The Unknown Studio

Talk nerdy to me | S02E05

Adam Rozenhart — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:12:53 +0000

Welcome to the fifth episode of the second season of the Unknown Studio! This episode, we interview National Post web editor Daniel Kaszor, and we feature highlights from our birthday party, co-hosted by our secret lovers from theEdmontonian.com. Here’s the breakdown

0:00: Show Intro
2:35: Scott’s American vacation, and part one of our interview with Daniel Kaszor
8:27: Birthday party highlights with Ryan Jespersen from CityTV
18:10: Birthday party highlights with Samantha Power from Vue Weekly
24:37: Part two of our interview with Daniel Kaszor
43:01: More birthday party highlights with Colin MacIntyre from Makin’ Whoopee
47:37: More birthday party highlights with Trent Wilkie from Mostly Water Theatre
54:20: Adam Rozenhart – UNLEASHED
57:30: Part three of our interview with Daniel Kaszor
1:19:20: The Fast Fifteen with Daniel Kaszor

Let us know what you thought, everyone! Do you love us? Hate us? TELL US!

Download episode 31 of the Unknown Studio directly to your computer.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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It’s true! After so much joking and tongue-in-cheek referrals to Edmonton’s newspaper of record on our show, the Edmonton Journal decided to put their money where our mouths are, by sponsoring the Unknown Studio this month!

We’re helping EJ to promote their Blackberry mobile launcher. You can check it out by clicking here on your Blackberry browser. If you have any comments about the mobile launcher or the Journal’s mobile site, let us know and we’ll pass it along!
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The Variety Show I | S02E04

Adam Rozenhart — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:49:22 +0000

Welcome to the fourth episode of the second season of the Unknown Studio with many different guests. You see, because Scott was out of town the past ten days, we decided to ditch the long-form interview in favour of wat I lovingly call “tidbits of sweet, sweet content”! Here’s what this episode is all about:

0:00: Show intro (“Optimus Prime!”)
2:20: We dip into the You’ve Got Mail bag
5:31: Interview with Eri Riot from Geekbadge.ca
13:10: Interview with Stanley Woo of Apocalypse Kow — the group’s appearing at this year’s Edmonton Fringe!
22:50: Sex Talk with Brenda Kerber from the Traveling Tickle Trunk
26:31: Interview with Carrie Robinson, who recently auditioned for Wipeout
36:02: Outro (“So long Cybertron!”)

Huge thanks to Parabolix, DJ Chronos and LG from the Free Sound Project for helping out with our zipper sound effect and Cybertron soundscape.

Let us know what you thought, everyone! Do you dig the new format? Hate it? TELL US!

Download episode 30 of the Unknown Studio directly to your computer.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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Live music events in Edmonton | S02E03

Adam Rozenhart — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:16:53 +0000

Welcome to the third episode of the second season of the Unknown Studio with guest Chris Martyniuk from YegLive.ca! Here’s what this episode is all about:

0:00: Show intro (“Back to the Future!”)
1:40: Part 1 – Interview with the YegLive.ca’s Chris Martyniuk
5:56: An interview with Jeff and Sally, creators of TheEdmontonian.com and Saturday Night with Samsonow (music provided by the Mystery Ponies)
15:47: Part 2 – Interview with Chris Martyniuk
36:48: A look at the life of an International Street Performer
46:29: A Dramatic Reading with Scott C Bourgeois (Dawson Bridge Watch™ goes audio!)
49:26: Part 3 – Interview with Chris Martyniuk
1:09:22: The Fast Fifteen with Chris Martyniuk
1:12:56: Extro (“Naked interview”)

Thanks to Pixelens Photography for allowing us to use their image of Lex Justice on the show slider!

Let us know what you thought, everyone! Do you dig the new format? Hate it? TELL US!

