt for passing 100 episodes this past week, and marking the occasion with a celebratory cast about celebrations in, you guessed it, Ancient Egypt.

Shoutout to both SmartMoney and DoctorIrish for passing the 200 episodes mark. So did NerdyOldGuy, and I’m not gonna lie, he had us in the first half of the episode.

Shoutout to Joanie for choosing to review her Annoying Spastic Eyelid. Spoiler alert: It gets a 0.

A second Shoutout to Joanie for doing a perfect imitation of a broadcaster in her episode 80. 🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨

Shoutout to Clare for getting that perennially hated, but somehow never quite forgotten, Vanilla Ice hit stuck in my head with her episode 145. Ice, Ice Baby.

And now, on to the winners. But first, some honorable mentions:

50. Interview with Chris Martin of Coldplay! by BeyondRhythm
This fun, nicely spliced “interview” with Coldplay’s frontman kept us entertained for the full 90 seconds.


76. What makes you happy? by Poegosi The Poet
In times of trouble, Poegosi comforts us with this ode to drinking. There seemed to be a lot of drinking talk this week among bleaters, and not just on the Brewtiful Mind microcast.


Third Prize:
182. Kottabos – An Old Drinking Game by SnippetsWithSophia
Who knew drinking games were invented by the actual greeks, and not their modern(ish) day Animal House imitators? We just might give Kottabos a try at our next soiree, all the while keeping the appropriate social distance, of course.


Second Prize:
289. Hypothetical Musicians In Quarantine by Music and Peace
Beyond being a solid episode of musing about musicians under lockdown, Addie gives us the wonderful, and quite welcome, analogy of 2020 as a restart your computer year. Remember folks, “It’s just a little reset”. We can only hope.


Grand Prize:
193. Stockpile your VODKA! “Vodka can make Hand Sanitizer” – False by Doctor Irish
The Doctor is in with this myth-busting episode about the use of distilled spirits to kill the evil spirits on your hands, otherwise, know as germs. Bottom line, unless your Vodka is actually moonshine, you may want to splash it down your throat instead of rubbing it between your palms.


Thanks again to everyone who was part of our week at ykyz, and don’t forget to follow us on twitter @YKYZHaveYouSay and like our Facebook page.

Cast of the Week XIII

CotW XIII
You’ll find all the nominees for this week at https://ykyz.com/c/na?faveOf=cotwxiii

We’ll get right into the winners of Cast of the Week XIII.

But first, some shoutouts.

Shoutout to Elvira for crossing the 100 episode barrier with her Mistress of the Microcast series.

Shoutout to Joel for clocking in with 200 episodes of his NerdyOldGuy microcast.

Shoutout to Fredrik for the lovely episode 38. March Madness – Improvisation on Swedish Folk music (Guitar) (Original music by Fredrik). We always appreciate your original compositions.

Shoutout to the many users who jumped into March Madness with swaps and guest hosting. We listen to all of these, and you can find them collected in one place at https://ykyz.com/c/na?faveOf=marchmadness

And now, on to the winners. But first, some honorable mentions.

Honorable mentions
2. Mobile Gamers And Console Wars by Maleficent Gaming
Lilith got a big response for just her second microcast episode, an invitation to weigh in on the current state of mobile vs console gaming.


146. Kabbalah Numerology by Astrocast By Diz explains how to turn your name into a number as part of the ancient Hebrew practice of Kabbalah. Also, check out the fun and opinionated 155.Storytime: Zeus by Astrocast By Diz


60. Free Speech – Not Just Another Value by Just Thinking Aloud
At a time when patience for free speech is at the lowest point, it’s been in my lifetime, and censorship seems to championed even by the media itself, Mark succinctly explains the connection between free speech and honestly confronting reality.


And now, on to the winners!

Second place
87. Rosetta Stone with Alba of the Culture Mix by Life in Ancient Egypt
Alba steps into Marwan’s sandals and picks up his staff to lead us out of Egypt and into the British Museum, current home of the Rosetta stone, for a tour-guide quality description of this famously fractured artifact.


Grand prize
168. Takeover – Voluptuous Voyager – Swedish Death Cleaning by ThatBeardedSwede
This week, one caster perfectly captured the vibe of the show she swapped with. Asi, of Voluptuous voyager fame, gave us a wonderful slice of Swedish life in her guest appearance in episode 168 of ThatbeardedSwede’s microcast. Focusing on the practice of Death Cleaning (döstädning), or getting one’s affairs in order before it’s game over in this simulated we all share, Asi nails the feeling and focus of her host’s microcast. We also highly recommend Asi’s other Swedish take over episode on The Ice Hotel.

