Two words: iPod and Kindle.
This post will stick to the iPod.
A few months ago, I was given a used iPod. Suddenly I didn’t have to listen to the radio anymore. I can just download podcasts and listen with few or no commercials. And consider how much free stuff is available!
In both these cases, you don’t have to download individual files or zip files from your browser. You can actually get the feed for the podcast so that the whole series is available to you through iTunes. And this is beside what you can find through powersearching podcasts and the iTunesU via the iTunes app.
Note that there are also seminaries that have put out free audio material. Here is my alma mater:
http://www.worldwide-classroom.com/courses/
There are also lots of news podcasts.
I consider Antiwar Radio my daily dose of sanity in an insane Death Star nation.
When I can stand it, I try to listen to the Friday Roundup with Diane Rhem, my weekly dose of Establishmentia. Ms Rhem is nice enough, and that is usually helpful (except when it is not).
A couple of weird, conspiracy view of history sources I sometimes find useful:
http://www.corbettreport.com/rss.xml
Sometimes over the top, but sometimes quite amazing. If you go to his website you will find another feed that includes all his audio offerings, but his podcast “reports” are much more valuable, in my opinion (at least, the ones I think are plausible are much more valuable).
And then there is this:
http://www.outthereradio.net/podcasts/Out_There.xml
This was the radio show that started out UGA in Athens, Georgia. It is defunct now. Some episodes are poison and a few are just boring. But many are quite interesting and helpful (note: I’ve only listened to episodes created at the student radio station. I’m not sure where the show went when it moved into the “Disinformation Series.”
It’s UGA (not UG). Just trying to help.
Fixed. thanks.
You might like Common Sense. Also, his Hardcore History podcasts are like college level lecture in history – except that they are entertaining.
Planet Money from NPR is good for explaining what is going on in the world of economics.
Car Talk (also from NPR) is good for the entertainment value, plus you do pick up quite a bit of automotive knowledge along the way.
I like planet money much of the time. And I’ve loved some of the hardcore history podcasts (all the ones I’ve listened to).
I should have given a shout out 12 Byzantine Rulers…
You might like “Issues, Etc.” from the LCMS.
The history and seminary podcasts are what I like. I have a new rule in my life: I don’t engage in anything the confronts me with non-targeted advertising. That means no as-broadcasted TV and no radio. Just give me the content, please. It’s great for in the car.
Covenant Theological Seminary has some killer church history courses available for free download on iTunes http://worldwide-classroom.com/
Not to mention Mt Olive Tape Library has a substantial amount of their old lectures on Sermon Audio:
http://www.sermonaudio.com/source_series.asp?sourceid=gpts
I’ve been listening to antiwar radio the last couple of days and I have to say, I find Scott Horton really annoying. I like a lot of the people he interviews which often makes it worth it and I don’t really disagree with him usually. But he sounds cocky and almost glib about how the whole ship is falling apart. It’s like he’s sure that he knows better than everybody and kind of glad for there to be a huge mess if only so he can be one of the few that know it. He also seems really unprofessional and often goes on tangents that seem completely unrelated or ill informed, to the point that the guests sometimes seem confused or uncomfortable. Like I said, it’s often worth it for the interviewee’s perspective, but I wish someone else would host… and not his typical guest-host Zooey or whatever. He’s like a clone of Scott.