Found in Bob Priddy’s desk

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  • Christopher Garbacz (Professor of Economics @ Mizzou) business card
  • 15 yards of Butler dental floss
  • Iodized salt packet
  • Free medium drink coupon from Hardees (Expiration date Sept. 1996)
  • Cut-up American Express card
  • 3-cent postage stamp
  • Children’s Miracle Network pledge card (dated June 1989)
  • Unused “I voted” sticker
  • Illinois & Baltic Ave stickers from McDonald’s Monopoly game

A) Worst-case survival game pieces; B) Things McGyver needs to make a bomb; C) Things found in Bob Priddy’s desk after he cleaned it out.

This is an inside joke that means zip unless you know Bob Priddy and have seen his desk. Thanks to Andy Rawlings.

Bob Priddy replies:

Any good archaeologist is able to take disparate remains of a culture and weave them into a coherent description of the people who once inhabited an area. The archaeologist is able to determine the approximate age of the inhabitant, the diet, the religious beliefs, and the society of his time. You did not include paper clips, which also were found in abundance and which are a valuable clue. The number of artifacts is also important, but since the site as been disturbed and the paper clips have been removed, an important piece of information will forever be open to speculation. I shall give you a few clews, however, about the person who lived there.

He was a carnivore who did not like bland diets but who took excellent care of his incisors so he could properly tear at the meat that was part of his diet. The latest artifact located is dated September, 1996, indicating that he moved from the area or perhaps died shortly after that (did you check for burial sites?). He loved children, worshipped the God John Maynard Keynes, and felt plastic was Satan’s tool for a corrupt society. Now, you may build the story from there, based on the evidence you have found.

WSJ’s Walt Mossberg on Internet and Radio

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One of the highlights of this week’s NAB 2006 Las Vegas convention was the keynote speaker at Tuesday’s Radio Luncheon, the Wall Street Journal’s technology columnist, Walt Mossberg. Some of his comments, as reported by Kurt Hanson:

“Internet” won’t be an “activity” in a few years. Currently, we talk about ‘surfing the Web’ or ‘being on the Internet’ or ‘I’m going online tonight’ as a discreet activity we perform on a PC, but in ten years, those phrases will sound absurd. When you watch TV, you may be on the Internet; when you listen to radio, you may be on the Internet. The Internet will not be an activity you do on a PC – it will be like the electrical grid. It will be all around you! I predict that talking about the Internet will fade, as we talk instead about devices, about software, and about services and content.

On the effect of iPods on radio:

“We passed a milestone: There are now 50 million iPods out there. My music tastes don’t fit into the little boxes that Clear Channel in my market has decided I need to fit into. Your job is not just to string together a bunch of songs in a row, but to put on exciting new programming to attract new listeners and beat the iPod.”

I wonder what Walt would say to the upcoming meeting of StateNets, the trade group that represents state networks (like the ones Learfield owns). A co-worker in the office next to mine helps organize the event. I’ll ask if they have a keynote speaker. Props to the NAB guys for inviting Mossberg.

Just like it’s spelled: Oconomowoc

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There are just some Wisconsin-related words that people butcher: Chequamegon forest, Lake Butte des Morts, Lac Courte Oreilles tribe and even Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. So our friend and co-worker, Jackie Johnson, decided she was tired of it and wanted to give newcomers, tourists and even natives a resource to find the correct pronunciation. She recently started the Web site MissPronouncer.com, which features recordings of her pronouncing Wisconsin’s 190 cities, 400 villages and 1,260 towns. She also pronounces names of judges, famous Wisconsin people, like Brett Favre, state officials and legislators. [JSOnline]

Living Healthy (27) – Acne

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Henry talks about acne this week (Living Healthy Podcast #27) but he started off the podcast with a caution about “non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.” There’s a bunch of these (prescription and OTC) and they’re used to reduce pain, fever and inflammation. Arthritis sufferers tend to rely on this group (Motrin, Ibuprofen, Aleve, etc.). Henry points out that last year, more people died from complications associated with these drugs than died of AIDS in the U.S. He says tough it out and take two Tylenol.

