Cast of the Week XXII

Welcome to the 22nd edition of the Cast of the Week Awards.

You can find this week’s nominees can be found at https://ykyz.com/f/cotwxxii.

There were lots of milestones hit these past couple weeks.

Lilith, of Maleficient Gaming brings in her 100th episode discussing Vader Immortal coming to PlayStation VR. Kayla, of Mental Musings, shares a side of math that most probably were not aware of in her 100th episode. 

Our favorite Egyptologist, Life in Ancient Egypt rang in his 200th episode by discussing how Egyptians handled death. Asi the Voluptuous Voyager shares a poem that stands out to her in these hard times called “Do not stand at my grave and weep” by Mary Elizabeth Frye. Poegosi the Poet discusses if the site “live me” is worth using. A Brewtiful Mind lets us all know that beer slushies are a thing just in time for the hot summer weather. Just Thinking Aloud shares his plans on what he wants to do in his next 200 episodes. Lastly, MondragonMMA wants everyone to know that the first MMA gyms are opening back up!

Gem, of Fashionmusings, uses her 300th episode to share the history of why doctors wear white lab coats nowadays.

Addie, of Music and Peace, wants to celebrate on ykyz for hitting the amazing 400th episode milestone.

And finally, Kayla, aka Violaceous Curiosity, was the first user to hit the 500th episode milestone where she finally explains the meaning behind her username.

Congrats to all our milestone breakers.


And now, onto the CotWXXII winners! But first, a quick shoutout:
Shoutout to Practical Magic for bringing in a special guest to help out with her cast, Guest witch of the day.


And now, onto the winners! But first, a few honorable mentions:

Honorable Mentions:
210. Being Brainwashed by Voluptuous Voyager discusses the importance of seeking knowledge on your own and not blindly following everything you are taught. 

328. Thanksgiving in a Pan – Ish by SmartMoney shares some delicious recipes for quick dinner ideas, including a way to have the taste of Thanksgivings Day Dinner without all the work.

And now, on to the winners:

Bleats of the week:
Do y’all actually like coffee? by Claybro931 got a dozen ykyz’er to weigh in on this seeming eternal question and got some good recommendations for coffee alternatives.

Best/worst pick-up line WINS Starbucks gift card! by Violaceous Curiosity picks up the second bleat of the week award with a giveaway of her own for pick-up lines. Congrats to Poegosi the Poet for the win, make sure to listen to his answer.


For our regular microcast awards, we have:

Third Prize:
322. Parkinson’s Disease – Real Stories. What you Need to Know by Doctor Irish explanations what happens to one’s body as they begin to develop Parkinson’s Disease. The main focus is on highlighting how this disease affects real people in their daily lives both mentally, as well as, physically.

Runner up:
200. Death by Ancient Egypt shares all the details on what happens after a tomb is sealed and why the burial procedures were so important to the Egyptians for their journey to the afterlife.

Grand Prize:
197. Robot Bartenders: Yes or No? by A Brewtiful Mind takes home the grand prize with this timely and informative episode about using robots as bartenders to reduce human contact in alcohol delivery, which may be a feature or a bug, depending on your perspective. Also, make sure to check out Micah’s excellent episodes on Beer Slushies and Puppies on Beer cans.

Cast of the Week XXI

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.

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?

Cast of the Week XIX

Welcome to the 19th Cast of the Week awards!

You can find this week’s nominees can be found at https://ykyz.com/f/cotwxix.

First, a few words from u/Mattasher for some super important information.
 
Site news
We are currently redoing our new user experience on the site, to improve first impressions and provide a more intuitive way for people to get up to speed with how to use ykyz and what we have to offer. We are hoping to roll out that change within the next two weeks.
 
Now, back to u/ThatOneGirl to announce the winners this week. But first, a shoutout:

Shoutout to Brown Skin Pearls for surpassing her 200th episode this week!
 
Runners up:
157. Fill your cup first… by Voluptuous Voyager
In this episode, Asi the Voluptuous Voyager shares her thoughts on some recent advice being passed along social media that, “once this trying time is over, remember who checked in on you.” Asi ends with the great quote, “You want to come with your cup full, my cup runneth over. What comes out of the cup is for you, what is in the cup is for me.” It is a powerful reminder to take care of ourselves too, not just looking in on others.
 
