Ericast.com Podcast - DWEEB THOUGHTS

It might have seemed we let our birthday slip by, but it's just a little bit belated. And this is a big one, so it's definitely worth an episode. Curious how old we are? Well... 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! The Ericast returns with Episode 346, marking a quietly significant milestone: 21 years of podcasting. The anniversary may be a bit belated, but it feels like a good opportunity to pause and reflect—both on the show and on the life that surrounds it. It’s been a while since the last episode in October, and in that time life has continued to move forward in both encouraging and difficult ways. On the positive side, Candela has started a new role as a paraplanner and is really thriving, and Chloe has been enjoying her first year away at university. At the same time, this has also been a season shaped by loss. My dad passed away last year, and more recently, Ruth’s mom passed away this winter. It’s a stage of life where you really feel the weight of being in that middle space—supporting the generation ahead while watching the next generation head out on their own. One story that’s stayed with me is about a family friend’s son who fell along the Mississippi River bluffs. What initially looked like it might be a tragic outcome has turned into a remarkable recovery. It’s one of those moments that reminds you just how fragile things can be—and at the same time, how resilient people can be. This episode leans heavily on listener feedback, starting with a message from Cory that actually came in about a year ago. His simple check-in got me thinking about the importance of having a few people in life you can truly trust—the kind of people you can “toss the keys” to and know things will be handled. That idea of steady, dependable relationships carries through the rest of the episode. Tom and Chad both responded to the topic from the previous episode, diving into Star Trek: The Next Generation. Tom brought some great historical context around the episode “Future Imperfect,” while Chad explored the quirks of pronunciation in the Star Trek universe—everything from accent influence to the idea of the universal translator shaping what we hear. It’s a good reminder that even a pretty niche topic can spark thoughtful and entertaining discussion. I also acknowledge in this episode that the podcast has settled into a pretty irregular rhythm. It’s not that there’s a lack of things to talk about—it’s more that not everything needs to be processed into a microphone right away. Still, after 21 years, the Ericast continues to be what it has always been for me: a kind of personal audio journal that evolves along with life itself. Whether you’ve been listening for years or just stumbled across the show, there’s now more than two decades of conversations, reflections, and life moments sitting in the archive. And I’m grateful you’re here for it. Joint the conversation by calling 701-645-3742 (701-645-ERIC)!

Don't let the episode title frighten you off. This is just a reference to an obscure line from a TV show years ago, but it had bothered me for years, and I finally figured the answer out. Wondering what that 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! For this episode, I hit record even though a plane was flying overhead, because that’s life when your “studio” sits under the final approach of an MSP runway. You might hear a jet or two, but honestly, it’s kind of peaceful, and it reminds me of how often podcasters apologize for background noise you can’t even hear. From there, I wandered into a memory about an old Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. It's one that stuck with me for years because of a certain unforgettable line. I don’t go into the plot details, but let’s just say it involves Commander Riker, some very intense emotions, and a moment that became way funnier than it probably should’ve been. What really got me was the way the episode ran in original airing versus how it sounded in later releases. For decades, I thought I was misremembering it, like one of those “Mandela Effect” moments where you swear reality shifted slightly while you weren’t looking. Turns out, there really was an earlier version floating around, and when I finally found proof of it online, it felt like solving a personal pop-culture mystery. That little discovery sent me down a rabbit hole of word pronunciations and memories of old “word of the week” moments from the early days of the show. Should we bring that back? Share your thoughts - 701-645-3742! 

I'm still here, but a lot has changed over the past few months. Not a lot of substance in this episode, but a quick status update. Wondering what that 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! In this episode, I reflect on the time since our last show in March 2025, which marked our 20th anniversary and was episode 343—making this one 344. I confirmed it! A lot has changed since then. My dad entered home hospice in February and passed away in May at age 90. It wasn’t a tragedy, but it was a major life transition for our world. As an only child I didn’t have to negotiate with siblings, but I did have to handle everything myself. Thankfully, my wife was incredibly supportive throughout.Much of my summer and fall was consumed with managing the estate, dealing with decades of antiques, and addressing deferred maintenance on the house. Meanwhile, Chloe started her freshman year, and I’ve been teaching a couple sections of a “Welcome to College” class.Before Dad passed, I learned that "the voice of the Ericast" in our intro and outro of the Ericast died in April. He had breathing issues, called 911, and didn’t regain consciousness. It’s strange hearing his voice now, but I’m keeping him in the show as a tribute to his love of radio.On a lighter note, I posted on Facebook this week about finding my vintage 1970s light-up pumpkin in Dad's storage closet, which is the same one I had seen in an antique store years ago. It’s surreal seeing childhood items in antique shops; it really makes me feel the passage of time. I’m not feeling old, but I’m aware that I have more years behind me than ahead.There’s joy in seeing the next generation grow. Candela, now 22, gave a presentation at Minnnebar (a Minnesota "BarCamp") in May, just before Dad passed. Her talk on “followership” was insightful and well-received. She used Star Trek as a metaphor and explored how being a great follower can be just as valuable as leadership. I was proud not just as her dad, but because it was genuinely a good presentation.I mentioned last time that I was working on a machine learning class for my AI master’s program. I still haven’t taken it. I planned to this fall, but the professor sent out prep materials that reminded me I need to brush up on Python (fine) and linear algebra (not fine). As someone homeschooled by humanities-focused parents, that’s more than a bit daunting.The Ericast is still the “weekly podcast that comes out once a month, a couple times a year.” I’d like to change that. But for now, I want to leave you with this: if you appreciate someone, tell them. Send a message, write a letter, just let them know.I almost forgot to mention fireworks! Chloe and I went to two PGI (Pyrotechnics Guild International) shows in Iowa. After the first night, I had what I think was my first migraine—visual effects but no pain. Turns out sleep deprivation, dehydration, and staring at explosions can do that.So, that’s where I’m at—grateful for the past few months, but wondering “now what?” 

