Archive for March, 2005

11 Mar

Notice: Locusmag feed is back, with added bonus!

Mark redesigned Locusmag which is why our Locusmag feed was temporarily down. I am happy to inform you that the feed is back now. As a little bonus, I’ve also made a feed for Locusmag’s Blinks section. Enjoy!

Locusmag RSS 2.0 feed:
http://www.mobileread.com/feeds/locus.xml

Locusmag Blinks RSS 2.0 feed:
http://www.mobileread.com/feeds/locusblinks_rss20.xml

If you have any suggestions, feel free to join me at http://www.mobileread.com. As a side note, Mobileread is an online community that loves to talk about books, especially if SciFi and Fantasy related.

Posted in SF Feeds, SF News by: Izaak Azimov
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Triggered at line # 603 FeedWordPress version: 2009.1112 MagpieRSS version: 2009.0725 WordPress version: 2.9.1 PHP version: 5.2.42-servage15 SyndicatedPost::insert_new::_wp_id: array(3) { ["$this->_wp_id"]=> int(0) ["$dbpost"]=> array(17) { ["post_title"]=> string(28) "An Ebook/POD Based Bookstore" ["post_content"]=> string(4145) "<p>I&#8217;ll admit that the very first thing I thought when I read <a href=\"http://www.thenewsleekness.com/index.php/if-i-were-a-rich-man/\">this post from Pablo Defendini</a> was &#8220;Damn, how can I come up with the capital to start this business?&#8221; The opening salvo paragraph:</p> <blockquote> <p>If I were a rich man, I’d buy B&amp;N, get rid of all the mass market shelf space, replace it with an <a href=\"http://www.ondemandbooks.com/the_ebm.htm\">Espresso Book Machine</a>, start strong-arming publishers to print and bind really, really nice hardcovers at lower print runs and stock the hell out of those, and open up the B&amp;N in-store ebook store to all devices and platforms (fuck it; even license mobi from Amazon if I can).</p> </blockquote> <p>There is in fact an empty Barnes and Noble building in Myrtle Beach left over from when it moved two years ago. It&#8217;s been sitting idle ever since. It was always jumping before, so the location is capable of sustaining a thriving bookstore business. However, as cool as I thought this idea was, today I saw this <a href=\"http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/bookselling/espresso_book_machine_spreads_to_bookstores__172027.asp\">story on MediaBistro</a> about a bookstore actually using the machine.</p> <p>Oddly to me, the story is written triumphantly as if this is a success story. Looking at the numbers, it looks pretty dismal to me. They paid for a $118,000 Espresso Book Machine and in 5 months have sold 1,500 books with it. Let&#8217;s say they sell those books at an average of $12, they average 250 pages long. My understanding of the variable costs is that they&#8217;d be spending $2.50 in licensing fees per book, about $2 per book in materials and at this point, $79 per book in amortization of the cost of the machine. 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However I&#8217;m reading that MediaBistro story not as the &#8220;booyah&#8221; it seems to want to be but more of a &#8220;Warning: potential loss of ass ahead&#8221; warning sign.</p> <p><object width=\"300\" height=\"250\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/Q946sfGLxm4?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US\" /><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" /><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" /><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/Q946sfGLxm4?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" /><br /> </object></p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href=\"http://flattr.com/\" title=\"Flattr\" >flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href=\"http://flattr.com/\" title=\"Flattr\" ><img src=\"http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png\" alt=\"flattr this!\"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href=\"http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/bn/\" rel=\"tag\">b&amp;n</a>, <a href=\"http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/espressobookmachine/\" rel=\"tag\">espressobookmachine</a>, <a href=\"http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/mediabistro/\" rel=\"tag\">mediabistro</a>, <a href=\"http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/newsleekness/\" rel=\"tag\">newsleekness</a>, <a href=\"http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/pablodefendini/\" rel=\"tag\">pablodefendini</a></p>" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(62) "I\'ll admit that the very first thing I thought when I r [...]" ["epoch"]=> array(3) { ["issued"]=> int(1283188326) ["created"]=> NULL ["modified"]=> int(1283188326) } ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2010-08-30 17:12:06" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2010-08-30 17:12:06" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2010-08-30 17:12:06" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2010-08-30 17:12:06" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["guid"]=> string(85) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/" ["meta"]=> array(8) { ["syndication_source"]=> string(22) "Evil Genius Chronicles" ["syndication_source_uri"]=> string(45) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress" ["rss:comments"]=> string(94) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/#comments" ["wfw:commentRSS"]=> string(90) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/feed/" ["syndication_feed"]=> string(51) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/feed/" ["syndication_feed_id"]=> string(2) "57" ["syndication_permalink"]=> string(156) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-ebookpod-based-bookstore" ["syndication_item_hash"]=> string(32) "773ca77cbe9b6d279bf2f46eb0fc0942" } ["tags_input"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(24) "Evilgeniuschronicles.org" } ["post_author"]=> int(3) ["post_category"]=> array(2) { [0]=> int(10) [1]=> int(36) } ["post_pingback"]=> bool(false) } ["$this"]=> object(SyndicatedPost)#219 (10) { ["item"]=> array(34) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(28) "An Ebook/POD Based Bookstore" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(156) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-ebookpod-based-bookstore" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(94) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:12:06 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(9) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(6) ["subject"]=> string(5) "books" ["subject#2"]=> string(3) "b&n" ["subject#3"]=> string(19) "espressobookmachine" ["subject#4"]=> string(11) "mediabistro" ["subject#5"]=> string(12) "newsleekness" ["subject#6"]=> string(14) "pablodefendini" } ["category#"]=> int(6) ["category"]=> string(5) "books" ["category#2"]=> string(3) "b&n" ["category#3"]=> string(19) "espressobookmachine" ["category#4"]=> string(11) "mediabistro" ["category#5"]=> string(12) "newsleekness" ["category#6"]=> string(14) "pablodefendini" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(85) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "I'll admit that the very first thing I thought when I r [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(4109) "<p>I&#8217;ll admit that the very first thing I thought when I read <a href="http://www.thenewsleekness.com/index.php/if-i-were-a-rich-man/">this post from Pablo Defendini</a> was &#8220;Damn, how can I come up with the capital to start this business?&#8221; 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array(0) { } ["items"]=> array(20) { [0]=> array(34) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(28) "An Ebook/POD Based Bookstore" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(156) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-ebookpod-based-bookstore" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(94) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:12:06 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(9) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(6) ["subject"]=> string(5) "books" ["subject#2"]=> string(3) "b&n" ["subject#3"]=> string(19) "espressobookmachine" ["subject#4"]=> string(11) "mediabistro" ["subject#5"]=> string(12) "newsleekness" ["subject#6"]=> string(14) "pablodefendini" } ["category#"]=> int(6) ["category"]=> string(5) "books" ["category#2"]=> string(3) "b&n" ["category#3"]=> string(19) "espressobookmachine" ["category#4"]=> string(11) "mediabistro" ["category#5"]=> string(12) "newsleekness" ["category#6"]=> string(14) "pablodefendini" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(85) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "I'll admit that the very first thing I thought when I r [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(4109) "<p>I&#8217;ll admit that the very first thing I thought when I read <a href="http://www.thenewsleekness.com/index.php/if-i-were-a-rich-man/">this post from Pablo Defendini</a> was &#8220;Damn, how can I come up with the capital to start this business?&#8221; The opening salvo paragraph:</p> <blockquote> <p>If I were a rich man, I’d buy B&amp;N, get rid of all the mass market shelf space, replace it with an <a href="http://www.ondemandbooks.com/the_ebm.htm">Espresso Book Machine</a>, start strong-arming publishers to print and bind really, really nice hardcovers at lower print runs and stock the hell out of those, and open up the B&amp;N in-store ebook store to all devices and platforms (fuck it; even license mobi from Amazon if I can).</p> </blockquote> <p>There is in fact an empty Barnes and Noble building in Myrtle Beach left over from when it moved two years ago. It&#8217;s been sitting idle ever since. It was always jumping before, so the location is capable of sustaining a thriving bookstore business. However, as cool as I thought this idea was, today I saw this <a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/bookselling/espresso_book_machine_spreads_to_bookstores__172027.asp">story on MediaBistro</a> about a bookstore actually using the machine.</p> <p>Oddly to me, the story is written triumphantly as if this is a success story. Looking at the numbers, it looks pretty dismal to me. They paid for a $118,000 Espresso Book Machine and in 5 months have sold 1,500 books with it. Let&#8217;s say they sell those books at an average of $12, they average 250 pages long. My understanding of the variable costs is that they&#8217;d be spending $2.50 in licensing fees per book, about $2 per book in materials and at this point, $79 per book in amortization of the cost of the machine. In 5 months, they are 10% of the way to breaking even on the costs of the machine. At this rate of sales, in another four years they will have finally recouped the cost of the machine and can begin to profit from it. At that point, it will generate $80/day profit, which would be at the low end of a living wage for a single employee. This sounds like the opposite of a sucess story to me, it sounds like a rough start and possibly the early days of a boondoggle.</p> <p>As cool as the technology seems to me, at this point one would need a lot more volume than this to justify the machine or a real eye to the long game. It&#8217;s possible that if one were to open a store with Pablo&#8217;s model in mind, that both the volumes would be higher and there would be enough revenue from the other sources to keep the business viable. However I&#8217;m reading that MediaBistro story not as the &#8220;booyah&#8221; it seems to want to be but more of a &#8220;Warning: potential loss of ass ahead&#8221; warning sign.</p> <p><object width="300" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q946sfGLxm4?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q946sfGLxm4?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="300" height="250" /><br /> </object></p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/bn/" rel="tag">b&amp;n</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/espressobookmachine/" rel="tag">espressobookmachine</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/mediabistro/" rel="tag">mediabistro</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/newsleekness/" rel="tag">newsleekness</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/pablodefendini/" rel="tag">pablodefendini</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(90) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "2" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "I'll admit that the very first thing I thought when I r [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(5) "books" ["category#2@term"]=> string(3) "b&n" ["category#3@term"]=> string(19) "espressobookmachine" ["category#4@term"]=> string(11) "mediabistro" ["category#5@term"]=> string(12) "newsleekness" ["category#6@term"]=> string(14) "pablodefendini" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1283188326) } [1]=> array(30) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(38) "Seth Godin on the Future of Publishing" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(178) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/25/seth-godin-on-the-future-of-publishing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=seth-godin-on-the-future-of-publishing" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(105) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/25/seth-godin-on-the-future-of-publishing/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:12:07 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(7) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(4) ["subject"]=> string(5) "books" ["subject#2"]=> string(18) "claytonchristensen" ["subject#3"]=> string(17) "innovatorsdilemma" ["subject#4"]=> string(9) "sethgodin" } ["category#"]=> int(4) ["category"]=> string(5) "books" ["category#2"]=> string(18) "claytonchristensen" ["category#3"]=> string(17) "innovatorsdilemma" ["category#4"]=> string(9) "sethgodin" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(96) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/25/seth-godin-on-the-future-of-publishing/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "This morning I listened to the audio of this talk that [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(3042) "<p>This morning I listened to the audio of <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/07/the-new-dynamics-of-book-publishing.html">this talk</a> that Seth Godin gave to the <a href="http://www.ibpa-online.org/">Independent Book Publishers Association</a>. In 20 minutes, he laid out a way the publishing industry can adapt to changing landscapes and thrive in the future. It&#8217;s a 45 minute talk total, 25 minutes were question. 20 minutes was all he needed to throw a lifeline to publishers. He took an analytical look at what publishers actually do and which of those functions can be done better by other business entities and what value propositions that leaves with publishers.</p> <p>I find it amazing that the big publishers fail to understand the lessons of <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Revolutionary-Business-Essentials/dp/0060521996%3FSubscriptionId%3D0PZ7TM66EXQCXFVTMTR2%26tag%3Drealitybreak%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0060521996">The Innovator&#8217;s Dilemma</a></strong> including the company that published that book. They have and continue to use the relatively small market share of electronic books and POD editions as a reason why they shouldn&#8217;t care about them. That&#8217;s exactly the process that happens according to <a href="http://www.claytonchristensen.com/">Clayton Christensen</a> &#8211; a company defines itself too narrowly and avoids the hard decisions to change direction because the old direction is too lucrative, up until the point that market collapses and they are screwed.</p> <p>I sometimes give Seth Godin static for his blog posts that seem to come straight from the autopilot, but I highly recommend this talk. This is top shelf Godin from when he brings the A game. If you have any interest in publishing or the future of books, give it a listen.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/claytonchristensen/" rel="tag">claytonchristensen</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/innovatorsdilemma/" rel="tag">innovatorsdilemma</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/sethgodin/" rel="tag">sethgodin</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(101) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/25/seth-godin-on-the-future-of-publishing/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "6" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "This morning I listened to the audio of this talk that [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(5) "books" ["category#2@term"]=> string(18) "claytonchristensen" ["category#3@term"]=> string(17) "innovatorsdilemma" ["category#4@term"]=> string(9) "sethgodin" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1282785127) } [2]=> array(34) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(28) "Engaging with the Real World" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(158) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/23/engaging-with-the-real-world/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=engaging-with-the-real-world" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(95) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/23/engaging-with-the-real-world/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Tue, 24 Aug 2010 03:47:54 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(9) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(6) ["subject"]=> string(6) "sports" ["subject#2"]=> string(9) "andrepope" ["subject#3"]=> string(11) "joehaldeman" ["subject#4"]=> string(10) "rickwilber" ["subject#5"]=> string(8) "softball" ["subject#6"]=> string(22) "worldfantasyconvention" } ["category#"]=> int(6) ["category"]=> string(6) "sports" ["category#2"]=> string(9) "andrepope" ["category#3"]=> string(11) "joehaldeman" ["category#4"]=> string(10) "rickwilber" ["category#5"]=> string(8) "softball" ["category#6"]=> string(22) "worldfantasyconvention" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(86) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/23/engaging-with-the-real-world/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Earlier this year I took a vacation from social media a [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(3004) "<p>Earlier this year I took a <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/04/23/my-social-media-vacation-begins-today/">vacation from social media</a> and I&#8217;ve been feeling the urge to turn off the computer more and get out and about in the real world. As it happens, a few weeks ago <a href="http://www.andrepope.com/">Andre Pope</a> decided out of nowhere to assemble a <a href="http://mbgeeks.teamsnap.com/">softball team of the Myrtle Beach area geeks</a>. That was well in keeping with the sort of thing I want to do more of, so I joined up. When I went to the first practice, it was my first time wearing a glove or swinging a bat in 18 years.</p> <p>The last time I played softball was at the <a href="http://www.worldfantasy.org/">1992 World Fantasy Convention</a> at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA. Baseball fanatic and science fiction writer <a href="http://www.rickwilber.com/">Rick Wilber</a> put it together, and I happily went out and played with a group of fans and writers that included both Jack and <a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~haldeman/">Joe Haldeman</a>, <a href="http://patinagle.com/">Pati Nagle</a>, Newton Streeter, Richard Gilliam, Alexandra and David Honigsberg and many others. That game was so much fun that a virtual community formed around it for years afterwards with a fake science fictional team called The Double Breasted Fedoras. I still have a jersey hanging in my closet.</p> <p>When I stood on the field playing catch with the softball, it was a kind of fun I haven&#8217;t had in a long time. I surprised myself by dropping fewer flies than I expected, and never once whiffing on a swing. Every time I swung the bat, I connected with the ball. I try specifically to be open out there and I hope over the course of this season to play every position on the field at least once. I&#8217;m not very fast so I&#8217;m not a shortstop type but I still want to play it at one time or another. Our coaches specifically put our team in the least competitive league available to us. Our goals aren&#8217;t to kick ass so much as get off our asses. I aim to do just that.</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/andrepope/" rel="tag">andrepope</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/joehaldeman/" rel="tag">joehaldeman</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/rickwilber/" rel="tag">rickwilber</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/softball/" rel="tag">softball</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/worldfantasyconvention/" rel="tag">worldfantasyconvention</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(91) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/23/engaging-with-the-real-world/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "2" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "Earlier this year I took a vacation from social media a [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(6) "sports" ["category#2@term"]=> string(9) "andrepope" ["category#3@term"]=> string(11) "joehaldeman" ["category#4@term"]=> string(10) "rickwilber" ["category#5@term"]=> string(8) "softball" ["category#6@term"]=> string(22) "worldfantasyconvention" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1282621674) } [3]=> array(42) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(101) "Evil Genius Chronicles Podcast for August 20, 2010 – “Six Years and Counting, Monkey Fighters!”" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(278) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/20/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-20-2010-six-years-and-counting-monkey-fighters/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-20-2010-six-years-and-counting-monkey-fighters" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(155) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/20/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-20-2010-six-years-and-counting-monkey-fighters/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:08:56 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(8) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(5) ["subject"]=> string(5) "audio" ["subject#2"]=> string(18) "campervanbeethoven" ["subject#3"]=> string(13) "gentlereaders" ["subject#4"]=> string(7) "podcast" ["subject#5"]=> string(12) "thevaselines" } ["category#"]=> int(5) ["category"]=> string(5) "audio" ["category#2"]=> string(18) "campervanbeethoven" ["category#3"]=> string(13) "gentlereaders" ["category#4"]=> string(7) "podcast" ["category#5"]=> string(12) "thevaselines" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(146) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/20/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-20-2010-six-years-and-counting-monkey-fighters/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) " Here is the direct MP3 download for the EGC [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(3318) "<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/images/egc-logo-150.jpg" width="135" height="70" /> </div> <p>Here is the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-20.mp3">direct MP3 download</a> for the EGC clambake for August 20, 2010. I play a song from the newly reformed Vaselines; I talk about anti-nostalgia, and harken back to the beginning of this podcast; I play a song by the Gentle Readers; I tell the story of how I come to love the music of the Gentle Readers; I talk about my lack of needing to convince anyone much of anything; I play a song by Camper van Beethoven and we begin the seventh year of this thing.</p> <p>You can <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/podcast.xml">subscribe to this podcast feed via RSS</a>. To sponsor the show, contact <a href="http://www.backbeatmedia.com/">BackBeat Media</a>. Don&#8217;t forget, you can fly your EGC flag by buying the <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/stuff/">stuff package</a>. This show as a whole is Creative Commons licensed <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/">Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5</a>. Bandwidth for this episode is provided by <a href="http://www.cachefly.com/">Cachefly</a>.</p> <p>Links mentioned in this episode:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.hover.com/">Hover.com</a> is now our sponsor: Use coupon code EGC to save 10% on domain registrations</li> <li><a href="http://www.thevaselines.co.uk/">The Vaselines</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.subpop.com/artists/the_vaselines">Buy the music of The Vaselines</a></li> <li><a href="http://campervanbeethoven.com/">Camper van Beethoven</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.pitchatent.