iObsess

People, did you know that there are SO MANY free things on iTunes?!?! I am almost giddy. I am obsessed with downloading podcasts.

What am I downloading?

Free podcasts!!!! I love NPR, and all their stuff is free, including their funny Car Talk and even funnier Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. I've been getting those for a long time. But, BUT, there are podcasts for *everything*!!!

Feeling melancholy? Listen to This American Life or Storycorps, where people interview people they know, such as a mother who interviewed her daughter to find out what it was like to have breast cancer.

Feeling childish? Get GriddleCakes Radio, Batman stories, Kidcast UK, or The Land of Nod.

Feeling like old-time radio shows? NPR's Big Broadcast will give you Johnny Dollar, plus you can get Batman serials, Old Time Horror and Old Time Sci Fi shows.

Feeling stupid? There's a whole series of things to be learned in the Stuff You Missed In ... Class casts, like History, general FAQ questions, Roman empires, etc.

Like certain genres? Get celtic, irish, 80's, pretty much anything podcast, for free.

I am addicted to this stuff!!! I listen to them while I cook, do housework, or play on the computer. I listened to three Car Talks and two Wait Wait's while I wallpapered in the dining room today. I've also started playlists for the kids, and I copy their folders on anything I download for them, so I can just either burn the cds for them without looking too hard, or upload them to the kids' ipods. Josie has an old small one, and Patrick has an old nano that we got along with my 3rd gen regular one from ebay for $100, and they use them at bedtime or whenever they happen to be in their rooms to listen to stories or music. As a bonus, this way I know exactly what they're listening to, and that it's clean and appropriate.

What do you download? Are you a Pod Person?

I think naming my obsession means I might need a twelve-step program or something. Maybe they make a podcast for that, too....