42 MacDirectory
DEPARTMENT
Millionaire or Bust
Collapse, crash,
descend, nose-dive,
plummet. Anyone
willing to report on
finances these days
has been scrambling
for synonyms to
describe the constant bad news being
pumped out of Wall Street. And while
podcast enthusiasts may not be too eager
to download the latest market updates,
they shouldn't shy away from the
Millionaire or Bust show. Hosts David and
Talli—who are not in any way financial
planners, accountants or money
managers—deliver a nice mix of quick news
updates and sensible advice. Topics range
from how to deal with identity theft to
suggestions for traveling on a budget.
Nearly every episode is less than 30
minutes, making it an ideal show for your
morning commute—assuming you're still
making one.
Stuff You Should Know
You may already be
familiar with the site
listed above, but did
you know that all the
random information
from that site is
available in a high-
quality weekly podcast? Within a few
minutes of listening to a single show, I
learned that all of the paper that is thrown
out each year in the United States could be
constructed into a 12-foot-high wall that
would stretch from New York to Los
Angeles. This podcast does become rather
addictive, and sometimes you might find
yourself wondering why you're listening to
a show about what can be done with a
dead body, but it's just so good that its
difficult to pull yourself away from the
speakers. Alright, one last useless fact from
this show: for about $2,500 you can have a
gram of your cremated-self blasted into
space. Phew, I was wondering how much
that would cost.
LickLibrary
Whether you play 16
hours of Guitar Hero
each day or wail away
on the air guitar
during your morning
shower, it's time to
accept the fact that
real rock stars play real instruments. If
mastering the gitbox has been a lifelong
ambition, you might want check out the
LickLibrary video podcast. Each episode
introduces new styles of playing, and all the
great genres like blues, metal, rock, country
and jazz are covered. Some of the lessons
are clearly tailored to novices; while other
episodes require a certain amount of
dexterity not usually possessed by
amateurs. The only downside is that there
are a limited number of free episodes
available on iTunes, but there's certainly
enough to keep you plucking the strings
for quite a while.
The EnvironMinute
For nearly 20 years
the EnvironMinute
has been delivering
succinct, pertinent
environmental
updates to a
worldwide audience.
Topics covered on the daily episodes
include new environmental legislation and
the findings of recent scientific studies.
Outstanding production quality and stellar
reporting gives the episodes the feel of a
news-radio program. In addition to its
iTunes presence, The EnvironMinute is
broadcast on more than 100 radio stations.
So take a minute, literally, and get
informed. It's worth it.
Open Source Sex
According to host
Violet Blue's Web site,
she is an author, sex
educator, blogger,
podcaster, columnist,
GETV reporter and a
robotic artist. That's
an impressive collection of titles to say the
least, especially the robotic artist part. In
her semi-regular podcast, Open Source
Sex, Violet holds nothing back while
delving into topics like "dealing with weird
fantasies," "unsafe sex products," and the
always risqué "how to kiss." Every episode
is interesting, informative and, most
importantly, not too sleazy.
HOTTEST PODCASTS
MACDIRECTORY PRESENTS ITS PERIODIC LOOK AT THE HOTTEST PODCASTS ON THE WEB.
WHETHER IT'S MONEY, THE ENVIRONMENT, SEX OR JUST PLAIN "STUFF," WE HAVE IT COVERED.
WORDS BY CHRIS SWEENEY
