Two daily 70-mile trips could wear on some people. Thankfully, music can make any long day feel shorter. Actually, music isn’t the only cure. Talking heads (not the band) can also lend a helping hand to helping a mundane commute feel lively and unpredictable.

Without my iPod and the gobs of music and podcasts I packed on to it, I’d have to suffer through audible cobwebs known as static traveling from county to county.

Anyone can be his or her own personal disc jockey with the proper playlist. That doesn’t mean scroll through your MP3 player after each song without watching the road. That’s as bad as texting while driving. Prepare one folder prior to hitting the road, press play and cruise to your destination.

Some would scoff at a daily roundtrip of 140 miles, and they’d carry some weight to that argument. Think truck drivers have it a little rougher, you wimp (referring to myself, of course). Indeed, they do. But that doesn’t deplete my appreciation for new music and conversation. All it requires is a simple download, import to iTunes and dropping into my “Podcasts” playlist on the iPod.

Earlier this year, I’d sprinkle the player with nearly every single hour of what I didn’t hear on Paul Finebaum’s daily show. I could listen to Charles, Tammy, Jim from Crestwood and any other crazed caller all day and every day. Thank goodness Finebaum gives us that access during the week. But during the college football off-season, speculative rambling tends to grate the ears, so that was put aside.

Lately, I simply search for what interests me. As a movie guy, I find review and news shows that cover new and old films as well as industry buzz. Otherwise, I’ll throw on the occasional sports or news banter.

All I know is, without the iPod, I’d be a zombie out there on U.S. Highway 82, which certainly provides scenic route between Tuscaloosa and Clanton. But every pretty picture deserves a soundtrack.