Completely Conspicuous 176: Put the Message in the Box

Part 2 of my podcast conversation with special guest Jim Corrigan as we discuss social media. Listen to the show below or download it directly (right click and "save as").



The show notes:

- Jim is a Twitter newbie (@JimCorrigan2011), Jay has been on for two years (@koomdogg)

- Jim's already Tweeted more than 1,300 times

- Previously, he was a blogger about politics

- Lots of pressure to write cogent posts

- Resisted Twitter for a long time, but now loves it

- Jay: Follow comedians, bands

- Corrigan fell for Twitter spam

- Stay off Facebook at work, but easier to tweet throughout the day

- Great source of immediate news

- Jay: Heard about Bin Laden's death on Twitter more than hour before Obama announced it

- Good way to hype new eps of CompCon, columns, occasional blog post

- Jim: Twitter offers less feedback than Facebook; no "like" button

- Spam bots galore on Twitter

- Jay: Like to post interesting links, retweets

- FYI: Jim would rather be clubbed than tased

- Jay: Steer clear of political stuff on Twitter

- Jim works a solitary job, so social media offers sense of community

- Facebook's good for keeping up with friends

- Social media didn't cause governmental overthrow in Egypt and Libya

- Differences of musical opinion on Facebook

- Ranking favorite songs is tough

- Jay: Use Google Reader to follow blogs

- Charlie Sheen situation was played out in a matter of days

- Twitter memes fly by fast and furiously

- Jim's mom is on Facebook

- There are things you can say on Twitter that you can't on FB

- Reconnecting with people via social media is cool, but can be awkward

- Blocking friends on Facebook

- Annoying social media habits: Trolling for opinions, retweets

- If you really want privacy, don't go on Facebook

- Don't post anything that you don't want getting out there

- Jim: As a means of expression, Twitter is better

- Facebook's better for more personal stuff

- Some people just use social media to complain about their lives

- If you need social media for friends, you've got bigger problems

- Spoiler alerts

- Social networks involved actual human interaction when we were kids

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

F***ed Up - Queen of Hearts

The National - About Today

The Sam Roberts Band - Longitude

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 F***ed Up song is on the album David Comes to Life on Matador Records, where you can download the song for free.

The National song is on the re-released 2004 EP Cherry Tree on Brassland. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at Bandcamp.

The Sam Roberts Band song is on the album Collider on Rounder Records. Find out more at and download the song for free at Rounder (right click and "save as").

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. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his new site PodGeek.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 175: Politics as Usual

Part 1 of my podcast conversation with special guest Jim Corrigan as we talk politics. Listen to the show below or download it directly (right click and "save as").



The show notes...

- Corrigan's a lifelong but "not typical" Democrat

- Mixing up Obama and Osama

- Debate over releasing Bin Laden photos

- OBL was "hiding" in plain sight for years

- Kumar: Very jaded about politics

- Making sense of Ron Paul

- Is Obama more liberal than Bill Clinton?

- Jim's brother worked for Mike Dukakis campaign

- Kumar: Two-party system sucks

- Gitmo's still open despite Obama's promise to close it

- Jim first encountered Clinton in Arkansas in '88

- Four years later, he came out of nowhere to win Dem nomination

- Politicians getting in trouble with sex scandals (John Edwards, Gary Hart)

- Republicans in the 2012 presidential race face tough odds

- Trump is a joke

- Jim: Not fired up about Obama, but committed

- Jim's brother "made" Obama

- Key to campaigning now is canvassing

- Gotta get out and shake hands

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Thurston Moore - Circulation

Joel Plaskett and Shotgun Jimmie - Jimmie's Still Jimmie

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears - Livin' in the Jungle

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

The show is sponsored by Eastbay/Footlocker.com. Use the following codes to get athletic gear from Nike, Adidas, Asics and more. AFCOMP15 will get you 10% off any order of $50 at Eastbay.com, AFCOMP20 will get you 15% off any order of $75 at Eastbay.com and AFCOMPFL will get you 10% off any order of $50 or more at Footlocker.com.