Download episode 29 of the Unknown Studio directly to your computer.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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Videogames with Ben Gelinas | S02E02

Adam Rozenhart — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:53:54 +0000

Welcome to the second episode of the second season of the Unknown Studio with guest Ben Gelinas! Here’s what this episode is all about:

0:00: Show intro (“Where’s Adam?”)
1:23: Part 1 – Interview with the Edmonton Journal’s videogame blogger Ben Gelinas
7:19: elm café, one month after launch
18:16: Part 2 – Interview with Ben Gelinas
31:30: Sex Talk with Brenda Kerber from the Traveling Tickle Trunk
39:10: Adam Rozenhart Unleashed (in response to this)
46:28: Part 3 – Interview with Ben Gelinas
1:07:27: The Fast Fifteen with Ben Gelinas

Let us know what you thought, everyone! Do you dig the new format? Hate it? TELL US!

Download episode 28 of the Unknown Studio directly to your computer.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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It’s true! After so much joking and tongue-in-cheek referrals to Edmonton’s newspaper of record on our show, the Edmonton Journal decided to put their money where our mouths are, by sponsoring the Unknown Studio this month!

Our Brittney Show! | S02E01

Adam Rozenhart — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:49:57 +0000

Welcome to the second season of the Unknown Studio with guest Brittney Le Blanc! Here’s what we cover this show!

0:00: Show intro and beginning of interview with Brittney Le Blanc
6:10: An interview with local mom and bicycle blogger Ms Sarah Chan
20:44: We discuss Heroes with Brittney Le Blanc
32:47: Scott, Brittney and Adam answer your random Formspring questions (h/t to our pals at Makin’ Whoopee for the idea)
43:45: A dramatic reading… with Scott C. Bourgeois
48:05: We discuss Brittney’s robot double… and Girl Geek Dinners (shout out to Sally Poulsen @ 48:45)
1:02:00: The Fast Fifteen with Brittney Le Blanc

Let us know what you thought, everyone! Do you dig the new format? Hate it? TELL US!

Download episode 27 of the Unknown Studio directly to your computer.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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Episode the 26th: The People’s Market

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:41:12 +0000

A few months back, the Unknown Studio received word of the launch of a new social network. You may have heard of it — Mashable posted an article on the new People’s Market called Empire Avenue. Scott and I got into the system and I think it’s fair to say both of us are pretty hooked… So much so that we’re variously experimenting with ways to determine just what it is that raises and lowers our stock prices.

(By the way, you should invest in TUS, BNGFL and SCB)

And, since we actually can’t figure it all out, we decided to get Empire Avenue Marketing Manager Tom Ohle on the show to pick his brain and get a handle on this whole insider trading thing… if only we could convince Tom to give us some tips.

So we dish about Empire Avenue, but we also get into some heady discussions about Star Trek and Scott’s learned fear of garbage trucks, Apple and their closed systems, and finally we talk about what’s been on everyone’s mind these last few years: whether or not Drew Carey has ruined the Price is Right forever.

This is the last episode of the season (technically, Scott and I are tracking seasons for the show. This is S01E26), and it’s a great note to end things off with. Give it a listen, leave us a comment or two, and stay tuned for our season premiere in just two short week!

Download episode 26 of the Unknown Studio directly to your computer.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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Episode the 25th: Food talk with Nate Box

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 31 May 2010 21:28:46 +0000

Until very recently — perhaps as recently as five or seven years ago — Edmonton suffered a dearth of great cafés and restaurants. Oh sure, there were diamonds in the rough, but the rough was expansive and the diamonds as rare as something even more rare than diamonds.

Then, the landscape started changing, as Edmonton’s downtown began its still-ongoing revitalization. Now, the city is blessed with great eating and drinking establishments. That means the time is ripe for Nate Box to open the Elm Café.

Well over one year in the making, Nate had originally wanted to open the café as a restaurant concept in the Belgravia neighbourhood on Edmonton’s southside. But the lease fell through and so it was back to the drawing board. Last March, though, things started coming together for Nate, when he locked down a location in Oliver — the west part of Edmonton’s downtown (outside of the core).

With the Elm Café slated to open on Monday, June 7 (bright and early at 7am), Scott and I decided to sit down with Nate and find out exactly what it takes to open a café in the this town. We also talk hamburger waterslides, and some of the worst food trends sweeping the city.

