solid | Croncast - Life is Show Prep

Switch Walk, Vertebra, Solidified Rank

Wed, 18 May 2011 21:34:40 -0500

Episode: #743 | Length:28:02 | Format: mp3

To listen to this and all new Croncast episodes Get Cool!

Oh, Queens

Tags: betsy smith kris smith new york nyc the good

Wanna party, Giant?

Sat, 04 Dec 2010 22:47:44 -0600

Rambling introspection and poor writing to follow.

The headline? We'll get to that.

A little over a year ago my wife and I moved to New York City with our two children. We left a house and life in suburban Chicago, as evidenced in all these Flickr photos that serve as a reminder of our histroy.

We sold the house, packed up tight and left town in a stretch limo with six suitcases and a hermit crab in my wife's front pocket.

We arrived with no apartment to rent, jobs or money. The money was tied up in the sale of our house that was occurring in a couple days, I had interviews lined up but nothing solid and for lodging a friend named Tom hooked up a tiny studio for the four of us.

I'm going to take the liberty of speeding up this story. I'll share more of it another time.

Needless to say, things didn't work out quite like we have hoped or planned.

I didn't get the jobs that I had interviewed for. The money from the sale of our house didn't clear our bank for 3 weeks. Once it cleared we got on with things.

Which brings me to the short version of things:

New York has been many things to our family. I fell it love with every part of it and convinced my family to come with. They've stood by me as opportunities have come and gone. They've believed in me in what my own personal history will recount as one of the most challenging years of my life.

Things are on the up and I feel a little more comfortable taking the time to look at this last year as a series of challenges.

My children may never forgive me. Hopefully, later in life, they'll appreciate that mom and dad took risks in order to provide them a more interesting life. Who else gets to watch a midget hooker try to work their father at a subway stop with a sweet line like, "Wanna party, Giant?"

Nothing in suburbia packs that much excitement except a play-date at the local children's museum.

Tags: house life children money left

3 solid bars

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:52:26 -0600

Tags: bars solid

Betsy and her husband Kris Nov 16, 2007

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:10:06 -0600

Croncast - 2007-11-16.mp3
Show: #434
Length: 27:43
Size: 19.0mb
Format: mp3

Show us some love and leave us a review at iTunes

Short intro
Why can't you do the intro, Betsy?
I don't remember it
To my reply, I've said it a lot
Once you start going I know it
The Family Ties thing would come on and i wouldn't know it
Because you were too busy holding the bunny ears
Maybe that is why you have premature balding
I don't have premature balding, it happened at the right time
When is the right time to bald, Kris?
When you want to make the jump to senior management?
Premature balding is in high school
Kris, anytime to premature for ladies
If you go bald postmortem it is too soon
You could have comb over talk
Golf becomes more interesting when you lose you hair
No
More and more forehead
He looked like Tyra Banks?
No
My friends
You were too exhausted from partying all night
I have to scream at people because my voice is low
That is why the intro was short
Now you are thinking like me
I was at TechCocktail 6 in Chicago
Not much business talk
Lots of nerds just drinking booze
Hanging with friends was best part
So shout out to Evan, Brian and Greg
Tech in Chicago - I work at a oil refinery, I'm a tech recruiter for C++
Exciting technology
Does it get more exciting than Microsoft?
Tech status quo is what it is
Only the nerds get your joke, Kris
Get my correspondence Masters Degree
People got to be telling people about the show
He said we are quality like Schmodcast
We need a better name
I asked you to bring it
Three years now
You need to bring it
How about Bcast
How about BetsyCast
You been bringing the funny lately Mr. B
The improv thing didn't work out well
Let's talk about it
You're unemployed, wanna arm wrestle
All my fears about not getting the improv thing came true
You auditioned for my love
I won because I was only one in the room
Toughest part was not having stage experience
Yeah, I am funny but I don't have the range for accents and characters
Maybe you need to be doing stand up
I can sell shoes anywhere
I've had some great conversations with people
My people see my resume and say, looks solid, awesome
Not quite sure what HR people think
Evidently not a whole lot
I have more conversations today
You got ins Mr. B
No, not "ins" I got leads
I have thought about not recording
This is part of the story that isn't that much fun to share
They should hire you to Twitter from Goodwill
There were ladies at TechCocktail
There need to be more women in tech
Serial killers get the three name treatment
You know he's trying to figure out how to fit you into a taco
People, you have to fill the gaps . . . and laughter works!

