Completely Conspicuous 136: Holidays in the Sun

I'm flying solo on the podcast this week as I recap my vacation to Mexico. Listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- At Puerto Vallarta airport, had to fight through timeshare sharks

- Taxi ride to the resort was insane

- Anything goes with Mexican motorists

- Reminded me of chaotic traffic in India

- Took a while to get used to pesos (12 pesos = $1)

- Disconnected from the Web for most of the week

- Visited Internet cafe to check email occasionally

- Strange TV package at resort

- Spent most of the week at the pool or beach

- Didn't venture off resort much

- Careful not to drink anything but bottled water

- Got sunburned last few days

- Mostly families at resort, but there were occasional drunk frat boys or horny couples

- Drank Mexican beer (Pacifico, Corona, Dos Equis, Tecate)

- Boarding for return flight was bizarre experience

- Sbarro's at PV airport charges $7 per slice

- They really push the duty free goods

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Pearl Jam - Amongst the Waves (live)

The Hush Now - The Other Ones

Marnie Stern - For Ash

PO PO - Bummer Summer

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The show is sponsored by Eastbay/Footlocker.com, a leading supplier of athletic gear. Use promo code AFCOMP15 to get 15% off any order at Eastbay.com, AFCOMP20 to get 20% off any order of $75 or more at Eastbay.com, and AFCOMPFL to get 15% off any order at Footlocker.com.

The Pearl Jam song is a live track recorded last Halloween in Philadelphia. Find out more and download the song for free from the band's website.

The Hush Now song is on the self-released EP Shiver Me Starships. You can download the song for free at Clicky Clicky.

The Marnie Stern song is on her forthcoming self-titled album on Kill Rock Stars. You can download the song for free at Pitchfork.

The PO PO song is on the EP Bummer Summer/Teen Dreamz on Mad Decent Records. You can download the song for free at RCRDLBL.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blogs Clicky Clicky and Keeping Some Dark Secrets. Additional music used in the show is by Me and Boris the Bull, which is the brainchild of the mighty Mark Campbell. Thanks to Bob Durling for the album art; find out more about his photography at his blog.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 135: Taking Care of Business

Flying solo on the podcast this week as I discuss the art of the business trip while on a business trip to Tampa. Listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- Live from Tampa Bay

- Haven't traveled for work since December 2006

- My first day on job was at a conference in Pittsburgh

- Have been on many trips over the years

- Memorable trips to New Orleans, San Francisco

- Last trip to Nawlins, was stuck in St. Louis airport for a night because of ice storm

- Not much happening in Tampa on a Sunday

- Day 2: Set up booth in convention center

- Company across from us brought in "booth babes"

- Plenty of booth babes at the old Webnoize conference

- No fear of flying

- George Clooney's "Up in the Air" is good look at business traveling

- Had a screaming baby across aisle on trip to Tampa

- More sympathetic to folks with kids now

- Flight back from Orlando in '99 was full of kids

- On same flight, saw old lady get scalded by hot water

- Lawyer called me few years later to ask what I saw

- Can't get meals on flights anymore, just snacks

- Security measures are annoying

- Day 3: Went for early run

- Working conference booth is different role for me

- Trips are a good distraction from day-to-day work

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Superchunk - Digging for Something

Versus - Gone to Earth

LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls (Holy Ghost Adult Swim remix)

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The show is sponsored by Budget, the country's premier car rental service with 900 locations. Go to Budget.com/CompCon and save 10% off any reservation or $30 off a weekly rental.

The Superchunk song is on the album Majesty Shredding on Merge Records. The Versus song is on the album On the Ones and Threes on Merge Records, where you can download both songs for free.

The LCD Soundsystem song was remixed for the Adult Swim Singles Program. The original version is on the album This is Happening on DFA Records. You can download the remix for free at Stereogum.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blogs Clicky Clicky and Keeping Some Dark Secrets. Additional music used in the show is by Me and Boris the Bull, which is the brainchild of the mighty Mark Campbell. Thanks to Bob Durling for the album art; find out more about his photography at his blog.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 134: Six Pack

Special guest Jay Breitling joins me on the podcast for the conclusion of our discussion about beer, recorded during and after a Red Sox game. Listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- Drinking Guinness at Fenway Park