XM’s Abrams is blogging

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XM Radio “Chief Creative Officer” Lee Abrams is blogging. Today’s post reads like it might have also been an all-staff memo (and not necessarily today’s memo) but, hey, he’s hanging it out there and I hope he keeps it up. Would be fun to get even a tiny peek behind the scenes at XM. Couple of nuggets jumped out at me:

I can’t think of ONE FM station that would be worth taping and playing to the XM Staff. There are some OK ones, but most really are doing nothing especially interesting, compelling or new.

Local radio is dead. It’s irrelevant. For us we should be ALL OVER THE NATIONAL thing. Big ‘n bad ass. Local radio is a quaint relic. BUT—We are NOT taking advantage of this if we aren’t Talking to America.

It’ll be interesting to see if Mr. Abrams groks the “conversation” part of blogging (Turn those comments ON, Lee). He strikes me a a passionate, opinionated guy. Can he listen as well as he writes? We’ll see.

Podcasting a viable medium?

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There’s been considerable debate about how iPod/MP3 ownership impacts radio listening. According to Jacobs Media’s Technology Web Poll II (conducted in late February, 2006, among more than 25,000 respondents), iPods are cutting into time spent listening to radio. About one-fifth of iPod/MP3 player owners say they listen mostly or exclusively to these devices. Four in ten now split their listening between iPods and radio, while over one-third primarily listen to the radio. The survey suggests that podcasting is also having an impact. One-fifth (22%) of those who own an iPod or portable MP3 player say they’ve downloaded/listened to a podcast: Of this group, nearly two-thirds (64%) subscribe to at least one podcast, and a majority listens to most or all podcasts that come their way. [via RAIN]

Seems like there’s another report every week and the findings are all over the place. So pick the one you like.

Mark Cuban getting show on Sirius

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Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is getting his own two-hour weekly show on Sirius Satellite Radio. Cuban says he’s “going to cover everything and anything, from sprots to business to technology, movies and entertainment.” This just seems so much more interesting than David Lee Roth or Bob Dylan, for that matter. But not enough to make me switch. One of your Sirius subscribers could aircheck and send me an MP3 file. If you loved me. Wonder what sort of format they’ll use? [Ft. Worth Star-Telegram via RAIN]

Lauren the Intern

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I’m pleased to report I’ll have help lifting those digital bales and toting that virtual barge this summer. Say hello to Lauren. She’s completing her junior year at the University of Missouri where she is pursuing a double major in Journalism and Graphic Design (and she’s on the Dean’s List). It would be inaccurate to say I haven’t had help feeding and caring for the 20+ websites for which I’m responsible. Andy and Phil are The Wizard and Glenda the Good Witch of the North (we’re not sure which is which) to my Dorothy. And our reporters generate the good content. But for 10 years I’ve been scurrying around, trying to keep up with the day-to-day stuff and Laruen is arriving just in the nick of time.

Things I like about the Mac OS

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In time, I suppose I’ll come to appreciate the the more philosophical (spiritual?) aspects of the Mac invironment. For now, I’m finding delight in small discoveries:

  • Font Finder – I weep to think of the wasted hours trying to identify a font. No more.
  • Dictionary – If Windows (Not Word) has one, I never found it. Yes, I know I could have installed one.
  • Outliner – Just a simple little applet for organizing thoughts. (See Dictionary above)
  • Lighted Keyboard – It was dusk and getting difficult to see the keyboard. As I reached for the lamp, the Mac keyboard became backlit. My Thinkpad had a wee light that shone down on the keyboard. Better than nothing, but…

I wonder if the Great Mac Mystique is really nothing more than lots of little “oohs” and “aahs” like these. I’m confident that, in time, I will come to appreciate, if not understand, the the more substantive differences between the two operating systems. For now, I will amaze the people of my village with tales of wonder.

How can I blog you today?

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Sounds like my pal Chuck has figured out how to make blogging pay. He has event blogging down cold and I keep thinking I’ll read about more and more people doing this. For now, Chuck is focusing on agrimarketing events but there’s no reason someone couldn’t do this for any event (assuming you have a clue and a willingness to work 18 hour days). Could you get $5k for one of these gigs? And maybe work up to two a month? Shoot, that’s almost a business.