This is the year I really discovered podcasting as content not just technology. What if you could program your own radio station with interests that pulled from the entire English speaking planet instead of just your metropolis? Podcasting makes this possible. I've really only begun to explore but it turns out that when you get your first taste of freedom, you don't venture that far from home. Here is my list of podcasts I love.
Croncast - A couple with two kids talk about their life. They come across as a couple clearly in love with each other. That in and of itself is cool but what keeps me coming back is their funny stories of the honest and real bullshit that sometimes keeps them down.
Daily Breakfast - A Catholic priest from the Netherlands talks about... the Nintendo Wii, Lost, Mel Gibson, Global Warming, Exercise, Latin and religion. Father Roderick humanizes the priesthood and presents a non-preachy perspective on the days events.
Filmspotting - Formerly know as Cinecast, this show was a real revelation. Think Siskel and Ebert in their heyday, without the constraints of a half hour format or the need for mass appeal. Two smart Midwest American movie goers stake out passionate positions on recent movie releases and spend twenty plus minutes defending/debating them. They have regular themed movie festivals such as anime or screwball comedy where they seek out classic movies they haven't seen before to review and discuss with their listeners. My one complaint is they sometimes fall into the trap of believing that a well made blockbuster and art are mutually exclusive but hey you can't have everything.
TWIT (This Week in Tech) - Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, John C. Dvorak, and a rotating posse of tech types gather once a week and talk technology. A reporters round table with a focus on the disruptive, the annoying and the unexpected impact of technology. When they really get going it's almost like they are sitting around a bar and we are just lucky enough to have a seat at the table.
I listen to other podcasts but the above podcasts are in my regular rotation. Did I mention that I commute 35-40 minutes each way every work day? This is time that goes considerably faster when listening to something other than the local dj. A goal for 2007 will be to cast a wider net and find more podcasts from outside my comfy corner of the world.
