Ear invasion of the broadcasters part 2

Podcasts, podcasts and more podcasts! This time we were asked to listen to 4 podcasts about 4 different topics and write a little bit about each. As you know my last choice for a podcast was about Adobe Photoshop and photography, so that was automatically ruled out as I began my search for Podcasts. I spent some time to think of the things I'm interested in and would like to listen to a Podcast about. The first thing that came to mind was the craft of writing! Well that sounds a bit too dramatic but I do have a passion for the English language, so the first Podcast I listened to was focussed on Grammar. It took me a while to think of the subject for the next Podcast, but eventually somehow I chose a Podcast that discusses the hidden dangers and scams in business. I believe this came from my slight interest in legal matters. For the third Podcast I chose a weekly horoscope and lastly I chose a Podcast about Anime.

1) Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

This first selection consists of episodes of a Podcast that concentrates on grammatical rules used in the English language that are often overlooked or confused. I actually found this Podcast very interesting and listened to a few episodes but my favourite one is one that discusses the use of the word "woman" as an adjective. In the Podcast a listener has submit a question about the appropriateness of using the word "woman" as an adjective and has pointed out that many people would refer to Nancy Pelosi as the first woman speaker of the house. The person submitting the question asks why the word woman is used instead of female. She also points out that in the case of a male speaker the word man would sound absolutely absurd. So the question remains, is using the word woman OK or not? In Grammar Girl's opinion in the case of Nancy Pelosi it is all right to point out that she is female, since she is making a first but the word female should be used instead of woman. According to Grammar Girl using the word woman as an adjective is subtly suggesting that woman are incapable or do not normally perform the task being discussed at that time. The same can be said if someone points out that someone is male unnecessarily. In my opinion the word woman should not be used as an adjective since the word man isn't used as one either!

2) The Shady Side of Business with Ian Katz

This next Podcasts's episodes are all about business and what hazards are part of the business world. The episode that I listened to really closes in on the use of instant messaging and e-mail in business and how it isn't taken seriously by those who use it. From this episode I myself have realized that I do not take e-mail as seriously as I should be! In fact a lot of people consider e-mail to be not as significant as sending a letter, because hitting the send button just isn't as intimidating as putting a letter in a letter box, as mentioned in the Podcast. Many intelligent people have mistaken that e-mails and instant messages are not/can not be recorded! The truth is that many companies store the e-mails in their database and instant messages can be copied and saved by anyone sending or receiving them! These can serve as very dangerous proof if precautions aren't taken to refrain from communicating material that can be used against the sender via internet. Even Bill Gates has made the mistake of sending content in an e-mail that was used against him when in an Anti-Trust Trial against Microsoft! This goes to show that we all better be more conscious of what we put out on the internet...who knows when it could come back to haunt us?

3)Weekly Horoscope PodCast by NewAgeStore.com

I chose this Podcast just out curiousity. Many people, like myself, who aren't superstitious pay no mind to the Horoscopes in magazines and newspapers and believe them all to be very good marketing. I've made up my mind about all the horoscopes I've come across in my life but I have never heard a Podcast Horoscope so I just wanted to see, or in this case hear, the difference. My astrological sign is Capricorn so naturally I chose the episode according to that. The Podcast states that I should be careful about my belongings, that I will have ghosts of my past brought back to me along with encounters with people I haven't talked to in years and that I will be forced to make a split decision. This is all apparently due to the movement of the solar system, which is discussed in the Podcast but it wouldn't make sense to the average person so the proof for the information being authentic seems a bit weak to me. Also, just like any other horoscope, I am disappointed to say that the predictions announced were very vague and could apply to just about anybody. They would especially feel that the horoscope was correct if they had the ideas in the Podcast in mind throughout the week!

4)Anime Round Table and Review

This is the fourth Podcast I chose for this assignment and as you can see it is related to Anime or Japanese Animation. If you haven't heard of Anime before, or just aren't sure about what it is, it is a Japanese style of animation. It originates from the Japanese form of art known as Manga, usually used in illustrated graphic novels. This Podcast reviews anime in it's episodes and since I'm a very big fan of Anime, I found this Podcast to my liking. I listened to the latest Podcast which is actually a PreShow to a discussion about the Anime "Witch Hunter Robin". I have already seen this Anime and will possible tune back in to this Podcast to catch the full show! The Podcast summarizes the plot of Witch Hunter Robin and encourages people to go out and watch it. Witch Hunter Robin revolves around the life of a 15 year old girl who is a witch, this means she has extraordinary powers, in her case she has the power to use and control fire. She works for an organization known as Solomon in Rome and is sent to work in the Japanese counterpart (STNJ) of this organization. The organization is in charge of catching and killing witches that are using their powers inappropriately. Most of the episodes consist of investigation and catching these witch criminals. If police investigation and government conspiracy are your thing then this is the show to kick off your Anime-loving journey!