Since arriving in Boston a few months ago, I’ve been trying to assimilate to a new job and a new city. Unfortunately, this assimilation has hindered the frequency to which I post to this blog.
For the first time in my life, I’m living in a metropolitan city and commuting to & from work on public transportation. Riding the T has been so convenient that I recently sold my car, but I can safely say that rush hour crowds are not something I look forward to on the trains.
My greatest escape during my morning and late afternoon subway rides has been podcasts. Below is a list of my favorite podcasts at the moment. I’m constantly searching for new content, so if you have any recommendations, please do so in the comments.
Without further adieu...
TED Talks (video)
This is hands-down my favorite podcast. I’ve been watching these videos for about a year and half now, and they’ve turned me on to so many different ideas, websites, projects, etc. Not to mention, they provide fodder for countless dinner conversations.
These are so good I usually don’t watch them on the trains, but I had to include them anyway.
BBC Global News
I listen to this one during my morning stupor to the train. I can’t say I really pay attention to it because I’m more focused on my cup of coffee. Walking and drinking a scalding hot beverage is not easy at 8am, but I the British accented news provides a nice soundtrack.
Surprisingly, I do manage to take in some current events by osmosis in the process.
NPR 7am News Summary
I listen to this one when I actually get on the train. Its purpose is to quickly and concisely reinforce the news I’ve already heard with a slightly different perspective and hope that it sticks.
Boing Boing TV (video)This is for when I get lucky and actually get a seat on the train. It’s also a morning litmus test. If I find myself staring glossy eyed at these short and bizarre stories without scratching my head or asking WTF, I know I need more coffee.
Onion News Network (video)Same as BBTV, but with more political satire. I've been reading the off and on for years, and I'm really happy that they've branched out into video.
The Onion really is America's finest news source.
WebbAlert (video)I picked up on this podcast from an iTunes podcast spotlight email, which I usually ignore.
This is for my geeky tech news. Morgan Webb filters through headlines from websites like Ars Technica, Endgaget, and CNET to provide a condensed viewpoint on what’s happening on the world wide webbs.
The Sound of Young AmericaThis is up there with TED when it comes to helping me discover new things, albeit on a completely different level. For example, I just listened to a recent episode and found out there is a documentary about Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. Who'd've thunk?
These interviews remind me a lot of the LIghthouse interviews my friends and I conducted while I was in Japan, but Jesse Thorn is much more professional with his approach and production.
The Coke Machine GlowThis is a cool, hour-long mix of indies music. It can be hit or miss depending on who compiled the mix, but overall I really enjoy it, and it helps me pick up some new artists.
I only wish they would insert chapter breaks and album cover art. As it is now, you have to cross check the time on the podcast with the info in iTunes, which is a little tedious.
SALT: Seminars About Long Term ThinkingThis is a little too weighty, profound, and lengthy for commuter train rides, so I tend to save these for longer distances, like Chinatown bus rides between New York and DC.
I first came across the Long Now Foundation a few years ago when I read a seminar by Brian Eno. It was the first (and only time) I could actually feel my mind elongate inside my cranium and change the way I think. This podcast helps recreate that feeling a little bit.
So, that is what’s been keeping me entertained the past few months here in Boston since I’m living without a TV. As I said before, I’m constantly looking for new podcasts (audio and video), so if you know of something that’s not on the list above, please tell me about it.
