Carl Reiner extends WTF’s hot streak and Jason Schwartzman shares Bill Murray stories with Nerdist

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QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“It is a banner day for dead hookers in containers in Baltimore.” —Randy Sklar on the Baltimore Ravens winning the Super Bowl, Sklarbro Country

“I’m trapped in the bathroom! The walls are leaking on me! Oh no! Are you serious! I’m crying! I’m crying fish out of my eyes! I can’t keep all the fish! They’re drowning on the floor! Oh somebody help me! I’m going to get a knife and cut it out of my skin! I gotta get it out! Somebody help me! I’m gonna cut my own scalp off!” —David Huntsberger, imitating ESPN college basketball announcer/court jester Dick Vitale on PCP, Sklarbro Country

“How can you go see Dave Matthews Band live and not be drunk or high? I’m serious. Isn’t that the whole point? You can’t be there for the music.” —Jimmy Pardo, Never Not Funny

“That’s an interrogation technique: You find a guy who really likes to take speed in order to be functional during the day, and you wake him up in the middle of a cold sleep and ask him a question. He’ll just tell you the truth.” —Cactus Tony (Andy Daly), Comedy Bang! Bang!

“Nice enough to marry for five months.” —Tom Green on Drew Barrymore, WTF

“This felt like something that Tennessee Williams pooped.” —Elliott Kalan on The Paperboy, The Flop House

NEW (TO US)

Geek’s Guide To The Galaxy
Now in its third “season” as a podcast, Geek’s Guide To The Galaxy—previously produced by sci-fi publishing house Tor, then io9.com, and now Wired—is a no-frills show focused on discussing the major players and topics at the forefront of classic “geek” culture. Each episode features a guest from the world of science, science fiction, fantasy, or other bastions of geekdom. The show has pulled in high-profile guests from George R.R. Martin and Chuck Palahniuk to Lev Grossman, Neal Stephenson, Junot Díaz, Paul Krugman, and Anne Rice. It’s actually quite stunning the way hosts John Joseph Adams and David Barr Kirtley never seem to drop the ball on a big-name interview. Each week’s second segment features a panel discussion on topics like tentpole science-fiction or fantasy film adaptations, ecology or economics in science fiction, and authors like HP Lovecraft or Douglas Adams. The production value isn’t quite in the same league as other big-name podcasts—and it’s notably different than all of the comedy-circuit shows in that Adams, Kirtley, and their guests are trying to inform and analyze rather than joke and entertain. But it’s an informative and impressively in-depth podcast well worth checking out. [KM]

The Art Of Wrestling
Professional wrestler Colt Cabana is the definition of a self-made entertainer. After years of toiling in the indie circuits, he was finally called up to the WWE. But when his short-lived time there famously didn’t pan out, he returned to his indie-wrestling roots and created his own mini empire, with independently produced DVDs, pay-per-view specials, and most accessibly, his podcast Art Of Wrestling, now in the middle of its third year. Colt sits down each week for a WTF-style interview with a different professional wrestler, largely pulling guests from the indie scene, but occasionally landing recognizable faces from the current WWE slate, like resident little person Hornswoggle or walking homage to Jamaican culture Kofi Kingston. Colt is a gifted interviewer, and comes across as a cool guy who genuinely loves his craft. Like Marc Maron, he’s able to draw out frank and frequently hilarious stories from his guests. It does help if listeners are familiar with prominent wrestlers, as their names tend to weave in and out of the stories with little context, but that’s nothing a short cruise through Wikipedia can’t solve. For curious listeners, the recent episode with indie wrestler Johnny Gargano is a particularly good jumping-off point. Gargano is a rising name in the scene, and has a particularly interesting story of how he got started in the ring at age 8 as an overweight wrestling enthusiast. [MK]

The Bugle #223: Invasion Of The Asylugrants
It’s always a good sign for The Bugle when neither host can quite keep it together during a bit. Hearing Andy Zaltzman mildly throw off co-host John Oliver’s rapid-fire delivery with an unexpected giggle is a treat, one that happens to be in abundance during this week’s great episode. Recovering from last week’s technical bungle that lost half an episode, the two discuss Oliver’s newfound rank as the 26th funniest man in the world. They move into a lengthy dissection of British immigration, poking at it from a number of hilarious angles. Concerns are voiced over the island’s ability to stay physically stay afloat, and they riff on a bizarre-yet-true anti-British tourism ad campaign produced by the British government. The episode closes strongly with takes on the likely final moments of Richard III, whose remains were recently found under a parking lot. [MK]

