Lovemyhusband’s Weblog

   A few months ago my husband surprised me with an iPod.  I was really technologically behind when it came to downloading music, but music in general has always been a big part of my life.  I was never one to make mix tapes for people, or anything so dorky, but when it came to my own free time, I would WAY rather be listening to my satellite radio than watching tv. And let me tell you, satellite radio is the only way to go. Anyhow so I got my new iPod and went strait to open an iTunes account.  Then ripped all my personal cd’s to my music library and bought just a couple songs from iTunes.  And I thought, man, this is awesome, its tiny and can hold like 2000 songs.  And I just thought that was super cool.  Then one day I decided to try to learn Spanish, which you already know about if you read my last blog.  Anyway, so thinking back to the old days I started looking for cd’s on ebay or locally that I could listen to to learn.  And bought a set online.  But then I was looking through the iPod store thinking gee if i would have looked here first i wouldnt have to wait on shipping. 

   And low and behold guess what I found…  Podcasts!!  And they were free, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Hundreds of recordings that I could just download in minutes and start right away.  So of course I did.  So far there were two that I’ll mention quick because they are the ones that like the most so far, and they are Coffee Break Spanish and  Discover Spanish.  The only thing that i wish were a little different is that the Coffee break Spanish is from Europe and they are using a dialect more from Spain rather than Central America.  And being from the southern United States I would benefit more from a Mexican dialect.  But really I’m not being picky because when I watch TV and hear spanish  and am able to pick out a word here and there, then I feel like its good enough for me.  In the area that I am in if I were to try to communicate with a Spanish speaking person, I feel like they would appreciate the effort no matter how i pronounce my c’s.   It would be like someone from Queens, NY talking to someone from New Orleans, LA.

   OK so on to my point for this blog.  So then a few weeks ago I started looking for other types of  podcasts and bumped into Sticks and String.  And I LOVED it.  Of course it was started over a year ago so I downloaded all the previous episodes. 

   Here’s probably a good enough place to throw in some quick background about me so that my reviews may make more sense.  I believe, although I’ve never taken the time to be officially diagnosed, I have ADD and OCD.  A great combination let me tell you.  But with the ADD it makes it almost impossible to sit and listen to someone talk if they are a slow talker.  It drives me crazy, I cant do it.  Average speed talking- fine, fast talking- great, slow talking – wheres a knife…  Ok so next with the OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  It manifests in different ways for different people, and lucky me, I have both obsessions and compulsions.  Good thing spelling correctly isn’t on of my obsessions.  But anyway the OCD effects my ability to read books and listen to podcasts because I cant do anything that is a series out of order.  THere was a funny bumper sticker I saw one time that said “I have CDO its like OCD but the letters are in alphabetical order, like they should be”  Ya that’s me. 

   Anyhow so of course when I find David Reidy’s Sticks and String podcast there were 70 episodes.  Could I just jump in and listen to the last few to get caught up. Oh no.  Not a chance.  I listed to the first couple of episodes and thought, well hell this would be nice to knit to.  He has an incredible accent, and his episodes sounded so professional.  It was great.  Here’s where the obsessive part comes in.  I started listening, just about whenever I could, cause I felt like I had to get caught up.  In the car, or while knitting, or while washing dishes.  No wait, dishes are you kidding. That’s what the dishwasher is for.  If it isn’t diswasher safe, it isnt in my kitchen…  (ya see there’s a nice example of my ADD)  ok so where was I.  Oh Right, so i get to episode 70 and realize he is taking a break so it will be a while until I can listen to the next one, so of course off I trot off to free podcast land and see what else they have to offer. And I’m just floored.

   I didn’t know where to start there were so many, and just for knitters.  So I do the OCD thing and download the first 2 episodes  of every knitting podcast I could find at iTunes.  I decided that with my ADD that if I didnt like one by the first two episodes then they weren’t worth downloading the rest. Especially when there are so many to choose from.  Oh and for those of you who dont have an iPod, I think you can still get an account with iTunes, but really I dont know.  Feel free to leave a comment.

