Job Description with Rick Koster - podcast cover

Job Description with Rick Koster

The Day Publishing Co.leaveworknow.podbean.com
Do you ever find yourself wondering about an intriguingly obscure or maybe intricate job? Or “I didn’t even know people did that.” My name is Rick Koster, and I don’t do many things with fluency, so when i meet someone who has a really interesting gig or does something really well, it’s a privilege to talk to them. Job Description is a new podcast from The Day where we do exactly that, talk to folks who do things the rest of us could only screw up.
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Episodes

Bee rescuer Patrick Gaudin

Florida-based beekeeper Patrick Gaudin has removed thousands of bees from people's homes, and now has 15-20 bee colonies living in his own back yard. Check out his website and his videos of bee removals.

Jul 13, 202327 min

Dictionary researcher Joshua Pendragon

We talk with Joshua Pendragon, an independent researcher for the Oxford English Dictionary, about how new words are added to the dictionary, the challenges of researching obscure words, and the evolving nature of language. ***This episode was originally released in August 2020***

Jun 29, 202339 min

Classical pianist Artem Belogurov

Artem Belogurov is an internationally-known professional musician who specializes in historical keyboard instruments. He talks with Rick about how a young person makes a connection to the music and instruments of the past, and what kind of merch a classical artist could be selling. Learn more about his music at https://www.artembelogurovmusic.com/ Check out his ensemble Postscript (and his yellow pants) at https://www.postscriptensemble.com/ Theme music by Wind Up: https://firebrainrecords.com/w...

Jun 15, 202338 min

Mapping the ocean floor with Bob Wallace

What's on the bottom of the sea and why do we need to map it? Bob Wallace of Ocean Surveys, Inc. takes Rick on a tour of the ocean's depths.

Jun 01, 202319 min

Neurosurgeon Patrick Doherty

We commonly describe something easy to do by saying "it's not brain surgery." This week, we talk to neurosurgeon Patrick Doherty about what it's like to operate on someone's brain.

May 18, 202335 min

Styx guitarist James Young

Guitarist James Young reflects on more than 50 years with the band Styx in advance of their May 13 concert at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

May 04, 202329 min

Fluid dynamics with mechanical engineer Jaime Duquette

Okay, maybe it's not rocket science, but fluid dynamics seems like an equally incomprehensible field, so we enlisted mechanical engineer Jaime Duquette to try to explain the discipline, including how you really can put the toothpaste back in the tube. Jaime, who studied fluid dynamics in college, did his best to dumb it down enough so Rick could understand the difference between the Froude number and Euler angles.

Apr 20, 202321 min

Tropical fruit expert Myles Karp

Myles Karp once ate a mango so good it made him cry. An American journalist and consultant now based in Costa Rica, Karp talks about roaming the Central American jungles in search of a superior banana, and the many other exotic fruits that one is unlikely to find in your local supermarket. https://www.myleskarp.com/

Apr 06, 202335 min

Introducing Job Description with Rick Koster

Do you ever find yourself wondering about an intriguingly obscure or maybe intricate job? Or “I didn’t even know people did that.” My name is Rick Koster, and I don’t do many things with fluency, so when i meet someone who has a really interesting gig or does something really well, it’s a privilege to talk to them. Job Description is a new podcast from The Day where we do exactly that, talk to folks who do things the rest of us could only screw up. Look for new episodes in your podcast feed in t...

Mar 28, 202359 sec

Leave Work Now! Episode 100: Pocket Vinyl celebrate their album release (one year late)

The piano/painting duo Pocket Vinyl released their latest album "Winter Person" in 2020, but but are just now getting to celebrate with an album release party. We talk with Eric Stevenson about songwriting, recording, and the companion book and ambient album that accompany "Winter Person." https://pocketvinyl.com/ Pocket Vinyl on Bandcamp The Touring Test web comic Lucifer and the Predetermined Timeline

Oct 07, 202135 min

Leave Work Now! Episode 99: How hard is it to hit a 95 mph fastball?

Rick and Peter talk with local radio host Lee Elci, a former minor league baseball player, about what it takes to face professional pitchers. Rick, Peter and Lee took some swings in the cages against mid-90s fastballs from a pitching machine, and Rick was about as successful as you would imagine he was. Video of Rick trying to hit in the cage

Sep 20, 202122 min

Leave Work Now! Episode 98: James R. Benn on his new novel ”Road of Bones”

"Road of Bones" is the 16th book in James R. Benn's series of Billy Boyle World War II mystery novels. Benn talks with Rick Koster about the historical backdrop for the novel, writing during the solitude of the pandemic, and the dark history of Russia's real life Road of Bones. "Road of Bones" will be released on September 7, 2021 with a book signing at Bank Square Books in Mystic, CT.

