Greg Proops- The Smartest Man in the World Podcast. The Thinking man's way to Laugh

Podcasting is not as popular as it should be and that is a shame.

I try to explain podcasts to my friends ("It's like grown up radio without commercials") and all I get back are glassy-eyed stares. I really try to explain the eco-system that allows niche podcasts to flourish alongside more mainstream offerings most of us are familiar with and used to hearing like Adam Carolla, Leo Laporte and The Mike O'Meara Show.

Occasionally, there comes along a podcast that straddles the line between mainstream and odd, challenges us intellectually and blows up conventional thinking with the dynamite of dadaism and off the wall bizarre. Greg Proops is just that kind of podcast host.

Laughing and thinking was never so much fun.
(greg-proops.net)

Perhaps best known for his regular appearances on both the British and US versions of "Whose Line is it Anyway?", Proops is a bohemian intellectual, raging against convention with a nuclear fueled wit. Normally recorded onstage with an audience that tries to be as hip and bon vivant as he, Proops rattles off humor, pop references, quotes obscure poetry and lances the establishment with a machine-gun delivery that sometimes derails in a deep gorge of what-the-hell-is-he-talking-about?

Overall, the effect is fantastically overpowering. I somehow feel smarter myself as I understand his Satchel Paige reference or follow along as he dissects Hollywood movies. Is there a point? Usually not one that I can establish, except to have fun on a smarter plane than most other broadcasts.

Proops doesn't talk down to his audience, but expects them to keep up intellectually. But that's OK with me because I enjoy a host who challenges my intellect and helps me to look at topics with a new view.

Proops also liberally laces his diatribes with references to drugs, alcohol and adult language, so this isn't for those with innocent sensibilities, but if you're seeking out something that is different, energetic and appeals to the brainiac in all of us, then The Smartest Man in the World Podcast  might be the next thing you down load today. You can find Proops' show on iTunes or Zune or by going to his website by clicking here.

You're welcome.

The Thomas Jefferson Hour- Listen the the president himself speak in a podcast!

Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States and the author of the Declaration of Independence, but did you know he religiously kept five daily diaries, was deep in debt most of his life and used to read Greek literature in it's original language?

It's all true and you can learn more from a podcast I've been enjoying for some time now and it all originates from a most unexpected place, North Dakota. The podcast features nationally known Jefferson scholar Clay Jenkinson in his role of the famous president.

Get ready to be fascinated
(source: The TJ Hour)

That's right, Mr. Jenkinson actually portrays the late president and provides opinions, thoughts, facts and points of view as if he really was the president brought to life. He's guided through each show by David Swenson, a genial and knowledgeable host who often supports the president on his views, but sometimes challenges them. For instance, Thomas Jefferson vehemently opposed slavery, yet owned dozens of them all his life and even fathered a child by one of them. In most shows, Mr. Jenkinson reverts to his normal persona and discusses not just Jefferson, but his other specialties: president John Adams, Lewis and Clark, North Dakota and a host of other interesting topics.

The historical duo aren't shy about taking on current events either. The national debt, foreign relations, political controversies are all fair game and up for a fascinating conversation with the president as he provides his unique view of things and how he would have handled the issue in his day.

The show is on National Public Radio, but is also offered in a podcast that eliminates most breaks and provides the audio in a pure form so you can get to the good stuff without waiting.

So, why should you wait any longer, either? Go to the podcast's website to hear it for yourself.

Justice for fun- Listen to Judge John Hodgeman- he rules!

I use my iPod to fill the empty space in my day- driving to and from work, weeding the garden, painting a bedroom or listening to the wife (just kidding, honey). I fill it with all sorts of podcasts dealing with history, science and tech news of the day. But my player is not just filled with serious subject matter, I have more than a few podcasts I listen to because they amuse and suprise me and keep me laughing through my chores and drudgery.

One of my favorites is "Judge John Hodgeman". You might know him as "PC" on the famous Apple ads from not too long ago. Turns out, Mr Hodgeman is a Yale man and is deeply thoughtful and hilarious at the same time. As a bit of fun, he produces, along with some friends, a podcast where he is the judge and presides over a court of silly disagreements. Topics in the recent past have included How to Peel a Banana Correctly, Is a Machine Gun a Robot and Should my Dad Make me Watch Classic Movies. He has a blaiff sidekick who adds his two cents to the case and introduces and explains each case to the listener.

This show is guilty of being hilarious
(source: maximumfun.org)

Each case is real in the sense the people bringing the case are genuine and the interplay is not scripted. No outcome is promised and the only award a "winner" might get is the satisfaction that his/her side of the case is the correct one in the eyes of His Honor, Judge Hodgeman. The banter between the judge and the litigants is snappy and smart and it appeals to the intelectual in me as some of the theories or ideas introduced force me to think on a higher plane and that makes the humor even sharper to me.

You can download the episodes on iTunes or in the Zune Marketplace or you can go to the website directly and play each episode there, no iPod required- although a speaker is necessary.

You can hear the entire list of shows by going here to listen to the funniest courtroom you've ever heard and you'll find it to be your newest "guilty" pleasure.

Court's Adjourned.

Leo Laporte, The Tech Guy!

One of my favorite people to explain how all things tech works is Leo Laporte. His radio show, The Tech Guy,  has spent the past two decades explaining things to folks like you and me who just want to turn the darn thing on and have it work!

He had a vast knowledge of computers, gadgets, tech news and products that is astounding. He also produces dozens of podcasts on tpoics ranging from computer security to food and wine. His style is easy, funny, approachable and casual. Leo knows technology and he knows how to explain it.

Go see (or hear) for yourself!