What
is a podcast?
Think of it as radio
on demand...if most radio was made by amateurs.
A podcast is a recording
(either audio or video) which is distributed via the internet.
Most of them are free and are produced by amateurs. You can find
podcasts on just about any subject you care to name.
Most podcasts are
distributed according to some sort of schedule...daily, weekly,
monthly, etc.
For more detailed
information, you can read the Wikipedia article here.
Do I need
an iPod to listen to a podcast?
No. The majority of
audio-only podcasts can be listened to using any portable MP3
player. In fact, you don't really need a player at all. You can
listen to a lot of podcasts (including Short Cummings Audio)
right inside your web browser.
On the top right-hand
corner of each Short Cummings Audio page you'll find a
built-in player. Click 'play' (the triangle button) to hear the
latest episode.
If you want to listen
to a past episode, click on the 'Listen Now' button which
is displayed prominently at the top left of each episode description.
How much
does it cost?
Podcasts are generally
made available for free. Some podcasters make money by inserting
advertisements, others sell advertising space on their web pages,
and many don't worry about making money at all. For them, the
chance to connect with an audience is reward enough.
Short Cummings Audio is
free.
What
does "subscribing" to a podcast mean?
Subscribing to a podcast
is a way of having your computer get the latest episodes for you.
For example, if you use iTunes, you can subscribe to Short Cummings Audio. Each week, when I produce a new episode, it
will be downloaded to your computer automatically.
If you don't have
iTunes there are other software programs you can use (called aggregators)
to automatically get the newest episodes of this or any other
podcast. I personally use an open-source program called Juice.
It's free and it runs on a variety of operating systems. You can
find it on-line at http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/
Another popular free
receiver is Winpodder.
How do I
subscribe to Short Cummings Audio?
If you're using iTunes,
click on the 'Add to iTunes' button in the panel on the right-hand
side of this page. From there, you'll be taken to the Short Cummings Audio page in your iTunes program. Click subscribe
to complete the process.
If you're a Zune owner,
click the Zune link in the right-hand side of this page. It should
fire up the Zune software automatically.
If you're using some
other aggregator, you'll need to right-click on the 'RSS 2.0'
icon and select 'Copy Shortcut' from the link that comes up. Then
you can open your aggregator and find the 'add new feed' function
(may be called something different if your aggregator). Paste
the shortcut into your aggregator and you should be good to go.
If you're a visual-type
learner and want to see a quick tutorial, click HERE
to learn how to subscribe.
Gee,
that sounds kind of complicated. Is there an easier way to subscribe?
Sure. There are websites
that serve as on-line aggregators. They will allow you to listen
to podcasts right from your computer and they will manage all
of your subscriptions for you. One benefit of an on-line aggregator
is that it can be accessed from just about any internet-connected
computer.
Here are links to
Short Cummings Audio on a few of the more popular on-line
aggregators:
   
  
Okay,
enough of this geek talk. Tell me about Short Cummings Audio.
Short Cummings Audio is
a weekly funny story delivered in podcast form. The subject matter
varies, but mostly focuses on some aspect of modern, domestic
life. (What can I say, I drive a mean minivan and I'm utterly
-- and happily -- domesticated.)
One of my main goals
in doing this is to produce a different kind of podcast. There
are plenty of good podcasts out there in the talk-radio format.
There are music podcasts, and sci-fi podcasts, and old-time radio
revival podcasts.
Many of these run
between 30 and 60 minutes. You can only listen to so many of them
in a day. I wanted to produce something shorter and more focused.
So why the
humorous essay format?
About fifteen years
ago, I was a stringer for a local paper. To fill space one day
I wrote a funny piece about travelling with a two-year-old. The
editor liked it and asked for more in that style. Short Cummings
was born.
I joke that I wrote
an allegedly humorous column, but that there was never enough
evidence to convict.
After I'd been writing
for about a year, the paper underwent an editorial change and
my services were no longer required. I archived my old files and
turned my hand to other kinds of writing.
From time to time
my wife would pull out the old columns and tell me I should take
up writing them again. To my mind, without an audience, there
wasn't much point. However, when I started looking for a format
for a podcast, it all sort of came together.
Are these
essays any good?
I think so, but that's
just one man's opinion. I've gotten some very nice reviews in
the iTunes
music store. Let me share a few quotes:
...reminds me of
Dave Barry or Erma Bombeck. He's witty and relevant to everyday
life.
...all the warmth
and humor of A Prairie Home Companion with none of the padding.
His observations are spot on as is his comedic sense.
A short well designed
poscast. it is very amusing and worth listening to.
Well written, well
produced, and so true.
Where did
the name Short Cummings come from?
Well, my name is Kevin
Cummings and the column is short. Get it? Hi-lar-i-ous, right?
There's truth to that
first statement, but there's another reason as well. My dad is
only 5' 4" tall and gets a might feisty if you call him short.
During his military career (22 years U.S. Air Force) he routinely
scratched the word Short Cummings out of memos and replaced it with
"foibles" or "failings".
When I needed a name
for the column fifiteen years ago, I recalled that facet of dad's
personality and capitalized on it.
Of course, some folks
might think I'm making some kind of obscene joke. If your mind
runs that way -- shame on you! What would your mother say?
Just a quick story
and then we'll get on to the next question. Some years ago I tried
to register on a website and was automatically denied an account
because the web software thought I was using a dirty word for
a screen name. <sigh>
What do
you do in real life?
I've spent the last
18 years working at a vocational/technical college in northern
Utah. I'm currently serving as the Director of Student Services.
I have the privelege of working with a great bunch of folks and
helping students succeed in their education.
I have other hobbies,
though. I host a monthly, public affairs program for a small broadcast
station in Salt Lake (KTMW, TV 20). I read a lot and hang out
with my family.
What podcasts
do you listen to regularly?
Funny you should ask...in
no particular order:
- The
Daily Breakfast -- Hosted by Fr. Roderick (a Dutch priest)
this is a daily (more-or-less) show that deals with movies,
TV, video games, the news, and occasional snippets of Catholic
theology. Although it's hosted by a priest, it's not a particuarly
religious show...just good entertainment.
- The
Signal -- Okay, I'll 'fess up. I'm a browncoat; a true fan
of Joss Whedon's TV-series Firefly. The Signal is a twice-a-month
'cast about all things in the 'verse.
- Decoder
Ring Theater -- Return with us now to the thrilling days
of yesteryear. Um...something like that. DRT is produced by
a very talented Canadian theatre troop. Every two weeks you'll
get a new epsidoe from one of their original series. If you
didn't know better, though, you'd swear you were listing to
some forgotten classic from half a century ago.
- Comedy
4 Cast -- Clinton puts out a weekly show that is even shorter
than mine! Four minutes of funny every week. What more could
you ask for?
- Slice
of Life Podcast -- Produced by WFAE and listed on the NPR
podcast page, this is a weekly humor essay that runs around
minutes per epsiode.
- Liam
Humor -- A Blog and podcast. Liam Johnsons' life experiences
seen from a witty, off-center view of the world.
Do
you sell reprint rights for you columns?
Sure. All of the scripts
for Short Cummings Audio are avialable for reprint. If
you would be interested in publishing them in a newspaper, magazine,
or other medium contact me at kevin [at] shortcummingsaudio.com.
Each essay runs between
950 and 1,000 words. They can be purchased individually (one time
reprint rights) for $10. Discounts can be arranged for multiple
purchases.
E-mail me and let's
talk!
What about
rebroadcast rights?
Those can be arranged
too, with rates being set at $50 per episode for up to three airings.
Again, discounts can be arranged for multiple purchases.
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Short Cummings
Audio