Download episode 25 of the Unknown Studio directly to your computer.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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Episode the 24th: Lynda Steele talks local news

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 17 May 2010 20:55:10 +0000

I don’t think it’s a secret that Scott and I are fans of Global Edmonton 6 0′clock news co-anchor Lynda Steele. She’s a pillar of the community, a big Edmonton booster, and an all-around great woman. So we decided to invite her onto the show to get her perspective on living and working in Edmonton in a rather public role.

And wouldn’t you know it, but Lynda is extremely down-to-earth and fun. Scott and I spent just over an hour chatting with her about how she got into her job as a news anchor, how news has changed, and what it’s like to be a news personality who gets noticed out in public. I even reveal details about the first time I met Lynda — intoxicated at a hockey game, and probably a little overly friendly.

But wait! THERE’S MORE! We even spent a bit of time talking to her about her sudden jump off of Twitter.

Give the episode a listen, leave a comment, or rate us on iTunes.

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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Download episode 24 of the Unknown Studio directly to your computer.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

Episode the 23rd: Music, Edmonton and Erica Viegas

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 03 May 2010 21:13:44 +0000

You may not know this — and you may not even agree with it — but Edmonton is a very musical place. We produce a ton of musicians who go on to do great things. Hell, some of them even choose to stay here in town and ply their trade (I’m thinking Bill Bourne of Edmonton Folk Music Festival fame).

With such a rich and diverse cross-section of musical talent in Edmonton, Scott and I decided to chat this week with one of Edmonton’s up-and-comers. So we brought the talented, the beautiful, the holy-crap-listen-her-amazing-voice Erica Viegas. And you know what Erica told us? She told us that she wanted the use the Unknown Studio to release a new track out into the world. All exclusive-like. So listen to the show for something we can guarantee you’ve never heard before.

Quickly, and stolen from her website, this is what Erica’s all about:

Raised in Sherwood Park, Alberta in a musical family, Erica has always had a passion for music. Since begging her parents to let her take voice lessons at age 11, she grabbed at every opportunity to be on stage, whether it was singing in a school play or performing the national anthem at an assembly. For more than 10 years, she has been singing at festivals and talent competitions all over Western Canada, including the Alberta Tattoo at Rexall Place, Calgary Stampede, Big Valley Jamboree, and Canadian Search for Miss Universe. In 2003 and 2004, Erica represented the City of Edmonton as Klondike Katie during the Edmonton Klondike Days (now Capital Ex), performing over 50 times during the 10-day festival.

Erica’s also a U of A Business School graduate with a day job at her alma mater. And she’s looking to maybe tour this summer, across Canada or even the US.

And I am going to make it my personal mission to try and get Erica up on the stage at the Folk Fest this summer, at the very least as someone who can perform in between main stage sets. She’s that good. So good, I think a lot of people need to hear her. So download the episode today!

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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Download episode 23 of the Unknown Studio directly to your computer.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

Episode the 22nd: The State of the Podcast

Adam Rozenhart — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 05:12:18 +0000

What do you get when your guest doesn’t show up, and the two people you randomly approach to be on the show to fill the empty slot aren’t available? A one-hour punchline, if this was the build-up to a joke.

But it’s not.

Fate conspired against us last weekend, but we persevered. And in what may be our least-listened-to podcast to day, we talk about… well, the Unknown Studio. We discussed some of the drama that’s recently cropped up around the show — nothing scandalous, mind you. Just worthy of note. Noteworthy, if you’re into the whole brevity thing.

We also talk plans for the future — but only very briefly so as not to give away all the fabulous surprises we have. And rather than end with a Fast 15, we end with a new random segment called “Ridiculous Questions that Have Little Bearing on Anything.”

Leave us a comment to beg us to ensure we have a guest for our next episode.

