It's a working title. I also considered, "Things That Bring Me Joy," "Things That Don't Send Me Into a Spiral of Depression," and "Humans: Not Always Horrible to Each Other(?)"

Things are absolutely terrible in a lot of ways right now, and while it's important to do what we can to stop the bad things and try to make the world a better place, it can feel defeatingly Sisyphean, but like if Sisyphus couldn't even nudge that boulder. It's important to take care of ourselves, too, and to remind ourselves of what we're fighting for. Samwise knows. To that end, I'm starting a weekly feature on this blog to collect and promote things that, in my opinion, are pieces of the world that do not suck, and arguably make the world better just by existing.

To kick things off, I'd like to bring your attention to my newest favorite podcast, Punch Up the Jam. Each week, Demi Adejuyigbe and Miel Bradouw dissect a well-known song, and then punch it up with a version of their own. Punch-ups range from covers, reinterpretations, and remixes, to outright Weird Al caliber parodies. Demi and Miel are friends, and it really shows. They have a natural rapport, and as funny as they are individually, when they're together, their powers increase exponentially. This show is one of the funniest things I've heard in the past year, and I listened to their entire catalogue in a matter of days. There are currently only twenty-seven episodes, which makes this a great time to get on board. I know how daunting a back catalogue with hundreds of episodes can be.

You can jump in anywhere, but I'd recommend starting with episode four, You Make My Dreams. Not only is it hilarious, it establishes a running joke that keeps coming back both when you most expect it and least expect it. You could also just start from the beginning. The first three episodes cover Christmas and New Year's songs, but they're no less enjoyable out of season. This week, Miel's dad joins the podcast to talk about What a Fool Believes, and brings some knowledge from his history as a music producer during that era.

You can subscribe to Punch Up the Jam on any of the usual podcast services.