Amazing Race Season 9 – Episode 8

I’ve lost my passion for the Amazing Race.

Maybe it’s the time switch – from 8pm Tuesdays to 7pm Wednesdays. Dunno. It feels like the segments between the commercial breaks are so fast cutting that nothing happens – like I don’t have time to focus on what’s going on.

On the whole, the challenges this season don’t seem very challenging or interesting. Just there. Like the producers have run out of cleverness.

Then, as I finish writing that, they show uncover the Shuwa. That sounds real tasty. Yeah, I’ll dig for steamed lamb.

It’s real tough watching BJ & Tyler rise from the last to first then fall back to last. I wish the editing gave a more accurate sense of time passing. It’s easy when night falls, less so when it’s still day.

You gotta give Fran and Berry props for coming in first on this leg. (Un)fortunately, BJ & Tyler were non-philiminated.

Garrick’s Favorites

  • BJ & Tyler – #5
  • Ray & Yolanda – #3

Gillmor Gang & WSJ vs Hugh MacLeod & Dave Winer

Jason Calcanis says, “With three or four ad slots you’re gonna do a $3 to $10 RPM…So, if you can do 500,000 pages a month…you can make $1,500 to $5,000 a month.”

Gillmor Gang says Hugh MacLeod should sell his cartoons as an advertising-delivery channel.

“But journalists seem to have a problem getting their head around it. ‘Indirectly’ is too foreign to them. They’re too used to living in the “directly” universe.” – Hugh MacLeod

“A person with a blog is analogous to a source in the old publishing world. Sources don’t get paid directly, but we do get paid indirectly.” – Dave Winer

“Mark that on the calendar. I agree with Dave Winer.” – J Wynia

Where Are Your Customers Going To Be Tomorrow?

Today, perhaps a small handful of people are skimming 300+ RSS feeds on their laptops, publishing podcasts and blogs, etc. Tomorrow that number will be more. Next week that number will be more. Next year, etc.

If there’s anything I took away from a childhood in rural Wisconsin, it’s when hunting, you aim for where the deer will be, not where it is.

There are 2 questions;

  1. Where will your customers be tomorrow?
  2. What do you do when the deer have guns?

Related: Stop worrying about other people copying you.

Now You Know I’m Listening To Your Podcast

I’m in the early stages of a couple podcast listener measurement methods. Methods that put the control in the hands of the listener – not the podcaster or a third-party – and the metrics in the hand of the podcaster, not a third-party.

I’m trying one of the methods out with a small handful of my favorite podcasts. So, if you’re one of those podcasters – you now know for sure that I’m subscribed.

What’s In Your Media Bag?

In First Crack Podcast #77, Erik Dahl mentions his ‘media bag’. A bag of recording devices and gear ready to document any event.

Got me thinking about consolidating all my gear more intelligently in a single, unified, media bag.

First step – inventory:

  • iRiver IFP-790
  • M-Audio MobilePre USB Mobile Preamp
  • Powerbook (does this count?)
  • Lots of AA batteries
  • Phillips Vista Pro USB webcam
  • Mini-tripod from Office Depot
  • Blank CDs and DVDs
  • 1/8″ to 1/8″ audio cable
  • 1/8″ to XLR audio cable
  • 2 1/4″ to 1/4″ audio cables
  • 2 XLR Microphones
  • Firewire cable
  • RCA to 1/8″ cable
  • 3×5 Notecards
  • Sharpie Markers

Seems like there’s a few things missing (like the obvious digital still/video camera).

What’s in your media bag?

First Crack 77. The Smith 3 on the State of Podcasting

The Smith 3 – Kris Smith (Croncast, Pale Groove Studios), Erik Dahl and Garrick Van Buren (Working Pathways, First Crack Podcast) – are back and we run through the state of podcasting, including;

Listen to The Smith 3 on the State of Podcasting [40 min]