Ericast.com Podcasts - DWEEB THOUGHTS

It might have seemed we let our birthday slip by, but it's just a little bit belated. And this is a big one, so it's definitely worth an episode. Curious how old we are? Well... Here's your show.

Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode! Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page! Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!

The Ericast returns with Episode 346, marking a quietly significant milestone: 21 years of podcasting. The anniversary may be a bit belated, but it feels like a good opportunity to pause and reflect—both on the show and on the life that surrounds it.

It's been a while since the last episode in October, and in that time life has continued to move forward in both encouraging and difficult ways. On the positive side, Candela has started a new role as a paraplanner and is really thriving, and Chloe has been enjoying her first year away at university. At the same time, this has also been a season shaped by loss. My dad passed away last year, and more recently, Ruth's mom passed away this winter. It's a stage of life where you really feel the weight of being in that middle space—supporting the generation ahead while watching the next generation head out on their own.

One story that's stayed with me is about a family friend's son who fell along the Mississippi River bluffs. What initially looked like it might be a tragic outcome has turned into a remarkable recovery. It's one of those moments that reminds you just how fragile things can be—and at the same time, how resilient people can be.

This episode leans heavily on listener feedback, starting with a message from Cory that actually came in about a year ago. His simple check-in got me thinking about the importance of having a few people in life you can truly trust—the kind of people you can "toss the keys" to and know things will be handled. That idea of steady, dependable relationships carries through the rest of the episode.

Tom and Chad both responded to the topic from the previous episode, diving into Star Trek: The Next Generation. Tom brought some great historical context around the episode "Future Imperfect," while Chad explored the quirks of pronunciation in the Star Trek universe—everything from accent influence to the idea of the universal translator shaping what we hear. It's a good reminder that even a pretty niche topic can spark thoughtful and entertaining discussion.

I also acknowledge in this episode that the podcast has settled into a pretty irregular rhythm. It's not that there's a lack of things to talk about—it's more that not everything needs to be processed into a microphone right away. Still, after 21 years, the Ericast continues to be what it has always been for me: a kind of personal audio journal that evolves along with life itself.

Whether you've been listening for years or just stumbled across the show, there's now more than two decades of conversations, reflections, and life moments sitting in the archive. And I'm grateful you're here for it. Joint the conversation by calling 701-645-3742 (701-645-ERIC)!

Don't let the episode title frighten you off. This is just a reference to an obscure line from a TV show years ago, but it had bothered me for years, and I finally figured the answer out. Wondering what that is? Here's your show.

Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode! Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page! Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!

For this episode, I hit record even though a plane was flying overhead, because that's life when your "studio" sits under the final approach of an MSP runway. You might hear a jet or two, but honestly, it's kind of peaceful, and it reminds me of how often podcasters apologize for background noise you can't even hear.

From there, I wandered into a memory about an old Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. It's one that stuck with me for years because of a certain unforgettable line. I don't go into the plot details, but let's just say it involves Commander Riker, some very intense emotions, and a moment that became way funnier than it probably should've been.

What really got me was the way the episode ran in original airing versus how it sounded in later releases. For decades, I thought I was misremembering it, like one of those "Mandela Effect" moments where you swear reality shifted slightly while you weren't looking. Turns out, there really was an earlier version floating around, and when I finally found proof of it online, it felt like solving a personal pop-culture mystery.

That little discovery sent me down a rabbit hole of word pronunciations and memories of old "word of the week" moments from the early days of the show. Should we bring that back? Share your thoughts - 701-645-3742!

I'm still here, but a lot has changed over the past few months. Not a lot of substance in this episode, but a quick status update. Wondering what that is? Here's your show. Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode! Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page! Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!

In this episode, I reflect on the time since our last show in March 2025, which marked our 20th anniversary and was episode 343—making this one 344. I confirmed it! A lot has changed since then. My dad entered home hospice in February and passed away in May at age 90. It wasn't a tragedy, but it was a major life transition for our world. As an only child I didn't have to negotiate with siblings, but I did have to handle everything myself. Thankfully, my wife was incredibly supportive throughout.

Much of my summer and fall was consumed with managing the estate, dealing with decades of antiques, and addressing deferred maintenance on the house. Meanwhile, Chloe started her freshman year, and I've been teaching a couple sections of a "Welcome to College" class.

