My Top 10 Podcast Favourites

One thing that I like to do, especially on Sunday mornings, to give my eyes and brain a break from the assault of the commercial-festered meme-warfare that is television and visual-web media, is to download and listen to podcasts from iTunes. It's easy to focus in on some subject specific, ranging from the trivial to the educational. Some I tune into for some specific steps to achieve a goal; others are just strictly for leisure and entertainment. Most are,thankfully, uninterrupted and commercial free. Here are ten of my (less explicit) kinds that I tune into.

1. Podrunner/ Motion Trax- These are two podcast series that serve up track mixes that are timed to your particular heartbeat and running pace. Naturally, I play these while I'm running. although the majority of them are techo and trance based, there are a variety of genres to pick from. The Motion Trax playlists are pretty upbeat.
2. iTunes U - Although it is catagorized seperately from the podcasts, they are still of that sort of format. Basically, you're able to audit university level lectures for free on any subject taught in a post-secondary institution. My only complaint is that American Universities are the dominant contributors to the iTunes U forums. I wish there was more Canadian, British, and Australian content, as well as translated lectures from French, German, Russian and Japanese universities.
3. Shift: Stories Behind the Stats - CBC radio programme discussing the demographic trends of Canada and the rest of the globe
4. Weird News Radio - The news stories that expose the stupider side of humanity. From people starting franchaises for exorcisms, to the idiotic things that criminals do to get caught: were he alive today, this would knock Darwin down on his ass, either laughing or crying.
5. Meditation Oasis/Meditation Station - Self-explanitory...use less words...think less...pay attention to your breath...clear your mind...tune into yourself more...focus...accept...repeat.
6. Zencast.org - Although I'm not officially a Zen Buddhist, nor was ever I raised as one, these podcasts are significant to me because their content best reflects the core of my particular personal belief system. Exercising mindfulness, learning to be present, being wary of cause and effect, and the workings of attachments and suffering within the context of the Four Noble Truths. Interesting stuff to contemplate.
7. The Jillian Michaels Show - The Nazi-esque trainer from The Biggest Loser gives help and hints for me to eat right for my load of exercise that I do.
8. The Human Performance Powercast - A little more guy oriented podcast about diet and exercise.
9. Out Of Their Minds/Spark - Other CBC programmes: OTM focuses on the innovators and inventors of some wild, weird, and sometimes wonderful technology. Spark deals with trends in technology and society.
10. Personal Growth Podcast - If it's my life's mission to grow everyday, this is one avenue to review things for doing so. I like the episodes of this one because they are short and direct.