Best Hao Lian Podcasts (2024)

1
Kate's Big Quarantine! 1:04:03

3y ago1:04:03

1:04:03

#229 – Our third to the last episode! In this installment of Downers, we answer listeners' emails and hear about Kate's big vacation! Kate's in quarantine, in Hong Kong, and has much to report about it. Also, along the way, we learn all about Jack's sofa grandfather (#sofagrandfather). Finally a look back: Jack's Composting Bin. For people who are …

1
Packing Up and Moving Out 1:12:55

3y ago1:12:55

1:12:55

#228 – As Kate and Hao pack up parts of, or all of, their lives in preparation for the next month of their lives, we check in with them to see how they pack and what they pack. Along the way, they hit on big-issue topics like wet clothes and ransom. As a brief aside, many of you who read the episode descriptions over these past four years may think…

1
UFOs are Real, and It is What It is 1:08:46

3y ago1:08:46

1:08:46

#227 – With the U.S. government wholeheartedly endorsing the concept of unidentified flying objects, we thought it would be GREAT (content-wise) to, once again, turn our attention to these mysterious objects in the sky. Are they visitors from a distant civilization, and why haven't we tried shooting a missile at them? Then, in the second half, we t…

1
The Sequel to Candyland is Candycountry 56:10

3+ y ago56:10

56:10

#226 – Candy: we've all had it, but what if there were more of it? In this episode, Downers invents new types of candies. Also: voting. We've all done it, but if there were more of it (more types of voting systems)? In this episode, Downers invents new types of voting systems. Also: Kate buys a delivery of kombucha! Plugs this week: Ancient ruins (…

1
Downers Answers Yahoo! Answers Questions 58:33

3+ y ago58:33

58:33

#225 (REUPLOAD) – How is babby formed? Do we live in a giant, sophisticated simulation? How can you tell if someone likes you just as much you like them? Back in the heyday of the internet, there was only one place you could go to get answers like these — Yahoo! Answers. On this episode, we hop into the wayback machine and sincerely answer these qu…

1
Our Thoughts on "New" Pokémon Snap: Iglin is the New Igloo 1:01:19

3+ y ago1:01:19

1:01:19

#224 – Local NYC politics AND a sensual take on New Pokémon Snap take focus on this week's episode of Downers. Why is Professor Mirror so thirsty for our photos? Call us at 3252-2109-66 and leave a voicemail. Plugs this week: Hugs (Hao) ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (Jack) Walk shorts (Kate) downersradio@gmail.com • /r/downersradio • @downersradio …

1
Aphantasia! 1:03:57

3+ y ago1:03:57

1:03:57

#223 – The Downers crew reunite for a classic three-host episode. Can't picture a green apple in your head? Having trouble counting sheep? Is your spank bank more of a septic tank? Well, you might have APHANTASIA, the topic of this week's episode. Aphantasia is the inability to voluntarily create mental images in one's mind, and it's not to be conf…

1
Parameters II 56:55

3+ y ago56:55

56:55

#222 – Way back in the episode #000000000001, Hao and Jack (with Kate relegated to a feature segment) delved into PARAMETERS, as we figured out what the podcast should be back when we had no idea what the show would be like—as opposed to now, when we have a really strong conception of what the show should be like. It's really important to know the …

1
Squashing Beefs II: Confrontations: Volume I: Dawn Club 1:13:04

3+ y ago1:13:04

1:13:04

#221 – Confrontation is both an art and a science. On this podcast, it's also an idea for an episode. In this episode, Hao, Kate, and Ian confront each other about past segments and other general grievances. It's important to confront all sorts of people: coworkers, lovers, friends, and minor household objects. Plugs this week: Perfect quiet (Hao) …

1
Let's Play Slay the Spire! 1:20:41

3+ y ago1:20:41

1:20:41

#220 – As a followup to the massively successful Sims episode, Kate and Hao decide to SLAY THE SPIRE. We journey deep into the spire in an attempt to kill The Heart on ascension 20. Also: Downers' new social media outgrowths; quinoa; and mean-heartedness on Twitch. Plugs this week: Nalgene bottles (Kate) Sandwiches from Mekelburg's (Hao) downersrad…