Before Dad passed, I learned that "the voice of the Ericast" in our intro and outro of the Ericast died in April. He had breathing issues, called 911, and didn't regain consciousness. It's strange hearing his voice now, but I'm keeping him in the show as a tribute to his love of radio.

On a lighter note, I posted on Facebook this week about finding my vintage 1970s light-up pumpkin in Dad's storage closet, which is the same one I had seen in an antique store years ago. It's surreal seeing childhood items in antique shops; it really makes me feel the passage of time. I'm not feeling old, but I'm aware that I have more years behind me than ahead.

There's joy in seeing the next generation grow. Candela, now 22, gave a presentation at Minnnebar (a Minnesota "BarCamp") in May, just before Dad passed. Her talk on "followership" was insightful and well-received. She used Star Trek as a metaphor and explored how being a great follower can be just as valuable as leadership. I was proud not just as her dad, but because it was genuinely a good presentation.

I mentioned last time that I was working on a machine learning class for my AI master's program. I still haven't taken it. I planned to this fall, but the professor sent out prep materials that reminded me I need to brush up on Python (fine) and linear algebra (not fine). As someone homeschooled by humanities-focused parents, that's more than a bit daunting.

The Ericast is still the "weekly podcast that comes out once a month, a couple times a year." I'd like to change that. But for now, I want to leave you with this: if you appreciate someone, tell them. Send a message, write a letter, just let them know.

I almost forgot to mention fireworks! Chloe and I went to two PGI (Pyrotechnics Guild International) shows in Iowa. After the first night, I had what I think was my first migraine—visual effects but no pain. Turns out sleep deprivation, dehydration, and staring at explosions can do that.

So, that's where I'm at—grateful for the past few months, but wondering "now what?"

One of the things about getting old is you only realize it when you look in the metaphorical rear-view mirror. That happens to people, and to podcasts. How many years has it been? Here's your show.

Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode! Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page! Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!

No apologies for how long it's been. Welcome to the weekly podcast that comes out about once a month every quarter, I'm your host Eric Larson, 701-645-3742 may or may not still work as the Listener Feedback Line, and you deserve some updates.

To my right, on the floor of Studio A (my den) is the original Ericast computer, which still runs -- boots into Windows XP, or if I switch it in the bios, it boots into the new "Windows 7" operating system on a separate 160GB hard drive that I bought on a Black Friday sale at Best Buy and then needed an escort out of the store because I used the trick of getting rung up in a department rather than up front by picking up a little $7 mustache trimmer. I think I still have that in a box somewhere, because I'm the kind of person to keep a sentimental mustache trimmer.

Tangent on why calling it a "den" is okay but a "man cave" (which is literally the same thing) is tacky?

When the Ericast started 20 years ago, I was on a career path but fresh into a career pivot, wrapping up a Master's degree, starting a family, and looking at pillars in the local tech community who were in their 50s and dialed in to the latest technology and this new "social media" thing. Now, my last career adjustment is about 8 years behind me, I'm in the middle of a second Master's degree, the family we had started is starting to leave the nest, and I'm wondering what's next. The one consistent anchor in my life and yours has been this podcast and its original vintage Blogger website template.

Updates on it having been two years since Mom passed, and helping Dad with his home-hospice stage.

Last week's episode was something of a train-wreck of artificial voicing, but there was still a point to be made. Wondering what it was? Here's your show.

Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode! Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page! Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment! I'm bringing back a couple traditions here in the Ericast - talking about the weather, because that's what we do here in Minnesota, and ending the month with listener feedback. We've been having unusual highs in the mid 80s, the wind has picked up as a front moves through and it's going to be in the upper 60s tomorrow which is much more seasonal for October 1st, then back up into the 80s. Listener Matt has some feedback on the last episode, including what the weather is like in California... Paleofuturism is related to the term "retrofuturism" although the two seem to be slightly different, with retrofuturism focused on previous artistic expressions of the future (and recreating them) and paleofuturism focused on the study in a more academic sense. I wrote a series of blog articles on paleofuturism for work a few years back, and I think I'm going to cover those in October -- four articles, four weeks, I might be able to manage that. The tool I mentioned that ended up really confusing is the new "NotebookLM" from Google. That's not quite as new -- it's been around a few months -- but they just released a podcast-creation tool. Give it some links, click "Generate," and a few minutes later you have two hosts talking about your topic. It's really stunning. I have a feeling that in a few months it's going to feel like the early AI artwork where everything had the same cartoonish look and all the people had six or seven fingers... but for starters, it sure is amazing.

