Andrea's Favorite Things #5: Podcasts
Today we're going to talk about my favorite podcasts! Podcasts are awesome because, if you're reading this, you all have internet and therefore the ability to download awesome and entertaining podcasts!
I didn't used to be quite so into podcasts, but now that I take the bus to and from work every day, I am much more invested in them. I spend about 2 hours on the bus every day, so they really help make time go by quickly AND I learn quite a lot. They are also good for long car trips, if you have a set-up to hook your iPod or mp3 player into your stereo, and I have also spent many a plane ride listening to podcasts. All of the podcasts I download are free. FREE is the best price of all!
1) This American Life: Each week has a theme, as told through several stories related to that theme, usually by well-known (to the public radio crowd, anyway) writers and humorists and essayists. Lots of David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, and others. Always entertaining and very well put together. I recommend subscribing to the podcast via iTunes, however, because only the current week is free for download. If you want to hear past episodes (I especially recommend the one on television, which is probably the best This American Life episode I've ever heard), you can buy year-long volumes from the website or iTunes.
2) Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! is a news quiz show on NPR and by far one of the funniest and most entertaining shows to listen to. Listeners call in to participate in quiz games based on the week's news and have the opportunity to win Karl Cassel's voice on their voice message. Each week there are three commentators, usually awesome people like Mo Rocca, Amy Dickinson, and Paula Poundstone. The commentators also participate in news quiz games for points. There's a guest each week who calls in for a brief interview and then competes in a quiz game on behalf of a caller. The guests are really random. I've heard everyone from Neil Patrick Harris to Jesse Ventura to Scott McLellen. Think The Daily Show but with quizes!
3) Savage LoveCast: Dan Savage's podcast, which if you don't know who Dan Savage is, he's a sex advice columnist who is also gay and has written awesome books like The Commitments about his partner and adopted son and their life together. The podcast is mostly people from all walks of life calling in with their sex and relationship problems. But I think the summary for this week's episode describes it best: "Jesus had two daddies…Get ready for a very ranty, very political, very gay-marriage-obsessed show. Need a pep talk? Listen in. Also: smelly dick piercings, orgasmus interruptus, and spunk overload." Who *wouldn't* want to listen to that? I have learned so many things from the LoveCast. For example: don't use liquid nitrogen on your nipples. Lessons everyone should learn. Also great because you can download any episode at any time, and unlike news shows, sex advice never goes out of date.
4) NPR Shuffle: this is a great podcast that gets put together every day. It's about 20 minutes long on the week days and 45 on the weekends, and it's basically a mix of stories from all the different shows on NPR. I really like it because it's a good mix of news, human interest, science, music, art... just everything, really. In one episode I can learn all about new applications for the iPhone AND why credit default swaps caused the global economic crisis.
So those are the podcasts I listen to on a regular basis. They are free and awesome, and definitely one of my favorite things. I would love to get recommendations of podcasts from you all! I can always use more podcasts to keep me entertained during those long bus rides.
I didn't used to be quite so into podcasts, but now that I take the bus to and from work every day, I am much more invested in them. I spend about 2 hours on the bus every day, so they really help make time go by quickly AND I learn quite a lot. They are also good for long car trips, if you have a set-up to hook your iPod or mp3 player into your stereo, and I have also spent many a plane ride listening to podcasts. All of the podcasts I download are free. FREE is the best price of all!
1) This American Life: Each week has a theme, as told through several stories related to that theme, usually by well-known (to the public radio crowd, anyway) writers and humorists and essayists. Lots of David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, and others. Always entertaining and very well put together. I recommend subscribing to the podcast via iTunes, however, because only the current week is free for download. If you want to hear past episodes (I especially recommend the one on television, which is probably the best This American Life episode I've ever heard), you can buy year-long volumes from the website or iTunes.
2) Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! is a news quiz show on NPR and by far one of the funniest and most entertaining shows to listen to. Listeners call in to participate in quiz games based on the week's news and have the opportunity to win Karl Cassel's voice on their voice message. Each week there are three commentators, usually awesome people like Mo Rocca, Amy Dickinson, and Paula Poundstone. The commentators also participate in news quiz games for points. There's a guest each week who calls in for a brief interview and then competes in a quiz game on behalf of a caller. The guests are really random. I've heard everyone from Neil Patrick Harris to Jesse Ventura to Scott McLellen. Think The Daily Show but with quizes!
3) Savage LoveCast: Dan Savage's podcast, which if you don't know who Dan Savage is, he's a sex advice columnist who is also gay and has written awesome books like The Commitments about his partner and adopted son and their life together. The podcast is mostly people from all walks of life calling in with their sex and relationship problems. But I think the summary for this week's episode describes it best: "Jesus had two daddies…Get ready for a very ranty, very political, very gay-marriage-obsessed show. Need a pep talk? Listen in. Also: smelly dick piercings, orgasmus interruptus, and spunk overload." Who *wouldn't* want to listen to that? I have learned so many things from the LoveCast. For example: don't use liquid nitrogen on your nipples. Lessons everyone should learn. Also great because you can download any episode at any time, and unlike news shows, sex advice never goes out of date.
4) NPR Shuffle: this is a great podcast that gets put together every day. It's about 20 minutes long on the week days and 45 on the weekends, and it's basically a mix of stories from all the different shows on NPR. I really like it because it's a good mix of news, human interest, science, music, art... just everything, really. In one episode I can learn all about new applications for the iPhone AND why credit default swaps caused the global economic crisis.
So those are the podcasts I listen to on a regular basis. They are free and awesome, and definitely one of my favorite things. I would love to get recommendations of podcasts from you all! I can always use more podcasts to keep me entertained during those long bus rides.