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DanEngler

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Posts posted by DanEngler

  3. Posted

    As long as Earwolf is expanding their selection of podcasts, here's my pitch for a new weekly show:

    Every week, host Kulap Vilaysack selects a new health or fitness challenge — from raw vegan diet to fasting, Bikram yoga to Krav Maga — and invites friends from the world of show business (including Casey Wilson, Janet Varney, Elizabeth Laime, and others) to accompany her on her journey. After one week, Kulap and her guest(s) recap their experience, evaluate its effectiveness, and track their overall health progress.
    Big names in comedy embark upon a new natural lifestyle in
    Kulap's Big Naturals
    .

    • Like 9

  5. Posted

    Whether due to forum feedback or scheduling decisions on the Earwolf side, it looks like they're switching to a weekly show:

     

    Starting this week, we’re going to try a new thing on the podcast! Every day, we’ll have a new question, but, since so many of you seem to hate listening to the podcast in chunks, we’re going to release the entire conversation, without breaks on Thursdays, which is what you’ll get if you subscribe on itunes or the rss feed. Otherwise, if you want to listen on the blog, I’ll still keep posting daily updates right here!

     

    But feel free to listen to this shit however you like, I am NOT TRIPPING.

    • Like 1

  10. Posted

    Jeff,

     

    It sounds like Dave's kids are using iPhones and/or iPads, which means that he can take advantage of Apple's built-in parental controls to lock down potentially dangerous features. In the Settings app on each device, go to General→Restrictions, enable Restrictions, and specify a password. From there, you toggle various options (like the ability to install apps, access iTunes, whether explicit music/video content can be purchased or played, etc.) The kids won't be able to alter those settings without knowing Dave's password.

     

    Dave mentioned his son having jailbroken his iOS devices, which would in all likelihood allow him to circumvent the parental controls, but requiring unjailbroken devices could be a policy Dave and his wife set as a condition of having a phone at all.

  13. Posted

    Random question @ Dan. Were you at the CBB in Seattle? It was fucking awesome.

    Of course! I wouldn't dare miss an opportunity to see the World-Famous Scottabot in person, even if it does require sitting in the sweltering heat and cigarette haze of The (Fucking) Neptune Theater!

  14. Posted

    I don't know if David believes those things, but plenty of people do. The devils advocate excuse just makes my blood boil. I'm really glad that David's comments made people uncomfortable, it may help me sleep a little better.

    I'll never understand why they didn't have Chris Gore in the Hatch for the "Feminism" episode...

    • Like 5

  19. Posted

    I also wanted to mention that, from what I understand, the Health Savings Accounts that you mentioned briefly only help the wealthy and insurance companies. They're (mis)used as tax shelters by the rich, and they also benefit insurance companies by lowering their costs, since HSA 's are used to pay high out of pocket costs. They don't benefit lower income people because they cost a lot to pay in before you see any benefit. So it's really just another scam in the guise of offering help to lower healthcare costs.

     

    Your understanding is incorrect. HSAs, in conjunction with High Deductible Health Plans, can be a good option for people who are generally healthy but want to be covered in the event of a catastrophic accident or illness.

     

    I'm pretty far from "rich", but I am single and self-employed and thankfully have few health issues. Obtaining individual coverage would therefore be prohibitively expensive and my premiums would evaporate into the æther every month. Having an HSA/HDHP allows me to:

     

    1. Pay premiums that are 2-3x less than I would with traditional coverage.

    2. Pay up to $3,100 into my HSA each year pre-tax, allowing me to reduce my overall tax burden by a small amount.

    3. Roll over every penny in my HSA from year to year (unlike a Flexible Spending Account, where your money disappears if you don't spend it.)

     

    Yes, I pay out of pocket for incidental medical expenses but, as mentioned above, I am generally healthy. Should disaster occur, I am on the hook for the first $2,000, and everything after that is theoretically covered by my insurer. Theoretically.

     

    The maximum yearly contribution for a married couple is $6,250 (or $7,250 if they're over 55.) To the rich, the amount saved on taxes by taking $7,250 off the top is a laughably small fraction of their income. There are far more effective tax shelters for them to exploit.

  23. Posted

    I enjoyed this episode, despite not having kids of my own. Jeff maintains an uncanny balance of "super analytical" and "super heartfelt" that makes all of his podcast appearances interesting, and it's great to hear Koechner in serious storytelling mode.

     

    Apropos of nothing, two apps that might prove worthwhile for iPad-enabled dads:

    • Reading Rainbow: Official app "hosted" by LeVar Burton. The first book is free, and the full library is available via in-app subscription.
    • Happly: Frequently updated educational content and activities for kids. Parents can also bookmark stories/photos/videos to share with their kids without risking exposure to the horrors of the unfiltered Internet.

  24. Posted

    Regardless of the subject I always hate that “just don’t listen” mantra as a way of rebuffing complaints. It’s a cop-out. Why have a “comments” section for each show if not to receive feedback from the listeners, be it positive or negative?

    If the OP had offered constructive criticism of any kind, I'd concede the point, but "you are boring" is not a useful critique of the show or its hosts.

     

    Would you consider it a worthwhile exercise for a listener to argue against the central thesis of a show because it does not cater to their individual tastes? Is it beneficial to complain that too much time is spent talking about movies on Doug Loves Movies?

     

    Again, the Sklars' stated goal for creating County was to involve Dan Van Kirk in the conversation. If I were them, and you told me I was "crushing my brand" by inviting a friend and regular collaborator onto the show, I would invite you to go fuck yourself.

    • Like 1

  25. Posted

    Nielsen ratings are as outdated as microwave cookbooks.

     

    That really sucks.

    I have a dream that Earwolf will one day be big enough to produce original series, sell season passes via their own store, and pick up great series (like BFF or Party Down or Jon Benjamin Has A Van or...) that have been cancelled by moronic TV executives.

     

    I note that they already own the domain earwolf.tv. Ahem.

    • Like 1
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