The "weekly podcast that comes out about once a month" is back with a semi-annual episode! Wondering what I've been up to in the past six months? Here's your show.

Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode! Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page! Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!

This one is a mess. Makes you miss the real me, doesn't it?

(It's worth sticking with it so you can hear Google's "Notebook LM" and its summary. That part is cool.)

What's a few weeks among friends, right? But this is a very special time of year around the Ericast, so I've got reason to put out an episode. Wondering what it is? Here's your show. Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode! Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page! Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment! This is not the promised "Follow-up on Hope" episode that I have sitting in fragments on my hard drive. Instead, here are some life updates. If you don't want those, skip this episode, but if you do then you'll miss the hamster-themed song after the outro. It's our birthday! The Ericast was created in March of 2005 as I had switched jobs and was wrapping up my Master of Arts in Human Resource Development. Nineteen isn't all that special a number, unless you're Paul Hardcastle, and if you get that reference then you are my people! But, I did indeed follow up on what I may or may not have mentioned in a previous episode or two - what's just a click away for you is months ago for me - and right now I'm taking two classes in the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence program. Yup, why not pick up a second Master's degree, right? This semester it's "Python" (which I got into early) plus "Data Analytics and Visualization" which I didn't get into until after the first class had passed so that's been a bit of a trip. If you're interested in that stuff, I'm happy to talk about it. If not, I won't bore you. It wouldn't be the Ericast without talking about the weather. In late February it was 65 degrees, which is very, very unusual for Minnesota. You can do your own research on how warm it's been here but, trust me, it was warm. Then people started saying "Winter is over!" and of course we got a March snowstorm because that's how Murphy's Law works, but it wasn't that bad - less than a foot of snow here in the Twin Cities, and it's basically melted clear. I might have mentioned that Dad picked up RSV in December which isn't great when you can see "90" on the horizon, but after a couple months in a care center for rehab he's back in his home. In February we observed a year since Mom passed away. That "is what it is'' as they say. Still lots of stuff to go through and decisions to be made. It's not quite so morbid as "dust in the wind" but I was telling Dad tonight that there are things like boxes of letters she sent home from college. That's interesting. I have some of those myself kicking around somewhere. But who cares? We tell ourselves that "the next generation" will but they're busy making their own memories, not reading through someone else's. Almost a year to the day, Chloe had a second ear surgery - a "tympanoplasty" to repair her ear drum. Last year things went great with the left ear so, hey, why not do the right one? Candela is the opposite end of the spectrum for family surgeries and when she got her wisdom teeth out last week it was her first IV, first anesthesia, first prescription medications even. A couple weeks ago I was able to go to a talk by a name I'm sure long-time Ericast listeners must recognize because he's someone I did quite a bit of work with years ago. That was a weird feeling to flash back to events and conversations from 20 years ago... So, that's where things are at. And the website Suno.ai is bringing me joy. So, we'll wrap up with something from that.

Have you ever encountered a circumstance where you think, "That's a great point, but I'm not sure that's what that word means." Or, "I'm not sure that's what that says." Wondering how to untangle that? Here's your show.

Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode! Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page! Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!

Why write my own summary when I can have AI do it for me. What does ChatGPT think I talked about? In this podcast episode, I discuss listener feedback about the show's intro song and delve into the theme of hope. Reflecting on advice received at a recent conference, I explore the concept of avoiding negativity in one's brand and how "hope" can be a solution. I share a definition of hope I found on a card that reads, "Hope believes boldly, decides daringly, speaks firmly, and perseveres passionately. See Romans 15:13." Curious about the origin, I discover that it's a quote from Joyce Meyer Ministries and explore the biblical context in Romans 15:13. I discuss the layers of engagement and the tension between focusing on positive aspects while acknowledging and addressing problematic issues. The episode concludes with a teaser for more thoughts on hope from an unlikely source.

As we close out 2023, one caller has me wondering just what the Ericast is all about. Wondering what I'm wondering? Here's your show.

Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode! Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page! Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!

This entire episode and a miniature existential crisis is courtesy of Listener Abby. I'm not including Abby's call itself because she was on a walk at the time she called 701-645-3742 so she seems a lot more enthused or invigorated by the topic than most people should, but let me summarize: "Your intro and outro music does not reflect the whimsy that is you."

