Ericast.com Podcast - DWEEB THOUGHTS: Recent Episodes

Eric M. Larson

This is the home of Eric M. Larson's podcasts, from Ericast.com! Here you'll find a mix of philosophy and technology (perhaps "philosophizing about technology"?) with a little talk of religion, current events, and daily living thrown in. Add the occasional RIAA-free song to give you a break from the monotony, and you've got the Ericast. If (when!) you listen, be sure to e-mail or call and share your thoughts!

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One of the things about getting old is you only realize it when you look in the metaphorical rear-view mirror. That happens to people, and to podcasts. How many years has it been? Here's your show.

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Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page!
Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!No apologies for how long it's been. Welcome to the weekly podcast that comes out about once a month every quarter, I'm your host Eric Larson, 701-645-3742 may or may not still work as the Listener Feedback Line, and you deserve some updates.

To my right, on the floor of Studio A (my den) is the original Ericast computer, which still runs -- boots into Windows XP, or if I switch it in the bios, it boots into the new "Windows 7" operating system on a separate 160GB hard drive that I bought on a Black Friday sale at Best Buy and then needed an escort out of the store because I used the trick of getting rung up in a department rather than up front by picking up a little $7 mustache trimmer. I think I still have that in a box somewhere, because I'm the kind of person to keep a sentimental mustache trimmer.

Tangent on why calling it a "den" is okay but a "man cave" (which is literally the same thing) is tacky?

When the Ericast started 20 years ago, I was on a career path but fresh into a career pivot, wrapping up a Master's degree, starting a family, and looking at pillars in the local tech community who were in their 50s and dialed in to the latest technology and this new "social media" thing. Now, my last career adjustment is about 8 years behind me, I'm in the middle of a second Master's degree, the family we had started is starting to leave the nest, and I'm wondering what's next. The one consistent anchor in my life and yours has been this podcast and its original vintage Blogger website template.

Updates on it having been two years since Mom passed, and helping Dad with his home-hospice stage.

Last week's episode was something of a train-wreck of artificial voicing, but there was still a point to be made. Wondering what it was? Here's your show.

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Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!I'm bringing back a couple traditions here in the Ericast - talking about the weather, because that's what we do here in Minnesota, and ending the month with listener feedback. We've been having unusual highs in the mid 80s, the wind has picked up as a front moves through and it's going to be in the upper 60s tomorrow which is much more seasonal for October 1st, then back up into the 80s. Listener Matt has some feedback on the last episode, including what the weather is like in California...Paleofuturism is related to the term "retrofuturism" although the two seem to be slightly different, with retrofuturism focused on previous artistic expressions of the future (and recreating them) and paleofuturism focused on the study in a more academic sense. I wrote a series of blog articles on paleofuturism for work a few years back, and I think I'm going to cover those in October -- four articles, four weeks, I might be able to manage that.The tool I mentioned that ended up really confusing is the new "NotebookLM" from Google. That's not quite as new -- it's been around a few months -- but they just released a podcast-creation tool. Give it some links, click "Generate," and a few minutes later you have two hosts talking about your topic. It's really stunning. I have a feeling that in a few months it's going to feel like the early AI artwork where everything had the same cartoonish look and all the people had six or seven fingers... but for starters, it sure is amazing.

The "weekly podcast that comes out about once a month" is back with a semi-annual episode! Wondering what I've been up to in the past six months? Here's your show.

Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode!
Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page!
Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!This one is a mess. Makes you miss the real me, doesn't it?

(It's worth sticking with it so you can hear Google's "Notebook LM" and its summary. That part is cool.)

What's a few weeks among friends, right? But this is a very special time of year around the Ericast, so I've got reason to put out an episode. Wondering what it is? Here's your show.

Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode!

Podcast listeners:Click here for a link to the show notes page!Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!

This is not the promised "Follow-up on Hope" episode that I have sitting in fragments on my hard drive. Instead, here are some life updates. If you don't want those, skip this episode, but if you do

then you'll miss the hamster-themed song after the outro.

It's our birthday! The Ericast was created in March of 2005 as I had switched jobs and was wrapping up my Master of Arts in Human Resource Development. Nineteen isn't all that special a number, unless you're Paul Hardcastle, and if you get that reference then you are my people!

But, I did indeed follow up on what I may or may not have mentioned in a previous episode or two - what's just a click away for you is months ago for me - and right now I'm taking two classes in the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence program. Yup, why not pick up a second Master's degree, right? This semester it's "Python" (which I got into early) plus "Data Analytics and Visualization" which I didn't get into until after the first class had passed so that's been a bit of a trip. If you're interested in that stuff, I'm happy to talk about it. If not, I won't bore you.