   Ok, so here’s what I found so far:  Wait back up, first let me tell you a little about my criteria.  First off I am not an editor or a professional reviewer but I know what I like, and to review properly I’d have to give you what I was looking for.  Here’s the things that I didn’t like:  Um, uhms.  If someone is Um-ing too much it distracts me from what they are trying to say and then I just cant listen anymore.  (its the ADD, i don’t take responsibility)  Long pauses.  I cant be the only one that that drives nuts.  I understand some people use the long pauses for dramatic effect, but come on if you take out all your pauses and your podcast is only half the same amount of time then its too much.  Besides I hate it when people are being dramatic on things that don’t really require it anyway.  I mean come on, knitting is supposed to be relaxing and fun.  Lets see what else, for my personal enjoyment the voice has to seem friendly, don’t get me wrong I’m not all bunnies and sunshine, but if they are cussing when its not really required, its the same as the um’s, its distracting.  I guess you could put that in the over dramatic category, Its like when one is cussing just for the sake of using that particular word instead if it being particularly necessary.  Sorry I know I’m not coming across like I should be.  Here let me put it another way.  Have you ever been out in public and seen a bunch of 12 year olds and one of them is cussing and you know he’s just trying to empress his friends?  Its not like I’m even offended by the language (cause I can cuss like a sailor…I dated a sailor once, anyway)  but I’m more annoyed.  They just sound dorky, you know?

Ok so I think this blog has been more about me and less about reviews, but now that i feel like if explained myself better i can get on to telling you which i liked and which i didn’t.

1) Sticks and String:  I already talked about this one a little, I enjoyed it, Professional, informative, educational.  There wasone some thing I didn’t like though.  It was the music.  For 2 reasons:  one was that in the Begining there was too much music.  But I believe that may have been kind of for filler while he was really getting good at the podcasting in general.  And if you like your podcasts to have music interspersed through them then you’d probably really like it.  But then later it was the type of music.  It was like when he started using less music, he starting using a different type of music.  Some of it was ok, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.  But he got lots of positive comments on it, so I’m sure many of you would like it.
2)  Cast On.  I couldn’t handle it.  It seemed to have many of the things that don’t work for and ADD, OCD listener.  First let me say that I only listed to a few of the older podcasts, so she could have changed.  But I felt like they were over dramatic, there was too much music and she was a slow talker.  Those things distracted me to the point that I couldn’t pay attention to what she was actually trying to get across.  However, there are good points of course.  I didn’t like this podcast much but it was at least very professional sounding.  Unlike many, I think she has good quality equipment and that makes a difference sometimes.
I feel like such a bad person puttingthis stuff down, and I never hear anything bad about Cast On from other people, so I’m sure its just me.  But like I said, I couldn’t handle it.  I had to delete it from my list.
3)Barknknit:   I’m still deciding on this one.  Ive only listened to a little, but I will probably go back and download more and see where she gets too.  She is also on  ravelry and seems pretty talented.
4) Let’s Knit 2gether.  THis one is a video podcast, and I liked it alot because the podcaster went to events and fiber festivals and I got to see alot of things I wouldnt normally.  Where I live if they have anything like that I’ve never seen it.  So that part  was fun for me. Kat (not sure if it is a C or K)  was a little cheezy sometimes, but she was always fun and informative.  And the podcast seemed VERY professional. 

Ok I think I’ll stop the reviews there today, because I haven’t listened enough to really review the rest yet.  Plus I’m hopeing for some comments so you all can tell me if I have my head up my ass.  I feel like I’m goingto be stepping on toes.  But its whats been on my mind lately, and I am also hopeing for some comments that lead me toward some other podcasts that you all may think are great.  I’d love some suggestions as to what you think are the best choices.