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&amp;Store_Code=01&amp;Category_Code=CVB">Buy New Roman Times by Camper Van Beethoven</a></li> <li>Theme song provided by the <a href="http://www.gentlereaders.com/">Gentle Readers</a></li> <li>My <a href="http://friendfeed.com/geniodiabolico">FriendFeed</a></li> </ul> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/campervanbeethoven/" rel="tag">campervanbeethoven</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/gentlereaders/" rel="tag">gentlereaders</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/podcast/" rel="tag">podcast</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/thevaselines/" rel="tag">thevaselines</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(151) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/20/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-20-2010-six-years-and-counting-monkey-fighters/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "5" } ["enclosure#"]=> int(1) ["enclosure@"]=> string(15) "url,length,type" ["enclosure@url"]=> string(60) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-20.mp3" ["enclosure@length"]=> string(1) "0" ["enclosure@type"]=> string(10) "audio/mpeg" ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) " Here is the direct MP3 download for the EGC [...]" ["link_enclosure#"]=> int(1) ["link_enclosure@href"]=> string(60) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-20.mp3" ["link_enclosure"]=> string(60) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-20.mp3" ["link_enclosure@length"]=> string(1) "0" ["link_enclosure@type"]=> string(10) "audio/mpeg" ["category@term"]=> string(5) "audio" ["category#2@term"]=> string(18) "campervanbeethoven" ["category#3@term"]=> string(13) "gentlereaders" ["category#4@term"]=> string(7) "podcast" ["category#5@term"]=> string(12) "thevaselines" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1282349336) } [4]=> array(40) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(36) "EGC Six Year Podiversary is Tomorrow" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(174) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/19/egc-six-year-podiversary-is-tomorrow/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=egc-six-year-podiversary-is-tomorrow" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(103) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/19/egc-six-year-podiversary-is-tomorrow/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Thu, 19 Aug 2010 23:21:48 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(12) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(9) ["subject"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["subject#2"]=> string(18) "caribbeanfreeradio" ["subject#3"]=> string(15) "dailysourcecode" ["subject#4"]=> string(15) "deliberatenoise" ["subject#5"]=> string(11) "hourofslack" ["subject#6"]=> string(11) "reelreviews" ["subject#7"]=> string(15) "rockandrollgeek" ["subject#8"]=> string(13) "tomvstheflash" ["subject#9"]=> string(6) "wtfpod" } ["category#"]=> int(9) ["category"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["category#2"]=> string(18) "caribbeanfreeradio" ["category#3"]=> string(15) "dailysourcecode" ["category#4"]=> string(15) "deliberatenoise" ["category#5"]=> string(11) "hourofslack" ["category#6"]=> string(11) "reelreviews" ["category#7"]=> string(15) "rockandrollgeek" ["category#8"]=> string(13) "tomvstheflash" ["category#9"]=> string(6) "wtfpod" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(94) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/19/egc-six-year-podiversary-is-tomorrow/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Tomorrow I'm going to do something I very rarely do. I' [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(4672) "<p>Tomorrow I&#8217;m going to do something I very rarely do. I&#8217;m going to sit down and record an episode of the EGC Podcast before I go to work, crackly morning voice and all. This is because I got a <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2004/08/20/audioblog/">wild hair up my ass on August 20, 2004</a> and recorded the first episode of what became my podcast. I referred to it as an &#8220;audioblog&#8221; for a while and only stopped because some of the guys who were doing audioblogs before that time were such dicks about the term that I chose to abandon it to them altogether. The audiobloggers tended to record short pieces from crackly unlistenable cell phone connections, and my primary inspiration was the first few episode of Adam Curry&#8217;s <a href="http://www.dailysourcecode.com/">Daily Source Code</a>. I wanted to do more of a production with music and playing audio quotes of other shows and so on. Sure, the audiobloggers were doing what they were doing before I was but their esthetic and goals were so far from mine I never felt any kinship with them. Also, they were really prickly and not much fun.</p> <p>To this day, I still have XML URLs in my subscription list that I signed up for in the first 3 months of podcasting. Michael Butler&#8217;s <a href="http://www.americanheartbreak.com/rnrgeekwp/">Rock and Roll Geek Show</a>, <a href="http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/">IT Conversations</a>, Michael Geoghegan&#8217;s <a href="http://reelreviewsradio.com/">Reel Reviews</a>, Georgia Popplewell&#8217;s <a href="http://www.caribbeanfreeradio.com/blog/?cat=4">Caribbean Free Radio</a>. Some publish as regularly today as they ever did, some haven&#8217;t had episodes in years. Doesn&#8217;t matter, I&#8217;m still there when and if something comes down.</p> <p>My goals have changed and my output radically lessened, but I&#8217;m still two feet squarely in the podcast camp. Since the first time I bought a portable MP3 player, I haven&#8217;t listened to the radio in my car except as a transmitter for my podcasts. All Things Considered is what I listen to only if it is physically impossible to listen to <a href="http://www.deliberatenoise.com/site/">Deliberate Noise</a> or <a href="http://tomvsjla.libsyn.com/">Tom Vs. the Flash</a> or <a href="http://www.subgenius.com/ts/hos.html">The Hour of Slack</a> or <a href="http://wtfpod.com/">WTF Pod</a>. Even then if my player battery dies I generally choose the sound of my tires on asphalt over that of NPR. Six years of listening to podcasts has changed my tastes irrevocably and turned me off of the faux populism of This American Life. I can&#8217;t even stand the way people talk in that weird, stilted affectation on public radio.</p> <p>I&#8217;ve been doing this for six years and I&#8217;ll keep going for the foreseeable future. As the fifth podcaster in the world, that only means something while I keep going. No one cares about the pioneers who quit doing it. They are just historical footnotes.</p> <p>Thanks to everyone who stuck with me this whole time, those who came in somewhere in the middle and continued, and even those who gave up on me. I&#8217;m appreciative for every second of attention all of you gave me, for however long it was, whatever your reaction. Thank you for the gift of your time and I hope to keep repaying that for as long as I can.</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/caribbeanfreeradio/" rel="tag">caribbeanfreeradio</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/dailysourcecode/" rel="tag">dailysourcecode</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/deliberatenoise/" rel="tag">deliberatenoise</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/hourofslack/" rel="tag">hourofslack</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/podcasting/" rel="tag">podcasting</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/reelreviews/" rel="tag">reelreviews</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/rockandrollgeek/" rel="tag">rockandrollgeek</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/tomvstheflash/" rel="tag">tomvstheflash</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/wtfpod/" rel="tag">wtfpod</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(99) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/19/egc-six-year-podiversary-is-tomorrow/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "4" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "Tomorrow I'm going to do something I very rarely do. I' [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["category#2@term"]=> string(18) "caribbeanfreeradio" ["category#3@term"]=> string(15) "dailysourcecode" ["category#4@term"]=> string(15) "deliberatenoise" ["category#5@term"]=> string(11) "hourofslack" ["category#6@term"]=> string(11) "reelreviews" ["category#7@term"]=> string(15) "rockandrollgeek" ["category#8@term"]=> string(13) "tomvstheflash" ["category#9@term"]=> string(6) "wtfpod" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1282260108) } [5]=> array(28) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(38) "Flattr Out of Closed Beta, Open to All" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(176) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/12/flattr-out-of-closed-beta-open-to-all/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=flattr-out-of-closed-beta-open-to-all" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(104) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/12/flattr-out-of-closed-beta-open-to-all/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:15:09 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(6) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(3) ["subject"]=> string(17) "digital-lifestlye" ["subject#2"]=> string(6) "flattr" ["subject#3"]=> string(16) "projectwonderful" } ["category#"]=> int(3) ["category"]=> string(17) "digital-lifestlye" ["category#2"]=> string(6) "flattr" ["category#3"]=> string(16) "projectwonderful" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(95) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/12/flattr-out-of-closed-beta-open-to-all/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Just yesterday I was trying to see if I could generate [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(2935) "<p>Just yesterday I was trying to see if I could generate <a href="http://www.flattr.com">Flattr</a> beta invites. I&#8217;m a little disappointed in how slow things have been since I joined, both in terms of getting and giving Flattrs to other people. I just don&#8217;t see that enough folks using it that I think about doing it on an average day.</p> <p>Well, today I saw the news that <a href="http://blog.flattr.com/2010/08/open-beta/">Flattr is out of closed beta</a> and anyone can sign up. I think that&#8217;s good news. I think it&#8217;s an interesting project but my evaluation of it so far has been skewed by lack of critical mass and the fact that most of the users of it to date seem to be German speakers so I&#8217;m not that into most of that. I personally love the &#8220;no mental transaction cost&#8221; of not deciding how much to pay. Just Flattr the way you&#8217;d Digg anything, and the money takes care of itself.</p> <p>Some of the user pushback I see is from people whose response is &#8220;but but &#8230; I don&#8217;t get to decide how much to pay? Everyone gets the same thing from me that month? Where is my fine-grained control &lt;sputter /&gt;.&#8221; In my own life, I am doing everything I can to eliminate those large number of decisions I make every day that I just don&#8217;t give a shit about. &#8220;Give this site $0.03 or $0.05? Is this one $0.17 worthy?&#8221; I don&#8217;t want to think about any of that.</p> <p>I&#8217;m going to give Flattr more of a shot to determine how useful I find it. Whenever I run out of my first chunk of money, I&#8217;ll evaluate whether it seems reasonable to recharge that account. I&#8217;m guardedly optimistic. I&#8217;d like to see some webcomics people adopt it, I think they might find it more useful and lucrative than <a href="http://www.projectwonderful.com">Project Wonderful</a>. What can it hurt to try?</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/flattr/" rel="tag">flattr</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/projectwonderful/" rel="tag">projectwonderful</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(100) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/12/flattr-out-of-closed-beta-open-to-all/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "Just yesterday I was trying to see if I could generate [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(17) "digital-lifestlye" ["category#2@term"]=> string(6) "flattr" ["category#3@term"]=> string(16) "projectwonderful" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1281633309) } [6]=> array(30) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(29) "Peakecast Episode Six is Live" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(160) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/11/peakecast-episode-six-is-live/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=peakecast-episode-six-is-live" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(96) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/11/peakecast-episode-six-is-live/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Thu, 12 Aug 2010 02:54:55 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(7) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(4) ["subject"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["subject#2"]=> string(13) "guitarroberts" ["subject#3"]=> string(9) "peakecast" ["subject#4"]=> string(11) "thomaspeake" } ["category#"]=> int(4) ["category"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["category#2"]=> string(13) "guitarroberts" ["category#3"]=> string(9) "peakecast" ["category#4"]=> string(11) "thomaspeake" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(87) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/11/peakecast-episode-six-is-live/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Today, we posted Episode Six of the Peakecast, our memo [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(1668) "<p>Today, we posted <a href="http://peakecast.org/2010/08/11/peakecast-episode-six/">Episode Six of the Peakecast</a>, our memoriam show for the late great Thomas Peake. This time out, the show is all the music of <a href="http://www.fvrec.com/lorenconnors/">Guitar Roberts</a>. Doing an episode of this show is always a melancholy experience. It&#8217;s good to hear my friend&#8217;s voice and be able to present his work, but I hate like hell that the program even exists.</p> <p>This is a validation of what I&#8217;ve always claimed is the very best aspect of podcasting. A show doesn&#8217;t need a huge constituency to make it worth doing. This show has a theoretical maximum listenership in the three digits and yet it is still wildly worth doing. If you knew and miss Thomas Peake, listen. Even if you didn&#8217;t but you love good music of wild diversity, listen. I promise it will be worth your time.</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/guitarroberts/" rel="tag">guitarroberts</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/peakecast/" rel="tag">peakecast</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/podcasting/" rel="tag">podcasting</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/thomaspeake/" rel="tag">thomaspeake</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(92) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/11/peakecast-episode-six-is-live/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "Today, we posted Episode Six of the Peakecast, our memo [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["category#2@term"]=> string(13) "guitarroberts" ["category#3@term"]=> string(9) "peakecast" ["category#4@term"]=> string(11) "thomaspeake" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1281581695) } [7]=> array(44) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(80) "Evil Genius Chronicles Podcast for August 7, 2010 – “Friends, Old and New”" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(238) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/08/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-7-2010-friends-old-and-new/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-7-2010-friends-old-and-new" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(135) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/08/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-7-2010-friends-old-and-new/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:31:53 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(9) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(6) ["subject"]=> string(5) "audio" ["subject#2"]=> string(6) "3canal" ["subject#3"]=> string(7) "carissa" ["subject#4"]=> string(13) "carissaswierd" ["subject#5"]=> string(10) "georgehrab" ["subject#6"]=> string(9) "hover.com" } ["category#"]=> int(6) ["category"]=> string(5) "audio" ["category#2"]=> string(6) "3canal" ["category#3"]=> string(7) "carissa" ["category#4"]=> string(13) "carissaswierd" ["category#5"]=> string(10) "georgehrab" ["category#6"]=> string(9) "hover.com" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(126) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/08/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-7-2010-friends-old-and-new/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) " Here is the direct MP3 download for the EGC clamba [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(3965) "<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/images/egc-logo-150.jpg" width="135" height="70" /> </div> <p>Here is the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-07.mp3">direct MP3 download</a> for the EGC clambake for August 7, 2010. I play a new song from George Hrab; I talk about the new sponsorship by Hover.com; I talk about my increasing divergence from the rest of the online digerati about the value of gadgets; I discuss my trip back to Kansas for my high school reunion; I play a song by the band Carissa&#8217;s Wierd [sic]; I talk about how my side projects are beginning to cause thrash and despite that, I want to publish an old school paper zine and do more projects that have something you can touch; I play a song by 3canal that makes me chair dance and then dance into the sunset.</p> <p>You can <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/podcast.xml">subscribe to this podcast feed via RSS</a>. To sponsor the show, contact <a href="http://www.backbeatmedia.com/">BackBeat Media</a>. Don&#8217;t forget, you can fly your EGC flag by buying the <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/stuff/">stuff package</a>. This show as a whole is Creative Commons licensed <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/">Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5</a>. Bandwidth for this episode is provided by <a href="http://www.cachefly.com/">Cachefly</a>.</p> <p>Links mentioned in this episode:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.hover.com/">Hover.com</a> is now our sponsor: Use coupon code EGC to save 10% on domain registrations</li> <li><a href="http://www.geologicrecords.net/">George Hrab</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hrab6">Buy George Hrab&#8217;s album <strong>Trebuchet</strong> from CD Baby</a></li> <li><a href="http://hardlyart.com/carissaswierd.html">Carissa&#8217;s Wierd</a> [sic, that's how they spelled it]</li> <li><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Newave-Underground-Mini-Comix-1980s/dp/1606993135%3FSubscriptionId%3D0PZ7TM66EXQCXFVTMTR2%26tag%3Drealitybreak%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1606993135">Newave!: The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s</a></strong></li> <li><a href="http://www.3canal.com/">3canal</a> [warning - link autoplays music]</li> <li><a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/3canal5">Buy 3canal&#8217;s <strong>Joy + Fire</strong> from CD Baby</a></li> <li>Theme song provided by the <a href="http://www.gentlereaders.com/">Gentle Readers</a></li> <li>My <a href="http://friendfeed.com/geniodiabolico">FriendFeed</a></li> </ul> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/3canal/" rel="tag">3canal</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/carissa/" rel="tag">carissa</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/carissaswierd/" rel="tag">carissaswierd</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/georgehrab/" rel="tag">georgehrab</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/hover-com/" rel="tag">hover.com</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(131) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/08/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-7-2010-friends-old-and-new/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "1" } ["enclosure#"]=> int(1) ["enclosure@"]=> string(15) "url,length,type" ["enclosure@url"]=> string(60) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-07.mp3" ["enclosure@length"]=> string(1) "0" ["enclosure@type"]=> string(10) "audio/mpeg" ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) " Here is the direct MP3 download for the EGC clamba [...]" ["link_enclosure#"]=> int(1) ["link_enclosure@href"]=> string(60) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-07.mp3" ["link_enclosure"]=> string(60) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-07.mp3" ["link_enclosure@length"]=> string(1) "0" ["link_enclosure@type"]=> string(10) "audio/mpeg" ["category@term"]=> string(5) "audio" ["category#2@term"]=> string(6) "3canal" ["category#3@term"]=> string(7) "carissa" ["category#4@term"]=> string(13) "carissaswierd" ["category#5@term"]=> string(10) "georgehrab" ["category#6@term"]=> string(9) "hover.com" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1281285113) } [8]=> array(26) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(30) "Summer Hiatus Coming to an End" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(162) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/06/summer-hiatus-coming-to-an-end/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=summer-hiatus-coming-to-an-end" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(97) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/06/summer-hiatus-coming-to-an-end/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:06:13 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(5) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(2) ["subject"]=> string(17) "digital-lifestlye" ["subject#2"]=> string(4) "life" } ["category#"]=> int(2) ["category"]=> string(17) "digital-lifestlye" ["category#2"]=> string(4) "life" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(88) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/06/summer-hiatus-coming-to-an-end/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "I didn't actually intend to take a summer hiatus from o [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(1404) "<p>I didn&#8217;t actually intend to take a summer hiatus from online stuff but de facto I did. Decision by decision for the last few months, I&#8217;ve opted away from creating and publishing things online and more towards relaxing. The exception is at <a href="http://www.ebooksfromtv.com">Ebooks From TV</a> where I&#8217;ve blogged more or less every day since early June. However, since that&#8217;s not personal and is done for a very specific single purpose, for some reason that has felt much easier.</p> <p>Tomorrow I&#8217;m recording an episode of the EGC podcast and at some point I have to prepare episode 6 of the <a href="http://www.peakecast.org/">Peakecast</a>. I still have work to do on the movie footage in the can, episodes of Reality Break that really need to be put together, an office that desperately needs cleaned, an air hockey table that needs to be sold on Craigslist. I&#8217;ll have to upshift my lazy ass from summer gear to productive gear, but I think it can be done. I&#8217;m just trying not to grind the gears too badly.</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(93) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/06/summer-hiatus-coming-to-an-end/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "I didn't actually intend to take a summer hiatus from o [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(17) "digital-lifestlye" ["category#2@term"]=> string(4) "life" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1281114373) } [9]=> array(24) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(13) "Old Home Week" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(128) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/30/old-home-week/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=old-home-week" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(80) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/30/old-home-week/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:27:08 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(4) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(1) ["subject"]=> string(4) "life" } ["category#"]=> int(1) ["category"]=> string(4) "life" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(71) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/30/old-home-week/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "I am currently on a quick tour through Colorado and nor [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(1581) "<p>I am currently on a quick tour through Colorado and northwestern Kansas. This weekend I&#8217;l be attending my 25th high school reunion. This really seems like the one to go to. We ain&#8217;t getting any younger, we&#8217;re all at the point in our lives where we&#8217;re starting to get sentimental about the past. I haven&#8217;t been to any previous ones but I was really motivated for this reunion. Realistically, this is probably the last chance I have in this life to see a number of these folks. I need to take it.