121. Voice and 145. My Content is Apparently Against YouTube’s Policies by Just Thinking Aloud
Mark has two insightful episodes this week. In the first one, he questions the real reasons why so many people have a fear of speaking up in public settings. In the second one, he explains why he chooses to use his voice on the ykyz platform instead of other well-known ones. In the end, it all comes down to the core values of ykyz being freedom of speech and not censoring its users for having and sharing their views on matters – even if they are a less popular opinion.
   
Bleat of the week:
Introducing yourself by gender, race, or sexuality in a public forum is detestable. by The Mini Devlow Show
In the most popular bleat last week (to, ironically, c/unpopular), Devlow shares his opinions on the trend of introducing yourself by “labels” first. In just under a minute, he explains that in most cases it shouldn’t matter what groups you identify with just to share a thought or two with the world.

Second prize:
18. Do you believe in ghosts? by PracticalMagic
Practical Magic shares her and her husband’s experience while looking at a house they were interested in buying. Their personal opinions on haunted houses, mixed with an old wives’ tale that “a ghost in a house brings wealth,” have her wondering if others believe in ghosts. She invites everyone to share their personal ghost stories with her.

First prize:

272. The Desire to Experience a “high” by Doctor Irish
Doctor Irish gets straight to the point in this episode. He wants everyone to know that people can have behavioral addictions to almost anything. A person can become so addicted to “normal day” activities that they start to experience withdrawal symptoms when they try and curb the behavior that gives them the “high” they are after.

Cast of the Week XVIII

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

And now, here’s u/Mattasher with the winners:

But first, some Shoutouts to the people who made our week this week:

Shoutout to Elvira of Mistress of the Microcast and BG from Black Girl Baker for reaching their 200th episode.

Shoutout to everyone for helping us crack the top 100k on Alexa! If you haven’t already installed the Alexa toolbar from Amazon.com, please do so now as that helps make sure our website stats show up accurately.

On to the winners!
Runners up:
217. Chakras – The Cliff Note´s Version by Astrocast By Diz
Diz gives us a perfect 80 second introduction to the concept of Chakras, and why you want to keep them clear and flowing.

246. James Bond And Heineken Beer by SnippetsWithSophia
Sophia takes on product placement in movies, and, in particular, the peculiar decision to pair fiction’s most famous martini drinker (shaken, not stirred) with a bland beer. I also recommend Sophia’s insightful episode on food history that explores the origins of many common last names.

266. Gardening and Math by SmartMoney
This episode of practical advice for teaching your kids math and gardening contains the best one-liner of the week, which I won’t spoil, but have a listen for the sentence that begins with “If six slugs eat one leaf every hour, and there’s only one can of beer in the house…”

And now, on to the winners of CotW XVIII:

Bleat of the Week:
This week we’ve added an award for most engaging (non-microcast) Bleat of the week. It goes to Asexual Asa for Pissing a lot of people off here about all the popular TV shows she’s never watched.

Second prize:
135. WHO: Globalism > Safety by Just Thinking Aloud
In this understated yet razor-sharp episode, Marko presents some basic facts and quotes related to the current crisis and draws us to an inevitable conclusion about one of the principal causes of so much of our pain.  

First prize:
228. Some thoughts by Aspie and Proud
It’s rare to see an episode of purely personal expression win a prize here, as the best microcast episodes tend to mix researched information with interesting and entertaining takes, but this week I had no choice but to award the top billing to Elsa. In this emotionally resonant, well written, poetic episode, she expertly expresses the angst I suspect so many of us feel in this stressful time.

Cast of the Week XVI

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

Here is u/Mattasher to announce the winners of Cast of the Week XVI (The Sweet Sixteen):

Before we get into the winners, we have some shoutouts this week.

Shoutout to Mark for hitting episode 100 with his Just Thinking Aloud microcast, to Poegosi The Poet for his 100th, Joanie Reviews Stuff’s 100th, Boris the Blade 100th, and to ThatbeardedSwede, Aspie and Proud, and Astrocast by Diz for posting episodes 200!