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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Download the episode 22 of the Unknown Studio directly to your computer.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

Episode the 21st: medicine in foreign countries

Adam Rozenhart — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 23:58:44 +0000

Anyone in Edmonton who’s been involved in social media fundraising in Edmonton will have heard the name “Roma Sobieski.” If you haven’t heard that name, then you’ve doubtless seen the hashtag #yegroma.

Roma Sobieski first appeared on our radar when she started working with Jerry Aulenbach on a fundraiser for the Canadian Association of Medical Teams Abroad, who have done some outstanding work providing surgeries to individuals in Ecuador. Roma was raising money to actually go spend a week in Ecuador to assist the doctors and nurses there with patients. The response to her campaign was nothing short of incredible.

In this episode, Scott and I chat with Roma about her hopes and dreams of becoming a pediatric surgeon, and also the amazing time she had working with doctors and patients in Central America (where, it turns out, it wasn’t so warm in March).

Also worth noting: we recorded this episode on Roma’s birthday, but we were too polite to ask her how old she was.

Enjoy the show, and as always, leave your comments on this hear post, or give us a killer rating on iTunes.

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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Download the episode 21 of the Unknown Studio directly to your computer.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

Episode the 20th: Seeking our own proof…

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:29:24 +0000

The City of Edmonton is very fortunate to have the knowledge economy contributors that we can call our own. I might even argue that many of the people who have come onto the Unknown Studio as guests are among the pillars of this new wave.

We spoke to one of those pillars in our most recent episode, which you can download below. Hi name is Ken Bautista, and he’s officially one of Edmonton’s “big deals.” Here’s some info on Ken from his website:

Ken Bautista, 32, has over 10 years experience in the interactive industry as an entrepreneur and creative director.

He founded his first interactive development company, Hotrocket, in 2001 after graduating from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. In 2008, the company’s interactive services division was acquired by RED The Agency, one of the fastest growing independent marketing agencies in Western Canada.

Ken is currently working on his second start-up seekyourownproof.com, an online community for kids ages 8-12 where they’re challenged to investigate science and history as agents of a fictional agency called the “Central Institute for Exploration”.

Ken’s also involved in ArtsScene Edmonton, Startup Edmonton, and TEDx Edmonton.

Scott and I picked his brain for a good hour on the projects Ken’s working on, why he’s still living in Edmonton, and what the future holds for yet another of Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40.

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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Download the episode 20 of the Unknown Studio directly to your computer.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

Thanks to Mack Male for allowing us to use one of his photos for this post.

Episode the Nineteenth: Open Data, Open City, Open Minds

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:32:47 +0000

Many people in Edmonton know the name “Mack Male“. A young Edmontonian, one of the champions of the Open Data movement, local software developer and blogger, and social media maven, Mack has [perhaps inadvertently] asserted himself as what I’ve come to refer to as Edmonton’s prodigal digital son. “Prodigal” because he is a prodigious individual who once moved away to the Territories, but ultimately returned to the City of Champions. “Digital” because he exists nowhere but on the internets, and anyone who does meet Mack in person should know they’re interacting with an advanced robot.

I’m kidding. Mack’s no robot. In fact, he’s one of the smartest and nicest people I’ve met in this city.

My first encounter with Mack was at DemoCamp 3, I believe. He was the young dude taking photos of everyone and assisting Cam Linke and Kevin Swan with the event. He looked like any other geek. When I eventually found my way onto Twitter, I realized that in the ever-growing Edmonton online community, Mack is a key influencer. A Big Deal™, if you will.

Mack and I have become friends over the last few years, as our paths cross fairly often due to several shared passions. It made sense to have him on the show. It’s taken us too long to get him into the studio.

So, Scott and I present to you the Mack Male episode, where we discuss his views on the Open Data movement, social media, blogging and even what life up north was like. If you enjoy it or not, leave a comment and let us know!

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EDMONTON JOURNAL STILL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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Click here to download the latest episode of the Unknown Studio.

The Unknown Studio is a proud member of the League of Extraordinary Media.

Thanks to Dave Cournoyer for allowing us to use one of his photos for this post.

Episode the Eighteenth: Wherefore art thou, Golden Statue?