It wouldn't be the Ericast without talking about the weather. In late February it was 65 degrees, which is very, very unusual for Minnesota. You can do your own research on how warm it's been here but, trust me, it was warm. Then people started saying "Winter is over!" and of course we got a March snowstorm because that's how Murphy's Law works, but it wasn't that bad - less than a foot of snow here in the Twin Cities, and it's basically melted clear.

I might have mentioned that Dad picked up RSV in December which isn't great when you can see "90" on the horizon, but after a couple months in a care center for rehab he's back in his home.

In February we observed a year since Mom passed away. That "is what it is'' as they say. Still lots of stuff to go through and decisions to be made. It's not quite so morbid as "dust in the wind" but I was telling Dad tonight that there are things like boxes of letters she sent home from college. That's interesting. I have some of those myself kicking around somewhere. But who cares? We tell ourselves that "the next generation" will but they're busy making their own memories, not reading through someone else’s.

Almost a year to the day, Chloe had a second ear surgery - a "tympanoplasty" to repair her ear drum. Last year things went great with the left ear so, hey, why not do the right one?

Candela is the opposite end of the spectrum for family surgeries and when she got her wisdom teeth out last week it was her first IV, first anesthesia, first prescription medications even.

A couple weeks ago I was able to go to a talk by a name I'm sure long-time Ericast listeners must recognize because he's someone I did quite a bit of work with years ago. That was a weird feeling to flash back to events and conversations from 20 years ago...

So, that's where things are at. And the website Suno.ai is bringing me joy. So, we'll wrap up with something from that.

Have you ever encountered a circumstance where you think, "That's a great point, but I'm not sure that's what that word means." Or, "I'm not sure that's what that says." Wondering how to untangle that? Here's your show.

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Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!

Why write my own summary when I can have AI do it for me. What does ChatGPT think I talked about?

Why write my own summary when I can have AI do it for me. What does ChatGPT think I talked about? In this podcast episode, I discuss listener feedback about the show's intro song and delve into the theme of hope. Reflecting on advice received at a recent conference, I explore the concept of avoiding negativity in one's brand and how "hope" can be a solution. I share a definition of hope I found on a card that reads, "Hope believes boldly, decides daringly, speaks firmly, and perseveres passionately. See Romans 15:13." Curious about the origin, I discover that it's a quote from Joyce Meyer Ministries and explore the biblical context in Romans 15:13. I discuss the layers of engagement and the tension between focusing on positive aspects while acknowledging and addressing problematic issues. The episode concludes with a teaser for more thoughts on hope from an unlikely source.

As we close out 2023, one caller has me wondering just what the Ericast is all about. Wondering what I'm wondering? Here's your show.

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Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!

This entire episode and a miniature existential crisis is courtesy of Listener Abby. I'm not including Abby's call itself because she was on a walk at the time she called 701-645-3742 so she seems a lot more enthused or invigorated by the topic than most people should, but let me summarize: "Your intro and outro music does not reflect the whimsy that is you."

Abby is a coworker of mine and has known me for six months... and, she's absolutely right. So, today is the world-premiere of the new Ericast intro music. Ready?

"From Ericast.com! Ready for your Weekly Whimsy? It's Eric Larson's Wacky Wonderings! Welcome... to the Ericast!" (Featuring "If I Had A Chicken" by Kevin MacLeod)

No? Really? That doesn't work for you?

(It would've been even more exciting had I used something from the old Dimension music library!)

19 years ago when I was trying to get my mind around this "podcasting" concept of subscription audio... I was wrapping up my master's degree, I had a one-year-old at home, and I had just made a career pivot that ended up being a great opportunity but one that I wasn't always in the driver's seat for.

So, "whimsy" wasn't something I would embrace as an identity.

It's not that it's new. It's not that I've changed. I think I'm just comfortable enough with that side of myself to let it show, or maybe even lead with it rather than hide it... but all the other aspects of my personality -- the geek-tech driving industrial side -- are still in here.

Plus, I love history and having audio branding that's now 20 years out of date is kinda cool.

I could be convinced... but I don't think the Ericast is going to change its sound. At least not anytime soon.

Let me know what you think!

You knew I wouldn't be able to just leave a "missing song" sitting somewhere in my brain, right?. Wondering if I found it? Here's your show.

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Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!

As you might imagine, I'm not recording this on Christmas Eve, but I'm approaching the concept of teasing the notion of going back to an old Ericast plan of "batching" episodes -- something I never really did, particularly because I like these to be "timely," but in this case I want to capture my enthusiasm because... wait for it... I found the song!

