Right now, Joe Rogan’s 225th podcast is downloading onto my iPod. It’s the one where he does a straight on interview with Bobcat Goldthwait, that character that most of you over 30 have heard of and is still vaguely, although quickly, a fading house-hold name. Police Academy in the eighties was his claim to fame, but now he does stand up comedy to pay the bills. I listened to a bit of it this morning live while they were recording. He and Joe Rogan were talking about how Bobcat repelled a 150 feet wall with Kurt Cobain and the Whole Nirvana naked in front of hundreds of people to countdown the new year in the early nineties. I caught a bit of how he burned down the Jay Leno show and then I had to get ready for work. I’m excited about this one.

I remember getting curious about the whole podcast thing right when I started my career as a radio DJ for 99.5RT. I had no idea that two years later, I’d be completely addicted to the long conversations these guys have with different guests discussing the Medical Marijuana debate or the global occupy movement. It’s borderline voyeurism and kinda like audio pornography, but I really can’t help but tune in.

It’s quite convenient for me, too, since I spend around half of my day moving around the metro and more than that with my headphones on. It’s 100 percent free as well, which blows my mind. I just download the file and sync it to my iPod and off I go. I have found podcasts that cover every topic from comedy to politics to fashion. It’s a fairly new phenomenon, so there is now standard format. You really can find what you like and how you like it.

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I think what’s made podcasting such a powerful and fast growing media for expression is that it is not internet radio, which requires you to sit in front of your computer and have a pretty reliable internet connection. If you miss a bit with radio, you’re screwed. You have to wait till they decide to stream that piece again, which most don’t because they are stubbornly trying to stick to the traditional radio format in an era where it’s dying. More and more advertisers are tuning in also and it’s kinda cool to see the development of the next generation’s audio monster. Here in the Metro, we have always been tuned-in to global trends. And although it takes a bit of getting used to and often we’re a little late to the party, we always hit it right on the dot.

I predict (having spent 2 years in the current radio industry) that once we figure out internet streaming into cars on a mass scale, touch tuning on your iPod will over take that traditional car radio which is kinda the last frontier for radio. It’s just friendlier, cheaper and easier to advertisers. It’s the same dynamic that made Google revolutionary in its marketing. As a marketing person, you can market directly to those who tune into a sports podcast to sell your shoes.

Moms will be able to tune their kids into kid’s shows without hearing poorly crafted and crass advertisements for things like condoms. We’re not there just yet, though. I still have to go through the steps of downloading the file, syncing to my iPod before I even think about how to connect it to my imaginary radio in my imaginary car. That being said, these are easy steps. It makes it worthwhile since I spend so much time on the bus commuting.

You can do the podcast on your own time with an iPod or any other mp3 player. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. The Kevin and Bean Show from Kroq is also a great one if you’re into current events and comedy. It’s actually pretty weird how into it I am. I get excited when I haven’t synced in a while and my iPod gets filled up with all this audio candy.

2. Some sophisticated podcasts also broadcast live with really expensive equipment. A video stream like the Adam Carolla podcast (recently awarded as the most downloaded in the world) is an example. Some are pretty simple and broadcast with just a laptop and cheap headphones.

3. I was pointed to stand-up comedian Marc Maron’s podcast WTF during an interview I did with Rex Navarette, which is a really good podcast for in-depth interviews with people. Although, in my opinion, can be a bit one-sided.

The best thing about the podcast is that most are uncensored, honest perspectives of this amazing world we live in moving into the second half of 2012. Here’s a thought, how great would it be if Senator Mariam Defensor produced one, or President Estrada, or Ely Buendia talking about the golden days of the Eraserheads. How about GMA telling her side so we can all decide for ourselves what’s really going on. There are hundreds of people that make our city interesting that I would like to hear from. Probably anyone except Kris Aquino. She talks too much as it is for me.

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Tune into my Podcast, the Indio-audio project with GB Labrador. Be forewarned though, I have a bit of a potty mouth and we tackle grown-up topics with grown-up humor. Who would make an interesting podcast in your opinion?

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