Carson Mell

"Derek Hayes's paranormal podcast follows a simple but delightful format. Listeners call in with personal stories of paranormal encounters. Subjects covered are as well-known as UFOs and ghosts, but callers often report far more obscure phenomena such as shadow men, and the third man factor. After the calls, Derek tries to politely debunk what they've experienced and/or point to any similar phenomena he's heard of. The pace is mellow, the music haunting but relaxing, and the callers hail from all walks of life, making it feel like a space where everyone is welcome."

"Available on Adult Swim's website, 'Joe Pera Talks With You' trades in a folksy and comforting type of humor that keeps it's quills tucked deep in it's fur, though they are no less sharp for it. JPTWY goes down incredibly easy, with one episode, 'Joe Pera Talks You Back to Sleep' literally designed to help you fall asleep. With plenty of rich characters, occasional forays into surrealism, and an explicit love of humanity, this slow-paced and incredibly well-crafted show about a mild-mannered choir teacher in Michigan is one of the freshest, funniest and life-affirming shows around."

"H.S. Andy Anderson was one of the first Old West caricature whittlers. The thing that makes his figures so special is the depth of emotion on their little faces. It seems like they've lived hard lives, and when you meet their eyes they often look back with slightly upset expressions, almost to say, "I know I'm funny looking but does that give you the right to stare?" I posted 8mm footage of Andy cavorting with friends on my Youtube channel and, on Archive.org, you can see him at Knott's Berry Farm where he carved the original 'Sad-Eyed Joe.' Andy died in the sixties, but his work often pops up on eBay and at memorabilia auctions."

"While believed by many to be a young man pulling a sort of ruse, I've had the pleasure of getting to know Dax over the last several years, and can attest to the fact that the person he presents in his videos is his true self.

While his YouTube videos are all great, it's his memoir/self-help book that I love the most. I laugh just thinking about it."

"His songs are slightly country, slightly folk and often fairly simple. But upon multiple listens one finds some of the sharpest and most insightful lyrics ever written. There's an earnestness to his words—they almost read as a poetic treatise on how to live a decent life. In his song 'Bruised Orange,' Prine sings, 'A heart strained in anger grows weak and grows bitter. You become your own prisoner as you watch yourself sit there wrapped up in a trap of your very own chain of sorrow.' My friends and I call him 'The Buddha.'"