The video that changed the world.
Update: A couple of other points from comments. Podcasts can help reach people that have learning disabilities or vision problems that can make blog reading problematic at times. Also, podcasting is a way to reject corporate radio while not losing out on the great potential of radio.
Echidne asks if people really like podcasts.
I can see the value of being able to listen to an interesting geeky political podcast while commuting, say, but to me the podcasts have a serious flaw: Listening to them takes much more time than reading the same as a written text, and life is short, short.
Unless the ear is offered something extra: emotional nuances, perhaps, the extra time requirement isn’t worth the trouble for me. But that’s just me, and I’m sure that other people have very different views on podcasts.
She’s being asked to do a podcast, and I would say that I’d listen to hers. I’m very attuned to the “do something different” thing with podcasts, so I try very hard to make mine feel different than just a blog post. And because I have one, I’m probably prejudiced here, but I love podcasts. But it’s also because I agree that life is short.
I was like Echidne. I didn’t really see the point for a long time. And then I listened to a podcast while bicycling and a whole new world opened up to me. See, I suffer from the same “life is short” issue Echidne raises. There’s so much information out there that I both want and feel I need to absorb, and taking the time to do tasks like bicycling to commute or housework or exercise seemed oppressive to me, because I wasn’t reading during a lot of that, so the time seemed wasted. And then I listened to one podcast during a bike ride, and a whole new world opened up to me. I felt my geekiness harden, but oh, it’s worth it.
Now I’m an addict. I listen to a number of podcasts and radio shows that are turned into podcasts, including: Filmspotting, Sex Is Fun, the Savage Love Cast, Dear Science, Speaking of Sex, Seal’s podcast, The Skeptic’s Guide, and Quack Cast. And of course, Reality Cast. Podcasts give you a chance to be like a public radio mega-fan who schedules her own slate of shows from our publicly owned and quality-superior pool of public radio shows out there, and I listen to: Radio Lab, Bill Moyers, This American Life (which is facing a backlash of sorts, but is still quality stuff), and Sound Opinions.
Because of this, I get more exercise and my house is cleaner.
I used to be skeptical of multi-media internet stuff, but I think my skepticism stemmed from a quality issue. Now that there’s more podcasts out there, the cream is rising for me, and I’m listening more. Video was the same way. I was skeptical, but that’s because most video was people shouting at webcams, and that was boring. But people are learning to use the medium in better ways, to express information in ways that suit video more than text. And the professionalism envelope is getting pushed as well, and of course, video phones and iPods mean that it’s another way to kill time while waiting in line at the post office. One thing I’ve realized about video is that it’s got a better retention rate. Blog posts can blur together a little over time, but you remember videos very well. So putting some of your information in podcast or video form is a great way to really reinforce your message.
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“Listening to them takes much more time than reading the same as a written text, and life is short, short.”
Hmmm…I suppose it depends on how you spend your day. I love podcasts, audiobooks, etc because they give me something engaging to listen to when I’m engaged in an otherwise mind numbing task…
For example today I’m going to be crosschecking definitional terms in a 300 page document. (Which should be the dictionary definition of mind-numbing) So I’m going to listen to either the Black Swan or the New Golden Age.
Sort of like the Cuban tradition of the Lectern. Only without the requirement of an actual human being sitting in my office.
I would add “In Our Time” from BBC4.
Melvyn Bragg pulls together panels to discuss such topics as:
“Melvyn Bragg discusses the momentous historical event of the dissolution of the monasteries during the reign of Henry VIII with his guests…”
I’m not from a Liberal Arts background, so many topics sound abstruse. Funny thing is, the more unfamiliar the topic, the more interesting are the panel discussions.
YMMV
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/inourtime/
Two issues, though… The recordings disappear after a week. It takes a fair amount of clicking to actually arrive at the current week .mp3 file for download.
I do the podcast thing for cleaning the house, and love, love, love it for that. I used to listen to them while running, too, but discovered that longer distances require music. I can’t imagine listening to anything while biking, but that’s because I tend to get lost in podcasts and that bodes ill for my safety.
I don’t listen to many different shows, because I usually end up asking more questions than they pose, but those that really work (Bill Moyers, TAL, and your own, for example) do very well with encapsulating complicated arguments or stories verbally. Not so for many, or even most podcasts, I find.