1
"Politician's Zoom Background Can't Hide Fact That He's Actually Driving" 1:00:59

3+ y ago1:00:59

1:00:59

#219 – This week, we talk about Matt Novak's seminal article "Politician's Zoom Background Can't Hide Fact That He's Actually Driving." What would you do if you had to videoconference while driving? We find out by consulting our expensive, and extremely accurate, reality simulator. Also: MAIL CORNER! TENTS! Plugs this week: Nurses (Hao) Therm-a-res…

1
Being Alive 1:01:20

3+ y ago1:01:20

1:01:20

#218 – Lots of Mail this week, in Mail Corner! We answer a question about sexual/lucid dreams, and we talk to a foreign correspondent from around the world! Then, we round the end of the show with two harrowing tales of taking AP tests with medical maladies. Look, not every episode is going to have a cohesive theme. Plugs this week: 430 (Hao) Uno, …

1
How to Go Off the Grid 1:03:18

3+ y ago1:03:18

1:03:18

#217 – Have you gone off the grid? Let us know on our social media accounts! Because this week's episode is all about how to go off the grid, and why you might want to, and why you might want to return. It's hard to live off the grid, but it might not be impossible. We learn that two of our three hosts have shot a gun. Also, we should be recusing o…

1
Separating the Art from the Artist 1:09:56

3+ y ago1:09:56

1:09:56

#216 – Special guest host Ian, formerly contentman, joins Kate and Hao this week to talk about a topic we brought up on a previous episode and completely forgot: separating the art from the artist. As new allegations emerge for artists in almost every type of media, we often have to find a way to recontextualize our fandom in light of awful behavio…

1
Dream Guests 51:53

3+ y ago51:53

51:53

#215 – This week's main segment comes from Contentman Ian, who asks: Who are your dream guests? And what would it be like if they came onto the show? We go around the horn and come up with our dream guests, both inspirational and not; finally, in the third act of the show, we interview one of them: The Wind Itself. Plugs this week: Sandwiches (Hao)…

1
Smörgåsbord! 1:04:58

3+ y ago1:04:58

1:04:58

#214 – Sometimes Downers is one big main entrée, and sometimes it's not. And when it's not, it's a veritable buffet of snacks, which is this week's episode. In this installment: What Things are Two Things, Kate's Hot Steaks Took You, Forays into Social Media: Instagram Edition, and Downers Coins a New Phrase ("Faux Arguing"). Also, a missile comes …

1
How to Leave 1:02:50

3+ y ago1:02:50

1:02:50

#213 – It's easy to arrive at something, and it's much harder to leave. This hour, we present a guide to leaving: how to leave a room at a party, how to leave a relationship, how to leave the world behind in the aftermath of a nuclear bombing, and how to leave this sentence. Cut out this audio and place it into your wallet; you never know when you'…

1
Mario Cuomo: a Celebration 1:02:12

3+ y ago1:02:12

1:02:12

#212 – Well, Kate's out this week, and that means Jack and Hao revert to their base instincts: insidery programming jokes, abstract roleplay, and a willingness to talk about the controversial hot topics of the day. In this edition of YOU MOLD IT, YOU SOLD IT, we investigate Mario Cuomo's long career as a New York politician and how his decisions co…

1
Young Teenage Japanese Motorcyclist Actually Distinguished Older Man // Ann Pratchett's HOW TO PRACTICE 1:06:24

3+ y ago1:06:24

1:06:24

#211 – Some things are actually two things, and this episode's main segment is actually two main segment. FIRST we talk about how a popular, young, teenage, blonde motorcyclist on social media turned out to be an older man using a face-swapping photo app. THEN we talk about Ann Pratchett's essay in the New Yorker, HOW TO PRACTICE, which talks about…

1
Parents of teenage daughters more likely to divorce: WHY? HOW? LET'S EXPLORE 1:12:31

3+ y ago1:12:31

1:12:31

#210 – This week we cover Jan Kabátek and David C. Ribar's study "TEENAGE DAUGHTERS AS A CAUSE OF DIVORCE," in which they showed that daughters ages 13-18 are associated with a higher risk of divorce in 1995-2015 Dutch marriage registry data. We get some of the details wrong, but that's because we were going off a four-paragraph Economist article. …

