The Specialist

The Specialist

A podcast about work we don't think about and the people who do it. Hosted by Casey Miner, project of KALW public radio in San Francisco. Tips? specialistpodcast@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

14 — Story Sherpa

December 29, 2016 • 19 mins
For our Season 2 finale, we're pulling back the curtain to reveal the specialist behind the podcast and radio show Snap Judgment, and a little about what goes into making our show. Plus: a very special announcement from our team! Make sure you listen through to the end to hear it.

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SPECIALETTE — Fired

December 8, 2016 • 8 mins
Glynn Washington, host and creator of WNYC's Snap Judgment, on a job that was doomed from the start.

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Specialette — Culture Ambassador

November 23, 2016 • 6 mins
Listener Samantha Goldstein on being an observant Jew whose job is to preserve and uphold the values of an evangelical Christian battery company. Photo by Flickr user zeevveez.

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BONUS EPISODE — Poll Locators

November 8, 2016 • 15 mins
On the eve of the 2016 election, forget candidates, issues, and vitriol! Instead, spend the day with two women who work for months finding the perfect location for you to vote. Then go vote!

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13 — Blood Girls

October 28, 2016 • 15 mins
Meet the specialists who craft fake injuries for real first-responder training in a world where the blood you see isn't really blood... but the coffee isn't coffee, either.

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Specialette — Cheetahs, Fleas, and Bird's-Eye Berets

October 14, 2016 • 6 mins
You probably know Mary Roach as the author of such Specialist-filled science books as Gulp, Stiff, and Packing for Mars. But like all of us, she had another life before her current one, and it involved fielding accusatory queries about unwell cheetahs. Photo by Jen Siska, jensiska.com.

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12 — Notary Superman

September 29, 2016 • 17 mins
A lot of the people who've met Sunny Jaswal have only spent five minutes with him — but they might have been among the most important five minutes of their lives. Who is this man who swoops in when you most need him, then departs just as quickly?

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Specialette — Digital Missioner

September 19, 2016 • 6 mins
Listener Kyle Oliver on coaching monks who use YouTube. "The joke is that you should never read the comments. You should read the comments on the videos that these monks put together." Read away on our website, specialistpodcast.com.

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Special Feature: The Committee No One Wants to Be On

August 31, 2016 • 10 mins
The Specialist is on summer vacation! We'll be back soon. In the meantime, please enjoy this special feature from friend of the show Raja Shah about the people who eagerly take on work almost no one wants to do. Photo used under a Creative Commons license from Flickr user Torbakhopper.

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Specialette — Undercover in the Bread Factory

August 18, 2016 • 9 mins
You may know Al Letson as host of the podcasts Reveal, State of the Re:Union, and Errthang. This is the story of the time he went undercover.

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11 — Cane Trainer

July 29, 2016 • 18 mins
Traffic surges, tactile clues, and the smell of crispy bacon: meet a specialist who helps blind and low-vision people learn to get around independently.

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Specialette — Bone Lady

July 14, 2016 • 2 mins
Listener Amy Strauss describes her time overseeing a colony of flesh-eating beetles.

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10 — Snake Lady & Wildlife One

June 28, 2016 • 14 mins
Bird bombs, decoy coyotes, and wailers: the tricky job of keeping birds away from planes.

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09 — Singing Telegram

May 31, 2016 • 16 mins
Listener Heather Fife got in touch to suggest a Specialist about her parents, who've performed singing telegrams for 34 years — and who had Heather and her four siblings perform them too.

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08 — Sidewalk Canvasser

April 29, 2016 • 15 mins
"This job is as much about self-preservation as anything else... feeling good about yourself as a human being despite a lot of rejection."

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07 — Mock Attacker

March 24, 2016 • 16 mins
A man who's paid to behave badly towards women — and what happens when he does his job well.

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Specialette — Trail Guides, Snap Judgment, & Season 2 Sneak Peek!

February 18, 2016 • 18 mins
Snap Judgment's Anna Sussman tells the surprising story of a search & rescue tracker; tales from the trail in Chile, & a special sneak peek at The Specialist Season 2.

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06 — Zoo Chef

December 15, 2015 • 12 mins
Meeting wild animals' needs and wants, and the dietary preferences of a very picky vulture.

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05 — Lice Ladies

November 10, 2015 • 10 mins
Comb, wipe.

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04 — Home Stager

October 14, 2015 • 13 mins
Home stager Cora Sue Anthony on how to turn the place you live into a product you're selling, the difference between house and home, and why you never want to run into the back of a sofa.

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