Well, I Got to Twenty-One

I didn't know about these podcast search tools, so I was glad to see that they exist and make it so easy to find some programs I always seem to miss. Using podcastalley, I found the Democracy Now! podcast, which I always forget to tune in when it's live. And, I love Garrison Keillor's, The Writer's Almanac, which I often send to my friends on their birthdays. I added both of them to bloglines, so now I can listen to them on my schedule.

Video from the Past

On YouTube, my old bands still live! I miss the Phish guys. I went to five of their concerts, which were long, loud and really satisfying. It's still a wonder how quickly YouTube and other video sites have gained almost mainstream prominence. I need to do some research and find out if YouTube hits increased dramatically during the TV writers' strike. I know my usage skyrocketed. It seems that most "watercooler" discussions used to revolve around episodic TV and sports, but now you also have to keep up with the latest Internet video to join in the conversation. The live videos of Phish aren't too good, but here's one from an old Letterman show that sounds ok.

Yelp Me!

I came across Yelp a while ago when I was going on a trip and wanted a list of places to eat. Since then it's become my favorite site for travel research. Just for fun, I tested it today by accessing the Yelp Portland, Oregon pages, since I know the city pretty well. All of my favorite places showed up and I found that I agreed with most of the reviews. It works best for popular destinations, of course, because the usefulness is dependent on how many people contribute reviews and how recently reviews have been submitted. So, on that basis, I guess Lincoln is not a hot travel spot, as many of the entries had only one review. Anyway, I agree with the Web 2.0 award for this little gem.