What I'm Listening To

Some of you (Hi, Mom!) wonder what it is I do all day. Well, I look for work, try to keep the house straight (failing at this, but improving incrementally), wrangle the kids, run errands and, while I'm doing the above, I listen to podcasts, because they're free, and I can download them on iTunes.

Here are the podcasts that I'm seriously grooving on right now:

(1) The History of Rome - Mike Duncan started with Aeneas' arrival in Italy and is currently on episode 81, covering the Emperor Hadrian. His 'casts are concise and information-packed, and I recommend them to anyone interested in Roman history.

(2) Lars Brownworth - He's best known for his 12 Byzantine Rulers podcast series, but he's also currently doing Norman Centuries, a history of the Normans and their impact on Europe. Fascinating stuff, all of it - and a lot more info than you get in your average history class.

(3) The History Network puts out a couple of podcasts on military history, also worth a listen. The subjects vary a lot more than the podcasts above, but that makes for a nice bit of variation - some modern, some ancient, some in-between.

(4) Historyzine - A nice little podcast, more of a podzine, with occasional bits from other contributors, I'm currently learning much, much more about the War of the Spanish Succession than the 2 paragraphs it got in European History in college.

(5) Binge Thinking History Podcast - Another good one, Tony Cocks covered the Battle of Britain in great detail, and is working through a history of the British Navy now. I'm finally understanding some of the terminology and practices described in the Master and Commander novels.

(6) Skeptoid - a favorite for me and the kids, Brian Dunning gives brief, straightforward 'casts about a variety of topics, stressing how critical thinking and research can help sort out truth from fiction in everything from "Organic food" to myths of Tesla-inspired superweapon tests over Canada.

(7) The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe - Put out by the New England Skeptical Society, it's a weekly podcast with news discussions, lively banter and fascinating interviews with all manner of guests from the Skeptical and scientific communities.

(8) Chariots of Iron - An Atheist/Skeptic/Humanist podcast, it is clever, irreverent and profane. Not for the kids, and not for the easily offended.

Having a podcast going while I fold laundry, cook dinner or even shop at the grocery is better than music for me - it keeps my brain active while I do mostly mechanical stuff. I'm always in the market for good podcast recommendations - I'd love to find a good Etymology/Philology 'Cast, and anything covering the Hellenistic Era and/or the Persian Wars would be especially cool.

Anyhoo, I'll return you to your regularly scheduled bilious rants soon. Cheers!