Ask HN: What should I listen to on a 16 hr roadtrip
I am taking a 16 hr roadtrip this weekend over two days. I have some fun podcasts I plan to listen to but I was hoping to listen to some career related content too.
I am into data, analytics and ml for work.
I am hoping to listen to CMU fall database series
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS2_AJNIxzU&list=PLSE8ODhjZXjZKp-oX_75aBnznulk7nubu
Wondering if anyone has some ideas on tech audio I could listen to.
19 comments
[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 44.6 ms ] thread[1] https://taylor.town/podcasts
Rather than limiting yourself to "career" content, maybe try enriching yourself with some classic literature and non-fiction?
I personally love listening to essay collections on readtrips! I highly recommend Gibson's Distrust That Particular Flavor and any collection from David Foster Wallace.
[2] https://taylor.town/eschew-the-new
Rather than listening, also consider taking the time to dictate some essays or short stories! Phones have very good speech-to-text nowadays, and you could probably knock out an entire first-draft of something :)
I'd go a step further and recommend some music, or local terrestrial radio. I'm guessing that during 16 hours of driving there will be some interesting scenery or places to stop along the way. It's a great opportunity to get away from work for a while or cogitate on stuff you've already taken in before the trip.
My wife and I accidentally turned on AM radio recently.
For 30 minutes, we listened to an insane infomercial about this special tea that can supposedly cure cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc.
It was the hardest we've laughed together in years!
It's weird to think how sanitized my inputs have become over the years. All my feeds are so clean and curated or guided by opaque recommendations algorithms.
I highly recommend this episode about a crazy story of a janky internet exchange: https://oxide.computer/podcasts/on-the-metal/kenneth-finnega...
My best ideas came from idling thoughts that made strange connections
Driving is one of the best times to get some idle time
https://youtu.be/hMQ2qGmJOVM
In lieu of a long post choose a jam compilation from here:
https://www.youtube.com/@justjams9330/videos
Then enjoy the roadtrip, your trip is short. It's good background music, but every now and again you will notice _something_ about the music that really sticks out. This is because the musical stories are told in a crescendo style.
I get that advice regarding podcasts all the time. All the podcasts, from anywhere, tens of thousands of hours long in totality
I don't really get how someone can feasibly ask other humans to spend hundreds or thousands of hours doing something outside of personal skill building with a straight face.
To me, when I hear that kind of suggestion, it comes off as the same kind of thing as "Oh, you're religious? Have you read all of the worlds' scripture?" -- of course I haven't, those kind of decisions require a prioritization of life's time in order to accomplish; it's not really feasible to expect that in other people.
The premise behind mass-produced trite television like weekly variety/sketch-shows/tonight-shows is that a bystander can 'catch as catch can' and jump into the activity and enjoy it with others with little to no experience in doing so. It helps to alleviate alienation in those that lack the willpower or ability to be an insider with the crowd and watch the show in entirety.
I feel like the 500+ episodic podcasts, with their in-jokes and nuance, kind of forget that responsibility in favor of audience niches and fan dedication -- which is fine, but trend left me at the shore.
back to OP : what to do on a long drive? Listen to some non-distracting music, stop at interesting local places to eat good food and share good company, visit, enjoy the scenery and whatever company you might have, and be safe -- you'll have plenty of time for productivity whenever else; don't hyper-optimize.