When I tell people I live 40 miles from where I work, and I spend at least two hours a day in the car on Atlanta's highways, they express condolences as if I had a death in the family. Then they look perplexed when I explain how I often need my trip to last a few more minutes because the podcast I'm listening to is not over yet. NPR calls this a "driveway moment".
I really do look forward to the drives because there are so many podcasts I enjoy, and I'm writing this blog to share my joy with you in case you might find something you can enjoy too. And I also want to help promote my favorite podcasts because they need the exposure to more listeners, and this is one way I give back. (Yes, I send monetary donations too.)
Most of the podcasts I listen to are about science, religion and spirituality, or philosophy. Science is my oldest interest, and Astronomy is one of my favorite sciences. As far as I can tell, there are more Astronomy podcasts than for any other individual science. My interest in Philosophy is relatively recent, and I am still getting my brain around it.
Roll call: some of my current favorite podcasts that I'll cover in upcoming blogs are:
Science: Are We Alone (soon to be renamed Big Picture Science) by the SETI Institute, Radiolab by WNYC, Rationally Speaking by the New York City Skeptics, All in the Mind by ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) Radio, StarTalk Radio by Discover Magazine
Religion and Spirituality: Tapestry by CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) Radio, Zencast by the Insight Meditation Center of Redwood City, California, Religion Outside The Box by Rabbi Brian (occasional but a true gem when it does appear)
Philosophy: Philosopher's Zone by ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) Radio, Philosophy Talk by Stanford University
I listen to most of the episodes from these podcasts regularly, and usually within a few days after they are published in iTunes. There are a bunch of programs I used to listen to much more than I do now, and several others that I subscribe to and listen to selectively when the episode topic interests me.
In future blogs I'll share interesting tidbits from the podcasts I listen to, and I'll probably focus on sharing thought provoking questions that stick with me after the podcast is over. If anything strikes you enough to listen in yourself, then I'll be glad.
Why the name Podcast Sponge Blog? Well, my original title was going to be Podcast Listener, but that is just way too boring. So this name popped into my head, and the sponge image seemed appropriate because I soak up what I listen to, but then I forget what I heard as if the memory has dried out. Well, that's my metaphor and I'm sticking to it. And while I've heard of the TV character Sponge Bob Square Pants, I never actually watched that show. Do they have a podcast?
