What Would Rob Do? http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:09:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Just another WordPress weblog no Would You Kill And Eat Your Own Chicken? http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/would-you-kill-and-eat-your-own-chicken http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/would-you-kill-and-eat-your-own-chicken#comments Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:52:37 +0000 robsachs http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/?p=1405

This month Taco Bell began giving away coupons for 10 million tacos as a way to reward customers who were perhaps scared away by a lawsuit which claims their beef mixture contains only 35% meat. But even if their product is 88% real “meat” as the chain advertises, shouldn’t that still be a wake-up call to put down and slowly back away from the Chalupa? It’s time we start to think about the food we mindlessly shovel into our mouths on a daily basis, especially when it comes to meat. As a proud Philadelphia native, I swore early in life that I would never let vegetarian ideals get in the way of an amazing cheesesteak. And while I realize the debate rages on, as to whether or not humans are meant to be vegetarians or omnivores, I’ve decided there’s enough evidence for me to feel comfortable with my decision to eat animals. But if I’m choosing to eat meat is it not then my responsibility to know where it came from?

For most of my life I simply ignored this moral incongruency, but as I got older, I kept hearing about people reading Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore’s Dilemma and having transformative experiences. I was skeptical of the unbridled enthusiasm of the newly converted. To me the whole movement seemed to come with more than an extra helping of pomposity. But after a while, enough of my friends were recommending the two tomes, so I decided it was worth taking a look. The books and their counterpart documentary Food Inc. didn’t change my view of food overnight, but they helped open my eyes, as did interviewing Fedele Baucio, the CEO of Bon Appetit Management Company. In my podcast about making informed decisions when dining out, he told me about his work to bring sustainable food to the marketplace on a large scale by working with schools like The University of Pennsylvania and companies like Google.

The real game changer for me came earlier this year, when I met farmer Jesse Straight. I was working on a story about the pasture poultry farm movement (pioneered by Joel Salatin of Food Inc. fame) and discovered that Straight actually has volunteers come and help him slaughter and process his chickens. Did I get that right? I could kill my own chicken? The fact is for my whole life there seemed to be a real disconnect between the animal I’d see in a petting zoo and the chewy white stuff that tastes great with a little barbecue sauce. Saturday Night Live pointed this out years ago with their fake commercial for Cluckin Chicken where a decapitated bird ironically shows how odd it is that we anthropomorphosize the very animals we eat.

So in an attempt to right my head with my gut I set out to kill my own bird. My trip to Straight’s farm started off pretty mellow. He dutifully showed me around the hatchery, and then the special cages he uses to raise his birds on grass rather than grain, and finally we walked to the processing operation. Straight aims to mimic Salatin’s operation at Polyface Farms where workers use kill cones which are about the size of the orange traffic cones. The bird goes in beak first, the head pops out the bottom, and all that’s left to do is make a clean sweep across the jugular. After Straight demonstrated on one bird, I questioned whether I would have the courage to go through with it. But more than feeling squeamish about the situation, I was feeling ashamed about the hypocrisy of my food choices. Every chicken wing, thigh, and breast I had mindlessly devoured over the years was related to this real live animal whose life was literally in my hands. If I were to pop another nugget again, I knew I had to do it. And so I did. The knives Straight uses are extremely sharp and shaped specifically for poultry processing so the act was surprisingly easy. With one firm stroke I sliced through and almost instantly the neck turned crimson as blood poured out. The next thirty seconds were the hardest to witness, Straight and I stood in silence as we watch the bird convulse and die. “Watching an animal die is never pretty” he told me. Knowing it’s death was the result of your own actions is a different experience altogether. But then it was back to business as we defeathered, gutted, washed, and bagged the chickens. We took a separate bag containing the livers and hearts back to Jesse’s house where his wife sautéed them for us. And then I ate it. I actually ate the heart from a live animal I had killed less than 20 minutes earlier. What kind of sick person was I? Well if you ate chicken this week and chances are you did…then I don’t see how we’re any different.

At some point you have to make peace with yourself and decide how you’re not going to call yourself a hypocrite every time you step into the meat aisle of the supermarket. After my farm visit I felt even surer about my decision not to become a vegetarian or a vegan or even an organictarian , one who only eats organic food. I decided to label myself a conscious eater. Kind of like a conscious rapper in the realm of Mos Def and Common. So what are the credentials for being a conscious eater? Really it’s not one thing, it’s more just to think about each morsel of food you put in your mouth, to question why a hamburger only costs a buck while a can of sardines costs three, or to eat a hot dog knowing every single thing that’s in it. There are bound to be situations where you won’t be able to check the label or where someone hands you something and you’re not sure of the ingredients. To me that’s not a big deal. Nor do I think everyone needs to kill their own chicken, though perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad thing for more people to have that experience. The bigger picture is whether or not you care enough to make different choices when presented the opportunity. That’s how movements start, one choice at a time.