1
Inbox Six or Seven 1:12:24

3+ y ago1:12:24

1:12:24

#209 – Inbox can be a drag, and people have all sorts of ways to work around it. In this episode, we devote the hour to INBOX MANAGEMENT, and the myriad of ways it can go right or wrong. We also talk about our first email addresses, and what makes for a really, really good email. In particular, we address whether Inbox Zero – which many people say …

1
Ian III: Coffee, Wikipedia, Dogs, and Wood 1:19:21

3+ y ago1:19:21

1:19:21

#208 – Back by popular demand, Ian and his stentorian voice occupy this action-packed episode of Downers. We're talking 10.0 life changes, we're talking unemployment, and we're talking gardens. Come for the sciatica, stay for the guide to being friends with your friends' parents. Hint: it's about not giving fruits to them. There's no unifying theme…

1
Downers Furikake 1:03:16

3+ y ago1:03:16

1:03:16

#207 – Furikake is the dry Japanese condiment that everybody is shaking on their rice. Here on Downers, we took one look at this grocery-store "ethnic aisle" staple, and we saw an opportunity to make some serious dinero. We devote the hour to pitching to you, dear listener, our own DOWNERS FURIKAKE. Plugs this week: MYSTIC POP-UP BAR (Jack) Netflix…

1
Our Whole House is a Sink 1:02:47

3+ y ago1:02:47

1:02:47

#206 – Quarantine houses, but different: in this episode, we construct the ultimate DOWNERS HOUSE. Listen in as we wander from room to room, customizing it to our exacting standards. Wood stoves? Greenhouse kitchen? All things are possible here. Also: popcorn, induction stoves, and futuristic erogenous zones. Plugs this week: YouTube's TECHNOLOGY C…

1
ANDREWS v. NEW JERSEY 1:03:33

3+ y ago1:03:33

1:03:33

#205 – Can an officer of the law compel you to hand over the password to your encrypted device? Or is this an example of self-incrimination, as prohibited by the Fifth Amendment? This is the case that the Supreme Court might decide later this year, and the case Downers devotes the main segment to! Along the way: salty float tanks, and hands in our …

1
紅包 1:01:15

3+ y ago1:01:15

1:01:15

#204 – As the Lunar New Year approaches, we take the time to investigate one of the complex, time-honored traditions that marks the holiday: RED ENVELOPES. Usually given by an elder, the amount of money in the red envelope can be a tricky nightmare for people out there who do not subscribe to gift-giving as a love language (Jack-olytes, we call the…

1
Sharon Says So 1:08:17

3+ y ago1:08:17

1:08:17

#203 – Sharon McMahon runs an Instagram account @sharonsaysso where liberals and conservatives alike feel welcome to ask questions about how American governance works. How does someone build a neutral space for political discourse In These Trying Times, and how can we listen harder to the people whose voices have been shouted over by a louder, more…

1
Our Sims Live in a Very, Very, Very Fine House 1:01:40

3+ y ago1:01:40

1:01:40

#202 – Most people play video games "vanilla," without any modifications of any sort. But, here on Downers, we say: not us, we refuse, for we mod and we must mod. On this episode, Hao, Jack, and Kate talk about the mods they've installed on the games they've played. Only on Downers will you hear the latest news about DLL files, or the two Indian wo…

1
The Twenty-year Rule 55:52

3+ y ago55:52

55:52

#201 – It is now allowed to talk about the events of 9/11 on the /r/AskHistorians subreddit, which imposes a strict ban on discussion of topics fewer than twenty years old. We here on Downers, being nothing more than old curmudgeons, love the rule. Note: in this episode, we talk, briefly, glancingly, about 9/11, but not in the obnoxious way people …

1
Our 200th Episode 1:02:39

4y ago1:02:39

1:02:39

#200 – What can you say? Sometimes, you do a podcast and it hits two hundred episodes. It's not meant to be something special, but it is anyway. The production of a podcast is a beast that must feed once a week. It is nothing special to feed it. It is the work. The work is the reward, and the reward is the work. Kate's got some questions for Jack a…