I still love AI more than any healthy human should and I'm still playing with it. You might have noticed that last week's show notes included a summary of what the show was about. That was AI generated and edited in tiny ways by me. This week, I got to wondering what the ElevenLabs default voices are like.

I put in the show notes and it said, "This is a lot - you might want to do it as a 'Project' instead!" ...and when I clicked on that, of course it costs money. So I figured, "how confused can it get?" You have to realize that, when it went viral that the default TikTok voice "Jessie" (based on Kat Callaghan, a Canadian radio host) decided to pronounce "Beyoncé" as "Bee-YONK," it brought me a deep hysterical joy... so this rendition of last week's show notes is just perfect. I love every second of it, including my "enthushiazm" for "aqueering" books that remain "untowch-ed".

I have to admit I absolutely love that voice. There's a hint of "Boston Brahmin" combined with "bored valleygirl" - "Recently, Eric attended a conference in Las Vegas..." I love it. That reminds me that I need to get around to watching the movie "Her," I guess?

Anyway, that was last week, and I only spent a day or two spinning on that and trying to figure out the song before I hit on the magic phrase of searching the Ericast.com website for the phrase "closed with a song" because I knew I had mentioned it and I knew that was one of the things that was noteworthy.

The podcast was "The Electrified Mind" from Philip Isaac. It disappeared in the middle of 2020, in peak pandemic, and I have no idea where he went. I think the podcaster I knew in Florida was a different one... so, maybe a goal for 2024 is to track him down?

But we're not here for a former podcaster. We're here for his song, which was "Help You Out" by Leonell Cassio and sung by Jonothon Robins. Since the lyrics might be a bit hard for you to make out, and since you know I love a chance to use an AI voice, I include a reading of them courtesy of "Adam" from ElevenLabs.

I can help you out

I can help you out

Here we go, here we go again

Trying hard but you wanna be my friend

In a place to hide and no one to run to

Here we go, here we go again

Call my bluff imma be until the end

Im the one you ride, im the one you ride to

If you don't wanna change

In a place to hide and no one to run to

If you don't wanna change

I can help you out [repeats]

Here we go, here we go again

Time is up and im calling up my friends

And no one to ride and no one to ride to

Here we go, here we go again

Call me up and you wanna be my friend

Im the one you ride, im the one you ride to

If you don't wanna change

In a place to hide and no one to run to

If you don't wanna change

I can help you out [repeat]

Song Credits:

Help You Out (ft. Jonathon Robins) by Leonell Cassio / leonellcassio
Creative Commons-Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported - CC BY-SA 3.0
Free Download/Stream: http://bit.ly/2JiBzMv

I wonder how long I can go before we officially consider that I've "podfaded" but this is something I love to do and I'd like to get better at that. Wondering what I might be able to do to pursue that goal? Here's your show.

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Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!

I've got a bit of an excuse for not doing an episode last week, because I was in Las Vegas for a conference. Its new name was "AI Con," focusing on Artificial Intelligense, which is a topic I'm absolutely fascinateg by.

But the actual name of the conference was the "Ultimate Wealth Camp" which has been around for a few years and is... well, it's a thing.

And the same thing that gets me wound up in those is what keeps me from getting these podcasts out. It's not that I don't have enough ideas: It's that I have too many ideas, and I follow them to the point I get derailed.

So, you get a 10-minute episode, and eventually you'll get Darcy's followup story of the muskrat that joins the Navy... sometime later.

Speaking of, what does AI think I said in this episode? Here's its summary of the transcript:

I love podcasting, and I've been wondering how long it'll be before I officially "pod-fade." I want to improve and pursue this passion further. In episode 336, titled "Shelf Help Advice," I discuss my inclination towards self-help interests, ranging from business ventures to personal development. Despite my enthusiasm for acquiring books and PDFs on these topics, they often end up untouched on my shelf or hard drive.I admit to having a cluttered physical space, exacerbated by dealing with my mom's belongings. The organizational challenges extend to my thoughts, and I speculate that I might have ADHD based on familiar symptoms. This mental tendency prevents me from structuring and organizing my podcast content, even though generating ideas isn't an issue.Recently, I attended a conference in Las Vegas, initially named AICon but known as the "Ultimate Wealth Camp." Despite its marketing allure, my experience there was more interesting in unexpected ways. While leaving the hospital tonight where my dad is recovering from RSV (not COVID or flu but a severe cold) I tried to download a PDF offering life advice for 2024, emphasizing organization, yet that didn't work.As I navigate through life's complexities, I express my struggle to find the right framework or mental model to declutter my mind. My penchant for diving deep into topics, illustrated by today's search for a previous royalty-free song, sometimes hinders my podcasting productivity. I share my inner struggle with finding the right balance between perfectionism and completion, acknowledging that "done is better than 'maybe slightly better'." Despite my recent lapses in podcasting, I express a commitment to improving not just for my audience but also for personal growth and discipline...