]]> http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/would-you-kill-and-eat-your-own-chicken/feed 2 This month Taco Bell began giving away coupons for 10 million tacos as a way to reward customers who were perhaps scared away by a lawsuit which claims their beef mixture contains only 35% meat. But even if their product is 88% real “meat” as the chain advertises, shouldn’t that still be a wake-up call to put down and slowly back away from the Chalupa? It’s time we start to think about the food we mindlessly shovel into our mouths on a daily basis, especially when it comes to meat. As a proud Philadelphia native, I swore early in life that I would never let vegetarian ideals get in the way of an amazing cheesesteak. And while I realize the debate rages on, as to whether or not humans are meant to be vegetarians or omnivores, I’ve decided there’s enough evidence for me to feel comfortable with my decision to eat animals. But if I’m choosing to eat meat is it not then my responsibility to know where it came from? For most of my life I simply ignored this moral incongruency, but as I got older, I kept hearing about people reading Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore’s Dilemma and having transformative experiences. I was skeptical of the unbridled enthusiasm of the newly converted. To me the whole movement seemed to come with more than an extra helping of pomposity. But after a while, enough of my friends were recommending the two tomes, so I decided it was worth taking a look. The books and their counterpart documentary Food Inc. didn’t change my view of food overnight, but they helped open my eyes, as did interviewing Fedele Baucio, the CEO of Bon Appetit Management Company. In my podcast about making informed decisions when dining out, he told me about his work to bring sustainable food to the marketplace on a large scale by working with schools like The University of Pennsylvania and companies like Google. The real game changer for me came earlier this year, when I met farmer Jesse Straight. I was working on a story about the pasture poultry farm movement (pioneered by Joel Salatin of Food Inc. fame) and discovered that Straight actually has volunteers come and help him slaughter and process his chickens. Did I get that right? I could kill my own chicken? The fact is for my whole life there seemed to be a real disconnect between the animal I’d see in a petting zoo and the chewy white stuff that tastes great with a little barbecue sauce. Saturday Night Live pointed this out years ago with their fake commercial for Cluckin Chicken where a decapitated bird ironically shows how odd it is that we anthropomorphosize the very animals we eat. So in an attempt to right my head with my gut I set out to kill my own bird. My trip to Straight’s farm started off pretty mellow. He dutifully showed me around the hatchery, and then the special cages he uses to raise his birds on grass rather than grain, and finally we walked to the processing operation. Straight aims to mimic Salatin’s operation at Polyface Farms where workers use kill cones which are about the size of the orange traffic cones. The bird goes in beak first, the head pops out the bottom, and all that’s left to do is make a clean sweep across the jugular. After Straight demonstrated on one bird, I questioned whether I would have the courage to go through with it. But more than feeling squeamish about the situation, I was feeling ashamed about the hypocrisy of my food choices. Every chicken wing, thigh, and breast I had mindlessly devoured over the years was related to this real live animal whose life was literally in my hands. If I were to pop another nugget again, I knew I had to do it. And so I did. The knives Straight uses are extremely sharp and shaped specifically for poultry processing so the act was surprisingly easy. With one firm stroke I sliced through and almost instantly the neck turned crimson as blood poured out. The next thirty seconds were the hardest to witness, Straight and I stood in [...] This month Taco Bell began giving away coupons for 10 million tacos as a way to reward customers who were perhaps scared away by a lawsuit which claims their beef mixture contains only 35% meat. But even if their product is 88% real “meat” [...] 10 Ways To Avoid Being A Bad Beach Tourist http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/10-ways-to-avoid-being-a-bad-beach-tourist http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/10-ways-to-avoid-being-a-bad-beach-tourist#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:10:26 +0000 robsachs http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/?p=1363

There are still a few great weeks left to summer so if you’re thinking of heading out to the beach, you might want to take some precautions so you don’t end up looking like too much of a tourist. I recently took my family up to the beach in Rhode Island for some relaxing in the sun and witnessed a couple of traits in out-of-towners like myself that were less than commendable. These knuckleheads aggravate the locals to no end. To make sure you don’t inadvertently make a beach blanket blunder, here’s some advice from the natives of Westerly, Rhode Island:

1. Don’t litter. If there’s one thing that ticks off locals more than anything, it’s when you use their backyard as your own personal waste bin. It comes down to respect, and this is one of the most disrespectful things you can do.

2. Don’t be afraid to smile back. Yes, the local businesses are there to make sure you part with as many of your tourist dollars as possible, but that’s not to say they’re not being genuine when they smile. Smile back, they won’t bite.

3. Ask around for the best restaurants. Sure you can check websites like Trip Advisor or Zagats, but if you really want to find the spot where the oysters practically hop right out of the ocean onto your plate, ask someone from town. In Rhode Island by the way, it’s The Matunuck Oyster Bar.