Audience Survey, please fill this out for us
Look for the graphic on "Audience Survey" on the main page

Tags: Family Ties TechCocktail 6 Evan Brown Greg Cnagialosi Brian Beatty

Stepping out of Room 214 into the hallway

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:49:34 -0500

In January of this year I took the position, VP, New Media with Room 214, an internet and search engine marketing company. I brought with me Castlock, the podcasting and rss metrics platform that I developed in early 2006.

This was an exciting opportunity. I had built a solid relationship with the founders of the company over the previous year working closely with them to produce podcasting and new media campaigns for the Alltel Racing podcast (NASCAR driver Ryan Newman), four podcasts for NFL Pro Bowl players during 2006 season and many other client podcasts; all the while holding a position as Associate Director, e-Learning for another company. Many of you might remember us talking about this last January.

The last ten months working for Room 214 have been great, but the time has come for all of us to move on.

What will I do now?

I'm not sure. But I do have quite a few options . . . probably more than I realize. There are a couple that leading the pack right now.

My first option is to make sure my resume is up to the task of assisting me gain new full-time employment. It is pretty amazing how over the last three years podcasting and rss have transitioned to "new media" and are being welcomed into the corporate structure. All that bickering about every company being a media company seems to be coming true!

My second option is to put more energy into my podcast production company, Palegroove Studios, and get back in the saddle for podcast production, consulting and licensing of Castlock. When I started with Room 214 I put it on the back burner since I was doing the same work as my "day job".

My third option, and least viable as a solution, is to go all out Croncast. I would love nothing more than to be doing the show full time and bring video into the mix but this doesn't seem to be the right time.

That's it, that is what's been up around here.

Like any time of transition this is an interesting and exciting time. I am already wondering which path I will end up going down and where the choice(s) that I make will lead my family next.

If you've got any thoughts send them to me from the contact page, email kris[at]croncast.com or send them the old fashioned way and give me a call on my GrandCentral line (thanks Rick!) at 630.445.1719.

Update: I should have added this the first time around (it was in the show notes from Monday!)

Feel freed to check out my Linkedin Profile

Tags: Kris Smith Room 214 VP, New Media Palegroove Castlock

Betsy and Maggie take the cul de sac

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 18:31:41 -0500

The ladies out for a short stroll to prove once and for all stripes are better than solids.

Take that black t-shirt wearers.

Tags: than better stripes solids black

Kosso Rocks. Here's why . . .

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 13:26:05 -0500
Not just because he can pull off a black suit with white Puma's but because he is showing Croncast some love at Podcast.com.

During Gnomedex, Kosso added Croncast to the recommended list of podcasts on the home page at Podcast.com. Thus, making him the coolest British guy that I know. Prior to the addition he already held the title but this solidified his status in my British Friend Hall of Fame Museum (BFHFM).

If you know of a couple thousand square feet, or maybe a couple square feet, that would be available for me to start the physical version let me know.

Tags: Kosso Podcast.com black suit white shoes BFHFM british friend hall of fame museum white Puma

PodCampNYC gets done

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 06:59:56 -0500
It's taken a day and a half of recovery but I'm ready for a quick post about PodCampNYC. I had a great time, met a ton of nice people and talked podcasting, RSS and mmRSS for a rock solid 12 hours.

If I was forced to make a decision about which of the PodCamps that I have attended my favorite would be this one. John C. Havens and his team of volunteers did an amazing job of organizing a very large scale event on a limited budget. For those of you not familiar with PodCamp these events are free to attend. They are called "unconferences" since the only thing that is the same is that you get to brand your event with the title PodCamp.

PodCamp is a ground up, grass roots type of deal that is put on by someone with a passion for the medium. And PodCampNYC was no different. For me, best one yet. I'll have a complete run down of why on my work blog, Capture the Conversation later today.

