Podcast
Clown Cast
Hosted by Joey Musselman · EN
Podcasts about whatever I find interesting — history, tech, weird rabbit holes. I was making these for myself anyway, so I figured I'd share. Research by Claude, produced with NotebookLM, deployed by tools built using Claude Code. Orchestrated by a clown. Enjoy.
29episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
When Your Podcast Learns to Run Itself
1w ago00:15:31Tap to summarizeClown Cast hit episode 76, the host got a full-time job, and the only logical solution was to build a fully automated daily podcast pipeline. In this meta episode, we break down the 9-step enchantment: a Telegram bot on a home Ubuntu server, Claude-powered research, Piper TTS with a custom voice, FFmpeg audio stitching, WhisperX transcription, automated metadata generation, Cloudflare R2 publishing, and archiving—all firing at 5 AM daily with themed episodes (Music Monday through Business Sunday). We explore how interactive research works in headless mode, how the backlog JSON tracks episode status, and why understanding the machinery makes the trick cooler, not less cool. 0:00 - Welcome & the magical premise 1:30 - The trigger: Joey gets a full-time job 3:00 - Option 3: Build a fully automated system 4:15 - The 9-step pipeline overview 5:45 - Telegram bot, Ubuntu server, and the daily scheduler 7:20 - Themed episodes breakdown (Music Monday through Business Sunday) 9:00 - Claude AI research and script generation 10:15 - Piper TTS and custom voice training 11:30 - Audio stitching, transcription, and metadata 12:45 - Interactive research in headless auto-approval mode 13:30 - Backlog JSON and status tracking system 14:15 - The data-is-magic framing & Sorcerer's Apprentice analogy 15:30 - Why automated magic is still magic This podcast episode was fully generated by AI — research, script, voices, and production. Built with Claude, Piper TTS, and automated pipeline tooling.
Transcribe →The Deskie Diaries: Why Office Workers Sound Insane
2w ago00:16:33Tap to summarizeAfter being called a 'deskie' by a bartender friend, we explore why office workers have developed such unhinged communication patterns. From 'let's take this offline' to the workplace threat disguised as 'per my last email,' we decode the elaborate collective performance of corporate speak—and why we all pretend to believe it. We examine the performative language of office culture, compare it to political communication, and ask: why can't we just say what we mean? 00:00 - Intro and the deskie revelation 01:30 - Service industry's vocabulary for desk workers 05:00 - Translation dictionary of corporate phrases 10:00 - The collective hallucination of office speak 13:00 - Three metaphors explaining why this exists This podcast episode was fully generated by AI — research, script, voices, and production. Built with Claude, Piper TTS, and automated pipeline tooling.
Transcribe →Code & Curry: How India Became Silicon Valley's Talent Factory
2w ago00:16:57Tap to summarizeWhy do Indian-born workers make up 23% of Silicon Valley's tech workforce? In this episode, we break down the geopolitics, economics, and history behind India's dominance in American tech—from H1B visa trends to educational pipelines. Plus, practical tips for connecting with your Indian coworkers and understanding the culture shaping today's tech industry. 00:00:00 - Introduction & Why This Matters 02:15:00 - The Stunning Statistics (71% H1B Visas, 23% of SV Tech Workers) 05:45:00 - Historical Context: Education & Independence 09:30:00 - The Economics of Tech Outsourcing & Talent Flow 13:00:00 - Connecting Across Cultures: Communication & Accent Tips 15:30:00 - Closing Thoughts This podcast episode was fully generated by AI — research, script, voices, and production. Built with Claude, Piper TTS, and automated pipeline tooling.
Transcribe →Character Creation at Your New Job
2w ago00:16:47Tap to summarizeStarting a new job is like character creation—your first two weeks involve crucial stat allocations that'll impact your career for years. We break down the often-overlooked decisions around benefits enrollment, insurance, 401k, HSA, stock options, and take-home pay. Plus, we cover first impressions, measuring success metrics, and the mental shift that comes with a major life change. 00:00 - Welcome & The New Job Reality 02:15 - The Character Creation Analogy: Benefits Enrollment 05:30 - Stat Allocation Deep Dive: Health Insurance Selection 07:45 - Wealth Building: 401k & HSA Strategy 10:00 - Risk Management: Stock Options & Equity 12:15 - First Impressions & Onboarding 14:30 - Measuring Success Early 16:00 - Mental Check-in & Life Shift This podcast episode was fully generated by AI — research, script, voices, and production. Built with Claude, Piper TTS, and automated pipeline tooling.