4. Obey the traffic laws. It’s bad enough when you’re getting lost and have to make crazy u-turns all over town, but what’s even worse is when you completely disregard pedestrians using the cross walks. Now you’re not only a jerk, you’re a reckless jerk. If that doesn’t motivate you, consider this: there’s a good chance you’ll be busted for your infraction because local police tend to step up enforcement during the summer months.

5. Be aware of feral local boys. Keep an eye on your daughters. It turns out Dirty Dancing wasn’t a complete work of fiction. Local teenage boys have been known to conveniently dump their girlfriends right before summer so they can prey on the “fresh meat.”

6. Know your beach. Some places are more family-friendly than others – you don’t want to take your tot out for an afternoon of sandcastle building right next to a crew of Jersey Shore look-a-likes blaring their music and wearing thong bikinis.

(6a) And as if you need to be told, remember that not everyone looks good in a thong bikini.

7. Watch your noise level. To be sure most beach towns have their designated party spots, usually you can just follow the guys with the Ed Hardy shirts to the beach shack that’s replete with strobe lights and a bevy of frozen Margarita machines. If you’re in one of those joints, feel free to party your face off. But if you’re renting a house on a quiet block, respect your neighbors and keep the noise down after dark.

8. Don’t be a cheesy dresser. Every tourist sundry shop is filled with t-shirts and hats carrying the name of the beach you’re visiting. It’s fine if you want to purchase these as a souvenir, but don’t be caught wearing it while you’re there. This only makes you stick out and look way too enthusiastic about your time at the beach. If you want to wear something local, try buying a shirt from a fifth generation burger joint or vintage ice cream parlor, that’s much cooler.

9. Don’t whine about beach fees. In Rhode Island this is especially true. Parking can sometimes run you 15 bucks or more a day depending on the beach. While that may seem downright “un-American,” realize that someone has to clean the bathrooms, hire the lifeguards, and groom the sand. If you want those amenities consider it your patriotic duty to pay for them.

10. Visit during the off season. Money is flush for the local establishments during July and August when the beach is packed, but things slow down in a hurry after Labor Day. Yet September and October can also have great beach weather. Head down during a slower time and you’re bound to find natives who will be extremely happy to greet you.

]]> http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/10-ways-to-avoid-being-a-bad-beach-tourist/feed 0 There are still a few great weeks left to summer so if you’re thinking of heading out to the beach, you might want to take some precautions so you don’t end up looking like too much of a tourist. I recently took my family up to the beach in Rhode Island for some relaxing in the sun and witnessed a couple of traits in out-of-towners like myself that were less than commendable. These knuckleheads aggravate the locals to no end. To make sure you don’t inadvertently make a beach blanket blunder, here’s some advice from the natives of Westerly, Rhode Island: 1. Don’t litter. If there’s one thing that ticks off locals more than anything, it’s when you use their backyard as your own personal waste bin. It comes down to respect, and this is one of the most disrespectful things you can do. 2. Don’t be afraid to smile back. Yes, the local businesses are there to make sure you part with as many of your tourist dollars as possible, but that’s not to say they’re not being genuine when they smile. Smile back, they won’t bite. 3. Ask around for the best restaurants. Sure you can check websites like Trip Advisor or Zagats, but if you really want to find the spot where the oysters practically hop right out of the ocean onto your plate, ask someone from town. In Rhode Island by the way, it’s The Matunuck Oyster Bar. 4. Obey the traffic laws. It’s bad enough when you’re getting lost and have to make crazy u-turns all over town, but what’s even worse is when you completely disregard pedestrians using the cross walks. Now you’re not only a jerk, you’re a reckless jerk. If that doesn’t motivate you, consider this: there’s a good chance you’ll be busted for your infraction because local police tend to step up enforcement during the summer months. 5. Be aware of feral local boys. Keep an eye on your daughters. It turns out Dirty Dancing wasn’t a complete work of fiction. Local teenage boys have been known to conveniently dump their girlfriends right before summer so they can prey on the “fresh meat.” 6. Know your beach. Some places are more family-friendly than others – you don’t want to take your tot out for an afternoon of sandcastle building right next to a crew of Jersey Shore look-a-likes blaring their music and wearing thong bikinis. (6a) And as if you need to be told, remember that not everyone looks good in a thong bikini. 7. Watch your noise level. To be sure most beach towns have their designated party spots, usually you can just follow the guys with the Ed Hardy shirts to the beach shack that’s replete with strobe lights and a bevy of frozen Margarita machines. If you’re in one of those joints, feel free to party your face off. But if you’re renting a house on a quiet block, respect your neighbors and keep the noise down after dark. 8. Don’t be a cheesy dresser. Every tourist sundry shop is filled with t-shirts and hats carrying the name of the beach you’re visiting. It’s fine if you want to purchase these as a souvenir, but don’t be caught wearing it while you’re there. This only makes you stick out and look way too enthusiastic about your time at the beach. If you want to wear something local, try buying a shirt from a fifth generation burger joint or vintage ice cream parlor, that’s much cooler. 9. Don’t whine about beach fees. In Rhode Island this is especially true. Parking can sometimes run you 15 bucks or more a day depending on the beach. While that may seem downright “un-American,” realize that someone has to clean the bathrooms, hire the lifeguards, and groom the sand. If you want those amenities consider it your patriotic duty to pay for them. 10. Visit during the off season. Money is flush for the local establishments during July and August when the beach is packed, but things slow down in a hurry after Labor Day. Yet September and October can also have great beach weather. Head down during a slower time [...] There are still a few great weeks left to summer so if you’re thinking of heading out to the beach, you might want to take some precautions so you don’t end up looking like too much of a tourist. I recently took my family up to the beach in [...] Bad Breath http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/bad-breath http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/bad-breath#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 03:51:50 +0000 robsachs http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/?p=1323


