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Interesting Tech-Related Online Talk Radio?
kabrakan writes "Finding myself in an extremely boring tech job, I find the best way to pass the time is to listen to someone speak, specifically an interesting conversation about science, or a comedian. After exhausting NPR's database, could anyone recommend any online repositories of spoken word entertainment, especially talk in the technology world?"
No....perhaps we should start one. Slashdot.radio?
KHaHa. It's hit and miss (though since what's funny varies from person to person, there's no reason it wouldn't be) but they have a lot of entertaining content.
The BBC have a huge amount of stuff to get through, and it's all available on demand too. Some truly mind-expanding stuff there, especially on Radio 4. 5 Live is quite good too if you're into news and sport, Prime Minister's question time in the House of Commons is the highlight of the week! Did you hear Blair ducking the questions from Michael Howard last week? Priceless!
Drill baby drill - on Mars
I'll second that. Previously I would listen to right-wing blowhard Limbaugh followed by Randi Rhodes on WJNO. Randi is now on Air America Radio from 3-7 I believe. Al Franken is on starting at noon. It is interesting radio... and I'm Canadian. I wish I knew of canadian-equivalent radio. I feel it fairly important to keep abreast of what is going on south of me just as much as what is happening here. Your elections do affect how things work up here.
Hiya David.
Yup, I agree. geekradio and "Technology Bytes".
Another radio suggestion: Radio Stations in Brasil are excellent--even if you don't understand the lingo.
BTM
That was the turning point of my life--I went from negative zero to positive zero.
I would hardly call NPR "talk radio." (and I do enjoy NPR. There are only a few call-in shows, none of which really qualify as traditional talk radio. I'm talking about the call-in and argue with the host type of talk radio)
If you want a comedian with a social bend to his wit, try out some Bill Hicks.
There's scads of free audio/video that you can stream from Sacred Cow.
He's a very mind-opening speaker and very funny as well. Some of his best on stage moments are when he lashes back at an unreceptive audience.
"Obviously a lot of it is annoying rubish"
Like the 'scientist' that claimed that when Nasa crashed a nuclear powered probe into Jupiter, it'd ignite and become another sun in this solar system? I caught that one, pretty damned amusing. I'm sure a few people thought the following Sunday was going to roll around and we'd see a bright flash in the sky and we'd all die. Heh.
"Derp de derp."
Phil Hendrie is a comedien who has all of his shows archived on MP3 for a small monthly fee.
For those of you who have never listened to him before, he is probably one of the most gifted, unscripted artists on the air. His hook is having a caller call in with some absurd topic, then stay on to take calls. People call up outraged at the topic, and argue with the original caller. The thing is, Phil plays both the host and the offensive caller simultaneously. He essentially performs multiple personality radio. It is amazing, hilarious radio.
Phil Hendrie Show
Warning: I had to open his site in Exploder; flash required.
Todd
This is actually what I like best about Franken's show. It comes across as a "basement production," kind of quirky and silly. He does get some really good guests though, and Katherine Lanpher is surprisingly funny. The "Oi Oi Oi Show" is classic Franken.
Randi Rhodes...I can take her in small doses. She does tend to go overboard, but there's one thing she does that a lot of other talk-radio hosts don't do: research. You won't hear her talk about something that's just hearsay or rumor. But I agree with you that she can be abrasive and trashy. But hey, I like trashy. :)
Man... I'm trying to remember... the one about the meeting place in California where all the top world politicians go... oh yes... the Bohemian Grove
Although mainly propagated (sp?) by Alex Jones, who is somewhat of a nut, the hidden video he got of it is very interesting, to say the least.
I mean... on one hand, you have these Pagan type rituals being performed at night, on the other hand you have picutres of Bush Jr./Sr., Cheney, major Dems and Reps., and many other world leaders and major political/business heads there during the day.
This site has the MP3s from the show when Alex Jones was on. It was very interesting to say the least.
Some more info: http://www.apfn.org/apfn/Grove.htm
Casual Games/Downloads
IT Conversations has a bunch of interesting IT audio content. Well, interesting if you want to listen to people like Bruce Schneier, Tim O'Reilly, Joe Trippi, Philip Greenspun and Steve McConnell.
Chances are, your favorite OSS app, distro has a nice channel on some IRC network. Not only is there discussion now you too can take part in it! (Though I'm not gonna deny that there are lots of time-wasting IRC channels too, just avoid 'em).
Sunny Dubey
It's not tech, but WTKS 104.1 Real Radio out of Orlando/Cocoa Beach, Florida is some of the best talk radio I've heard ever. Especially the morning show (which was the midday show until Howard Stern got canned). They're called the "Monsters of the Morning" and it's hysterical. The midday show now isn't bad, but it's no Monsters (Shannon Berg Show). The late afternoon show (Phillips Phile) is pretty funny and the late night show (Drew Garabo Show) is alright, little too leftwing liberal for me, but still pretty funny.
The webpage is here.
-Ab
Nothing fails quite like prayer.
The Linux Show! Live every Tuesday night, 20:00 Central Time (they're in Illinois, USA).
They also have archives (link on the front page), and an IRC channel.
--
Given enough personal experience, all stereotypes are shallow.
Actually, if you are looking for hard core science, you could check out the The KITP lecture archives. They are hard science lectures covering some really cutting edge stuff. Now while about 85% is well over my head, there are lots of "overview" lectures (and slides) in there that I found really interesting. A great little treasure trove of science.
I like to listen to it and play "spot the bad logic" (it isn't hard). I DO feel bad for the real scientists who get asked the stupidest shit.
:)
For example, a guy was talking about the statistical probability of an asteroid strike in the next 100 years. Then the host is like "So, how likely is it that aliens are deflecting the asteroids at us in the first place? There's no proof that they're NOT, after all..."
You can just hear the poor guy wilt.
Also fun is Richard "the scientific establishment is against me. they expect me to have evidence for my wild claims, the bastards" Hoagland. He can't go 10 seconds without a logical error
"Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel." - A.B.
Antioch Radio. You get old radio serials from the 30s and 40s, including Sci Fi shows.
When they came for the communists, I said "He's next door. Take him away. Goddam commies."
I'll tell you what I like about Rush. If you listen through all of what he says, you'll find two underlying themes:
1) _you_ can do it. yourself. yes, you can. I believe in you
2) I'm having a lot more fun than the people criticizing me
That's basically what he says all day on the radio. I don't see why he is so hated. He puts it all in the frame of conservative politics, sure, but really those two points are the core of his program.
Engineering and the Ultimate
How about:
- panel discussions from the H2K2 conference.
- a college course on SF and Fantasy literature.
- the DV Guys focus on the art and tech of video production. (Terrible bumper music. Just suffer through it)
- The Teaching Company has some fantastic for-pay courses on CD and DVD.
- Lastly, I gotta mention The Infidel Guy. The focus is on atheism, so it's not for everyone, but there are some great interviews in the archives with people such as Massimo Pigliucci, Michael Shermer, Paul Kurtz, and Michio Kaku. Lots of contorversial and thought provoking talk on the subject of religion, philosophy, and science.
www.joefrank.com
Here's the audio
Dan