Indy GeekCast

The guys look at how Amazon wants to deliver packages to your car and what the case for that might be. Destiny 2 has new downloadable content (DLC) available, but is it enough to bring the guys back around to play again - especially when they are spending so much time playing Fortnite? Alexa gets a bit more conversational and everyone is trying to catch up to Google right now while the Supreme Court allows the states to choose how to deal with sports gambling for the first time since 1992... for now.

Season 2 kicks off in a big way as Neal Tardy joins Indy GeekCast as a permanent resident of the show and talks tech news while catching up with regular host Matt Ray. We talk about yet another new Facebook "scandal", the reality of virtual reality as seen in the hit film and book Ready Player One, and more.

Intro Bump: "Piratos" by WOWA [Web]

Guest: Tiffney McElroy, Serial Entrepreneur and Owner of Connect4

Quick note: This was recorded in a coffee shop and definitely has some background noise. Maybe you dig it as a one-off experience or maybe you don't. Either way, let me know how it lands with you, please!

When I think of someone who has a lot going on, I always think of Tiffney. She is oved by engineers for her focus on cultural fit when looking to matchmake a candidate with a local company. She is working on a clothing line. She even wants to drop a rap track at some point! I love her enthusiasm and encouragement and I think you will too.

Intro Bump: "Viviq" by WOWA [Web]

Guest: Britney Earwood for Agile Games

To celebrate the 1 year "birthday" of Agile Games in Indianapolis, the crew with Agile Games put on a series of games styled after the "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" improv show. So, this episode is a recording of that Agile Games session and Britney Earwood, one of Agile Games' meetup coordinators, providing some context both before and after the live recording. If you have heard of Agile methodology for project management or just enjoying hearing people put through ridiculous exercises for the amusement of others, this is a good one.

Intro Bump: "Super Mario Bros 2: Overworld Theme (ThisNameIsAFail Remix)" by ThisNameIsAFail [Web]

Guest: Theresa Hardy, Senior Consultant at Moser Consulting

Theresa is a friend I made while working with the Indiana State Department of Health and has proven to be an insightful ally that has willed her way with great skill onward and upward. On her journey she has collected some great Do's and Don'ts that are great for those just entering the world of IT, but also sage enough for a good review for those of us that have been at it for a while. Her message resonates not just in IT, but really crosses over to all professional pursuits.

Intro Bump: "Trumpets in Your Ears" by WOWA [Web]

Guest: Jeff Reklau, Business Relationship Manager at Community Health Network

Longtime friend and one-time coworker Jeff Reklau comes on the podcast and provides valuable insight into his career progression from the days when we didn't know what we didn't know to being a highly competent connector of ideas, resourcing, and prioritization on top of the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare. Yeah, and he didn't even pay me to say that! Jeff is fun, engaging, and provides a great glimpse into the world of IT that is not often accounted for when searching for your "fit". Lastly: shout out to his awesome wife, Jennifer. I could power a city with her energy and enthusaism and miss it dearly.

Intro Bump: "Blue Sky" by WOWA [Web]

Guest: Lisa Mitchell, The People Reader

Lisa drops by the studio with her entourage (well, Kim) to talk the power of body language. We hear how her tipping point of being stretched paper-thin by the demands of "always say yes" ultimately led her to where she is today. Lisa notes how much is lost in translation when we are tweet-storming each other. She has a new podcast that just launched and Matt has already implemented some of what she teaches. Everyone agrees you shouldn't be a troll unless it's funny.

Intro Bump: "Kindergarten Kid" by The Shake Ups [Web]

Guest: Dr. Allison Barber, Chancellor of Western Governors University Indiana

Dr. Allison Barber pops by to provide some historical insights into the why and how WGU was formed. Matt is pleasantly surprised he isn't in trouble while in front of an academic administrative figure. The online university is no longer an awful punishment for those that can't attend traditionally. Allison explains competency-based cirriculum vs. warming a seat with your bottom for a few hours.

Intro Bump: "Our Little Timelord (Instrumental)" by The Shake Ups [Web]

Guest: Larry D. Sweazy, author of Where I Can See You and many more

Larry is an awesome AND local author (Noblesville) and caters to many genres. His latest book, "Where I Can See You", came highly recommended from the staff at Barnes & Noble and I personally back them up on that. Weaving in notes from younger days (for both of us), the story does a great job of capturing the intersection between childhood perceptions of events and places and the adult context and analysis of those years later. Larry and I talk about our shared origins in Anderson, Indiana and the influences of hitting the lakes as both children and adults. He also provides a great "origin story" for his writing and the influence that his job as an indexer has had on his career.

Intro Bump: "Undercurrents" by The Madeira [Web]

Guests: Patrick and Savannah O'Connor of The Shake Ups

Patrick and Savannah, two fifths of The Shake Ups, join me just in time for the release of their umpteenth (totally a number) album. This time The Shake Ups are headed to Beach City to celebrate their love of Steven Universe, an awesome cartoon from Cartoon Network that has blown past 3 seasons already. Patrick and Savannah hit us with their origin story, influences both real an imagined (by Matt), and Matt thinks people assume local bands suck by default and will be super-impressed by what The Shake Ups offer. We chat about the distinction between themed albums and live concerts that honor the spirit and love for a fandom as opposed to those that might parody a property to belittle or degrade its base of fans. Patrick wants to eventually bring his love of Voltron to life while Savannah is itching to become our real life Ms. Frizzle of Magic Schoolbus fame.

Intro Bump: "Wave of Steven" by The Shake Ups [Web]