What better way to get back on to the horse I slid off of then to jump back on with both feet placed firmly in the stirrups? I’m actually going to hosting a session at Podcamp AZ later this month about podcasting.

I’ve been producing one of the highest rated automotive podcasts for more than 5 years with a listener base that almost always shows growth. I would like to share with you some tips on how you can help your podcast retain listeners and snag the new listeners as they come around. And a few words about WordPress, since you can never have enough talks about WordPress!

If you are in Arizona and want to hang out with a bunch of new media folks, cruise over to the University of Advancing Techonlogy on November 20-21. There are already quite a few great sessions on the books. The last podcamp I did was in Southern California and there was a ton of great information shared and I had a great time. You can too! Did I mention it was free? You can register here.

Details on the session to follow. I’m going to use as a bit of a sounding board, since I’ve never actually done this before. Should be fun!

No related posts.

I expect normal service to resume shortly.

Thank you for your patience.

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I spent 9 days in a MINI

I’m in the process of completing my worded wrap-up of MINI Takes the States 2010. It’s going to be a multipart series spread over a few days. Why? Quite a lot happened over the course of those 9 days and it is taking more words than I thought to tell the story. So far, I’m up to day 4 and I’ve written almost 1500 words.

Usually I would have done this during the event as we went along. Usually. This event was different from any other that I have ever done which threw me off a bit trying to find, for lack of a better term, my rhythm.

Normally, when the show covers a large MINI event, it’s a process. There are people. There is the team. There is even paper (and all y’all know how much I love that). There is a process. Todd does the interviews/audio, I do the photos and video, Gabe stands around and looks pretty. That’s not it exactly, but pretty much. It’s a good system that has served us for years. Everything gets covered, everything gets posted and the MINI community rejoices.

This time however, we were separated. The boys were coming from the East, I was coming from the West solo. I was a photo taking machine as you have seen. I even managed live video twice a day. Even got the photos uploaded to flickr. But honestly, I fell short.

After spending 9 hours in and around a MINI, with a few stops thrown in for photos or bathroom breaks and, as I was told, being ‘on’, I was usually too wiped out to write. At the end of the day, there was enough time to hook everything up to charge, get photos uploading and grab a bite or do the owner event. By the time all of that was done, I was back in bed to rest for the next 400+ mile drive tomorrow.

I’m not complaining at all here, and hope it’s not coming across that way. It was this trip that made me realize a few things.

• The MINI community is pretty awesome
• With White Roof Radio, I get to do some pretty cool shit, and people enjoy it
• I need to do more driving to places I’ve never been before
• I have a new found appreciation for the work that Todd and Gabe (and even Michael and Chad) do on the show

The drive and all of it’s associated events were epic. Dare I say life changing. I can’t even accurately put it into words, so you will just have to take my word on it.

All was not sunshine and unicorn feathers however. By the time I got to Denver I started getting sick. And I was tired. That combination is never good for me, and I got pissy. And I’m sure I pissed off quite a few people. If that was you, and I’m sure you know who you are, please allow me to apologize. I don’t have any excuses, it just happened.

Next time will be better.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have another 1500 words to write, proof, edit and add photos to. If you are a fan of my work with the MINI, keep an eye out for it starting, I hope, tomorrow.

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Another year has passed and today I am, once again, celebrating the anniversary of my birth 42 years ago. As tradition dictates of late, I will be spending the day working as much as I possibly can. Unlike other years, I can’t say this past one was terribly fantastic.

Which isn’t to say that cool stuff didn’t happen this past year, because it did. I mean, I did go to England last summer. Co-hosted and co-produced the first ever White Roof Radio live show. Met the lads at MINI of Ontario and MINI of Loveland. And I met some cool people otherwise (the list is too long to post here).

Without being too Donny Downer, I’m just going to end by saying that I am very happy this year is now behind me and I hope that the following year is a damn sight better!

Happy Birthday. To me.

