Podcast Extravaganza: Feb 2010 Edition
// February 4th, 2010 // View Comments // Entertainment, News, Technology
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?
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John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman skewer the headlines with a wonderful British wit.
Hosted by Merlin Mann (hotdogsladies), a productivity guru and general nerd originally from Florida gets together Adam Lisagor (lonelysandwhich) and Scott Simpson (scottsimpson) to basically shoot the shit and brainstorm about off the wall topics, such as the pedophilia rampant in the game of chess, designing a signature drink (The Aunt Nancy, it has a chicken wing attached to it) and what to do with the elderly in America. This is pretty much the bizarre conversations my friends and I have, but consistently funnier.
A wonderful program that most folks already know of that I recently discovered, This American Life collects stories from across the nation. Some are educational, others bizzare and hilarious. Others are both endearing and heartbreaking. You never know what topic will be discussed by host Ira Glass.
