Here is a list of my weekly (or at least bi-weekly) listens:
– Solid Verbal — The only football related podcast I consistently listen to because it’s, well, the best one. I especially recommend the recent episode with Bill Connelly.
– NPR Planet Money — Unbelievably good at breaking down complex subjects in entertaining ways. The recent episode with actual crack dealer Freeway Rick Ross (the real one) on the economics of crack dealing is a must listen.
– Philosophy Bites — At this point I can emulate professor Nigel Warburton’s British accept pretty well (I did live in the mother country for a stint too). This one can be a bit inconsistent, but when the guests are good the bites go down easy. Check out Bakewell on Montaine.
– Freakonomics — Due to their excessive popularity and the grating intro (“Why am I thanking the listeners? The podcast is free.”) I really did not want to like this, but podcasts on cooking, schools, earthquake prediction, and poop have made this part of my routine.
– This American Life — Since it’s a full hour I don’t always have time for it, but it’s the best radio journalism I’ve ever heard. The recent episode on a Georgia Drug Court and Drug Court judge gone off the rails is required listening.
– EconTalk — I don’t always agree with Russ Roberts, but this podcast is the best hardcore-let’s-talk-economics podcast out there. Being an hour, the quality of each episode is very much driven by the quality of the guest. The best formula is when Russ (a self-professed libertarian/Hayekian) does battle with an economist on the other side of the ideological divide.
I also must hesitatingly admit that I listen to Bill Simmons, depending on the topic and guest. I actually prefer to listen to him than read him, for whatever that is worth.
So what podcasts am I missing out on? Any others? Also, since I recently bought a new MacBook I’m interesting in getting my podcast software and equipment up; I’d like to do something like the Philosophy Bites one but with football (10-20 minutes with an expert on a particular topic), but could use some recommendations.