i like podcasts.

Sorry for the radio silence, my best friend from that magical place called High School came to visit me! It was fun, she's pretty cool, I guess. It was nice to have someone to ride the tube and bus with (have I told you that I live out in the boonies in Hampstead?), and now that she's gone, I have to find new ways to occupy myself on the way into the city. I could just spend all my time people watching, but on the tube this just turns into staring at people sitting three feet away from you, which can turn...awkward. So instead, I have turned to the wonderful world of podcasts. Here are a few of my favorites, perfect for riding public transportation or trying to contain the chaos in your disaster of a bedroom (not at all speaking from personal experience on that one):

The Nerdist- Hosted by Chris Hardwick, he of 90s MTV fame, this podcast gets some amazing guests. Anna Kendrick, JGL (swoony-worthy as always), Mike Birbiglia, Richard Ayoade, and the coolest person in the world (possibly vying for competition with Bill Murray), Tom Freakin' Hanks. He so does not disappoint. Chris and his cronies always seem like they're having a ball with the guests, or in the few episodes where they go it alone. There is plenty to learn about the whole Hollywood scene and the art of being a nerd. Hardwick met his girlfriend at a Doctor Who convention for Galafrey's sake.

You Made It Weird w/Pete Holmes- Another podcast in the Nerdist family, YMIT's host Pete Holmes seems to be the least stand-upy stand-up of all time. Each episode is really just an excuse for Pete to go on a two-hour journey of self-discovery with a super cool comedian. Which, surprisingly, isn't as obnoxiously self-indulgent as it sounds. Somehow it is like listening to a therapy session you want to listen to everyday. The podcast is even great for the comedy nerd in all of us, as the discussion often turns to the in and outs of stand-up.

All Songs Considered- NPR's music podcast. Duh.

Uhh Yeah Dude- My brother introduced me to Seth and Jonathan about five months ago, and I have to say that I have become so obsessed. If you are the kind of person, like me, who likes to share their interests with other people (a nice way of saying shoving it down their throats), you know that sometimes people can not be as quick to like the things you love. This is especially true with podcasts, which some people seem weirdly averse to. This is especially true with a podcast that is best described as, "two really funny guys just sitting around, talking about nothing really, like they read surveys...". Yeah, doesn't exactly sound like compelling stuff. UYD, however, is awesome. It really is just two guys, the aforementioned Seth and Jonathan, sitting in an apartment, shooting the shit. But the friendship of the neurotic, mock frazzled, hilarious former actor (he had a bit part in Crossroads) Seth and the chill, light-hearted musician Jonathan who always has another crazy story to share, makes the show the perfect dose of California cool.

All these podcasts are available fo free on iTunes so start downloading. But be careful, some of them will make you literally laugh out loud in public which will cause other people to give you strange looks. You're welcome.