</p> <p>I&#8217;m not even sure if the Kansas hotel we&#8217;re going to has internet, so my appearance on the intarwebs might be spotty. The way I&#8217;ve been blogging/podcasting lately, that&#8217;s getting harder to notice.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(76) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/30/old-home-week/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "I am currently on a quick tour through Colorado and nor [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(4) "life" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1280503628) } [10]=> array(24) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(27) "Keeping the Plates Spinning" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(156) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/23/keeping-the-plates-spinning/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=keeping-the-plates-spinning" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(94) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/23/keeping-the-plates-spinning/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Sat, 24 Jul 2010 02:43:43 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(4) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(1) ["subject"]=> string(4) "life" } ["category#"]=> int(1) ["category"]=> string(4) "life" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(85) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/23/keeping-the-plates-spinning/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "I don't want this blog to fall into cobwebby disarray, [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(1530) "<p>I don&#8217;t want this blog to fall into cobwebby disarray, but for a variety of reasons I haven&#8217;t been around here much. Part of that is normal summer stuff with some fun travel and work travel, part of that is other projects, and part is the ever diminishing urge to blog. I do like the thought some days of just shutting down Twitter for good and going back to this blog as my primary interface with the internet. I don&#8217;t trust Twitter as either a business entity or as a competent deliverer of service so it never feels sensible to allow them to be my stewards between me and the rest of the world. The same goes 10X for Facebook as an untrustworthy steward, even if they are better on a technical level.</p> <p>I&#8217;ll post here when I have something to show for it, but&nbsp;&nbsp;just for pure giggles I&#8217;m pursing an old school paper zine. So much of what I have done for creativity in the last decade is electronic, intangible and ephemeral. I like the idea of putting out something that is an artifact, that you can hold and keep and get in the mail. That&#8217;s my new slogan: Putting the &#8216;somatic&#8217; back in &#8216;psychosomatic&#8217;!</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(90) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/23/keeping-the-plates-spinning/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "I don't want this blog to fall into cobwebby disarray, [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(4) "life" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1279939423) } [11]=> array(26) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(17) "RIP, Harvey Pekar" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(134) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/13/rip-harvey-pekar/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rip-harvey-pekar" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(83) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/13/rip-harvey-pekar/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:43:52 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(5) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(2) ["subject"]=> string(6) "comics" ["subject#2"]=> string(11) "harveypekar" } ["category#"]=> int(2) ["category"]=> string(6) "comics" ["category#2"]=> string(11) "harveypekar" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(74) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/13/rip-harvey-pekar/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Yesterday I heard the sad news that Harvey Pekar has di [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(5556) "<p>Yesterday I heard the sad news that <a href="http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/07/cleveland_comic-book_legend_ha.html">Harvey Pekar has died at the age of 70</a>. I&#8217;ve been a fan of Harvey since I was 18 years old and I happened across an issue of <i>American Splendor</i> in a comic book shop. At the time I was getting in to <i>Love and Rockets</i> so I wondered what this similarly magazine sized black and white comic was all about. I was blown away and bought all of the rest of the series as it came out. In fact, earlier this year I had just completed my run of the original series by getting issues 1, 2 and 3 on eBay for the freaky low price of $25. I followed Harvey when he was on David Letterman but unlike most folks I was actually versed in his work when we was on.</p> <p>There is one story of his that I particularly love and think about often. As I was bagging the collection recently I ran back across it in issue #13. The title escapes me and I&#8217;m away from my collection but it is the story where Harvey goes in to work on a snowy day and because of the blizzard work is very slow so he reads I. J. Singer&#8217;s <b>The Brothers Ashkenazi</b> and muses on differences between the Singer brothers. I used to work rotating shifts as quality control in a chemical factory and during the holidays my work was very much like that. Just enough work we had to come in but lots of time to read and relax while still getting paid. In some ways, that&#8217;s the most magical moments a bookish working stiff can ever achieve. In this one story, I felt as close to Harvey as I ever have.</p> <p>Recently at Heroes Con in Charlotte I chatted with <a href="http://www.edpiskor.com/">Ed Piskor</a> and <a href="http://www.chrissamnee.com/">Chris Samnee</a>. With both of them, all I talked about was their work with Pekar. I bought a copy of <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beats-Graphic-History-Harvey-Pekar/dp/0809016494%3FSubscriptionId%3D0PZ7TM66EXQCXFVTMTR2%26tag%3Drealitybreak%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0809016494">The Beats: A Graphic History</a></strong> from Ed&#8217;s table. My deepest Pekar regret is that years ago he was at Dragon*Con as a guest. There was a point where I walked near his table. He had no one around him and I wanted to go tell him how much I appreciated his work but something about the look on his face scared me off and I just never did it. I know the lessons of the Butthole Surfers: &#8220;It&#8217;s better to regret something you have done than something you haven&#8217;t done&#8221; but I failed anyway. I always wish I had, even just to tell him that his work meant something to me. Take these chances when they arrive kids, because they often won&#8217;t arrive again.</p> <p>A lot of things I see about Harvey refer to him as a curmudgeon or a misanthrope. The one thing that I take away from his work &#8211; and I&#8217;m talking about lots of it over the last 35 years &#8211; is that Harvey loved people. Note how many <i>American Splendor</i> stories are in fact someone else relating their story. Harvey talked to that person, asked them about themselves, cared enough to remember and then write it up. That&#8217;s not a thing you do from a hatred of humanity, that&#8217;s an act of love. If anything, although many stories are about Harvey being cranky at circumstance or failing at the little things it always seemed like most of the anger was at himself. People he loved.</p> <p>I will miss this guy very much. I&#8217;m glad he achieved a level of success over his career. He still remains one of my creative idols, for a guy in 1976 who wanted to put out a comic and couldn&#8217;t see any reason not to so he did it. These are the people who informed my feelings about podcasting and new media &#8211; people like Harvey who did what they wanted to on their plan when it was very difficult. I&#8217;m glad that he got a little time of retirement from his day job and was able to just write for a few years. I loved and love his work, and eventually will own and read every bit of it. He was one of the true heroes of American letters and thankfully some of that adulation came while Harvey was still around to appreciate it.</p> <p>I&#8217;m trying not to be sad about Harvey dying in 2010 but happy that he didn&#8217;t die of cancer in 1990. He had a gift of 20 years given to him, and he used those 20 years well. May we all do as well with the gifts we are given. Goodbye Harvey. Rest in peace.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/comics/" rel="tag">comics</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/harveypekar/" rel="tag">harveypekar</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(79) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/13/rip-harvey-pekar/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "Yesterday I heard the sad news that Harvey Pekar has di [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(6) "comics" ["category#2@term"]=> string(11) "harveypekar" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1279025032) } [12]=> array(24) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(41) "Why I Haven’t Been Blogging Much Lately" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(178) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/05/why-i-havent-been-blogging-much-lately/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-i-havent-been-blogging-much-lately" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(105) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/05/why-i-havent-been-blogging-much-lately/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:13:32 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(4) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(1) ["subject"]=> string(4) "life" } ["category#"]=> int(1) ["category"]=> string(4) "life" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(96) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/05/why-i-havent-been-blogging-much-lately/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) " Sometimes a man's got to do what a man's got to do [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(805) "<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=33626751&amp;id=42707005&amp;comments=&amp;alert=#!/photo.php?pid=34336682&amp;id=42707005"><img src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs061.ash2/36418_602186611468_42707005_34336682_6849157_n.jpg" width="360" height="270" /></a> </div> <p>Sometimes a man&#8217;s got to do what a man&#8217;s got to do. That goes double for dogs.</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(101) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/05/why-i-havent-been-blogging-much-lately/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) " Sometimes a man's got to do what a man's got to do [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(4) "life" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1278342812) } [13]=> array(34) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(37) "Write A Song in One Hour: Balticon 44" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(174) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/20/write-a-song-in-one-hour-balticon-44/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=write-a-song-in-one-hour-balticon-44" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(103) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/20/write-a-song-in-one-hour-balticon-44/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:30:52 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(9) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(6) ["subject"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["subject#2"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["subject#3"]=> string(11) "jamesdurham" ["subject#4"]=> string(21) "kimthecomicbookgoddes" ["subject#5"]=> string(12) "mattiebrahen" ["subject#6"]=> string(11) "normsherman" } ["category#"]=> int(6) ["category"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#3"]=> string(11) "jamesdurham" ["category#4"]=> string(21) "kimthecomicbookgoddes" ["category#5"]=> string(12) "mattiebrahen" ["category#6"]=> string(11) "normsherman" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(94) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/20/write-a-song-in-one-hour-balticon-44/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) " At Balitcon 44, I participa [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(6559) "<div style="float: right; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gnZwCS2dSq8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x3a3a3a&amp;color2=0x999999&amp;border=1" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gnZwCS2dSq8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x3a3a3a&amp;color2=0x999999&amp;border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364" /><br /> </object> </div> <p>At Balitcon 44, I participated in a panel that was one of the most fun things I&#8217;ve ever been a part of at any SF or comic convention in my 25+ years of attending them. The panel was called &#8220;How to Write a Kick-Ass Song About Anything.&#8221; I went thinking it was going to be songwriters at the front of the room talking about writing songs but in fact, the brilliantly cracked minds of the organizers had something bigger in mind. Instead, people were gathered at the front of the room with instruments and they laid out the plan: We&#8217;d take 5 minutes to brainstorm a theme, 5 minutes for a chord structure, 10 minutes to write a chorus and then split up into smaller groups to write the verses.</p> <p>The panel was officiated by <a href="http://www.jamesdurham.com/">James Durham</a>, with <a href="http://web.me.com/normsherman/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html">Norm Sherman</a>, <a href="http://www.comicbookgoddess.com/">Kim Fortuner</a> and Mattie Brahen serving as the more experienced guides. I am proud to say that one of the early bits of input that steered the whole experience was mine. In response to &#8220;What will this song be about?&#8221; I threw in &#8220;Everyone seems to love the steampunk nowadays. How about something steampunkish?&#8221; As more suggestions piled up, we added ornithopters and dragons to the mix.The (metaphorical) gears engaged after that, and the panel decided it would be bluesy so we needed a reason why a dragon and an ornithopter would be down in the mouth. The group decided that the dragon had lost its flame and somewhere in there that the dragon powers the ornithopters and the loss of flame meant that the protagonist was now losing the war. This lead to the chorus &#8220;Like a toothless gear, like an empty flagon, there is nothing more pathetic than a smokeless dragon.&#8221; Rock on!</p> <p>From there, we split up into two groups. I&#8217;m not sure how the other group worked, but ours had a lot of fun writing the first verse. There were definitely people in the room who were kind of watching in bemusement, but for the people who were engaged and throwing out suggestions, every single person had an idea or word or phrase that ended up in the final song. By and large, people worked together quite good. I can tell you that every point at which someone revised something I had suggested, the revision was better than the original. For example, I suggested &#8220;broken gear&#8221; in the chorus, and later on, someone else pointed out that &#8220;toothless gear&#8221; worked better with the dragon theme, which is absolutely true. I told James later on that the only thing I would have changed is to change the ground rules such that no one can ever tell anyone else &#8220;No&#8221; to any suggestion. The only possibility is to come up with alternatives that people feel are superior. It&#8217;s kind of a dick move to say &#8220;Your input isn&#8217;t good enough&#8221;, and I think it is much better with less stress to just put in something else. The mode of operation should always be to take the best suggestion on the table, and if you don&#8217;t like it then improve it .</p> <p>With that said, it was all good. The two groups exchanged just enough information so that we could keep the narratives making sense. With no real coordination our group set the stage with a first verse and the other one resolved a lot of stuff. It was kind of freaky how well the two independent verses worked when we put them together. The musicians played and the room sang the song through a few times, then we performed it to record a few times and we were done. Holy moley was the whole thing fun, beginning to end. It was funny how Mattie Brahen, an old school filker and the only panelist not in our new media subscene, started out really skeptical and eventually really got into it. I talked to her in the hall afterwards and she admitted that at the beginning she was pretty sure we were all crazy. She may have been right.</p> <p>I stand by my belief that this is in the top five SF con moments I&#8217;ve ever had. It demystified a lot of the creative process and showed how the songs weren&#8217;t these perfect gems that popped into being but something you work and work and work until it becomes what you want from it. The talent of the musicians and the very tight constraints helped a lot. We had 50 minutes total before we had to leave the room, so the song had to be written and recorded with no room for spinning wheels. If they ever do this again at a Balticon, I highly recommend you try to be in that room.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/balticon/" rel="tag">balticon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/jamesdurham/" rel="tag">jamesdurham</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/kimthecomicbookgoddes/" rel="tag">kimthecomicbookgoddes</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/mattiebrahen/" rel="tag">mattiebrahen</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/normsherman/" rel="tag">normsherman</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(99) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/20/write-a-song-in-one-hour-balticon-44/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) " At Balitcon 44, I participa [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2@term"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#3@term"]=> string(11) "jamesdurham" ["category#4@term"]=> string(21) "kimthecomicbookgoddes" ["category#5@term"]=> string(12) "mattiebrahen" ["category#6@term"]=> string(11) "normsherman" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1277065852) } [14]=> array(32) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(38) "Ebooks From TV – My New Side Project" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(170) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/12/ebooks-from-tv-my-new-side-project/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ebooks-from-tv-my-new-side-project" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(101) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/12/ebooks-from-tv-my-new-side-project/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Sun, 13 Jun 2010 03:31:54 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(8) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(5) ["subject"]=> string(9) "handhelds" ["subject#2"]=> string(2) "tv" ["subject#3"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["subject#4"]=> string(12) "ebooksfromtv" ["subject#5"]=> string(11) "paulfischer" } ["category#"]=> int(5) ["category"]=> string(9) "handhelds" ["category#2"]=> string(2) "tv" ["category#3"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#4"]=> string(12) "ebooksfromtv" ["category#5"]=> string(11) "paulfischer" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(92) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/12/ebooks-from-tv-my-new-side-project/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "It's true, I do not need Yet One More Side Project. Reg [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(2656) "<p>It&#8217;s true, I do not need Yet One More Side Project. Regardless, I have one. Talking to <a href="http://addcast.net/">Paul Fischer</a> at <a href="http://www.balticon.org/">Balticon</a> a few weeks ago, I was mentioning to him my ebook buying dynamic. I said that &#8220;If I see a book on Colbert or the Daily Show that interests me, I look to see if it is available for Kindle. If it is and at a decent price, I just buy it then. If not, I never think about it again.&#8221; Paul&#8217;s response was &#8220;What if you had a blog that collected all that information in one place?&#8221; Brilliant, said I. I offered Paul the right of first refusal on pursuing it since it was his idea. He passed, so I came home and set it up.</p> <p>That site is <a href="http://www.ebooksfromtv.com">Ebooks From TV.</a> I&#8217;m trying hard to cover all the evening and late night talk shows, CSPAN Book TV weekends, and the daytime talk shows as I can. Ideally, if a book was mentioned on any of the national TV shows, you can find it in a post on Ebooks From TV. My goal is to get the post up the same day but occasionally it might be a day or two later.</p> <p>If you run across a TV show where a book is mentioned and you don&#8217;t see it on the site, let me know via email at <a href="mailto:dave@ebooksfromtv.com">dave@ebooksfromtv.com</a> . It could be that I&#8217;m not following that show, that the book doesn&#8217;t actually have a Kindle version available, or that it was published more than a year ago. I&#8217;ll make sure that at the very least I&#8217;m paying attention to that show, if nothing else.</p> <p>Before the end of the weekend, I&#8217;ll set this up as a Kindle subscribable blog. My current understanding is that those blogs available on the Kindle must be at least $0.99 per month. I&#8217;ll put it at the very lowest price available whatever that is. If you frequently find yourself looking for books that you saw on a talk show, this might be a handy resource for you.</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/balticon/" rel="tag">balticon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/ebooksfromtv/" rel="tag">ebooksfromtv</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/paulfischer/" rel="tag">paulfischer</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(97) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/12/ebooks-from-tv-my-new-side-project/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "1" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "It's true, I do not need Yet One More Side Project. Reg [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(9) "handhelds" ["category#2@term"]=> string(2) "tv" ["category#3@term"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#4@term"]=> string(12) "ebooksfromtv" ["category#5@term"]=> string(11) "paulfischer" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1276399914) } [15]=> array(32) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(36) "Special Correspondent for Technorama" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(174) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/11/special-correspondent-for-technorama/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=special-correspondent-for-technorama" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(103) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/11/special-correspondent-for-technorama/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Sat, 12 Jun 2010 04:46:41 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(8) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(5) ["subject"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["subject#2"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["subject#3"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["subject#4"]=> string(9) "heroescon" ["subject#5"]=> string(10) "technorama" } ["category#"]=> int(5) ["category"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["category#3"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#4"]=> string(9) "heroescon" ["category#5"]=> string(10) "technorama" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(94) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/11/special-correspondent-for-technorama/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "I'm still barely dribbling out the con reports from my [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(2458) "<p>I&#8217;m still barely dribbling out the con reports from my trip to <a href="http://www.balticon.org/">Balticon</a> and in that time since I&#8217;ve been writing them, I&#8217;ve been to a whole other con, <a href="http://www.heroesonline.com/heroescon.html">Heroescon</a> in Charlotte last weekend. I had a lot of fun there, did comic shopping and autograph hunting and all the things a fanboy does at a good sized comic con. This year I also did a <a href="http://www.chuckchat.com/technorama/2010/06/11/cct-special-heroes-con-2010-206-222-2428/">few interviews as &#8220;special correspondent&#8221;</a> for the <a href="http://www.chuckchat.com/technorama/">Technorama</a> podcast. Thanks to <a href="http://www.spyndle.com/">Kreg Steppe</a> for lending me his H2 for an hour to walk around and interview a few folks and then toss it back to him for him to do the actual work of making a show from them.