Of course, what is "best" is highly subjective, but here are some of those that I listen to regularly.

Most of those that I list will be decidedly apolitical or at least not predominately politically focused. The reason for this is I tend to mostly listen to podcasts when doing mindless tasks such as yard work or when working in my shop, basically times when I want to relax, something that anyone who regularly delves into our political process can all agree is the opposite of relaxing.

Ok, so here it goes in no particular order.

Weird Medicine with Doctor Steve - This is an excellent choice for those who are into all things medical or have questions that they may not be comfortable asking friends or even their doctor about. Be advised, this podcast frequently delves into completely NSFW topics, so I suggest headphones in mixed company. (which also may come with the hazard of people seeing you laugh really hard for no apparent reason at random times)

I recommend this one highly and suggest you start with an episode or two that are on subjects that you think you may be interested in but don't be afraid to jump all the way back to their very first unpolished episode as they are not generally time sensitive subjects and there are a lot of inside jokes and references that make the show even more enjoyable that you will otherwise miss out on.

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History - Dan is a remarkable story teller and "amateur" historian (I know history professors that have less broad of a grasp of history than this gentleman) who weaves together a rich tapestry of detailed information and personal anecdotes from the letters and papers of those involved, from the most powerful of generals to his lowest ranking foot soldier giving you multiple perspectives of the subject being discussed.

I particularly enjoyed his insanely in-depth exploration of WW I "Blueprint For Armageddon". (This is not a "one sitting" type of show, for example the one referenced is 6 parts averaging around 200+ minutes per part if I recall.)

How to do Everything - The title pretty much says it all. Want to learn how to do something even if it is something that you didn't even know existed ? than this one is probably for you.

Radiolab - Radiolab is for those that have a deep curiosity about a wide range of subjects. Science, Religion, Philosophy, etc. If you are interested in something it was quite likely talked about here.

The Infinite Monkey Cage This one is brought to us by the folks over at the BBC. They cover a wide variety of subjects, everything from Race to the Science of Dr. Who. (They tend to be more of a Science based podcast but to delve into other areas quite frequently.)

Welcome to the Night Vale - Ever listen to those Ol' Time radio shows? You know, the ones from before T.V.? If you liked them, or never gave them a shot than this one might be a great one to explore.

It is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the fictitious small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff's Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events.

The Skeptics guide to the Universe - This is another great Science based podcast covering a wide range of subjects. I am particularly fond of their "Science or Fiction" segment at the end of most episodes as well as their "Dumbest thing of the week" segments.

The Joe Rogan Experience - You may remember Joe, he is a stand up comedian, former host of Fear Factor and current UFC fight caller. His podcast is very eclectic covering a wide range of subjects and with many amazing guests. I never cease to be amazed at the quantity and quality of those he has on his show and the diversity. How many shows will have 2+ hour long interviews with "wacky" conspiracy guys like David Icke one episode, Sam Harris the following and then Neil Degrasse Tyson the next? It really is surreal. It really is amazing the amount of information that he pulls out of guests over a long period of unscripted conversation. He makes no effort to keep things "on the rails" and therefor the conversations tend to stray into areas that you normally don't get to hear from these guys on the 15 second sound bite circuit.

Longform - Sponsored by the Writing Program at the Unv. of Pittsburgh this is a tough one to describe, it doesn't really fit into a particular genre or theme as it is composed of a huge variety of contributors. Maybe like a verbal version of an Essay here?

Vos and Bonnie's 'My Wife Hates Me' - Join Stand up comedians Rich Vos and Bonnie McFarlane as they discuss life, love and abuse the ever-loving hell out of each other. They have to have one of the weirdest relationship dynamics ever, that is unless you are me and my friends, who seem to operate under the, "You know how much we like you by how much shit we give you" school of thought. (We are an odd group though and will say the most 'hateful' stuff imaginable to each other when face to face but talk nice about each other when not around, kinda the opposite of the norm. )

Mad Scientist Party Hour - This is a group of geeky comedian/science types that is not fit for consumption by most people so obviously it was a good fit for me. Low Class, low brow entertainment with just a touch of smart.

Penn's Sunday School - Join Atheist Comedian/Magician Penn Gillette and his guests while they discuss a broad range of topics. I have been a big fan of Penn and Teller for decades, and while Teller doesn't join him on the podcast (for obvious reasons) the mix of guests and topics is pretty awesome.

Well, while not all of them that I listen to this is a pretty good start.

I highly recommend finding a podcast conglomeration app such as BeyondPod to make it easier to listen to and manage your episodes. I love how it allows me to stop one and go to another if the mood fits me and then resume back at the first right where I left off without having to have sticky tabs with episode numbers and timestamps on it like in the early days. It is available for free, but was so awesome that my cheap ass actually paid for the full version to help support the authors.

What are some of your favorites? Do you currently listen to any of those I listed? If so, what are your thoughts/opinions.

I look forward to hearing your suggestions, this medium is so new still that the only real way to find out about new podcasts currently that might interest one is via recommendations from friends so what better place to ask then here with my C99Peeps!