Recommend me a (non-gaming) podcast

garion333 wrote:
Tigerbill wrote:

Ok so I have been listening to a novel on Podiobooks.com called "Dead Mech" by Jake Bible (I kid you not, that's his name); and to me he sounds like Mr. Gorgeous Rob Borges himself; which is awesome. I will definitely be putting a lot of hours into this sight, and throwing money towards the authors that entertain me while I work. This is just what I needed to keep my brain occupied doing mindless tasks.

Post more frequently so I can remember when your tagging comes that you have a crush on Rob. I'm sure we can all have some fun with that.

So Podiobooks is free? That's cool. It sounds like a good way for people to get exposure.

No problem.
Yes it appears to be free but you can choose to donate to the authors (they get 75%) I didn't poke around too mush on the site but I don't remember any references to paid content.

OG_slinger wrote:

Arise, thread! I command you to walk the Earth like a zombie!!

And speaking of podcasts and zombies, I ran across this little gem over the weekend: We're Alive.

Yeah, it's more serialized fiction than a straight up podcast, but that doesn't change the fact that it's an awesomely entertaining story about the survivors of a zombie outbreak complete with cliff hangers and some edge-of-your-seat action.

OMG is this awesome! Sort of like an extended cut of the World War Z audio book!

My list, in alphabetical order:

Angels All Around Us (sermon series from our church's pastor)
The Bugle (haven't heard it yet - just added it after reading about it here)
The Clark Howard Show (outstanding money management podcast - actually holds my interest so I can learn something)
Embraced By the Truth About Death (another series from our pastor)
Focus On The Family (Family/Christian Life issues)
Gamers With Jobs (it's this neat little podcast about video games - highly recommended! ;))
Green Acres Sunday Service Audio Podcast (yep, you guessed it)
No! That's NOT In The Bible! (another sermon series)
NPR: Car Talk
NPR: Most E-Mailed Stories
NPR: Wait Wait Don't Tell Me
PC Gamer Podcast

Revelation: Unveiling the Truth (sermons)
Stuff You Missed in History Class
Stuff You Should Know
They Might Be Giants
(very sporadic, but worth it)
Wednesday Evening Bible Study
You Look Nice Today
(like the Bugle, haven't listened to it yet, just couldn't resist the ringing endorsements here)

I also can highly recommend the SModcast, even though I don't subscribe anymore for reasons I'm not inclined to get into here.

If you're the least bit interested in percussion music of any kind, Vic Firth has a few varieties of podcast with some really excellent performances (I subscribe to them on the band's account).

The Bugle (haven't heard it yet - just added it after reading about it here)

If you like John Oliver at all, get to listening. It's a damn good show.

OG_slinger wrote:

Arise, thread! I command you to walk the Earth like a zombie!!

And speaking of podcasts and zombies, I ran across this little gem over the weekend: We're Alive.

Yeah, it's more serialized fiction than a straight up podcast, but that doesn't change the fact that it's an awesomely entertaining story about the survivors of a zombie outbreak complete with cliff hangers and some edge-of-your-seat action.

Holy crap you weren't kidding.

Listened to the first few episodes (finally) and the production values are sky high. The story is shaping up really well also. Very nice find.

Higgledy wrote:
OG_slinger wrote:

Arise, thread! I command you to walk the Earth like a zombie!!

And speaking of podcasts and zombies, I ran across this little gem over the weekend: We're Alive.

Yeah, it's more serialized fiction than a straight up podcast, but that doesn't change the fact that it's an awesomely entertaining story about the survivors of a zombie outbreak complete with cliff hangers and some edge-of-your-seat action.

Holy crap you weren't kidding.

Listened to the first few episodes (finally) and the production values are sky high. The story is shaping up really well also. Very nice find.

All is great until you hit the end of the released episodes and need just one more hit to make it through the work day. This is a great series; thank you for the recommendation OG.
Anymore like this fully dramatized and all, doesn't have to be about zombies either?

Tigerbill wrote:

HOLY SH%T that is awesome! ....and I haven't even listened yet. I've been looking for a cheap way to listen to more auidobooks at work, this seems like it is the one.

Check your library's website. Many now have partnerships with Overdrive and Netlibrary, both of which allow you to download time limited (DRM) audiobooks for free. I probably go through about a book a week this way.

EDIT: They also have some mp3 books that don't expire, although you are agreeing to delete them when finished.

Tigerbill wrote:
Higgledy wrote:
OG_slinger wrote:

Arise, thread! I command you to walk the Earth like a zombie!!

And speaking of podcasts and zombies, I ran across this little gem over the weekend: We're Alive.

Yeah, it's more serialized fiction than a straight up podcast, but that doesn't change the fact that it's an awesomely entertaining story about the survivors of a zombie outbreak complete with cliff hangers and some edge-of-your-seat action.