Cast of the Week XII

CotW XII
You’ll find all the nominees for this week at https://ykyz.com/c/na?faveOf=cotwxii

Here are the winners of Cast of the Week XII.

But first, some shoutouts:

Shoutout to our newest members of the 100 club: Andrew Steiner of Steinerland and Brian Thornsburg of Ranting and Raving. Put on your monogrammed green jackets, light up a cigar, and welcome to our exclusive club.

Shoutout to Sophia for spicing up our first week of March Madness with several episodes about the strange human custom of intentionally consuming things that burn our mouths.

Shoutout to Joel for finding a way to make a cast even more micro with his Bleat March Madness – The Micromicrocast. Unfortunately, I had to listen twice to realize the feeling of micro-deja-vu was well earned.

Shoutout to Kayla aka Violaceous Curiosity for jumping hard into March Madness with some well-done swaps.


Before we get to the winners, here are the honorable mentions for this past week.

15. Pumped Up Kicks by BeyondRhythm
He gives us the background on Foster for the People’s wonderfully cheerful song about teen angst with an imaginary(?) body count. Props to Cyannade for ending this episode the best possible way, with that maddeningly catchy whistling.


38. Earn online with the right chair by Poegosi The Poet
Microcasts call for micro topics, and Poegosi gets that right in this lovely little episode about finding just the right chair to keep you comfy, but not so comfy that you drift off. For my own part, I recommend adding a recliner to your office to give yourself a dedicated napping chair.


And now, on to the winners:

Runner-up:
124. To my wife by Aspie and Proud.
Elsa penned, then pronounced and posted this perfectly lovely ode to her partner. Well done and well within the spirit of March Madness experimentation.


Grand prize:
159. Use Headphones for this exercise by Doctor Irish
The good doctor picks up the top prize with this audio experiment, complete with show notes in an informative reply. We also strongly recommend listening to episode 160. Try this -Ambient Sound- Story Time an Audio Experience. Which uses background noises to great effect.


You may have noticed that we only gave out two prizes this week, yet we promised three during this month. In a moment of mixing things up ourselves, we’ve decided to give at least one prize next week to a swap cast, and offer a bounty to both the swapper and the swappe for double-dipping fun. Stay tuned to ykyz and don’t forget to get weird this March while you still can, it’s back to gray jackets and Cisco’s hold music next month.

Cast of the Week III

CotW III winners

Before we get to the winners, some general notes:
• All microcasters, paid or unpaid, are eligible, except for Prospectors (see https://ykyz.com/blog/index.php/microcaster-levels/)
• To be considered for a prize, you must have proper episode titles and have set your email and avatar. Unfortunately this week we had to exclude some wonderful nominations on that basis.
• When choosing winners, we first narrow down the field by removing casts with poor audio quality or a topic that has connection to your microcast theme.

You will find all of the nominees for this period at: https://ykyz.com/f/cotwiii

Because this was an extra long period, we’ve added more winners and runner’s up than usual. We had lots of great nominations, but a handful of them really shined.

Here’s u/mattasher with descriptions of this week’s winners. We begin with the runner’s up:

EP. 32 Skincare Emergencies by Brown Skin Pearls. This tightly crafted, interesting episode introduces us to new uses for feminine wash.


Ep. 45 Side Hustle by IAmMillennial. Jonathan perfectly captures the moment many of us find ourselves in, where trends in tech and economics have led so many of us to become gig workers of one kind or another.


EP53 VR Gaming by NerdyOldGuy. Joel drew half-a-dozen responses for his personal take on virtual reality gaming and motion sickness.


Finally, a shoutout to ykyz’s own Teresa (ThatOneGirl) for her excellent four-part series A Place called Ohio).

And now, on to the winners! Because this was a longer period, we’ve picked two second prize winners.

Second prize
EP59 The right of public access by ThatbeardedSwede. Here’s another lovely slice of life episode from or favorite Swede. This episode discusses the tradition and laws related to public access on private property, including the right to pick berries and mushrooms. We also highly recommend ThatbeardedSwedes’ other nominated episodes on Fika and The Stockholm Syndrome.


Ep13.Spicy Food by staplezz1301. This episode mixes the author’s personal relationship to spice with a view of spiciness as a metaphor for Mexico in general. As staplezz1301’s asks, “What’s life without a little bit of spice”.


Grand prize
EP06 a ruler by fashionmusings. This well researched, high effort episode focuses on a fascinating intersection of fashion, politics, and history. Who knew there used to be cops wandering around South Korea armed with scissors to give hippy scofflaws an on-the-spot trim?


Congratulations to fashionmusings and all the other winners and runners up. Keep your eye out for great episodes for next week’s contest!