Adam Rozenhart — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:32:41 +0000

It’s that time of year again, everyone. The time when Hollywood is abuzz… With gossip, wild speculation, and a genetically sperior African killer bee. Yes, it’s Oscar time, thirties of listeners.

If you’ve ever listened to our show for any reasonable period of time (say, about 5 minutes), you’ll likely have discovered that Scott and I thoroughly enjoy movies. From the most complicated and grueling bit of German Expressionism to the comedic stylings of Lloyd and Harry, we are like the obsessed fanboys of the medium of film. And with the 82nd Annual Academy Awards coming to a television set near you on Sunday March 7, we thought we’d share our thoughts, feelings and indulges with our listening public.

But we couldn’t do it alone. So we brought in David Berry, Vue Weekly arts writer and local freelance journalist.

In our Oscar episode, we’ll share our predictions, opinions (both informed and uninformed) and thoughts on the movies of 2009 that made the greatest impact. And we’ll even complain that Star Trek wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. Remember: fanboys.

Join us for the hilarity, the mystique, and the beeping out of swears! And be sure and share your thoughts in the comments as well.

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EDMONTON JOURNAL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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We’re helping EJ to promote their recently released Blackberry mobile launcher. You can check it out by clicking here on your Blackberry browser. If you have any comments about the mobile launcher or the Journal’s mobile site, let us know and we’ll pass it along!

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Download the MP3 of the Unknown Studio’s 18th episode

Episode the Seventeenth: Sexytime Valentine’s Show

Adam Rozenhart — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:46:32 +0000

For our Valentine’s Day episode, we decided to do something a little different. Rather than try and think of ways to provide people with advice on gifts or things to do, we thought we’d talk about one of the big things that may (or may not be) on people’s minds this V-Day: sex. And in order to do that, we spoke with Brenda Kerber, owner of Edmonton’s Traveling Tickle Trunk about sex toys, sexual health, the people’s attitudes and openness toward sexuality in general.

Brenda showed Scott and I some of the terrible, poorly made sex toys there are on the market. And they’re terrifyingly shabby. She also showed us some spectacular products that are top of the line (and some of them more resemble something you’d see Apple design than a sex toy manufacturer).

Brenda also shared her thoughts on North America’s attitude toward sex, and some of the more puzzling aspects of sex education, particularly in Alberta.

Finally, for listeners of the Unknown Studio who download and listen to the episode, you’ll hear a very special offer from Brenda to you for Valentine’s day… But you have to download the episode and listen through for details and take advantage of it before Valentine’s Day.

Check out our Flickr group for some photos of the sex toys Brenda showed us, and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section!

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Episode the Sixteenth: Foreign Journalism

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:59:51 +0000

In keeping with our seemingly recent theme of covering different aspects of the journalistic profession, Scott and I played host to iNews880.com news reporter Jeremy Lye. Jeremy, originally from Australia, spent some of his professional life covering corruption and drugs wars taking place in Central America, particularly places like Honduras and Guatemala. We wanted to know Jeremy’s perspective on what it’s like to work in foreign places, where you might not know the language and customs so well.

Jeremy shared some of his scary moments with us, and some of his thoughts on why he would place himself in those situations, and now his perception of traveling to dangerous places has changed now that he’s a dad (though he definitely gave us the impression that once his kids grow up, he’s right back on the foreign journalism train). Then we also talk about how Australians don’t drink Fosters, and how awesome the snow is here (seriously, Jeremy loves the snow).

Give the episode a listen, and share your thoughts in the comments section or give us a review on the iTunes music store!

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Episode the Fifteenth: Journalists Invade Edmonton

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:57:59 +0000

Well, Happy New Year to our twenties of listeners. Scott and I enjoyed our break, but we were both also very eager to get back into the swing of things…

In our fifteenth episode, we sit down with Gateway Editor-in-Chief Mike Kendrick and Canadian University Press President Rob Fishbook to discuss the upcoming National Journalism Conference being hosted in Edmonton by the Gateway and Canadian University Press (CUP) this coming weekend. This event sees hundreds of student journalists descend on the city for a weekend AGM and professional development conference. The line-up of speakers giving talks at this year’s conference (affectionately called “Nash” by salty old-school CUPpies like myself) includes such luminaries as Jan Wong, Adrienne Arsenault… and Scott and myself, if you can believe it.