What’s the backlash with TAL? Have I not been paying attention?
What is the backlash against “This American Life”? The show is sometimes hit or miss but when it hits, it can be spectacular.
I got addicted to podcasting via Air America. With no commercials, a 3-hr show is less than 2-hrs.
For any who haven’t given it a shot, I highly recommend Rachel Maddow and Thom Hartmann.
I will have to check out some of your podcats.
But I must ask: if you are now addicted to and listen to so many podcasts, when do you find the time to fine tune your music snobbishnessness?
As a cycling commuter, and lefty who likes your blog, don’t get killed on your bike because you had headphones on. I’m no nanny, but biking with headphones on is not safe or smart, and in a lot of jurisdictions an actual moving violation that you can get a ticket for. So just be careful. And keep your insurance payments current.
Hey! Listening to headphones during a bike commute is dangerous stuff, especially if it’s info-oriented. No crash up!
Podcasts give rise to a whole new level of boundry-breaking for worthwhile traditional media. For example, I’ve always been a huge fan of Adam Corolla, but when he took over for Howard Stern a couple of years back, he was only given broadcast reign over US Pacific timezone-based cities. Localizing like that has a reasonable basis in assigning audience familiarity - jokes/guests that work in the 6 AM hour don’t always work in the 8 AM hour.
For me though, I started catching his show while on business in California, loved the rants (now honed to a fine edge), and wanted to keep listening. Here in Boston, there’s no way…except for podcasts. Being able to catch simulcasts or segmented podcasts via RSS feeds is fantastic. It’s an extra source of revenue for the cost of bandwidth, a pittance compared to what a target advertiser will pay.
Yeah, what’s this about a This American Life backlash? I did read this on Stuff White People Like: “Is that that show where those hipster know-it-alls talk about how fascinating ordinary people are? God.” That just made me laugh, though, and I don’t exactly consider that to be an insult (except for the know-it-all part). It is a show about how fascinating ordinary people are, which is why I love it. God, I’ve listened to The Super repeatedly and it makes me LOL every time.
“But people are learning to use the medium in better ways, to express information in ways that suit video more than text.”
If you’re interested in that sort of thing, I’ve been filming and editing videopodcasts on historical subjects for the historical scociety I work for:
http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/?cat=1
Okay, people, back up a little here.
If you do podcats or some other kind of sound media application, it is my experience that you forget something VERY IMPORTANT.
NOT EVERYBODY can listen to podcasts! NOT EVERYBODY has access to the technology (such as high speed) that makes it viable. NOT EVERYBODY has the money to afford such devices required to store sound media (iPod, etc).
Oh, and NOT EVERYBODY can hear. I can’t. I’m deaf. Most of the time, I can’t enjoy You Tube videos or even access some of the media here because I can’t hear what is going on.
The solution? PLEASE, and this is extremely important, post a transcript, or at the very least, a short summary of what you discuss in the podcast. Amanda has transripts up over at Rh Reality Check for her podcast, and I really appreciate that. I know I am not getting all the information, but it is a huge step.
‘Liss at ShakesSis has done more than an excellent job accomodating her “shaker deafies”, which, by the way, gives me a warm fuzzy feeling, just knowing that she noticed that people like myself actually EXIST.
She posts transcripts and writes a summary whenever possible, and encourages others to do the same.
I encourage all of you to do the same. It is not only for the “deafies”, it’s for the technologically inadept, people who are restricted to dial-up at the library, people who do not have fancy devices, etc:. To make yourself accessible is extremely important and goes a long way towards equalizing society.
Thank you!
Raging Red-
I don’t want to turn this thread into “best of This American Life” but I highly recommend “Shouting Across the Divide” that was re-broadcast on Jan 7, 2008.
The first story will make you cry. The second story will make you laugh hysterically.
I tried Rachel Maddow’s podcast this week, but I found that while I really, really like her whenever she shows up on MSNBC her presence on radio wasn’t as enthralling. Maybe the shows to which I listened weren’t representative of her typical shows. YMMV.
I really like Fresh Air. The first week I subscribed had a great Richard Dawkins/evangelical genetic biologist counterpoint interview, Combatants for Peace, and the founder of belief.net talking about the role of religion with the Founding Fathers. Just a great intro to the program.