Me with John (taken by C.C. Chapman)

Tags: unconference John C. Havens PodCampNYC mmRSS podcasting conference

Betsy and her husband Kris Jan 24, 2007

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 06:40:33 -0600
Croncast - 2007-01-24.mp3
Show: #331
Length: 30:20
Size: 20.8mb
Format: mp3

Betsy and her husband Kris January 24, 2007

Today's show is brought to you by James Hously
Intro done partially without any effects at beginning and the rest . . . history
Betsy mimics the bird man intro to the detriment of our audience
You look like a bird, Mr. B
Yeah maybe a flightless bird
Bears, you look like a Red Breasted Booby-Knocker
That would be the name of the bird that I get to name
You would name them all that
Who's got the PhD in Birdology . . . ornithology
Oh back when it was rocks for jocks
The same depth of sag, that's why they got along
You're being really sensitive tonight
I hit 30 and have found some good friends
People in 40's, 50's say when you are in your 20's you don't know shit
What are you thinking Betsy?
Chill out Bears
We we're oh so dumb, what did we know?
Why did we get married . . . especially at 20 and 21
I don't remember . . . but love and all that
That is back when you were wearing the teal cummerbund
With the fuschia shirt
You could have fried an egg on that shirt on a hot day
I used to walk home from that job at 4 am
Did you turn down every fourth prostitute or every third?
I did get followed home one night
By who a manitute?
He was hoping for Ballpark and ended up with a cocktail weenie
We hit 30 and things started to change
Kris, you proved us all wrong
That is back when I was making pizza's at the gas station
That guy did me a solid . . . he set me up with my first computer job
He asked me what was up with wife being pregnant
Worked for them for five years
The reason that Kris doesn't get along with IT departments
He opened the door for me
The tow of Slowsky part two
Living in Milwaukee and the car is going to get towed
But sir it has "Just Married" written in soap on it . . . "So"
Read your medication guidelines for side effects
I'll share most of it

Tags: manitute Red Breasted Booby-Knocker ornithology PhD Slowsky part two casino cage Volvo of Lisle

Betsy and her husband Kris Sep 06, 2006

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 06:39:39 -0500
Croncast - 2006-09-06.mp3
Show: #271
Length: 37:06
Size: 25.4 mb
Format: mp3

Betsy and her husband Kris September 6, 2006

The second show of the night . . . forgot to hit record
We've had a rough couple of days
You know crazy shit happens to us
When people tell you that you need to call your senator you have had a bad ass
Want to know what our lives are like . . . listen to this show
It all begins by working on labor day for Kris
Getting good for the family
I got into an arguement with chick at KFC
I should have went home
Karma has it out for me, it skewers me
Don's say stuff like that I'm a Unitarian
Nobody drives everyone walks
The area is heavily police patrolled
The family on bikes is spotted from far away
Here comes the forest preserve cop
They are half-way in between real cop and mall cop
The woman waves at me to say thanks for letting us through the crosswalk
Where did these cops come from?
I'm minding the speed limit
Two police cars driving really fast
Well, I am starting to think it has something to do with me . . .
I came to a complete stop, the real stop at a stop sign
About 1 mile from home I get pulled over
3 cop cars with lights sitting behind me
Windows down and moon roof open I hear the forest preserve cop start yapping (lying)
"He almost hit a family in a cross-walk"
Are there any problems with your driver's license Mr. Smith
No
Seems that your license has been suspended
I start thinking of Betsy immediately
I can arrest you here or arrest you at home?
Those are some sweet options
The forest preserve officer is asked, "Why didn't you radio this in?"
"I wanted to keep this off the radio", he replies
Why would it not need to be on the radio?????
Then he is treated like the mall cop that he is and leaves
Arrest me here or at home?
I have to yell out the window and ask him if I'm going to be arrested to do it here and not at my house
So let me tell you about the solid that the officer did for me
THANK YOU OFFICER WHO'S NAME I DON"T KNOW
I was saved by a bucket of chicken!!!!!!!
Now we get Betsy's side of the story
The bottom line is both our licenses are suspended and we can't drive
Thanks for the ride to work this morning Henry
We talk about NCN Podcast . . . thanks for the plug Jason! Check him out.
Betsy's eBay Barbie Locker thingy from the 50's or 60's
Wrap it up

1) Fill out the appropriate form for you - *New* Listener or Get a Handle (current listener)
2) Verify your email address (Activates and qualifies those with a "Handle")
3) *New* listeners get activated and qualified by using their special RSS feed
4) 300th new listener and the person whose Handle they use win iPods AND
5) A drawing for 2 more iPods from everyone who entered!