So somehow despite my last gefilte fish experience with Dan Pashman, I successfully lured him back to doing another podcast with me, this time at the Strand Bookstore in NYC where he brought along his Sporkful cohost Mark Garrison for an exploration on how to conquer bad breath. We (ok mostly just I) scarfed down such noxious edibles like pickles, Doritos, tuna salad, liverwurst, bleu cheese, raw garlic, and of course one big bite of a raw onion. I also had a secret nasty ingredient but you’ll have to listen to the podcast to find that out. Of all the things I ate, I’m going to have to say the onion was actually the hardest smell to get rid of. And what were my solutions? We tried out a range of antidotes from mint leaves to lemons, toothpaste to tongue scrapers to my coup rinsing with some hydrogren peroxide (my cousin the endocrinologist assured me I’d be ok as long as I didn’t swallow. After trying all these methods I think my breath improved somewhat but I think the consensus we all came to was that if you’re going to eat stinky food and you’re concerned about your breath, make sure your significant other eats the same thing you do.

]]> http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/bad-breath/feed 0 So somehow despite my last gefilte fish experience with Dan Pashman, I successfully lured him back to doing another podcast with me, this time at the Strand Bookstore in NYC where he brought along his Sporkful cohost Mark Garrison for an exploration on how to conquer bad breath. We (ok mostly just I) scarfed down such noxious edibles like pickles, Doritos, tuna salad, liverwurst, bleu cheese, raw garlic, and of course one big bite of a raw onion. I also had a secret nasty ingredient but you’ll have to listen to the podcast to find that out. Of all the things I ate, I’m going to have to say the onion was actually the hardest smell to get rid of. And what were my solutions? We tried out a range of antidotes from mint leaves to lemons, toothpaste to tongue scrapers to my coup rinsing with some hydrogren peroxide (my cousin the endocrinologist assured me I’d be ok as long as I didn’t swallow. After trying all these methods I think my breath improved somewhat but I think the consensus we all came to was that if you’re going to eat stinky food and you’re concerned about your breath, make sure your significant other eats the same thing you do. So somehow despite my last gefilte fish experience with Dan Pashman, I successfully lured him back to doing another podcast with me, this time at the Strand Bookstore in NYC where he brought along his Sporkful cohost Mark Garrison for an [...] Winning At The State Fair http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/winning-at-the-state-fair http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/winning-at-the-state-fair#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 19:56:38 +0000 robsachs http://whatwouldrobdo.com/wordpress/?p=189


Podcast Courtesy of NPR 8/21/08

So it’s nearly summer but already the carnival and fair season is in full swing. I’d like to think all the fun and nostalgia is what keeps me coming back, but let’s be honest, it’s really the abundance of funnel cake.

Inevitably my manhood is put to the test at these weekend events whenever I strut down the midway. Above you can listen to a podcast I did with Madeleine Brand a few years back where we discuss the best ways to win at the carnival. I also got advice from Brett Witter who detailed how to best the midway for his book Carnival Undercover.

Here are my top five tips:

1) Choose the basketball game – you have the best shot of winning.

2) The bigger the stuffed animal the less likely you’ll have a chance at winning it.

3) Watch out for those games when you’re competing with a whole bunch of people – it stinks to lose to a 4th grader.

4) Never do anything that involves tossing rings.

5) When all else fails go for the dart throwing game – you may only win an ugly poster but at least you’ve won something.

So those are my top five tips – what are your recommendations?

