Cephalopodcast

Maybe you noticed I’ve been gone. Or judging from the empty inbox, maybe not. I’ve been doing a little sole searching (fish pun intended), figuring out the future of this Web site. And I realized that it is something I want to stick with and I hope you will rejoin me on the journey. Or at least wait until we are far enough away from the dock that it’s too late to swim back (or scream).

100 days of 100 words

Today I am embarking on something that is ambitious for me. I call it 100 days of 100 words. The idea is to write at least a 100-word post once a day, every day, for 100 days*. That’s not a lot of letters, but even eking out that much can be difficult for someone who is more introverted than a peanut worm.

Also, I previously felt like I was merely regurgitating ocean news that is better covered by folks with deeper knowledge. So instead I want to focus more on original content that is better suited to my talents and depth rating. To that end, I’ve created a publishing pattern to guide me. I just hope it won’t seem like spaghetti dinners ever Sunday.

Sunday: Book Snook
There are a lot of adult and children’s science books out there that I have an over developed opinion about and I will be sharing it with you on Sundays. I am also interested in discovering new works, so if you have titles to recommend, let me know. Better yet, if you have review copies available, please consider sending me one. After reviewing them, I will generally donate keepers to the science library at work, so it’s a good thing all around.

Monday: What the Shell?
Photos and notes from the littoral zones of Florida (and beyond). I hope to be combing the wrack lines on weekends, keeping a weather eye out for unfamiliar flotsam and then sharing my discoveries with you on Mondays.

Tuesday: Toonsday
Tuesdays will see a return of my nascent Web comic about an optimistic octopus and a curmudgeonly sea cucumber. They are my little oddquatic couple called Pucker and Bloat. I will also be using this day to share other doodles I make while working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

Wednesdays: The Life Oddquatic
I used to work in a local fish store. There are stories I could tell you about those days. And I will, each Wednesday. There are also a lot of weird creatures beneath the waves. They may make an appearance in this section too.

Thursdays: [Insert Catchy Name]
By day I wade knee deep in the confluences of science education, environmental education and education technology. On Thursdays you can watch as I get in over my head in these murky waters. I still need a catchy title for this feature. Suggestions?

Fridays: TGI Scidays
Ira Flato does a nice job of ending each week with science and he’s made it something of a meme. I can’t resist his public radio charm, so I will be contributing my own thoughts about topical science on this day.

Saturdays: All Wild Right Outside
Every day is Earth Day, but I will be sharing my environmental stories mostly on Saturdays. I completed a Florida Master Naturalist course last year, so these features will naturally have a Florida focus.

Putting the Podcast Back in Cephalopodcast.com

I need to make some changes to the frequency of the podcasts too. My goal is to release a new episode every 8th, 16th and 24th of each month. Get it? They are on days divisible by eight; octopus have eight arms. Hope that mnemonic isn’t too obtuse. But you can just subscribe to the podcast feed and let iTunes figure it out. My hope is that it will be frequent enough to capture a wider audience’s attention but long enough between shows to keep my sanity and not blow my monthly bandwidth.

Tune of Fish
I like to close each episode of the podcasts with some ocean-inspired music. I am calling this segment the Tune of Fish and I need your help. If you know of any podsafe music that is at all aquatic, please let me know. I’d prefer lyrics that are PG, but am not necessarily looking for children’s music. I might devote an entire future show to kids’ song if there is interest, but in general I am looking for tunes with the broadest appeal. Tanks!

Cephalovlog
And if that above is not enough to get me in deep, I hope to get out a new episode of the Cephalovlog (video podcast) once a month.

*A little disclaimer here: I am going to try writing every day, but may be prevented from posting if the technology fails me. That’s my excuse and I am sticking with it.