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. 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! 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.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!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 dothen 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.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!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.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 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.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!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 outI can help you outHere we go, here we go againTrying hard but you wanna be my friendIn a place to hide and no one to run toHere we go, here we go againCall my bluff imma be until the endIm the one you ride, im the one you ride toIf you don't wanna changeIn a place to hide and no one to run toIf you don't wanna changeI can help you out [repeats]Here we go, here we go againTime is up and im calling up my friendsAnd no one to ride and no one to ride toHere we go, here we go againCall me up and you wanna be my friendIm the one you ride, im the one you ride toIf you don't wanna changeIn a place to hide and no one to run toIf you don't wanna changeI can help you out [repeat]Song Credits:Help You Out (ft. Jonathon Robins) by Leonell Cassio / leonellcassioCreative Commons-Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported - CC BY-SA 3.0Free 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.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!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.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 commentIt'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.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 commentIn 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.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 commentThis 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.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 commentAs 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!Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page!Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and commentWe'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.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 commentI'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.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 commentThis 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.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 commentWho'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/2010/04Techmeme 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 rotationThe 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 agreementDaily Boost Motivation and Coaching - heard about it on the Jordan Harbinger Show. Great if you want a smooth, 10-ish minute daily musingMy own church doesn't have a podcast (their sermon videos are online) but I do listen to podcasts from:Our former churchThe 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 churchThe "competing" church which opened a satellite campus just a couple miles awayThat 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.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 commentI 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 commentQuestions? 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.

I don't want to sound sappy but the Ericast is now 17 years old. What's that mean for us? I'm not sure. Want to help figure it out? 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 commentThe Ericast was born on March 6, 2005 and somehow the way math works, calendars line up every so often, so this really is numerologically the same week as when the Ericast started. So, now what?A lot has changed in 17 years and a lot is exactly the same. I had a 128MB iRiver. I now have a 128GB iPhone which, in addition to holding podcasts, is a magic piece of glass streaming video from the planet. Here's my newly slimmed-down list of podcasts for 2022 that I'm listening to on that magic piece of podcatching glass:Marketplace TechTechmeme Ride HomeReply AllThe Fairly Spiritual ShowQuestions? Comments? Celebratory remarks? 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.

After last week's fairly dark episode, we need something to lighten up the podcast, so I'm talking about a question that bothered me for ages. 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 commentI spent my "formative teen years" in a little town called Cornucopia, Wisconsin. That's a long story but among its mere 50 year-round residents was a kind but somewhat mysterious old man named Albon Overgard who moved there after we did. Cornucopia was founded in 1902, although after we left they celebrated its centennial in 2003 and I have a feeling that's because they forgot about it in 2002 and so they just changed the year. But, anyway, Dr. Overgard was born a year or two later in 1904, so when I refer to him as an "old man" that's just a fact - he was closing in on 90, lived to age 92, and with the advent of the Internet we can find that he was a doctor who specialized in the digestive system...Everyone has a story.So that's why I was wondering who Khalid was singing about in Benny Blanco's song Eastside. It didn't seem to make much sense, but maybe Mr. Old Erzman was a really memorable, lovable figure in the narrator's life, like Dr. Overgard was?The more I listened to it, the more endearing it became... but, it really didn't make sense.Then a few months ago I looked up the lyrics...