]]> http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/winning-at-the-state-fair/feed 0 Podcast Courtesy of NPR 8/21/08 So it’s nearly summer but already the carnival and fair season is in full swing. I’d like to think all the fun and nostalgia is what keeps me coming back, but let’s be honest, it’s really the abundance of funnel cake. Inevitably my manhood is put to the test at these weekend events whenever I strut down the midway. Above you can listen to a podcast I did with Madeleine Brand a few years back where we discuss the best ways to win at the carnival. I also got advice from Brett Witter who detailed how to best the midway for his book Carnival Undercover. Here are my top five tips: 1) Choose the basketball game – you have the best shot of winning. 2) The bigger the stuffed animal the less likely you’ll have a chance at winning it. 3) Watch out for those games when you’re competing with a whole bunch of people – it stinks to lose to a 4th grader. 4) Never do anything that involves tossing rings. 5) When all else fails go for the dart throwing game – you may only win an ugly poster but at least you’ve won something. So those are my top five tips – what are your recommendations? Podcast Courtesy of NPR 8/21/08 So it’s nearly summer but already the carnival and fair season is in full swing. I’d like to think all the fun and nostalgia is what keeps me coming back, but let’s be honest, it’s really the abundance of [...] Not Annoying Your Pregnant Wife http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/not-annoying-your-pregnant-wife http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/not-annoying-your-pregnant-wife#comments Mon, 10 May 2010 19:11:03 +0000 robsachs http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/?p=1182

Not Annoyingy Your Wife NPR Podcast

For my last podcast under the NPR banner, I decided it was good to finally have my wife Anna have a shot on air. We talked over what a good topic might be and though something about pregnancy would be apt since she is in her last trimester. Thus was born how to not annoy your pregnant wife. Here’s a quick synopsis:

1) Be wary of noxious odors since some pregnant women (like Anna) all of sudden develop a super human sense of smell and can grossed out by just a whiff of bad breath.

2) Be accommodating of the dramatic proliferation of pillows in the bed. Anna creates a “wall of pillows” to help her sleep.

3) Try to anticipate when she’s going to bend down to pick things up or try to lift heavy things. Anna’s not use to having other people do things for her, so sometimes she needs to be reminded that she needs to slow down.

4) Read all those parenting books over and over. You may not be pregnant, but the more you can show that you’re on board and you’re trying to help, the more she’ll appreciate the effort.

]]> http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/not-annoying-your-pregnant-wife/feed 1 Not Annoyingy Your Wife NPR Podcast For my last podcast under the NPR banner, I decided it was good to finally have my wife Anna have a shot on air. We talked over what a good topic might be and though something about pregnancy would be apt since she is in her last trimester. Thus was born how to not annoy your pregnant wife. Here’s a quick synopsis: 1) Be wary of noxious odors since some pregnant women (like Anna) all of sudden develop a super human sense of smell and can grossed out by just a whiff of bad breath. 2) Be accommodating of the dramatic proliferation of pillows in the bed. Anna creates a “wall of pillows” to help her sleep. 3) Try to anticipate when she’s going to bend down to pick things up or try to lift heavy things. Anna’s not use to having other people do things for her, so sometimes she needs to be reminded that she needs to slow down. 4) Read all those parenting books over and over. You may not be pregnant, but the more you can show that you’re on board and you’re trying to help, the more she’ll appreciate the effort. Not Annoyingy Your Wife NPR Podcast For my last podcast under the NPR banner, I decided it was good to finally have my wife Anna have a shot on air. We talked over what a good topic might be and though something about pregnancy would be apt [...] Publicity Mistakes For A First Time Author…And How I Hope to Avoid Them. http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/publicity-mistakes-for-a-first-time-author-and-how-i-hope-to-avoid-them http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/publicity-mistakes-for-a-first-time-author-and-how-i-hope-to-avoid-them#comments Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:57:38 +0000 robsachs http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/?p=1175

So this week just may be one of the biggest of my life; After two years of proposing, writing, editing, and re-editing, my book, What Would Rob Do?: An Irreverent Guide to Surviving Life’s Daily Indignities finally hits the market. To be sure, just having the opportunity to write a book has been tremendously gratifying, but as the days get closer, a fear is creeping over me, what if nobody buys this thing? While this feeling of nausea has been increasingly difficult to stomach, I also realize this makes great fodder for a podcast, how not to screw up the publicity for your book.

As in the case of my other podcasts, I’ve asked an expert for some tips; this time I turned to Ken Siman, he has spent his whole career in the book industry as an author, editor, publisher, and publicist. He gave me some great advice as did my NPR colleague Jacki Lyden, author of the critically acclaimed memoir Daughter of the Queen of Sheba . Here’s what I learned so far:

1) Be nice to your publicists.

These are the people working their best to make other people care about you and your book. It’s important to be patient with them and have reasonable expectations of their results. I also heard from Eric Nuzum who told me it might not be a bad idea to butter up your publicists with some baked goods. As for what not to do? Siman told me of one self help guru who “threatened to place curses on our publishing house and the people who work there, that was kind of tough, so I would try to steer clear of that.” Ken also mentioned if I am going to send cookies, it might be best to buy them from a local store since sometimes home baked goods can backfire.

2) Keep your head up when pitching colleagues.