- Kumar: Go-to beer in the mid-'90s was Pete's Wicked Ale

- Breitling started getting into Yuengling

- Adrian Beltre hits HR for Red Sox

- Variety packs are good ways to try different kinds of beer

- Breitling prefers seasonal beers, especially fall seasonals

- Kumar: Big fan of porter

- Breitling: Helped out at Cisco Brewers in Nantucket

- Breitling isn't huge fan of winter beers

- Bitter beer face

- IPAs are bitter, but we like 'em

- Kumar: Don't drink much homebrew

- Breitling's pal Rob Mathews makes good homebrew

- Ice beer was big in the early '90s

- Kumar: Tried ice beer for a while, but it was too strong

- Still see drunks buying 40s of Natty Light Ice

- Beer consumption is limited to two or three at a time now

- Pros and cons of beer fridges

- Walking back from the game

- What to tell our kids about drinking

- Just hope they make sensible decisions

- It's tough being a responsible adult

- Breitling's max bench: 265

- Drunk episodes are few and far between these days

- Never understood why people got wasted before concerts

- Breitling's bar altercation

- Kids don't respect hangovers

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Drive-By Truckers - Girls Who Smoke

We Were Promised Jetpacks - Roll Up Your Sleeves

Silversun Pickups - It's Nice to Know You Work Alone

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The show is sponsored by Budget, the country's premier car rental service with 900 locations. Go to Budget.com/CompCon and save 10% off any reservation or $30 off a weekly rental.

The Drive-By Truckers song is a B-side off the album The Big To-Do on ATO Records, where you can download the song for free.

The We Were Promised Jetpacks song was recorded for the Daytrotter Sessions, where you can download the song for free.

The Silversun Pickups song is on the album Swoon on Dangerbird Records. Download the song for free as part of the Dangerbird Amazon Sampler.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blogs Clicky Clicky and Keeping Some Dark Secrets. Additional music used in the show is by Me and Boris the Bull, which is the brainchild of the mighty Mark Campbell. Thanks to Bob Durling for the album art; find out more about his photography at his blog.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 133: Have a Drink on Me

Special guest Jay Breitling joins me on the podcast as we talk about one of our favorite subjects, beer, while we walk to a Red Sox game. Listen to the show in streaming audio or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

Topics:

- Walking the mean streets of Cambridge, Mass.

- Breitling remembers swiping beers to blow 'em up

- Schmidt's was a prominent beer in Philly

- The hipsters love the Pabst Blue Ribbon, ironically

- Breitling brothers collected beer cans

- Breitling started drinking at high school parties

- Kumar: Never drank much until college

- Kumar: House in Canada had a great bar in basement

- Kumar: In college, drank plenty of Busch, Milwaukee's Best and other affordable beverages

- Breitling: Family trip to Germany led to consumption of much beer

- Kumar: Had planned to throw party at parents' house while in high school but thought better of it

- Breitling: In college, drank anything and everything

- Kumar: Can't drink tequila, Southern Comfort anymore

- Breitling: Never touch the hard stuff anymore in the house, but beer is gone quick

- Breitling didn't get picky about beer until after college

- Kumar: After college, starting drinking Rolling Rock at rock clubs

- In Washington state, Olympia beer benefited from good marketing like Rolling Rock

- Kumar: Tried a Sam Adams in '89 and didn't like it

- At the ballpark: To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

The Kills - Pale Blue Eyes

Of Montreal - Coquet, Coquette

The Black Keys - Ohio

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The show is sponsored by Eastbay/Footlocker.com, a leading supplier of athletic footwear, apparel and sports equipment. Find gear from top brands such as Nike, Adidas, Asics and more. Use promo code AFCOMP15 for 15% off any order at Eastbay.com, AFCOMP20 for 20% off any order of $75 or more at Eastbay.com and AFCOMPFL for 15% off any order at Footlocker.com.

The Kills song was recorded as part of the Levi's Pioneer Sessions, where you can download the song for free.

The Of Montreal song is on the band's forthcoming album False Priest on Polyvinyl Records, where you can download the song for free.

The Black Keys song is a B-side on the album Brothers on Nonesuch Records. Download the song for free at the band's website.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blogs Clicky Clicky and Keeping Some Dark Secrets. Additional music used in the show is by Me and Boris the Bull, which is the brainchild of the mighty Mark Campbell. Thanks to Bob Durling for the album art; find out more about his photography at his blog.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.