Tag: John Hodgman

While I’m struggling with a paper on Dorthy Sayers, I thought I would update and reblog this post. With luck, I’ll be back this weekend.

I love podcasts as much as I love books. Really, it’s true! Podcasts have taught me lessons, made me laugh and made me rethink some of my views.  Podcasts can do do all the things a good book does in less time and with less effort on my part.  Podcasts will never replace my books. some are just nice complements to my nonfiction collection.

For many of my friends podcasts are a mystery. They know podcasts are out there, but have no idea where to start. You know I love lists, so why not list some of my favorites?

My faithful readers know I love Medieval History.  I have well over 100 books on the subject and can be heard squealing with delight whenever I get my hands on a new title. Well the other morning I squealed a few minutes into a newly found podcast titled Europe from its origins presented by Joseph Hogarty.  This is one of the best historical based podcasts I have had the pleasure of hearing. Hogarty has a soothing tone. It’s like a smooth flowing river, turning gently at the bends and never hitting a snag. His British accent is slight, his words are easy to understand yet his pronunciations of older words reminds me that we in the U.S. do not always pronounce words correctly. His switch from English to Latin to Greek is flawless; it was a joy to hear the names of the Apostles in Greek.  There are only 17 episodes to this series which for a beginner may be the right amount. The podcast covers a wide range of subjects and is sure to be interesting to even those who do not study history. If you have never listened to a history podcast, I would recommend starting with this one.

For a more contemporary styled podcast I would have to recommend Stuff You Should Know . This is hands down my all time favorite podcast. The hosts, Chuck and Josh come across as two smart friends talking about things they find interesting.  Ever wonder how time travel might work or do you want to know what makes the sky blue? These are answered on How Stuff Works along with hundreds of other interesting subjects. Chuck and Josh pick out topics they find interesting, do fantastic research on them then twice a week get together to educate their listeners with humor and insight. I cannot say enough about these two guys. When the sound of my co-workers become too much I slip on my headphones and let Stuff you should know take me away…

Judge John Hodgman is hands down the funniest & smartest podcast out there. If the name does not sound familiar, John was the PC in the” I’m and PC & I’m a Mac” commercial. He’s also the author of the” That is all” books. In his podcasts he passes judgment on people who have written to him with a conflict. Those who are picked to be on his show call in on Skype. John always asks smart questions yet manages to make light of the situation. My favorite is the conflict between three brothers and the bats in the house they had just bought. This should be the first one you download. How one brother wanted to get rid of the bats is hysterical.

Mysterious Universe is a podcast I first started listening to just for something different. Ben and Aaron, two young Ausies, talk about paranormal and odd new articles. Both guys love the subject but don’t always believe what they read. Over the years the guys have become more skeptical on the topic, which makes listening to them all that more fun. They interview some interesting authors on weird subjects. Sometimes I just roll my eyes, but sometimes as my guilty pleasure I buy the author’s book.

If you listen to podcasts, let me know. I am always on the lookout for new material.