Comedy Bang! Bang! #200: Halfway To China: Jason Mantzoukas, Andy Daly
It’s tempting to say there are no guarantees in the Comedy Bang! Bang! world, but an Andy Daly/Jason Mantzoukas episode is a lock. It won’t just be funny; it will likely be one of the best episodes of the year. Why? Scott Aukerman and Jason Mantzoukas have excellent chemistry and a very funny rapport, and, as one of the funniest people in the world, Andy Daly embiggens any podcast on which he appears. The three of them helmed in one of the best CBB episodes of 2012 (“Wipeout”), and though Daly’s character this time around isn’t quite as great as Dalton Wilcox, it’s still quite funny. (And the cameo by Don Dimelo slays, as usual.) Time to start that Aukerman/Mantzoukas/Daly spinoff podcast, Earwolf. [KR]

The Flop House #120: The Paperboy
Merely relaying the insane plot of Lee Daniels’ film The Paperboy would have taken the Flop House hosts a pretty long way, comedy-wise, but they go above and beyond the call of duty, incisively tearing the film and Daniels’ shockingly inept direction to shreds, all the while delivering brief absurd asides and generally hilarious tangents. All three hosts are on their game, rendering their reading of listener emails about the many Friday The 13th films and an Invisible Maniac music video about as funny as they could be. Every episode of The Flop House is funny, but this is one of the most purely hilarious in quite some time. [CG]

The Fogelnest Files #22: MIND = BLOWN: Rob Huebel, Morgan Murphy
While this week’s live episode struggles to get off the ground, guest Rob Huebel’s efforts prove just enough to save it from landing on the wrong side of skippable. The first few minutes are undoubtedly a slog: a tasteless bit mocking people with Down Syndrome goes on for far too long, and Jake Fogelnest’s attempts to juice humor out of an online confession from a man who wants to be a feminine pad are ultimately fruitless. But after these early duds, Huebel and fellow guest Morgan Murphy don’t miss a beat, providing a dark cynicism that sets this episode apart. The conversation is noticeably more judgmental than usual, but the change in tone allows for some edgier gags. Highlights include a discussion of “idiot rap” and Huebel’s air of contemptuous confusion while watching Don West sell Beanie Babies on the Shop At Home Channel. [AB]

Freakonomics: How To Think About Guns
This week’s episode takes a somber tone, with a discussion between Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt on gun culture and violence in the U.S. Levitt’s response to the Newtown shooting wasn’t shock, but rather surprise that more of these mass murders don’t happen. Levitt’s take on how to curb gun violence is incredibly bleak: He argues that most of the reforms being voted on in Congress in response to Newtown will be ineffectual at best, and other methods with better outcomes are not cost-effective or politically viable. Gun violence in general has remained stable for the last 10 years, even including the swath of mass murders in 2012, and Levitt’s ultimate suggestion is that America should just get used to the status quo. Imposing stricter punishments for carrying certain guns would have an effect, but because there are already so many guns in the U.S. (about one per adult), and such powerful gun culture, it’s hard to see laws like that being enacted. [NC]

Hang Up And Listen: The How To Rig A Soccer Match Edition
Soccer matches can turn on a single play—a brief lapse in the defense, a bad foul call in the box—and are thus highly vulnerable to fraud. A recent probe into match-fixing uncovered 680 suspicious games worldwide, which has shaken fans’ confidence in the integrity of the sport. The HUAL crew gets into a spirited argument over whether soccer is fucked (as Grantland’s Brian Phillips colorfully declared) or whether this chicanery is limited to meaningless, low-level friendlies. The other segments deal with the stat-busting majesty of LeBron James and Kevin Durant’s current season and a disappointing new reality show about aspiring knuckleballers. But the real find is Josh Levin’s “Afterball” about the son of former NBA great Rick Barry, who’s trying to bring back his father’s underhand free-throw shot. The only problem: Today’s baggy shorts get in the way. [ST]

How Was Your Week #101: “Heavy Things Onto Stages”: David Ozanich, Michael Kupperman
Through tears, Julie Klausner begins this week’s show by paying respects to her friend, playwright David Ozanich, who died suddenly last week. During their chat—which was taped two years ago but never released—Ozanich shares his love for Karen Black, an actress best known for her roles in Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces. Ozanich’s passion for Black and her work offers a surprisingly personal glimpse of what made him tick; Ozanich is charming and witty, smart and quirky, and knowing that he is no longer with us turns the conversation into a heartfelt tribute. Things lighten up in the second half, as cartoonist Michael Kupperman displays his surreal and wicked sense of humor, the highlight being his unexpectedly compelling adventures in yard work. [DF]

