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I was raised listening to NPR, and since the advent of podcasting and audible.com, have consumed about 15-20 hours of audio content a week. Despite a deep love for the work of Ira Glass and the guys at Radiolab, I’ve enjoyed listening to Two Gomers Run a Marathon more than anything else.

The podcast started when two friends decided to give up their monumentally lazy lives and run a half marathon together. Living on opposite sides of the country, they decided to podcast the whole thing.

The journey has been a difficult one, causing everything from blisters to shingles, and even one gomer getting hit by a car while running. It has also been a ton of fun. The gomers are true nerds, and children of nineties. In many episodes, the running related content seems to be tacked on top of references to Full House, descriptions of their love for fast food and stories from growing up.

The Gomer phenomenon is a case study in modern media. Both seasons have consistently highly rated on iTunes. They have nearly 1,000 Facebook fans, and raised over $3,000 from charity. They are a perfect example of Seth Godin’s Tribes or the 1,000 true fans theory. Three things make the Gomers stand out, and teach us about how to connect and inspire:

1. Looking Stupid Can Be Inspiring. Even by choosing the name “Gomer,” they started the project with a sense of self deprecation. They have never stopped flaunting their ignorance, or their desire to overcome it.

2. Interact Relentlessly. Originally, it started with the Gomers asking for running tips. However, conversation has included everything from how to revive leftovers to thoughts on the iPad. These conversations have engaged fans on Facebook and Twitter, and find their way back into the podcast.

3. Authentically Display Your Faith. TGRAM is not a Christian podcast, however, it is a podcast made by Christians. Mentions of prayer and spirituality pepper the conversation. This gives the discussions an added level of depth and inspiration.

Last Sunday, the two Gomers ran a marathon. The podcast is coming to an end, and I feel like I’m saying goodbye to friends.

You can catch up on the whole saga at TwoGomers.com or search for Two Gomers on iTunes. Here’s another inspiration of the Gomers.

It’s hard saying goodbye to a friend, especially if it’s another one of Joss Whedon’s creations that passed before its time.

Dollhhouse is not Whedon’s best work, but it may be his deepest. It lacks the punchiness that made Buffy so much fun, and the creativity which made Firefly soar beyond science fiction. It did, however, use a sexy model with sad puppy dog eyes to raise questions about the dangers of man’s relationship with technology and the nature of the soul.

After the Firefly debacle nothing was going to keep Whedon from telling his story. After season one, he released “Epitath Part One” straight to the internet, telling the story of a post-apocalyptic future directly resulting from the technology used to run the Dollhouse harems. Season Two seemed hurried, trying to accomplish the plot and character development needed to reach the end of civilization. Although rushed, the last few episodes were exhilarating, with heroes becoming anti-heroes and villains becoming pastoral leaders.

Dollhouse raises a number of important questions, but perhaps the most important is about the societal and spiritual implications of our growing dependence on technology. Christians, except perhaps the Mennonites, seem to ignore this.

Could projected preachers create a dangerous celebrity culture? Does social networking increase or impede our ability to function as the body of Christ? Could driving 30 minutes to worship cripple our ability to love our neighbors?

I’ll miss Whedon’s latest, but the questions it raised will stick with me.

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