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Podcast Extravaganza: Feb 2010 Edition

Dan — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:10:46 +0000

So back in 2008 the first true entry I ever made on the site was a breakdown of all the podcasts I was listening to at the time. My commute is fairly short so I only have about a half hour each day to listen, so I don’t both with audiobooks or lengthier podcasts. Included with each blurb is a link to their iTunes subscription page and/or RSS feed. Homepages can be found by clicking the images. It’s been two years since then so I decided I’d revisit the subject. Here’s what I’m currently listening to:

Returning from ‘08 is one of my favorites, You Look Nice Today: A Journal of Emotional Hygiene. A hilarious and absurd bit of comedy from the brilliant minds of Merlin Mann, Scott Simpson, and Adam Lisagor, YLNT is an ever evolving hodgepodge of weirdness. In one episode they’ll be developing a brand new dance move, and reminiscing about the poor fashion choices of their youth. Well worth listening to. iTunes / RSS

Another one that’s withstood the test of time is This American Life, a creation of WBEZ Chicago, TAL has host Ira Glass and his team of producers, reporters, and creative people telling stories that make America great. They run the gamut from funny and sincere, to poignant and thought-provoking, to heartbreakingly tragic or just plain outrageous. Best of all, it’s entirely true. iTunes / RSS

TWIG a.k.a. This Week In Google is part of Leo Laporte’s “network” of webcasts and podcasts that discuss various aspects of tech in society. Specifically hosts Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Gina Trapani spend time digging up rumors, interviews, and insight into cloud technologies and news about the Big G. A new add. iTunes / Site

Jordan, Jesse, Go! is a more subdued cousin to You Look Nice Today. Hosted by Jordan “Boy Detective” Morris and Jesse “America’s Radio Sweetheart” Thorn, JJG! is a spiritual successor to their old college version of the very successful Sound of Young America. Guests become entangled with Jordan and Jesse’s bizarre improvisations and their strong Internet community leads to call-ins describing ‘momentous occasions’ such as witnessing roller-blading goth kids, as well as special listener activities and projects. iTunes / RSS

I hope you’ve enjoyed, and I highly recommend giving each of these a chance, they’re well worth the time. You may laugh or learn something new, and who couldn’t use more of both?

Word Count: 403

Change and Hope

Dan — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:00:55 +0000

Today, less than an hour ago, I watched history being made. Barack Hussien Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. We have begun a new chapter in America’s story, one that urges each and every one of us to take responsibilty for our actions, to be held accountable for the choices we make. A nation with renewed hope and a honest desire to make true and progressive changes in the way we live, learn, and lead.

I’m walking a little taller and a little prouder today, and I hope you are, too.

History Lessons. . .

Dan — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:54:40 +0000

It’s totally not insensitive or crass to create a quiz based upon the deaths of 3,000+ people.

What the hell. . .

Way to trivialize the worst terrorist attack to ever happen on US soil.

On the other hand, in another ten or twenty years all of this will probably be taught in history and social studies classrooms all over the country. We already teach our children about the atrocities of WWII, and they occurred only a few decades ago. Like it or not, the events of September 11th, 2001 have had a tremendous impact on everything that’s happened in the past seven years, and it’s influence on the world will continue to resonate for years to come. What matters is what knowledge we can gather from this tragedy. Already engineers have learned how to produce stronger, more resilient buildings.

I don’t know what else to say, but my heart goes out to all of those effected who lost someone in those senseless acts of violence.