Improv4Humans With Matt Besser #66: Cop Donkey: Sean Conroy, Eugene Cordero, Will McLauglin
With Improv4Humans’ ever-changing roster of improv comedians, it can be hard for listeners to develop an affinity for the voices that don’t belong to host Matt Besser. However, this episode feels fully formed from the get-go, with three guests who talk and improvise with each other so naturally you’d think they’ve been the sole guests on the podcast from episode one. They begin by unearthing a particularly funny and also kind of sad story about a rejected homemade puppet, leading to scenes that range from the typically absurd, like a grossly sexual judo class, to a topical and gut-wrenching take on the Manti Te’o virtual-girlfriend scandal. In between, they imagine Jesus’ lost teen years as if he were in a high-school comedy from the ’80s, complete with a ball-busting, Bronx-accented Joseph of Arimathea. Overall, it’s one of the podcast’s strongest efforts to date. [MK]

The J.V. Club #48: Lin Shaye
There’s no cootie catcher or game of M.A.S.H. on this week’s episode, but that’s because Janet Varney can’t stop exploring the past of her guest, actress Lin Shaye of Dumb And Dumber and There’s Something About Mary. Shaye is older than the average J.V. Club guest, and it’s fascinating to hear the details of growing up in the ’50s and ’60s. The two waste no time delving into Shaye’s adolescence, talking about her traditional nuclear family and awkward high-school experience. The meat of the conversation happens when they move away from the teenage years and talk about Shaye’s short first marriage to the man who played Conrad Birdie opposite her Ursula in a college production of Bye Bye Birdie, and who died in a motorcycle accident while she was at home making moccasins. It’s an intense episode but very relaxed, and their conversation flies by. [OS]

The Mental Illness Happy Hour #100: Brody Stevens
It’s difficult to believe a show with a premise as singular and potentially bleak as The Mental Illness Happy Hour could survive 100 episodes with its curiosity and empathy in tact. Those qualities seem to be strong as ever as Paul Gilmartin talks with Brody Stevens in the milestone installment of the program, which has always been at its best when guests are allowed to share their experiences uninhibited by judgment or the need to resort to shtick. During the 85-minute conversation, Stevens gives a detailed account of a well-publicized 2011 manic episode that landed the comedian in jail and the UCLA psychiatric ward. Stevens’ story provides a revealing look at the traumatic results of the hyper-inflated sense of self and sweeping irritability that can plague individuals with bipolar disorder. The discussion suggests that Gilmartin’s next 100 episodes can be as intriguing and helpful as the first 100. [TC]

The Moth: Gabe Bullard And Alisha Brophy: StorySLAM Favorites
Both of these short pieces are basically what Moth StorySLAM entries are supposed to be: short, vulgar, and a tad harsh. Gabe Bullard’s story about the aftereffects of suffering a burn ends up feeling a bit lightweight, but it’s worth hanging on for Alisha Brophy’s story. Brophy’s delivery feels just off-the-cuff enough that she’s able to pull off surprises in a tale of continual romantic disillusionment—the best surprise being that she gets caught up in a prank TV show. [SG]

Nerdist #319: T.J. Miller Returns
While T.J. Miller’s persona tends to skew toward the absurd, his return trip to Nerdist sees him rein in the humor and turn his focus toward philosophy. There’s not as much riffing as one would expect as Miller and the hosts discuss the fears and anxieties brought on by living in the modern world, making the episode engaging in unexpected but rewarding ways. By having an informed and reasoned discussion about the constant need to create, the comedians use the hour-plus as more of an exorcism than a platform for humor. Although it could easily turn overly self-aggrandizing, the episode does a great job being honest and direct in ways that are not the norm for Nerdist, but are always welcome. [DA]

Nerdist #320: Jason Schwartzman
This episode has a lot to offer, due in part to Jason Schwartzman’s wealth of interesting experiences, as well as situations brought on by pure happenstance, namely Nick Offerman happening to walk past as the podcast is being recorded. Over the episode’s 90 minutes, Schwartzman relates his tales of being cast in Rushmore through what seemed to be pure luck, his myriad noteworthy experiences with Bill Murray—a topic that could be its own standalone interview—and his various musical endeavors. Even though the episode runs a bit long, the Nerdist hosts ask compelling questions and Schwartzman always has a great anecdote laying in wait. [DA]