I've looked over the Ericast archives and wondered, "Why didn't I do any shows that one summer?" This summer explains it. Wondering what I've been up to? Here's your show.

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It's been awhile but I've been enjoying summertime in Minnesota. I've got notes on episodes I'd like to do - one on proximity-based ethics, maybe leading into one on a theology of empathy, and a different but related episode on the book "Leadership and Self Deception" from the Arbinger Institute... but first I need to do a simple reset and explain that I'm here and alive and well and just haven't gotten around to doing an episode.

The big "Stephen Covey Rock" that I was working around this summer was a quick trip to Denver for the first Canvas conference since the pandemic.

After such a long delay I don't want to leave you feeling unsatisfied, so let's close with a special treat: another Storytime with Darcy!

I've been dabbling with new technology during the past couple weeks to the point where I got downright giddy... and a bit disturbed. Wondering what I've been working on? Here's your show.

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In the last episode, a listener from California gave me a great tip to improve the stability of my voice recording tool from Eleven Labs. By turning down the "stability" slider, I was able to sound more like myself. This episode includes some fun throwbacks to when I used to include sweepers between segments.

I also share a personal story about an accident I had while woodworking. I learned a hard lesson about the importance of safety equipment and basic practices. Luckily, my friend was there to help me and I'm grateful for his support. From that day forward, I always use push sticks and other safety equipment when working with my tools.

If you're tired of hearing the same old stories, you're in luck! It's time for Storytime with Darcy! She shares a heartwarming tale about a curious squirrel named Nutmeg who witnessed Jesus performing miracles in the forest. Nutmeg was grateful for the experience and knew that the world was a better place because of Jesus.

I was a little surprised at how depressed I sounded in my first experimentation with AI-constructed voices. Think we can brighten its day? Here's your show.

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Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment

This episode speaks for itself... kinda. In a way.

Wondering if our new robot overlords are going to provide a better future for us? Let's give it a spin. Here's your show.

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Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment

As you probably figured out by now, this episode is artificially generated based off short voice sample from the last episode. I made sure to not include any of the parodies of the Marines content or else my presentation would sound a lot more dramatic than it usually does.

However, what I'm finding is instead I sound incredibly depressed. I'm really not. My friend Eeyore says I sound fine to him. But, maybe I shouldn't be listening to a donkey. This also gives me the opportunity to try out some Steven Wright jokes: I spilled spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone. I was sad because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet. So I said, "Got any shoes you're not using?" It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to have to paint it.

I have no idea if those are really jokes from Steven Wright but a page on the Internet said they were.

I also realized that a simple typo - did you catch the one a minute ago? - makes me say things that I'd never actually say. But, you'll also notice that there isn't a single "um" or "ah" or misspoken thing, which I think is a first for the Ericast in its 18 years. Happy Birthday to us, by the way. As I joked with Candela when she turned 18, "this means that now you can be tried as an adult". Otherwise, age is just a number... which is, like, literally, yeah, that's what it is. Like, by design. That's how it works. Anyway, we've been doing this show non-stop (except for extended delays) for 18 year and I never thought that this kind of technology would be a click or two away. Maybe 18 years from now I'll finally have my flying car.

Oops. Another typo. Or maybe I meant to say "18 year". You'll never know. Except you do, because that makes no sense.

I think this is my chance to experience my lifelong dream of being on National Public Radio. "You’re listening to... The Delicious Dish, on National Public Radio. It’s Christmas season again, our favorite time of the year. I got real freaky this year. I’m asking Kris Kringle for a wooden bowl, some oversized index cards, and a funnel. I like to leave Santa some tap water and rice. If Santa’s anything like me, Christmas foods really reek havoc on the ol’ digestive system."

As you've probably figured out, I'm running these paragraphs in chunks and playing them back as I go to make sure this hasn't gone totally off the rails. And I just realized that's a terrible cliche to use, considering some of the disasters the nation's rail system has experienced so far this year. Anyway, this is a tool from a company called "Eleven Labs" and I'm having fun with it but frankly it's really pretty disturbing how good it is. My cadence is off, sure, but if I threw a statement in here that I recorded myself, I don't think you'd spot the difference. Unless I was REALLY enthusiastic!!! That might do the trick.