Podcasts are great for commuting. I live in town but work in the suburbs (?!?), and the podcast has really driven the nail in the coffin for me as far as settling for terrestrial radio. My phone gets traffic updates which means that Clear Channel/corporate radio has officially nothing to offer me.
I also have to inquire about the TAL backlash. Is it a “they sold out to teh TeeVee so they are dead to me” sort of thing? Has the show itself changed over the last 18 months or so?
Forget about This American Life: I don’t know what I’d do without the Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me podcast.
My wife and I burn them to CD and listen to them on road trips if we’ve missed a few weeks. Makes the drive go by so quickly.
I highly recommend ep. 115 of This American Life, in particular act two: Squirrel Cop. If that story doesn’t have you in tears of laughter you really need a shrink. Sadly, no transcript.
Melaka has a good point, btw - not only is a transcript good for reaching deaf people, it also allows a quick scan to catch the main points when you don’t have time to listen to the whole thing.
I’m a big blog reader who has yet to listen to his first podcast. I’ve watched TPM’s videos a couple of times, and they convinced me the multimedia is a value-subtractor (for me). It seems like a lot of time invested to sift through the various ‘casts available, which raises the time to information ratio to orders of magnitude higher than what you get from reading.
And then, when you’ve sought out your favorite ‘cast, downloaded, and spent however long soaking it up - haven’t you just put another brick in the wall of your personal echo chamber? Much better to read, where you can click through to referenced sources, hit Wiki for some background, and etc. I’d guess that 30 minutes reading blogs equals hours of podcasts, in terms of enlightenment.
When I’m commuting or otherwise can’t read; it’s talk radio. Stephanie Miller or Ed Schultz or whoever at least will prick my bubble no and then and keep me on my toes. Sometimes I even listen to right wing radio - preps me for arguments with my dittohead coworkers.
re-set the playback speed to “chipmunk” — it’s amazing how much you can still comprehend…then you can cram more podcast into yr commute
But I must ask: if you are now addicted to and listen to so many podcasts, when do you find the time to fine tune your music snobbishnessness?
Well, one of them is a rock music podcast, but I also do the MP3 blog thing when I have the time. The great thing about the internet is you’re seeing more and more people become self-appointed filters of content, and you can lean on them. I see myself in that role somewhat, except it’s in the area of this liberal progressive worldview.
To add to what Melaka said, not everyone can read a computer screen very well, so a podcast is actually a way to help people with degrees of blindness. I agree that transcripts improve accessibility, but the other advantage of video and podcasting is that it’s a way to reach out to people with eyesight issues or learning disabilities.
The only podcast proper that I listen to is the spectacular The Bugle with John Oliver (of The Daily Show) and Andy Zaltzman.
The Bugle the audio newspaper. Hilarious. That page has a link to the most recent one (”Crackers from Caracas”) and many older ones, too.
I listen to lots of audio but that’s the only capital “P” Podcast, and it’s a great one.
“PLEASE, and this is extremely important, post a transcript, or at the very least, a short summary of what you discuss in the podcast.”
Agreed Melaka!
If podcasters are looking for someone to make transcripts of their shows, I’m willing to offer my services! Having worked in the Deaf community, i have experience in transcription. Equal access….
El Tiburon — I also hate to make this a “Best of TAL” thread (but here I go), but I also LOVE the one where the woman wants to write a break-up song and she calls Phil Collins to talk to him about it. Frakking awesome. (But what’s with the seemingly large percentage of women who are on TAL having a squeaky voice that sounds like Sarah Vowell’s? Not that I don’t love her.)
On topic — Thanks to Amanda for listing some of your favorite podcasts, because you’re right, it’s nice to be able to lean on other people to filter the choices, since there are an overwhelming number to choose from. I need to add more podcast listening to my routine; it’d probably make me exercise more.
The most recent TAL 353 “The Audacity of Government”, was excellent, the kind of critical reporting on deeper issues that you never hear in mainstream media - in fact it should be required listening for every Bush supporter.
Not quite related to the news/issue related podcasts… I personally use my iPod and podcasts for language learning. It really is great to drive home while listening to a language lesson or to go for a run while absorbing some new Japanese or Italian vocabulary. So in that way I find podcasts very useful. I haven’t graduated to other more current events related podcasts but I’m sure it lies somewhere in my future.
Plain ol’ speaking podcasts? Not really.
Music podcasts are another thinng entirely.
