SOS
Back in LA after a quick trip north to visit Julie’s Parents. I say “quick trip” but the actual travel-part was anything but quick as on our drive north we got stuck in a snarl of traffic due to an overturned truck carrying toxic chemicals. And by “snarl” I mean a 10-mile detour off I5 that took us 4 hours to traverse. It was grueling. Road-madness set in at about hour-two (we had already been on the road for nearly four hours when wee hit the jam) and it got pretty hairy.

Now it is back to work and the Same Old Shit… It also feels like my commute is growing longer (closer now to 40 minutes that the 30 it was at 6 weeks ago.) Somebody in my office suggested listening to Podcasts as a good way to pass the drive-time and I had to rehash my whole, “what the hell is the point” argument again. These things are getting more and more mainstream (well, if not mainstream at least more accessible) and I still have a hard time seeing their value. It seems like the most covered subject within podcasting is podcasting, and I simply don’t care! The few show’s I’ve listened to have been too amateurish, much too long, and really pretty uninteresting. You’ve heard the phrase a “face for radio” and many of these podcasters have a “voice for newspaper;” which maybe a harsh criticism, but still…

Anyway, it seems like Podcasting is really a solution in search of a problem. Or, at least, a medium that has yet to find its real purpose. Merlin Mann has some thoughts along these lines over at 43folders which echo my thoughts. Is it really necessary to do a weekly podcast about Boardgames that runs nearly 90 minuets? I’m sure there are many fine programs out there for those who want to do the leg-work to discover them, and I welcome suggestions and recommendations of what to listen to. Maybe I’ll change my tune on the whole issue, but for now I think I’ll stick to tunes.