Whether you’re routinely stuck in the car for an hour or bumping along a seemingly endless bus and train rides, you could alleviate a lot of frustration with a little technology.
And no, we’re not talking about the radio.
Get thee an MP3 player. Regardless of the model, there are programs galore worthy of your download. Sure, you could listen to household names, but we challenge you to try something new.
Among our recommendations (but hey, don’t trust just us. Winners of the 2007 People’s Choice Podcast Awards – reportedly decided by 1.3 million unique voters – are posted at ):
Audio
The Word Nerds. This almost-
weekly podcast (and there are dozens of past dispatches to choose from, too) is about words, language and why we say the things we do. Three teachers – high school English, German and Latin – make learning about derivatives, prepositions and roots much more fun than you remember having in English, German and Latin class. See .
Comedy4cast. This podcast delivers hearty laughs in four minutes or less. OK, so your commute is longer – but the grins and giggles served up by one of the nation’s most popular digital comedy shows might help you forget that. Check out
.
Science Talk. You probably don’t get Scientific American magazine, so feel smarter instantly by subscribing to its weekly podcast about, well, the latest in science and technology. Last month alone, some of the world’s sharpest minds chatted (yes, chatted, and in language easy to understand) about global obesity, dogs, your rapid loss of privacy and what the world would be like without humans (and, we guess, podcasters). Visit .
Video (for all you geeks, er, “early adopters,” with video podcast players, and suggested only for those who are letting someone else do the driving):
Fit Life. Smiley personal trainer Amy McIntyre (also known as Amy Mac) shares great tips on how to get fit without dropping a ton of dough on gimmicks. She also dishes out easy recipes, demonstrates simple exercises and reviews exercise gear. See .
Wild Chronicles. Admit it. Your commute often leaves you wanting to rip off somebody’s head. Tame your inner beast with National Geographic’s fantastic video of wild animals. The “critter cam” lets you view the world from an animal’s perspective. Insight from adventurers, scientists and researchers is almost as lively. Visit nationalgeographic
.
For the non-geeks among us
OK, so you don’t do downloads. Compact discs and cassettes are your thing. Here are a couple of audio books worth a listen:
The Book of Honor: Covert Lives and Classified Deaths at the CIA, by Ted Gup, author, and Frank Muller, narrator (Random House Audio, 2000; cassette). In memory of those killed in the line of duty, the Central Intelligence Agency etches stars in a marble wall of its Langley, Va., headquarters and lists them in a tome known as the “Book of Honor.” Names do not accompany about half the stars in the book because the CIA says it doesn’t want to compromise operations. The agency’s stonewalling didn’t stop respected investigative reporter Ted Gup from identifying the people behind those stars – or from arguing that their fascinating stories threaten nothing but the CIA’s sense of pride.
Mindfulness for Beginners, by Jon Kabit-Zinn (Sounds True, 2006; compact disc). Yes, it’s possible to meditate and drive safely at the same time. Kabit-Zinn is founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. In a soothing voice perfect for your daily afternoon decompression, he explains mindfulness – the act of paying careful attention to purpose and the present moment without passing judgment. Plenty of people credit mindfulness with reducing stress, alleviating depression and relieving chronic pain – three things that could be exacerbated by a rough commute.