I had a great plan for a series in August... and then September... and then October. Want to know about a series you're not going to hear? 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 commentThis episode isn't lighthearted. Here's a key takeaway for you: If you're in a community, organization, business, family, or political fellowship that you value and appreciate... and someone has an objection to it... you should listen to that objection.  You don't need to agree with it.  But if you dismiss it out of hand, you do that at your own peril.If you know anything about me, and if you don't then you're about to learn, you'll realize that in college I came to identify as "Christian" and that my particular denomination or "flavor" was "Evangelical". In the past couple years, I've realized more and more that there are some things that are extremely broken in the "Evangelical church".I've got friends who say, "Yeah, obviously, that's why I'm not a Christian!"I've got friends who say, "Yeah, it's really sad, and I do what I can to make the church a better representation of what Jesus told us to do."And I've got friends who have now chosen to leave my life and make themselves former friends who say, "Nuh-huh! No, there aren't problems! That's just what Satan wants you to believe. We are SO persecuted!"That's what I was going to talk about.  But, I'm not going to -- at least not in the four-part series I had in mind -- because it's just too depressing a place to put myself into.But I am, on occasion, going to use this podcast to do a little bit of "awareness raising".  Because I've got friends somewhere between that second and third category who are truly, sincerely, oblivious to the harm that's happening inside their churches.  Because I'm not in their church, I can see it. They can't. Jesus is known for a phrase that has always sounded odd to me "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" Like, who doesn't have ears? Well, I guess we all have ears... but I've found that not everybody hears with them.I'll close with an example. And I have to give a trigger warning to my listeners with a heart for the LGBT community, that this clip is painful and hurtful to them. But that's not why I'm sharing it, because that's no surprise - if you know anything about "evangelical theology" you know that "tolerance" is a stretch, let alone love and affirmation. (And I know that there are some who, with a few extra words to make it flowery, would say that intolerance is actually loving, and we're not going to go there right now.)Instead, I want you to listen very, very carefully to this clip from a youth ministry program. Remember it's not a random, off-the-cuff conversation -- these are prepared remarks which were then edited and produced and distributed. This is intentional doctrine, recorded in 2021 and shared with teenagers as part of a program answering the question "Is it a sin to be gay?" Trust me, this is an accurate representation of what you'll hear talking to the average person in this church. Put yourself in the shoes of a typical teenager as they list off examples of the "sins" that people struggle with.And hence the title of the podcast episode that I'm not going to do: "Is Depression Sinful."  If you weren't listening carefully, replay the last few seconds.  We've established that in this worldview, it's a sin to be attracted to someone of the same sex. Now, it's not a sin to be "attracted" to someone of the opposite sex because that's God's design, but if it's "lustful" attraction, that's sinful. And deceit is a sin. But what's tucked in the middle of that list.  Depression.If forced to confront it, you can say, "No, Eric, they don't mean that depression is sinful, just that it's a challenge that teenagers face?"  And if you truly, sincerely insist on believing that, there's nothing I can do to change your mind. All I can tell you is... No.  That's not what they're teaching. They're teaching that "depression" is a sin -- maybe it's self-indulgence, maybe it's for attention, maybe it's because you've been deceived by the world, but the solution is to "get right with God."I have a problem with that.  In fact, teaching that depression is a sin might bump up against that other sin of "deceit" that they mentioned.I don't have any power to change the hearts and minds of people who believe things like this. But I do have a chance at pointing it out to people who deny it happens in their church.  Trust me, it happens. And when it does, and you hear someone like me point it out, and you see the response that people like me get in return... maybe say, "hey, should we listen to what he has to say?"

Have you ever used a phrase for years and then one day you looked at it and realized it could mean something totally different? 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 commentI've listened to an old episode or two with the "life updates" at the front and I've thought to myself, "self, just get to the point!" so I'll keep things short to explain how I don't even think I'm on a "quarterly" schedule anymore.Does the listener feedback line work still work? How do you say "root" and "bag"...?  Do I have Windows 11?  What great questions!per·for·mance/pərˈfôrməns/1. an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment."Don Giovanni had its first performance in 1787"Similar: show, production, showing, presentation, entertainment, staging, act, concert, recital, house, gig2. the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function."the continual performance of a single task reduces a man to the level of a machine"Similar: carrying out, execution, discharge, conducting, conduct, effecting, accomplishment, achievement, completion, fulfillment, dispatch, implementation, effectuationDefinitions from Oxford Languages

Let's try a notes-free, link-free version for our 16th birthday? 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

I'm kicking off my 2021 podcasting with a brain-dump of random things, tied to the most random yet chronologically relevant title I could think of. 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 commentWhat do we cover in this episode? Well...Recording in Studio D where it's 27 degrees (and 12 degrees outside)The year is about 13% overI got a new computer and while pandemics are bad it was convenient thanks to Best Buy curbside pickupThere's a pastoral transition at our old churchMy parents are mid-vaccineMy sciatic issues are greatly improved and I should do a podcast episode on what "okay" and "fine" mean in MinnesotaShout-outs to longtime listeners. Thank you for your years of support!I'm on Clubhouse now and we'll see where that goes.Zinnias, artificial wood, geraniums, and cilantro. It makes sense in the episodeTechmeme Ride Home and Kottke Ride Home, along with episode #167 of Reply All and "America's Hottest Talkline"I warned you that it was random! I'm eager to stay in touch and will take feedback in all forms but if we want to keep it formal and official-like, give 701-645-3742 (a.k.a. 701-645-ERIC) a call!