But, apparently, if I capitalize something it just becomes dramatic and breathy instead of enthusiastic. I wonder if that would help with my N P R career. "Sitting in for Terry Gross I'm Eric Larson and this is FRESH AIR." Hmmmmm.

Anyway, longtime Ericast listeners will remember the "Ericast from the keyboard" episodes where I would bounce an email, probably one from my Blackberry - remember those? - through a couple blog and email services until it would do a text to MP3 service and then drop into the Ericast feed. This could basically do that, except it's my voice, except that it's not quite "normal". However, this is based on a single training file grabbed from last episode, so maybe I can make it better.

I'm going to put this experiment to an end for now because frankly it's getting a little disturbing to listen to myself say things that I never actually said. I'd love to hear what you think - 701-645-3742 is the listener feedback line as always. Or, go out to Eleven Labs and sign up and generate a fake speech file with some of your feedback and email it to me... but calling is probably simpler.

I don't really want this to become a show about misheard lyrics, but I was really confident about this one. Want to find out how wrong I was? Here's your show.

Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode!

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Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment

We're learning that my confidence regarding what a particular lyric says has very little correlation to what the lyric actual is, like my understanding of "Gone" by Lasgo.

Here's the video, where you can listen to the whole song (it's good!) and hear its lyrics in context:

This year has not started out the way I expected. Want some family updates and a couple calls? Here's your show.

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I'm down to the last few minutes of January and would like to wrap up my day, so here's how things have gone. And if you've got things to share, 701-645-3742 still works (as this episode will prove!) We had "great expectations" kicking off on the very first day of January. Then my birthday came, when we got a bunch of snow and Dad went into the hospital with what turned out to be pneumonia. He bounced back pretty well but was left with some muscle weakness so he's in a rehab care center for that. But the person you don't want getting pneumonia is my mom, because she's had lung issues for years so that's the thing that's going to get her. Well, spoiler alert, she went into the hospital last week with "severe pneumonia" and is now on comfort care with hours -- maybe days, definitely not weeks -- left. So, wow, that was a wild swing of events and means that I don't know how we'll I'm going to be maintaining the Ericast schedule in the months ahead. Maybe I'll be a lot more regular as a place to reset and connect with all of you, and maybe I'll be juggling way too many other things. We'll see.

I'll tell more stories about Mom another time, but for now I'm going to see if I can return to the tradition of the last week of the month being "listener feedback"... like the call from Chad that seems like it might be referencing our last episode. And we can always count on Matt in California.

If you've got your own feedback to share, you know what to do! 701-645-3742 or email or catch me on the ~~flipside~~ socials.

Bonus: Here's someone's compilation of the AT&T commercials that I mentioned at the end of this episode:

I don't want to turn into a crotchety old man sitting on my porch yelling "Get off my lawn!" Instead, I'll be yelling "Stay on the street!" Wonder why? Here's your show.

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This was inspired by my visit to a local megachurch which sang the song "He Won't". If you're not familiar with what a church service is like in these kinds of churches, it's basically a concert in a TV studio. They've got a dolly track so they can truck a camera in front of the booth. Now they have a scissor jib. That's an environment I'm very comfortable in because I did TV production work in college, but I admit it's weird for me to pair that with a church.

These concerts are expected to be participatory - you're not there to watch the performers (though it is a performance) but to sing along. But if you don't know the song well, you're going to be singing along with the second part of each line as they put it up on the screen and your eyes catch up and you know where they're at.

Let's pair that with the understanding that "the brain doesn't process negatives".

So, let's look at the lyrics of "Firm Foundation (He Won't)". It's a very pretty song. But what is it doing to our brains?

(Here's an example of how this is sung in a congregational context - not the church I went to, but the same kind of performance)

Thoughts on someone overthinking the psychology of straightforward statements? Share them! Call, text, email, whatever you're comfortable with!

Let's kick off the new year with rundown of what's in my podcatcher and a couple tips for organizing the next 365 days. Here's your show.

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Who's out there? I don't want to be the weekly podcast that comes out once a month (or once a quarter) - let's see if we can make it weekly! Listener Matt has already engaged and inspired me - anyone else left? Digital Dan? Jonzer? Chad? Rob?

This is a "personal podcast" which is a phrase I use not as a patent-troll dodge but because this is a bit of communication with me, as a person. I wish all my friends did something like this. If you do, let me know and I'll listen!