</p> <p>Check out the <a href="http://www.chuckchat.com/technorama/2010/06/11/cct-special-heroes-con-2010-206-222-2428/">episode here</a> and let me know what you think. It was a blast to be able to do this work outside of my own shows and just cut loose. I highly recommend it to all podcasters. It really is invigorating.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/balticon/" rel="tag">balticon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/heroescon/" rel="tag">heroescon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/podcasting/" rel="tag">podcasting</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/technorama/" rel="tag">technorama</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(99) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/11/special-correspondent-for-technorama/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "1" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "I'm still barely dribbling out the con reports from my [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2@term"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["category#3@term"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#4@term"]=> string(9) "heroescon" ["category#5@term"]=> string(10) "technorama" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1276318001) } [16]=> array(28) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(36) "My Balticon 44 (2010) Wrapup, Part 2" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(168) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/07/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-2" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(100) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/07/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-2/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Tue, 08 Jun 2010 03:24:17 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(6) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(3) ["subject"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["subject#2"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["subject#3"]=> string(9) "philrossi" } ["category#"]=> int(3) ["category"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#3"]=> string(9) "philrossi" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(91) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/07/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-2/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Part two of Balticon by strobe light. Saturday eve [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(4147) "<p>Part two of Balticon by strobe light.</p> <div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/87346352@N00/4663838300/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4663838300_099dea5b63_m.jpg" /></a> </div> <p>Saturday evening: I was on a panel at 5 PM with <a href="http://www.thephilrossiexperience.com/crescent/">Phil Rossi</a>, <a href="http://web.me.com/normsherman/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html">Norm Sherman</a>, <a href="http://geekadelphia.com/">Dan Tabor</a> and <a href="http://thecommandline.net/">Thomas Gideon</a>. It was called &#8220;Art, Music and Literature in an Age of Technological Reproducibility.&#8221; We talked about creative commons licensing and the ethics of piracy and how not to freak out when people lift your creative work. It was a fine panel and I think we all acquitted ourselves just fine. Afterwards I had dinner with Gideon, <a href="http://mistressjett.wordpress.com/">Mistress Jett</a>, Dan Tabor and MA in the PA (who knitted my bad ass Jayne hats), and Kevin Crosby. Kevin gave me an enormous amount of legal advice that I can use for my movie, not really specific answers but ways that I should be asking the questions. It was all great.</p> <p>After coming back from dinner, we ran into Phil Rossi in front of the hotel. I asked if he needed any help loading in, and he said no, &#8220;&#8230; But. I could use a guitar tech to help keep these guitars in tune.&#8221; This is where it got a little weird. I found out later that Phil was under the impression I was a guitar player, which I am not. I played bass when I was younger but stopped 22 years ago. I asked if he had a tuner, and offered to do it if he couldn&#8217;t find anyone else more qualified.</p> <p>I went and did some other stuff and then went back to the room a little before the show and we committed that I would do the job. It sort of became like a waking version of one of those anxiety dreams, where I&#8217;m on &#8220;stage&#8221; (really the front of a hotel ballroom) with only minimal ideas of what I&#8217;m doing. As Phil traded guitars between his acoustic and electric, I&#8217;d take them off to the side, plug them into the electronic tuner and go. I said before that I&#8217;m not a guitar player but I&#8217;m not color blind and I can read the difference between red and green LEDs. The first time I tuned Phil&#8217;s acoustic I had a true bit of stress because I could not get the B string right. I wasn&#8217;t sure how much song remained, whether this guitar was going to be used the next song or later, and how much longer it would take or even if I could ever get the damn thing right. Finally, I turned loose of it about 45 seconds before Phil was looking for it. Bullet ducked.</p> <div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/desdemina/4664325498/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4664325498_1867f289a1_m_d.jpg" /></a> </div> <p>Overall, the whole thing was kind of like those anxiety dreams I still have to this day. Usually in them, I&#8217;m in a test that I am not prepared for or realize it is the end of a semester and I forgot to drop a class I long since stopped attending. Standing just offstage tuning guitars that I&#8217;m not exactly sure how to work is pretty similar to that. It was a good experience though. I really dig Phil&#8217;s music and was glad to be a minor part of it. <a href="http://www.thephilrossiexperience.com/philrossinet/?page_id=15">Check out Phil&#8217;s stuff</a>, for Dobbs&#8217; sake!</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/balticon/" rel="tag">balticon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/philrossi/" rel="tag">philrossi</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(96) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/07/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-2/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "3" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "Part two of Balticon by strobe light. Saturday eve [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2@term"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#3@term"]=> string(9) "philrossi" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1275967457) } [17]=> array(34) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(36) "My Balticon 44 (2010) Wrapup, Part 1" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(168) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/02/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-1" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(100) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/02/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-1/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Thu, 03 Jun 2010 04:26:49 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(9) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(6) ["subject"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["subject#2"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["subject#3"]=> string(12) "cynicalwoman" ["subject#4"]=> string(18) "phillipaballantine" ["subject#5"]=> string(9) "teemorris" ["subject#6"]=> string(11) "vivschubert" } ["category#"]=> int(6) ["category"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#3"]=> string(12) "cynicalwoman" ["category#4"]=> string(18) "phillipaballantine" ["category#5"]=> string(9) "teemorris" ["category#6"]=> string(11) "vivschubert" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(91) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/02/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-1/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "I have a bad habit of starting chronological convention [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(7005) "<p>I have a bad habit of starting chronological convention wrapups, being too detailed and burning out before I finish. Instead, I&#8217;m going to recap this year&#8217;s <a href="http://www.balticon.org/">Balticon</a> anecdote by anecdote. I will feel no compunction to do it in any particular order or in any number of posts. I&#8217;ll write until I feel done and hit publish, then lather rinse and repeat.</p> <div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13953920@N08/4663928740/in/faves-87346352@N00"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4663928740_e9bae9fe09_m_d.jpg" /></a> </div> <p>Overview: This year definitelly felt smaller and less crowded overall. There seemed to be fewer big literary guests and a lot of groups that had hallway tables in previous years weren&#8217;t there this year. I saw a few tweets from people that seemed bummed by this year. However, from my experience of mostly participating on the new media track with some forays into broader fandom at times, I thought it was even more fun than last year. I did a few things differently. I ended up not even deploying my promotional stuff. I didn&#8217;t stress about keeping stickers and flyers stocked around the con. Instead I focused on really rocking the three panels I was on, seeing friends and having fun.</p> <p>One of the rules I set for myself was to not repeat meal partners anytime during the weekend. If I were invited to dinner and I had already dined with anyone in that group, I had to pass. It worked quite well and I avoided the comfort zone of locking in with a few people and socializing only with that small group. I like it so much I think that will become my standard con MO from here on out. I also made a point of trying to talk to as many people as possible and being open to as broad a set of shenanigans as possible. That worked out pretty well for me and I&#8217;ll get to some of those anecdotes later.</p> <p>Saturday night: <a href="http://www.intotheblender.com/">Viv Schubert</a> organized a &#8220;nerd prom&#8221; that was held in one of the programming rooms. I helped set up some of it after being a spontaneous guitar tech (that will be its own anecdote later.) Kevin Crosby and I ran cables and secured bits of <a href="http://www.teemorris.com/">Tee Morris</a>&#8216; DJ setup at the head of the room. When things were in hand there, I went up to my room and changed in to my costume. Anyone familiar with me or this blog knows I have one and only costume to wear at SF conventions. It was my &#8220;Señor Muerte&#8221; costume consisting of the luchadore mask I bought in Portland OR and the tights and wrestling boots bought for me by my wife, ring ready gear mind you. When the voting came time, all the participants in the nerd prom costume contest lined up into a gauntlet or catwalk where we all walked down and back to show off our costumes. Mine was the very last name called (only the character, I didn&#8217;t know we were supposed to put real names on there.) As I walked to the head of the room, about one second before I got there I hatched a plan to do my catwalk in a combination of a stomp and a monkey walk. I did a jump at each end and returned to my place.</p> <p>In one of the odder moments of an odd night, a guy who was already wearing a wrestler costume that included a kid&#8217;s prop WWE belt. This guy, who I didn&#8217;t know and never got his name, gave me that belt to become part of my costume. &#8220;I&#8217;ve got 9 more at home, you should have this.&#8221; Thank you, dude who I don&#8217;t know. I heard later he was trying to hand it to me during my walk but I hope I&#8217;m giving away no secrets if I tell you &#8220;Mexican wrestler masks are the mortal enemy of peripheral vision.&#8221; This prop belt had no fastening hardware but I remembered from setting up the room where the duct tape was, and <a href="http://www.pjballantine.com/">Phillipa Ballantine</a> was kind enough to tape it to me. I am pretty sure that I&#8217;m the only person in that room whose costume became more ornate and more complete as I attended the party.</p> <div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40424632@N00/4661266645/in/faves-87346352@N00"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4661266645_a783f33789_m_d.jpg" /></a> </div> <p>After about 10 minutes, they announced the winners in a few categories. I had a joke about the voting being rigged ready to go when they announced &#8220;Prom King&#8221; and it was me. At that point, I knew for a fact it had to be corrupt but it was in my favor so I kept my mouth shut. I joined the Prom Queen, <a href="http://www.cynicalwoman.com/">Helen &#8220;Cynical Woman&#8221; Madden</a> at the front of the room. We put on our sashes, tried to put on the crown and tiara but both were already wearing headgear that precluded it so we had to do the best we could. It was a completely insane amount of fun. I wore my &#8220;Prom King&#8221; sash all the rest of that night, and all day the next day. In order to make it the maximally Andy Kaufman-esque street theater I refused to explain the origin of the sash to anyone that needed to ask. The rest of that night involved having many conversations with many people, which was a complete blast. I also got kicked out of the hotel bar, in a full luchadore outfit, for carrying in a cup to talk to people. In retrospect, I should have taken the bar manager and put him into the atomic piledriver.</p> <p>That&#8217;s all I can take for tonight. Many more tales of shenanigans later.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/balticon/" rel="tag">balticon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/cynicalwoman/" rel="tag">cynicalwoman</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/phillipaballantine/" rel="tag">phillipaballantine</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/teemorris/" rel="tag">teemorris</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/vivschubert/" rel="tag">vivschubert</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(96) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/02/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-1/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "1" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "I have a bad habit of starting chronological convention [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2@term"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#3@term"]=> string(12) "cynicalwoman" ["category#4@term"]=> string(18) "phillipaballantine" ["category#5@term"]=> string(9) "teemorris" ["category#6@term"]=> string(11) "vivschubert" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1275539209) } [18]=> array(36) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(18) "Flickrphallophobia" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(138) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/flickrphallophobia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=flickrphallophobia" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(85) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/flickrphallophobia/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:55:08 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(10) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(7) ["subject"]=> string(4) "misc" ["subject#2"]=> string(13) "backbeatmedia" ["subject#3"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["subject#4"]=> string(12) "davehamilton" ["subject#5"]=> string(8) "evoterra" ["subject#6"]=> string(11) "podcastexpo" ["subject#7"]=> string(9) "teemorris" } ["category#"]=> int(7) ["category"]=> string(4) "misc" ["category#2"]=> string(13) "backbeatmedia" ["category#3"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#4"]=> string(12) "davehamilton" ["category#5"]=> string(8) "evoterra" ["category#6"]=> string(11) "podcastexpo" ["category#7"]=> string(9) "teemorris" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(75) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/flickphallophobia/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "An incident from my past was brought up at Balticon, in [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(2983) "<p>An incident from my past was brought up at <a href="http://www.balticon.org/">Balticon</a>, in a story that <a href="http://funanymore.com/">Evo Terra</a> regaled a group with one evening. I&#8217;ll give the Reader&#8217;s Digest condensed version.</p> <p>Podcast Expo 2006, it was year two of the Ontario California conference. We were reprising our &#8220;spontaneous poolside barbecue feast&#8221; of the first year with a less spontaneous version of the same thing paid for by <a href="http://www.davethenerd.com/">Dave Hamilton</a> of <a href="http://www.backbeatmedia.com/">Backbeat Media</a>. <a href="http://www.teemorris.com/">Tee Morris</a> gets some sort of spirit of Elvis in him and decides to shed his clothes and jump into the hotel pool naked as a grape. He invites me to jump in, in the most platonic and masculine way one straight guy can ask another straight guy to join him in public nudity. I decline, and my excuse is that I have a condition called flickrphallophobia, which I defined as &#8220;fear of seeing pictures of your dick posted to Flickr.&#8221; Evo Terra refused to believe that I made up that term on the spot, and I believe we placed a bet on whether Google would find it and he lost it (the second bet he lost in 30 seconds.)</p> <p>I have told Tee this many many times, but my biggest regret in my 5.5 year history with the podcast medium is that I didn&#8217;t just take off my clothes and jump in. It wouldn&#8217;t have been that big a deal and I really don&#8217;t know what my problem was. Given the opportunity again, I&#8217;m opting for shenanigans. However, as the story came up again this weekend we realized that this term still isn&#8217;t in the googlosphere and <a href="http://addcast.net/">Paul Fischer</a> really wants it so. It was also suggested that the better term is &#8220;autoflickrphallophobia&#8221;, which would be the difference between fearing any wee wee photos on Flickr vs. pictures of ones own. I coined a term for that person: &#8220;redonkulopedantic.&#8221;</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/backbeatmedia/" rel="tag">backbeatmedia</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/balticon/" rel="tag">balticon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/davehamilton/" rel="tag">davehamilton</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/evoterra/" rel="tag">evoterra</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/podcastexpo/" rel="tag">podcastexpo</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/teemorris/" rel="tag">teemorris</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(81) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/flickrphallophobia/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "An incident from my past was brought up at Balticon, in [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(4) "misc" ["category#2@term"]=> string(13) "backbeatmedia" ["category#3@term"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#4@term"]=> string(12) "davehamilton" ["category#5@term"]=> string(8) "evoterra" ["category#6@term"]=> string(11) "podcastexpo" ["category#7@term"]=> string(9) "teemorris" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1275432908) } [19]=> array(24) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(26) "My Balticon Drive Playlist" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(154) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/my-balticon-drive-playlist/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-balticon-drive-playlist" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(93) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/my-balticon-drive-playlist/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:11:45 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(4) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(1) ["subject"]=> string(10) "podcasting" } ["category#"]=> int(1) ["category"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(84) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/my-balticon-drive-playlist/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Here without much comment is my Balticon road trip play [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(4038) "<p>Here without much comment is my <a href="http://www.balticon.org/">Balticon</a> road trip playlist. I&#8221;m noting specific shows if I think that episode is notably worth checking out specifically from that series.</p> <p>Ride up:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/podcast/">Writers Almanac</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.americanheartbreak.com/rnrgeekwp/">Rock and Roll Geek Show</a> (<a href="http://www.americanheartbreak.com/rnrgeekwp/2010/05/09/classic-albums-revisited-get-the-knack-with-berton-averre/">Burton Avere joins for doing a Classic Albums Reviste</a>d on <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Get-Knack/dp/B000065CXQ%3FSubscriptionId%3D0PZ7TM66EXQCXFVTMTR2%26tag%3Drealitybreak%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000065CXQ">Get the Knack</a></strong> )</li> <li><a href="http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/about/podcast/">News From Lake Wobegon</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.indiecomicbooknoise.com/">Indie Comic Book Noise</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.comicbooknoise.com/">Comic Book Noise</a></li> <li><a href="http://smodcast.com/">SModcast</a> 116 (<a href="http://smodcast.com/smodcast/smodcast116.php">Live From New York</a>)</li> <li><a href="http://wtfpod.com/">WTF podcast</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/ls">Le Show</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/latest/radio-news/">Onion Radio News</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.subgenius.com/">Subgenius Shows</a> from <a href="http://www.wrek.org/">WREK</a></li> </ul> <p>Ride Back:</p> <ul> <li>More <a href="http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/podcast/">Writers Almanac</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126559893">All Songs Considered with John Lydon</a> (I don&#8217;t subscribe, just listened to this one episode)</li> <li><a href="http://tomvsflash.blogspot.com/">Tom Vs The Flash</a></li> <li><a href="http://37signals.com/podcast">37 Signals podcast</a></li> <li><a href="http://mudpuddle.podbean.com/">Mudpuddle Podcast</a>, a show specifically around my town Conway SC with the <a href="http://mudpuddle.podbean.com/2010/05/11/this-is-conway-bluegrass-on-the-waccamaw/#respond">episode about this year&#8217;s Bluegrass festival</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.personalitycrisis.org/">Personality Crisis</a> from <a href="http://www.wrek.org/">WREK</a></li> <li>IT Conversations from Gov 2.0, <a href="http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail4411.html">Clay Shirky on the LA Times wiki train wreck</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.comicbooknoise.com/">Comic Book Noise</a> again</li> <li><a href="http://www.indiecomicbooknoise.com/">Indie Comic Book Noise</a> again</li> <li><a href="http://wtfpod.com/">WTF podcast</a> again, this time a <a href="http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/episode_72_maria_bamford">particularly good show with Maria Bamford</a></li> </ul> <p>This is far from comprehensive on my podcast subscription list, but it&#8217;s a good representation of what a few days of listening might be. Note the mix of big media and small, old and new.