2020 has been a really rough year in lots of ways for lots of people. So, let's close it out with something completely different, because I was listening to a song and thought, "She's singing about what?!?" Want to know what it actually was? 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 commentIn the last few hours of 2020... We just need a break with something light.  Call 701-645-3742 if you've got your own contribution.I've got a Pandora station based on The Weeknd (Blinding Lights in particular) and the song "Ocean Drive" by Pia Mia comes up occasionally. It was released in 2017 but seems to be in circulation now.  It's got a great beat, happy and bouncy.  In keeping this a work-safe, child-safe podcast, let's use a euphemism and say she's talking about having a "picnic" on the beach.  That idea has never appealed to me because it seems that sand would get everywhere.  I like fluffy blankets. Sand isn't fluffy.Anyway, coming out of the chorus, she explains that they've got a couple of haters.  I get that -- as I said, this sounds awkward and uncomfortable.  And then she explains that she's got... well, take a listen.She's got a couple potatoes.  That's it.  It has to be.Once you Google the lyrics you discover that they apparently have "a couple spectators."But I say it's "potatoes."  And among everything else, that's what we can remember 2020 for.

An Ericast listener wrote, "Awesome episode this morning. Wow!" And I'm going to turn that comment into an entire new episoide. Wondering how? 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 commentHighlights: Squeezing this episode out so it's dated in November. Still doing "weekly episodes about once a month". Still talking about the back flareup.  Losing track of what letter studio I'm in  - this might be "Studio E" for Eric's Space.  "Honest critical feedback." Old joke - "If Vivaldi were alive today he'd be turning over in his grave!" Throwaway line that was criticized later because of the "or something like that" tacked on.  (I have plenty of malapropisms but that wasn't one, and so what if it was?)Got a kind word to share? You know how. And share one with someone else today, too.

I didn't mean to predict things a year ago. I really didn't. 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 What was I thinking about pandemics and travel?Got your own comments about what things might look like a year from now? Call 701-645-3742 (a.k.a. 701-645-ERIC) or reach out to me through any variety of social media channels.

I talked to a longtime Ericast listener a couple weeks ago and he said he was waiting for "the quarterly Ericast." Ha, ha, very funny! I know it's been awhile, but it hasn't been... oh. Want the quick update on my life?  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 Among other things, this is the premiere of Studio D! I might sound louder or more enthusiastic than normal because Studio D is a shed.Pandemic (it continues)Sciatic flare-up for no good reasonLife as facultyCandela animating the last podcast episode And I wasn't kidding about robins in the yard:  Questions? Observations about early snowfalls? Need shed advice? Call 701-645-3742 (a.k.a. 701-645-ERIC) or reach out to me through any variety of social media channels.

You know, the Ericast has a long history of disappearing for awhile, usually in the summertime, usually because I'm busy with fun stuff. But when historians look back at this gap in the schedule they're going to say, "Ohhhhhh..."  Want a quick check-in? 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 Nobody here is covid-affected, and if you want to know about that part of the world, read any other messaging about it, even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff.I'm annoyed with myself that I didn't record a profound thought from a dream last night, not because it was probably that profound but because I'd like to look back at what I thought was profound. Or, maybe it was.  Who knows?  Oh, well.The Electrified Mind podcast disappeared.  A "Daily Empowerment Podcast" that was weekly, and now there's no sign of it.  It was a fun podcast and they always closed with the same song, which turns out was a royalty free one... and it seems appropriate to cap this return with what I used to do in the early years of the podcast.  I'll put it after the close in case you don't want a musical interlude... but I think it's worth a listen in this age.Help You Out (ft. Jonathon Robins) by Leonell Cassiohttps://soundcloud.com/leonellcassioCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/2JiBzMvMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/hDCwRot8NWs. Questions? Memories from your childhood that you want to share? Call 701-645-3742 (a.k.a. 701-645-ERIC) or reach out to me through any variety of social media channels.

I've not lost my voice and this is an actual episode, but it's a bit of a throwback while locked in our pandemic-sheltered world. Wondering about where this voice came from? 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 normally where I'd put a summary... but you just have to listen to this one for yourself. It's only 10 minutes; you'll do fine. Questions? Memories from your childhood that you want to share? Call 701-645-3742 (a.k.a. 701-645-ERIC) or reach out to me through any variety of social media channels.

I thought about calling this episode "What a Month!" but I already did that two years ago so I'm picking a particular topic for this 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"I ask that everyone treat each other kindly, show gratitude for the work that’s being done, and forgive any mistakes."Questions? Reflections on leadership? Call 701-645-3742 (a.k.a. 701-645-ERIC) or reach out to me through any variety of social media channels.

I hope that title didn't scare you because, no, I'm not planning on ending the Ericast. But I have changed my personal podcast listening habits. Wonder what they are? 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 You know the drill - I'd love to hear from you!