Transcribe →The Science of Sobriety: Surviving a Drinking World
3w ago00:15:08Tap to summarizeWhat actually happens in your brain when you stop drinking? In this episode, we break down the neuroscience of alcohol, why sobriety is so hard, and why an entire generation is putting down the glass. From dopamine hijacking to tolerance mechanics, we explore the real science behind the oldest enchantment humanity ever cast on itself. 00:00:00 - Introduction and topic reveal 00:01:00 - How alcohol hijacks your dopamine system 00:02:30 - The dual effect: boosting pleasure while suppressing stress 00:04:00 - Neuroplasticity and tolerance: why you need more over time 00:06:00 - What happens to your brain when you stop drinking 00:08:00 - The social challenge of being sober in a drinking culture 00:10:00 - Why Gen Z and millennials are choosing sobriety 00:12:00 - Practical strategies for existing as a sober person 00:14:00 - Final thoughts and takeaways This podcast episode was fully generated by AI — research, script, voices, and production. Built with Claude, Piper TTS, and automated pipeline tooling.
Transcribe →Volleyball Is the Multi-Class Character of Sports
3w ago00:14:58Tap to summarizeWhat if volleyball already contains every sport you love? In this episode, we break down how volleyball borrows mechanics from baseball, basketball, golf, and more — proving it's the ultimate multi-class athlete's game. If you've ever thrown a curveball, sunk a free throw, or stuck a chip shot, you already speak volleyball. 00:00:00 - Intro and the multi-class sports metaphor 00:01:30 - Float serves and baseball knuckleballs: the identical physics 00:03:00 - Spin serves as curveballs and sliders 00:04:30 - Serving routine as free throw ritual: rhythm, focus, repetition 00:06:00 - Good touches cascading into easy points, like a great golf drive setting up simple chips and putts 00:08:00 - Passing and first touch as quarterback reads and ball handling 00:09:30 - Setting as the point guard assist: vision, timing, deception 00:11:00 - Hitting and spiking compared to tennis smashes and soccer volleys 00:12:30 - Defensive digs as goalkeeper saves and outfielder dives 00:13:30 - Blocking as the chess match at the net 00:14:30 - Wrap-up: why volleyball is the sport you already love but haven't tried yet This podcast episode was fully generated by AI — research, script, voices, and production. Built with Claude, Piper TTS, and automated pipeline tooling.
Transcribe →When AI Learned to Play: From Pac-Man Ghosts to LLMs Beating Factorio
3w ago00:15:52Tap to summarizeWe trace the wild evolution of game AI from the simplest pre-programmed enemies to modern LLMs that can actually think their way through complex video games. Starting with Pac-Man's four ghosts in 1980 and their surprisingly clever personality system, we level up through fighting game CPUs, RuneScape bots, and finally arrive at the bleeding edge: MCP servers that let large language models perceive, reason about, and interact with PC games in real time. 00:00:00 - Introduction and the big question: is game AI actually thinking? 00:01:15 - Tier 1: The pre-programmed spellbook era (1970s-80s, Pac-Man ghosts) 00:03:30 - Tier 2: Fighting game CPUs and input-reading difficulty scaling 00:05:45 - Tier 3: Scripted bots and RuneScape's gather-click-repeat loops 00:07:30 - The leap: from scripted behavior to actual reasoning with LLMs 00:09:00 - How MCP servers work as the bridge between LLMs and games 00:11:00 - The mechanical loop: perceive, reason, act, evaluate 00:12:30 - Concrete example: LLM-driven Factorio automation and planning 00:14:15 - Tools, flows, and emerging industry standards 00:15:30 - Where this is all heading and final thoughts This podcast episode was fully generated by AI — research, script, voices, and production. Built with Claude, Piper TTS, and automated pipeline tooling.