A bit of housekeeping: I found our missing episodes from 2005. I'll be updating the blog and they might pop back into the feed depending on how Feedburner handles that. Yes, Feedburner is still working! Also, at some point (maybe for our birthday in March?) I should switch things over to "https" because even though we're not really passing interesting hackable stuff around, today's web browsing environment likes that. In fact, Google complains with "Your site is not mobile friendly!" and I should consider a different Blogger template... but there's only so much I want to do to break the site (and, frankly, the "mobile" perspective on a podcast homepage is a weird world because podcasting is happening through directories and podcatchers...)

Tech tip of the day: If a website behaves in goofy fashion, take a look at "http" vs. "https" and see if that makes a difference.

Those organizational tips I promised. 1) I'm going to read "The 12 Week Year". 2) Cut up a calendar and tape it to your wall with blue-tape (which is a particular kind of masking tape that doesn't dry out or tear off paint) so you can see the year laid out visually. Mine is in the hallway outside Studio A because it's dead space (can't hang a picture or a whiteboard) but very visible.

What am I listening to right now as we start off 2023?

Marketplace Tech - I've been listening to this for years and years, ever since it was on the radio as "Future Tense" with Jon Gordon as host. This is basically the "Ship of Theseus" of podcasts because not a single thing about it is the same as it was 20 years ago yet I still think of it as the same one. https://blogs.publicradio.org//futuretense/2010/04
Techmeme Ride Home (Matt in California gets full credit for turning me on to this one and it's terrific)
The Jordan Harbinger Show - I come and go with this one and it's back in the rotation
The New Evangelicals Podcast - nobody will listen to this because the non-religious will think it's a church-thing and the religious people will think it's WAY too irreverent. That makes it exactly right. Plus or minus 10% if you hear something from that host I probably agree with it, quite possibly with a hearty passionate agreement
Daily Boost Motivation and Coaching - heard about it on the Jordan Harbinger Show. Great if you want a smooth, 10-ish minute daily musing

My own church doesn't have a podcast (their sermon videos are online) but I do listen to podcasts from:

Our former church
The new church of the former pastor of our former church, which he started after he was caught in a scandal and resigned and promised he wouldn't start another church
The "competing" church which opened a satellite campus just a couple miles away
That church's "leadership podcast" because the hip thing to do if you're a megachurch is start a "leadership network"

I really don't mean to sound cynical here; there are good folks in these communities, but there's also some flawed stuff -- sometimes to the level of "toxic" -- and I think it's important to know what's going on with the people you're connected to, both good and bad.

The Fairly Spiritual Show - Doug Bursch hasn't put out an episode since May of 2022 and I keep hoping that he'll come back, just like the Ericast has time and time again. You're never really done until you declare that you're done, like...
The Reply All Podcast - I don't listen anymore, because in June they announced that they were done and that their episode 189 would be their last.
Zestology: "Energy, Vitality and Motivation" - this is another one that comes and goes from my feed.
Social Media Secrets with Rachel Pedersen - nationally known in social marketing circles but happens to be based here in the Twin Cities, and I listen to her more for the random "life advice" insights than the professional marketing tips since I'm not doing professional marketing.

What's missing from last year? Hal Elrod, Jeff Sanders, Mark Mason, Ray Edwards, Brian Hardin, Michael Hyatt. Great content, good people, not always 100% correct about everything, nobody ever is. But there's only so much "intake" I can do before I need to focus on some "output".

But, all of those people have content that I can download and stream on demand. I just did with Ray Edwards, and got the update on him and his Parkinsons and the "deep brain stimulator" that he had implanted and is doing terrific things for him. So, just because there's not a "constant automatic subscription" doesn't mean I can't check in once in awhile.

And you can do the same. The key is, I really do want to hear from you. Call 701-645-3742. "Oh, I don't want to bother him with a call!" Really, it's no bother at all! "Okay, but I don't want to try to verbalize a message!" That's okay - shoot me an email, or a text, or whatever. Just let me know how you're doing. If things are good, that's good. If they're not, I'll take the conversation wherever you like, including just leaving things sit at a place where life is rough. That's okay to.

I've got a growing list of podcast topics that I'm looking forward to working on... so, until next week, take care!

I'm not sure how long I can take an unannounced hiatus from the podcast before you think I've pod-faded, but I haven't. However, 2022 is a year I don't mind saying goodbye to. Ready to send it off? Here's your show.

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Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment

I really don't like the idea of this podcast becoming nothing but a self-referential commentary on the existence of this podcast, but sometimes that happens.

2022 was "fine" but in Minnesota "fine" isn't usually "good". In my use it might mean "terrific!" which is something that we used to teach our debate students years ago - until you're on the bus ride home and you know that there aren't any opposing debaters or coaches or judges within earshot, every round went "fine". Not "awesome and I totally crushed that loser!" and not "terrible and I probably got negative points in it!" but "fine".