Working at NPR, I’m usually the one getting pitched author interviews all day long and so it’s somewhat awkward having to turn around and pitch the very same people I work with. But Siman said that’s just the nature of working in media. Jacki told me that despite having known Weekend Edition host Scott Simon for years , having him interview her for her book “was really nerve wracking.” Still Ken says pitching colleagues is a very common thing amongst journalists and I shouldn’t feel weird about the process.

3) Avoid Fraud.

Ken told me that at one point he would try to book himself interviews by putting on a Southern accent, and using the pseudonym “Blake Smith”. He says these days caller IDs might get you busted for that which would make you look pretty desperate. It’s best to let your real publicist make the phone calls.

4) And on the topic of being phony – never write your own online reviews.

It’s lame. However, Lyden mentioned it’s a good idea to have friends and family write reviews.

5) For book signings, be entertaining, be engaging, but don’t be cheesy.

As Ken told me, he had one author who had a book about Socrates and dressed up as Socrates. “He tried to gather people on the steps of the library, but that was tough.” Siman also mentioned passing out refreshments at the events, but somehow I think that too could backfire.

6) Be prepared for a bumpy ride.

Both Lyden and Siman said straight up, there’s going to be some tough moments ahead. There’ll be some less than gratifying interviews and undoubtedly a book signing that might only draw a small crowd. Jacki told me one story about one underpublicized signing in Austin which was only attended by the employees of the bookstore…yeesh.

Well, I’m not sure if their advice has helped me feel better, though I do feel more prepared. I’ll report back on how things go after my first book signing. In the meantime, now’s your chance to give me hand. What do you appreciate the most when you hear an author being interviewed? What’s the best part about attending a book signing? And also, what annoys you the most?

]]> http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/publicity-mistakes-for-a-first-time-author-and-how-i-hope-to-avoid-them/feed 1 So this week just may be one of the biggest of my life; After two years of proposing, writing, editing, and re-editing, my book, What Would Rob Do?: An Irreverent Guide to Surviving Life’s Daily Indignities finally hits the market. To be sure, just having the opportunity to write a book has been tremendously gratifying, but as the days get closer, a fear is creeping over me, what if nobody buys this thing? While this feeling of nausea has been increasingly difficult to stomach, I also realize this makes great fodder for a podcast, how not to screw up the publicity for your book. As in the case of my other podcasts, I’ve asked an expert for some tips; this time I turned to Ken Siman, he has spent his whole career in the book industry as an author, editor, publisher, and publicist. He gave me some great advice as did my NPR colleague Jacki Lyden, author of the critically acclaimed memoir Daughter of the Queen of Sheba . Here’s what I learned so far: 1) Be nice to your publicists. These are the people working their best to make other people care about you and your book. It’s important to be patient with them and have reasonable expectations of their results. I also heard from Eric Nuzum who told me it might not be a bad idea to butter up your publicists with some baked goods. As for what not to do? Siman told me of one self help guru who “threatened to place curses on our publishing house and the people who work there, that was kind of tough, so I would try to steer clear of that.” Ken also mentioned if I am going to send cookies, it might be best to buy them from a local store since sometimes home baked goods can backfire. 2) Keep your head up when pitching colleagues. Working at NPR, I’m usually the one getting pitched author interviews all day long and so it’s somewhat awkward having to turn around and pitch the very same people I work with. But Siman said that’s just the nature of working in media. Jacki told me that despite having known Weekend Edition host Scott Simon for years , having him interview her for her book “was really nerve wracking.” Still Ken says pitching colleagues is a very common thing amongst journalists and I shouldn’t feel weird about the process. 3) Avoid Fraud. Ken told me that at one point he would try to book himself interviews by putting on a Southern accent, and using the pseudonym “Blake Smith”. He says these days caller IDs might get you busted for that which would make you look pretty desperate. It’s best to let your real publicist make the phone calls. 4) And on the topic of being phony – never write your own online reviews. It’s lame. However, Lyden mentioned it’s a good idea to have friends and family write reviews. 5) For book signings, be entertaining, be engaging, but don’t be cheesy. As Ken told me, he had one author who had a book about Socrates and dressed up as Socrates. “He tried to gather people on the steps of the library, but that was tough.” Siman also mentioned passing out refreshments at the events, but somehow I think that too could backfire. 6) Be prepared for a bumpy ride. Both Lyden and Siman said straight up, there’s going to be some tough moments ahead. There’ll be some less than gratifying interviews and undoubtedly a book signing that might only draw a small crowd. Jacki told me one story about one underpublicized signing in Austin which was only attended by the employees of the bookstore…yeesh. Well, I’m not sure if their advice has helped me feel better, though I do feel more prepared. I’ll report back on how things go after my first book signing. In the meantime, now’s your chance to give me hand. What do you appreciate the most when you hear an author being interviewed? What’s the best part about attending a book signing? And also, what annoys you the most? So this week just may be one of the biggest of my life; After two years of proposing, writing, editing, and re-editing, my book, What Would Rob Do?: An Irreverent Guide to Surviving Life’s Daily Indignities finally hits the market. To be [...] Pulling A Prank http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/pulling-a-prank http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/pulling-a-prank#comments Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:59:56 +0000 robsachs http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/?p=1069

Every April Fool’s Day some wise guy pulls a prank that makes you feel like a doofus. This year I want to be that guy. So I travelled all the way up to New York just to try play a joke on a friend, Dan Pashman of the food podcast The Sporkful..

