Lancer Kind

Science fiction author

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How to Listen to Podcasts in Style

17 December, 2019 (13:02) | SciFi Thoughts | By: Lancer Kind

Podcasting to Radio is like Tivo to being stuck in the 1970s with big three TV networks.  With podcasts you can “stop the show” until you’re ready to continue or even “speed up the action” if the pace is too slow.  It’s like having ala carte cable where you get to pick the show you want to watch, when you want to watch it.  And if you don’t know what to pick, you can type into a search engine, “favorite topic” and podcast and find what you want.

When I’m driving in my car, I’m listening to podcasts. When I’m waiting at the school or bus stop, I’m listening to podcasts. It’s like Youtube, but even better–hands free! I’m free to go jogging, work in the yard, or just chill on the couch with a podcast.

Live long and podcast

Podcasting the convenient way

My preferred mode of listening means I’m not attached to my computer but using my smart phone. This way, I’ve always got my listens with me, whether I’m in my car or doing housework. Although iOS comes with a podcast player from Apple, my podcast player of choice is Overcast, which lets me speed up the playback if things aren’t moving at the rate that I like.

After installing any podcast player, your next mission is to use its search capability to find what you like. Just like a web search engine you just need to enter in some keywords like “science fiction” or “SciFi Thoughts.” Crusing in your car? Most cars have a USB port in to which you connect your phone. Common locations for in-vehicle USB ports: glove box and center console—the storage area between the seats.

Smart speakers are another route for listening in home. Here is another article that goes over a number of options.

Many smart TVs or BluRay players have app stores. Go search their app store for “podcast player.”

About Podcast Aggregators

Podcast aggregators send podcasts from the publisher’s site to your device.  Or, you can play the podcast directly on the aggregators webpage. Usually simple searching for “SciFi Thoughts” in your podcast player will get you where you need to go. But if you need more details, you can find SciFi Thoughts at the following links.

  • Overcast.FM https://overcast.fm/itunes1352868789/scifi-thoughts
  • Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anoir-consulting/scifi-thoughts
  • Player.fm https://player.fm/series/scifi-thoughts
  • iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scifi-thoughts/id1352868789
  • Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/SciFi-Thoughts%7D-id1185863?country=us
  • Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/scifi-thoughts-lancer-kind-science-fiction-pgtOy3P1C5s/
  • Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/podcast/2kM3jyq6qQQ4bnGF7eyXby/overview

Agile Grande Chapter 2: Continuous Delivery, Endless Dependencies

25 October, 2018 (12:04) | Agile Grande | By: Lancer Kind

The writing of Agile Grande continues. For now, you can read for free on LeanPub. Get it now because maybe later I’ll charge a MINT!

I’m quite taken at how fluid and clear the ePub file works on iBook readers (Mac, iPhone, Android, …). I hope your reading experience is enjoyable as well.

So what does Agile Grande have to do with Trump’s border wall? Check out chapters one and two to get in the know. There are systems all around us that are affecting us everyday. If you can’t see the big picture then you’ll be many steps behind.

In this chapter, Kartar ends up working with Studebaker, Mr. Cherneski’s son. Together they discover a lead that points to a problem with order management, a system under Cherneski’s leadership. Through working with Studebaker on a report, Kartar discovers the hairy politics of doing organizational change with a company leadership who is mostly interested in assigning blame. Kartar argues over how to be transparent in a report for the company vice presidents. Studebaker isn’t willing to document anything that could cause controversy. Although Kartar insists on digging deeper into the incident, at the last minute, Cherneski has told Kartar to forget about it and sends him on a trip to a seaport in Dubai.

What’s upcoming for Chapter 3: a shipboard ‘accident’ puts Kartar’s life in danger and a beautiful, mysterious woman hunts Kartar using an ancient form of systems thinking.

I can’t wait to write it!

Lancer

Agile Grande Chapter 1, is live on Leanpub

20 October, 2018 (08:37) | Agile Grande | By: Lancer Kind

Chapter one is up for free on Leanpub. Quick! Go download it before I come to my senses!

In chapter one, the story opens with CIA operatives planning how to accept a delivery of something they don’t want anyone to know about. It’s a black operation and although it’s supposed be a milk run, malfunctioning crane automation at the Long Beach sea port almost spills the beans. (Well, something does get spilled but I leave that to you to read about.) A logistics company operates the port and one of their VPs, Mr. Cherneski, gets a call from his darknet customer who expresses displeasure at the near disaster. Our Scrum Master and hero Kartar gets a call too, but it’s from port operations since it’s his teams developing the sea port’s automation. By the end of the chapter, whatever the CIA was smuggling in was used to destroy a portion of the wall between Mexico and the US.

What’s upcoming in Chapter 2: Kartar gets a taste of the politics that happen with organizational change. He is charged with writing a report to get to the bottom of the crane incident at Port of Long Beach Sea Port, and it’s due by end of day.

Admit it, you want to be THRILLED!

19 August, 2018 (15:20) | Agile Grande | By: Lancer Kind

Do you find thrillers, well thrilling? Then why not learn how to scale Scrum across an enterprise in an international thriller?

AGILE GRANDE is being written in a continuous delivery style on LeanPub. Chapters are going up as they are written and revised at https://leanpub.com/AgileGrande.

AGILE GRANDE is the sequel to AGILE NOIR. Kartar Patel,  a savvy Scrum Master charged with scaling Agile across an international logistics company who’s organizational structure is ill suited. Although ill suited for Agile it’s right suited for Mr. Cherneski, a selfish genius who masterminded an organization of siloed pigeon holes so employees unknowingly support his multi million dollar darknet business. Kartar doesn’t know why his transformation work is being resisted at every turn until he’s left for dead in the Indian Ocean and hunted by a foreign intelligence agency. Kartar washes ashore in Mumbai without his memory and has to go underground. He learns tools to analyze and adjust organizational structures. By the time he recovers from amnesia, he has only twenty-four hours to stop his daughter from marrying Cherneski’s son and get his Agile transformation back on track.

What’s a good servant leader to do other than get to work and save the day?

A chance to explain yourself (Boston event)

12 July, 2018 (03:32) | Uncategorized | By: Lancer Kind

You love science fiction…

Every time the FOX movies logo hits the screen a small part of you always believes it’s Star Wars coming up next, and that small part is secretly disappointed whenever it’s not. Maybe you love science fiction enough to read it, write it, or create film or games.

So this your chance!

I’ll be in Peabody (next to Boston) July 27th and 28th. How about you use my calendar link and schedule an interview with the SciFi Thoughts podcast? You can rant convictions, whisper secrets, or turn the tables and question Lancer. Either way we’ll record and edit it to make it the most pure drop of SciFi Thought that can be distilled.

So step up and explain your relationship with science fiction! Let it never be said that I don’t seek both sides of every story.

Your fan and host,

Lancer Kind

PS: If you haven’t found SciFi Thoughts podcast, it’s here.