This is definitely one of those “Stuff I love” instead of a we…but keep in mind, so was Instagram and my wife told me for 2 weeks how it didn’t apply to our clients.

Now she can’t stop using it. :)

I am an information and entertainment junkie. I love movies, tv, sports talk radio, etc. Due to my job as both a web developer and a photographer I spend a LARGE amount of my time sitting in front of a computer editing code or photographs.

How do I pass the time? Well, I listen to a lot of music. However, sometimes I’m not totally in a music mood.

Enter the “podcast”.

For those who have never heard that word, or at least haven’t heard the definition, let me explain. A podcast is an audio or video recording that is generally FREE available online in a subscription fashion. Some are available daily, some weekly, and some even monthly.  The other amazing thing is that they don’t require a lot of overheard cost to produce, so there are A LOT of people producing their own. This means there is a ton of variations and niche podcasts out there. Do you like underwater basket weaving? Well, there’s probably a podcast out there for it.

I keep subscriptions to 40-50 podcasts at any given time. Of course I can’t listen too them all, but I like to have them available too me in case the mood strikes. If I’m editing, writing a blog, walking through Kroger, mowing the yard, or just killing time I will have one playing.  It’s disposable entertainment at it’s finest.

Here are a few short lists of what I listen too.

My must listens every week.

• Fantasy Focus Football : This is a fantasy football podcast that ESPN produces. It’s daily and hilarious, even if you’re not a huge fantasy football player.
• Nerdist : If you love the nerdier things in life, this is amazing. Chris Hardwick, yes the guy from Singled Out, has built an amazing network of podcasts and this is the flagship. Lots of discussion of Doctor Who, movies, tv, comics, and loads of pop culture. They consistently bring in the best guests, as well as the guests I didn’t know I would even want to hear from.
• Doug Loves Movies : I love Doug Benson. I thought he was hilarious on Last Comic Standing and was thrilled to find he had a podcast that strictly covers movies. Every week he brings on 3 guests (generally comedians) and they discuss movies and play the ridiculously addictive Leonard Maltin game…kind of like “name that tune” but with movies.
• How Did This Get Made? : This podcast was GENIUS in concept and hasn’t let me down. Have you ever watched a movie (or seen a preview to a terrible movie) and thought “How did this get made”? This podcast consistently asks that question. The 1st episode really set the tone with Cher’s Burlesque, but the episode that questions Sandra Bullock’s All About Steve is some of the funniest audio I’ve ever heard.
• Hollywood Babble-On : This one isn’t a family podcast by any stretch of the imagination.  Think of this weekly podcast as Entertainment Tonight, but done through the eyes of Kevin Smith. If you’re a Kevin Smith fan that 1. this is up your alley and 2. you probably already know it exists.
• Mohr Stories : This is a weekly by comedian/actor Jay Mohr. I’m amazed by how good this podcast is. I’ve always “liked” Jay Mohr, but after the stories of how he got the part of Bob Sugar in Jerry McGuire I’m hooked.
• Rowdy Racing : This is an extremely funny NASCAR podcast that covers daily news and gives lots of opinions. Not only is it a fun podcast, but it’s also created by some great people.
• Comedy Bang Bang : This is a podcast that’s part of the Ear Wolf network. (There are a lot of “networks” where podcasts kind of group together.) It appears to be a bunch of the top improv comedians getting together and having a conversation.  So far, I’m enjoying it tremendously.
• Jay & Silent Bob Get Old : I’m a huge Kevin Smith fan and subsequently, I’m a fan of all his podcasts. This podcast was started as a way to help Jason Mewes get over his problems with addiction. The 1st several episodes are powerful, simply chronicling his MANY years of drug abuse. The rest is pretty much just silly fun.

So now that I’ve rambled on about all these shows that I love listening too, where do you get them? Well, there’s many ways, but the easiest is through the iTunes Music Store. You should see a tab for podcasts and they are all available through search as well. Again, 99.9999999999999999999% of podcasts are free. If you’re stuck at a desk with headphones, can’t find anyone discussing the things you’re interested in, or just curious they are well worth a shot.