What iPods are good for

I got an iPod a few months ago because I was intrigued by the world of podcasts. At that time there was a big brouhaha brewing over some statements Steve Wynn purportedly made about the entertainment choices at competitors' establishments. Wynn made the comments on a podcast called The Strip, so I went in search of the original interview, curious to see whether there was anything to this story. As it turned out, Wynn's comments didn't sound at all judgmental when heard in context. He was simply addressing the business of entertainment on the Las Vegas strip.

What I had stumbled on, though, was the wonderful world of podcasting. I had heard about the phenomenon, but I wasn't an early adopter. I had been aware of iPods for a while -- I first heard about them several years ago when fellow MINI owners were talking about hooking them up to their car stereos. I had always thought of them as fancy Walkmans, though, so I was pretty sure they wouldn't be something I'd be too interested in.

I was wrong.

There are podcasts out there that cover just about any conceivable topic. The Strip, for instance, covers news and entertainment in Las Vegas. The real appeal of this particular podcast is that the two hosts really know their stuff. Miles is a producer at a local TV station, so he gets the inside scoop on the big stories. Steve is a successful freelance journalist, writing for the likes of Newsweek, USA Today, and publications of that ilk. (Nice ilk!) In addition to the aforementioned Steve Wynn interview, they've landed interviews with Dennis Miller, Johnny Mathis, Howie Mandel, Hal Prince, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Franco Dragone -- real legends in the entertainment industry. This ain't no "Hey, we got us a computer, so let's do a podcast" operation. These guys are the real deal.

If you have an iPod and an interest in Las Vegas, I highly recommend The Strip podcast. The latest news to break on the podcast: Andrew Lloyd Webber didn't know that the show opening soon at the Venetian will be Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular. Sir Andrew was under the impression that the show would be Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera. Just goes to show you, Steve and Miles have a better handle on Las Vegas entertainment than the showmakers themselves!

And if you check it out and like it as much as I do, be sure to vote for them at Podcast Alley. I'm having a blast watching their votes come in this month, catapulting them over lesser podcasts. I love it when the good guys win!