I'm down to the wire on the end of the year and the end of a decade, depending on how you count. Want a quick update on how this fall went? 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 There's really no topic for this episode -- it's truly a "Yeah, life has happened the past couple months.  Here I am."  Still there? Questions? Comments? Objections? Interjections? Give a call to 701-645-3742 (a.k.a. 701-645-ERIC) and contribute.

Where did October go? Well, I was busy jetting off to a location literally dozens and dozens of miles from home. Let's recap the EDUCAUSE Conference.  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 I'm trying to get better at flying. This year's EDUCAUSE focus was Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.  Last time, seven years ago, it was on student retention analytics.  Seven years before that was lecture capture.  And eight years before that I had a focus on "computer competency" because that's where I started my career, so I don't really know what the other key themes were at the time. I try to make the most of whatever opportunity I'm given. I don't always succeed, but if I'm conscious about preserving "an attitude of positive regard" then I can watch out for living in negative space. Do I want to be a CIO?  (Hint: No.)  That's best explained by a clip of Tony Wrighton on the Zestology podcast and his interview with Chris Ryan, author of Civilized to Death. Questions? Comments? Observations? Give a call to 701-645-3742 (a.k.a. 701-645-ERIC) and share.

Sometimes you hear things that weren't said. And sometimes you don't hear things that were said.  Confused? Curious?  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 Spoiler alert: I made it 10 seconds into this episode without making a mistake. Can you hear it? Are crickets good luck? I don't think so, but I have to live with it. I listen back to my podcasts after they're published, not for vanity's sake but to make sure that everything is as I intended it to be, that it sounds okay, that I didn't misspeak, etc.  And from the last episode, I caught myself saying something that sounds like something I didn't actually say... (I have a common phrase -- "the God of the Universe".  That probably dates back to a record that I had when I was a little, little kid -- a really cool transparent red acetate record that discussed the nature of the universe.) So, what did Neil Armstrong actually say?  (No, that's not a non sequitur; listen to the episode.) There are at least three distinct topics in this episode, so share your thoughts on one or more of them at 701-645-ERIC (a.k.a. 701-645-3742)

Every once in awhile, someone -- like an old friend -- says something really profound that pivots your life. Want an example? 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 It's still "the weekly podcast that comes out about once a month" but I'm bringing back the "listener feedback at the end of the month" theme... because I couldn't sleep. I did get some feedback way back in June. Every so often I think, there's got to be a better way to automate these podcasts and stitch files together and maybe we could just take the feedback and push it straight into a feed... ...okay, so maybe that's not a good idea, and maybe automation isn't all that it's cracked up to be.  But we do get calls from reliable longtime listeners, like the one Matt made right after I was talking about informercial giants... How long will be it before spelling things out with the phone keypad makes no sense?  I'm glad my car dashboard still includes it because I only know our main office number based on how it's spelled. Anyway, that brings is to the final call of this month's show, which came right after the last episode about my Tall Mike Stand. I called and talked to Mike after he left this message, which was great, and we didn't get to dive into the church-naming conversation.  Some other time!  As an aside, Gimlet Media has a podcast on "startups" and the series from a year ago was on "church planting"... where one of the things they mention is competition for attendance numbers so that the math works out to become financially self-sustaining.  That's also a topic for another day.  But during that call with Mike (after I mentioned how wonderfully amazing it is that we can pick right up in the conversation after being away from each other for years) he said, "You can't make old friends.  You can make new friends, and they might become old friends, but you can't make old friends." And it's funny that he mentioned the church-naming thing, because we actually visited our old Berean Baptist stomping ground a couple weeks back thanks to a break in our Oak Hills Church schedule.  We walked into our small-group classroom and picked right up where we left off three years ago.  Jonzer was at the coffee cart upstairs (and apologized for being behind on listening to the podcasts; I pointed out I was behind on recording them, so he was probably fine). It was really strange to drop into an environment like that and get another living example of the value of "old friends". So, if there's any advice in this podcast, I guess it's to go out and make some old friends... and you do that by either strengthening the old friendships you have, or make some new friendships and keep them strong enough to become old. Let me know what you think!  701-645-3742 (which, while you're using a device that can spell something out, spells out 701-645-ERIC).

I got a tall mic stand, so it sits on the floor and doesn't pick up table vibration. But if I do a podcast on that topic, nobody's going to listen.  Maybe it'll sound better if I just move the words around?  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 I'm not kidding.  That's really what this episode is about.  I'm still trying to streamline the recording process because that's the only thing that's keeping me from coming down here to Studio A (which is comfortably cool in Minnesota summers) and getting an episode recorded.  In this case, it's going to take three or four times longer to post this than it did to record it. Thanks to Matt from California for the feedback -- in Northern California, which I assume was earthquake free this month.  One of my colleagues experienced a 3 a.m. aftershock while at a conference in Long Beach, which is south of L.A., and I realized that "experience an earthquake" might be on the bucket list that I don't keep.