As usual, I accept Amazon, iTunes and Starbucks gift cards. Just sayin’

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The History of Me: Music

This is actually a post that I have had in the queue here since 2008. The more I worked on it, the longer it got. The longer it got, the more I realized how much longer it still had to go. Right now it’s at a length that you wouldn’t even bother with, especially with the number of videos I’ve linked up.

Then, this past week for no reason in particular, I put up this post at w(t)f after finding the above song on YouTube.

Me, my 1965 El Camino and a long stretch of San Diego freeway that I was certainly exceeding the speed limit on. At night.

With this album playing at 11.

I followed with 2 more posts with similiar short stories and videos with songs from my past.

That was 4 days ago.

Meetings were held, descions were made. The Music post in the queue deleted. All to be replaced by the #historyofme tag at w(t)f. Don’t worry if you can’t be bothered to click over or subscribe in RSS, just friend me up at Facebook to play along as well.

I expect this will take another week, maybe 2. One of the most fun online projects I’ve taken on to be sure.

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Dearest Internet,

You are reading these words from a website called donburnside.com. These are the first words you have read from said site in about 18 days.

I know, right?

It’s the MINI stuff gang. It’s also the end of my “year” that starts at the end of A MINI Vacation in Vegas and ends with the beginning of the next AMVIV. Most folks would call that vacation. For our purposes here, we can use that word too.

In fairness, I’ve been busy with MINI Cooper stuff, but most of you already know that since you follow along at those places. For those of you that don’t know, I’m kinda famous in the land of the MINI Cooper and have been covering dealer grand openings, helping to plan a rally going from one end of the United States to the other and prep for, what we hope will be, a very cool party next Saturday night at Alliante Station in North Las Vegas.

I’m really looking forward to my vacation. I get to hang out with some of the coolest people that were ever invented and almost all of them drive some wicked cool cars. I will have too many adult beverages and say something that could be construed as inappropriate. I will get sunburned because I’m too macho stupid to wear sunscreen. I will not get enough sleep. I will make people laugh, in person. I will shoot video, most of which will be shaky. Hell, if things go well, I might even talk to a hooker.

Upon my return I will set forth to clear the 6 or so posts that are in the queue right now. It’s some good stuff and as soon as my head get re-attached after I perform above said activities, I will be able to turn them into literary masterpieces for all to enjoy.

I just can’t do that right now. Hell, I’m having a hard time being clever 140 characters at a time.

If you care to follow along, you can do so at any of the regular places (links attached). If you are also going to AMVIV, please come say hi. Also, I’m pretty sure I owe you a beer. Don’t let me forget, k?

Remembering what happens in Vegas, ends up on YouTube,

Don

PS. Nobody is in charge while I’m gone this time. Honor system rules apply. If you take the last one, it’s your job to refill it.

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This could go anywhere

Honestly. I’m sitting at my desk letting my fingers just dance across the glorious Apple keyboard that sits directly in front of my 20″ iMac. There are cables connecting the two that constantly get in the way, but I’m just too damned cheap to pony up the $80 for the bluetooth keyboard.

I’ve mentioned this keyboard many times in the past. I really enjoy using it. I mean, really enjoy it. I actually like this one better than the one that I have at the office, which is about 2 weeks old. Why? This one is all broken in. The buttons finally work as I expect them too. The keys are smooth and silky and have a pleasant feel about them as my fingers press. The action is fluid, quiet and yet, at the same time, slightly mechanical in a very satisfying way.

Yes, I do love my keyboard.

Don’t get me wrong. That old IBM keyboard that came with my 286 back in the early 90′s was a wondrous piece of gear. It was loud, solid and keying on that board was almost the same as using a typewriter back in high school. Connected with a tightly coiled cable that was forever getting in the way of something, it was still an awesome keyboard. You could get a serious rhythm going with that board and once in the groove, man, the places it could take you.

Between the boards, there have been others. I even tried one of the Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboards for a spell. While I didn’t dislike it, I’m a lazy typist that doesn’t know where the numbers are without looking, and taking a hand off of that thing to work the 10 pad was inconvenient and really slowed things down.

