So I listen to a couple different podcasts. The two that I alternate between are Order 66 on d20 Radio, and Critical Hit from Major Spoilers. I used to listen to d20 Radio’s Radio Free Hommlet, but they stopped broadcasting when Essentials came out (I really really liked that show too). I’ve also tried Critical Hits and Threat Detected.

These podcasts have really made my commute to and from work fly by! I don’t even notice any driving stress, which is awesome. And it lets me avoid ads!

Here’s something interesting about me: I really hate ads. I don’t watch broadcast TV (love my Netflix), I don’t listen to broadcast radio, and my brain completely blocks out billboards. So for the last… 12 years or so, I haven’t really watched TV in any consistent pattern. Which means I don’t watch through seasons of shows the way a lot of people do. I have zero connection with celebrities and stars.

So I’m noticing a strange phenomenon with the podcast producers that I’m sure most people have already experienced: artificial familiarity. I don’t actually know these people. They have absolutely no clue who I am. But I know a lot about their lives. I could recognize and walk up to for instance, Chris Witt, at a con and say, “What’s up, how’s Krysta and Jaina? Did you enjoy the creative process with Edition Wars?” And he’d be like, “Who the hell are you?”

This is weird to me! Like I said, I have no interest in famous people, so “knowing” these pseudo-famous internet-people is really strange. So it was really neat today when @fearsomecritter (Rodrigo Lopez from Critical Hit/Major Spoilers) followed me on Twitter. Made my day.