Holy crap you weren't kidding.

Listened to the first few episodes (finally) and the production values are sky high. The story is shaping up really well also. Very nice find.

All is great until you hit the end of the released episodes and need just one more hit to make it through the work day. This is a great series; thank you for the recommendation OG.
Anymore like this fully dramatized and all, doesn't have to be about zombies either?

Oh wow, brilliant. I'm going to have to ration myself on this, don't want to get strung out too soon!

pignoli wrote:

Oh wow, brilliant. I'm going to have to ration myself on this, don't want to get strung out too soon!

Yeah they are doing the season finally on the next one released. Problem is I burn through audio like this like nobodies business, I listen on average 7hrs a day at work;the podcast format isn't working so well for me, I like to finish a story before starting something else.

My pile of non-gaming podcast subscriptions (no links, since I figure you can google as well as I can):

The Bugle (already recommended in this thread, but it is required listening)
Smodcast (it's Kevin Smith rambling with a friend. Often indulgent and crass, but often pretty damn funny)
The Economist
Creative Screenwriting Magazine (oft interesting Q&A sessions with screenwriters)
Today in the Past (<60s of John Hodgman BS in your playlist every day)

Tigerbill wrote:
pignoli wrote:

Oh wow, brilliant. I'm going to have to ration myself on this, don't want to get strung out too soon!

Yeah they are doing the season finally on the next one released. Problem is I burn through audio like this like nobodies business, I listen on average 7hrs a day at work;the podcast format isn't working so well for me, I like to finish a story before starting something else.

I think our listening habits are pretty similar. Looks like I'll burn through the season of this in a couple of sessions then. I've listened to other novels podcasted chapter by chapter by just labouriously queueing them up before. A pain but worth it for the continuity.

Some of the TED conference talks appear to be available as audio MP3 downloads as well as the video presentations (click 'download' on the talk's page). I haven't figured out how to search for just the talks with audio, though. There's probably a tag I'm missing.

Here is my updated list:

Sound Opinions: Truly a humanitarian service. Your weekly stop for current music news, genre exploration and new music reviews. Should you wish to shrug off your crotchety-old-man nature and accept that there is new music that's worth a damn, start here.

Decoder Ring Theater: Still listening, still a favorite. My bi-weekly treat.

D&D Podcast and Fear the Boot: My plan to turn my board gaming group to a RPG group has been a sucess, and I credit both of these podcasts. The first was a great motivator in getting me to want to get off my ass and make this happen. The Penny Arcade campaigns and the recent Robot Chicken one were just too much fun to resist. Second is Fear the Boot, and it has been invaluable to me as the GM. Everything from adventure ideas to group troubleshooting. If you are thinking about running a game, check it out.

Most E-mailed Stories and Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me: NPR news in both serious and silly flavors.

ROFL, Tekzilla and The Totally Rad Show: ROFL is a short cast highlighting up-and-comming comics from around the country- not all great but worth a download. Tekzilla is a general technology show that is the spiritual succsessor to The Screen Savers- it even features one of the former hosts. The Totally Rad Show is a news and reviews cast that covers games, movies and various odds and ends. I get the videocasts, but they all come in audio only as well.

This American Life: I don't care where you live, this is something that everyone should subscribe to. Though it documents Americans, it's true focus is on the human condition. It's ability to licit emotion is boundless and it's ability to make you feel connected to your fellow man is amazing.

This Week in Tech: Technology current events and future speculation. Features the other host of the now defunct Screen Savers and a rotating line-up of tech luminaries.

X Minus One: Old NBC radio drama featuring stories written by masters of Science Fiction. A true time capsule from an era where the sound effects were made by a guy--surrounded by a menagiere of stuff--in the same room at the same time the actors were delivering thier lines. Some of the episodes even have old commercials that will having you wanting to pick up some Anacin Headache Powder and Fitch's Saponified Hair Tonic the next time you're at the store!

General Crespin wrote:
Thowky wrote:

Also if you want fiction there are plenty of podcasters who have done entire novels in podcast form. The most famous is Scott Sigler who's done some really good stuff and has podcasted 6 or 7 novels now and ended up getting a publishing deal out of it. J.C. Hutchins also put out a number of novels that were really popular (although I haven't personally listed to them myself). My personal favourite was Brave Men Run by Matthew Wayne Selznick. There are loads of others on podiobooks.com and other sites.

Can't believe I missed Podiobooks.com the first time around. OMFG. :D

Don't forget that Project Gutenberg (you know, the free eBooks, public domain classics?) has a sister site of readings of same, called LibriVox.
And the best part is, you can get those classics in podcast form, so you can bookmark them and listen to a chapter at a time and only download the bits you are ready for.

Very nice.