Tags: KFC chicken buckets crosswalk forest preserve Kris

Betsy and her husband Kris Aug 23, 2006

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 06:56:24 -0500

Croncast - 2006-08-23.mp3

Show: #266
Length: 28:54
Size: 19.8 mb
Format: mp3

Betsy and her husband Kris August 23, 2006

1) Fill out the appropriate form for you - *New* Listener or Get a Handle (current listener)
2) Verify your email address (Activates and qualifies those with a "Handle")
3) *New* listeners get activated and qualified by using their special RSS feed
4) 300th new listener and the person whose Handle they use win iPods AND
5) A drawing for 2 more iPods from everyone who entered!
You decide
You look like the people on "V"
My dad had this girlfirend at that time
Barbies's like "V" people
Stuck in the room with a SciFi fan
Lord Hubbard
Betsy gets right into the email of stating the obvious
That was kind of mean to email to my husband
We get it very often
I know that Betsy is funny, funnier than I am. That is why she is on all the time.
Cosby reruns
Here's the how we started podcasting
Kris gives up
Betsy finishes the story because it is boring and she make it all good
No one cares
Are you retarded?
Betsy is even bored with the story
No wonder I am more clever than you
We should do this
Let's go to Kris with the weather
We're like ABBA
Up until this point I thought that things were getting better How much can I get for this equipment on eBay
Betsy says, "Three times a week is a lot of work. I could be sleeping."
The Goodwill ban is in place
Betsy financial disaster
I can't win
She would have bought a dog anyway
Elliot stabbed with a pencil in class on day two
Dolly Parton
Solid Gold in the 80's
Oh, the spoiled kids
Tony and Gary . . . thank you, we're sorry for this show.

Tags: V Hubbard ABBA Betsy Dolly Parton Solid Gold

Betsy and her husband Kris Jun 30, 2006

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 06:59:21 -0500

Croncast - 2006-06-30.mp3

Show: #243
Length: 41:50
Size: 28.7 mb
Format: mp3

Betsy and her husband Kris June 30, 2006

Many of you are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the "My Vacation Sucked Too!" contest winner. You shall wait no longer! This has been a very hard decision to make!! The winner of the contest is Jeanette Holden.
Thanks to everyone who entered and sent in their vacation stories that made us laugh, cringe and generally empathize with you. These are great stories that we have been recording all week. We will release a special podcast that is nothing but these stories this weekend for your pure traveling enjoyment.
Betsy reminds us that today is the last day to apply for student loan consolidation
Stop calling me, I've taken care of it already
The hot phone call attendant
The phone lines are packed
You need to make you intent known
Credit card payments have gone through the roof
The fun about living in the states
"Dont' steal. The government hates competition."
Betsy says my political views are changing
My eyes crossed all on their own
We have spent the last 4 hours reading the entries . . . again
What Betsy was looking for in a story - Story Telling
What Kris was looking for in a story - Reality of situation
The death and maming of Slowsky
The winner is . . .
Jeanette Holden

Great story with swearing and funny jokes at just the right time
My mom is like brown brussel sprouts
Binky the pig
The low down on the rest of the stories and the podcast to ensue
The stories have been amazing
Staying at your parents house when you're 69 with your spouse
Still finding time to kick it in their breezway and breaking your hip
It's our 10 anniversary in like 1 month
Thanks for those peeps who sent emails to John Elway Dodge
We address the comment left by Philip and the email that he received from John Elway
Dodge (we assume it is real)
Jeff's response - malarkey
I bet you expalined this to Jared about a podcast
Betsy reads it and Kris gives the charged commentary
We've never spoken to Jeff . . . he is not Jared
I have talked to them, TWICE, ask Jared
They are not getting the right 411 from their own people
I'm not concerned witht he ruined vacation
They respond to our listeners with a lie and can't send us that email?
No way at this point
Slowsky update and Betsy's call for input from you
Monday, Kris will talk about the custom conversion van his dad made when

Tags: contest Jeannette Holden winner John Elway Dodge Slowsky

Vacation: Act #1 Naperville to Omaha

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 05:59:32 -0500

Croncast - 2006-06-12.mp3

Show: #235
Length: 37:05
Size: 25.4 mb
Format: mp3

Betsy and her husband Kris June 12, 2006

Thus begins our sharing of a vacation that ended 5 days early. We are not quite sure that our big summer vacaction driving to Denver in Slowsky was really a vacation. But we are sure that we will never drive anywhere on vacation again.

What we can say about our trip is that with the help of many lucid memories and five days to regain our footing on solid ground that we would like to bring your our trip in three separate podcasts. There is too much to share in a single 30 to 40 minute podcast that deserves great attention to detail.