There was also a slew of Logitech boards with the myriads of PCs that I have used over the years. Not too bad either. Satisfying sounds and feel, wireless, comfortable and good to type on. Hell, most of the posts on this site and this one before ’07 were made with a Logitech board. And there was some good stuff.

But, and this is just my own humble opinion, not as good as the stuff that came after.

Yes, I do love my keyboard. Is that strange? Maybe. If you don’t love yours, then perhaps you should take some time out of your day today and get to shopping. If your computer is a tool, then the keyboard is the handle and you really should find something that works for you, fits well in your hand and is pleasing to use. Otherwise, you might as well use a pencil. I shudder at that thought.

You should be able to use a keyboard like you use your car. When you reach for something, it’s just there. You didn’t have to look because your hands knew what it would find when it landed. A good keyboard is exactly like that.

And I love mine.

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So, a fever plus 90 degree temps in SoCal plus a cough so bad I think I might have cracked a rib or two. Add in a few idiot drivers and suddenly I’m Mr. Crankypants. Sheesh.

This is the other reason I don’t get sick very often. I don’t handle it well. Nope. No sir. Not even a little bit. Not.

Worry if you see me walking around with a baseball bat. If you see said bat, running might be a good choice of actions. At me or away, your pick. I’m really not that accurate with a bat.

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I’ve learned that my job is to just sit down and start making the clackity noise. If I make the clackity noise long enough every day, the “writing” seems to take care of itself. On the other hand, if there’s no clackity noise, no writing. No little stories. The stories may be in there, alongside God knows what else, but there’s no way to know. You must make the noise.

Sure that makes a ton of sense, right? I mean, you will never get anything written unless you actually put fingers to keyboard, pixels to screen. Even if it sucks, you still need to make the sound. Right?

Let’s broaden that a little shall we. Beyond the realm of writing. Beyond the technical aspect. Beyond the internet even (gasp!). I would think it goes a little something like this.

To get something done, you have to do something.

Did you get that? That’s ok, give it a minute. The lightbulb will appear soon enough.

You have to do stuff. Not think about stuff. Not make lists of stuff to do.
Not make excuses about why you didn’t get stuff done. DO. Got it?

Now, you might have to make a list to get the stuff you need to get done organized. And sure, you might have to think about stuff a little. The next step, and this is key, is to actually do something.

Everyday I hear people making excuses for all manner of things. Hell, I even make the same excuses. The problem with excuses (other than the obvious) is that they don’t accomplish a thing.

That’s not entirely true.

They do accomplish making you feel like you aren’t getting anything done. They do cause you to beat yourself up because you aren’t getting things done. And, this is big, they keep you from actually getting stuff done.

You have to do stuff to get stuff done.

I’ve been doing this myself. It’s taking more than a little relearning on my part.

This might come as a surprise to some of you, but I am one of the least organized people on the planet. That being said, one of my best skills is helping others to be more organized. Be more streamlined in their own workflow. Do less work, get more done. All that.

So now I have a new customer. Me. I’m re-examining everything I do. I’m re-doing everything I’ve done one way, trying to do them a better way. And, yes, I am doing.

Because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t get anything done.

I am still actively looking for more work, so please keep that in mind during your day. kthxbye.

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I decided to split my words up. bought some domain names. Started playing with different blogging platforms. One of those domains was windthefrog.net. It was fun, quirky, and inspired to me to write more, and not just the odd, or not so odd, rant. And, if I can be so bold, it was good.

Fast forward 6 years.

I no longer use windthefrog.net for daily blogging chores, instead keeping it over at Tumblr, performing the work of a link blog plus a few other things. I was ready to let it go.

In comes GoDaddy. There were reminders. And more reminders. But, alas, I forgot to uncheck the ‘auto-renew’ box there.

And so, at least for the next 2 years, w(t)f lives! And, for now, as nothing more than a lowly link blog. If you want to see what I’m diggin’ on the intertubes, that’s the place to check.

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