I’ve divided this devious plot into two parts. In this first podcast, I lay the groundwork for the prank with Bob Pinzon, owner of Abracadabra Superstore. Pinzon will serve as both my expert and weapons dealer.

My ruse is that I’m going to prepare Dan a traditional Sachs homecooked meal. In reality, I’ll be giving him a recipe for chili that includes ingredients never before comingled in a saute pan (at least I don’t think they have). Pinzon also helps me augment the prank with a few more gags, a classic whoopee cushion, garlic candy, and something called Liquid Ass. This is the most foul smelling thing I’ve ever sniffed, so I also bought the somewhat less potent “Fart Spray” as well.

Before I let you know how it all turns out, now is the time to let me know what are some of the best pranks you’ve ever pulled on someone, what about the ones people have pulled on you?

Is it better to go for a quick gotcha moment or is it fun to plot the more drawn out soul crushing fake lottery ticket type pranks?

]]> http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/pulling-a-prank/feed 1 Every April Fool’s Day some wise guy pulls a prank that makes you feel like a doofus. This year I want to be that guy. So I travelled all the way up to New York just to try play a joke on a friend, Dan Pashman of the food podcast The Sporkful.. I’ve divided this devious plot into two parts. In this first podcast, I lay the groundwork for the prank with Bob Pinzon, owner of Abracadabra Superstore. Pinzon will serve as both my expert and weapons dealer. My ruse is that I’m going to prepare Dan a traditional Sachs homecooked meal. In reality, I’ll be giving him a recipe for chili that includes ingredients never before comingled in a saute pan (at least I don’t think they have). Pinzon also helps me augment the prank with a few more gags, a classic whoopee cushion, garlic candy, and something called Liquid Ass. This is the most foul smelling thing I’ve ever sniffed, so I also bought the somewhat less potent “Fart Spray” as well. Before I let you know how it all turns out, now is the time to let me know what are some of the best pranks you’ve ever pulled on someone, what about the ones people have pulled on you? Is it better to go for a quick gotcha moment or is it fun to plot the more drawn out soul crushing fake lottery ticket type pranks? Every April Fool’s Day some wise guy pulls a prank that makes you feel like a doofus. This year I want to be that guy. So I travelled all the way up to New York just to try play a joke on a friend, Dan Pashman of the food podcast The Sporkful.. [...] Hard to Pronounce Names http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/hard-to-pronounce-names http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/hard-to-pronounce-names#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:01:08 +0000 robsachs http://whatwouldrobdo.com/wordpress/?p=648 Pronounce Names


It’s pretty hard to screw up the name Rob, three letters, one syllable, pretty straight forward. But if you have a name of Nigerian origin like Rob’s NPR, colleague Sonari Glinton, that’s a different story. Rob and Sonari talk about techniques for both learning how to pronounce uncommon names, and the etiquette for teaching others how to say your name correctly.

]]> http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/hard-to-pronounce-names/feed 4 It’s pretty hard to screw up the name Rob, three letters, one syllable, pretty straight forward. But if you have a name of Nigerian origin like Rob’s NPR, colleague Sonari Glinton, that’s a different story. Rob and Sonari talk about techniques for both learning how to pronounce uncommon names, and the etiquette for teaching others how to say your name correctly. It’s pretty hard to screw up the name Rob, three letters, one syllable, pretty straight forward. But if you have a name of Nigerian origin like Rob’s NPR, colleague Sonari Glinton, that’s a different story. Rob and Sonari talk about [...] Picking Your March Madness Brackets http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/picking-your-march-madness-brackets http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/picking-your-march-madness-brackets#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:52:10 +0000 robsachs http://whatwouldrobdo.com/wordpress/?p=386 Each year Rob meticulously fills out his bracket for the men’s college basketball tournament and each year he gets crushed by some newbie who made their picks based on team colors. To improve his standings, Rob talks over his selection strategy with NPR’s Mike Pesca, who has graciously allowed Rob to join his pool this year.