Sep 03, 202145 min

Leave Work Now! Episode 96: Blue Öyster Cult’s Joe Bouchard

Joe Bouchard talks about his years with Blue Öyster Cult, getting royalty checks from Metallica, and meeting Rick Koster at an Imagine Dragons show. Bouchard and his brother Albert, founding members of Blue Öyster Cult, perform as The Bouchard Brothers at The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center on Saturday, July 31.

Jul 29, 202137 min

Leave Work Now! Episode 94: Unexpected discoveries on Make Music Day

Live music exploded out onto street corners and open-air performance spaces in New London on international Make Music Day. We explored the wide variety of melodies and rhythms, meeting the energetic rapper Byrd StayLow, the Nickelodeon Barbershop Quartet covering pop classics, and improvisational pianist Jermaine Edwards.

Jun 25, 202122 min

Leave Work Now! Episode 91: Local musician would not have made a record if he hadn’t met Rick Koster

After meeting Rick Koster in a local pizza shop, John Jensen asked if Rick would listen to some of the songs he had written. Rick's positive feedback gave Jensen, in his 60s, the encouragement he needed to go into the studio for the first time and record an album with a full band of local musicians. Subscribe to Rick's newsletter The Fun Never Stops Support our show with a digital subscription to The Day

Apr 30, 202129 min

Leave Work Now! Episode 89: Did a computer really write a new Nirvana song?

A project called Lost Tapes of the 27 Club used artificial intelligence to create new songs in the style of Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and Amy Winehouse. But are the headlines that state AI "wrote" these songs actually accurate? How do these songs stack up with the artists' actual work? Listen to the Lost Tapes of the 27 Club on Spotify Listen to the Lost Tapes of the 27 Club on YouTube Watch Rick and Pete eat the longest hot dog in New England Subscribe to Rick's newsletter Support local ...

Apr 16, 202133 min

Leave Work Now! Episode 88: In search of the best crispy chicken sandwich

Who makes the best crispy chicken sandwich in the New London area? What, you thought we were going to tell you? No, we want you to tell us. Rick and Peter have tried all the fast food options, but is there a local restaurant that makes a great crispy chicken sandwich? Send us your suggestions at p.huoppi@theday.com Subscribe to Rick's newsletter "The Fun Never Stops" at www.theday.com/newsletters Support our show, and the rest of The Day's independent journalism, by purchasing a digital or print...

Apr 09, 202124 min

Leave Work Now! Episode 87: Scott Sherratt, the man behind audio books by the Beastie Boys, Questlove and Rachel Maddow

New London native Scott Sherratt was producer and director of Rachel Maddow's audio book Blowout, which won the 2020 Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album. Sherratt talks about recording with Questlove, Will Patton, Scott Shepherd and the Beastie Boys, as well as an angry voicemail from Gene Simmons. Included audio: Creative Quest, read by Questlove. Clip courtesy of Harper Audio. The Son by Phillip Meyer, read by Will Patton. Clip courtesy of Harper Audio. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, r...

Apr 01, 202141 min

Leave Work Now! Episode 86: Don Cash: Making the most out of what life throws his way

For a variety of reasons, Don Cash's band Mars Slingshot never achieved the potential that Rick Koster saw in them when he wrote an article for The Day more than 20 years ago. Cash, a prolific songwriter, persevered through the death of his longtime bandmate and best friend Art Falconi. He recorded several new songs during the pandemic, and takes us through the creation of one of them. "Mask of Love" started out as a jazzy take on the politics of mask wearing, but became a more pop-oriented love...

Mar 18, 202141 min

Leave Work Now! Episode 82: Ed Toth’s ”pinch me moments” as drummer for The Doobie Brothers

Drummer Ed Toth has toured the world with Vertical Horizon and The Doobie Brothers, getting the chance to share the stage with the performers that comprise his record collection. No matter how far he has traveled, though, he has always considered Southeastern Connecticut, specifically East Lyme and New London, to be his home. See Ed Toth on stage with The Doobie Brothers

Feb 19, 202141 min
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