Professor Blastoff #91: Live In Vancouver/Hope
Save for the location in the title, this week’s live episode could easily be mistaken for a continuation of last week’s: The same manic energy carries the unstructured conversation, gags and affectations abound, Kyle Dunnigan provides musical accompaniment, and Tig Notaro gives a Q&A, which was referenced but not heard in the last episode. But there are a few differences that upgrade it to required listening. For one, most of the collective and compounding gags are new and improvised on the spot. This week has a topic, too, and it lends itself well to a live show. As a concept, hope is universal, pliant, and elusive, so the hosts are able to wander off on humorous tangents and still return to offer insight on the matter, often with poignancy in regards to Notaro’s health issues. In line with the show’s typical levity, though, the episode closes with a gut-busting, The Last Crusade-referencing musical number led by an unwrangled intern. (Aaron Burrell for President, 2045!) [SM]

Sklarbro Country #133: Pouring Soy Sauce On The Parade: Dennis Christopher, Chris Cox
Dennis Christopher has a comfortable, laid-back tone, which makes him a great raconteur of shaggy-dog stories. His lackadaisical style is a perfect counter to the Sklars’ manic back-and-forth, and his reminiscences of working with Robert Altman and Quentin Tarantino and emancipating himself from his parents as a teenager are fascinating. He also counters the Sklars’ typical mockery by playing devil’s advocate in the “Quick Hits,” which brings some nice variety to the segment. The Sklars are huge fans of Breaking Away, Christopher’s first starring role and one of the most respected sports movies of all time, and their excitement at the chance to talk about the film is palpable. [NC]

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Sklarbro Country Sklarbro County #38: David Huntsberger, Dan Van Kirk
David Huntsberger is one of the three major voices on Professor Blastoff, and his appearance on a fellow Earwolf podcast couldn’t be more cordial. The Sklars get him talking about working with Tig Notaro, and the different perspective on Notaro’s massive success after demoralizing personal traumas is enlightening. Dan Van Kirk’s stories are great as well, highlighting a couple addicted to coffee enemas and the Detroit Zoo’s harebrained scheme to sell $85 tickets for a 21+ event to see animals mating on Valentine’s Day. [KM]

The Smartest Man In The World: Parks
Proops is back in his hometown of San Francisco and still reeling from the boisterous crowd from two podcasts ago, so he’s both testy and nostalgic this week. San Francisco’s plethora of male public nudity has been an ongoing topic for Smartest Man, but Proops has a personal anecdote this time, about spying a naked man walking in the Bay Area armed only with a purse and a self-made colonial cap. Although most of the subjects Proops touches on this week are old staples of the show, his presentation is unusually aural, as he lets fly an absurd number of sound effects and plays “Love Rollercoaster” in memory of Leroy Bonner of The Ohio Players. [NC]

Sound Opinions #376: The 2013 Valentine’s Day Special
Just like the past several years, this week’s episode of Sound Opinions is dedicated to a subgenre of love songs. This year, it’s the “I Want You Back” variety, with singers pleading and groveling for their lovers to return. Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot have some great picks—Al Green, Simple Minds—but all you really need to know is that one of the call-in picks is Dawes’ “Coming Back To A Man.” The concluding My Bloody Valentine review is nice in light of the shoegaze episode from a few weeks back, but it doesn’t go as in-depth as one might expect. [KM]

Stuff You Missed In History Class: The Fantastic Fitzgeralds
Longtime host Sarah Dowdey opens this episode with bittersweet news. Co-host Deblina Chakraborty recently left the show, and Dowdey will soon be leaving as well. Dowdey welcomes the first of the two replacements as her co-host this week, Holly Frey of HowStuffWorks.com’s PopStuff. Together Dowdey and Frey unpack the lives of legendary author F. Scott Fitzgerald and his troubled relationship with wife Zelda. Fitzgerald’s sale of his first novel, This Side Of Paradise, launched his career, his marriage, and a rather sad life: An alcoholic since college, he struggled to stay employed, and neither he nor his wife succeeded in holding on to their sanity. Frey, a Fitzgerald fan, allows Dowdey to steer the episode but gets in some great insights of her own. Regardless, Dowdey will be sorely missed, as she has been weaving historic tales on SYMIHC since 2009. [DT]