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/podcasting/" rel="tag">podcasting</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> 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["content-type"]=> string(23) "text/xml; charset=UTF-8" } } } ["feed"]=> object(MagpieRSS)#218 (31) { ["parser"]=> resource(348) of type (Unknown) ["current_item"]=> array(0) { } ["items"]=> array(20) { [0]=> array(34) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(28) "An Ebook/POD Based Bookstore" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(156) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-ebookpod-based-bookstore" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(94) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:12:06 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(9) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(6) ["subject"]=> string(5) "books" ["subject#2"]=> string(3) "b&n" ["subject#3"]=> string(19) "espressobookmachine" ["subject#4"]=> string(11) "mediabistro" ["subject#5"]=> string(12) "newsleekness" ["subject#6"]=> string(14) "pablodefendini" } ["category#"]=> int(6) ["category"]=> string(5) "books" ["category#2"]=> string(3) "b&n" ["category#3"]=> string(19) "espressobookmachine" ["category#4"]=> string(11) "mediabistro" ["category#5"]=> string(12) "newsleekness" ["category#6"]=> string(14) "pablodefendini" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(85) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "I'll admit that the very first thing I thought when I r [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(4109) "<p>I&#8217;ll admit that the very first thing I thought when I read <a href="http://www.thenewsleekness.com/index.php/if-i-were-a-rich-man/">this post from Pablo Defendini</a> was &#8220;Damn, how can I come up with the capital to start this business?&#8221; The opening salvo paragraph:</p> <blockquote> <p>If I were a rich man, I’d buy B&amp;N, get rid of all the mass market shelf space, replace it with an <a href="http://www.ondemandbooks.com/the_ebm.htm">Espresso Book Machine</a>, start strong-arming publishers to print and bind really, really nice hardcovers at lower print runs and stock the hell out of those, and open up the B&amp;N in-store ebook store to all devices and platforms (fuck it; even license mobi from Amazon if I can).</p> </blockquote> <p>There is in fact an empty Barnes and Noble building in Myrtle Beach left over from when it moved two years ago. It&#8217;s been sitting idle ever since. It was always jumping before, so the location is capable of sustaining a thriving bookstore business. However, as cool as I thought this idea was, today I saw this <a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/bookselling/espresso_book_machine_spreads_to_bookstores__172027.asp">story on MediaBistro</a> about a bookstore actually using the machine.</p> <p>Oddly to me, the story is written triumphantly as if this is a success story. Looking at the numbers, it looks pretty dismal to me. They paid for a $118,000 Espresso Book Machine and in 5 months have sold 1,500 books with it. Let&#8217;s say they sell those books at an average of $12, they average 250 pages long. My understanding of the variable costs is that they&#8217;d be spending $2.50 in licensing fees per book, about $2 per book in materials and at this point, $79 per book in amortization of the cost of the machine. In 5 months, they are 10% of the way to breaking even on the costs of the machine. At this rate of sales, in another four years they will have finally recouped the cost of the machine and can begin to profit from it. At that point, it will generate $80/day profit, which would be at the low end of a living wage for a single employee. This sounds like the opposite of a sucess story to me, it sounds like a rough start and possibly the early days of a boondoggle.</p> <p>As cool as the technology seems to me, at this point one would need a lot more volume than this to justify the machine or a real eye to the long game. It&#8217;s possible that if one were to open a store with Pablo&#8217;s model in mind, that both the volumes would be higher and there would be enough revenue from the other sources to keep the business viable. However I&#8217;m reading that MediaBistro story not as the &#8220;booyah&#8221; it seems to want to be but more of a &#8220;Warning: potential loss of ass ahead&#8221; warning sign.</p> <p><object width="300" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q946sfGLxm4?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q946sfGLxm4?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="300" height="250" /><br /> </object></p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/bn/" rel="tag">b&amp;n</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/espressobookmachine/" rel="tag">espressobookmachine</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/mediabistro/" rel="tag">mediabistro</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/newsleekness/" rel="tag">newsleekness</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/pablodefendini/" rel="tag">pablodefendini</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(90) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/30/an-ebookpod-based-bookstore/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "2" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "I'll admit that the very first thing I thought when I r [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(5) "books" ["category#2@term"]=> string(3) "b&n" ["category#3@term"]=> string(19) "espressobookmachine" ["category#4@term"]=> string(11) "mediabistro" ["category#5@term"]=> string(12) "newsleekness" ["category#6@term"]=> string(14) "pablodefendini" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1283188326) } [1]=> array(30) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(38) "Seth Godin on the Future of Publishing" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(178) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/25/seth-godin-on-the-future-of-publishing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=seth-godin-on-the-future-of-publishing" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(105) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/25/seth-godin-on-the-future-of-publishing/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:12:07 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(7) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(4) ["subject"]=> string(5) "books" ["subject#2"]=> string(18) "claytonchristensen" ["subject#3"]=> string(17) "innovatorsdilemma" ["subject#4"]=> string(9) "sethgodin" } ["category#"]=> int(4) ["category"]=> string(5) "books" ["category#2"]=> string(18) "claytonchristensen" ["category#3"]=> string(17) "innovatorsdilemma" ["category#4"]=> string(9) "sethgodin" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(96) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/25/seth-godin-on-the-future-of-publishing/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "This morning I listened to the audio of this talk that [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(3042) "<p>This morning I listened to the audio of <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/07/the-new-dynamics-of-book-publishing.html">this talk</a> that Seth Godin gave to the <a href="http://www.ibpa-online.org/">Independent Book Publishers Association</a>. In 20 minutes, he laid out a way the publishing industry can adapt to changing landscapes and thrive in the future. It&#8217;s a 45 minute talk total, 25 minutes were question. 20 minutes was all he needed to throw a lifeline to publishers. He took an analytical look at what publishers actually do and which of those functions can be done better by other business entities and what value propositions that leaves with publishers.</p> <p>I find it amazing that the big publishers fail to understand the lessons of <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Revolutionary-Business-Essentials/dp/0060521996%3FSubscriptionId%3D0PZ7TM66EXQCXFVTMTR2%26tag%3Drealitybreak%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0060521996">The Innovator&#8217;s Dilemma</a></strong> including the company that published that book. They have and continue to use the relatively small market share of electronic books and POD editions as a reason why they shouldn&#8217;t care about them. That&#8217;s exactly the process that happens according to <a href="http://www.claytonchristensen.com/">Clayton Christensen</a> &#8211; a company defines itself too narrowly and avoids the hard decisions to change direction because the old direction is too lucrative, up until the point that market collapses and they are screwed.</p> <p>I sometimes give Seth Godin static for his blog posts that seem to come straight from the autopilot, but I highly recommend this talk. This is top shelf Godin from when he brings the A game. If you have any interest in publishing or the future of books, give it a listen.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/claytonchristensen/" rel="tag">claytonchristensen</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/innovatorsdilemma/" rel="tag">innovatorsdilemma</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/sethgodin/" rel="tag">sethgodin</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(101) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/25/seth-godin-on-the-future-of-publishing/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "6" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "This morning I listened to the audio of this talk that [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(5) "books" ["category#2@term"]=> string(18) "claytonchristensen" ["category#3@term"]=> string(17) "innovatorsdilemma" ["category#4@term"]=> string(9) "sethgodin" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1282785127) } [2]=> array(34) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(28) "Engaging with the Real World" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(158) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/23/engaging-with-the-real-world/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=engaging-with-the-real-world" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(95) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/23/engaging-with-the-real-world/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Tue, 24 Aug 2010 03:47:54 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(9) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(6) ["subject"]=> string(6) "sports" ["subject#2"]=> string(9) "andrepope" ["subject#3"]=> string(11) "joehaldeman" ["subject#4"]=> string(10) "rickwilber" ["subject#5"]=> string(8) "softball" ["subject#6"]=> string(22) "worldfantasyconvention" } ["category#"]=> int(6) ["category"]=> string(6) "sports" ["category#2"]=> string(9) "andrepope" ["category#3"]=> string(11) "joehaldeman" ["category#4"]=> string(10) "rickwilber" ["category#5"]=> string(8) "softball" ["category#6"]=> string(22) "worldfantasyconvention" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(86) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/23/engaging-with-the-real-world/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Earlier this year I took a vacation from social media a [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(3004) "<p>Earlier this year I took a <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/04/23/my-social-media-vacation-begins-today/">vacation from social media</a> and I&#8217;ve been feeling the urge to turn off the computer more and get out and about in the real world. As it happens, a few weeks ago <a href="http://www.andrepope.com/">Andre Pope</a> decided out of nowhere to assemble a <a href="http://mbgeeks.teamsnap.com/">softball team of the Myrtle Beach area geeks</a>. That was well in keeping with the sort of thing I want to do more of, so I joined up. When I went to the first practice, it was my first time wearing a glove or swinging a bat in 18 years.</p> <p>The last time I played softball was at the <a href="http://www.worldfantasy.org/">1992 World Fantasy Convention</a> at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA. Baseball fanatic and science fiction writer <a href="http://www.rickwilber.com/">Rick Wilber</a> put it together, and I happily went out and played with a group of fans and writers that included both Jack and <a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~haldeman/">Joe Haldeman</a>, <a href="http://patinagle.com/">Pati Nagle</a>, Newton Streeter, Richard Gilliam, Alexandra and David Honigsberg and many others. That game was so much fun that a virtual community formed around it for years afterwards with a fake science fictional team called The Double Breasted Fedoras. I still have a jersey hanging in my closet.</p> <p>When I stood on the field playing catch with the softball, it was a kind of fun I haven&#8217;t had in a long time. I surprised myself by dropping fewer flies than I expected, and never once whiffing on a swing. Every time I swung the bat, I connected with the ball. I try specifically to be open out there and I hope over the course of this season to play every position on the field at least once. I&#8217;m not very fast so I&#8217;m not a shortstop type but I still want to play it at one time or another. Our coaches specifically put our team in the least competitive league available to us. Our goals aren&#8217;t to kick ass so much as get off our asses. I aim to do just that.</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/andrepope/" rel="tag">andrepope</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/joehaldeman/" rel="tag">joehaldeman</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/rickwilber/" rel="tag">rickwilber</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/softball/" rel="tag">softball</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/worldfantasyconvention/" rel="tag">worldfantasyconvention</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(91) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/23/engaging-with-the-real-world/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "2" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "Earlier this year I took a vacation from social media a [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(6) "sports" ["category#2@term"]=> string(9) "andrepope" ["category#3@term"]=> string(11) "joehaldeman" ["category#4@term"]=> string(10) "rickwilber" ["category#5@term"]=> string(8) "softball" ["category#6@term"]=> string(22) "worldfantasyconvention" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1282621674) } [3]=> array(42) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(101) "Evil Genius Chronicles Podcast for August 20, 2010 – “Six Years and Counting, Monkey Fighters!”" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(278) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/20/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-20-2010-six-years-and-counting-monkey-fighters/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-20-2010-six-years-and-counting-monkey-fighters" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(155) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/20/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-20-2010-six-years-and-counting-monkey-fighters/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:08:56 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(8) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(5) ["subject"]=> string(5) "audio" ["subject#2"]=> string(18) "campervanbeethoven" ["subject#3"]=> string(13) "gentlereaders" ["subject#4"]=> string(7) "podcast" ["subject#5"]=> string(12) "thevaselines" } ["category#"]=> int(5) ["category"]=> string(5) "audio" ["category#2"]=> string(18) "campervanbeethoven" ["category#3"]=> string(13) "gentlereaders" ["category#4"]=> string(7) "podcast" ["category#5"]=> string(12) "thevaselines" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(146) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/20/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-20-2010-six-years-and-counting-monkey-fighters/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) " Here is the direct MP3 download for the EGC [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(3318) "<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/images/egc-logo-150.jpg" width="135" height="70" /> </div> <p>Here is the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-20.mp3">direct MP3 download</a> for the EGC clambake for August 20, 2010. I play a song from the newly reformed Vaselines; I talk about anti-nostalgia, and harken back to the beginning of this podcast; I play a song by the Gentle Readers; I tell the story of how I come to love the music of the Gentle Readers; I talk about my lack of needing to convince anyone much of anything; I play a song by Camper van Beethoven and we begin the seventh year of this thing.</p> <p>You can <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/podcast.xml">subscribe to this podcast feed via RSS</a>. To sponsor the show, contact <a href="http://www.backbeatmedia.com/">BackBeat Media</a>. Don&#8217;t forget, you can fly your EGC flag by buying the <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/stuff/">stuff package</a>. This show as a whole is Creative Commons licensed <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/">Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5</a>. Bandwidth for this episode is provided by <a href="http://www.cachefly.com/">Cachefly</a>.</p> <p>Links mentioned in this episode:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.hover.com/">Hover.com</a> is now our sponsor: Use coupon code EGC to save 10% on domain registrations</li> <li><a href="http://www.thevaselines.co.uk/">The Vaselines</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.subpop.com/artists/the_vaselines">Buy the music of The Vaselines</a></li> <li><a href="http://campervanbeethoven.com/">Camper van Beethoven</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.pitchatent.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&amp;Store_Code=01&amp;Category_Code=CVB">Buy New Roman Times by Camper Van Beethoven</a></li> <li>Theme song provided by the <a href="http://www.gentlereaders.com/">Gentle Readers</a></li> <li>My <a href="http://friendfeed.com/geniodiabolico">FriendFeed</a></li> </ul> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/campervanbeethoven/" rel="tag">campervanbeethoven</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/gentlereaders/" rel="tag">gentlereaders</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/podcast/" rel="tag">podcast</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/thevaselines/" rel="tag">thevaselines</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(151) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/20/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-20-2010-six-years-and-counting-monkey-fighters/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "5" } ["enclosure#"]=> int(1) ["enclosure@"]=> string(15) "url,length,type" ["enclosure@url"]=> string(60) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-20.mp3" ["enclosure@length"]=> string(1) "0" ["enclosure@type"]=> string(10) "audio/mpeg" ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) " Here is the direct MP3 download for the EGC [...]" ["link_enclosure#"]=> int(1) ["link_enclosure@href"]=> string(60) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-20.mp3" ["link_enclosure"]=> string(60) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-20.mp3" ["link_enclosure@length"]=> string(1) "0" ["link_enclosure@type"]=> string(10) "audio/mpeg" ["category@term"]=> string(5) "audio" ["category#2@term"]=> string(18) "campervanbeethoven" ["category#3@term"]=> string(13) "gentlereaders" ["category#4@term"]=> string(7) "podcast" ["category#5@term"]=> string(12) "thevaselines" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1282349336) } [4]=> array(40) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(36) "EGC Six Year Podiversary is Tomorrow" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(174) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/19/egc-six-year-podiversary-is-tomorrow/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=egc-six-year-podiversary-is-tomorrow" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(103) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/19/egc-six-year-podiversary-is-tomorrow/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Thu, 19 Aug 2010 23:21:48 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(12) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(9) ["subject"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["subject#2"]=> string(18) "caribbeanfreeradio" ["subject#3"]=> string(15) "dailysourcecode" ["subject#4"]=> string(15) "deliberatenoise" ["subject#5"]=> string(11) "hourofslack" ["subject#6"]=> string(11) "reelreviews" ["subject#7"]=> string(15) "rockandrollgeek" ["subject#8"]=> string(13) "tomvstheflash" ["subject#9"]=> string(6) "wtfpod" } ["category#"]=> int(9) ["category"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["category#2"]=> string(18) "caribbeanfreeradio" ["category#3"]=> string(15) "dailysourcecode" ["category#4"]=> string(15) "deliberatenoise" ["category#5"]=> string(11) "hourofslack" ["category#6"]=> string(11) "reelreviews" ["category#7"]=> string(15) "rockandrollgeek" ["category#8"]=> string(13) "tomvstheflash" ["category#9"]=> string(6) "wtfpod" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(94) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/19/egc-six-year-podiversary-is-tomorrow/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Tomorrow I'm going to do something I very rarely do. I' [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(4672) "<p>Tomorrow I&#8217;m going to do something I very rarely do. I&#8217;m going to sit down and record an episode of the EGC Podcast before I go to work, crackly morning voice and all. This is because I got a <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2004/08/20/audioblog/">wild hair up my ass on August 20, 2004</a> and recorded the first episode of what became my podcast. I referred to it as an &#8220;audioblog&#8221; for a while and only stopped because some of the guys who were doing audioblogs before that time were such dicks about the term that I chose to abandon it to them altogether. The audiobloggers tended to record short pieces from crackly unlistenable cell phone connections, and my primary inspiration was the first few episode of Adam Curry&#8217;s <a href="http://www.dailysourcecode.com/">Daily Source Code</a>. I wanted to do more of a production with music and playing audio quotes of other shows and so on. Sure, the audiobloggers were doing what they were doing before I was but their esthetic and goals were so far from mine I never felt any kinship with them. Also, they were really prickly and not much fun.</p> <p>To this day, I still have XML URLs in my subscription list that I signed up for in the first 3 months of podcasting. Michael Butler&#8217;s <a href="http://www.americanheartbreak.com/rnrgeekwp/">Rock and Roll Geek Show</a>, <a href="http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/">IT Conversations</a>, Michael Geoghegan&#8217;s <a href="http://reelreviewsradio.com/">Reel Reviews</a>, Georgia Popplewell&#8217;s <a href="http://www.caribbeanfreeradio.com/blog/?cat=4">Caribbean Free Radio</a>. Some publish as regularly today as they ever did, some haven&#8217;t had episodes in years. Doesn&#8217;t matter, I&#8217;m still there when and if something comes down.</p> <p>My goals have changed and my output radically lessened, but I&#8217;m still two feet squarely in the podcast camp. Since the first time I bought a portable MP3 player, I haven&#8217;t listened to the radio in my car except as a transmitter for my podcasts. All Things Considered is what I listen to only if it is physically impossible to listen to <a href="http://www.deliberatenoise.com/site/">Deliberate Noise</a> or <a href="http://tomvsjla.libsyn.com/">Tom Vs. the Flash</a> or <a href="http://www.subgenius.com/ts/hos.html">The Hour of Slack</a> or <a href="http://wtfpod.com/">WTF Pod</a>. Even then if my player battery dies I generally choose the sound of my tires on asphalt over that of NPR. Six years of listening to podcasts has changed my tastes irrevocably and turned me off of the faux populism of This American Life. I can&#8217;t even stand the way people talk in that weird, stilted affectation on public radio.</p> <p>I&#8217;ve been doing this for six years and I&#8217;ll keep going for the foreseeable future. As the fifth podcaster in the world, that only means something while I keep going. No one cares about the pioneers who quit doing it. They are just historical footnotes.