Big podcast list

Dog Listening to Podcasts? Dog Listening to Podcasts.

One of the things I've recently been getting into, I say recently but it's been like two years, and to be honest it's probably one of the reasons why don't write much this blog anymore, is the wonderful world of podcasts. We have often joked that the big and the Brown should start their own podcast, and it yet may still happen, but today I bring you the dear readers my list of podcast that keep me entertained. There's a mix of sports and humor history and even little psychology. So enjoy!

The BS report with Bill Simmons

This and the Nerdist are probably the two podcasts I listen to the most. When I say the most a mean almost daily. I'll pop

one of these two all my speakers when I'm getting ready in the morning, or when I'm working out, when I'm playing a videogame that doesn't require sound.

The BS report is hosted by Bill Simmons, a columnist for ESPN.com, who writes mostly about the NFL, the NBA, and anything Boston sports related. He's a big pop-culture fan, especially pop culture of the late 80s early 90s. He's a big fantasy fan, he plays fantasy baseball fantasy football and even talks about fantasy basketball every once and a while. His show is a mix of entertainment and sports, with guests like Adam Corolla, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel on the entertainment side and Mark Stein, Mike Lombardi, and Ric Bucher on the sports side.

He is extremely entertaining and I cannot recommend him enough. If for no other reason than to hear him and Dave Jacoby talk about the real world Road rules challenge. Pure gold

The Nerdist

This is the other podcasts I listen to extremely frequently. It's hosted by Chris Hardwick, who used to host singled out on MTV, which I know is not high selling point but this guys comedy is extremely good. His interaction with his cohosts Mike Myra and Jonah Ray is entertaining enough on its own, but each week they interview a different "famous person.” Usually another comedia

n, and usually they talk mostly about stand up, where inspiration comes from, how they got started, what they like about stand up what they don't like about stand up, all those normal things that interviewers ask what it's done with great humor and self-deprecation.

It's called The Nerdist due to the website that came before it that Hardwick runs, and Hardwick's philosophy that every body nerds out over something, whether it's comedy, video games, movies, or even food. Because of this show, I've started following different comedians, watching different television shows (like Dr. who), and all in all becomes a much more rounded nerd. Love it.

Fresh Air Podcast

I know it's from NPR, but before you start with the whole “there's big pushing his liberal agenda” bit, here me out. This is a great little podcast that involves interviews and reviews of both pop-culture and the arts. Terry Gross is the host of the show and usually puts out one about every week. Recent interviews were with James Franco Natalie Portman, and Tom Hooper who was the director of the King speech. If you’re into hip hop at all, go find the interview with Jay Z. Great stuff.

Comedy Death-Ray Radio

Comedian Scott Aukerman host this little podcast, and brings with him a lot of his buddys from the world of “alternative comedy” which is a bullshit term, but that’s the label most of the have. Guys like Andy Richter, Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Ian Black, Adam Scott, and Paul F Thompson. If you dig those types of comedians, you’ll dig this show.

History of the world Podcast

This is a series that the BBC did called a history of the world in 100 objects. It's 100 different podcasts that last about 15 minutes each, and each one focuses on one object and uses that object to explain the time period from which it came.

Shrink rap radio

To be honest this is a podcast that I've yet to start listening to, but one that I'm very interested in. The tagline for this is "all the psychology you need to know in just enough to make you dangerous." I've been on a bit of a what makes your brain tick kick lately, and this is just a part of it. Topics of this podcast include: mindful sleep mindful dreams, a psychiatrist most bizarre case studies, and exploring behavioral economics. I know this will be everybody's cup of tea, but I thought my included in this list.

Why I hate social networking...

I've mentioned several times that I think sites like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Foursquare, etc. are the collective bane of my existence. For the record, I do own a Facebook account and co-manage our Twitter account, but I'm also keenly aware of the simple fact that my hypocrisy knows no bounds (in fact, wait till I call other people out on it!) Thing is, people ask my why my eyeballs tend to view my brain everytime I hear the words "Tweet" or "Check In" or "Sunday Funday". Given that, I'm going to try and break it down into 5 quick points.