People live. People die. I get that. But sometimes things line up in a way you didn't quite expect. If you ever wanted a peek inside my fascination with get-rich-quick celebrities, 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 We're continuing with "the weekly podcast that comes out about once a month."  And while I'd much rather be upstairs sleeping right now, I came down to Studio A because the chances of me getting a podcast out on a Friday night are slim, and then we're in June already! Growing up reading magazine ads but having no money to send the $9.95 and the SASE.  The famous "What is this woman doing?" ad that I can't find any sign up; that might be my summer research project.  (Anyone know what it was?) Whether they knew it or not, people know the kind of world I'm talking about because Don Lapre was popular, and popular enough to be parodied by David Spade on SNL.  He'd set up a half-hour informercial where he'd stand someplace exotic like a beach and tell you the magic of "placing tiny classified ads..." Well, that didn't end well.  "Lapre died on October 2, 2011, while in jail awaiting his trial, which was scheduled to begin on October 4, 2011." The other infomercial king at the time was Carleton Sheets. His informercial theme was real estate, and his videos usually featured palm trees between him and the ocean.  In search for more information years and years ago, I came across the website of John T. Reed. John T. Reed maintains a website of "real-estate-invesement gurus" and in addition to discussing Carleton Sheets, he spent a realy long time documenting his lawsuit with a guru named Russ Whitney.  Those lawsuits were settled in 2005 and that information is gone now... but it stuck in my head. So, fast-forward to the fall of 2017.  I had signed up for some sort of "internet investing" seminar that was being held at the new Radisson Blu hotel attached to the Mall of America.  If nothing else, it'd be cool to see the hotel.  So I went, and the speaker introduced himself as "Russell Whitney".  That sounded realy familiar.  Long story short, this was Russell Whitney Jr., who's the spitting-image son of Russ Whitney of 1980s real estate marketing fame. The seminar was for MOBE, which was an internet-marketing Ponzi scheme (which then got shut down by the FTC last summer). Prior to that shutdown, Russell gave an interview on a marketing podcast talking about overcoming his (major, dangerous) drug addictions and staying 100% clean because of his addictive personality (NSFW language in the podcast, but it's a really great interview: https://www.droppingbombs.com/russ-whitney-be-rich/ ) Last September, he posted an Instagram photo with a touching note that concluded: "I love my wife and son with all my heart. They have made my life complete. # success # familymatters" (You're right; this story doesn't end well.) Miami-Dade is an open-records county and less than 24 hours after I requested it I got a copy of the coroner's report: Russel Whitney Jr. died on November 20th, 2018 of "Acute Combined Drug Toxicity (Heroin, Fentanyl, Acetyl Fentanyl, Oxycodone and Cocaine)" What do you do when you have a "comeback story" and the comeback doesn't stick?

People, businesses, faith communities - they all have names. But do they really mean anything? Yeah, I think they do. 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 I had intended to batch some shows, but we see how that went.  So this is live-to-harddrive on April 29th, after an amazingly strange past few weeks.  Many of us had to take a detour from things like podcasting, because we were shoveling. So, I'd intended to get this show out before Easter, when it would've made sense, but I didn't. Better than last year's Minnebar blizzard, I have to say... The Ericast Studio A is slightly less cluttered now and we'll see what summer brings. Questions?  Comments?  701-645-3742 (a.k.a. 701-645-ERIC) or drop a note to me (eric) at ericast.com, or find me on the social medias.

A few weeks back, listener Digital Dan pointed out it had been 45 days since that last Ericast. Want an update? 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 The weekly podcast that now comes out about once a quarter. That's not good. Amber googles, smart bulbs, etc. Tuya bulbs. Winter was hard! This is one of the most scatter-shot, thrown-together Ericast episodes in a long time. But you can still reach out! 701-645-3742 (a.k.a. 701-645-ERIC), or via your social media method of choice.

It's a new year and time for resolutions of sorts. Wondering about my top priority for 2019? 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 You know, "2019" seems to roll off the tongue pretty well. My wife was trying to get our Alexato play the podcast and she discovered that it's hard to find this "Ericast" but there's at least one other "Eric Cast" out there.  But I'm pretty sure I'm the original.  I know at least one other person listens to the Dweeb Thoughts feed, so in 2019 I might try to be more regular about that. But the real thing I'm focusing on is getting rid of saying "ummmm" because I'm realizing it's really distracting!  Maybe I'll make that an official 2019 goal, or at least a quartly one.  (Mark Mason mentioned "The 12 Week Year" in his Late Night Internet Marketing podcast, episode 159: Keys to Achieving Your Goals in 2019) Also, I'll do fewer personal details (I think, maybe?) because I noticed when going through the back-catalog that it's hard to get to the meat of a podcast topic while slogging through the basics of my life.  That won't change for the nearly 14 years of back-catalog on the podcast, but maybe it'll be better in the next 14 years. Listener feedback will still be key to the Ericast.  It's one of the best features of Seth Godin's "Akimbo" podcast so I'd like to keep that up here. Closing with the life updates rather than opening with them (because you didn't think they'd disappear entirely, would you?) I have a weird problem where something is syncing old photo collections into my Photos directory, which causes my fairly small SSD drive to fill up, which causes Windows 10 to turn on automatic compression so it can function.  Very odd. So I'm declaring auto-syncing bankruptcy right now and am uninstalling Google Drive (that was easy) and iCloud (which is taking forever... leading me to wonder if that's what was causing the syncing problem).  Stay tuned to find out more. As always, share your thoughts. Next week I think I might talk about what's on my podcast roster for 2019 -- I did that before but it's been a few years now, and tastes change.  Questions?  Problems?  Worries?  Call 701-645-3742, email me (eric) at ericast.com, or reach out on social media.

