Just Talking Podcast

Jessica Mills is many things: actor, writer, producer, geek, and also hilarious. Most recently she launched a Kickstarter called Mission G.E.E.K. Jessica joins me on the podcast this week to talk about the origins of Awkward Embraces and why she needed two different Indie GoGo campaigns to complete the second season. I learn about the nuances of comedy writing. Finally, we cover everything you need to know about her latest project, Mission G.E.E.K., which you should strongly consider supporting. Enjoy. You can follow Jessica on Twitter at @geekyjessica and you can see both seasons of Awkward Embraces on YouTube. And be sure to check out her Kickstarter, Mission G.E.E.K., which ends October 17th. Run Time - 34:00 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

In making final preparations for this year's Medicine X Conference at Stanford, I'm joined by Erin Moore. Erin is the mother of four children, one of whom lives with cystic fibrosis. We discuss her son's diagnosis story, why she started blogging, and the diversity of her patient advocacy efforts. Later on in the podcast I learn about Collaborative Chronic Care Networks (C3N), Erin's involvement in building a C3N for cystic fibrosis, and why Cincinnati is the best place for her family to live. Enjoy. You can follow Erin on Twitter at @ekeeleymoore and at her blog, 66roses.com. Run Time - 53:45 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

James Portnow, CEO of Rainmaker Games and writer for Extra Credits, is my guest this week. While our conversation largely focuses on the importance of design in video games, we spend some time covering James' education path, his work at Activision, and at Next-Gen Magazine. James explains why he can't talk much about the work he did at Divide by Zero Games or currently does at Rainmaker Games, and the significance of white-listing his clients when being approached with possible work. Finally we cover his writing on the web series Extra Credits, the benefit of not addressing the "topic of the moment", and how directly addressing Microsoft in one episode started an important dialog that could help shape the future of online gaming. Enjoy. You can find Extra Credits on Penny Arcade, the show's YouTube Channel, and be sure to check in on the Extra Credits Facebook Page if you want to talk to James directly (he's a busy guy). Run Time - 1:03:29 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

Previewing one of the many ePatient perspectives that will be shared at the upcoming Medicine X Conference in Stanford this Fall, Emily Bradley is my guest this week. We discuss her journey with chronic illness and chronic pain including, but not limited to, Still's Disease, acute idiopathic scoliosis, endometriosis, secondary fibromyalgia, and Chushing's Disease. We also discuss the value of social media in sharing her experiences and connecting with others in the patient community. And Emily shares her motivations for attending and her expectations of the upcoming Medicine X Conference in Stanford, where she will be one of the featured ePatients. Enjoy. You can follow Emily on Twitter at @chroniccurve and chroniccurve.tumblr.com. As mentioned, you should really read Emily's full diagnosis story at chroniccurve.tumblr.com/mystory. [audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/iamspartacus/Just_Talking-204-Chronic_Curve.mp3] Run Time - 57:25 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

Matthew Rorie comes on the podcast this week to talk about life at Virginia Tech during the peak of the Michael Vick era, proper puppy petting techniques, and his various writing jobs over the years. We also discuss the art of writing a video game guide, his work at Obsidian Entertainment, and the experience of building Screened.com from the ground up. Finally we discuss his role at Giant Bomb, and our expectations for PAX Prime (as this was recorded before we traveled to Seattle). Enjoy. You can follow Matthew on Twitter at @frailgesture, matthewrorie.tumblr.com, and of course Giantbomb.com. Run Time - 1:01:02 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

Proving the Internet is awesome, the co-founders of A Sweet Life, Jessica Apple and Michael Aviad, join me from Tel Aviv, Israel. As both Jessica and Michael have type 1 diabetes, the opening of our conversation covers their individual diagnosis stories. We then move to 'A Sweet Life', it's inception, it's initial reception, and it's growth over the past few years. We also discuss the importance and impact of making science-heavy content accessible, and the value of the diabetes community when you're living on the other side of the world. Finally, I learn about their newly formed non profit, the Diabetes Media Foundation. Enjoy. Be sure to check out asweetlife.org for the latest from Jessica, Michael, and their fantastic rotating cast of writers. Run Time - 41:30 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

