Well, according to my iPod Touch…
I love listening to podcasts. In fact, instead of reading on the subway on Mondays, I download pod casts for my commute.
In no particular order: here is a list of my top 5, a brief description of them, why I get them and where to get them on iTunes.
NPR’s Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!
“Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! is NPR’s weekly hour-long quiz program. Each week on the radio you can test your knowledge against some of the best and brightest in the news and entertainment world while figuring out what’s real news and what’s made up” (link)
So if you have fell asleep and fell over the pop culture boat or missed something important in the news like Tiger Wood’s multiple affairs (for example). Wait Wait… Don’t tell Me! will get you up to speed for the new week. Besides that, it’s entertaining limericks that have me laughing on my commute… This also makes everyone think I’m friendly (because I am smiling) and gets creepy guys to hit on me. In any case, it avoids the case of the Mondays.
You can Listen Here or download from iTunes.
This American Life
“There’s a theme to each episode, and a variety of stories on that theme. It’s mostly true stories of everyday people, though not always. There’s lots more to the show, but, like we said, it’s sort of hard to describe.“
As the description goes, there’s a theme to every episode. What I like about this show is that it’s from NPR <- they seem to be very good at entertaining. It’s a weekly show and they cover a wide range of topics that you might never have listened to if you didn’t get the podcast. I listen to it every week and this is my second year actually donating to them to continue the show. Please donate if you can because it’s very educational (besides entertaining). If you go to their website: thisamericanlife.org visit the archives and listen to past shows.
You can Listen Here or download from iTunes.
Motiontraxx
“Motion Traxx is your ‘Fuel For Running’. It’s a fitness music podcast designed to for running and other exercises and activities that benefit from up-beat, steady-paced music. The show is produced by Deekron ‘The Fitness DJ’. Motion Traxx features non-stop dance music mixes set at high Beats-Per-Minute (BPM), and is free for everyone. How’s that to get you ‘going’?“
This was shared to me by one of my friends (@gardenia) during the time that I picked up running not only as a hobby. The podcast provides the motivation that I need to get through my runs. The DJ does two checkpoints at 1/2 hour and at the end and at times I don’t realize that I’ve ran for a whole hour with his random beats and power tunes. The great thing about this podcast is that there are archived podcasts that you can download.
You can Listen Here or download from iTunes.
Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Tips
“Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. Covering the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers, Grammar Girl makes complex grammar questions simple with memory tricks to help you recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules.“
I’ve renewed my interest in Grammar after a very long hiatus since Advance Placement English in High School (College almost doesn’t count). As some of you know, I’m writing short stories and a couple novels (which my take me eternity to complete). So, I reintroduced myself to being grammatically correct by listening to these pod casts (and for that, I need to proof-read all my blog entries – help!). I love these very short , quick and dirty tips as they say, because they are easy to follow and not quite like your crazy high school English teachers (love you too). I also got Mignon Fogarty’s book, The Grammar Devotional, to help me on my journey to Authorship.
You can Listen Here or download from iTunes.
The Moth
“The Moth, a not-for-profit storytelling organization, was founded in New York in 1997 by poet and novelist George Dawes Green, who wanted to recreate in New York the feeling of sultry summer evenings on his native St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, where he and a small circle of friends would gather to spin spellbinding tales on his friend Wanda’s porch.”
I love these stories, they range from clean to explicit by the way. They are told without scripts. Some are very short.
and a Bonus that I’ve started listening today.
Risk! True Tales Boldly Told
“RISK! is a live stage show in New York City AND an audio podcast that can be heard around the world. RISK! is where people tell true stories they never thought they’d dare to tell in public.“
This is almost like Moth and equally entertaining. These stories really happened and are the types that you may not want to admit.
You can Listen Here or download from iTunes.
Now that I have shared 6 pod casts. Please comment and let me know some that you’ve listened to, what they are about and why you like them.