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Ready for some more geeky podcasts? Thought so. And in case you missed it, don’t forget to check out Part I. Or, you can check out both articles in one convenient place right here.
Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=5183214
Whether you’re a news junkie or just like a good laugh, NPR’s weekly current events quiz is worth checking out. You can listen to it every weekend on local NPR affiliate KJZZ, or you can catch the whole thing as a weekly podcast. Three panelists (from Mo Rocca to “Ask” Amy Dickenson to Paula Poundstone) answer questions about the week’s news, playing games such as “Bluff the Listener” and “Lightning Fill In the Blank.” Callers try to guess “Who’s Carl This Time?” and win veteran NPR Morning Edition host Carl Kasell’s voice on their home answering machine (!), and various VIPs get put on the hot seat about potentially unfamiliar topics in “Not My Job.” (Here you can listen to Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano’s recent appearance on the show.)
Car Talk
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=9911203
Auto experts Tom & Ray Magliozzi solve caller’s car problems and crack a lot of bad jokes in this weekend NPR program-turned-podcast. Along the way, tune up your brain with semi-automotive Puzzlers and listen to the hosts squirm as former callers return to reveal the results of their sage advice. The humorous credits are not to be missed!
NPR’s Sunday Puzzle Podcast
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=4819411
Weekend Edition puzzle master and New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz presents challenging puzzles and gives one listener a chance to play on the air.
Fear the Boot
http://feartheboot.libsyn.com/
This “irreverent look at tabletop roleplaying games and a little bit more” is fun, witty, crass and a little dirty. It’s also all over the place, despite each episode having a basic theme — in other words, it’s just like hanging out with your gamer friends. A recent episode dealt with drawing out shy gamers, but also drifted into a nostalgic look at BattleTech Centers, which I thought was just something made up to fill unsold ad space in comic books, like Space Camp. (Kidding!)
Dragon’s Landing Inn
http://www.dragonslanding.com/dli/
Billing itself as “THE podcast for tabletop RPG gamers,” this tamer show seems to have a friendly (?) rivalry going with Fear the Boot. It’s on an extended hiatus, but the archives are extensive and the forums are hopping.
Secret Life of Girl Gamers
http://secretlifeofgirlgamers.blogspot.com/
A curious coven of gamers dish on their newest favorites and tackle touchy topics in gaming (“Conventions, what are they, and how do I survive one?”; “In-Character Relationships…of a romantic nature”; “Gift ideas”). It’s a meaty spin-off of another gaming podcast, All Games Considered, which seems to have run out of steam lately.
Next time: Some podcasts for video gamers and gadget lovers …
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