Abby is a coworker of mine and has known me for six months... and, she's absolutely right. So, today is the world-premiere of the new Ericast intro music. Ready?

"From Ericast.com! Ready for your Weekly Whimsy? It's Eric Larson's Wacky Wonderings! Welcome... to the Ericast!" (Featuring "If I Had A Chicken" by Kevin MacLeod)

No? Really? That doesn't work for you?

(It would've been even more exciting had I used something from the old Dimension music library!)

19 years ago when I was trying to get my mind around this "podcasting" concept of subscription audio... I was wrapping up my master's degree, I had a one-year-old at home, and I had just made a career pivot that ended up being a great opportunity but one that I wasn't always in the driver's seat for.

So, "whimsy" wasn't something I would embrace as an identity.

It's not that it's new. It's not that I've changed. I think I'm just comfortable enough with that side of myself to let it show, or maybe even lead with it rather than hide it... but all the other aspects of my personality -- the geek-tech driving industrial side -- are still in here.

Plus, I love history and having audio branding that's now 20 years out of date is kinda cool.

I could be convinced... but I don't think the Ericast is going to change its sound. At least not anytime soon.

You knew I wouldn't be able to just leave a "missing song" sitting somewhere in my brain, right?. Wondering if I found it? Here's your show.

Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode! Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page! Everyone: Call 701-645-ERIC (701-645-3742) and comment!

As you might imagine, I'm not recording this on Christmas Eve, but I'm approaching the concept of teasing the notion of going back to an old Ericast plan of "batching" episodes -- something I never really did, particularly because I like these to be "timely," but in this case I want to capture my enthusiasm because... wait for it... I found the song!

I still love AI more than any healthy human should and I'm still playing with it. You might have noticed that last week's show notes included a summary of what the show was about. That was AI generated and edited in tiny ways by me. This week, I got to wondering what the ElevenLabs default voices are like.

I put in the show notes and it said, "This is a lot - you might want to do it as a 'Project' instead!" ...and when I clicked on that, of course it costs money. So I figured, "how confused can it get?" You have to realize that, when it went viral that the default TikTok voice "Jessie" (based on Kat Callaghan, a Canadian radio host) decided to pronounce "Beyoncé" as "Bee-YONK," it brought me a deep hysterical joy... so this rendition of last week's show notes is just perfect. I love every second of it, including my "enthushiazm" for "aqueering" books that remain "untowch-ed".

I have to admit I absolutely love that voice. There's a hint of "Boston Brahmin" combined with "bored valleygirl" - "Recently, Eric attended a conference in Las Vegas..." I love it. That reminds me that I need to get around to watching the movie "Her," I guess?

Anyway, that was last week, and I only spent a day or two spinning on that and trying to figure out the song before I hit on the magic phrase of searching the Ericast.com website for the phrase "closed with a song" because I knew I had mentioned it and I knew that was one of the things that was noteworthy.

The podcast was "The Electrified Mind" from Philip Isaac. It disappeared in the middle of 2020, in peak pandemic, and I have no idea where he went. I think the podcaster I knew in Florida was a different one... so, maybe a goal for 2024 is to track him down?

But we're not here for a former podcaster. We're here for his song, which was "Help You Out" by Leonell Cassio and sung by Jonothon Robins. Since the lyrics might be a bit hard for you to make out, and since you know I love a chance to use an AI voice, I include a reading of them courtesy of "Adam" from ElevenLabs.

I can help you out

I can help you out

Here we go, here we go again

Trying hard but you wanna be my friend

In a place to hide and no one to run to

Here we go, here we go again

Call my bluff imma be until the end

Im the one you ride, im the one you ride to

If you don't wanna change

In a place to hide and no one to run to

If you don't wanna change

I can help you out [repeats]

Here we go, here we go again

Time is up and im calling up my friends

And no one to ride and no one to ride to

Here we go, here we go again

Call me up and you wanna be my friend

Im the one you ride, im the one you ride to

If you don't wanna change

In a place to hide and no one to run to

If you don't wanna change

I can help you out [repeat]

Song Credits: Help You Out (ft. Jonathon Robins) by Leonell Cassio / leonellcassio Creative Commons-Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported - CC BY-SA 3.0 Free Download/Stream: http://bit.ly/2JiBzMv