We also discuss the changing media of student journalism and some of the interesting content and technological challenges that CUP is helping its members tackle — we even get a bit of a sneak peak at CUP’s soon-to-be-launched proprietary content management system for member papers.

Finally, and you’ll never believe this, I got to work in a Star Trek reference. All in all a great show and a terrific start to the New Year.

Episode the Fourteenth: an Unknown Studio kinda Christmas

Adam Rozenhart — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:32:36 +0000

I know you’ve been waiting for this. It’s like a new Christmas tradition! Instead of going to church or opening presents, you can all gather ’round the old iTunes box and listen to that there podcast what’s hosted by those sweet, sensitive young men, Mr Scott C Bourgeois and Mr Adam Rozenhart.

Scott and I decided to make our first Christmas episode a little bit different — so we told the guest we’d had booked to go fly a sleigh. Rather than interview someone, we have a “conversation” with each other. We discuss our families’ Christmas traditions and the Christmas films we enjoy; we share stories from some of our listeners who had some nightmarish Mall Santa experiences (actually, that would be a great name for a Christmas Band: the Mall Santa Experience™); and we even exchange gifts, almost live, right there on the air!

So while you’re wrapping gifts, chugging some nog, or sobbing quietly to yourself, why not give us a listen? If you had a podcast, we’d listen to yours!

And from both Scott and his lovely finacée Anita, and from myself and my beautiful girlfriend Rachel: Merry Christmas to everyone! Enjoy the time off, enjoy the food, and enjoy each other!

Episode the Thirteenth: the future of newspapers

Adam Rozenhart — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:27:04 +0000

I don’t know if you’ve heard about this, but newspapers are basically effed. They can’t continue to sell ads and print their product while other “media” are starting to move their content increasingly online. The printed paper will likely die with the last baby boomer (sorry Mum and Dad, but I read my news on the computer or on my phone).

So Scott and I decided to find out exactly how effed newspapers are, and what they’re doing to mitigate their, um, effedness. Thankfully, before we set out on our quest, Karen Unland, the Edmonton Journal’s online editor contacted us and suggested it would be a good topic for the show.

We agreed.

In our thirteenth episode (woooo! dun, dun, DUN) we try to sort out what direction news media is moving in and what some of the models could be for continuing to run “newspapers” online, while paying people to, you know, provide news and analysis.

Listen, learn and love, friends! Would love your feedback in the comments and on iTunes as well!

You can listen to the podcast:

Using the player below;
By right-clicking on this link and saving the file to your computer; or
By subscribing on iTunes.

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-a1f194f91f9a42e3cb0d45355e905dfe}

Episode the Twelfth: Edmonton – The Next Generation

Adam Rozenhart — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:27:12 +0000

Cary Williams, one of Avenue's Top 40 Under 40 (from avenueedmonton.com)

Scott and I think we know a thing or two about what might make Edmonton a destination city for that next generation of citizens — the people who will inherit the glorious and gross parts of our fair city. But nowhere near as much as co-chair of Edmonton Next Gen Cary Williams does.

I first met Cary back at University. He was a strapping young go-getter eager to make a splash in the world of business. Like, a belly-flop splash. Particularly in the Asian world of business. Through school exchanges and his first (?) post-post-secondary job, Cary spent a lot of time in Asia, thinking he might make his life there. In fact, in a recent issue of Avenue Magazine Cary said, “I spent 10 years trying to figure out how I’d never live in Edmonton [...]”

He then goes on to say something about dressing like a cheerleader. But he can do that, because he’s one of the Top 40 Under 40.

In spite of Cary’s proclivities toward mini-skirts — indeed because of it — Scott and I sat down with him to sort out why he decided to make Edmonton his home, and why he’s now one of the City of Champion’s biggest, uh, champions. We also discuss the city’s bid for the 2017 expo and what good things it might do (or fail to do) for Edmonton. Then I spanked him across the brain with a thoroughly enjoyable Fast 15.

