Three podcasts you can Respect

Here are some podcasts that you should be listening to:

1. Radio Lab (http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/)

A science and culture show, mostly about simple things with not so simple answers. Why do we sleep? How are ants and bees so organized? How does your brain determine morality?
Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is always entertaining. One thing it's not is two guys droning on for an hour about a topic. Instead the show will often open with a quick story to setup the topic, music will set the tone, and the sound effects will keep you from zoning out. The show is heavily researched with interviews from professionals and history on the topic at hand. It's like a good show on the Discovery channel. (Think Mythbusters, only more professional and with less zany mindless explosions... in a good way)
Each show lasts about an hour.

The Respect
It's probably the best podcast out there. Hell, it's probably the best radio show out there. The show has a good pace and will leave you wondering where the hour went.
NPR means it's commercial free.

The Disrespect
It's produced by NPR, which means probably about a third of the show is your tax dollars at work.
To contradict that, it only has five shows a season, which leaves you wanting more.

2. Croncast (www.croncast.com)

Married couple banter at it's best. This is what podcasting is all about. No corporate sponsors, no commercials, no format, no topics. This show is one guys passion and his wife that got dragged into the whole thing. Kris and Betsy sit down three times a week and just talk about what's been going on in their lives. Somehow the show just works. You'll get stories about vacations, in laws, kids, Goodwill, nerd conventions and money problems. The show is so intimate, you'll start to feel like these two are your close friends that you know everything about, but never met or even talked to. The show is funny. You'll find yourself getting strange looks on the bus when you start laughing out loud at inside jokes.

The Respect:
The 30 minute show comes out three times a week, every week, for the last 3 years. Almost without fail. A crazy amount of work, especially since they don't even get paid for it.
The audio quality of the show is top notch. Kris now has career in setting up podcasts so the show sounds every bit as good (if not better) than any other podcast out there. They don't skimp on the bandwidth or hardware just because it's a free, although I'm sure that Betsy has tried.

The Disrespect:
No disrespect for this show, listen to a few episodes and you'll be hooked.

3. This American Life (www.thislife.org)

Short stories about what it's like to live in the United States. Hosted by Ira Glass, this hour long show is a podcast, a radio show and a TV show on Showtime. It's always a few stories centered around a theme, Breaking up with your boyfriend, building a dream house, sham record labels, road trips. The show is usually pretty interesting, although can be a bit slow at times. It's a good show to get a different perspective on how other people live.

The Respect
The show is popular, and this time popular means good. It's won several awards. As a matter of fact, you've probably already heard of it and I'm wasting my time.
It's truly unique. There isn't anything like it.

The Disrespect:
The show can a bit dull at times. Authors reading from their book for a half hour...
Defiantly a liberal show, sometimes political. Get'er done, Bush supporters, probably won't like it.