42 MacDirectory
DEPARTMENT
Cocktails on the Fly
Don't look like a
classless schlub
chugging PBR in the
corner next time
you're with family and
friends. Tune into On
Networks Cocktails
on the Fly, and learn about some
newfangled intoxicants from "mixologist"
Alberta Straub. She breaks down the
ingredients of some pretty potent and
devilishly delectable concoctions in short,
instructive videos. She pays homage to
cocktail mainstays like the White Russian,
but also delivers specialty drinks like her
Date with David Bowie. Since you're so
curious, a date with Bowie consists of:
orange vodka, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur,
lemon juice, simple syrup, sliced blood
orange, Ziggy Sugar, seltzer and ice. Some
androgynous '80s clothes would probably
help, too.
The Moth
We're a species of
storytellers that has
managed to pass
along tales through
thousands of years,
and the not-for-profit
organization The
Moth keeps this tradition going by bringing
listeners unforgettable, touching and often
hysterical stories from everyday people and
notable personalities. Writer, artist and
designer Jeffery Rudell shares his child
hood experience of moving to a rural
Michigan farm, and having a calf
rampaging through the house on
Thanksgiving Day, in one episode. Even
esteemed author Malcolm Gladwell and
cherished radio host Garrison Keillor bare
all for The Moth. You'll relate to every story
on some level, and unless you're a robot,
you'll be moved by the honesty and
candidness of each anecdote.
Watching the Directors
Think you know
everything about
Ridley Scott? Claim
to be a Mel Brooks
aficionado? Are you
ready to throw down
your Ingmar
Bergman knowledge at the drop of a hat?
If you've contemplated any of these
questions, you should be probably be
downloading this semi-regular podcast.
Hosts Joe and Melissa Johnson are both
total film nerds who spotlight the work of
some of the best directors. A nice aspect of
this show is that it goes beyond just
opinionated blather, and provides a healthy
amount of contextual information in which
to consider the films. The show weaves
biographical information with analysis of the
directors' work, and you'll definitely learn
some obscure facts about your favorite
movies. Though they have been slacking on
putting out new episodes, there is a library
of about 60 episodes on the site.
Best of YouTube
If you're anything
like me, you have
wasted days, maybe
even months, of your
life trolling YouTube
in hopes of finding a
30-second video
that will make you pee your pants or do a
double take. Now you can let someone
else do all the searching for you—just
subscribe to the Best of YouTube pod-
cast. Admittedly, some of the videos are
absolutely moronic and you'll wish you
didn't waste those two minutes watching
a video called "Wunder Boner." Every once
in a while, though, they'll deliver a real
gem, such as a video of a girl with no arms
flying a plane in a shirt that says "Look Ma
No Hands."
60-Second Psych
Take a minute and
learn why
conservatives are
happier than liberals.
In this Scientific
American-sponsored
podcast, a new study
is described and deconstructed every
week. The journalists who host the show
do a nice job of wading through the
medical jargon, and breaking it down in
laymen's language. If psychology isn't your
shtick, there's also a 60-Second Earth and a
60-Second Science podcast.
HOTTEST PODCASTS
MACDIRECTORY PRESENTS ITS PERIODIC LOOK AT THE HOTTEST PODCASTS ON THE WEB.
WHETHER IT'S MOVIES, VIRAL VIDEOS OR EVEN IMBIBEMENTS, WE HAVE IT COVERED,
WORDS BY CHRIS SWEENEY