Naxos records has a great series. Interviews with composers, musical samples, etc.
When I drive (which is too often) I’ll listen to an audiobook (free from my fabulous local library.)
RR- Agreed, that was freaking hilarious
to paraphrase, “so I’m talking to Phil Collins about break-up songs and Phil Collins starts quoting Phil Collins brak up songs…”
For me, I’m hooked on AstronomyCast ( http://www.astronomycast.com/ ), a really great science show. For me, podcast time used to be the bus commute but I don’t feel as comfortable doing that in a new city.
One of my favorite TAL moments that really highlights how audio can make a difference was an editorial/rant from a stutterer. The first half of the segment was recorded, edited and processed to make his speech clear, but then in the second half he asked the producer to stop editing the raw audio.
I used to listen to Keilor’s Writer’s Almanac until he made a pretty boneheaded anti-gay statement in another forum. Likewise, I can’t get past Savage’s knee-jerk bigotry when it comes to anything related to bisexuality in order to pay attention.
Oh, while we are talking classical music podcasts The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has a great one ( http://www.gardnermuseum.org/music/podcast/theconcert.asp )
Funniest (no politics, just funny) guy alive, Steve Morrison, can be heard here everyday. http://prestonandsteve.libsyn.com
Take their 5 day challenge.
I’m not a podcast fan, but I probably would like them more if I had an ipod. As it is, I have to listen to them on the computer, which distracts me from work.
I discovered podcasts at the beginning of 2005, and they’re still my main source of audio media. I listen to music podcasts while I’m working, and to talk podcasts while I’m driving (via MP3-CD).
Another Sex Is Fun listener here too.
(Click on my name for all my blog entries about podcasts. Two years ago I listed all the podcasts I was listening to then, though I’ve pared it down since then.)
I haven’t had a portable music player since my diskman knockoff died 15 years ago. I didn’t really like listening to music through headphones. So I admit to being prejudiced, but I’m not going to buy a MP3 player just for podcasts it would just end up in the bottom of a drawer. While I’m sitting at my computer, I can read your fabulous transcripts faster.
I’m surprised podcasting hasn’t become more mainstream, and that more political blogs haven’t begun producing them. I don’t even own an MP3 player and I listen to several. I regularly listen to Reality Cast, This Week in Tech, MacBreak Weekly, and the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast.
I’m a speed reader. And while I’m not deaf, I’m either slightly hearing impaired or have some sort of brain difficulty processing language — although I’m very, very good at learning foreign language from books and listening to a lot of it spoken, I cannot understand my *own* language nearly as well as the people around me.
So I watch TV with the subtitles on. ANd I don’t listen to podcasts. If I want information, I want it in writing; I process it significantly faster than most people that way, whereas in speech I’d process it slower.
That doesn’t mean I don’t think podcasts should exist, or something. My husband is legally blind; he listens to the Washington Post while writing computer code, and he has many audiobooks. I’m glad for his sake that audiobooks and podcasts and streaming internet reading of newspapers for the sake of the blind exists. But for myself, I really wish that podcasts were transcribed, because no, I won’t listen to them. When I listen, I listen to music, not speech; it doesn’t distract me from concentrating on other things, like my driving or whatever I’m trying to do at the same time, and I’m not hurt if I can’t understand the lyrics.
interesting that the discussion has migrated to pandagon…
I have a Podcast — G.L. Horton’s Stagepage, at Podomatic.com. Also available, free, from iTunes. My husband was a Radio Production major in college long ago, and when he retired a year and a half ago he decided to see if Podcasts were a way to rescue my work as playwright/actor from obscurity. We’ve recorded a lot of Podcasts: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly. Content? My monologues and short plays, read by volunteers. Writers from the International Center for Women Playwrights talking shop. Actors, writers, and critics talking about the productions of new scripts in the Boston area.