1
Bee-forward Plumage 52:50

4y ago52:50

52:50

#199 – Jack's got a long list of parrots, and we're going to tell you the leadership qualities of each one. That's right: it's another hard-hitting episode of Downers, the only podcast about parrots and leadership qualities. We also dive into our FUNKY NEW WEARABLES that we got for Christmas. All this, and more; and, if you think we're not going to…

1
Santa Likes to Zoom Around: THE DOWNERS GIFT GUIDE 53:55

4y ago53:55

53:55

#198 – Well, the gifting season is upon us, or it was when we recorded this anyway. In this episode, we explore gifts you could be giving to your loves, or common archetypes from monomyth, this winter season. It's never too late to give a gift, or a bullet, to someone! That's the Downers motto. Plugs this week: Underwear pile (Hao) Toasted sesame c…

1
The Downers Podcast Network 54:55

4y ago54:55

54:55

#197 – Downers is expanding! We're launching a slate of 10,000 other podcasts, and this episode will be the upfronts/previews for all the content in our pipeline. Hear clips from your soon-to-be-favorite shows like The United Nations and Sad Soups. It's really good. Plugs this week: The anti-gift box (Hao) Butter cookies (Jack) Alexis Hall's BOYFRI…

1
Doug, Our Concertgoing Friend 1:13:38

4y ago1:13:38

1:13:38

#196 – Our friend Doug goes to many concerts, which is something that you can't quite do during COVID. Let's check in with him and see how he's feeling! In many way, Downers is an investigative journalism podcast, except our focus is emotions. Also on the docket: happy lamps, dinner concerts, someone's husband drank a little too much, and soil. Plu…

1
My Favorite Rule is Oxygen, Our Wikipedia Episode 1:09:17

4y ago1:09:17

1:09:17

#195 – This week, we talk about Benjamin Mako Hill's (possibly now a Dr. Benjamin Mako Hill's??) paper "Almost Wikipedia: Eight Early Encyclopedia Projects and the Mechanisms of Collective Action," which essays to explain why Wikipedia succeeded where other, similar projects did not. We also talk about using Wikipedia in its early days, and which k…

1
It's Been COVID: Four Scenes from EMPTY HOUSE, Our Full House Prequel 55:14

4y ago55:14

55:14

#194 – Downers Radio is proud to present four exclusive scenes from our upcoming production of EMPTY HOUSE, the never-before-heard prequel to FULL HOUSE. Many people are aware of the ABC sitcom that ran from 1987 to 1995, and some are even aware of the sequel. But only on Downers can you hear the classic catchphrases you know and love in PREQUEL FO…

1
Minks! 1:09:02

4y ago1:09:02

1:09:02

#193 – Having detected a mutated COVID-19 among farms, Denmark is culling its minks. As of writing, gassed minks are reappearing, zombielike, all over this fine country, but, when we recorded this episode, the news had just broke! We talk minks, and shaming, in this rousing episode of Downers. Plugs this week: OVERCOOKED 2 (Kate) Netflix's DARK (Ja…

1
The First Moments of Each Day 55:32

4y ago55:32

55:32

#192 – Who are you in those first few moments when you wake up each day? This question we pose and attempt to answer in this hour of Downers. We also explore and further Kate's husband's struggles with sleeping next to Kate. Also: mud, soups, being in Hong Kong during the U.S. elections. Plugs this week: Flowers for a friend (Kate) Biking through y…

1
Why is Christmas so Sexy? 46:26

4y ago46:26

46:26

#191 – Christmas! It's right around the corner, and it can be downright sexy sometimes. In this hour, we devote the hour to thinking about just why Chrimbus is so sexy. This is also the first of two episodes where we talk about throwing blood on people wearing fur. We're calling this series "The Blood-throwing Episodes." The next episode where this…

1
Female Son of God 59:12

4y ago59:12

59:12

#190 – What are your personal strengths? In this episode, we embark on an adventure to answer this question by taking an online personality quiz hosted on VIA's Institute on Character website. We quickly learn that Kate is a very different person from Jack and Hao! We also posit the theory that the bottom five traits (our weakest personality traits…

