The following podcast contains explicit language.

I'm Stephen Metcalf, and this is the Slate Culture Gadfest I Want to Touch the Machine Edition.

This is also the daily podcast from slate.com for Wednesday, April 7th, 2010.

On today's program, Slate columnist Seth Stevenson's new travel book,

Grounded, a down-to-earth journey around the world. Create your own targeted TV ad campaign

via Google. And finally, useless Google or print culture savior, the new iPad. We will

unbox it later in the show.

Possibly the world's first ever audio unboxing.

Joining me today are Slate's deputy editor, Julia Turner.

Hello, Julia.

Hi, Steve.

And, of course, our film critic, Dana Stevens. Hey, Dana.

Hey, Stephen.

And our very special guest, Seth, you've been on this program once before, but remotely, it's nice to have you here in person.

Thanks for having me.

I was reading your book with the same delight that anyone reading it would read it with, but with an added dimension, which is that I regard planes, not just as the banalization of travel, but also as merchants of premature and violent death.

And so the thought that I might be able to travel as far as you did, as widely as merchants of premature and violent death. And so the thought that I might be

able to travel as far as you did, as widely as you did, without actually getting on an airplane

was enormously appealing. I should say that your book has a mcuffin, what would you call it,

I don't know, a premise, which is that one can get around the world without ever setting

foot on an airplane, that one can go over, overland.

I think gimmick is the word you're looking for. Thank you for softening your turn.

...