From Podcast to Publish

If you’re in the Twin Cities, head on down to your favorite coffee shop and grab the Sept. issue of the Rake. Then turn to page 18, second column. Yep, that’s an article by yours truly.

Sure, you could stay indoors and click this Prairie Home Companion Production Assistant link, but it’s a beautiful late summer evening.

Neither the Rake article or the original podcast would be possible without Jon Steinhorst – cause it’s his story. Thanks again Jon.

And thanks to the Rake’s editor, Hans Eisenbeis, for suggesting the text version of the story.

First Crack 60. Shellie Gonzales on Borrowing a Porsche Boxster for the Weekend

Would your boss loan his car out to you for the weekend?

In the finale of the 6 part series on the life passions of Parsinen Kaplan Rosberg & Gotlieb’s partners and staff, Shellie Gonzales talks about borrowing David Gotlieb‘s Porsche Boxter for the weekend.

Listen to Shellie Gonzales on Borrowing a Porsche Boxster for the Weekend [17 min]

Why Use Copyrighted Music in a Podcast?

Since I started podcasting nearly a year ago, there’s always been the question of how best to include music in a podcast. Personally, I’ve found it adds too much production time and I frequently fast-forward over songs in other podcasts anyway.

The CARP license that destroyed webcasting doesn’t quite fit. The RIAA, SoundExchange, and the other copyright holders haven’t published a license that makes sense to podcasters and I don’t see the incentive for them to. Their business model is based on keeping music unheard.

If there’s anything I gleaned from Frontline’s The Way the Music Died it’s that the really interesting artists aren’t in Wal-mart or any record store. Chris Anderson over at the Long Tail has the graphs to prove it. Yet, it’s the record store artists that new podcasters want to include in their new podcast.

Why shoehorn a model that doesn’t promote the interesting (traditional publishing) into a model that does (podcasting)?

Including a known artist’s work in a podcast is bad on two counts:

  1. It invites the RIAA and their lawyers into your wallet.
  2. It’s a lost opportunity to share other independent artists with your listeners. Sure, they won’t be as polished as your $18.00 radio-friendly unit shifters, but neither is your podcast. (That’s why it’s worth listening to.)

If you’re looking to use pre-recorded music for your podcast:

First know why you want music. Is it to sound like a “real radio” program? Or is it to share stuff you like with others in hopes they’ll like it to?

Secondly, pack up your CD collection and put your hometown in GarageBand.com’s city or state search, flip through the Magnatune‘s catalog, or through everything licensed under Creative Commons.

I’m confident all the artists there will be more than happy to be on your podcast.

ELSEWHERE:

“…basing any new work on Big Machine Music is insanity, particularly when there is a wealth of available music via Creative Commons or trivially licensable sources like Magnatune.” – Dave Slusher

First Crack 58. David Gotlieb, Paul Maccabee, and St. Paul’s Gangster History

John Dillinger Slept Here: A Crooks' Tour of Crime and Corruption in St. Paul, 1920-1936

In part 4 of a 6 part series on the life passions of Parsinen Kaplan Rosberg & Gotlieb’s partners and staff, David Gotlieb discusses St. Paul’s history as a safe haven for gangsters and how he met the expert on the subject – Paul Maccabee.

Listen to David Gotlieb, Paul Maccabee, and St. Paul’s Gangster History [15 min]

First Crack 57. Rebecca McDaniel on Enhancing the Client Relationship

This summer, Rebecca McDaniel partnered with winemaker and client Domaine Serene to promote Pinot Noir as a summer beverage alternative in Surdyks’ Drinks magazine.

In part 3 of a 6 part series on the life passions of Parsinen Kaplan Rosberg & Gotlieb’s partners and staff, she provides background on this series and discusses the value of a personal connection in a professional relationship.

Listen to Rebecca McDaniel on Enhancing the Client Relationship [12 min]

First Crack 56. Bill Lofy on Paul Wellstone and Politics

Bill Lofy, Wellstone Action‘s Communications Director, and I talked about his two new books; Paul Wellstone – A Passion for Politics and Politics the Wellstone Way just as they hit the shelves.

Be sure to catch Bill on his national tour promoting his Wellstone biography.

If Camp Wellstone comes to your neighborhood, I highly recommend it- no matter your political affiliation.

Listen to Bill Lofy on Paul Wellstone and Politics [20 min]

Of Lefse, Hot Dogs, and Deep Dish Pizza

Growing up, I remember my grandmother and her sister making homemade lefse. Jen knew of lefse and knew that it went really well with butter and sugar. Huh? Butter and sugar? I suppose you could.

In my world, lefse is filled with far more interesting flavors than sugary butter. Like a layer of mashed potatoes (yes, even more potato) topped with a layer of salmon all rolled up like a Norwegian tortilla.

My grandmother when asked why she did this, responded something like;

“We needed something that would keep the men full on the farm.”

I was reminded of this family history as Jen and I pondered our first bite from Joey D’s. I suspect the same reason is behind Chicago-style Hot Dogs and deep dish pizza.

Fry It Up and Put a Stick in It

Mouth Trap Cheese Curds at the MN State Fair

The first year Jen and I were back in Minnesota, we hit the State Fair twice. This was the year they debuted deep-fried Snickers bars on a stick and deep-fried Oreos (BTW, Yea on the Snickers, Nay on the Oreos).

If you attempt the Snickers bar, eat it as you leave the fairgrounds, wash it down with $1 all-you-can-drink milk, and have someone else drive. The sugar coma will hit exactly 10 minutes after you pull out of the parking lot – you’ll wake up 3 hours later disoriented.

However long the line is at Mouth Trap Cheese Curds, you must stand in it. At the end is the best cheese curds in the upper midwest.