Shoutout to Lilith of the Maleficent Gaming microcast for experimenting with rapid-fire, YouTube-style editing in her episode 29. Exploiting employees for Borderlands 3 pt.2

Shoutout to Angelibean for giving the community a shoutout in the wonderfully titled episode 22. I’m a hater and I may need a nap

Shoutout to Rebekah of SmartMoney for the snack tips in episode 232. Give Me the Snacks and No One Gets Hurt, another well-titled episode this week.

Shoutout to Black Girl Baker for experimenting with sound recording in her 174.My version of ASMR. By the end, I was for sure craving some of those salty crunchy snacks Rebekah described.


And now, without further ado, the winners. But first, a couple of Runner’s up:

200. Wine from Sweden – YKYZ Podcast Microcast by ThatbeardedSwede
Who knew Sweden had not one, but several growing regions, and that it produced some award-winning whites?


31. Occupy by Brown Skin Pearls
Clare gives out practical advice for how to stop touching your face in this short but straightforward episode.  


219. Danish Pastries by SnippetsWithSophia
Sophia takes us on a tour of Danishes around the world (spoiler alert, they’re not called Danishes everywhere) in this mouth-watering episode.


And now, on to the winners!

THIRD PRIZE:
116. Pilsners for Boris The Blade – A Brewtiful Mind by A Brewtiful Mind
In this packed episode, Micah takes us on a quick tour of the world of pilsners, from their home in the Czech Republic to their new world versions. For my own part, I’d highly recommend heading to Prague, finding a patio, and sipping a punch-bowl sized glass of the local favorite, Pilsner Urquell. You’ll never want to drink beer in a can again.


SECOND PRIZE:
26. Swear Words by Hilarious History
Hannah hits her stride with a SFW episode about NSFW language. In this episode we learn how Saxon words became vulgarities with the help of the Anglos. Hannah leaves us with the polite admonition, “Thank you for listening, and don’t get conquered”, which seems like the perfect advice for this moment we are in.


FIRST PRIZE:
200. Air Signs As Jazz Music by Astrocast By Diz
This was a tough one to pick. Not because we wondered who to give the top prize to, but had a hard time picking which episode from Diz deserved it most. In the end, we’re choosing her intriguing 200th cast, wherein Diz connects the astrological Air Signs with jazz, giving a surprisingly rich introduction to both in under 75 seconds. We also highly recommend you have a listen to her episode 203. Story Time: Bia. Come for the story of Prometheus, stay for the perfectly timed sound samples.

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 X

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

First, some shoutouts:

Shoutout to Astrocast by Diz for dropping her magic number 100. Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself

Shoutout to Music and Peace for giving ykyz its first serenade (and we’re just going to pretend it was for us). Addie’s episode 197. Take 7 – Original Music, Here’s A Serenade showcases her lovely voice and is a must-listen. Twice.

Careful watchers of CotW will have noticed that while many multi-part episodes have been nominated, none have won a grand or second prize. This isn’t for lack of good episodes that were part of a series, it’s more a reflection of the trickiness of selecting a single episode out of a series, or giving an award to a series that may not be done yet, or whose start or finish date may not coincide with the previous week.

All that said, we want to shoutout several well done multi-part series that are either in progress or done. In particular, we send a Shoutout to Just Thinking Aloud for his episode on End of our Universe pt1 – Heat death, which gives a detailed yet friendly introduction to this fascinating topic, a Shoutout to A Brewtiful Mind for his well-researched series on Monks and Beer, and a giant Shoutout to The Broken Down Starship’s fantastic series on the fake moon landing conspiracy theory. This series by James is a perfect example of using the microcast format to give multiple self-contained snippets that build on each other in service of exploring a single, larger, topic.

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

78. My Father – A Hero and A Villain  by Voluptuous Voyager
This tightly scripted, emotional yet contained, episode by Asi is a lovely gem of personal reflection.


128. Money Vs. Time by SmartMoney
In this smooth and well-paced episode, Becky explores the tradeoffs between working more (or for more) versus having more money by spending less on “all the things”.


