Just Talking Podcast

Finishing up American Diabetes Month, Chuck Eichten joins me for Episode 111. A recent author, person with diabetes and employee of Nike - clearly there's lots to talk about. On the Nike front we talk about what his work generally involves and some of the athletes he's met. On the diabetes front, being diagnosed in 1975 he has a unique perspective of experiencing the evolution of diabetes technology. Most of the conversation is about his book - including the initial motivations, the process, the completed product and the initial reception. Enjoy.

You can get more information about his book, The Book of Better at http://bookofbetter.com.

Run Time - 1:04:13

Send your feedback to [email protected].

Harry Thompson joins the podcast to talk about life with diabetes, the value of free time after a newborn child enters your life, the motivation required to compete and complete a triathalon and shared custody of a professional football team. This was a fun one to record and I expect just as much when you queue this one up. Enjoy.

You can follow Harry on Twitter at @harrythompson and keep up with his blog at http://25unitstogo.wordpress.com.

Run Time - 1:00:39

Send your feedback to [email protected].

Jacquie Wojick is my guest for Episode 109. Listen to us talk about last names that are difficult to pronounce, the skyline of Jacksonville, Florida, what qualifies as a good beer and how (believe it or not) Don Draper lives in a truly fictional world. We also talk about diabetes support, both online and offline. Again, I'm devoting the entire month of November to conversations with members of the diabetes community for American Diabetes Month. Sometimes awareness is just a podcast episode away. Enjoy.

You can follow Jacquie on Twitter at @badpancreas and keep up with her blog at http://badpancreas.wordpress.com.

Run Time - 56:19

Send your feedback to [email protected].

Doing my part to spread awareness of diabetes, even if it's just through this little podcast, during American Diabetes Month, my guest for Episode 108 is Virtue B. Living with type 1 diabetes, we talk about her diagnosis and the impact of Canada's healthcare system on her diabetes care. There's also some talk about hockey and its relative importance both with her personally and to the "average Canadian." Finally we get academic and talk about her research, the writing under pressure and the difference in perspectives between the medical professional and the patient when it comes to diabetes care. It's a fascinating conversation and you're in for a treat. Enjoy.

You can follow Virtue on Twitter at @VirtueB.

Run Time - 52:25

Send your feedback to [email protected].

Those of you that follow the video game industry know that the fall and winter months are traditionally home to the most anticipated games of the year. Nearly every week of November and December features at least one stand out game that is widely anticipated and more often than not delivers on the hype it generates. My guest for Episode 107 is Ben Kuchera, Gaming Editor for Ars Technica. He is one of the writers whose job is to cover all of these games. His nights involve typing thousands of words, dealing with the passionate yet sometimes misguided video game fans, drinking lots of Red Bull and playing some fantastic video games. We discuss his work at Ars Technica, the positives and negatives of being a (mostly) one-man crew and much, much more. Enjoy.

You can follow Ben on Twitter at @BenKuchera and you can find his work at http://arstechnica.com/gaming/.

Run Time - 1:09:06

Send your feedback to [email protected].

Last week was about Simonpalooza. This week is about Simon. If you've been following me, this podcast, or my blog then you're well aware of the Australian "rockstar" touring the United States a few weeks ago. The hour is spent discussion Australian culture (both actual and perceived), Simon's diagnosis, the ups and downs of his life with diabetes and the impact the diabetes community has had on his life. Don't mind the ocean sounds in the background, one of us was podcasting from the beach ;) Enjoy.

You can follow Simon on Twitter at @STroyCrow and tell him Chris sent you.

Run Time - 51:59

Send your feedback to [email protected].

A few weeks ago (from this podcast's publishing date) was a little event called 'Simonpalooza.' On the surface, it might seem odd that a bunch of 'strangers' would want to meet up in Kansas City to celebrate the arrival of a gentleman, also living with diabetes, from Austrailia. There were themed shirts, cupcakes, tears of joy and an all around good times. The unofficial hub of this gathering was at the house of my guest for Episode 105, diabetes blogger Jess (http://jess-meandd.blogspot.com). Naturally most of the podcast focused on the events of Simonpalooza but we also cover Friends For Life, the rewards of teaching and the drought of professional sports in the Kansas City Area. Enjoy.

You can follow Jess on Twitter at @jessmeandd.

Run Time - 54:45

Send your feedback to [email protected].

Two straight years of podcasting has brought us here to Episode 104 and my guest David Ellis from 343 Industries. Of course, it would have been nice if I got that introduction right on the actual recording but I'll let you listen to see how I deal with that less-than-ideal first impression. David's roots are on the east coast so we spent some time talking about the Carolina Panthers and his work in Washington D.C. before finding his way to the west coast with EGM and 1UP. Once we get to the video game side of things we cover his entry into the industry, the international phenomenon that is The Sports Anomaly and how things changed after the "1Upocalypse". Finally, the incredible story of how he got his job at 343 Industries finishes out this fantastic conversation. Enjoy.

You can follow David on Twitter at @DavidEllis and keep up with the latest Halo developments by following @HaloWaypoint.

Run Time - 1:14:01

Send your feedback to [email protected].

This introduction is both a warning and an endorsement - the podcast you are about to listen to is really, really geeky. Josh Mayfield joins me in Epiode 103 to talk about the Final Fantasy series and its impact on the modern video game landscape, his website Epic Randomness and the joy of writing content for yourself first. But the bulk of this podcast is about comics. Comic book movies, the DC Comics New 52 initiative, the new Spider-Man, the numerous benefits (and bummers) of the digital comic industry and he even drops a few recommendations for quality reads if you're interested. Enjoy.

You can follow Josh on Twitter at @Bean525.

Run Time - 59:34

Send your feedback to [email protected].

Joining me for Episode 102 is Amy Tenderich from Diabetes Mine. Our conversation covers her diagnosis and the ups and downs of her first years with diabetes. Also discussed are the origins and evolution of her blog, how her backround in journalism helped shape her blog and the opportunities that have come her way. Finally, and in my opinion most importantly, we talk about the Design Challenge and Innovation Summit and the potential impact they may have on every person living with or caring for someone with diabetes. As you will soon find out, it's a fascinating conversation that was my pleasure to host. Enjoy.

Follow Amy on Twitter @AmyDBMine and you can keep up with the blog at diabetesmine.com and on twiter at @DiabetesMine.

Run Time - 52:15

Send your feedback to [email protected].