I've always promised to mix in a bit of theology into the Ericast, and this is one of those episodes. Regular listeners will love it. Some in the "silent majority" might not. But I really, really believe in this message. 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 No, that episode title isn't a typo; this episode is focused around a three-word quote from Paul Prins, who I first met when he demoed Freshvine at Minnedemo in July 2013.  (In fact, I just realized that I mentioned it on an Ericast at the time, entitled MinneDemo 2013 Hipsters...) Anyway, this episode talks about the importance of Grace and Forgiveness. Sure, sure, we know it's important.  No, it's really important. Agree?  Disagree?  Comments in general?  You know what to do.  I'd love to hear from you.

Sometimes a book really affects you... and here's one example, with the twist of a really strange timeline. Curious? 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 It's been awhile. And it's was quite a summer, and quite a fall. Thanks for sticking with me... Or for joining the Ericast family for the first time.  Sorry I still haven't figured out my room noise. Maybe that's what kept me away from the mic.  I'll try to change that. Starting when I was 11, I spent my summers in Cornucopia, Wisconsin -- and lived up there year-round from age 16 to 18. Had I not been homeschooled, I would have turned the graduating class of the consolidated school district from 13 to 14 people.  Lots of stories there. But early on -- maybe before we even bought the house and were just passing through -- I spotted a book exchange at the tiny post office.  And in that book exchange was a paperback with the gleaming foil title: WARDAY By the time Warday had come out in 1984, I had started a club called "Kids For Peace".  I knew about the issue of nuclear proliferation before Special Bulletin and The Day After and Threads.  And I don't think that the following generation -- the "late Gen-X" born in the early 80s -- really understand what it was like to live under the thread of a Soviet nuclear attack. Anyway, I had never heard of the book, but with some trepidation (simply because it was spooky) I watched Warday pass on October 28, 1988.  And that, was exactly 30 years go. If this timeline starts to sound messed up, it's because it is.  And it's explained in a Warday review I found thanks to Google, from Mitch Edgeworth.  He does a better job than I could, so I read it. Thoughts? Reflections?  Reach out at 701-645-3742 or any of the usual Ericast venues.

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 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 I'm still here, so are you, and I think we both appreciate both of those facts! 701-645-3742 is the listener feedback line even though I don't put much of that feedback in the show anymore, but we'll see how we do.Can't find my July episode on the computer but it apparently happened. I said it was in "Studio A" so it should be on this computer.  And the theme was "Everyone is quitting..." but I'm not.I promised that I had nothing special planned for this episode, and I keep my promises!Since the July 1st episode that apparently happened, I went to Colorado and I have plans for Studio D.  It's been a good, full Summer, with more ahead for Fall.Questions?  Ideas?  Give a call at 701-645-3742 or reach out any other number of ways.

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 things I thought would be around this year. Want the update? 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 Remember that the Ericast is a "personal podcast"... and I've got an explanation of that phrase late in this episode.  June was a month of stay-cation time. (Back to work tomorrow!) Technical note: Our old web server, circa 1997, has been decommissioned.  The logo was held on that template and as some point I got a login prompt instead of just an empty graphic. Other features of this episode: Vocal Fry and some a low-level background hum in Studio A which I think is from my CPU fan (and which I bashed down with a noise reduction filter, which creates issues of its own...) Ignite Minneapolis Patrick Griffith Remodeling Clay podcast Possible highlight of the summer: Meeting Matt from California in person.  Pro: I introduced him to the Juicy Lucy.  Con: I gave myself a Chris Farley show moment of not driving him up past some of the Minneapolis lakes. See you in Episode 300! P.S.  That "header graphic" I mentioned? The one you've seen so many times you probably don't even think about it?  Here it is:

It's my annual review of Minnesota's technology un-conference, and this time Candela joins me. Interested in a special double-length stereophonic episode? 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 Technical note: This week's episode was recorded with my trusty old Olympus WS-320M with two lav mics and a "dual-mono to stereo" adapter plug.  It's the quick, easy, and super-cheap way to record two people and split them on the left and right channels. Let me know if you like the sound and interview style; I don't think most interviews are separated on L and R channels to this extreme, but it works for me