1
Selective Memory: Twenty Four, Going on Twenty Five, Pairs of Shoes 1:11:33

4y ago1:11:33

1:11:33

#189 – Do we mostly remember the good parts of our life, or the shitty parts of our life? Why is it that we gravitate toward keeping the memories that the unhealthiest for us to remember, if that makes sense? We attempt to tackle this tricky question within an hour's worth of podcasts. We also play another rousing game of What Things are Actually T…

1
Gas Draft: Now, are You Thinking of a Particular Lover, or... (feat. Aaron) 1:04:07

4y ago1:04:07

1:04:07

#188 – Following on the heels of our extremely successful SOLIDS DRAFT and LIQUIDS DRAFT, we fly into the sun on waxed wings in this episode with our GAS DRAFT. We have a special Correspondents Corner from Aaron to kick the episode off, and then we dive right into thinking of gases. There are just so many gases to choose from! We also discuss what …

1
Tarot Cards with Michelle! 57:56

4y ago57:56

57:56

#187 – We felt bad for you in a good way, and other topics! on this week's episode of DOWNERS. This week, we have our friend Michelle read our podcast's tarot cards. Michelle tells the history of tarot reading. Death is frequently the best card in the deck, cups are good, and other surprising facts! Plugs this week: Electronic recycling (Hao) Smitt…

1
Tell Us where You Got those Ping-pong Balls. Was it Satan? 43:43

4y ago43:43

43:43

#186 – If you sell glass bottles, you should be forced to take them back, just like in the old days. This, and other topics, come under the microscope that is this podcast, Downers. Hao's calling in from Vermont, Kate's recording from an active construction site, and we. are. pulling through. My apartment smells like olive oil because I cooked with…

1
Mail Corner, and Deterministic Baby Gender 54:52

4y ago54:52

54:52

#185 – Jack's on wuwei this week, which means he's consumed no content for the entire week. What's he been up to instead?? We also take a trip through our Gmail inbox, because Hao responded to every email we've ever gotten. Then: it was Daughters Day this week, so: would you pay $10000 to set the gender of your child??? We find out, by proxy, throu…

1
LIQUIDS DRAFT 2: SOLIDS DRAFT 1:04:30

4y ago1:04:30

1:04:30

#184 – Hot on the heels of our enormously successful Liquids Draft episode, we are proud to present to you our SOLIDS DRAFT. What team of solids will everybody form? What types of currency are allowed, and what is currency anyway? We also discuss boiled wings, leaf miners, zucchini flowers, squash blossoms, goat cheese, and the Slate parenting podc…

1
Bullshit Jobs 1:06:08

4y ago1:06:08

1:06:08

#183 – Jobs: some of them are good, some of them are evil, and some of them shouldn't exist. It's onto the third category that we aim our sights in this episode of Downers, as we devote a special BOOK CLUB to anthropologist David Graeber's critique of useless societal work. What is it about us that leads us to create jobs that might not need to exi…

1
Maximum Chunk Size 1:06:57

4y ago1:06:57

1:06:57

#182 – (Not 183) – Plants! They're all around us, forming the flora to our fauna. We take a good, long, hard look at our amateur attempts at gardening, and discuss common household remedies to the problems of aphids, horny caterpillars, spider mites, and leaf miners. Also, Kate's gross air-conditioner cleaning story! Plugs this week: Yoga with Adri…

1
Downers Creates Jobs in America 1:03:56

4y ago1:03:56

1:03:56

#181 – What if you could hire someone to work a fulltime job? What would they do? Kate, Hao, and Jack send their employees out on missions in this episode, and we learn that Jack would essentially emancipate someone from the capitalist labor-for-wages system. Also: Sleeveless Club, Orange County Disease, and being partially ameliorated. Plugs this …

1
Fiber Internet, Fiber Internet! 58:01

4y ago58:01

58:01

#180 – Lots of stuff to catch up on this week, including cat bonding, yoga, and Governor's Island. Then we talk about FIBER INTERNET, which Kate has but none of us do. We express our jealousy, and then we talk about what we would do if we had symmetric upload and download rates. We also play a brand new game: What Things are Actually Two Things? Al…

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