1) "I'm eating a sandwich!! ZOMG!! It's totally yummy! LOL!" #funny4u #kthxbye

Read that sentence. Just read that fucking sentence one more time. Are you kidding me? "ZOMG", "LOL"? Who the fuck doesn't have a keyboard anymore on any god damn device the use? Type the god damned thing out. That's not even mentioning the "look at me" types who feel the need to let me know they're eating an, apparently, yummy sandwich. And what the fuck do you want me to do with the number sign and a few letters? Are you typing out your password? I don't understand, let alone give a shit about your hashtag. No one gives a damn about your life but you and your mother. And she'll be dead soon. You sad, lonely fuck.

2) Hypocrisy and Perceived Piety...seriously.

You're aware that you've got pictures of yourself doing a gravity bong and lining up whiskey shots to do off of your fat friend's back, right? You're aware that you've had a stripper grind her nethers into your nose so far that you were able to smell her womb, right? Let's tap the break on posting how much you love God and everything do you is for the capitalized "Him". I'm also pretty sure you don't say your prayers every night, and screaming "Oh God!1!!" as you cum on your kleenex covered plam doesn't quite count. You've been too hungover to go to church since you were 10. I'm not saying don't be religious. I'm not saying you can't enjoy yourself and believe in a higher power. I am saying that I know you, you know you, and we know you. Let your social network abide by the separation of church and state. That's Tim from accounting running www.twitter.com/TheRealGod. It's the internet, stop taking it so seriously.

3) Your friends, family, and colleagues

Damn near everyone's got a Facebook account. That includes your family, younger and older, and the people you work with. They're friends with you and so are your friends. If, when nearing the age of 30, you're still living in fear of a picture of your dumb ass running naked through a party from last weekend while wearing an empty Miller Lite case on your head as a helmet, I've got 2 suggestions. A) Don't get drunk and run naked through a party where everyone has cameras (though the case helmet is good improvisational protection). and B) Carry 2 pages, one for friends and one for family and colleagues. It's that simple. Don't send a massive text on Sunday morning begging people not to tag you in pictures, and don't get mad if your friend posts a fucked up joke on your wall because that's how you two communicate. I don't say that from a higher moral ground, I say it because everyone I know that can see my account is well aware that I'm a complete and total idiot.

4) "But, I'm friends with everyone I meet!"

No, you aren't. You don't have 600 friends. You may have casually run into that ayn people, but you need to face the truth. Just because someone is a friend of your friend, that doesn't make them your god damn friend. Your friends don't even like you that much, you think someone who barely knows you does? Just because you meet someone at a bar or hear their name come up in a conversation doesn't mean you have to get on your phone and find them on a social networking site and be their friend. Do you have any idea how fucking creepy that is? What the hell is the point of becoming friends immediately? It isn't like you're sharing witicisms regularly. You aren't planning events. Just slow your roll, if you're relevant, you'll remember them and they'll remember you.

5) Join my group! Be my fan! Join the cause!

I don't want to fucking join your group, be your fan or join a cause. If I gave half a shit about saving the dolphins in some remote village in Japan, than I might become a fan of joining the group that support the cause. I didn't on purpose. So don't fucking suggest to me that I should. I promise you, you totally joining the group to make sure that "Texas has more fans than any other state" is neither fun, appealing, interesting or important. To anyone. Including you. Stop it.

The ultimate counter-argument: "If you don't like it, don't use it"

I honestly can't argue with this point. It's like saying you're going to rehab. Ultimate force field. I could liken it to cell phones and say that in today's day and age it is damn near impossible to function without some kind of social networking, but you wouldn't believe me. I could say that it is, in some cases, the only way to directly communicate with long distance friends and family, but you'd argue that e-mail could accomplish that. I could say that these sites appear to be the only way to know what events are happening when, but, again, you could counter with e-mail accomplishing the same task. My argument is simple. I use these sites to easily share pictures, my own random thoughts, and to get information from others on upcoming events. Coloring outside of those lines is white noise to me, and that has drawn to a fever pitch of static and death metal kick drums.