Month: April 2008

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“Life here, began out there.”

We’ve taken our first steps into a larger world with episode IV of Sci-Fi Cast. Our weekly podcast discussing season 4 of Battlestar Galactica and all things geek, has made the jump (sorry, had to do it) to Apple’s iTunes. You can now subscribe to the show by visiting the podcast section of iTunes.

This week’s episode is sadly missing Krystyn, but we have high hopes she’ll join us for episode V next week. In the meantime, Jen, Dave and I theorize about the internal temperature of Colonial garbage scows, what makes for the perfect BSG episode (according to Jen, it’s all about the act-ion!) and how bad it would suck to have Admiral Adama disappointed in you.

The usual spoiler warning applies, so don’t listen if you’ve not watched “Escape Velocity” yet. It’s kinda like opening your eyes at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. If you do, and you’ve not watched BSG episode 4 yet, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Well, maybe not that long.

Download or listen to Sci-Fi Cast Episode 4 (21 min) here.

PS – On a personal note, I promise never to download a show from my TiVO while using Skype ever again, which is what I was doing during this episode. If you ever want to sound like you’re speaking through a piece of digital cheesecloth, then this technique works great, otherwise ABORT! ABORT!

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‘Britt & Brad’ On FOX

Just finished watching our favorite local talk radio hosts, Brad Krantz and Britt Whitmire make a brief appearance on the national broadcast of FOX News. They spoke about North Carolina’s role in the upcoming election and responded to questions about their listener’s views on the controversial GOP ad currently running in the state.

I think they did a pretty good job for not being allowed to expound on their thoughts for more than a few sentences and represented North Carolina extremely well. Brad’s point about how NC has changed since the days of Jessie Helms is well taken and with all eyes turning to our state in the next two weeks, hopefully the media will continue to portray North Carolinians as the intelligent, modern people they are. One small note to Britt: Don’t let top billing from the clueless FOX host go to your head 🙂

Sciurus Roto-Rooterus

Caught this guy coming out of my front porch drain pipe the other day. I swear on the Internet this image hasn’t been altered in any way. I saw him going in and out of the pipe which sits on my front lawn and I grabbed my camera. On one of his exits he seemed to know I was watching and posed for me. At least now I know why my gutters are all backed up…

UPDATE: I submitted the little guy to icanhascheezburger.com. Head on over and vote for him before he gets his friends to clog up your drains too!

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Futurama & Fracking Airlocks!

Looks like Sci-Fi Cast is now officially a podcast, I mean we’re at episode three right? How many more do we have to do before I consider this a real “gig”? This week’s episode catches us up with events in the season 4 BSG episode “The Ties That Bind” including how the Sci-Fi channel apparently lets 3rd graders edit next week’s previews, Captain Ahab, I mean Starbuck and why Futurama just might be the greatest show in the history of television. Sadly we were missing Krystyn Heide this week (something about having an actual life, I dunno) but Jen Segrest, Dave Caolo and I did our best to be sufficiently geeky to take up the slack.

A bit of a warning, this episode is full of fracking spoilers for BSG’s 3rd episode, so don’t listen if you’ve not watched “The Ties That Bind” yet. Don’t say we didn’t warn you, because once you listen, you can’t un-listen!

Download or listen to Sci-Fi Cast Episode 3 here.

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Clinton By 13%

So today is the big day in the Keystone state. They’ll be much analysis and endless talk about what the candidates could have done better, but at the end of the day I say Hillary will win PA, as she has always been predicted to do. Although Barack has made impressive in-roads in the state, it won’t be enough for an upset. Of course, he doesn’t need an upset, he just needs to hold her win to the lower double digits. And so I’m guessing when all is said and done, Clinton will win Pennsylvania by 13%. It would be awesome if he could hold her to single digits, but I’m not going to get my hopes up.

In the end, none of this matters because she’ll still be behind in pledged delegates, popular votes, states won and funds raised. She’s already lost, she just hasn’t admitted it yet.

UPDATE: Close! When the dust settled Clinton won the state by 10%. She only netted only 9 – 12 delegates though and cut Obama’s popular vote lead by about 150K. It’s been said before, but I’ll say it again: She. Can’t. Win. Enough with the drama, vote Obama.

