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The start of the day can either be enlightening with eclectic music and fresh thoughts, or it can be filled with the crusty donut glaze and general malaise that fills your head. If you're into the good music and quality conversation with a few good laughs, have a look at the 12 best podcasts to begin the day. Otherwise, just continue to rerun the same mindless jibber jabber that keeps your brain comfortably in the mushy state it's always been.
If you desire to start your day listening to a whiny Jewish gent bitch about the world and pick everything apart until there's nothing left, the Ace Man is your guy (we kid because we love). Truthfully, Carolla is not only quick-witted and intelligent, but he's more honest of a man than you could ever be, and that makes him a joy to listen to.
Holding one of the top-rated podcasts, Adam invites esteemed colleagues of the entertainment industry in to rip life apart by the seams. When you hear the words "okay, couple things" you might as well strap yourself in for a rant worth writing down. The man might be a prick, but he's a funny prick with good points and a hunger to pierce people's hearts.
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KCRW: Morning Becomes Eclectic
For musings on music, creativity and innovative thinking, KCRW's famed podcast is your one-stop inspirational start to the morning. If this podcast cannot convince you to make the day unique, create something lasting or at least change the freaking songs on your Walkman once in awhile, perhaps it's time you left the car running in the garage.
KCRW welcomes the music of established bands in stripped down format (referring to the music, not the clothes...well maybe both) and new bands to the scene. Either way, you walk away early in the day with something new in your head to think about as you pass angry people who listened to hate music on the way to work.
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Quite possibly the highest guy on the podcast airwaves, Joe Rogan will blow his own mind and you can follow along with him. His unpredictable guest lineup, anywhere from actors to MMA fighters, keeps the show about as fresh as his weed stash.
For all the interesting, cracked out theories on humanity and evolution, failed attempts at love and the ever-popular war on weed, tune into Joe and have a laugh. If that isn't enough, watch his stand-up as he freaks out for 60 minutes straight about the meaning of life and the Egyptian pyramids.
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For all the TED Talkers and ambitious forward thinkers of tomorrow, NPR puts on a quality and consistent podcast based around themes of invention, change and creativity. No stranger to superior programming, NPR is bringing the creative process and questions plaguing the mind to the surface in an hour-long radio segment hosted by Guy Raz.
For the kids in the front row who want to learn something new and make things better, tune into this diamond in the podcast rough. For the slackers sleeping in the back, let Adam Carolla's astonishingly annoying voice wake you up for life.
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Bill Burr can only do his podcast once a week because it's just too good to have around everyday. While many podcasts are daily, making it more difficult to have consistently high quality, Bill goes all quality for the first day of the week.
Bill's strengths lie in observing human behavior, trashing it and making promising points on how we can do better. If you like his stand-up, you'll dig this, as he has a tendency to hit everything on the head and perhaps make you cry from laughter.
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ESPN: Pardon the Interruption (PTI)
What could be better than listening to a stocky, bald black guy endlessly bitch with an old, bearded, bald white guy about sports? The answer is "nothing." For all of sport's controversial or poignant moments and player screw ups, there will always be two guys on opposite ends of the spectrum voicing their opinions, cutting each other off and generally mocking everything that is wrong with sports today. This show captures the beauty of that.
Along with scores and predictions, the ESPN show (which is also aired on TV) is highly entertaining with "Fill in the Blank" segments, role play, and general old husband-and-wife-type bickering.
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Back on the scene, "Kevin Pollak's Chat Show" is back from its recent late 2012 break with new guests and new chats. Kevin crosses paths with some real rare gems of the entertainment scene with stories for days. Pollak, no stranger to Hollywood and comedy, is upfront and candid with his guests, the likes of Ivan Reitman, Glenn Howerton and other successful people who have been through the ringer and came up smelling rosey.
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Nobody carries on better honest conversation concerning good music and the throws of friendship than friends themselves. Coming out of a Chicago basement studio, Matt Bauer brings his buddies in to talk about music and joke around in an honest attempt at podcasting purely for entertainment without Hollywood up its ass.
If you're the type who enjoys sitting around slinging jokes and hashing out fond memories of a better, younger you, this podcast will likely become a better friend to you than the people you waste your time around.
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Comedian Marc Maron is not only one of the few successful comedians who can make a successful podcast, but his guest list is also pretty accomplished, as well. In combination with the Jim Gaffigan and Zach Galifianakis types coming through Maron's home studio in L.A. twice a week, Maron knows how to bring the Woody Allen and Larry David out of a situation with his observational humor and honest as an altar boy humor. If nerdy comedy is what's in, Mark is president of the club.
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With nearly a million views per episode, Ira Glass and his real life podcast continue to make waves. The show host and his weekly hour take on themes from dark to chipper with waves of perceptive banter. From stories and essays to it's-funny-because-it's-true moments, join Ira for one of the nation's most talked about podcasts, surely enjoyable if you liked the TV series.
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In its third year as a podcast, Chris Hardwick and his buddies are continuing to kill it with their celebrity nerd guests, along with some of comedy and entertainment's best artists and writers. Pull out your pocket protector and get ready for a nerd fest of nerd culture and a bunch of laughs, as Chris and the guys invite anybody from Dave Grohl to Drew Carey in for insightful Nerdist chats.
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Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images12 of 12Next: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Steve Carell
Once every few weeks, Dana Gould comes out of his little man cave to deliver an episode of his lovable "Dana Gould Hour," a golden gift from the mother of podcasts. Listeners of Adam Carolla's podcast know that Dana has a tendency to stop by and drop bombs of comedic genius.
Check out his personal podcast with other comedian guests for conversations on themes like love and marriage, the psychological analysis of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and sneaking into Scientology centers.
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