You can listen to the podcast:

Using the player below;
By right-clicking on this link and saving the file to your computer; or
By subscribing on iTunes.

Episode the Eleventh: On hyperlocal websites and how they fit into local media

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:20:53 +0000

Since June 2009, Edmonton has had the benefit of a great local resource to information on just about anything you can think of — from festivals to concerts to art shows to political issues and discussions, TheEdmontonian.com launched with a mind to try and bring topics of interest to citizens in a conversational, interesting way.

Jeff Samsonow and Sally Poulsen are the website’s creators. They’re the kind of people who, when you meet them for the first time, you’ll probably think to yourself that you’d really like to be friends with them, and that the best way to do that is to have them over for dinner, and oh I wonder if they’d like a course involving butternut squash. Both Jeff and Sally are hyper-intelligent individuals with media backgrounds who decided to try and enrich the place they’ve chosen to live. They both also have killer senses of humour. That’s where TheEdmontonian.com comes in.

Scott and I sat down with Jeff and Sally to talk about why they started the website, some of the challenges they’ve had to deal with since its inception (hilariously enough, it launch in the same month as the Unknown Studio. So, we’re like internet brethren), and where they hope the website goes. We had a blast talking with Jeff and Sally, and I’m hoping they’ll come to subsequent recordings of the show, since Scott and I are always looking for great conversation, and more content for our blooper reel.

Other things we learned about Jeff and Sally: Jeff must screen movies for Sally before she watches them in case they’re too scary or upsetting; they met in Winnipeg, though neither one of them is from there; they both have razor-sharp wits.

Episode the Tenth: Edmonton Hauntings and Scary Stories

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:18:21 +0000

Scott and I recorded our tenth episode with writer and journalist Marliss Weber, the second woman we’ve ever had on the show. She would also prove the scariest.

We spent about an hour in the studio talking about hauntings in Edmonton, and boy-howdy, are there ever a lot. We barely started to scratch the surface. And although the three of us agreed that we didn’t believe in ghosts, Marliss’ stories were no less chilling.

We talk a little about the science of spookiness, and then get straight into some of the first- and second-hand tales of fear we’ve experienced or heard. This is an episode not for the very curious, nor for the faint of heart.

Whatever you believe, Happy Halloween to all! If you’re interested in all things spooky in Edmonton this week, check out dEdmonton for Halloween events of all shapes and sizes.

Special thanks to Marliss for joining us on the show, and to listener Daryl Hooke for providing us with a chilling ghost story.

Episode the Ninth: Post-Partisanism and the Perils of Politics

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:14:27 +0000

In this week’s episode, Scott and I sat down with Dave Cournoyer and Duncan Wojtaszek to discuss “the deal” with Canadian politics. What is it that keeps voters away from the polls? Why is there such a disconnect between voters and politicians?

Is there any hope for the electoral and governance systems in Alberta and Canada?

In short: yes.

I think we may have even gotten a few words in there about Star Trek, as part of my nefarious plot: to make this podcast about Star Trek at all costs.

Send us your comments, questions and show suggestions. And enjoy the episode!

Episode the Eighth: Pure Speculation, Science Fiction and You

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:10:59 +0000

On this, the most recent episode of the Unknown Studio (eight! eight episodes! Scott never believed in us!), Mr. Scott C. Bourgeois and I interview Brent Jans, the festival director of Edmonton’s Pure Speculation Science Fiction Festival.

Also called Pure Spec by nerdy and geeky stalwarts (we love you guys!), the festival is happening for the fifth year this weekend, October 2 to 4 at the Shaw Conference Centre. Events throughout the weekend include panel discussions and keynote addresses with science fiction authors, game developers, artists, and a variety of other sci-fi geniuses; RPGs being played; merchant booths; and more!