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TV’s Turd Blossoms

Admit it. There have been times when you’ve tuned into an episode of a particularly bad television show for no other reason than, shall we say, the “eye candy”. Maybe you even tuned in for an entire season or more just to catch a glimpse of that certain actor or actress that made your heart go pitter patter. Thanks to yet another exchange between Twitter friends on this very subject, I’m happy to present a list of what I’m calling my top five “TV Turd Blossoms”. Even though the shows that starred them were veritable train wrecks, they all made us think twice about changing the channel, which I think, was the entire point of casting them. Read on and feel free to add your own turd blossoms in the comments below.

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Christina Applegate

Married With Children

Fox’s anti-Cosby series about the dysfunctional Bundy family was notable for several reasons. Unlike anything that had come before, Married reveled in endless lowbrow humor and sexual innuendo. It played shamelessly to the studio audience, at times almost making them a full fledged cast member. The show’s humor never really appealed to me, but thanks to Christina Applegate’s Kelly Bundy, I somehow managed to tune in for more than a few episodes. Christina’s obvious sex appeal, combined with her sly performance as the ultimate “dumb blonde” had millions of viewers wishing she was the girl who lived next door.

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Heather Thomas

The Fall Guy

I think it’s safe to say that Heather Thomas was the “hood ornament” on The Fall Guy’s 4×4 big rig. The show centered around stuntman by day, bounty hunter by night, Colt Severs played by Lee Majors, and was known for pedestrian plots, glorified stunt work and Hollywood glam. You only had to watch the opening credits of The Fall Guy to get a pretty good idea why Heather Thomas was cast in the forgettable role of Jodie Banks. Typical dialog for Heather included such award winning lines as “Watch out Colt, he’s got a gun!” and “I hate you Howie!”. Never-the-less, Heather’s California good looks, along with sales of one of the most successful posters of the 80’s, help keep The Fall Guy breaking through windows and catching crooks for five full seasons.

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Donna Dixon

Bosom Buddies

Back before Tom Hanks was the Oscar-winning, world famous actor and producer he is today, he starred in a little sitcom (yes, that is Hanks singing the Billy Joel title track in the opening credits) about two guys pretending to be women in order to get an apartment in Manhattan. Although I was only 11 at the time, I remember the show not for the forced jokes about men in drag, or even Peter Scolari’s impressive juggling skills. Nope, the thing I remember most about Bosom Buddies was Sonny Lumet, played to Marilyn Monroe-esque proportions by Donna Dixon. Unbeknownst to me, Dixon’s Sonny provided the visual counterbalance for audience members uncomfortable with watching two men parading around in makeup for laughs. And although the writers took full advantage of Dixon’s sex appeal, Bosom Buddies just wasn’t funny enough to last beyond 2 seasons.

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Jeri Ryan

Star Trek Voyager

By the third season of Star Trek Voyager, UPN’s flagship show was starting to limp along on impulse power. The powers that be decided to axe Kes, played by Jennifer Lein, in favor of another character that has since become synonymous with TV eye candy. From the moment she first stepped onto the cargo bay in her infamous catsuit, it was clear Jeri Ryan’s portrayal of Seven of Nine would blast Voyager back into warp speed. The move was decried by critics and even some cast members as blatantly sexist and an attempt to lure the young male demographic back into the Trek universe. Evidently the ploy worked as Voyager’s ratings picked up, complex stories began centering on Seven’s character and to her credit, Ryan strove to make the part her own. While Voyager is considered by many to be one of the weakest in the Trek franchise, it’s a testament to Ryan that the series’ best dramatic moments often came from the Borg once seen only as a bombshell.

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Lynda Carter

Wonder Woman

Perhaps no other role on television epitomizes the idea of a TV turd blossom as that of Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman. When the show’s producers cast Carter in the title role, she had little more than a 1972 Miss World title and $25 dollars to her name. Despite some of the cheesiest plots, villains and sets this side of Paradise Island, Carter’s warmth and enthusiasm for the part always shone through. When Wonder Woman moved from a World War II to modern day setting on a completely different network, Carter took the change in stride and did her best to make the show successful. To this day, not many people can remember the stories of Wonder Woman, but everyone knows who played her. Carter’s beauty may have lassoed the viewers, but it was her ability to rise above the awful material that turned her into one of the most beloved heroines in TV history.

