For the three or so people who may have turned to this page last week specifically to read this column and wondered (hoped?) if perhaps I’d quit or gotten fired, the answer is no — I was simply away on vacation.
Just a few days ago, I returned from a 10-day stint in Greece, spending time in Athens and on a couple of their less-touristy islands, Aegina and Hydra.
After pulling 50- to 60-hour weeks for the last many months, it definitely provided a much-needed break, as well as an opportunity to visit a country to which I’ve never been.
But I’m not going to write about it today.
I know, I know, a trip abroad would be far more interesting to read about than, say, 98% of the other subjects I’ve ever tackled. And I promise, pretty soon, I probably will.
As of now, however, I’m still playing catch up on two solid weeks’ worth of emails, not to mention the mountains of papers that landed on my desk while I was gone.
Weaving a narrative of my Greek adventures will require a bit more time than I’ve got at the moment.
So until I accomplish that, I thought I’d share a few of the podcasts that kept me from going completely stir-crazy on two 9-hour flights, a pair of 5-hour layovers and several hour-plus ferry rides.
Which, I will tell you, is no easy feat.
— “Culpable,” 14 episodes so far. I will warn you right off the bat: Listening to this podcast is frustrating. The story involves the death of Christian Andreacchio — which police in Meridian, Miss., ruled a suicide after a whopping 15 minutes of investigation. This, despite about a million things that suggest otherwise. I may or may not have yelled “Are you kidding me?” seven times in the Montreal airport.
— “Bear Brook,” 11 episodes so far. Remember when they caught the Golden State Killer last year, using DNA uploaded to online genealogy sites? Well, Bear Brook is actually the first case to use the technology in order to help solve a cold case. And it all began back in 1985, when two bodies were found — a woman and a small child — wrapped in plastic, in a 55-gallon barrel in the woods.
— “The Dropout,” 7 episodes. I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of the story of Elizabeth Holmes and her ill-fated start-up Theranos. I don’t know if it’s the turtlenecks, the deep voice (that some claim was fake), or the sheer gall she showed in bilking billions from investors to fund technology that didn’t exist.
— “Nowhere Child,” 8 episodes so far. On Sept. 12, 2014, 3-year-old William Tyrrell disappeared while playing outside his foster parents’ house. But how? Who took him? And why? This podcast takes a look at the case, along with myriad questions and issues it raised about New South Wales’ foster system and the way the crime was reported.
Katie McDowell is a jet-lagged lifestyles writer/copy editor who already needs another vacation. Email kmcdowell@dominionpost.com.