Fall semester flew by, and December flew by even faster. I spotted an "Advent Beer Calendar" at Sam's Club - the reviews were correct that it wasn't very good, and that's saying a lot coming from me, but it was on sale even cheaper than Miller Lite so it was worth a shot -- and the best part about that is it helped me keep track of what day it was and how long it would take to get through December.

Candela is home for break. It's great to see her and Chloe playing the nostalgic Wii games - apparently they "won" Active Life Explorer? - and as usual my break is filled with attempts to declutter and clean and re-organize parts of the house.

No, I didn't pod-fade... but after a busy summer of life-events, I'm just checking in to let you know I'm alive and well. Well, there's one piece of bicycle-related news. Here's your show.

Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode!
Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page!
Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment

Questions? Comments? Life updates? Call 701-645-3742 (a.k.a. 701-645-ERIC) or reach out to me through any variety of social media channels including the old-fashioned email of me (eric) at ericast.com.

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Website...

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Huh. It's been 300 episodes since the Ericast started in March of 2005. Want me to say something about that? Here's your show.

Website...

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I'm back with a short (?) reflection on the fact that not everyone is. It's been a great spring and early summer, but without some of the...

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This episode comes to you thanks to one listener, but that means something different than what it meant last time. I'll explain next...

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Wrapping up 2017 by revisiting an old theme as we move into 2018. Here's your show.

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For most people, summer is a chance to relax and unwind. Maybe it will be.

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This is going to be a bit of a travelogue. So when you ask, "Where did you go with your daughter?" ... here's your show.

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When you can't find the podcast that talks about the topic you want, you recreate it and hope that someone points out the source material...

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You never quite know what's going to drive me back to do a podcast episode, and this week it's a profound throwaway comment from my...

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Every so often I go on a bit of a theological rant. This is one of those episodes. But whether you like talking about God or you...

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You hear a lot of different things on the Ericast. This week's episode is really just random connections from Eric's brain.

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Where'd February go?!? Or, more accurately, where'd I go in February? It was kinda a big deal. Curious? Here's your show.

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I was on vacation - a good old fashioned American roadtrip. So this podcast episode is basically a travelog of the random highlights....

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Have you ever run in to a situation where you know something really important, and you're trying to convince someone - boss, family member,...

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"I wanna know what you're thinking." That's not just a reminder that we're doing a collaborative podcast here. For a certain...

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I'm back! Where'd I go? I was fulfilling a near-lifelong dream. Wonder what it was? Here's your show.

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Whether this is your first episode or you’ve been listening through the ups and downs of the past 10 years, you’ll like this recap on...

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Wrapping up 2014 with the question of "what is 'faith' and when is it okay for 'people of...

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I spend a lot of time in this episode apologizing for it sounding depressing. It's...

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This week we take a look at the loss of the historic Peace Lutheran Church building in...

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There's quite a meandering path to this week's final topic, from the now-gone Island Station...

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Oh, my goodness, does time fly! Two tasks for you this week: Call 206-339-3742...

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Last week I gave a presentation at the 2014 MiNiT symposium, entitled "Developing Faculty...

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This week, I'm reflecting on our recent vacation to Breezy Point, Minnesota. I talk...

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It's listener feedback week! And that comes on the heels of my going to the Social...

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What's a half-mile deep and made of solid rock? Sounds like the start of a...

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... Breathe in. ... Call. 206-339-3742 (206-339-ERIC) ... Breathe out. ... Share your...

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So, so much going on the past couple months. What do you want to hear about? Call...

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Here in Minnesota, it's been cold. Really, really cold. So, nobody has been doing...

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Over the years you've heard me refer GusDay, the local higher-ed IT technology conference...

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"Rather than trying to get people to see their mental incongruity... and we didn't quite...

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"Back in the day," computer users built a community -- or, built multiple communities...

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What better way to celebrate the coming of Christmas than by watching a train-based concert...

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Got any old 1980s-vintage classic 8-bit computing memories of your own to share? Call...

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No, we're not talking about a beer commercial from 20 years ago. Instead, after a...

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What happens when there are no show notes? Let's find out. Call 206-339-3742 (a.k.a....

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After last week's Listener Feedback episode I got serious (again) about talking about audio...

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Making a mess of the editing experience thanks to my return to Adobe Audition and my circa...

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This episode recaps my surprisingly busy week last week with a couple highlights from...

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A walk in the woods provides the background to this week's episode, where I talk about an...