Stuff You Missed In History Class: Walter Potter’s Wild And Wonderful Taxidermy
Is this episode, hosts Sarah Dowdey and Holly Frey explore the life of eccentric English taxidermist Walter Potter. Potter was well known in the late 1800s for arranging deceased animals into eerie (or some might say whimsical), anthropomorphic scenes of Victorian England. Not only was Potter able to make a living by posing dead animals like they were people, it inspired a kind of fad of its time. Frey and Dowdey keep Potter from seeming too crazy or obsessed, and in the end Potter comes across like a remarkably accessible artist. There is also some fascinating backstory inherent in a man who works with 20 dead kittens at a time. Given the decaying nature of Potter’s art, his work seems especially worth documenting on the podcast. [DT]

Stuff You Should Know: How Willpower Works
Willpower does not sound like a particularly scientific topic, but hosts Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark know how to pick it apart. Starting with humanity’s historic need to procreate and moving all the way to the theme of Rush’s song “Freewill,” the hosts thoroughly unpack the ability to suppress desire. Willpower is described as “the act of making a decision,” as defined by the world around you. Though Sigmund Freud seems to have put it most simply—ego has a finite amount of energy—decades of psychological and hormonal research make the topic fertile ground for discussions of temptation and resolve. Bryant and Clark take advantage of the silly scientific tests and the chance for amusing metaphor, making this an episode listeners shouldn’t deny themselves. [DT]

The Thrilling Adventure Hour #104: Tales Of The Troubleshooters, “Personal Business”
It seems strange to declare a spoiler alert for Thrilling Adventure Hour’s radio-drama-style serials, but perhaps the characters just stick really well. In any event, this episode marks the strange return of Croach the Tracker, one of the funnier characters in the “Marshal On Mars” series. This episode also explores a little offshoot of the Western-in-space story, namely a crew of people who go around fixing technological disturbances on Mars. [SG]

The Todd Glass Show #89: Tom Martin And Henry Phillips
It’s fun to hear comedian Tom Martin and musical comedian Henry Phillips return to the show and start carving out their niches as regular guests, although Phillips is far and away more vocal than Martin. In a stand-out segment, Phillips plays Todd Glass a recording of a particularly frustrating voice lesson from his youth, which leads to an off-the-cuff bit where they revel in their belief that the voice teacher’s lessons were just one elaborate con. Although the recorded musical bit that was originally intended to end the show was cut from the final product, Blake Wexler’s recurring tantrum bit is a fun, albeit abrupt, note upon which to end a satisfying episode. [MS]

Uhh Yeah Dude #359
This week, Jonathan Larroquette continues to get wigged out by the concept of digital inheritance, because who actually gets all those eBooks, MP3s, and Playstation saved games when we die? Eventually he calms himself enough to read aloud from Adam Levine’s Twitter feed, which is the Uhh Yeah Dude equivalent of calling in a ringer. And when philosophical bombshells like “Sometimes I just simply wonder why certain things have to happen” are paired with deadpan descriptions of the “sense narratives” provided by Levine’s debut scent, well, there’s no better company than UYD. [CW]

Walking The Room #142: ID Shoe And The Deli Fight
To tip a hat to Justin Van Wormer, a scholar whose thesis places the Walking The Room community in historical context, any victory Dave Anthony and Greg Behrendt experience is likely going to be a pyrrhic one. It’s a constant theme and recurring talking point on the show, but this week’s episode sets out to highlight their inability to achieve untarnished success. In the longest segment, Anthony shares his realization of how big of an oblivious asshole he can be when standing up for himself to strangers, with Behrendt waiting in the wings to shame his audacity. That sort of inner conflict makes for great closet fodder, though there’s little fun to be had with the news of Starfish Brooklyn’s success, which is undercut by the loss of a hard drive containing The Reigning Monarchs’ documentary footage, due to, potentially, a drunk Wil Anderson. Still, the hosts are due for the occasional, albeit hard-earned, win, as Behrendt ends the episode with an empowering encounter indebted to his new medication, along with Anthony, his angry-stranger sensei. [SM]

Who Charted? #115: Bizarro: Harris Wittels
Howard Kremer and Kulap Vilaysack engage in a little role-reversal for this edition of Who Charted?, with Vilaysack recording her own (adorable) versions of Kremer’s raps and the two assuming each other’s personas throughout the episode in fits and starts. It’s a fun trainwreck, given the fact that Kremer’s mild incoherence is a hard thing to imitate. The two are joined by Parks And Recreation writer and Humblebrag creator Harris Wittels, who makes for a consistently great addition to the Earwolf podcasts. The podcast starts off strong with some unexpected in-depth boy-band fandom from noted Phishhead Wittels, and keeps its momentum all the way to the end. [MS]