Wendy Bryan, the brains behind 'I Heart Guts' is my guest this week. We discuss the origins of 'I Heart Guts' including Wendy's life before starting her own company. I learn about the wonderful world of child safety testing for stuffed toys. Wendy shares her perspective on the patient community and the reception she's received for her various products (or, organs). And I celebrate the fact that Wendy gets to have professional conversations using phrases like "I should have ordered more uteruses". Enjoy. Be sure to check out iheartguts.com for the latest product listings and organ availability. Run Time - 55:36 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

I'm joined by Carly Medosch this week to talk about rabbits, again. We also discuss her Crohn's Disease diagnosis story and the value of social support both online and in person when living with a chronic condition. And while no two days with Crohn's are alike, Carly sheds some light on what living with this disease is like. We also cover Medicine X and what it means to be a patient advocate. Enjoy. You can follow Carly on Twitter at @CarlyRM and blog.chronicarly.com. Run Time - 1:07:16 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

Rick Altinger, CEO of Glooko is on the podcast this week. Our conversation covers Rick's time at Stanford, the significance of working in Silicon Valley, and why some of his earlier jobs set the stage for his current role at Glooko. We also discuss the importance of data liberation, literacy, and analysis with respect to people living with diabetes. Finally, Rick explains why it's important someone in his position to listen to patients, and why he makes it a priority to take customer support calls on a regular basis. Enjoy. Be sure to visit glooko.com to learn more about Glooko's system.. Run Time - 1:09:15 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

This week Harmonix Music Systems' Director of Communications and Brand Management, John Drake, is on the podcast. We cover John's collegiate experience at Harvard as well as his role as "fun czar". We also discuss his music background, including his record label, and why having your own record label is not fun around tax season. And we cover some highlights of working at Harmonix, from Rock Band, to Dance Central, and the upcoming Fantasia: Music Evolved. And I ask about the Super Drake Tracker 2000 EX, because I still can't believe it's a real thing. Enjoy. Follow John on Twitter at @johntdrake, and keep up with the latest news about Fantasia: Music Evolved at facebook.com/fantasiagame. Run Time - 1:16:36 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

Fresh out of Evolution 2013, the Fighting Game Community's largest tournament, Wynton "Prog" Smith is on the podcast this week to talk all about Super Smash Bros. Melee. This game, and the Smash Bros. community had a memorable journey on its way to this tournament, from public polls, to fundraisers for breast cancer research, from nearly having the game banned from streaming to the public, to one of the most memorable moments during the final day of the tournament, Wynton details his experience from the front-lines of the movement. Enjoy. Follow Wynton on Twitter at @progducto, and keep up with the latest from Smash Bros. community at SmashBoards.com and on Reddit. Run Time - 46:20 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

I'm joined this week by Abbie Heppe, Community Manager for Respawn Entertainment. We discuss unusual ways to find job postings and receive job offers (in her case, in the gaming industry). I learn about the pressure of covering E3 from the media perspective as Abbie shares some of her experiences working at G4. I also learn about the pressure of revealing your previously unannounced game to a worldwide audience and what it's like building a community around a game isn't public knowledge. Enjoy. Follow Abbie on Twitter at @abbieheppe, and keep up with the latest from Respawn and learn more about Titanfall at Respawn.com and @Respawn. Run Time - 1:00:00 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

Nels Anderson, Lead Designer at Klei Entertainment is my guest this week. We cover life in Wyoming, life in Canada, and life before designing video games. More specifically, we discuss Nels' journey to video game development, why his career in the industry nearly ended before it truly began, at his work at Hothead Games on DeathSpank. Finally, Nels shares his feelings about all the positive reaction and recognition for Mark of the Ninja, and the upcoming release of the Special Edition of the game (which you can read about here). Enjoy. Follow Nels on Twitter at @Nelsormensch and keep up with the latest Mark of the Ninja news at markoftheninja.com/. Run Time - 1:05:30 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

