Episodes

Welcome to Season 6 of Cidiot®! I'm excited to talk about 700,000 acre-big Catskill Park, "America's First Wilderness," with Ryan Penny, owner of Camp Catskill in Tannersville, NY. In two parts, we'll cover what drew Ryan to ...

Cidiot closes out Season 5—the show's biggest yet—with reflections on what worked and what's ahead. Thank you for making Cidiot one of the Hudson Valley's biggest and most loved shows. Stay warm catching up on past episodes a...

I love color. I’m fascinated by color. I have questions. Amy Krane is an architectural color consultant as well as a real estate broker. And get this: she has her own podcast on color called Let’s Talk (Paint) Color with …

Ash trees are dying fast. Not just at our house, but across the Hudson Valley. This has made me learn a lot about taking care of trees (e.g., the PINE method for tree care: prune, inspect, nourish and extend), meet …

Meet a couple who makes a leap, not just in moving upstate, but by restoring a motel. Cidiot talks to Kendra Sinclair and Jared Vengrin who have just opened the Reclaimed Motel in Red Hook in Dutchess County, New York. …

It seemed like a giant beehive was in our willow. Or was it? What should a cidiot do anyway? This episode is about the little critters that fill our lives—and our properties—in the Hudson Valley. Bees, wasps, bats, snakes, sp...

Let's talk more broadly about this movement to the country and the experience for each of us. I speak to artist and photographer Alissa Hessler, founder of Urban Exodus , a project and podcast. She is also author of Ditch …

When you think of art in the Hudson Valley, your head probably goes to the Hudson Valley School and the river, mountains and landscapes of Thomas Cole and Frederic Edwin Church. You know, dead old white men. Anne Sanger runs …

In a special cross-over in honor of International Podcast Day, Cidiot talks to this year’s winner of the Chronogrammie for regional podcast (we got runner-up!) Brett of Kaatscast podcast. It’s no wonder he won. A pro in audio...

If you love books, you’ll love this episode. Cidiot gets local, pro recommendations from Oblong Books in Millerton and Rhinebeck, The Chatham Bookstore in Chatham, Rough Draft Bar & Books in Kingston, and several Cidiot liste...

A big part of why we love the Hudson Valley and Catskills is because of the farms and the animals. In this awesome, moving, eye-opening, and hilarious episode, you’ll meet the fabulous Kathy Stevens and hear how Catskill Anim...

Super-short episode today while Cidiot prepares for a big, big, big fall sprint of shows starting September 1. Get on the free Cidiot newsletter to not miss a thing ! Cidiot Anthem (Audio only): Apple Music , Spotify , Sound...

Four years since the show debuted! What a good time for a State of the Cidiot . In this special episode, Mat reflects on what Cidiot has accomplished so far along with birthday messages from several listeners, including Mark,...

Is there an equivalent for cidiots in Maine? Yes there is! In fact, Mainers have their own dictionary of phrases I was excited to learn on our two-week vacation. It got me thinking about doing nothing and doing everything. I'...

Newburgh is one of the oldest towns in New York State and frequently talked about as a city coming around. Cidiot spoke to Diane Parisella, who with her business partner Lisa Morgan, own Designed Grind Cafe at the Newburgh Ma...

I asked our new sponsors at Taconic Toastmasters Club to help me be a better presenter on air for you. They went through a few of my episodes and tell me what I'm doing right—and maybe could be better. I'm …

Let's go further north. Health. History. Horses. And culture. Cidiot has a one-on-one conversation with Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). You’ll hear about Elizabeth’s journey to le...

It's strawberry season! Yes, I can't eat them sadly, but you probably can happily. In this special episode breaking from our usual schedule, hear directly from Robinson Greig at Greig Farm on best practices of what to look fo...

Pride starts early in June across the Hudson Valley, Catskills and Berkshires. This episode I talk to Osun Zotique , executive director of OutHudson and the co-grand marshal of Hudson Pride. If you’re following the news, you ...

Is it a chore or a passion? This episode of Cidiot we go through seasonal to-do lists, from Mat, from listeners—and from a special guest Robinson Greig of Greig Farm . No one has a longer—or more daunting list—than a …

Some of the most important news is local. Mat interviews Emily Sachar, publisher and editor of The Daily Catch. She shares her journey from a newspaper reporter (including an internship under Bob Woodward at The Washington Po...

The Chronogrammies weren't always reader's choice, but luckily they are now. This episode, Mat reviews Chronogram magazine's 3rd Annual Chronogrammies finalists category by category with his picks for your vote—and why. From ...

Whether you consider cottage core a movement or a stylish trend, it’s a connection to the past. I talk about what it means to me, including its form in Jello-molds. I also talk to Jeremy Franson and Sandra Franson, who …

This episode of Cidiot is about managing stress and the proven science of the great outdoors being good for you. I talk to Allison Chawla, host of Talk to Allison on Radio Free Rhinecliff as well as a psychotherapist, healer,...