Don’t forget to Digg It!

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What He Said

Last night’s New Rules from Bill Maher were spot on. Bill managed to put into words exactly how I feel about the political climate in this country and the coming election. He spoke about Obama’s supposed “bittergate slip” (which the majority of PA’ers evidently don’t have a problem with) and elitism. Here are some of the best bits:

“So let’s separate the bitter from the idiots. If you think the Democrats are going to take away your bible, you’re an idiot. If you think they’re going to take away your guns, you’re an armed idiot. And if you think they’re going to take away your gun and give it to a Mexican to kill your god, you’re Bill O’Reilly.”

and

“So let’s focus on the thing… that the people who claim to be the non-elitists are the ones who constantly shift tax burden from the people who fire you, to you. John McCain voted to repeal the estate tax. Voted against the minimum wage. Has no health care plan and is fine with keeping the working class in Iraq for a hundred years, but he’s a real “man of the people”. And the President went to Harvard and Yale and inherited your country from his dad, but he’s not an elitist because he can neither read nor write.

What does it take to label someone elitist these days anyway? They wear shoes? They all buy their groceries at the gas station? Their dog has a name and their truck doesn’t?

You know who’s bitter in America? I am. Because shit-kickers voted twice for a retarded guy they wanted to have a beer with and everybody else had to suffer the consequences!”

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So I’m Told

While I was busy watching the Red Sox vs. Yankees tonight, the world kept turning and evidently things happened. Here’s some stuff I missed while I was watching the slugfest in New York:

The Democratic Debate – Evidently ABC gave new meaning to the term “pointless”. Moderators spent most of their time talking about “Bittergate”, sniper fire, Reverend Wright and get this, flag pins. Some of the comments on the ABC website, courtesy of The Huffington Post are just brutal. Good to know the MSM is still doing their usual bang-up job.

The Indy IV Backlash Has Begun – Apparently the folks at CHUD think they know for a fact that the new Indy movie will suck. Why? Because its final running time is clocking in at 140 minutes. I mean who’d want to sit in a theater and watch Harrison Ford play one of the most beloved screen heroes of all time for THAT long? And before you get that puss on your face, this isn’t a podcast, it’s a feature film. I figured the movie would suffer from overly high expectations, but to pan it just because it’s 13 minutes longer than The Last Crusade is plain stupid.

Full of Hot Air – The next time George W. Bush announces an “important” speech from the rose garden about one of the most pressing challenges facing this nation, maybe he’ll actually want to take action instead of offering more bloviating. The press made a huge deal about how the Bush Administration was about to do an about face regarding climate change today, and all we got was vague notions of future shifts in potential policy. It’s unsurprising that Bush is doing whatever he can to try and rescue his legacy before he leaves office, but I expected more than the typical Bush bait and switch.

Knowing Is Half the Battle – First there was Snake Eyes, and now there is Scarlett. I’ll hand it to the people behind the PR for the new G.I. Joe movie, they sure know how to put lipstick on a pig tease! This movie just keeps getting better and better. I have a feeling that when picts of the Baroness hit the web, I’ll probably blow a gasket. Yo Joe!

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Playing In Hell

First there was Cooking Mama, and then my friend Dave Miller blogged about the upcoming Iron Chef game for the Nintendo Wii and DS. Now the genre comes to full circle thanks to the controversial but always entertaining Gordon Ramsay. His hit show Hell’s Kitchen, is being transformed into a digital arena where wannabe chefs can hone their culinary skills or face ultimate humiliation in the comfort of their own homes. According to the Hell’s Kitchen website, the game includes “Career Mode” and “Arcade Mode”, kitchen and dining room challenges and even includes recipes you can try at home! I fancy myself an amateur chef and I have to say the game seems to capture the manic feel of the TV show without all the hassle of actually becoming a reality TV contestant. If you’ve always wanted to feel Gordon’s wrath after ruining his famous risotto for the 10th time (as I have), then this is the game for you.

