4 Essential Podcasts for Every ipod

Freedomain Radio: If you are at all interested in anything vaguely cerebral then Stefan Molyneaux is your man. An anarcho-capitalist, philosopher, ex-software entrepreneur and orator, Stef is positively encyclopedic in his knowledge and doggedly pursues empirical truth. Covering everything from dream analysis to free will, Freedomain Radio is a miraculous resource for anybody who is starting their journey into the raw wilderness of Anarchist thought and self-knowledge. This podcast seriously changed my life and it will do the same for you too.

http://www.freedomainradio.com/

I Love Movies: Doug Benson the drowsy-eyed star of "Super High Me" and a regular of VH1's "Best Week Ever" hosts a round table of comedians discussing, what else, movies! With guests ranging from Bob Odenkirk and Dana Gould to actor Jerry O'Connell, Doug Benson has a surprisingly entertaining, by-the-seat-of-his-pants biweekly free-for-all. It's often best when the panel devolves into unadulterated silliness which usually culminates with the "Leonard Maltin game" that ends every episode. The Leonard Maltin game is a challenge where both guests try to guess a movie only by three clues: how film critic Leonard Maltin reviewed it, the year of release and a list of the cast presented from least known to best. This podcast is great for a few good belly laughs and will not disappoint.

http://handheldcomedy.com/index.php?task=ms&id=8&referred=TRUE&mature_pass=TRUE

Harcore History: Up until college history, for me, was just a bunch of vapid, dead white guys I had to memorize to pass a class. But thanks to Professor Aldrete history became a story curling out from the jungle and into my lap. A tale filled with the most improbable twists of destiny, grotesque carnage and immortal love. If you're like me and can't get enough history then this podcast is for you. And if you couldn't give two shits about history then this podcast is for you as well. Because all it takes is a terrific teacher to kindle that spark and host Dan Carlin is just dramatic enough for the novice, apolitical enough for the casual observer and exhaustive enough for the expert.

http://www.dancarlin.com/disp.php/hh

Here on Earth: Radio Without Borders: Unique among the other podcast selected for this list, Here on Earth is actually a radio show based in Madison, WI. After giving it a listen I hope a lot of the myths about us cheeseheads will be dispelled. The topics are varied but the prime directive of the broadcast is to showcase the similarities between cultures and celebrate the differences. And much to the the credit of the show's producers, writers and host, Jean Feraca, the tone is not usually a schmaltzy "We are the World" singalong, but one of a matter-of-fact jubilation and a true desire to inform. Yes, us Wisconsinites do enjoy thinking and we are interested in what lies beyond state lines, and Here on Earth delivers it to us in a way only radio can.

http://www.wpr.org/hereonearth/