[tlug] Re: [OT] Japanese Language Podcasts

["Lyle H Saxon" <llletters@example.com>]

Progress in the J-Podcast search.  I found some business news here here:
http://www.podcastnavi.com/podcast/channel.php?channel_id=1845

The first file I tried listening to blasted my ears with the horrible
sound of a half-speed, over-pronounced, over-intonated native English
female voice saying something like "This is the Nikkei News" or some
such banality.  Why-oh-why-oh-why do people use that kind of horrible
voice for announcements here?  I'm tormented by that overly loud and
irritating Yamanote Line English announcement every day.  Couldn't
they try a little harder and find someone who sounds... like... human?
 Or just skip the English announcements altogether?  A station name is
a station name!  Adding horrible sounds in front of it isn't helpful!
(Sorry for the rant.)

Then some real Japanese kicks in, but sounds like they recorded it in
a small room with nothing to absorb sounds, so there's an irritating
echo effect.

Uh-oh - I feel another rant coming on!  I got this one CD of a famous
actor reading some historically famous story - and while the sound was
good, they (incredibly for a new recording) only put it on once
channel of the stereo disk!  What?  Why?  ^$^%$^%$^$^!

Oops - oops - oops - sorry for that rant too.  Here's some useful info:

Go to the Japanese Google site (NOT the English Google site) and do a
search for:
ポッドキャスト

That brings up a gazillion links, the early ones of which I'm investigating....

Lyle