New Sonic Addiction: Russell Brand

I am over 30 now, and I find myself blissfully ignorant about pop culture. The one downside is when something fun and interesting actually comes along, like Russell Brand, I fall behind.

I am a huge sucker for British accents, probably due to a childhood watching Masterpiece Theater on PBS. Russell is frenetic, unpredictable and more hysterical than most any other comedian I've listened to.

Click here to try the podcast of his BBC Radio 2 show.

Sonic Addiction: Savage LoveCast

My favorite podcast is now officially Savage LoveCast, the audio-out-loud version of Savage Love, the sex advice column by renown sex writer Dan Savage.

Callers leave a message on the podcast voice mail, Dan selects the calls, and provides answers.

It's not just gays or lesbians seeking advice, it's a lot of hetero, bi, and otherwise oriented people who sincerely need help. It's fascinating to listen to all of these strange situations. It's a tad voyeuristic, or whatever the audio equivalent of voyeurism is, but it's more than that. It's an exercise in empathy. It's at times clinical, and there are some guest experts who are actual doctors, but most of the time, people are just confused and need a little help from a common sense sage.

I also feel that I am less of a prude and more understanding and accepting of even my own sexuality.