First Crack 26. What Makes a Good City – Sam & Dave Part 4

The fourth installment of my conversation with Minneapolis urban planners Sam Newberg and David Motzenbecker. In this episode, they discuss what makes a good city (Portland, Denver, Celebration, and Seaside) and how to make more of them, affordable housing, corruption in cities, and how to get stuff done. Also included: Dave gives a glowing review …

First Crack 25. Weblogs and the Media with Jen Bohmbach

Photo-blogger and good friend Jen Bohmbach and I grab a cup of coffee at Dunn Bros’ Freighthouse. We talk about the weblogs, transparency, the media landscape, and an age where we are all paparazzi and stars. She offers her thoughts on Links Mentioned: TheImageLab.com AmericanGuilt.com iPhotoToGallery FlickrExport OpenPodcast.org Joe Trippi – The Revolution Will Not …

First Crack 24. The Value of 1-Legged Barflys and Toothless Boxers – Sam & Dave Part 3

This is the second of many shorter excerpts from my extremely lengthy conversation with Minneapolis urban planners Sam Newberg and David Motzenbecker. In this installment we discuss what you don’t find in new American developments. Listen to the Value of 1-Legged Barflys and Toothless Boxers [3 min] Got questions about coffee or comments about the …

First Crack 23. A Good Minneapolis Bar – Sam & Dave Part 2

This is the second of many shorter excerpts from my extremely lengthy conversation with Minneapolis urban planners Sam Newberg and David Motzenbecker. In this installment we discuss what makes a good Minneapolis bar – no, windows aren’t on the list. Listen to A Good Minneapolis Bar [3 min] Got questions about coffee or comments about …

First Crack 22. MPR’s New Current -Sam & Dave Part 1

This is the first of many shorter excerpts from my extremely lengthy conversation with Minneapolis urban planners Sam Newberg and David Motzenbecker. In this installment we profess our love for Minnesota Public Radio’s new station 89.3 The Current Listen to MPR’s New Current [5 min] Got questions about coffee or comments about the show? Call: …

If a Sign is Needed, Something is Wrong.

In his Roads Gone Wild article for Wired, Tom McNicol describes a new mentality in traffic control: fewer signs = fewer accidents. From this perspective, traffic control signs are actually a poor band-aid for an unsafe environment. At best, they keep accident rates constant, at worst they actually cause more. This phenomenon is not unique …

How to Podcast

Creating Podcasts: Here’s the setup I’m currently using to record the First Crack Podcast: Radio Shack lapel microphone>>M-Audio MobilePre USB Mobile Preamp>>Apple Powerbook>>GarageBand>>iTunes.

Welcome, Everyone from the Pioneer Press

I’d like to extend a warm welcome to everyone that read about the First Crack Podcast (“highly caffeinated public radio”) in the recent Pioneer Press article. Here are some quick links to the shows mentioned in the article: “metro roastmaster at work”: First Crack 16. Interview with a Roastmaster: Greg Beale “the particulars of home …

First Crack 21. Why We Try with Sandy Smallens from Surface Wound

A conversation with Sandy Smallens, bass and vocals from Too Much Joy, and dot com music executive. His new band – Surface Wound just released a self-titled EP. We talk about the realities of balancing the need to play music while having a day job and family, Creative Commons, and the history of discovering new …