</p> <p>Thanks to everyone who stuck with me this whole time, those who came in somewhere in the middle and continued, and even those who gave up on me. I&#8217;m appreciative for every second of attention all of you gave me, for however long it was, whatever your reaction. Thank you for the gift of your time and I hope to keep repaying that for as long as I can.</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/caribbeanfreeradio/" rel="tag">caribbeanfreeradio</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/dailysourcecode/" rel="tag">dailysourcecode</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/deliberatenoise/" rel="tag">deliberatenoise</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/hourofslack/" rel="tag">hourofslack</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/podcasting/" rel="tag">podcasting</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/reelreviews/" rel="tag">reelreviews</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/rockandrollgeek/" rel="tag">rockandrollgeek</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/tomvstheflash/" rel="tag">tomvstheflash</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/wtfpod/" rel="tag">wtfpod</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(99) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/19/egc-six-year-podiversary-is-tomorrow/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "4" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "Tomorrow I'm going to do something I very rarely do. I' [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["category#2@term"]=> string(18) "caribbeanfreeradio" ["category#3@term"]=> string(15) "dailysourcecode" ["category#4@term"]=> string(15) "deliberatenoise" ["category#5@term"]=> string(11) "hourofslack" ["category#6@term"]=> string(11) "reelreviews" ["category#7@term"]=> string(15) "rockandrollgeek" ["category#8@term"]=> string(13) "tomvstheflash" ["category#9@term"]=> string(6) "wtfpod" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1282260108) } [5]=> array(28) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(38) "Flattr Out of Closed Beta, Open to All" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(176) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/12/flattr-out-of-closed-beta-open-to-all/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=flattr-out-of-closed-beta-open-to-all" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(104) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/12/flattr-out-of-closed-beta-open-to-all/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:15:09 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(6) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(3) ["subject"]=> string(17) "digital-lifestlye" ["subject#2"]=> string(6) "flattr" ["subject#3"]=> string(16) "projectwonderful" } ["category#"]=> int(3) ["category"]=> string(17) "digital-lifestlye" ["category#2"]=> string(6) "flattr" ["category#3"]=> string(16) "projectwonderful" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(95) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/12/flattr-out-of-closed-beta-open-to-all/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Just yesterday I was trying to see if I could generate [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(2935) "<p>Just yesterday I was trying to see if I could generate <a href="http://www.flattr.com">Flattr</a> beta invites. I&#8217;m a little disappointed in how slow things have been since I joined, both in terms of getting and giving Flattrs to other people. I just don&#8217;t see that enough folks using it that I think about doing it on an average day.</p> <p>Well, today I saw the news that <a href="http://blog.flattr.com/2010/08/open-beta/">Flattr is out of closed beta</a> and anyone can sign up. I think that&#8217;s good news. I think it&#8217;s an interesting project but my evaluation of it so far has been skewed by lack of critical mass and the fact that most of the users of it to date seem to be German speakers so I&#8217;m not that into most of that. I personally love the &#8220;no mental transaction cost&#8221; of not deciding how much to pay. Just Flattr the way you&#8217;d Digg anything, and the money takes care of itself.</p> <p>Some of the user pushback I see is from people whose response is &#8220;but but &#8230; I don&#8217;t get to decide how much to pay? Everyone gets the same thing from me that month? Where is my fine-grained control &lt;sputter /&gt;.&#8221; In my own life, I am doing everything I can to eliminate those large number of decisions I make every day that I just don&#8217;t give a shit about. &#8220;Give this site $0.03 or $0.05? Is this one $0.17 worthy?&#8221; I don&#8217;t want to think about any of that.</p> <p>I&#8217;m going to give Flattr more of a shot to determine how useful I find it. Whenever I run out of my first chunk of money, I&#8217;ll evaluate whether it seems reasonable to recharge that account. I&#8217;m guardedly optimistic. I&#8217;d like to see some webcomics people adopt it, I think they might find it more useful and lucrative than <a href="http://www.projectwonderful.com">Project Wonderful</a>. What can it hurt to try?</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/flattr/" rel="tag">flattr</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/projectwonderful/" rel="tag">projectwonderful</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(100) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/12/flattr-out-of-closed-beta-open-to-all/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "Just yesterday I was trying to see if I could generate [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(17) "digital-lifestlye" ["category#2@term"]=> string(6) "flattr" ["category#3@term"]=> string(16) "projectwonderful" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1281633309) } [6]=> array(30) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(29) "Peakecast Episode Six is Live" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(160) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/11/peakecast-episode-six-is-live/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=peakecast-episode-six-is-live" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(96) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/11/peakecast-episode-six-is-live/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Thu, 12 Aug 2010 02:54:55 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(7) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(4) ["subject"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["subject#2"]=> string(13) "guitarroberts" ["subject#3"]=> string(9) "peakecast" ["subject#4"]=> string(11) "thomaspeake" } ["category#"]=> int(4) ["category"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["category#2"]=> string(13) "guitarroberts" ["category#3"]=> string(9) "peakecast" ["category#4"]=> string(11) "thomaspeake" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(87) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/11/peakecast-episode-six-is-live/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Today, we posted Episode Six of the Peakecast, our memo [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(1668) "<p>Today, we posted <a href="http://peakecast.org/2010/08/11/peakecast-episode-six/">Episode Six of the Peakecast</a>, our memoriam show for the late great Thomas Peake. This time out, the show is all the music of <a href="http://www.fvrec.com/lorenconnors/">Guitar Roberts</a>. Doing an episode of this show is always a melancholy experience. It&#8217;s good to hear my friend&#8217;s voice and be able to present his work, but I hate like hell that the program even exists.</p> <p>This is a validation of what I&#8217;ve always claimed is the very best aspect of podcasting. A show doesn&#8217;t need a huge constituency to make it worth doing. This show has a theoretical maximum listenership in the three digits and yet it is still wildly worth doing. If you knew and miss Thomas Peake, listen. Even if you didn&#8217;t but you love good music of wild diversity, listen. I promise it will be worth your time.</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/guitarroberts/" rel="tag">guitarroberts</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/peakecast/" rel="tag">peakecast</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/podcasting/" rel="tag">podcasting</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/thomaspeake/" rel="tag">thomaspeake</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(92) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/11/peakecast-episode-six-is-live/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "Today, we posted Episode Six of the Peakecast, our memo [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["category#2@term"]=> string(13) "guitarroberts" ["category#3@term"]=> string(9) "peakecast" ["category#4@term"]=> string(11) "thomaspeake" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1281581695) } [7]=> array(44) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(80) "Evil Genius Chronicles Podcast for August 7, 2010 – “Friends, Old and New”" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(238) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/08/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-7-2010-friends-old-and-new/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-7-2010-friends-old-and-new" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(135) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/08/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-7-2010-friends-old-and-new/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:31:53 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(9) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(6) ["subject"]=> string(5) "audio" ["subject#2"]=> string(6) "3canal" ["subject#3"]=> string(7) "carissa" ["subject#4"]=> string(13) "carissaswierd" ["subject#5"]=> string(10) "georgehrab" ["subject#6"]=> string(9) "hover.com" } ["category#"]=> int(6) ["category"]=> string(5) "audio" ["category#2"]=> string(6) "3canal" ["category#3"]=> string(7) "carissa" ["category#4"]=> string(13) "carissaswierd" ["category#5"]=> string(10) "georgehrab" ["category#6"]=> string(9) "hover.com" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(126) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/08/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-7-2010-friends-old-and-new/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) " Here is the direct MP3 download for the EGC clamba [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(3965) "<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/images/egc-logo-150.jpg" width="135" height="70" /> </div> <p>Here is the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-07.mp3">direct MP3 download</a> for the EGC clambake for August 7, 2010. I play a new song from George Hrab; I talk about the new sponsorship by Hover.com; I talk about my increasing divergence from the rest of the online digerati about the value of gadgets; I discuss my trip back to Kansas for my high school reunion; I play a song by the band Carissa&#8217;s Wierd [sic]; I talk about how my side projects are beginning to cause thrash and despite that, I want to publish an old school paper zine and do more projects that have something you can touch; I play a song by 3canal that makes me chair dance and then dance into the sunset.</p> <p>You can <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/podcast.xml">subscribe to this podcast feed via RSS</a>. To sponsor the show, contact <a href="http://www.backbeatmedia.com/">BackBeat Media</a>. Don&#8217;t forget, you can fly your EGC flag by buying the <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/stuff/">stuff package</a>. This show as a whole is Creative Commons licensed <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/">Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5</a>. Bandwidth for this episode is provided by <a href="http://www.cachefly.com/">Cachefly</a>.</p> <p>Links mentioned in this episode:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.hover.com/">Hover.com</a> is now our sponsor: Use coupon code EGC to save 10% on domain registrations</li> <li><a href="http://www.geologicrecords.net/">George Hrab</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hrab6">Buy George Hrab&#8217;s album <strong>Trebuchet</strong> from CD Baby</a></li> <li><a href="http://hardlyart.com/carissaswierd.html">Carissa&#8217;s Wierd</a> [sic, that's how they spelled it]</li> <li><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Newave-Underground-Mini-Comix-1980s/dp/1606993135%3FSubscriptionId%3D0PZ7TM66EXQCXFVTMTR2%26tag%3Drealitybreak%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1606993135">Newave!: The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s</a></strong></li> <li><a href="http://www.3canal.com/">3canal</a> [warning - link autoplays music]</li> <li><a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/3canal5">Buy 3canal&#8217;s <strong>Joy + Fire</strong> from CD Baby</a></li> <li>Theme song provided by the <a href="http://www.gentlereaders.com/">Gentle Readers</a></li> <li>My <a href="http://friendfeed.com/geniodiabolico">FriendFeed</a></li> </ul> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/3canal/" rel="tag">3canal</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/carissa/" rel="tag">carissa</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/carissaswierd/" rel="tag">carissaswierd</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/georgehrab/" rel="tag">georgehrab</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/hover-com/" rel="tag">hover.com</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(131) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/08/evil-genius-chronicles-podcast-for-august-7-2010-friends-old-and-new/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "1" } ["enclosure#"]=> int(1) ["enclosure@"]=> string(15) "url,length,type" ["enclosure@url"]=> string(60) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-07.mp3" ["enclosure@length"]=> string(1) "0" ["enclosure@type"]=> string(10) "audio/mpeg" ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) " Here is the direct MP3 download for the EGC clamba [...]" ["link_enclosure#"]=> int(1) ["link_enclosure@href"]=> string(60) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-07.mp3" ["link_enclosure"]=> string(60) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/audio/egc-2010-08-07.mp3" ["link_enclosure@length"]=> string(1) "0" ["link_enclosure@type"]=> string(10) "audio/mpeg" ["category@term"]=> string(5) "audio" ["category#2@term"]=> string(6) "3canal" ["category#3@term"]=> string(7) "carissa" ["category#4@term"]=> string(13) "carissaswierd" ["category#5@term"]=> string(10) "georgehrab" ["category#6@term"]=> string(9) "hover.com" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1281285113) } [8]=> array(26) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(30) "Summer Hiatus Coming to an End" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(162) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/06/summer-hiatus-coming-to-an-end/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=summer-hiatus-coming-to-an-end" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(97) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/06/summer-hiatus-coming-to-an-end/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:06:13 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(5) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(2) ["subject"]=> string(17) "digital-lifestlye" ["subject#2"]=> string(4) "life" } ["category#"]=> int(2) ["category"]=> string(17) "digital-lifestlye" ["category#2"]=> string(4) "life" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(88) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/06/summer-hiatus-coming-to-an-end/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "I didn't actually intend to take a summer hiatus from o [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(1404) "<p>I didn&#8217;t actually intend to take a summer hiatus from online stuff but de facto I did. Decision by decision for the last few months, I&#8217;ve opted away from creating and publishing things online and more towards relaxing. The exception is at <a href="http://www.ebooksfromtv.com">Ebooks From TV</a> where I&#8217;ve blogged more or less every day since early June. However, since that&#8217;s not personal and is done for a very specific single purpose, for some reason that has felt much easier.</p> <p>Tomorrow I&#8217;m recording an episode of the EGC podcast and at some point I have to prepare episode 6 of the <a href="http://www.peakecast.org/">Peakecast</a>. I still have work to do on the movie footage in the can, episodes of Reality Break that really need to be put together, an office that desperately needs cleaned, an air hockey table that needs to be sold on Craigslist. I&#8217;ll have to upshift my lazy ass from summer gear to productive gear, but I think it can be done. I&#8217;m just trying not to grind the gears too badly.</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(93) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/08/06/summer-hiatus-coming-to-an-end/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "I didn't actually intend to take a summer hiatus from o [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(17) "digital-lifestlye" ["category#2@term"]=> string(4) "life" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1281114373) } [9]=> array(24) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(13) "Old Home Week" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(128) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/30/old-home-week/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=old-home-week" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(80) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/30/old-home-week/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:27:08 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(4) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(1) ["subject"]=> string(4) "life" } ["category#"]=> int(1) ["category"]=> string(4) "life" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(71) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/30/old-home-week/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "I am currently on a quick tour through Colorado and nor [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(1581) "<p>I am currently on a quick tour through Colorado and northwestern Kansas. This weekend I&#8217;l be attending my 25th high school reunion. This really seems like the one to go to. We ain&#8217;t getting any younger, we&#8217;re all at the point in our lives where we&#8217;re starting to get sentimental about the past. I haven&#8217;t been to any previous ones but I was really motivated for this reunion. Realistically, this is probably the last chance I have in this life to see a number of these folks. I need to take it.</p> <p>I&#8217;m not even sure if the Kansas hotel we&#8217;re going to has internet, so my appearance on the intarwebs might be spotty. The way I&#8217;ve been blogging/podcasting lately, that&#8217;s getting harder to notice.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(76) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/30/old-home-week/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "I am currently on a quick tour through Colorado and nor [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(4) "life" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1280503628) } [10]=> array(24) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(27) "Keeping the Plates Spinning" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(156) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/23/keeping-the-plates-spinning/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=keeping-the-plates-spinning" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(94) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/23/keeping-the-plates-spinning/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Sat, 24 Jul 2010 02:43:43 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(4) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(1) ["subject"]=> string(4) "life" } ["category#"]=> int(1) ["category"]=> string(4) "life" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(85) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/23/keeping-the-plates-spinning/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "I don't want this blog to fall into cobwebby disarray, [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(1530) "<p>I don&#8217;t want this blog to fall into cobwebby disarray, but for a variety of reasons I haven&#8217;t been around here much. Part of that is normal summer stuff with some fun travel and work travel, part of that is other projects, and part is the ever diminishing urge to blog. I do like the thought some days of just shutting down Twitter for good and going back to this blog as my primary interface with the internet. I don&#8217;t trust Twitter as either a business entity or as a competent deliverer of service so it never feels sensible to allow them to be my stewards between me and the rest of the world. The same goes 10X for Facebook as an untrustworthy steward, even if they are better on a technical level.</p> <p>I&#8217;ll post here when I have something to show for it, but&nbsp;&nbsp;just for pure giggles I&#8217;m pursing an old school paper zine. So much of what I have done for creativity in the last decade is electronic, intangible and ephemeral. I like the idea of putting out something that is an artifact, that you can hold and keep and get in the mail. That&#8217;s my new slogan: Putting the &#8216;somatic&#8217; back in &#8216;psychosomatic&#8217;!</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(90) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/23/keeping-the-plates-spinning/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "I don't want this blog to fall into cobwebby disarray, [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(4) "life" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1279939423) } [11]=> array(26) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(17) "RIP, Harvey Pekar" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(134) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/13/rip-harvey-pekar/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rip-harvey-pekar" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(83) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/13/rip-harvey-pekar/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:43:52 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(5) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(2) ["subject"]=> string(6) "comics" ["subject#2"]=> string(11) "harveypekar" } ["category#"]=> int(2) ["category"]=> string(6) "comics" ["category#2"]=> string(11) "harveypekar" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(74) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/13/rip-harvey-pekar/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Yesterday I heard the sad news that Harvey Pekar has di [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(5556) "<p>Yesterday I heard the sad news that <a href="http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/07/cleveland_comic-book_legend_ha.html">Harvey Pekar has died at the age of 70</a>. I&#8217;ve been a fan of Harvey since I was 18 years old and I happened across an issue of <i>American Splendor</i> in a comic book shop. At the time I was getting in to <i>Love and Rockets</i> so I wondered what this similarly magazine sized black and white comic was all about. I was blown away and bought all of the rest of the series as it came out. In fact, earlier this year I had just completed my run of the original series by getting issues 1, 2 and 3 on eBay for the freaky low price of $25. I followed Harvey when he was on David Letterman but unlike most folks I was actually versed in his work when we was on.</p> <p>There is one story of his that I particularly love and think about often. As I was bagging the collection recently I ran back across it in issue #13. The title escapes me and I&#8217;m away from my collection but it is the story where Harvey goes in to work on a snowy day and because of the blizzard work is very slow so he reads I. J. Singer&#8217;s <b>The Brothers Ashkenazi</b> and muses on differences between the Singer brothers. I used to work rotating shifts as quality control in a chemical factory and during the holidays my work was very much like that. Just enough work we had to come in but lots of time to read and relax while still getting paid. In some ways, that&#8217;s the most magical moments a bookish working stiff can ever achieve. In this one story, I felt as close to Harvey as I ever have.