]]> http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/picking-your-march-madness-brackets/feed 0 Each year Rob meticulously fills out his bracket for the men’s college basketball tournament and each year he gets crushed by some newbie who made their picks based on team colors. To improve his standings, Rob talks over his selection strategy with NPR’s Mike Pesca, who has graciously allowed Rob to join his pool this year. Each year Rob meticulously fills out his bracket for the men’s college basketball tournament and each year he gets crushed by some newbie who made their picks based on team colors. To improve his standings, Rob talks over his selection strategy [...] Making A Party Playlist http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/making-a-party-playlist http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/making-a-party-playlist#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:54:12 +0000 robsachs http://whatwouldrobdo.com/wordpress/?p=388 Thinking about having a great party this St. Patrick’s Day? Well don’t forget to craft the perfect playlist. Famed “mashup” master DJ Z-Trip says that preparation is key whether he’s spinnig records for a Vegas nightclub or setting up his I-tunes playlist for a BBQ with friends. Here are Z-Trip’s top five tips for keeping the party going.

1) Build up your crowd to a moment of frenzy. Z-Trip alludes to the volleyball metaphor of “set, set, spike”. You set up people with songs they’re familiar with that maybe follow a particular theme or genre and then you spike it down with a great hit. Check out how Z-Trip weaves together Beastie Boys,AC/DC, Rush and then crushes it with Led Zepplin in this set (language advisory here).

No doubt for tonight you’ll probably want to spike with your favorite Irish Hip Hop song…

2) Don’t overdo any one band or genre. Z-Trip says having a lopsided playlist is like having a lopsided massage where after 15 minutes your “whole shoulder’s numb and it has the complete opposite effect of what you were trying to do.” So throwing in one or two Beatles hits is great. Throwing on their entire box set, not so cool.

3) Work in some curveballs. These can be something you’ve recently discovered that you can’t wait to share or even a forgottenclassic. Crowds love and appreciate when you’re going out on a limb, but he says…

4) Watch out for getting too obscure. While it’s great to introduce crowds to new types of music you have to be judicious about it. “If you’re too pretentious it’ll come off in your mix” he warns. But Z-Trip also advices against about being be too predictable and bland. It’s all about finding a balance between the two.

5) If you’re feeling really gutsy Z-trip says consider hitting shuffle on your iPod and see where the night takes you. This can be a dangerous thing depending on what’s in the full archives of your home music library, but it can also make for some really mind blowing juxtapositions. Who says Metallica and Carly Simon don’t mix?

Looking to discover some new songs for your playlist? Check out NPR Song of the Day curated by Stephen Thompson. But if you’re looking to find tunes on your own Thompson recommends the website Hype Machine which aggegrates music blogs. Or he suggests just hopping around MySpace or other music blogs to find bands similar too the ones you likes.

Good luck with your next party tonight or any other night!

]]> http://www.whatwouldrobdo.com/making-a-party-playlist/feed 0 Thinking about having a great party this St. Patrick’s Day? Well don’t forget to craft the perfect playlist. Famed “mashup” master DJ Z-Trip says that preparation is key whether he’s spinnig records for a Vegas nightclub or setting up his I-tunes playlist for a BBQ with friends. Here are Z-Trip’s top five tips for keeping the party going. 1) Build up your crowd to a moment of frenzy. Z-Trip alludes to the volleyball metaphor of “set, set, spike”. You set up people with songs they’re familiar with that maybe follow a particular theme or genre and then you spike it down with a great hit. Check out how Z-Trip weaves together Beastie Boys,AC/DC, Rush and then crushes it with Led Zepplin in this set (language advisory here). No doubt for tonight you’ll probably want to spike with your favorite Irish Hip Hop song… 2) Don’t overdo any one band or genre. Z-Trip says having a lopsided playlist is like having a lopsided massage where after 15 minutes your “whole shoulder’s numb and it has the complete opposite effect of what you were trying to do.” So throwing in one or two Beatles hits is great. Throwing on their entire box set, not so cool. 3) Work in some curveballs. These can be something you’ve recently discovered that you can’t wait to share or even a forgottenclassic. Crowds love and appreciate when you’re going out on a limb, but he says… 4) Watch out for getting too obscure. While it’s great to introduce crowds to new types of music you have to be judicious about it. “If you’re too pretentious it’ll come off in your mix” he warns. But Z-Trip also advices against about being be too predictable and bland. It’s all about finding a balance between the two. 5) If you’re feeling really gutsy Z-trip says consider hitting shuffle on your iPod and see where the night takes you. This can be a dangerous thing depending on what’s in the full archives of your home music library, but it can also make for some really mind blowing juxtapositions. Who says Metallica and Carly Simon don’t mix? Looking to discover some new songs for your playlist? Check out NPR Song of the Day curated by Stephen Thompson. But if you’re looking to find tunes on your own Thompson recommends the website Hype Machine which aggegrates music blogs. Or he suggests just hopping around MySpace or other music blogs to find bands similar too the ones you likes. Good luck with your next party tonight or any other night! Thinking about having a great party this St. Patrick’s Day? Well don’t forget to craft the perfect playlist. Famed “mashup” master DJ Z-Trip says that preparation is key whether he’s spinnig records for a Vegas nightclub or setting up [...]