A video preview of the game includes a virtual Gordon complete with his famous potty mouth, digital Jean Philipe and much more. Although the release date has not been published, thankfully the HK site reports the game will be available for both the PC and Macintosh operating systems. From the looks of the screen shots and the illustrated nature of the settings, the graphics seems to be a cut above most games of this type. Hopefully game play will be interactive, fun and challenging enough to keep players chopping, sauteing, and plating for days. If you’re interested, there is a sign-up available that will keep you posted about the game and when we can expect it to hit shelves. In the meantime, sharpen your knives and harden your ego, because apparently virtual Gordon, like his namesake, takes no prisoners!

Of Exocomps & Evangelion

Well, we’ve done it again. Blogger buddies Dave Caolo, Jen Segrest and myself were joined by the insightful Krystyn Heide to discuss reaction to episode 4.2 of Battlestar Galactica and the results were a full on geek fest. Topics of discussion this time range from Buffy and Babylon 5 all the way to The Next Generation, Evangelion and lobotomizing those poor little Cylon raiders. Episode 2 of Sci-Fi Cast clocks in at 23 minutes and is available as an enhanced podcast for your listening pleasure.

Of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that the podcast contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Battlestar Galactica’s fourth season. If you don’t want to ruin your viewing experience, best to hold off listening until you’ve caught up. We hope you’ll join us for our ongoing geeky trek throughout this season of Galactica. Enjoy!

Download or listen to episode 2 here.

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The President’s New Face

If you’ve been watching season 4 of Battlestar Galactica then you may have noticed things have changed since last season, and not for the better. No, I’m not talking about the 4 new Cylon models or Lee abandoning the cockpit of his trusty viper. I’m talking about what Laura Roslin, or more correctly, Mary McDonnell has done to her once lovely face.

After watching last night’s episode and then doing a quick image search of the actress for comparison, I think it’s safe to say Mary has caved to Hollywood pressure and “had work done”. You can see in the comparison image that her cheek bones, jaw line and most noticeably her lips have all been altered since last year. The tell-tale mark is the up-turned crease at the edge of her mouth which seems to give her a permanent smile. Unfortunately it reminds me of the butchering that actress Rose McGowan gave herself in early 2007.

It’s sad because I happen to think Ms. McDonnell was one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. She certainly didn’t need to prove anything to us or the establishment by altering her face. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly back in March of 2007, she confesses she had thought about getting a face lift for a long time, but that her husband managed to talk her out of it. Evidently his powers of persuasion aren’t what they used to be because when she appears on BSG now, all I can think is “When the hell did they get a plastic surgeon in space?” Hopefully she’ll turn out to be the final cylon, download and revert to the beautiful Laura we all know and love.

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Neal Boortz, Asshat

While I was on my lunch break the other day, I thought I would tune into FM Talk 101.1 and see if I could stomach what Boortz was dishing out, even if just for a little while. It didn’t take long to realize that was a mistake. After bloviating for about 10 minutes on the fair tax, he went into a section where callers who disagreed with him are allowed through the screening process so Boortz can berate them on national radio.

Even before the gentleman came on the air, Boortz made fun of the man because he dared to call the host a hypocrite for his stance on the fair tax. What followed was typical for right-wing conservative radio hosts and a lesson for anyone who thinks they can teach these clowns a lesson by simply making a phone call.

First, the segment was done at 12:56pm right before the hard break, so you knew it wasn’t going to last long. Second, Boortz let the caller get about 20 words out before cutting him off. Literally. Boortz interrupted the caller after he tried to make a very relevant point about just how unfair the supposed “fair tax” was by launching into his “you’ve got to be back up your position with more than just calling me a hypocrite” bit. But as he spoke it was evident that even if the caller wanted to back up his position, he couldn’t because Boortz had cut him off over a minute ago. So Boortz continues to “lecture” the caller about how he’s an idiot, asking him questions he can’t respond to and calling him a “closet liberal”, all while he’s talking to dead air.

If radio hosts like Neil Boortz, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingrahm actually had a spine, or the ability to defend their positions publicly, they wouldn’t need to hang up on callers. When presented with well-reasoned arguments they usually resort to tricks like hard breaks, or the covert disconnect.

Thankfully some radio hosts actually listen to their callers and let them get more than 2 words out. These are the good guys and I thank them for being, you know, human. I also admire people who have the guts to call into Boortz and Limbaugh to try and set the record straight, but sadly, most of the time they are just taken back behind the “radio barn” and shot. So the next time you’re thinking about picking up the phone to lecture an asshat, remember the words of Sean Connery in The Untouchables – “Never bring a knife to a gun fight.” Here endeth the lesson.