The Thurston Moore song is on the album Demolished Thoughts on Matador Records, where you can download the song for free.

The Joel Plaskett and Shotgun Jimmie song is on the 7-inch Jimmie's Still Jimmie on New Scotland Records. Download the song for free at Pigeon Row.

The Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears song is from the album Scandalous on Lost Highway Records. Download the song for free at Amazon.

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. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his new site PodGeek.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 174: Long Time Running

This week on the podcast, I take a look at my complicated relationship with running. Listen to the show below or download it directly (right click and "save as").



The show notes:

- Never saw the point of running

- Played sports but never ran for running's sake

- After college, started working out again

- Watched Boston Marathon every year but never thought I could do it

- Started running in late '90s because of my girlfriend (now wife)

- Ran a 5K, then kept increasing distance

- In 2002, ran Boston Marathon for the first time

- No marathon this spring because of burnout

- Enjoying shorter distances and just running in general

- Ran in the Poco Loco in Boston last weekend

- Social running event with no pressure for time or speed

- Similar events in the works for St. Louis, London

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

The Twilight Singers - Don't Call

The Church - Under the Milky Way

Sebadoh - Rebound

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 Twilight Singers song is a B-side from the band's album Dynamite Steps on Sub Pop Records. Find out more and download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at the band's website.

The Church song is on the 1988 album Starfish on Arista Records. Download the song for free at Amazon.

The Sebadoh song is on the upcoming re-release of the 1994 album Bakesale on Sub Pop Records. Download the song for free at Sub Pop.

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. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 173: Private Life

This week, I've got another podcast installment of Driving With Kumar as I discuss privacy in the digital age. Listen to the show below or download it directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Is there any privacy nowadays?

- Plenty of personal info is online

- People don't mind sharing every detail of their lives online

- Checking in from wherever you are

- Social media everywhere

- I like Twitter for quick bursts of info

- People are much more apt to voice opinions, good or bad, online

- Message boards and blog comments are an entire subculture unto themselves

- Anonymous comments on newspaper sites are similarly annoying

- How much is too much?

- Immersion in role-playing games, Second Life

- Monitoring kids' online activity

- Putting family photos online

- Facebook privacy concerns

- Folks love posting YouTube videos

- Getting off the grid

- Information overload

- Blogs can be confessional for people

- I write essays, concert reviews, CompCon show notes

- Podcasting allows anyone to create programming

- Never feel like I'm putting too much out there

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Dawes - If I Wanted Someone

Eleanor Friedberger - My Mistakes

Boris - Riot Sugar

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

The show is sponsored by Eastbay/Footlocker.com. Use the following codes to get athletic gear from Nike, Adidas, Asics and more. AFCOMP15 will get you 10% off any order of $50 at Eastbay.com, AFCOMP20 will get you 15% off any order of $75 at Eastbay.com and AFCOMPFL will get you 10% off any order of $50 or more at Footlocker.com.

The Dawes song is on the forthcoming album Nothing is Wrong on ATO Records. Download the song for free (in exchange for your email address) at the band's website.

The Eleanor Friedberger song is on the forthcoming album Last Summer on Merge Records, where you can download the song for free.

The Boris song is from the album Heavy Rocks on Sargent House Records. Download the song for free at Pitchfork.

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. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his new site PodGeek.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 172: Crossroads

Part 2 of my podcast conversation with special guest Tom Salemi as we discuss career shifts. Listen to the show below or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

- Recorded at Choate Bridge Pub in Ipswich, Mass.

- Tom moved from local daily newspaper to Boston Business Journal

- Transition was smooth

- After a year, moved on to work at private equity newsletter

- Ready for a steady job with good pay, as opposed to a newspaper job

- Around the same time, Jay left healthcare writing gig for a dotcom

- Had stock in the company, hoped for good payoff but didn't happen

- Now you see the companies who had the best ideas: Apple, Netflix, Pandora, TiVo

- Went back to old job in fall of '01, right before dotcom went under

- Owner of Tom's company had the sense to sell at right time

- Another company tried to hire Tom for eight months

- Finally, he gave in; now writes about medical devices

- Tom has his own office in Newburyport, works by himself

- Jay now has a cube instead of an office

- Jay: Miss covering election nights at paper, court trials

- Don't miss covering night meetings

- Jay: Write a column about running for local paper

- Non-newspaper jobs offer more flexibility

- Tom writes blog about Newburyport

- Neither of us could do PR

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

My Morning Jacket - Circuital

Maritime - Paraphernalia

The Smoking Popes - Wish You Were

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 My Morning Jacket song is on the forthcoming album Circuital on ATO Records. Download the song for free at the band's website.