What do you call a thousand mile trip in you wife's savings account? If you're us, show prep.
The long, feel good intro
Sending email easy like
When we last left you it was June 2 of 2006 a millenia ago
Things were much simpler then
H.G. Wells Time machine could take us back
Walking hand in hand with your spuse at the beach
I would have liked to have decided not to go on vacation
We should have flown
Short version, we leave, there's trouble and we come home five days early
Here we go
We're going to rcap the whole thing in 3 shows
It is June 2, 2006 in nice and sunny Naperville, IL
Kris is an hour late and damned Skype showed it to Betsy
Moments of our life are really important to you
Betsy pretends that she is me on Skype sometimes
The planets seemed to be aligned for our trip
The eBay pick-up guy got here right on time
Naperville was going to be hardest part with traffic
Driving Slowsky is like launching a boat
An hour and a half later w'ere making 8 miles of progress
The van is too tall for most drive thru awnings
Slowsky went to the dealer and got $1500 of repairs to travel worldwide
This is the point where you start adding up the costs
Gas doesn't count as vehicle maintenance
We finally make it to I-88
Slowsky is topping out at 70 mph with nothing more to give
First omen . . . we ignore it
We're gonna make it to Omaha
It wasn't a shifting issue but I am pushing Slowsky really hard
We get near DeKalb which is 50 miles from home and think about turning it around again
We push on
Betsy says "no" to my lead foot and thinks the 70 mph thing is good Slowsky is sucking gas and needs refill at 180 mile mark, still in Illinois Another omen Kris starts venting that we should have flown at gas station number two
"I drove the Alaskan Highway and need a new car."
All the signs were there
It was our decision to keep moving on
Not true to Betsy's faith
Dinner at The World's Largest Truck Stop on I-80
Maybe it is safe because it's a tourist trap
Nope, it's a 3-D world of a sex offender registry
All just minor inconveniences at this point
Bleeding money out of my eye balls
10 years ago this would have been an adventure but with kids it is a nightmare
In Iowa they drive on the grass
Not a single room vacant
Pulling off on Omaha hoping for an empty hotel room
Scoring a room 20 miles north of downtown
10,000 lesbians converged on Omaha the same day as our vacation, of course

Coming up on Wednesday . . . Vacation: Act #2 Omaha to Denver

Tags: vacation Denver John Elway Dodge Naperville Omaha Slowsky thetrip

Betsy and her husband Kris Apr. 19, 2006

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 06:48:39 -0500

Croncast - 2006-04-19.mp3

Show: #217
Length: 42:19
Size: 29.0 mb
Format: mp3

Betsy and her husband Kris Apr. 19, 2006

Listen with iTunes? Leave us a comment - spread the word!

Show Notes
Changing all of Betsy's intro's to "I'm the decider."
Kris now owns imthedecider.com
I own 50 domains
Betsy wants to spend that money on a lawnmower
Geroge Bush said it - the I'm the decider
"I hear the voices"
Combating Bill Maher
Talking to America like children
Presidential speak should be colloquial
He just wants me to open the Igloo and pass him one
Unscripted speeches
She gets shot in the face all the time
Reality show we missed in our list - Deadliest Catch on A&E
The USDA is in charge
Betsy says the water is -60 F - what?
You're hoping deep down inside to see an accident
Kris is a keeper
The crabs arms are torn off - "what just happened? what just happened?"
Flip This House again
Betsy lands the sooners analogy
Betsy's first social worker job
Once your kids poop on you 50 times they look less cute
The car breaks down when Kris was out of town . . . 10 years ago
Betsy starts throwing them back at 7 a.m.
We didn't spend that much time together
Kris was a basket case
No more cheap wagoneers and social work
The chicks are on the prowl - lol
Make it a magic 8 ball kind of thing
How to get on the Daily Show
Betsy and I should do the show live on stage
Reporters said fake it and we cracked them up and they thanked us
The Mrs. Coach story
Strip mall comedy clubs
Live to Hard Drive
Setting it up like a radio live event is not cool
I could do this
Hanging out with Betsy and Elliot
Tell Kris that your 5 year old is crazy too
Consolidated school districts
Thanks to Scott Burnett

Tags: I'm the decider Deadliest Catch colloquial Jeep Wagoneer Consolidated