So, I said last week that Dan's April Fool's episode saved the show. Wondering what I meant by that and what the plan was?  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 I'm recording this early (which is unusual) and it's an incredibly cold April. But the sun now is the same as it is during the "State Fair" (which is a big deal here in Minnesota; it closes Labor Day weekend) so it's melting off. Recent mornings it's been 10 to 15 degrees, and remember that we do degrees in Fahrenheit around here. So, I missed March entirely, which is the birthday of the Ericast. We're officially a teenager now! Anyway, the April Fools show had been in mind since late last year, and what it was going to be was a parody of a radio morning show.  It's Rick and Karen in the mornings, on KZ10! Karen, tell us what kind of traffic we're seeing from Chopper 10 and the KZ Action News team live over Fargo!  ("We don't have a helicopter, Rick.")  Okay, then we'll assume there isn't any traffic, because there never is.  Remember that when you hear the new Bruce Springsteen song, be the tenth caller to the studio line with the 'phrase that pays': Nobody plays more music than Fargo's powerhouse for today's top hits from Bismark to Moorhead to put the rattle in your cattle, 99 1/2 FM KZ10. It was going to be great. So, to flesh it out I went out to YouTube to grab some audio from old Duluth TV commercials that I'd put up years ago...  And they were gone. The entire account was gone. The way my brain works is I get some sort of whimsical idea, and then I buy a domain name that goes with it, and then I build a site around it, and then nothing happens with it but I hang onto it forever because I can't let it go.  Welcome to my brain. We bought our first VCR in 1985 and I'm a packrat, so I have all sorts of things taped off-air, and that means that there are snippets of news shows and commercials in boxes and boxes of tapes.  The thing that marked that era was the gigantic hairspray-based hairstyles -- Google "Faith Daniels" if you want to see the epitome of "the look".  So, I bought a .TV domain and "Big Hair TV" was born!  And I never did much with it, except for uploading about a half-dozen clips of mostly Duluth television to its YouTube account, and threw a Wordpress-based video indexer onto the domain. Now there's no sign of it.  I never got an email saying it was going to be shut down.  It was originally part of a free "Google for Business" account (so it had the "[email protected]" email address) and that was tied to a Gmail address.  And all of that got deleted.  (Like, completely deleted -- I have all the credentials and things cached on my computer and it comes up as deleted.)  And when that got deleted, the YouTube account got deleted.  And when that got deleted, all the videos disappeared. So, those videos and their comments are gone.  They original encoded files for upload are still sitting on my hard drive, but the world will never see them. That obviously distracted me from getting the radio parody done, and really got me thinking about how our digital content is or isn't managed. I doubt it was a DMCA take-down, because that should've triggered some sort of notice... and nobody cares about old videos.  In fact, one of the anchors is PR and marketing executive in the Twin Cities and used the screenshot from my video in his presentations (which was fun to see -- he'd been one of my father's journalism students so it was one of those "small world!" things to introduce myself and make that connection).  Point being, it was a weird thing to get a reminder that everything on the Internet is permanent... except when it isn't, and might disappear without warning.  If Kevin ever wants to find that old clip of himself at the news desk with Stacie... he can't. Oh, well.  At least I can drop the domains and save about $35 a year.  Because any time you buy a .TV domain, you really need the .COM to back it up.  :) Speaking of... as I was putting these notes together, I wondered what was at "bighair.com" -- because, who knows; if they want to start a television show, I've got the perfect domain for them!  And this is even more interesting (to us geeks):  Their registrar has gone under.  So, their domain (which has never had anything at it) lapsed a year ago, but the registrar hasn't released it for repurchasing, because the registrar doesn't exist. So even when you think things are completely safe because you've branded everything under your own domain rather than YouTube or Gmail or something you don't control... it's still not completely safe because if your domain registrar ceases operations, you can't get to the place that owns your name. All of the Big Hair excitement was right before my trip to Utah with Chloe, which was the main focus for March, so those two things are my excuse for not getting some sort of birthday acknowledgement into the feed. The Ericast continues to be what it always has been:  A peek inside by brain.  In audio form, so is it still a "peek" or does "peek" mean it's visual?  See, that's the kind of observation (another visual term!) that you find only on the Ericast!  Or maybe you find elsewhere, but it's randomly imposed on you only on the Ericast! One last note:  A listener request.  We have someone who alleges (with good intent!) that I once did an episode about telephone prefixes and the invention of the naming scheme that led to things like swing-era songs named "Pennsylvania 6-5000!"  Do any of my dedicated listeners remember anything like that?  I don't... but I have almost 300 of these behind me.  There's no secret stash of show notes -- what's written is what's published, so you've got access to the same back-catalog of notes that I do.  It would take some sort of memory of "Oh, that came up when you were talking about such-and-such..." and I don't have that. Remember, your feedback really matters. Let me know you're out there! 701-645-3742 (a.k.a. 701-645-ERIC) or any other means of tracking me down and letting me know what you think.