An Inconvenient Update

This week the excellent TED conference posted a video segment with Al Gore regarding an update to his famous climate crisis slide show. The piece is just about 1/2 hour long and provides updates to several key points made famous in his Academy Award winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Gore gives the latest info regarding warming at the north and south poles, increases in carbon emissions from developing nations and the grassroots campaign to change the hearts and minds of Australians toward Kyoto.

He also focuses on the need to do more than just change light bulbs, and makes a plea to get laws changed. Some parts are a bit overly dramatic for my taste, but I agree with his core tenet. The climate crisis is going to continue to worsen unless people start demanding change, particularly of the presidential candidates. Seeing how much the U.S. depends on gasoline, and how little attention the main stream media has devoted to the topic, it’s easy to see why Al’s upset.

Take time on your lunch break or after work and watch this video. After all, knowledge is power.

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For the Love of the Game

When was the last time you played a game of pinball? If you’re anything like me, it’s been years since you plunked quarters into one of those classic arcade contraptions. The plight of the pinball machine is one, that in today’s modern world, has grown more and more familiar. What once captured the money and imagination of players across the country, has become relegated to collector’s garages and played by a small group of enthusiasts who look back on pinball with fond memories through neon colored glasses. The story of pinball’s origins and how one company tried to re-invent it, is being told via a new documentary written, produced and directed by my friend and designer Greg Maletic.

Tilt: The Battle to Save Pinball tells the story of the Williams company and their dedicated team of designers who were tasked with nothing less than single-handedly saving the entire pinball industry. The DVD can be ordered via the Tilt homepage, and is a wonderfully produced documentary spanning the entire history of the game. Tilt takes the viewer on a light-hearted and fascinating journey from pinball’s humble beginnings as merely a game of luck, to the industry changing era of classic video games, and the creation of Pinball 2000.

The DVD’s production values are top notch and are marked by retro style graphics (all created in Adobe Illustrator and animated in After Effects), an easy to follow narrative and some of the best music I’ve ever heard written for a documentary by composer Skip Heller. Much more than just “talking heads”, Greg’s film gives special insights into the world of the penny arcade that eventually morphed into the electronic palaces of the 60’s 70’s & 80’s that so many of us spent our childhood in. Watching Tilt, it’s easy to see how much a labor of love this film has been for him. Case in point comes in a scene discussing Baby Pac Man, an unsuccessful fusion of pinball and video games. The director’s audio commentary reveals he was unable to find a functioning Baby Pac Man unit to film, so he decided to animate the entire cabinet in After Effects. An impressive feat to be sure, and one that I would never have realized had I not listened to the commentary. Tilt is full of these kinds of subtle treats which bring both eye candy and visual interest to a subject that some might consider boring.

Over 2 and a half years in the making, Tilt: The Battle to Save Pinball, not only serves up an interesting slice of history, but also provides insight into problems that designers face every single day. How do you make something old and familiar, new and fresh? How do talented individuals leverage their skills to create a unique new experience even in the face of tremendous industry pressure? All of these questions, and many more are tackled in Tilt. It’s a fun journey for pinball fans and lay people alike that I highly recommend. Check out the trailer available on the Tilt homepage or via YouTube.

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So Say We All

Speaking of podcasts, it seems I’ve taken my first steps into a larger world. Thanks to the group blog post regarding Battlestar Galactica, myself, Jen Segrest and Dave Caolo got together after the BSG season premiere and did a quick audio commentary of the episode. We’re not sure if it will turn into a regular thing just yet, but it sure was fun! The podcasts lasts a mere 13 minutes (ha!) as Dave, Jen and I discuss subjects including our picks of the final cylon models, connections to the original Battlestar Galactica, and Dave’s apparent fear of boxing and deep emotional turmoil.

If you’ve not watched the season premier of Battlestar Galactica season 4 yet, you’ll want to hold off on this until you catch up. Spoilers do not a great podcast make. But if you’ve watched and are in the mood for three geek’s views on all things sci-fi, then give it a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Listen in a browser window here.

Download the podcast here.