103. MSC Cruise ship crashing into the pier by Dancing Bartender
This detail-rich episode gives a (likely) explanation of what happened in a now-infamous video of a cruise ship docking with full force right into a pier, and another ship, in Venice. We recommend watching the video while listening to the episode.


99. ATTENTION – MERCURY IS NOW IN RETROGRADE by Astrocast by Diz
This innovative episode by Diz begins with a bomb siren alert and warns us of the dangers of Mercury’s movement into retrograde. Diz warns us to expect higher levels of ghosting. If only we had a little more context as to why this truly cosmic event means we shouldn’t update iTunes during the retrograde, which IMO has been solid advice for at least the past five years.


120. Manorial Food Rights by SnippetsWithSophia
Sophia delivers yet another fascinating, well-researched microcast episode with this look at “banal” laws, applied to peasants by lords in the middle ages and lingering until the period when heads began to roll, literally.


And now, without further ado, the winners of Cast of the Week X.

Runner up:
38. Stouts and Porters, Are They Different? by A Brewtiful Mind
Micah takes second prize for this insightful episode explaining the history, and difference, between two interrelated types of dark ales. Framed with the perfect short intro and outro music, Micah sticks the landing right at 90 seconds with just the right tidbit of info.  


Grand prize:
152. Bloodbread by ThatbeardedSwede
In this episode, ThatbeardedSwede is truly at the top of his game. In just 70 seconds, Fredrik gives us an informative look at bread made with animal blood as the liquid ingredient. Fredrik packs in a detailed description of the bread, its historical context, an insightful quote by the late, great food critic Anthony Bourdain, and a personal reflection on eating it as part of a meal growing up.

Cast of the Week IX

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

u/mattasher writes:

And now, without further ado, we present the winners of Cast of the Week IX.

But first, some shoutouts:

Shoutout to SnippetsWithSophia for joining the 100 club this week with her fascinating episode Rum And The British Navy

Shoutout to Clare for booting up a second microcast about African Food.

Shoutout to Doctor Irish for adopting an emoji for us on twitter. We wish there were a lovely Ram emoji out there, but sadly that’s not the case.

Another Shoutout to Doctor Irish for his touching and moving series on forgiveness.

Shoutout to @ndrewSteiner for becoming ykyz’s first user to offer Tarot readings, though I suspect his interpretations are mostly fake news.

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

85. Wishing on a Star by Astrocast By Diz
Making the most of her 90 seconds, Diz takes us on a tour of some of the many cultures that have prayed to the stars and ends with her own heavenly experience wishing on a star.


16. Unreliable Eyewitness Testimony by Crime Research Perch
Sridevi begins a deep dive into why you can’t always believe your eyes in this intriguing episode.


189. Album In Review – Magical Mystery Tour, The Beatles
by Music and Peace
If nothing else, Addie’s album review episode is worth a listen for her two perfectly timed chipmunk interludes.


50. BEST Valentine’s Day date idea by MarassleTassle
Sonic never lets his friends down, and neither does Marassle in this VD recommendation for the pairing of a movie and mozzarella sticks.


140. Movie Myths – Wizard of Oz by The Broken Down Starship
James dissects one of the most persistent movie legends of all time, the hanging midget of oz. This well-researched episode reveals what’s really moving in the background of that infamous scene.


And now, on to the winners:

Second place:
71. Millennium – is Lisbeth Asperger? by Aspie and Proud
Aspie and Proud’s interesting meditation on whether the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo girl is on the spectrum takes the runner-up spot this week. Elsa’s thoughtful episode makes me want to re-read Stieg Larsson’s disturbing thriller.


Grand prize:
7. My Cat Peach by Joanie Reviews Stuff
In this quick-moving and packed episode, Joanie takes on the task of reviewing (drum roll please), her cat. Lively, well-paced, and funny to the point of actual LOL, this episode rates a five out of five, just like Peach. This is the first spin-off microcast episode to win a prize. We also highly recommend you check out Joanie’s other reviews, especially her takes on Metal Straws, Textbooks, and her Boyfriend’s Snoring.