</p> <p>Recently at Heroes Con in Charlotte I chatted with <a href="http://www.edpiskor.com/">Ed Piskor</a> and <a href="http://www.chrissamnee.com/">Chris Samnee</a>. With both of them, all I talked about was their work with Pekar. I bought a copy of <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beats-Graphic-History-Harvey-Pekar/dp/0809016494%3FSubscriptionId%3D0PZ7TM66EXQCXFVTMTR2%26tag%3Drealitybreak%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0809016494">The Beats: A Graphic History</a></strong> from Ed&#8217;s table. My deepest Pekar regret is that years ago he was at Dragon*Con as a guest. There was a point where I walked near his table. He had no one around him and I wanted to go tell him how much I appreciated his work but something about the look on his face scared me off and I just never did it. I know the lessons of the Butthole Surfers: &#8220;It&#8217;s better to regret something you have done than something you haven&#8217;t done&#8221; but I failed anyway. I always wish I had, even just to tell him that his work meant something to me. Take these chances when they arrive kids, because they often won&#8217;t arrive again.</p> <p>A lot of things I see about Harvey refer to him as a curmudgeon or a misanthrope. The one thing that I take away from his work &#8211; and I&#8217;m talking about lots of it over the last 35 years &#8211; is that Harvey loved people. Note how many <i>American Splendor</i> stories are in fact someone else relating their story. Harvey talked to that person, asked them about themselves, cared enough to remember and then write it up. That&#8217;s not a thing you do from a hatred of humanity, that&#8217;s an act of love. If anything, although many stories are about Harvey being cranky at circumstance or failing at the little things it always seemed like most of the anger was at himself. People he loved.</p> <p>I will miss this guy very much. I&#8217;m glad he achieved a level of success over his career. He still remains one of my creative idols, for a guy in 1976 who wanted to put out a comic and couldn&#8217;t see any reason not to so he did it. These are the people who informed my feelings about podcasting and new media &#8211; people like Harvey who did what they wanted to on their plan when it was very difficult. I&#8217;m glad that he got a little time of retirement from his day job and was able to just write for a few years. I loved and love his work, and eventually will own and read every bit of it. He was one of the true heroes of American letters and thankfully some of that adulation came while Harvey was still around to appreciate it.</p> <p>I&#8217;m trying not to be sad about Harvey dying in 2010 but happy that he didn&#8217;t die of cancer in 1990. He had a gift of 20 years given to him, and he used those 20 years well. May we all do as well with the gifts we are given. Goodbye Harvey. Rest in peace.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/comics/" rel="tag">comics</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/harveypekar/" rel="tag">harveypekar</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(79) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/13/rip-harvey-pekar/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "Yesterday I heard the sad news that Harvey Pekar has di [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(6) "comics" ["category#2@term"]=> string(11) "harveypekar" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1279025032) } [12]=> array(24) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(41) "Why I Haven’t Been Blogging Much Lately" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(178) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/05/why-i-havent-been-blogging-much-lately/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-i-havent-been-blogging-much-lately" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(105) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/05/why-i-havent-been-blogging-much-lately/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:13:32 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(4) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(1) ["subject"]=> string(4) "life" } ["category#"]=> int(1) ["category"]=> string(4) "life" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(96) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/05/why-i-havent-been-blogging-much-lately/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) " Sometimes a man's got to do what a man's got to do [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(805) "<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=33626751&amp;id=42707005&amp;comments=&amp;alert=#!/photo.php?pid=34336682&amp;id=42707005"><img src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs061.ash2/36418_602186611468_42707005_34336682_6849157_n.jpg" width="360" height="270" /></a> </div> <p>Sometimes a man&#8217;s got to do what a man&#8217;s got to do. That goes double for dogs.</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(101) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/07/05/why-i-havent-been-blogging-much-lately/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) " Sometimes a man's got to do what a man's got to do [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(4) "life" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1278342812) } [13]=> array(34) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(37) "Write A Song in One Hour: Balticon 44" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(174) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/20/write-a-song-in-one-hour-balticon-44/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=write-a-song-in-one-hour-balticon-44" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(103) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/20/write-a-song-in-one-hour-balticon-44/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:30:52 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(9) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(6) ["subject"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["subject#2"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["subject#3"]=> string(11) "jamesdurham" ["subject#4"]=> string(21) "kimthecomicbookgoddes" ["subject#5"]=> string(12) "mattiebrahen" ["subject#6"]=> string(11) "normsherman" } ["category#"]=> int(6) ["category"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#3"]=> string(11) "jamesdurham" ["category#4"]=> string(21) "kimthecomicbookgoddes" ["category#5"]=> string(12) "mattiebrahen" ["category#6"]=> string(11) "normsherman" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(94) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/20/write-a-song-in-one-hour-balticon-44/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) " At Balitcon 44, I participa [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(6559) "<div style="float: right; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gnZwCS2dSq8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x3a3a3a&amp;color2=0x999999&amp;border=1" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gnZwCS2dSq8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x3a3a3a&amp;color2=0x999999&amp;border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364" /><br /> </object> </div> <p>At Balitcon 44, I participated in a panel that was one of the most fun things I&#8217;ve ever been a part of at any SF or comic convention in my 25+ years of attending them. The panel was called &#8220;How to Write a Kick-Ass Song About Anything.&#8221; I went thinking it was going to be songwriters at the front of the room talking about writing songs but in fact, the brilliantly cracked minds of the organizers had something bigger in mind. Instead, people were gathered at the front of the room with instruments and they laid out the plan: We&#8217;d take 5 minutes to brainstorm a theme, 5 minutes for a chord structure, 10 minutes to write a chorus and then split up into smaller groups to write the verses.</p> <p>The panel was officiated by <a href="http://www.jamesdurham.com/">James Durham</a>, with <a href="http://web.me.com/normsherman/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html">Norm Sherman</a>, <a href="http://www.comicbookgoddess.com/">Kim Fortuner</a> and Mattie Brahen serving as the more experienced guides. I am proud to say that one of the early bits of input that steered the whole experience was mine. In response to &#8220;What will this song be about?&#8221; I threw in &#8220;Everyone seems to love the steampunk nowadays. How about something steampunkish?&#8221; As more suggestions piled up, we added ornithopters and dragons to the mix.The (metaphorical) gears engaged after that, and the panel decided it would be bluesy so we needed a reason why a dragon and an ornithopter would be down in the mouth. The group decided that the dragon had lost its flame and somewhere in there that the dragon powers the ornithopters and the loss of flame meant that the protagonist was now losing the war. This lead to the chorus &#8220;Like a toothless gear, like an empty flagon, there is nothing more pathetic than a smokeless dragon.&#8221; Rock on!</p> <p>From there, we split up into two groups. I&#8217;m not sure how the other group worked, but ours had a lot of fun writing the first verse. There were definitely people in the room who were kind of watching in bemusement, but for the people who were engaged and throwing out suggestions, every single person had an idea or word or phrase that ended up in the final song. By and large, people worked together quite good. I can tell you that every point at which someone revised something I had suggested, the revision was better than the original. For example, I suggested &#8220;broken gear&#8221; in the chorus, and later on, someone else pointed out that &#8220;toothless gear&#8221; worked better with the dragon theme, which is absolutely true. I told James later on that the only thing I would have changed is to change the ground rules such that no one can ever tell anyone else &#8220;No&#8221; to any suggestion. The only possibility is to come up with alternatives that people feel are superior. It&#8217;s kind of a dick move to say &#8220;Your input isn&#8217;t good enough&#8221;, and I think it is much better with less stress to just put in something else. The mode of operation should always be to take the best suggestion on the table, and if you don&#8217;t like it then improve it .</p> <p>With that said, it was all good. The two groups exchanged just enough information so that we could keep the narratives making sense. With no real coordination our group set the stage with a first verse and the other one resolved a lot of stuff. It was kind of freaky how well the two independent verses worked when we put them together. The musicians played and the room sang the song through a few times, then we performed it to record a few times and we were done. Holy moley was the whole thing fun, beginning to end. It was funny how Mattie Brahen, an old school filker and the only panelist not in our new media subscene, started out really skeptical and eventually really got into it. I talked to her in the hall afterwards and she admitted that at the beginning she was pretty sure we were all crazy. She may have been right.</p> <p>I stand by my belief that this is in the top five SF con moments I&#8217;ve ever had. It demystified a lot of the creative process and showed how the songs weren&#8217;t these perfect gems that popped into being but something you work and work and work until it becomes what you want from it. The talent of the musicians and the very tight constraints helped a lot. We had 50 minutes total before we had to leave the room, so the song had to be written and recorded with no room for spinning wheels. If they ever do this again at a Balticon, I highly recommend you try to be in that room.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/balticon/" rel="tag">balticon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/jamesdurham/" rel="tag">jamesdurham</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/kimthecomicbookgoddes/" rel="tag">kimthecomicbookgoddes</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/mattiebrahen/" rel="tag">mattiebrahen</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/normsherman/" rel="tag">normsherman</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(99) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/20/write-a-song-in-one-hour-balticon-44/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) " At Balitcon 44, I participa [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2@term"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#3@term"]=> string(11) "jamesdurham" ["category#4@term"]=> string(21) "kimthecomicbookgoddes" ["category#5@term"]=> string(12) "mattiebrahen" ["category#6@term"]=> string(11) "normsherman" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1277065852) } [14]=> array(32) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(38) "Ebooks From TV – My New Side Project" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(170) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/12/ebooks-from-tv-my-new-side-project/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ebooks-from-tv-my-new-side-project" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(101) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/12/ebooks-from-tv-my-new-side-project/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Sun, 13 Jun 2010 03:31:54 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(8) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(5) ["subject"]=> string(9) "handhelds" ["subject#2"]=> string(2) "tv" ["subject#3"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["subject#4"]=> string(12) "ebooksfromtv" ["subject#5"]=> string(11) "paulfischer" } ["category#"]=> int(5) ["category"]=> string(9) "handhelds" ["category#2"]=> string(2) "tv" ["category#3"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#4"]=> string(12) "ebooksfromtv" ["category#5"]=> string(11) "paulfischer" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(92) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/12/ebooks-from-tv-my-new-side-project/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "It's true, I do not need Yet One More Side Project. Reg [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(2656) "<p>It&#8217;s true, I do not need Yet One More Side Project. Regardless, I have one. Talking to <a href="http://addcast.net/">Paul Fischer</a> at <a href="http://www.balticon.org/">Balticon</a> a few weeks ago, I was mentioning to him my ebook buying dynamic. I said that &#8220;If I see a book on Colbert or the Daily Show that interests me, I look to see if it is available for Kindle. If it is and at a decent price, I just buy it then. If not, I never think about it again.&#8221; Paul&#8217;s response was &#8220;What if you had a blog that collected all that information in one place?&#8221; Brilliant, said I. I offered Paul the right of first refusal on pursuing it since it was his idea. He passed, so I came home and set it up.</p> <p>That site is <a href="http://www.ebooksfromtv.com">Ebooks From TV.</a> I&#8217;m trying hard to cover all the evening and late night talk shows, CSPAN Book TV weekends, and the daytime talk shows as I can. Ideally, if a book was mentioned on any of the national TV shows, you can find it in a post on Ebooks From TV. My goal is to get the post up the same day but occasionally it might be a day or two later.</p> <p>If you run across a TV show where a book is mentioned and you don&#8217;t see it on the site, let me know via email at <a href="mailto:dave@ebooksfromtv.com">dave@ebooksfromtv.com</a> . It could be that I&#8217;m not following that show, that the book doesn&#8217;t actually have a Kindle version available, or that it was published more than a year ago. I&#8217;ll make sure that at the very least I&#8217;m paying attention to that show, if nothing else.</p> <p>Before the end of the weekend, I&#8217;ll set this up as a Kindle subscribable blog. My current understanding is that those blogs available on the Kindle must be at least $0.99 per month. I&#8217;ll put it at the very lowest price available whatever that is. If you frequently find yourself looking for books that you saw on a talk show, this might be a handy resource for you.</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/balticon/" rel="tag">balticon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/ebooksfromtv/" rel="tag">ebooksfromtv</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/paulfischer/" rel="tag">paulfischer</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(97) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/12/ebooks-from-tv-my-new-side-project/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "1" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "It's true, I do not need Yet One More Side Project. Reg [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(9) "handhelds" ["category#2@term"]=> string(2) "tv" ["category#3@term"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#4@term"]=> string(12) "ebooksfromtv" ["category#5@term"]=> string(11) "paulfischer" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1276399914) } [15]=> array(32) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(36) "Special Correspondent for Technorama" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(174) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/11/special-correspondent-for-technorama/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=special-correspondent-for-technorama" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(103) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/11/special-correspondent-for-technorama/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Sat, 12 Jun 2010 04:46:41 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(8) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(5) ["subject"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["subject#2"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["subject#3"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["subject#4"]=> string(9) "heroescon" ["subject#5"]=> string(10) "technorama" } ["category#"]=> int(5) ["category"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["category#3"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#4"]=> string(9) "heroescon" ["category#5"]=> string(10) "technorama" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(94) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/11/special-correspondent-for-technorama/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "I'm still barely dribbling out the con reports from my [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(2458) "<p>I&#8217;m still barely dribbling out the con reports from my trip to <a href="http://www.balticon.org/">Balticon</a> and in that time since I&#8217;ve been writing them, I&#8217;ve been to a whole other con, <a href="http://www.heroesonline.com/heroescon.html">Heroescon</a> in Charlotte last weekend. I had a lot of fun there, did comic shopping and autograph hunting and all the things a fanboy does at a good sized comic con. This year I also did a <a href="http://www.chuckchat.com/technorama/2010/06/11/cct-special-heroes-con-2010-206-222-2428/">few interviews as &#8220;special correspondent&#8221;</a> for the <a href="http://www.chuckchat.com/technorama/">Technorama</a> podcast. Thanks to <a href="http://www.spyndle.com/">Kreg Steppe</a> for lending me his H2 for an hour to walk around and interview a few folks and then toss it back to him for him to do the actual work of making a show from them.</p> <p>Check out the <a href="http://www.chuckchat.com/technorama/2010/06/11/cct-special-heroes-con-2010-206-222-2428/">episode here</a> and let me know what you think. It was a blast to be able to do this work outside of my own shows and just cut loose. I highly recommend it to all podcasters. It really is invigorating.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/balticon/" rel="tag">balticon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/heroescon/" rel="tag">heroescon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/podcasting/" rel="tag">podcasting</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/technorama/" rel="tag">technorama</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(99) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/11/special-correspondent-for-technorama/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "1" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "I'm still barely dribbling out the con reports from my [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2@term"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["category#3@term"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#4@term"]=> string(9) "heroescon" ["category#5@term"]=> string(10) "technorama" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1276318001) } [16]=> array(28) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(36) "My Balticon 44 (2010) Wrapup, Part 2" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(168) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/07/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-2" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(100) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/07/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-2/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Tue, 08 Jun 2010 03:24:17 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(6) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(3) ["subject"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["subject#2"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["subject#3"]=> string(9) "philrossi" } ["category#"]=> int(3) ["category"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#3"]=> string(9) "philrossi" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(91) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/07/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-2/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Part two of Balticon by strobe light. Saturday eve [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(4147) "<p>Part two of Balticon by strobe light.</p> <div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/87346352@N00/4663838300/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4663838300_099dea5b63_m.jpg" /></a> </div> <p>Saturday evening: I was on a panel at 5 PM with <a href="http://www.thephilrossiexperience.com/crescent/">Phil Rossi</a>, <a href="http://web.me.com/normsherman/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html">Norm Sherman</a>, <a href="http://geekadelphia.com/">Dan Tabor</a> and <a href="http://thecommandline.net/">Thomas Gideon</a>. It was called &#8220;Art, Music and Literature in an Age of Technological Reproducibility.&#8221; We talked about creative commons licensing and the ethics of piracy and how not to freak out when people lift your creative work. It was a fine panel and I think we all acquitted ourselves just fine. Afterwards I had dinner with Gideon, <a href="http://mistressjett.wordpress.com/">Mistress Jett</a>, Dan Tabor and MA in the PA (who knitted my bad ass Jayne hats), and Kevin Crosby. Kevin gave me an enormous amount of legal advice that I can use for my movie, not really specific answers but ways that I should be asking the questions. It was all great.</p> <p>After coming back from dinner, we ran into Phil Rossi in front of the hotel. I asked if he needed any help loading in, and he said no, &#8220;&#8230; But. I could use a guitar tech to help keep these guitars in tune.&#8221; This is where it got a little weird. I found out later that Phil was under the impression I was a guitar player, which I am not. I played bass when I was younger but stopped 22 years ago. I asked if he had a tuner, and offered to do it if he couldn&#8217;t find anyone else more qualified.</p> <p>I went and did some other stuff and then went back to the room a little before the show and we committed that I would do the job. It sort of became like a waking version of one of those anxiety dreams, where I&#8217;m on &#8220;stage&#8221; (really the front of a hotel ballroom) with only minimal ideas of what I&#8217;m doing. As Phil traded guitars between his acoustic and electric, I&#8217;d take them off to the side, plug them into the electronic tuner and go. I said before that I&#8217;m not a guitar player but I&#8217;m not color blind and I can read the difference between red and green LEDs. The first time I tuned Phil&#8217;s acoustic I had a true bit of stress because I could not get the B string right. I wasn&#8217;t sure how much song remained, whether this guitar was going to be used the next song or later, and how much longer it would take or even if I could ever get the damn thing right. Finally, I turned loose of it about 45 seconds before Phil was looking for it. Bullet ducked.</p> <div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/desdemina/4664325498/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4664325498_1867f289a1_m_d.jpg" /></a> </div> <p>Overall, the whole thing was kind of like those anxiety dreams I still have to this day. Usually in them, I&#8217;m in a test that I am not prepared for or realize it is the end of a semester and I forgot to drop a class I long since stopped attending. Standing just offstage tuning guitars that I&#8217;m not exactly sure how to work is pretty similar to that. It was a good experience though. I really dig Phil&#8217;s music and was glad to be a minor part of it. <a href="http://www.thephilrossiexperience.com/philrossinet/?page_id=15">Check out Phil&#8217;s stuff</a>, for Dobbs&#8217; sake!