You Smell That?

File this under: IIIIIIIII knew it!!

Have you ever had your wife/girlfriend/mother/sister/daughter/another female in the human race complain of a scent, and you have no idea what they're talking about? It's a little embarrassing to admit, I suppose, but I have. Many times.

Sometimes it's a complaint that I smell. Sometimes it's someone else. Or something else. Heck if I know - I can't smell it.

But 60-Second Science has attempted to explain this olfactory oddity: Women smell better than men. That's probably true in many ways, but I find it comforting to know that there's a scientific explanation for my inability to know that I stink.

So to the few women who read this blog, it's not just that we don't care we stink, it's that we don't know we stink, either.

And for the men who read this blog, if there's any doubt in your mind as to whether or not you stink, you probably do.

And if you found the 60-Second Science story amusing, subscribe to their daily podcast! It's quick and informative. I've been enjoying it for a couple years now.

Weekly Podcasts for the Podcast Binge Listener

Last November I began a three part series about my addiction to podcasts. That post covered my favorite daily podcasts. This is the second installment in the series and will cover my favorite weekly podcasts. The final chapter will cover podcasts of varying frequency.

In the first installment, I might have left out some of the selling points of podcasts, so here's a brief outline:

• Podcasts are free.
• Podcasts allow you to listen to what you want when you want. No need for the TV Guide or PreviewChannel.
• Podcasts allow you to fast-forward or rewind. Listen to what you like, skip what you don't.
  
• No matter what your interests, there are almost certainly podcasts that cover them.

Remember when you got your first cell phone, or your first DVR, and you had this epiphany where you realized you had no idea how you'd gone that long without it? I've had the same experience with podcasts. Whether is driving to/from work, running errands, doing chores around the house, talking to my boss, walking the dog, walking to the cafeteria for lunch... I now fill these mostly forgettable parts of my day by educating/entertaining myself.

As I mentioned in the top of this post, this post focuses on my favorite weekly podcasts, so here they are (in no particular order):

The Economist: You've probably heard of the magazine, and if you've ever read it you know the value of its content. I can't find a direct link to the podcast page, but if you search for "the economist" in iTunes it should be easily identifiable in the podcast results. Calling the frequency of this podcast "weekly" is a bit of a misnomer, as subscribing to this one feed actually gives you three separate weekly Economist podcasts. The three podcasts are: "From the Paper", a review of a few of the top articles in the magazine that week, "The World Next Week", a discussion of the events to come, and "Democracy in America", a discussion of the 2008 election. They are all well worth the listen, each episode 10-15 minutes in length.

Lostcasts: For the fan of LOST who can 't get enough of the show but doesn't have the time or will to navigate the plethora of "they're in a separate universe on the tip of Donald Sutherland's fingernail" theories, the tagline of this podcast is "We search the forums so you don't have to." It's essentially three dudes who get together a few days after each new episode and discuss the discussions about LOST. Each episode is about 60 minutes. To someone who doesn't watch LOST, that probably sounds like counting sheep. But if you're a big fan of the show, not only will you enjoy the podcast but you'll probably enjoy the show even more, as you'll catch some of the less obvious references and patterns that the podcast clues you in on.

Slate's Political Gabfest: You may know slate.com as a popular online magazine run out of D.C. focusing on news, politics and culture. Each week, three bright minds get together to discuss and argue about the week's biggest political news. They move at a quick pace, and they offer both objective and opinionated views. 30 minutes in length, and I look forward to it every Friday.

The NYTimes World View: Also delivered every Friday, this 10 minute podcast covers a story from one of the many international correspondents for the Times. Quick and informative. While news is often covered 10 times over by multiple publications, but this podcast usually produces fresh content, or at least a fresh take.

T.W.i.T (This Week in Tech): A weekly discussion of what's moving in the world of technology. 60 minutes with renowned tech pundits Leo Laporte, John C. Dvorak and others. A show for geeks, by geeks.

There are plenty other podcasts to which I listen. If you're interested in a specific category, I'd be happy to help you find something to your liking.

Political Lunch

Some of you may be wondering how you can get a shot of news regarding the 2008 Presidential Election. Others may be wondering who turned the channel from cartoons to CNN. Well, we have good news for both of you!

Political Lunch is a website featuring a daily dose of election news from two nerdy-in-a-cool-way dudes. They have a quick rhythm, and concisely wrap up everything you need to know about he-said / she-wept in the last 24 hours, with photos and charts and interviews etc., all delivered in HD.

You can download their podcast from iTunes, or just check out their website to view their show. The site and show are both done very professionally, but there's just a touch of flimsiness to everything (sometimes you can see the desk wobble) that you have to figure the whole thing is being run by these two guys out of their apartment. How cool is that?

For those more interested in anything besides this darned election, Coovo should be reappearing soon, regaling us with tales of hazing, all-nighters, the cute chick he walked home from Biology, and getting busted sneaking beers into his dorm room. We can't wait, Coovo!

Daily Fixes for the Podcast Junkie

Some of you may know that I'm somewhat of a podcast junkie. I listen to podcasts of many a different topic, length and episode frequency. This post will be the first installment in a three part series on my favorite podcasts. Today I'd like to list my favorite daily podcasts. My other posts will include my favorite weekly podcasts and my favorite podcasts that aren't delivered with a defined pattern. All are free, and subscriptions to all of these podcasts are available in iTunes or your favorite RSS reader by following the links below (or searching in iTunes).

In no particular order:

The Onion: A quick dose (1 minute) of the "news" from The Onion.

The Washington Post's Baghdad Briefing: A ~3 minute piece by one of 7 or so Post correspondents in the Baghdad bureau. Most correspondents are Iraqis. Topics range from day to day life in Iraq to politics to terrorism.

NY Times Front Page: A 5 minute overview of the stories on the front page of the NY Times.

Wall Street Journal Tech News Briefing: This podcast actually has a morning and evening edition, each about 5 minutes. If you're a geek and interested in the stock market, this is a concise way to stay current.

Buzz Out Loud: CNET's podcast of indeterminate length. ~30 minutes. For true geeks, an entertaining review of the day's top tech stories by Tom Merritt and Molly Wood.

KEXP Song of the Day: Some of it is great, some of it is ok, some of it is skipped before the song finishes. But a lot of it is music I normally wouldn't stumble upon myself, so it's a great outlet for finding new music. And KEXP is based in Seattle, so it must be cool.

60 Second Science: Length as advertised, a "did you know" type tidbit from Scientific American.

Update 02/08/08:

There are a couple others I have found to be great daily resources:

BBC Global News: This podcast comes in twice a day and usually lasts somewhere around 20-25 minutes. Yes, ~45 minutes a day for one podcast is a lot, but they begin each show with a summary of the stories for that podcast, allowing you to skip to what you want to hear or cut it short altogether. I usually find at least the top story interesting though, and sometimes listen to the whole thing. The BBC has excellent reporting in all corners of the world, and I haven't found a better way to stay informed.

The Real Story with Frank Curzio: As of this posting you will actually find this under the title "The Real Story with Aaron Task". The show is a product of TheStreet.com, and Task hosted it until the end of 2007, when he left for a job with Yahoo!. Task was good, but not good enough to make the original list of my daily favorites. Curzio has picked up the job, and does it very well. He delivers sound analysis in a manner that is easy for the amateur investor to grasp. He does great interviews, isn't cocky, and most importantly, isn't boring. And while this has nothing to do with the quality of his content, there's something believable about listening to a guy with a thick NYC accent talk about money.