This list of podcasts didn't seem to fit into the My Media Sources meme, so I provide a commented list here for those who are curious.
But first, what is interesting to me? Technology discussion, interesting or new-to-me music, business and some general culture topics. I am curious guy, so I will try things if they sound like they might be interesting, or if a trusted friend suggests it. The other aspect is that the podcast has to work for me, and here is where things are clearly personal. And not interesting? I quickly discard podcasts where the speakers sit around and gab with no post-show editing (or pre-show planning). I've dropped shows where the tone and style of the presenters didn't work for me - another very personal preference. Read on if your curious about the full list.
Put this in the category of too much information.
- BBC
- Digital Planet (feed). Another technology show with a BBC feel. The presenter does shows that range all over the planet, from the UK to India to Austin, TX. 30 minutes, weekly.
- In Our Time (feed). Excellent show that dives into a topic with three or four experts, chaired by Melvyn Bragg. Dennis Kennedy recommended this one to me when I first started checking podcasts. 42 minutes, weekly.
- Radio 1's Best of Unsigned (feed) and The Weekender (feed) are BBC radio music programs that I enjoy as background music and sometimes introduce me to something new. 30 minutes, weekly.
- BizTechTalk with Dan Keldsen (feed). I haven't yet listened to this one. It was recommended on one of the blogs I read, and Keldsen covers some KM-related topics.
- BusinessWeek
- Climbing the Ladder (feed). A discussion of career development concepts and ideas. Not very thrilling for me. time varies, irregular schedule.
- Technology & You (feed). One of many tech-related podcasts, this one picks a topic and focuses on it for about ten minutes, so it's okay if I skip when the topic is not relevant to me. 10 minutes, weekly.
- Chicago Bites - Restaurant Reviews & Dining Podcast (feed). A former student (and now friend) and her buddy run this fun show with weekly reviews (and photos at the website) of their experiences in the Chicago dining scene. We dined with them last week, so I am probably biased on the quality of the show. 15 minutes, weekly.
- clue implementation unit (feed). Jake McKee, Lee LeFever, and Christopher Carfi talking about community in business. They've just started - and they need to work on cleaning up the podcast in post-production. 30 minutes, weekly.
- David Maister's Business Masterclass (feed). Maister is a well-regarded business advisor, and this Masterclass focuses on personal career development opportunities. 15-20 minutes, weekly.
- Quick and Dirty Tips. These are all light-hearted shows to be ~4 minute shows on a single idea, published weekly.
- Grammar Girl (feed). Recommended by my brother and my college roommate. Interesting, basic tips on grammar. The college roommate quibbles with some of the tips, but keeps listening.
- Mighty Mommy (feed). This one just started, so we'll see how it sticks. It's always useful to hear parenting suggestions that aren't covered in sugar.
- Mr. Manners (feed). Also recommended by my brother. Practical tips, most recently covering etiquette in the gym.
- Great Speeches in History (feed). A recommendation from my brother, this show provide actual audio or readings of historical speeches from Martin Luther King to Plato and everywhere else. Timing varies, published a few times a month.
- HBR IdeaCast (feed). Business ideas, generally pulled from materials published in HBR. This is the only podcast that makes use of waypoints within the podcast, in case I want to skip one segment. Very handy. ~15 minutes, weekly.
- Knowledge@Wharton Audio Articles (feed). Similar to the HBR IdeaCast, this show picks up on recent business news and finds a Wharton professor or other expert(s) to discuss. Sometimes interesting, sometimes not. I keep it as Knowledge@Wharton has produced KM-related materials. 20-30 minutes, weekly.
- Learn Spanish with Coffee Break Spanish (feed). Basic Spanish education in a bite-sized dose. I don't think I would rely on this show as a sole means to learn Spanish, but it is a nice refresher from my 20-years-ago high school Spanish. 20 minutes, weekly.
- Myth Minute Podcast (feed) and Myth Show Podcast (feed) are shows that I want to be interesting, but I find myself fading. The "myth" here is that of mythology, not urban legends. The Myth Minute is a new offering, and I might stick with that for the quick tidbits on mythology and characters.
- NPR shows
- All Songs Considered (feed). Mostly pop music, though the presenter moves into other areas too. The show varies from concerts to guest DJ sets to new album introductions. 30-60 minutes, weekly.
- Car Talk's Call of the Week (feed). I love Car Talk, but I don't want a full hour on my iPod. This gives me a laugh and their silly banter in 5-10 minutes, weekly.
- Hmmm.... Krulwich on Science (feed). Short, science (or history) items, sometimes relevant to the news of the day. 10 minutes.
- Intelligence Squared (feed). Newly subscribed, debate-style discussion. ~45 minutes.
- Music (feed). Music-related segments from across the NPR spectrum in a given week. Timing varies.
- On Words with John Ciardi (feed). Historic segments from the late John Ciardi on etymology, grammar or other wordy topics. Fun to listen to his perspective. 4 minutes, weekly.
- Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! (feed). I've just subscribed to this show, which is my favorite NPR offering. Our weekend schedule makes it tough to remember to tune in. 48 minutes, weekly.
- World Cafe: Next from WXPN (feed). WXPN is the University of Pennsylvania affiliate that I listened to alternately with the punk rock WKDU or indie rock WPRB. David Dye shows off two or three songs from new artists. He usually says a few things about the band and then lets the music go. 10 minutes, weekly.
- Xeni Tech (feed). Xeni Jardin's discussions of technology, frequently looking at how technology is influencing people in places where we don't think of technology fitting. I don't always listen to the whole show. 5 minutes, weekly.
- President's Weekly Radio Address (feed). This is the US President's weekly radio address that my bother suggested. I'm not a heavily-political guy, and it's interesting to hear his perspective. 5 minutes, weekly.
- TEDTalks (audio) (feed). New subscription, but I am curious if they will publish 2007 talks.
- The Onion Radio News (feed). The Onion is the nation's premier comedy newspaper, and these podcasts carry on that tradition. One minute, daily.
- The Time Traveler Show - Interviews and Vintage Fiction (feed). Science fiction podcast that I'm still checking. 30-60 minutes, monthly.
- this WEEK in TECH - MP3 Edition (feed). Leo Laporte brings in a variety of technology columnists or opinion leaders to talk about the technology news of the week (and weird). The participants vary in background and perspective, but they all bring a great sense of humor that usually gets me laughing. And the show keeps me up to date on buzzed-about topics in technology that I don't necessarily track elsewhere. 45-75 minutes, weekly.
- Dead or Very Inactive
- 43 Folders (feed). This is Merlin Mann's website, and he's started a new video podcast at The Merlin Show. But I'm not on video and they don't (yet) offer an audio-only track.
- 780 WBBM's (Mayor) Daley Show (feed). I've subscribed to this mostly as entertainment and local interest for Chicago. Thus far, these have been rambling speeches by Daley and other Chicago politicians.
- Catavo Insights (feed). This may have been a one-off show.
- DaddyCast (feed). An attempt to get more parenting ideas, but the Might Mommy is a better approach for me.
- David Allen Company Podcast (feed). The Getting Things Done guru was rebroadcasting shows from 43 Folders, but there hasn't been much new recently.
- Pickle Tales (feed). I think this was a science fiction contest that I discovered at the end. Nothing new since I subscribed.
- Really Learn Spanish (feed). Another Spanish-learning podcast. This one focused on tips for diving into the language, but the presenter appears to have stopped after five shows in 2005.
- Strange Attractor (feed). The show in January promised more from Suw Charman, but nothing has appeared since.