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Podcast To Oblivion

Summary: The length of some audio podcasts are increasing at an alarming rate. Podcasters should learn to master the fine art of editing or risk losing large portions of their listening audience. I provide some helpful tips to help them avoid pitfalls and offer some anecdotal evidence on the subject.

Even if you read no further than the above summary, you’ll have a pretty good feel for what this post is about, where it’s going and what will be discussed. Unfortunately, this is more than I can say of many of today’s most popular audio podcasts. I’ve noticed a few alarming habits that podcasters are adopting that have put me, and others like myself, off from listening to their content. By writing about these trends, I hope podcast producers will look at the criticism objectively and perhaps find some room for improvement.

“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” ~ Thomas Jefferson


Rambling Ratholes

Almost a year ago, I started listening to the excellent Mac-based audio podcast by Leo Laporte and company called MacBreak Weekly. MBW is a “round table” discussion between Leo and a cast of regulars including Merlin Mann, Andy Ihnatko and others. I enjoyed MacBreak Weekly for a long time, until I noticed the length of the broadcast kept creeping up and up. The hosts would often wander off on tangents that often had nothing to do with the subject of the discussion. Leo proudly dubbed these tangents “ratholes” and they even came up with a little musical jingle for the things. They were cute at first, but soon grew annoying. When episode number 70 hit 112 minutes back in December, I had had enough.

The length of MacBreak Weekly episodes has been rising slowly for some time, and I don’t think they even realize it. I love a good 20 minute discussion about Apple IIc’s as much as the next fanboy, but there are limits. Laporte seems to have forgotten how to edit his podcasts and the result are bloated episodes. In addition, TWiT doesn’t even supply an episode summary until a week after its initial broadcast. Podcaster tip: if you can’t be bothered to listen to your own content and post a detailed summary of what you’ll be talking about for the next 1.5 hours, I can’t be bothered to listen.

“It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what other men say in whole books.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche


Can I Buy Shares of GRUBR?

Another one of my favorite podcasts is The Talk Show with Dan Benjamin and John Gruber of Daring Fireball fame. Like MacBreak Weekly, episodes of The Talk Show have been getting longer. Unlike MacBreak Weekly, the creators of The Talk Show are firm believers in editing, which results in more “cake” and less “frosting”. And although the running length is increasing faster than that of MacBreak Weekly, Benjamin & Gruber haven’t yet reached the dreaded average running length of 1.5 – 2 hours that Laporte and company regularly flirt with.

Dan Benjamin says that they typically record 1.5 to 2x as much material as they need and then edit out all the non-essential bits to arrive at their final running time. They don’t set a time limit for The Talk Show, but they do make a conscious effort to bring listeners the interesting bits and leave the rest on the cutting room floor. This being said, I still think set running times are a good idea. Podcaster tip: It’s much easier for someone to plan to listen to a podcast from week to week when its length is fixed. A great example of this is NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me. Each episode is 47 minutes long and so I know exactly where I’ll be when it starts, and when it ends. If you can’t say what you have to say in a set time, consider editing it down or breaking it up into parts.

“If you bring that sentence in for a fitting, I can have it shortened by Wednesday.” ~ Hawkeye Pierce, M*A*S*H


The Butter Zone

So how long should your average audio podcast be? Not surprisingly if you ask a podcast producer they’ll probably tell you “As long as it needs to be.” Unfortunately this attitude often reflects the desires of the creator and not those of the audience. People’s time is limited and in this modern age, attention spans wane. I took an informal survey on Twitter to ask people their thoughts about what was the right length for an audio podcast. Fifty people responded and took the poll. Although the tally can’t be considered scientific by any sense of the word, I believe the results are indicative of your average content consumer. Is it really any wonder that people’s preferred length for a podcast is the same as your average television show? Podcaster tip: When podcasts approach the length of feature films, people start to lose interest. It’s better to break long epics up into short, multiple features.

Another portion of the Twitter poll asked respondents where they listen to podcasts the most. A full 46% of them said “On the go” meaning in their cars, while jogging, riding the subway, etc. Sometimes I load up my iPhone with episodes of The Talk Show and listen to them on my morning drive of about 15 minutes. Until the recent spike in length, I was able to get through one episode of TTS in a single day’s commute, which was just perfect. Indeed, the 2005 U.S. census reported that the average American’s commute time to and from work was 25 minutes. Large cities like New York were a bit higher at 38 minutes, but all were under an hour. I think this fact helps explain the audience’s desire for 30-45 minute podcasts. By nature, people love closure and enjoying a podcast that can be completed in a single commute is a satisfying experience.