</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/balticon/" rel="tag">balticon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/philrossi/" rel="tag">philrossi</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(96) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/07/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-2/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "3" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "Part two of Balticon by strobe light. Saturday eve [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2@term"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#3@term"]=> string(9) "philrossi" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1275967457) } [17]=> array(34) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(36) "My Balticon 44 (2010) Wrapup, Part 1" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(168) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/02/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-1" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(100) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/02/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-1/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Thu, 03 Jun 2010 04:26:49 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(9) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(6) ["subject"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["subject#2"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["subject#3"]=> string(12) "cynicalwoman" ["subject#4"]=> string(18) "phillipaballantine" ["subject#5"]=> string(9) "teemorris" ["subject#6"]=> string(11) "vivschubert" } ["category#"]=> int(6) ["category"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#3"]=> string(12) "cynicalwoman" ["category#4"]=> string(18) "phillipaballantine" ["category#5"]=> string(9) "teemorris" ["category#6"]=> string(11) "vivschubert" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(91) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/02/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-1/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "I have a bad habit of starting chronological convention [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(7005) "<p>I have a bad habit of starting chronological convention wrapups, being too detailed and burning out before I finish. Instead, I&#8217;m going to recap this year&#8217;s <a href="http://www.balticon.org/">Balticon</a> anecdote by anecdote. I will feel no compunction to do it in any particular order or in any number of posts. I&#8217;ll write until I feel done and hit publish, then lather rinse and repeat.</p> <div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13953920@N08/4663928740/in/faves-87346352@N00"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4663928740_e9bae9fe09_m_d.jpg" /></a> </div> <p>Overview: This year definitelly felt smaller and less crowded overall. There seemed to be fewer big literary guests and a lot of groups that had hallway tables in previous years weren&#8217;t there this year. I saw a few tweets from people that seemed bummed by this year. However, from my experience of mostly participating on the new media track with some forays into broader fandom at times, I thought it was even more fun than last year. I did a few things differently. I ended up not even deploying my promotional stuff. I didn&#8217;t stress about keeping stickers and flyers stocked around the con. Instead I focused on really rocking the three panels I was on, seeing friends and having fun.</p> <p>One of the rules I set for myself was to not repeat meal partners anytime during the weekend. If I were invited to dinner and I had already dined with anyone in that group, I had to pass. It worked quite well and I avoided the comfort zone of locking in with a few people and socializing only with that small group. I like it so much I think that will become my standard con MO from here on out. I also made a point of trying to talk to as many people as possible and being open to as broad a set of shenanigans as possible. That worked out pretty well for me and I&#8217;ll get to some of those anecdotes later.</p> <p>Saturday night: <a href="http://www.intotheblender.com/">Viv Schubert</a> organized a &#8220;nerd prom&#8221; that was held in one of the programming rooms. I helped set up some of it after being a spontaneous guitar tech (that will be its own anecdote later.) Kevin Crosby and I ran cables and secured bits of <a href="http://www.teemorris.com/">Tee Morris</a>&#8216; DJ setup at the head of the room. When things were in hand there, I went up to my room and changed in to my costume. Anyone familiar with me or this blog knows I have one and only costume to wear at SF conventions. It was my &#8220;Señor Muerte&#8221; costume consisting of the luchadore mask I bought in Portland OR and the tights and wrestling boots bought for me by my wife, ring ready gear mind you. When the voting came time, all the participants in the nerd prom costume contest lined up into a gauntlet or catwalk where we all walked down and back to show off our costumes. Mine was the very last name called (only the character, I didn&#8217;t know we were supposed to put real names on there.) As I walked to the head of the room, about one second before I got there I hatched a plan to do my catwalk in a combination of a stomp and a monkey walk. I did a jump at each end and returned to my place.</p> <p>In one of the odder moments of an odd night, a guy who was already wearing a wrestler costume that included a kid&#8217;s prop WWE belt. This guy, who I didn&#8217;t know and never got his name, gave me that belt to become part of my costume. &#8220;I&#8217;ve got 9 more at home, you should have this.&#8221; Thank you, dude who I don&#8217;t know. I heard later he was trying to hand it to me during my walk but I hope I&#8217;m giving away no secrets if I tell you &#8220;Mexican wrestler masks are the mortal enemy of peripheral vision.&#8221; This prop belt had no fastening hardware but I remembered from setting up the room where the duct tape was, and <a href="http://www.pjballantine.com/">Phillipa Ballantine</a> was kind enough to tape it to me. I am pretty sure that I&#8217;m the only person in that room whose costume became more ornate and more complete as I attended the party.</p> <div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40424632@N00/4661266645/in/faves-87346352@N00"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4661266645_a783f33789_m_d.jpg" /></a> </div> <p>After about 10 minutes, they announced the winners in a few categories. I had a joke about the voting being rigged ready to go when they announced &#8220;Prom King&#8221; and it was me. At that point, I knew for a fact it had to be corrupt but it was in my favor so I kept my mouth shut. I joined the Prom Queen, <a href="http://www.cynicalwoman.com/">Helen &#8220;Cynical Woman&#8221; Madden</a> at the front of the room. We put on our sashes, tried to put on the crown and tiara but both were already wearing headgear that precluded it so we had to do the best we could. It was a completely insane amount of fun. I wore my &#8220;Prom King&#8221; sash all the rest of that night, and all day the next day. In order to make it the maximally Andy Kaufman-esque street theater I refused to explain the origin of the sash to anyone that needed to ask. The rest of that night involved having many conversations with many people, which was a complete blast. I also got kicked out of the hotel bar, in a full luchadore outfit, for carrying in a cup to talk to people. In retrospect, I should have taken the bar manager and put him into the atomic piledriver.</p> <p>That&#8217;s all I can take for tonight. Many more tales of shenanigans later.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/balticon/" rel="tag">balticon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/cynicalwoman/" rel="tag">cynicalwoman</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/phillipaballantine/" rel="tag">phillipaballantine</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/teemorris/" rel="tag">teemorris</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/vivschubert/" rel="tag">vivschubert</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(96) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/02/my-balticon-44-2010-wrapup-part-1/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "1" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "I have a bad habit of starting chronological convention [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(11) "conventions" ["category#2@term"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#3@term"]=> string(12) "cynicalwoman" ["category#4@term"]=> string(18) "phillipaballantine" ["category#5@term"]=> string(9) "teemorris" ["category#6@term"]=> string(11) "vivschubert" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1275539209) } [18]=> array(36) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(18) "Flickrphallophobia" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(138) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/flickrphallophobia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=flickrphallophobia" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(85) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/flickrphallophobia/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:55:08 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(10) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(7) ["subject"]=> string(4) "misc" ["subject#2"]=> string(13) "backbeatmedia" ["subject#3"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["subject#4"]=> string(12) "davehamilton" ["subject#5"]=> string(8) "evoterra" ["subject#6"]=> string(11) "podcastexpo" ["subject#7"]=> string(9) "teemorris" } ["category#"]=> int(7) ["category"]=> string(4) "misc" ["category#2"]=> string(13) "backbeatmedia" ["category#3"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#4"]=> string(12) "davehamilton" ["category#5"]=> string(8) "evoterra" ["category#6"]=> string(11) "podcastexpo" ["category#7"]=> string(9) "teemorris" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(75) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/flickphallophobia/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "An incident from my past was brought up at Balticon, in [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(2983) "<p>An incident from my past was brought up at <a href="http://www.balticon.org/">Balticon</a>, in a story that <a href="http://funanymore.com/">Evo Terra</a> regaled a group with one evening. I&#8217;ll give the Reader&#8217;s Digest condensed version.</p> <p>Podcast Expo 2006, it was year two of the Ontario California conference. We were reprising our &#8220;spontaneous poolside barbecue feast&#8221; of the first year with a less spontaneous version of the same thing paid for by <a href="http://www.davethenerd.com/">Dave Hamilton</a> of <a href="http://www.backbeatmedia.com/">Backbeat Media</a>. <a href="http://www.teemorris.com/">Tee Morris</a> gets some sort of spirit of Elvis in him and decides to shed his clothes and jump into the hotel pool naked as a grape. He invites me to jump in, in the most platonic and masculine way one straight guy can ask another straight guy to join him in public nudity. I decline, and my excuse is that I have a condition called flickrphallophobia, which I defined as &#8220;fear of seeing pictures of your dick posted to Flickr.&#8221; Evo Terra refused to believe that I made up that term on the spot, and I believe we placed a bet on whether Google would find it and he lost it (the second bet he lost in 30 seconds.)</p> <p>I have told Tee this many many times, but my biggest regret in my 5.5 year history with the podcast medium is that I didn&#8217;t just take off my clothes and jump in. It wouldn&#8217;t have been that big a deal and I really don&#8217;t know what my problem was. Given the opportunity again, I&#8217;m opting for shenanigans. However, as the story came up again this weekend we realized that this term still isn&#8217;t in the googlosphere and <a href="http://addcast.net/">Paul Fischer</a> really wants it so. It was also suggested that the better term is &#8220;autoflickrphallophobia&#8221;, which would be the difference between fearing any wee wee photos on Flickr vs. pictures of ones own. I coined a term for that person: &#8220;redonkulopedantic.&#8221;</p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/backbeatmedia/" rel="tag">backbeatmedia</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/balticon/" rel="tag">balticon</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/davehamilton/" rel="tag">davehamilton</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/evoterra/" rel="tag">evoterra</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/podcastexpo/" rel="tag">podcastexpo</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/teemorris/" rel="tag">teemorris</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> array(2) { ["commentrss#"]=> int(1) ["commentrss"]=> string(81) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/flickrphallophobia/feed/" } ["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"]=> array(2) { ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(1) "0" } ["summary#"]=> int(1) ["summary"]=> string(61) "An incident from my past was brought up at Balticon, in [...]" ["category@term"]=> string(4) "misc" ["category#2@term"]=> string(13) "backbeatmedia" ["category#3@term"]=> string(8) "balticon" ["category#4@term"]=> string(12) "davehamilton" ["category#5@term"]=> string(8) "evoterra" ["category#6@term"]=> string(11) "podcastexpo" ["category#7@term"]=> string(9) "teemorris" ["date_timestamp"]=> int(1275432908) } [19]=> array(24) { ["title#"]=> int(1) ["title"]=> string(26) "My Balticon Drive Playlist" ["link#"]=> int(1) ["link"]=> string(154) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/my-balticon-drive-playlist/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-balticon-drive-playlist" ["comments#"]=> int(1) ["comments"]=> string(93) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/my-balticon-drive-playlist/#comments" ["pubdate#"]=> int(1) ["pubdate"]=> string(31) "Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:11:45 +0000" ["dc"]=> array(4) { ["creator#"]=> int(1) ["creator"]=> string(4) "dave" ["subject#"]=> int(1) ["subject"]=> string(10) "podcasting" } ["category#"]=> int(1) ["category"]=> string(10) "podcasting" ["guid#"]=> int(1) ["guid@"]=> string(11) "ispermalink" ["guid@ispermalink"]=> string(5) "false" ["guid"]=> string(84) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/06/01/my-balticon-drive-playlist/" ["description#"]=> int(1) ["description"]=> string(61) "Here without much comment is my Balticon road trip play [...]" ["content"]=> array(2) { ["encoded#"]=> int(1) ["encoded"]=> string(4038) "<p>Here without much comment is my <a href="http://www.balticon.org/">Balticon</a> road trip playlist. I&#8221;m noting specific shows if I think that episode is notably worth checking out specifically from that series.</p> <p>Ride up:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/podcast/">Writers Almanac</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.americanheartbreak.com/rnrgeekwp/">Rock and Roll Geek Show</a> (<a href="http://www.americanheartbreak.com/rnrgeekwp/2010/05/09/classic-albums-revisited-get-the-knack-with-berton-averre/">Burton Avere joins for doing a Classic Albums Reviste</a>d on <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Get-Knack/dp/B000065CXQ%3FSubscriptionId%3D0PZ7TM66EXQCXFVTMTR2%26tag%3Drealitybreak%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000065CXQ">Get the Knack</a></strong> )</li> <li><a href="http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/about/podcast/">News From Lake Wobegon</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.indiecomicbooknoise.com/">Indie Comic Book Noise</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.comicbooknoise.com/">Comic Book Noise</a></li> <li><a href="http://smodcast.com/">SModcast</a> 116 (<a href="http://smodcast.com/smodcast/smodcast116.php">Live From New York</a>)</li> <li><a href="http://wtfpod.com/">WTF podcast</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/ls">Le Show</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/latest/radio-news/">Onion Radio News</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.subgenius.com/">Subgenius Shows</a> from <a href="http://www.wrek.org/">WREK</a></li> </ul> <p>Ride Back:</p> <ul> <li>More <a href="http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/podcast/">Writers Almanac</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126559893">All Songs Considered with John Lydon</a> (I don&#8217;t subscribe, just listened to this one episode)</li> <li><a href="http://tomvsflash.blogspot.com/">Tom Vs The Flash</a></li> <li><a href="http://37signals.com/podcast">37 Signals podcast</a></li> <li><a href="http://mudpuddle.podbean.com/">Mudpuddle Podcast</a>, a show specifically around my town Conway SC with the <a href="http://mudpuddle.podbean.com/2010/05/11/this-is-conway-bluegrass-on-the-waccamaw/#respond">episode about this year&#8217;s Bluegrass festival</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.personalitycrisis.org/">Personality Crisis</a> from <a href="http://www.wrek.org/">WREK</a></li> <li>IT Conversations from Gov 2.0, <a href="http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail4411.html">Clay Shirky on the LA Times wiki train wreck</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.comicbooknoise.com/">Comic Book Noise</a> again</li> <li><a href="http://www.indiecomicbooknoise.com/">Indie Comic Book Noise</a> again</li> <li><a href="http://wtfpod.com/">WTF podcast</a> again, this time a <a href="http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/episode_72_maria_bamford">particularly good show with Maria Bamford</a></li> </ul> <p>This is far from comprehensive on my podcast subscription list, but it&#8217;s a good representation of what a few days of listening might be. Note the mix of big media and small, old and new.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var flattr_wp_ver = '0.9.14'; var flattr_uid = '7083'; var flattr_url = 'http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress'; var flattr_lng = 'en_GB'; var flattr_cat = 'text'; var flattr_tag = 'blog,wordpress,rss,feed'; var flattr_btn = 'large'; var flattr_tle = 'Evil Genius Chronicles'; var flattr_dsc = 'A journal of geekery, music and joy'; </script> <script src="https://api.flattr.com/js/0.5.0/load.js?mode=auto" type="text/javascript"></script> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank">flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/podcasting/" rel="tag">podcasting</a></p>" } ["wfw"]=> 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http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/05/04/modern-american-polling-is-valueless/ http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/2010/05/03/social-media-vacation-week-2/" ["feed/lastbuilddate"]=> string(31) "Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:37:33 +0000" ["feed/title#"]=> int(1) ["feed/atom/link_self#"]=> int(1) ["feed/atom/link_self"]=> string(51) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/feed/" ["feed/atom/link_self@"]=> string(13) "href,rel,type" ["feed/atom/link_self@href"]=> string(51) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/feed/" ["feed/atom/link_self@rel"]=> string(4) "self" ["feed/atom/link_self@type"]=> string(19) "application/rss+xml" ["feed/link#"]=> int(1) ["feed/description#"]=> int(1) ["feed/lastbuilddate#"]=> int(1) ["feed/generator#"]=> int(1) ["feed/language#"]=> int(1) ["feed/sy/updateperiod#"]=> int(1) ["feed/sy/updatefrequency#"]=> int(1) ["feed/tagline#"]=> int(1) ["feed/subtitle#"]=> int(1) ["feed/subtitle"]=> string(35) "A journal of geekery, music and joy" ["link/uri"]=> string(51) "http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/feed/" ["link/name"]=> string(22) "Evil Genius Chronicles" ["link/id"]=> string(2) "57" } ["post"]=> array(16) { ["post_title"]=> string(28) "An Ebook/POD Based Bookstore" ["post_content"]=> string(4079) "<p>I&#8217;ll admit that the very first thing I thought when I read <a href="http://www.thenewsleekness.com/index.php/if-i-were-a-rich-man/">this post from Pablo Defendini</a> was &#8220;Damn, how can I come up with the capital to start this business?&#8221; The opening salvo paragraph:</p> <blockquote> <p>If I were a rich man, I’d buy B&amp;N, get rid of all the mass market shelf space, replace it with an <a href="http://www.ondemandbooks.com/the_ebm.htm">Espresso Book Machine</a>, start strong-arming publishers to print and bind really, really nice hardcovers at lower print runs and stock the hell out of those, and open up the B&amp;N in-store ebook store to all devices and platforms (fuck it; even license mobi from Amazon if I can).</p> </blockquote> <p>There is in fact an empty Barnes and Noble building in Myrtle Beach left over from when it moved two years ago. It&#8217;s been sitting idle ever since. It was always jumping before, so the location is capable of sustaining a thriving bookstore business. However, as cool as I thought this idea was, today I saw this <a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/bookselling/espresso_book_machine_spreads_to_bookstores__172027.asp">story on MediaBistro</a> about a bookstore actually using the machine.</p> <p>Oddly to me, the story is written triumphantly as if this is a success story. Looking at the numbers, it looks pretty dismal to me. They paid for a $118,000 Espresso Book Machine and in 5 months have sold 1,500 books with it. Let&#8217;s say they sell those books at an average of $12, they average 250 pages long. My understanding of the variable costs is that they&#8217;d be spending $2.50 in licensing fees per book, about $2 per book in materials and at this point, $79 per book in amortization of the cost of the machine. In 5 months, they are 10% of the way to breaking even on the costs of the machine. At this rate of sales, in another four years they will have finally recouped the cost of the machine and can begin to profit from it. At that point, it will generate $80/day profit, which would be at the low end of a living wage for a single employee. This sounds like the opposite of a sucess story to me, it sounds like a rough start and possibly the early days of a boondoggle.</p> <p>As cool as the technology seems to me, at this point one would need a lot more volume than this to justify the machine or a real eye to the long game. It&#8217;s possible that if one were to open a store with Pablo&#8217;s model in mind, that both the volumes would be higher and there would be enough revenue from the other sources to keep the business viable. However I&#8217;m reading that MediaBistro story not as the &#8220;booyah&#8221; it seems to want to be but more of a &#8220;Warning: potential loss of ass ahead&#8221; warning sign.</p> <p><object width="300" height="250"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q946sfGLxm4?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q946sfGLxm4?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="300" height="250" /><br /> </object></p> <p>Feel free to Flattr this post at <a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" >flattr.com</a>, if you like it.</p> <p><a href="http://flattr.com/" title="Flattr" ><img src="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/flattrss/button-compact-static-100x17.png" alt="flattr this!"/></a></p><p>Tags: <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/bn/" rel="tag">b&amp;n</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/espressobookmachine/" rel="tag">espressobookmachine</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/mediabistro/" rel="tag">mediabistro</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/newsleekness/" rel="tag">newsleekness</a>, <a href="http://www.evilgeniuschronicles.org/wordpress/tag/pablodefendini/" rel="tag">pablodefendini</a></p>" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(61) "I'll admit that the very first thing I thought when I r [...]" ["epoch"]=> array(3) { ["issued"]=> int(1283188326) ["created"]=> NULL ["modified"]=> int(1283188326) } ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2010-08-30 17:12:06" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2010-08-30 17:12:06" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2010-08-30 17:12:06" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2010-08-30 17:12:06" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["guid"]=> string(85) 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