WTF #359: Carl Reiner
In a companion piece to Marc Maron’s interview with Mel Brooks, Maron interviews the legendary Carl Reiner at Brooks’ urging. It’s another episode that doesn’t so much break new ground as it sits at the feet of a beatified comedic legend and lets him play the friendly grandfather who tells stories from his past. Reiner digs up information on his big break in acting, his time in the military, and how his collaborations with Mel Brooks started the very first day they met. It’s a pleasant conversation, and another entry in Maron’s catalog of historically great comedians. [KM]

WTF #360: Tom Green
It’s predictable how the most unpredictable comedy personas tend to be the quietest, most down-to-earth types when interviewed. Marc Maron admits to having an aversion to Tom Green (the way a lot of people did in the early ’00s), but quickly realizes that the Green of today is not the same look-at-me prankster from over a decade ago. Green opens up about what it’s like to be asked every day about the famous ex-spouse he hasn’t seen or spoken to for many years, talks quite soberly about the state of his lone ball, and includes some fun anecdotes about guest-hosting for David Letterman and getting drunk with Dennis Rodman while shooting Celebrity Apprentice. [CZ]

You Made It Weird #124: SF Sketchfest 2013
You Made It Weird’s live episodes have the potential to be a killer shake-up of Pete Holmes and his comedian friends, and this installment from San Francisco’s Sketchfest is exemplary. While the show’s regular episodes are all about settling in and digging deep—whether personally or comedically—this live show is choppy in all the right ways, especially as Holmes riffs with Sara Benincasa and Chris Thayer. Plus, there’s something really smart about deploying Kumail Nanjiani at mid-show. [SG]

You Made It Weird #125: Iliza Shlesinger
Pete Holmes almost seems to genuinely offend Iliza Shlesinger with an early riff about how she has “cum gutters” (don’t ask), but she’s quick enough to run with it and turn the potential awkwardness into a punchy exchange. Things start to get funnier when the two begin arguing over whether winking at someone is a “snazzy” way to flirt with them. The result is just as probing and open as any YMIW episode, but with an extra touch of the absurd. [SG]

The Best Show On WFMU
A delightful takedown of veteran prank-caller James is a highlight in a leisurely paced, scattershot installment with Monster Magnet’s Dave Wyndorf and comic-book writer Matt Fraction. [TC]

Doug Loves Movies: Zach Galifianakis, Tom Lennon, Riki Lindhome and Alex Berg guest
Despite solid contributions from all of this week’s guests, there’s nothing especially memorable about this outing, outside of Doug Benson’s continued fixation with Riki Lindhome’s nude scene in Hell Baby. With most of the show’s game portion given over to ABCDeez Nutz, it’s a reasonably fun but ultimately flimsy DLM entry. [GK]

Judge John Hodgman: Possessions In Nine-Tenths Of A Car
The presence of two Brits on the podcast—one is actually an oddly accented Canadian—allows Judge Hodgman to engage in delightful word games, but the case of a man of deliberately few possessions holds minimal intrigue. [ST]

Mohr Stories #131: Timothy Ferriss
Convincing, controversial, popular, and prolific how-to author Timothy Ferriss summarizes his books The 4-Hour Workweek and The 4-Hour Body, but admits “four hours” is a marketing slogan, not an actual measurement. [DXF]

Mohr Stories #132: Kurt Sutter
Outspoken Sons Of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter doesn’t scorch any new earth in this genial conversation with Jay Mohr; instead, he recalls his early days as a stand-up comic and gives a cursory behind-the-scenes history of FX’s smash show, from conception to its current season. [DXF]

Monday Morning Podcast
Monday Morning Podcast’s five-week strong streak comes to an end here, with an episode that simply isn’t all that funny. [CG]

Never Not Funny #1206: Seeing Smoke With Steve Agee
“This is good radio. This is real good radio,” Jimmy Pardo says after an exchange with Eliot Hochberg about something on his iPad, and he’s right. Episode #1206 is especially loose and casual, with seemingly more lulls than usual. The first half-hour is strong, though, so non-subscribers can get away with the free version this week. [KR]

Stuff You Should Know: How Jet Lag Works
Though hosts Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark have struck upon an interesting phenomenon, the science is a rather straightforward combination of math and exhaustion. [DT]

This American Life #486: Valentine’s Day 2013
TAL regifts some pre-aired love tales this week for Valentine’s Day, including one of Mike Birbiglia’s signature tales of humiliation, what happens when a couple in a long-term relationship takes a Rumspringa, and the kid who fell in love with an undercover police officer. [CZ]