As a stand-alone Podcast, not connected to a pre-existing media outlet, G.L. Horton’s Stagepage does pretty well: it is ranked #3, 4, or 5 most weeks in Podomatic’s Performing arts category. But it hasn’t built a real fan base. When an actor or writer is featured, most of the person’s friends listen to that particular recording. There is a solid returning batch of listeners in some odd places– parts of Africa and rural China, for instance. Our theory is that they are using Stagepage Podcasts to work on their English pronunciation, because they can follow my script on my web site while listening to actors perform it. We’ve been slacking off the last few months, and listenership has not gone down. But nobody has sent email begging for new episodes! In fact, most of the comments posted are spam, and cleaning spam off the Podomatic site is a big time waster– as is, of course, organizing, rehearsing, recording, and editing the shows. I don’t know how long we’ll continue. However, if anybody wants to see how they’d sound on a Podcast, go to www.stagepage.info pick some dramatic or comedy material that hasn’t been recorded (the stuff that’s been done and can be listened to has click-links) and send an mp3 of yourself doing it to the email contact address on the web site. It doesn’t have to be perfect. If you cough or correct a phrase, David can edit out the mistakes before “publishing” it on Podomatic.
““Listening to them takes much more time than reading the same as a written text, and life is short, short.”
You can’t read when cooking, cleaning, walking, standing on crowded public transport, or in the dark. That’s plenty of time. Furthermore, podcasts allow you to have access to full interviews, rather than just the edited and condensed versions you usually get in print.
I am a total podcast addict. I subscribe to about 30, and listen to 20 or so regularly. Most of them are about science, news, comedy, films, BBC Radio 4, video games and comics. There quite a few good video podcasts as well. Top of the list is Channel Frederator, a 10 minute dose of quality animation every few days.
Favourite podcasts: Astronomy Cast, The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe, 1Up Yours, One Life Left, the Guardian’s Science Weekly, The Adam & Joe podcast, Mark Kermode’s film reviews and Martin Wolf’s FT podcast.
Amanda, I agree completely with you that podcasts do provide access to those who have difficulty with reading.
In my experience, the trend is for people to post podcasts and not think of including transcripts or at the very least, a summary. Subtitling is the best option, but as it is very difficult at this time, a transcript is fine.
I am looking forward to seeing transcripts and summaries posted here at Pandagon in the future!
:)
I agree with Meleka. I’m not deaf, but I don’t have an mp3 and my internet access doesn’t usually allow video to be seen. I really appreciate when transcripts are posted. Otherwise I get left out of the loop.
A podcast that I absolutely DON’T recommend: The Complete Internal Revenue Code Podcast Project. It’s my former tax law professor literally reading the entire tax code, in installments. I still can’t figure out whether he did it in all seriousness or meant it as some sort of performance art piece.
I love podcasts, all kinds of podcasts, and I do a couple of podcasts myself. Some of my favorites (besides RH Reality Check, of course) include Blast the Right, The Philosopher’s Zone, This Week in Science, Skepticality, and The Geologic Podcast. The ones I produce are UBLaw Podcast and The Shadow and James Show.
Raging,
That is the funnies thing ever. I think I’m going to download that immediately. If I listen while playing video games I can bill it as professional development right?
From The Complete Internal Revenue Code Podcast Project:
For some reason, I find that statement amusing.
I demand four minutes and twenty seconds of your life.
(Transcript at http://www.idlewords.com/audio-manifesto.txt.)
Well, I’m 96% sure that he meant it as a joke. I know it sounds strange, but Federal Tax Law was the most amusing class I had in law school. Kristin, you should also check into getting CLE credit for it in your state.
KristEn (sorry)
The Complete Internal Revenue Code Podcast Project is a critical element of Dr. Mike’s Cure For Insomnia Program. In fact, you could say that it is THE most critical part of that program…
Raging,
Alas, I’m active only in DC so no CLE is required. But at least with the IRS podcast I won’t need to take any sick days…
Rachel Maddow’s Air America show is just the best news broadcast out there, period. Her show is a model of what progressive media ought to be like: dense with information, smart commentary, great interviews, but with veins of irreverence and fun. Most of the Air America shows require you to subscribe to get the podcast, but thanks to Green 960 AM in SF, you can subscribe to Rachel’s show for free from iTunes.
I listen to Rachel when I’m doing dishes or at the gym, or doing some mindless freelance music copying work that doesn’t require my full attention.
RR - thanks for the IRS code link. I’m probably one of the few people who’ll listen to it without irony. It’s a bizarre affliction, but I get by.
One of these days I’m going to do dramatic readings of my favorite patents. Patent language is a weird kind of poetry, sort of King James Bible meets John Cage.
Sejal, my husband and I do that for TAL. We have a thing in the car that allows me to plug in the ipod, which is great for road trips (and we do a lot–all our family is at least 6 hours away by car in different directions).
