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.

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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.

Ericast 342 - Re-telling AI Stories

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. 

Ericast 341 - The AI Summer!

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.

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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.)

Ericast 340 - How was March?

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.

Ericast 339 - What is 'Hope'?

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?

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.