Ch-ch-ch-changes

Isn't that the most cliched post title ever?  I think it is.  But I'm actually talking about changes, here, changes in my listening habits. 

I'm not sure if it's a product of age, or just changing tastes, but I am nearly unable to listen to music.  I'm uninterested in listening to it at my desk for 8 hours a day, and I'm utterly opposed to having it on in the house while I'm doing most things (cleaning being a very rare exception to that rule), including but not limited to: crossword puzzles, reading, sewing, relaxing, cuddling.  I've been off music in the car for ages, since I started the commute, so that's not really new, although I did used to listen to music some afternoons on the way home.  Part of me thinks it's because some of my music is very stale; when you listen to music 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, things get old fast, I guess.  But otherwise, I'm clueless as to why.

The thing is, I still hear music in my head.  That is to say, songs still get stuck in there and rattle around and annoy me.  And I'm still loving Rock Band like crazy, so it's really not a dislike of music, per se.  It's just...something I can't describe.

And so not only has the music sort of crept away, but the audiobooks too.  Perhaps it's a dearth of good ones; I've had a hell of time even finding things I want to buy.  And then I've started two that I don't like at ALL, which sort of sucks, as well as taking some of the wind out of the sails.  For a few weeks, all I listened to was the archives of the SModcast, which I've been done with for a while.  Searching for something else, I hit upon This American Life, which is working nicely, but will get expensive if I want to get the archives, as the episodes are either .95 or .66 depending on where you get them.  So although I've scoffed at them in the past, I'm now listening to podcasts.  I don't feel all that hypocritical about it, because I've always scoffed at them as being just a different way to listen to the radio, and that's basically what I'm doing, subscribing almost exclusively to podcasts that are from NPR.  (This American Life, Sound Opinions, The Bryant Park Project, and a few foodie ones from NPR, can't remember their names right now.)  I don't have a radio at my desk, and I did search for a cheap one online, but with no luck.  My computer also has speakers, but they've been plugged into my iPod dock for forever, simply for ease of listening to that.  I don't much feel like switching back and forth all the time.  So NPR podcasts it is.  (I admit to some longing still for a desk radio, so I can listen to Cubs' games, which are inaccessible even through the computer.  Radio only.)

So I find myself now listening to what is essentially talk radio, all day, every day.  The past week or so, I've been catching up with a week of Bryant Park Project programs (though after today, I'll be caught up, and end up listening to every day's podcast the next morning at my desk), and then I've got to start finding a few new ones to subscribe to for desk listening.  Any suggestions?  Let me state right off that I'm not interested in comedy, as it won't work at my desk.  Newsy is best, or something special interest that fits my profile.  NPR is preferred.  Does anyone have any ideas?

Comments

[Yeldael]

Yo A- I got a suggestion - sports radio. Download the ESPN radio podcasts of Mike and Mike and other sports radio shows - they are so bad they are kinda good

[Rita]

I am also addicted to This American Life. I love it, and am always frustrated by having to buy some of them.

I recently started listening to Fresh Air with Terry Gross. It seems like there are two podcasts a day, and a really big backlog so, if you liked it, you would have a lot of material to choose from. However, it does tend to be hit or miss. Terry is a fantastic interviewer - this morning, I was listening to some financial expert explain the "dark market" and why the economy is tanking. I am so not into the financial news, and I was riveted to this discussion. But, there are some people who are just not interesting, no matter what you do.

I also subscribe to Driveway Moments, which seems to be on a very irregular schedule, and Sports with Frank DeFord. The problem there is that sometimes Driveway Moments is less than ten minutes, sometimes it is very long. Frank DeFord tends to be around five minutes, so that's not going to give you a ton of listening time, but is a good way to break things up.

I think they also have a Story of the Day podcast, but I've never listened to that.