“Let me explain. No, there is too much, let me sum up.” ~ Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride


To Sum Up

Despite what the creators of podcasts may think, their audience is looking for manageable chunks of auditory content that can be neatly parsed into a daily commute or a walk around the park. Thanks in part to the ever increasing HD sizes of iPods, podcast producers no longer feel restricted by file size, and have a tendency to let their hosts ramble. Unless content creators re-dedicate themselves to producing top-notch, edited podcasts, more and more people will undoubtedly lose interest. When I visit the latest episode of MacBreak Weekly and I spy a running time of 1 hour and 42 minutes, it turns me off. The length is too intimidating to even attempt and I just surf away. From one Mac fan to another, I urge Leo and others like him to take the words of Baltasar Gracian to heart – “Good things, when short, are twice as good.”




Hat tip to Craig for his help with the graphing portion of this post. Me bad with spreadsheets. Craig good.

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One-Way Street

Let me just say up front that the engineers, programmers and developers I work with are some of the most talented people in the industry. They manage to write software and code few others have the skill to create, and I am often in awe of their abilities. That being said, I’ve recently been reminded of an inequity between designers and programmers which I have to get off my chest.

Last week I watched the excellent video from the C4 developer’s conference with my friend Cabel Sasser of Panic fame called Coda Confidential. Something he said in his presentation struck home. At the 22 minute mark Cabel starts talking about Coda’s “Toolbar of Doom” and the implications the toolbar had on his developers. If you’re not familiar with the story, you can listen to the description of the problem from the C4 video, or check out Cabel’s blog post on the subject. The short version is that Cabel designed Coda’s toolbar to appear a certain way, the way he knew it looked best. But it turned out that designing it this way was hard. Very hard. After trying to bend the Cocoa toolbar implementation to their will, they decided instead to throw in the towel. And when Cabel says “throw in the towel” he means write their own toolbar code. From scratch.

Despite their impressive ability to solve the toolbar design problem, Cabel makes the point that he’s constantly “choosing his battles” between himself and the programmers at Panic. They don’t always have the luxury of writing code from the ground up to solve a particular design problem. They are constantly asking themselves is this particular design decision worth the time and effort it will take to implement? As I know from personal experience, sometimes the answer to that question is unfortunately, “No”. As a co-owner of my company, like Cabel, I’m constantly looking at the “big picture” to determine if a difficult design is worth the time and money required to implement it.

But from a creative point of view, purely as a designer, I still find it frustrating that the ideas and creations I come up don’t always get implemented. Some are considered “too difficult” or “too time consuming” to put into practice and therefore must be abandoned. I consider this to be a double-standard in our industry between designers and developers. As a designer, I’ve almost never told a developer I’m working with that a particular icon, user interface or web design is “too difficult” to implement. In my entire career, I think I’ve said “no” a grand total of 2 or 3 times. And that only happened because someone asked for something physically impossible, like making a 5 letter word legible at 16×16 pixels. I realize the programmers reading this will probably say “that’s because coding is more difficult than designing”. This may or may not be true, but that’s a whole other topic for discussion.

I know that even programmers themselves can’t always create the software or features they dream up, but it seems like they often have “outs” that simply don’t exist for us designers. We’re always expected to push through and solve the problem, while for them, something is either technically not feasible, would take too long to implement, or is simply a bad idea due to poor user behavior. Just once, I’d love to be able to tell a developer who’s asked me to solve a design problem “Nope, it’s too hard. Not gonna happen.”

I know that given enough time and money, pretty much anything is possible, and unfortunately most small software companies are not made of gold. We must therefore attempt to balance our desires as designers with what is best for the success of the product. I also know that the balance between a talented designer and a skilled programmer can transform mediocre titles into outstanding apps. I just wish I had the ability to even the score every now and then. I take solace in the fact that often as designers, we’re usually only limited by our imaginations rather than API’s or function calls. Our relationship may indeed be a one way street, but for developers, it’s often littered with road blocks.