Transcribe →Sweden's Beach Volleyball Revolution: The Jump Set That Changed Everything
4w ago00:17:55Tap to summarizeSweden, a country with four months of sunshine, has somehow become the dominant force in men's beach volleyball. We break down the Swedish jump set — the tactical innovation that shattered the traditional pass-set-spike orthodoxy — and trace its origins from a radical coaching experiment to Olympic gold. We deep dive into the three coaches behind the system, explore what drives them, and examine how the next generation is already surpassing the originals. 00:00:00 - Introduction and Sweden's unlikely beach volleyball dominance 00:01:30 - What is the Swedish jump set and why it breaks traditional volleyball 00:03:00 - Early origins of the jump set before it went mainstream 00:05:00 - Ahman and Hellvig: the first pair to weaponize the system 00:06:30 - Player vs coach driven — who pushed for the jump set 00:08:00 - Deep dive: Coach Rasmussen and his role in the system 00:09:30 - Deep dive: Coach Jonsson's contributions and philosophy 00:11:00 - Deep dive: Anders Kristiansson and the coaching triad 00:12:30 - Data-driven or passion project — what motivates the Swedish coaches 00:14:00 - The new kings: Anderson and Hölting Nilsson rise to number one 00:15:30 - How Anderson and Hölting Nilsson differ from Ahman and Hellvig 00:17:00 - What makes Hölting Nilsson arguably the best jump setter in the world 00:18:00 - Outro This podcast episode was fully generated by AI — research, script, voices, and production. Built with Claude, Piper TTS, and automated pipeline tooling.
Transcribe →Your Sword and Spell List: Sports Betting Terminology & Proven Flows
4w ago00:17:23Tap to summarizeBuilding on our previous deep dive into how sportsbooks build their odds, this episode equips you with the essential terminology and proven mathematical flows that exploit cracks in the system. We cover everything from bankroll management and unit sizing to the vig, expected value, and specific betting strategies that are mathematically proven to beat the books - all framed as your RPG character sheet for the sportsbook dungeon. 00:00:00 - Introduction and callback to Episode 47 (how books build odds) 00:01:30 - Your character sheet: bankroll basics and unit sizing 00:03:00 - The vig (juice) explained: understanding minus 110 00:05:00 - Expected value (EV) and why it matters 00:07:00 - Key terminology: spreads, totals, moneylines, and parlays 00:09:30 - Proven Flow #1: Middling opportunities between books 00:11:30 - Proven Flow #2: Steam moves and line shopping 00:13:00 - Proven Flow #3: Kelly Criterion for optimal bet sizing 00:15:00 - How these flows use math to exploit structural inefficiencies 00:16:30 - Wrap-up and preview of future deep dives into specific flows This podcast episode was fully generated by AI — research, script, voices, and production. Built with Claude, Piper TTS, and automated pipeline tooling.
Transcribe →The USB Cable Car Heist: How a Phone Charger Stole 8.3 Million Cars
May 400:14:04Tap to summarizeThe Kia Boys exploited one of the most absurd security failures in modern automotive history — millions of Hyundai and Kia vehicles sold without engine immobilizers, making them stealable with nothing more than a USB cable. We break down the technical exploit, why 96% of other manufacturers had this solved by 2015, and why Charlotte's Hyundai Boys are keeping the trend alive. 00:00:00 - Introduction and the USB cable reveal 00:01:30 - The missing immobilizer: 8.3 million vulnerable vehicles 00:03:00 - How the exploit actually works 00:04:30 - Industry comparison: 96% vs Hyundai/Kia's 26% 00:06:00 - The D&D analogy: dumping defense for profit 00:07:30 - Did Hyundai/Kia have the technology? 00:09:00 - The TikTok viral spread and theft epidemic 00:10:30 - Charlotte's Hyundai Boys and regional trends 00:12:00 - Manufacturer response and software fixes 00:13:00 - Lessons in security basics and final thoughts This podcast episode was fully generated by AI — research, script, voices, and production. Built with Claude, Piper TTS, and automated pipeline tooling.
Transcribe →