What's on Your iPod?

Quite frequently, the group that I have lunch with will turn our discussion to music. There are a lot of eclectic tastes represented at the table and there is usually some call for a work radio station. It leads me to the question, what are you people listening to? A frequent addition to blogs that I read is a notation of what people are listening to or the last songs they heard, or some variation.

First of all, I am still getting used to the whole iPod generation. As with TiVo, once I had it, I don't know how I lived without it. I have a 4 gig nano (in silver). It is about 3/4 full. I have a nice Christmas playlist that has gone into hibernation until needed next December. As of today, I have 635 songs on my iPod (out of an expected 1000 songs). The majority of the songs that are on the nano are from my own CD collection. But I have also become a big fan of the iTunes free download of the week. It makes me feel hip to download what the kids are listening to. But it sort of gets negated when I go looking for songs by Paper Lace or Looking Glass.

So what are you listening to? What albums were you spinning growing up? Do you even know what a 45 is? I have only recently relinquished my cassette collection and have now more CDs than I had tapes. And now, I don't know how I live without my iPod.

Before divulging my playlists, I'll start by telling you about the several podcasts I subscribe to. I wasn't sure if I would like the podcast genre, but I greatly enjoy it.

• Time.com offered a number of podcasts that I listened to, including the All-Time 100 albums podcast, the Time person of the year, and a Campaign 2006 podcast.
• I listen to the Road to the White House podcast, which keeps me informed on the all too early presidential campaign.
• Although I read it in the New York Times magazine every week, I also download "The Ethicist," the weekly column by Randy Cohen. The Times has a number of good podcasts also.
• I download the Onion Radio News. It's hilarious.
• In that same sarcastic vein, I listen to the "President's Weekly Address." However, it has nothing to do with the current occupant of the White House.
• I also listen to two NPR programs, "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" and "This American Life"
• Until the beginning of February, I was also listening to Paul Harvey's broadcasts, including "The Rest of the Story." Shades of my childhood.

Coming soon, I will offer you an insight as to what songs I listen to regularly. Tell me what you are listening to.