Ericast.com Podcasts - DWEEB THOUGHTS

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Friday, January 30, 2015

Ericast 254 - Try Exposing Yourself!

If you don't say anything to anyone, you won't hear many complaints. But is that a good way to live? 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 206-339-ERIC (206-339-3742) and comment!

This week: A week-in-the-life. (And, my studio chair squeaks. FYI)


Years ago we asked a post-event review question of "Is there anything that could've made this better?"   Someone's answer?  "Get rid of Eric Larson as a presenter. He uses too much self-deprecating humor."

It's at that point I decided to stop doing that, and to start deprecating others.

That weird bitter shot gave me my best self-deprecating joke ever! It's awesome!  I would've done just fine without that feedback, and I do just fine with it.  So don't fear feedback.

"With all those windows on the west side, in the afternoon, that side of the 4th floor just gets baked"

"Yeah, I've heard.  But what about the sunshine?"

Panel Discussion on tips/tricks/experiences with "synchronous online learning," where I was facilitating (vs. moderating).

Say you want to buy a car.  Ford vs. Toyota.  How not to get ripped off at the dealership.

"Wait!  I don't buy into this whole 'car' thing"

That could be outdated bias -- "My uncle sells buggy-whips and he thinks sales are picking up!"
Or that could be wise insight -- "Have you seen light rail and the bike-share programs?"

But that's not the right world -- not the right direction or set of questions -- for the people who've decided they need a car and are going to walk in a dealership and need some tips on negotiating or brand comparison.

Did we miss-market the event?  Well, if we'd been really specific and targeted really well, we could've had a quarter of the numbers in the room and they'd have all said we were awesome. And that would've eliminated the bottom 10 percent who made some really snide complaints

But what about that extra 50, 60, 70% in the middle?  Who got exposed to some new stuff and thought it was pretty good and have some new stuff to think about?

This isn't a call to be sloppy or unclear.

But if you've got a message you believe in; if you think you're doing good work, if you think you have something to offer to the right people... be willing to expose yourself to the wrong people, because that's what it's going to take if you speak up and seek out the right people.

Reflection:  I've got my stuff together and want to do _____.  Maybe you do, maybe you don't. "Humble learner" is a difficult position.  Coaching someone into humility doesn't work; that's basically seen as the definition of arrogance (and maybe it is).

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Ericast 253 - Searching for Bre

What happens when your friends lose, and then find, someone they love? Find 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 206-339-ERIC (206-339-3742) and comment!

Coming in under the wire for this week, but still on the calendar!

Full disclosure:  I don't like this episode.  It's bumbling.  It's awkward.  But it's a topic that ought to be discussed, and I'm not going to let my lack of eloquence keep us from starting the conversation.

That's what I mean by "Find out." Period.  Find out how these things unfold now, before you need to know.

This week's topic began with a tweet from Kate-Madonna Hines.  While we disagree pretty passionately on abortion and the work of Planned Parenthood, I trust her judgment and ethics. She'd fall into the category of one of my personal "thought leaders" over the years.

In the process, I Twitter-met Alison Feigh.  (Word-of-the-week transforms into Name-of-the-week:  Would it be "FEE," or "f-EYE"?)  Alison Feigh serves as the program coordinator at the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center, a program of the National Child Protection Training Center.

When dealing with a missing person, where do you go?  Twitter.  Facebook.  Whisper (where, it turns out, someone said he used to know her).  And then, go back to spread the good news that she's been found.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Ericast 252 - Tradition and Tweaks

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 what’s new and what’s changing in the Ericast’s tenth year. 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 206-339-ERIC (206-339-3742) and comment!

Yes, the "Tradition and Tweaks" Ericast really did show up this week!

This week's question:  Does it hurt when your fancy gets struck?  (No, that's not really a question...)

iPodder, Juice, Lemon... I just use (and love!) Downcast these days.  K7.net is still alive and well and I still love them.  Almost as much as I love my fluffy new Costco body pillow.  Yes, this is random.

What’s changing:  Not much.  The pre-intro summary is new – it’s a common “best practice”.  What do you think?

Three-word titles.  A tradition since my undergraduate paper-writing days; unless there was an external mandate imposed by the faculty, I always used a three-word title.  Celebrating constrains per Joseph Rueter.

Better show notes...  Because I find myself referring back to them when I listen to other people's podcasts.  And structure is good.

More batching, so I can keep a regular schedule.  What’s contemporary and what’s batched?  You might never know.

More Chesterton:  If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing badly.

Reviving the Dweeb Thoughts feed, and I need help for that; Posterous was so awesome that I can’t cope without it.

DailyMugShot.com is now gone and has turned into a Thai dating site.  Really.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Ericast 251 - My Podcast List

Are you looking for some new podcasts to try in a new year, or you’re just curious about what I’m listening to while you’re listening to me?  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!

The "Tradition and Tweaks" Ericast is coming up next week.  And, yes, I’m promising an episode next week.  We’ll talk about that promise… next week.


Favorite pod-catching application in iOS (for the iPhone of iPad): Downcast  (Other apps also mentioned: Cyber Dust and Loot)

Three broad categories: Technology, religion/spirituality/Christianity/etc., and personal-development

Formerly-listened-to podcasts
New for my 2015:
Technology:
Spirituality:

Self-Help/Productivity:

Other - Entertainment or "Guy and a Mic" (like mine):