The penny arcade guys have done a third 'season' of their roll playing adventures.

By a recommendation from a different thread I recently became addicted to The History of Rome podcast. The installments are about 20 minutes, very well told and organized, the guy compares myths of Roman history with evidence, points out interesting facts and is basically fascinating. I'm quite glad there more than 100 episodes as I'm burning through them quite fast.

Scott Sigler does his books as podcasts.

wanderingtaoist wrote:

By a recommendation from a different thread I recently became addicted to The History of Rome podcast. The installments are about 20 minutes, very well told and organized, the guy compares myths of Roman history with evidence, points out interesting facts and is basically fascinating. I'm quite glad there more than 100 episodes as I'm burning through them quite fast.

On a similar note I've really enjoyed the podcast of the radio series the BBC has been doing which is A History of the World in 100 Objects. It basically takes 100 objects from the British Museum, starts with the oldest object and slowly moves forward in time. Each episode is around 15 minutes and start by describing the object itself, describing society and going into more details on why the object or type of object was important to society at the time. Very well told and always interesting.

Not sure if you can still download the early episodes as the BBC is funny about things like that but it's well worth listening to. It's being done in multiple parts throughout the year with breaks inbetween and I think the 2nd part is just about to finish.

wanderingtaoist wrote:

By a recommendation from a different thread I recently became addicted to The History of Rome podcast. The installments are about 20 minutes, very well told and organized, the guy compares myths of Roman history with evidence, points out interesting facts and is basically fascinating. I'm quite glad there more than 100 episodes as I'm burning through them quite fast.

Sounds interesting thanks.

Adam Corolla

So, I've not had a chance to check whether there's a feed for this lot, but I spent a few hours around a buddy's house last night when he had this on, and it's an excellent drum'n'bass / jungle podcast. No talking, just ass-shaking beats. I'm going to download the lot once I get home.

Pixel-Junglist.blogspot

I'm enjoying Marc Maron's WTFpod; he basically does a little shtick, then interviews comedians. *very* NSFW, and usually very funny.

Tanglebones wrote:

I'm enjoying Marc Maron's WTFpod; he basically does a little shtick, then interviews comedians. *very* NSFW, and usually very funny.

I've been enjoying this lately as well. Very funny.

I heard about it on Maximum Fun's website (which does another of my faves, The Sound of Young America) -- they have a blog that reviews podcasts and I've picked up quite a few new ones from their suggestions.

Don't mind me, just tagging.

The Tobolowsky Files (Hollywood stories by actor Stephen Tobolowsky)
/filmcast (movies and sometimes tv shows reviews)
All Spill podcasts (movies, comics, tv shows, all kinds os stuff, even bullsh*t and I'm not kidding about this, on one of the podcasts they say they are professionals in bullsh*t)
Best of youtube

For some free audiobooks, I've listened to Scott Sigler's Infection and Contagion. Pretty freaking good.

Geekstuff
Smodcast (Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier)

Lately I'm hooked on Food podcasts.

KCRW Good Food
NPR Splendid Table
Craft Beer Radio

woot- just discovered that The Bible Geek podcast is back after a lengthy hiatus. It's an impartial dissection of a certain book and it's history by theologian, atheist-christian and Cthulhu enthusiast Robert M. Price, presented in informal Q&A with listeners.

On the other side of that is the excellent athei/skepti/humanist podcast Chariots of Iron. The name is in reference to a biblical verse which reveals that iron is Jehovah's secret weakness- as kryptonite is to superman.

and on a completely unrelated note is Through the Aftermath, where two friends sit down and chat about all things post-apocalyptic. Increasingly elaborate and lengthy Fallout 3-themed skits open each show.

I recently returned to Kevin Pollack's Chat Show. Audio and Video versions are available. He spends a couple good hours with various celebrities-Seth McFarlane, Billy West, Kevin Smith, Weird Al, etc.

Gah, I was trying not to be a filthy skimmer and people beat me to most of my good ones.

History (all on itunes):

1.) A History of Rome. This was mentioned above and it is fantastic.

2.) A history of the world in 100 objects. Also above, also amazing.

3.) 12 Byzantine Rulers. A brief history of the rise and fall of the Byzantine empire. This was originally made to promote his book but then he went and did:

4.) Norman Centuries. Just as good (if not better) than 12BR. Some really fascinating stuff. And new episode just came out today, which is a rarity.

5.) PRI's The World: How We Got Here. They take strange, sometimes obscure events and explain them. It's pretty awesome.

Everything else I listen to is all either gaming or humor. Some standouts of those, though, are Three Moves Ahead, The Bombcast, Idlethumbs (naturally), You look nice today (maybe the funniest show in existence), and Stop Podcasting Yourself. It's a quirky Canadian show. Pretty good.

Woo. that's a lot.