And, as long as we are doing a best of TAL, I loved the Matchmaker. The first two were okay, but the last one was hilarious. I also loved The Super, and recently they did one about testosterone which had some funny bits (and the rest was interesting).
#22:
Agreed on the language learning. I downloaded a couple hours’ worth of French learning podcasts for a cross-country trip last week, and now I really like the format. The ten minute news or teaching segments seem like a good way to refresh vocabulary and grow more comfortable generally — I’d studied through college, but operating in the language still feels slow, like I’m walking through mud. I’m not convinced it’s a great way to learn a new language, though I may try some of the beginner’s level ones at some point.
Sometimes you want to hear a guest’s inflections, or there is a musical or sound excerpt of relevance. For example, you can read the Obama race speech, or you can hear it - two related but different experiences. I think that podcasts should generally have transcripts, or should have “further info” websites listed on their pages.
i think i am developmentally challenged sometimes…
i am one of those people who *always* hears music. for those gaming geeks out there (specificly V:tM) i am a TOTAL Daughter of Cacophany. so, because of this, i don’t listen to podcasts. too much effort to focus on what is being said.
i never listen to the radio, either.
don’t get me wrong - i love music. i listen to music, just not often. because anything that is only audio… i can barely get it. if there is any visual (literally - i have NO problem listening to a professor for HOURS) then i’m good…
I had just generally assumed my avoidance of all things iPody and youTuby was a correlate of my advanced age. Decrepit old farts like me just don’t adopt new tech every time it comes along.
but your post has stirred me to reason about it and following Echidne’s lead, I’ll add that I grew into my present media habits weaned on slashdot. It got so bad I could no longer read the newspaper because I just could not get through an article without wanting to hit the “REPLY” button. The video and audio formats, whatever their other convenience and virtues are NOT interactive or participatory in that instantaneous way.
So there, its not that I don’t get the new stuff, its that it is not as good a media in a very important respect.
Greensmile–It’s not just keeping up with Amanda or NPR. One cool thing is that if there’s something in the public domain, chances are that it’s available as a podcast. There are great readings of Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, Shakespeare, Mark Twain, all that stuff I had shoved down my throat in school before I was old enough to appreciate it. (It’s not quite the same as a book–it’s sort of like having someone read you a story.)
There are classes in anything you can think of (podcasting lends itself particularly well to language lessons, and there are tons available).
My parents told me about how great radio dramas were before TV shoved them out–which can be easily verified by listening to any of the gazillion of them available as podcasts (or more recently made dramas). But this is better than they could have imagined.
well…..if I find hitch hikers guide to the galaxy [the original BBC radio version] as MP3, then I guess I’ll have to put fresh batteries in my MuVo.
I have to admit that loading 5 hours of anything onto a device I can affix to my bike helmet is useful.
I recorded WHRB’s Motzart orgy…all 20 solid days of it. It runs about 30 gigs and I won’t live long enough to listen to all of unless I start listening while I commute.
OK, point taken.
Fifthing or sixthing Melaka’s point about transcribing podcasts. Yes, please! I would love to listen to them–but I haven’t either an iPod nor two working ears. (Thank Eru for subtitled TV.) I still watch some YouTube videos, particularly music vids, but if I want information and to get the information correctly, it will NOT happen over audio, alas.
I still think the explosion of podcasts is a great idea for those who can take advantage of it, however.
Also, totally agree with Greensmile–it drives me nuts that deadtree media doesn’t have a REPLY (or BLASPHEME!) button!
It’s the time thing. I have several podcasts in my iTunes (on the computer which has some drive problems), none of which I’ve actually listened to in several months. The only time I’ve found that’s convenient to listen to them is on a road trip, which is about the only time I’m in the car more than 15 minutes at any time.
If I had a cd player in the car or if using my iPod in the car was more convenient, I’d consider some of the Air America podcasts, since we just lost our local station and the next closest only gets ok reception in certain parts of town.
I share space at work with someone else, so for politeness, I don’t listen to much of anything there. Although I work in a pretty laid back place, there’s the old rule that you don’t talk politics or religion at work.
And when it comes down to it….. there’s only so much listening time that I have. I have to pick and choose what I want to spend that time on, so I really appreciate transcripts when they’re provided.