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What was this past week's adventure? A road trip down to Mankato, Minnesota to watch...

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If you know me and my background at all, you know that I spent my "formative teen years" in...

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This week, I had planned to do a big, deep episode about my return to Cornucopia, Wisconsin...

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This week I had the privilege of interviewing Daniel Buhr, a.k.a. Cybuhr (also at...

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You know what? I want to break from form and just let this episode stand on its own. So, here...

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It's the end of the month, and that means listener feedback... and that means that we get to...

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This week we're drifting back into the customer service topic, with a cautionary note that I...

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First of all, right up front you'll hear that I'm experimenting with "branding" the Ericast...

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Someone on Facebook asked about what it was like to be homeschooled (a.k.a. "home educated")...

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It's Listener Feedback Week! Again! And this time we actually catch up to the last listener...

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The Masonic Temple in St. Paul is one block away from the house I grew up in. So what did I...

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Well, this week discusses the sad news of the passing of Ruth's 95-year-old grandmother --...

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This week's title commemorates the fact that I celebrated Easter by staying home with Candela...

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This week I'm talking about a MOOC entitled "Surviving Disruptive Technologies," and the fact...

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Not only do we have what might be the longest Ericast title ever (I could probably figure...

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Ready... Set... Know your meme! Remember this video?

Well...Guess who I saw last...

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Looks like I'm back in the groove with two episodes, in a row, just one week apart! ...

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The only link you really need from this week's episode is www.drinkchoffy.com/choffy4me,...

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We're discussing an interesting journal project from a random student named Gabe, who has...

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Last week at a local higher-ed IT conference I gave a presentation entitled "In Loco...

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More than usual, this week's episode is a bit... Random? No, it's focused on one topic. ...

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Switching back to the "deep" side of the Ericast for a moment (maybe for awhile... but at...

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Having coined the term "zeppelinspotting" back in Ericast #173 I now feel a tad odd turning...

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How do we treat "Christmas" as more than a time for some vacation and a couple gift exchanges...

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This week, a strangely deep and personal reflection on who I am at the very core of my...

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WE MADE IT! Episode 200! Which, I guess, doesn't mean a whole lot (isn't it 100...

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Continuing last week's discussion of EDUCAUSE-related experiences, this time focusing on...

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I'm back from EDUCAUSE in Denver and trying to explain the experience. That's quite a...

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I know I've talked about this topic before. I have. But I don't think I've done a...

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I took the chance to grab the girls and head up to Quarry Park, about 90 minutes north of the...

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This week we're talking about memories... and "living in memories," which isn't as crazy as...

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There's a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon where Calvin asks his dad how they determine the weight...

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I'm a bad, bad, bad podcaster. Not just bad in the incompetent sense, but in the morally...

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Blame it on the heat that's been hammering the upper-midwest, or blame it on my inexcusable...

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Back from Duluth and pondering how to "live at peace with everyone." Yup, it's one of those...

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Catching up May and a chunk of June with some miscellaneous caller-inspired thoughts, and an...

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I promised an update from my Des Moines, Iowa road trip... and here it is. I explain...

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The results are in (such as they are) and it really and truly does seem that we're stuck with...

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Sorry for the extremely ugly "click here!" link above; Blogger involuntarily upgraded me to...

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I want to like Evernote. I really do. I hear good things about it. Same with Pinterest. But, for the life of me, I don't "get it" --...

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Who am I? Why am I here? Who hasn't asked those questions, right? Well... there's a good chance that a lot of folks haven't. I have. A...

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Every so often an episode arrives with so much heart-felt passion that, in my exuberance, I totally forget to mention the episode number at...

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Yes, indeed, I'm launching a new podcast! Head on over to DweebThoughts.com for my off-the-cuff technology-related observations... or stay...

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Wrapping up the "cars of Eric's past" conversation... though I only get a few Mercury Sable comments in before I ran out of time, so I...

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Down to the wire in getting the last Ericast of 2011 out-the-door and the rate of speech in this episode betrays that... but, nonetheless,...

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This episode features and discusses a clip from James MacDonald's message "The Power of Biblical Friendship" at Harvest Bible Chapel in...

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An awkward episode this week, simply because we're spending a bunch of time talking about something that we all agree we shouldn't be...

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For a variety of reasons I've had the topic of "charitable giving" on my mind lately. In what might be a short series (or, who knows --...

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A special episode for Chad which, I realized after recording, doesn't exactly capture the whole experience of watching a huge trebuchet...

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Don't worry -- the rest of you are welcome to listen as well! But, holding to my promise last week that I'd steer the show in whatever...

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