The Maritime song is on the album Human Hearts on Dangerbird Records. Download the song for free from Dangerbird (right click and "save as").

The Smoking Popes song is from the album This is Only a Test on Asian Man Records. Download the song for free courtesy of IODA Promonet:

Smoking Popes "Wish We Were" (mp3) from "This Is Only a Test" (Asian Man Records)
Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at Amazon MP3 More On This Album

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. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his new site PodGeek.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 171: Right Turn

Part 1 of my podcast conversation with special guest Tom Salemi as we discuss what happens when your career takes a different turn. Listen to the show below or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

- Recorded at Choate Bridge Pub in Ipswich, Mass.

- Old newspaper reporters from back in the day

- Tom toured the Boston Herald newsroom as a high schooler

- Went to BU, worked at the Daily Free Press

- Saw journalism as a public service/crusade

- Looked down on journalists who left the fold

- When you're a young reporter, you work crazy hours and don't mind

- Tom started working at small weekly on Cape Cod

- Jay and Tom worked for daily papers in the same chain

- Tom worked at three papers before arriving at Newburyport Daily News

- Eventually, Tom burned out on community journalism

- Jay: Similar burnout story happened a few years earlier

- Weird adjustment to 9 to 5 gig

- Tom was miserable at first non-newspaper job

- Some reporters can't handle the transition to a "regular" job

- Enjoying the casual aspects of the job

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Art Brut - Lost Weekend

Sloan - Unkind

Low - Especially Me

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

The show is sponsored by Eastbay/Footlocker.com. Use the following codes to get athletic gear from Nike, Adidas, Asics and more. AFCOMP15 will get you 10% off any order of $50 at Eastbay.com, AFCOMP20 will get you 15% off any order of $75 at Eastbay.com and AFCOMPFL will get you 10% off any order of $50 or more at Footlocker.com.

The Art Brut song is on the forthcoming album Brilliant! Tragic! on Cooking Vinyl Records. Download the song for free at Pitchfork.

The Sloan song is on the forthcoming album The Double Cross on Yep Roc Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic (right click and "save as").

The Low song is from the album C'mon on Sub Pop Records, where you can download the song for free.

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. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his new site PodGeek. Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.

Completely Conspicuous 170: The Rest of My Life

I've got another installment of Driving With Kumar as I discuss the strange sensation of getting older. Listen to the show below or download it directly (right click and "save as").

The show notes...

- Don't feel old, but constantly reminded that I'm getting older

- I've been out of college almost 22 years

- Friends have kids who are now in their 20s and 30s

- Time has flown by, but much has happened

- Some of my co-workers were born when I was in college

- The technological advances in the last 20 years are amazing

- My first cell phone was actually a car phone in late '90s

- Had interoffice email at newspaper in late '80s

- Got my first Internet-connected PC in '95

- My new Droid is faster and more powerful than my first few computers

- We've grown very narcissistic as a society

- My attention span is shorter nowadays

- Haven't hit midlife crisis yet

- Definition of fun changes as you get older

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Yuck - Georgia

Wild Flag - Glass Tambourine

The Smith Westerns - Imagine, Pt. 3

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 Yuck song ison the band's self-titled album on Fat Possum Records. Download the song for free at SXSW (right click and "save as").

The Wild Flag song is on the B-side of the band's new 7-inch on Merge Records. Download the song for free at Ground Control Touring.

The Smith Westerns song is from the album Dye It Blonde on Fat Possum Records. Download the song for free at Pitchfork.

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. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his website PodGeek.

Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.