I’m an information and entertainment junkie. Podcasts are the pipeline that feeds my addiction.

For those who don’t know what a podcast is, think of it as a radio show (or a TV show in many cases), but you get to tune in when and where you want to tune in – or in many cases, if you can’t wait, you can tune in live and be a part of the show in many cases.

You can learn foreign languages, financial skills, investment tips, comedy, public speaking tips and for the magicians there are a lot of podcasts dedicated to magic.

NSFW – this is, by far, my favorite podcast. I admit that I’m biased in that my best friend Brian Brushwood is the host, along with Justin Robert Young – who is one of the most consistantly creative people I’ve ever met. The show always plays some game with a special guest and it’s usually pretty hilarious. Justin’s ad reads are amazingly funny and make me want to listen. In fact, this page is hosted on squarespace.com because of their sponsorship of this show. Available as both video and audio versions – I usually just listen in the car and don’t feel that I miss out completely, though I’ve throughly enjoyed the video episodes that I’ve watched.

816Podcast – my friends Alex Rangel and David Rangel (no relation) have a new podcast that has been really fun to listen to. It focuses on magic and performance. These guys know everyone and have a lot of stories to tell and I hope they keep doing this podcast, it’s only 4 episodes in at the time of this writing, but I listen immediately when it gets published.

Scam School – This is a really well done video podcast that introduces people to magic. I will openly confess that I’ve watched maybe a dozen episodes, but I’d like to go back and watch more. The only reason I don’t watch more is that I have limited bandwidth at my house and it’s a video podcast. I mostly listen to podcasts while I’m driving. Video doesn’t lend itself to that endeavor. This one also features Brian Brushwood. Trust me, I’m supporting quality, not being a stalking fanboy.

Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me – this is a podcast of the popular news quiz show on NPR. It is sometimes a bit “nose in the air” and pompus, but it’s also had a few times when I’ve had to pull my car over because I was laughing so hard. Usually this is when Mo Rocca is a guest.

iPad Today – Sarah Lane (a frequent NSFW guest) and Leo Laporte host this show that’s all about what’s happening in the iPad world. I’ve listened to this one less now that the new has worn off of my iPad (which I still love and use daily), but if you have an iPad, I assure you that you’ll benefit from this podcast.

Zig Ziglar’s Ispiring Words of Encouragement – I Love me some Zig Ziglar. I have an autographed copy of “See You at the Top” that he gave to me as a 13 year old kid in 1977. His voice, rythum and passion encourage me. I love listening to Zig.

Magic Newswire – Special guests from the magic world fill this podcast with great stories of magic and performing. No tricks – just talk. I’ve been a guest and a sponsor and I listen fairly regularly to the news.

Film Riot – If you do any filming or video work, this is a great show to watch. Hell, even if you don’t it’s super entertaining and informative. Their ads are the best, you certainly won’t want to fast forward through them. Video only for this one.

Those I listed above with links are the ones I wait for and listen to regularly.

I flirt with several other podcasts ranging from religion (and lack thereof), philosophy, personal finance, how things work, motivational lessons and more. Open iTunes, click on podcasts and try a few on for size. Most are free – so you have nothing to lose. Some of them may change your life.

If you’re still listening to the radio during your drive time. Turn it off. Plug in your smart phone or iPod and take advantage of the entertainment that’s out there for you. I assure you, there’s something out there in podcast land that you’ll end up loving.