Adding some New England charm to the podcast, I'm joined this week by Jess Buchanan. We discuss the appeal of Vermont and the appropriate age to give a newborn a pair of hockey skates. Jess also shares the series of events that unfolded alongside her diabetes diagnosis as well as her journey to finding and eventually participating in the diabetes online community. And there's some conversation about stress-free wedding planning, triathlon training, and the notion that rabbits are trainable pets. That last one sort of blew my mind. Enjoy. Follow Jess on Twitter at @saucygurl915 and http://nachoblog311.wordpress.com/. Run Time - 53:51 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

Prior to the beginning of the American Diabetes Association's 73rd Scientific Sessions hosted in Chicago, Illinois, I spoke with a few members of the diabetes community who would be walking the convention center floor and experiencing the madness for themselves. Scott Johnson was attending his first Scientific Sessions and we spoke about his expectations as a newcomer. Bennet Dunlap spoke about his most anticipated presentations and what he hopes to learn from his week in the Windy City. And Kerri Sparling and I briefly chat about her schedule in Chicago but quickly tangent off into a range of topics too long for this summary. Enjoy. Follow Scott Johnson on Twitter at @scottkjohnson. Follow Bennet Dunlap on Twitter at @badshoe. Follow Kerri Sparling on Twitter at @sixuntilme. Run Time - 1:02:21 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

This week I'm joined by GameFly's Director of Publishing and host of Weekend Confirmed, Garnett Lee. Garnett shares his impressions fresh out of E3 2013, and discusses why devoting just one podcast episode to the Expo was not a popular decision among his listeners. We also cover his entry into games media and his podcasting origins while working at Ziff Davis. I learn about the potential influences covering the games industry can have on Garnett's role as publisher. And we briefly discuss the upcoming season for the Dallas Cowboys. Enjoy. You can follow Garnett on Twitter at @GarnettLee and download Weekend Confirmed at http://www.shacknews.com/tag/weekend-confirmed. [audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/iamspartacus/Just_Talking-192-Weekend_Confirmed.mp3] Run Time - 1:05:24 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

Coinciding with my marathoning through Scrubs on Netflix, Ashley Rose joins me this week. We discuss her journey to becoming a Registered Nurse, the compressed education track she took to get this far, the complexity of working within the current healthcare system, and the reality of working with patients that can find you on Facebook. We also discuss her diabetes diagnosis and we judge the accuracy of various medical shows past and present. Enjoy. You can find Ashley on Twitter at @dream4muse and on her blog at talesofswaging.blogspot.com. Run Time - 1:01:58 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

This week I join Hugo Campos on the quest for his own data. Hugo explains how a simple tweet turned into a speaking opportunity at Medicine X in 2012. I learn the troubling truth about data generated by his own heart. And we collectively predict the possibilities of Medicine X in 2013. Enjoy. You can keep up with Hugo on Twitter at @HugoOC and facebook.com/icdug. Run Time - 38:33 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

Dr. Mike Sevilla is my guest this week. We spend the next hour discussing his motivations to pursuing a medical degree, his journey to family medicine, and he shares experiences, within reason, as a doctor within his community. We also discuss the role of social media within his own practice, the potential for social media among all medical professionals, and the pressure faced when presenting the concept of social media to his peers. Enjoy. You can keep up with Dr. Sevilla on Twitter at @DrMikeSevilla and familymedicinerocks.com. Run Time - 56:59 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.

James Chen, co-host of UltraChenTV is my guest this week. THe majority of our conversation revolves around the Fighting Game Community. From his early years playing Street Fighter 2 to playing in, and doing quite well in tournaments, James has seen it all. We discuss the art of commentary including James' initial motivations for getting behind the microphone. We also cover the challenges, potential, and opportunities in growing the Fighting Game Community. Finally James gives a small preview for EVO 2013 and opens up about his love of Cammy. Enjoy. You can keep up with James on Twitter at @jchensor and twitch.tv/ultrachentv. Run Time - 1:23:24 Send your feedback to feedback@justtalkingpodcast.com.