Continuing my list of favorite things as my present to you, today I want to share some of my top picks among podcasts. I spend a lot of time traveling and doing dishes and podcasts are how I keep sane and learn along the way. So, by category, here are the podcasts I listen to regularly.
- News & Knowledge
- The Bugle – Warning: Explicit language. John Oliver (lately of the Daily Show) and his long time friend Andy Zaltzman comment on the week’s news.
- Friday Night Comedy from Radio 4 – The News Quiz and The NOW Show. These two shows alternate with each running a few weeks. One is a variety type show (the NOW show) and the other being, well, a news quiz.
- Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! – “The NPR news quiz show.” Not much more to say.
- Radiolab from WNYC – Incredibly produced shows that offer amazing sonic experience as they delve into fascinating subjects. For people who feel This American Life is simply to boring.
- On the Media – A look at the media’s coverage of news over the past week. Not always the most balanced, but always fair.
- In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg – MB discusses the history of ideas and the people who have them with a panel of academics. Much more interesting than it sounds.
- Entertainment
- The Dinner Party Download – A variety show built around the conceit of a dinner party. Definitely weekly reading, especially if you like hearing about exotic cocktails and great music choices.
- How to Do Everything Podcast – Think of this as the bits that intrigued you from Wait Wait that they didn’t have time to explore. By the producers of said show.
- Chris Evans – The Best Bits – A BBC DJ that I listened to while in England, his show now uploads the best bits every day. I dip in two or three times a week. Just a bit of fun.
- Scotland’s Funny Bits – Comedian Fred MacAulay hosts a morning program on BBC Scotland. This is a once a week podcast of best bits. One of the best reasons to download this one: During the Edinburgh Festival Fringe they have guests everyday from the Fringe and upload almost every day. A great way to enjoy from afar.
- Technology
- MacBreak Weekly – These next two are both by Leo Laporte and he has LOTS of other tech podcasts. His “TWiT network” has been around longer than twitter and MBW has been a stalwart. Most major Apple pundits make regular appearances. It can all get to be a bit of the same though…
- This Week in Tech – So if you listen to too many of his shows too often you can easily get LeOverload.
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