Podcast Revolution

Apparently I have been living under a rock. Am I the only one that didn't know about the wonderful world of podcasts? Seriously. Seriously. I am OBSESSED. I have owned an iPod since the dawn of time but only after recently being gifted with an iPhone 3G (I know, I'm a lucky girl) did I discover this land of amazing technology. I am a new woman. I could go on for days about the iPhone and the genius of Apple but for now, I'll let you in on a secret: the podcast.

A podcast, for those of you that don't know (and for those of you that do, turn away before you want to punch me in the face), is an "iPod broadcast" and is basically any variety of radio show or program—audio or video. There are tens of thousands of them to choose from in categories such as music, comedy, sports, education, and more. They evolved from simple individual radio-style shows to wide-ranging programs in every category you can think of, from all over the world. It's a syndicated form of media, which means you can subscribe to your favorites and have them updated automatically as new content is added. There are various podcast softwares though iTunes is the industry's most dominant (goes without saying). Okay, enough of the technical stuff.

I currently have an arsenal of about four or five favorite podcasts, but I'm generally indiscriminate when it comes to enlightenment so please do share yours—I'd love to hear what else is out there. For funny, if you haven't heard The Ricky Gervais Show, download it NOW. You have probably seen the British shows The Office and Extras, but if you haven't heard his award-winning podcast, you are hugely missing out. Go download and don't argue. For interesting, I love NPR's This American Life; great hosts, great stories, great information. I laugh, I cry, I don't shut up about it for hours afterwards. For educational, Grammar Girl is my homegirl. I find linguistics so interesting and as an English major, grammar, punctuation, and syntax turn me on. The GG host is a true authority on every subject and makes learning fun (although her voice is a tad annoying). Ever wondered the difference between bring versus take? Nauseous versus nauseated? The many uses of the apostrophe? Me too! My inner geek comes out and I revel in it. And don't even get me started on Coffee Break French. I've learned more French in the past month than I have in 10 years of school. With podcasts, the world is your oyster. You can listen anywhere—at home, at work, in the car, in the gym...And did I mention they're free? Wow, I really should go into advertising. I'll stop now. But seriously, it's the revolution.