Scott and I spent an hour with Brent, and honestly, it was enough to convince me to attend the Festival this weekend… In between drinking and seeing Zombieland, of course. Registration is $15 before the event if you purchase from any Happy Harbor location or $20 at the door or by registering online.

Also featured in this episode, other than my patented Fast 15 is a dip into the Unknown Studio mailbag. One of our tens of listeners emailed us. You can too! Give us a listen and send us your feedback!

Episode the Seventh: Professional Hockey, the Oilers and Working in the Business

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:09:21 +0000

This episode, Scott and I spent an hour with sports journalist Dan Tencer, who works for 630 CHED in Edmonton as the host of Inside Sports.

Dan took us through his thoughts on the Edmonton Oilers and how they’ll fare this year with few roster changes, big coaching changes, and a sense of excitement he’s getting from the team about the forthcoming season.

Dan also shared his thoughts about adding another Canadian NHL team to the league, and just exactly what on earth is happening with the NHL and the Phoenix Coyotes.

Finally, Dan imparts his thoughts about working as a sports journalist. In brief: he digs it.

Episode the Sixth: Bugs and the City of Edmonton and You

Adam Rozenhart — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:06:39 +0000

In this episode, Adam and I talk to Edmonton-based entomologist Peter Daly. His job involves bugs, and that’s good because he loves them almost as much as he loves talking about them.

Peter discusses the pests we deal with in Edmonton, common misconceptions about insects and spiders, and generally shows off how much smarter than either of us he is. Adam makes it clear that he’s got serious worries about ticks.

And as for me, I once again, am somehow the quiet one by comparison.

Oh, and Spider-Man.

Episode the Fifth: First-time Fringe playwrights

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:02:43 +0000

In our fifth episode, Scott and I interview young playwrights Simon Crowley and Mike Young. They’re participating in Edmonton’s International Film Festival this year with their one-act play Captain Hook vs. the Zombies.

We spent about a a half hour chatting with Simon and Mike about what it’s like to be first time Fringers, how the whole Fringe process works, and what hilariously tragic and tragically hilarious things producing a play of this magnitude has done to their lives, relationships and caffeine tolerances.

You can check out information on Captain Hook vs. the Zombies here.

You can also read up on Mike Young’s production company here.

And you can check out more info on the prolific Simon Crowley here.

You can also follow Simon and Mike on Twitter.

Episode the Fourth: Massively Multiplayer Videogames and the People Who Ruin Them

Adam Rozenhart — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:00:29 +0000

In this episode, Scott and I speak to a man who goes by the name of Scott Lilwall, a journalist whose actions in the game Ultima Online resulted in direct changes to the game’s rules and policies.

We talk to Lilwall about his history with MMORPGs and how these types of games can ruin your life and the lives of others.

We also talk about cats, I think.

Episode the Third: Better storytelling, videogames or movies?

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:58:36 +0000

In this week’s episode, Adam and Scott discuss which medium — videogames or movies — make for greater storytelling engines.

In order to tackle this weighty issue, we summoned local experts Anita Kuny and Ramin Ostad. From inside the belly of a whale, we argued, fought, fussed, and consumed various quantities of very poor Canadian beer (although this particular beer happens to be Adam’s favourite). Did we arrive at any stunning conclusions?

You’ll have to listen to find out.

Episode the Second: Edmonton – a city on the grow

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:56:23 +0000

Coming at you sort of live from an abandoned cabin in the woods…

On our second episode of the Unknown Studio, Scott C. Bourgeois and I talk to Don Iveson, Edmonton City Councillor for Ward 5. Our topics: smart growth, transit-oriented development, the Fraser Institute, and hilarious trivia.

As always, spread the love if you feel the love.

Episode the First: Social Media and Truthiness

Adam Rozenhart — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:00:00 +0000

This is our first crack at an ongoing project called the Unknown Studio.

This episode — recorded from a derelict oil rig off the coast of Nova Scotia — we talk to Brittney Le Blanc from iNews880.com about social media, particularly Twitter. Why it’s good, why it’s bad, why “gurus” and “experts” can bite us.

Spread the love if you dig it.