Here’s Episode 4 of My Audio Podcast!

Matt Mullenweg is not just the founder of WordPress and now Automattic, but he was also my lucky roommate on this week-long 200km hike through Spain. Not only is he warm at night, but he really knows how to work that loofa in the shower. We share many commonalities including the love of writing, Burning Man, hiking, and experimental and self-exploration use mind-expanding substances.

What do we talk about?

His inspiration for WordPress and his mindset
Comments on blogs
What is his main gig now, Automattic?
Texas boys say hi to their moms
What did Matt learn that he didn’t expect to learn?
Meditation and the Stoic philosophers
Why do we blog?

You can also subscribe via your favorite platforms here… iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or in some regions Google Play.

And here is lovely Matt…

Sri Lanka Fashion Party!

It appears one of my photos was used for some funky dresses at a fashion show in Sri Lanka. Nothing says the effective end of a religious non-Catholic civil war better than a flowing gown adorned in a Catholic cathedral.

Daily Photo – Mont Saint Michel From Above

This was one of my most scary quad flights! I ended up getting some really cool photos of this place (this one included), but there was a lot of concern in getting the quad safely back home. Luckily, Curtis and Tane were there as spotters to make sure nothing went awry. You’ll see a scene from this same spot in the Ritz-Carlton Yacht video I posted a few days ago.

Mont Saint Michel From Above

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2017-05-10 20:31:07
• CameraFC6310
• Camera MakeDJI
• Exposure Time1/50
• Aperture3.2
• ISO100
• Focal Length8.8 mm
• FlashNo flash function
• Exposure ProgramProgram AE
• Exposure Bias

Toast of London Soundbooth

I don’t know if anyone will think this is as funny as I do! 🙂

Daily Photo – Moody Morning from Coronet Peak

Every day the weather is quite different for our workshops. We never have a set plan about where to go each morning for sunrise… I usually wake up about 6 AM and start checking all the weather sites to see where the clouds will be, possible rain, and all this sort of thing. There’s still a certain amount of guesswork and reading the tea leaves. On this morning, I wasn’t 100% sure that going to the top of Coronet Peak would work out, but it did!

Moody Morning from Coronet Peak

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2019-04-25 08:57:42
• CameraILCE-7RM3
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/1600
• Aperture4
• ISO250
• Focal Length50.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

Final Warning!

Okay, this is the Last Day Warning to get the new tripod here. So far, there have been over 23,000 people that have purchased, raising a total of well over $10million! Grab it now… I’ve been using it all around the world for the past few months… you can watch behind-the-scenes videos and more on my YouTube channel.

Here is the most recent of the vids…

Burning Man Traveling Art Show

This piece started a Smithsonian Exhibition and now they are on tour. The first stop is in Cincinnati – worth going to take a look at if you get a chance! You can see more at No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man.

Daily Photo – Rain in Shanghai

China is definitely a weird place. There are a few little spots that are very artsy, hip, and cool. Other places are not like that at all! You never know what you’re gonna get. In this case, I found a cool wall that was made out of beautiful plants and flowers… it made for a nice reflection as the rain was beating down.

Rain in Shanghai

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2018-06-23 01:32:28
• CameraILCE-7RM3
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/20
• Aperture2.8
• ISO800
• Focal Length21.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

Banned in China

I believe my blog is still banned in China, so they certainly won’t mind if I post this video about a man asking students from Peking University if they know what day it is.

Daily Photo – David Maxwell for Scale

Here’s my friend David Maxwell from last week at the New Zealand Autumn Workshop. We visited The Hills golf club in Arrowtown to see all the sculptures there… this is the newest one, with a Maxwell for scale.

David Maxwell for Scale

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2019-04-23 16:45:56
• CameraILCE-7RM3
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/800
• Aperture4
• ISO50
• Focal Length105.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

Funny DMT Trip Video

This is a pretty funny video… It (obviously) makes more sense if you have tried DMT.

Daily Photo – The Reflections of Glenorchy

This was one of the many fun stops we had during our Autumn workshop. I used to do four workshops with one for each season… that was a little too much, I think! I love teaching, but it does take a whole week out of my life… and I’m only one person! Anyway, I decided just to do one a year now… and do it in this beautiful Autumn season.

The Reflections of Glenorchy

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2019-04-24 10:03:16
• CameraILCE-7RM3
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/1000
• Aperture7.1
• ISO250
• Focal Length92.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

Facebook Group

If you want to join the discussion about my new book, we have a Facebook Group active with interesting tidbits and updates.

Daily Photo – Jack’s Point

Here’s kind of a fun photo I took over near the lake and clubhouse at Jack’s Point in Queenstown, New Zealand. Usually, my landscape shots are quite wide and I rarely zoom in… but then I look at results like this and think I should do it more to add to that compression effect.

Jack’s Point

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2019-07-21 02:06:21
• Camera
• Camera Make
• Exposure Time
• Aperture
• ISO
• Focal Length
• Flash
• Exposure Program
• Exposure Bias

Discussing Crypto with Aaron Lammer

When I was invited on this 150km hike in Spain with 10 people, I didn’t know most of them. But I did a little googling ahead of time so I would get a sense of the sorts of characters I’d be stuck with for a week. One of them was Aaron Lammer, who was easy to get-to-know because he has three podcasts. One of them is on cryptocurrency, one of them is about weed, and one of them is about long-form writing. I only listened to the crypto ones and I was immediately impressed by his approach to the subject matter.

What impressed me the most was his openness in his understated approach of “I don’t know anything about Crypto, but let’s figure this out as we go along by talking with other experts and funny, strange stories from the crypto world.” Note that isn’t an exact quote, but that was basically his pitch for the show.

Here’s our chat in all its glory…

You can also subscribe via your favorite platforms here… iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or in some regions Google Play.

Wondering about the lovely face behind the voice? Here’s Aaron…

Daily Photo – Walking Along the Glacier

I visited this glacier every day for three days in a row. It was so amazing to be able to walk right up and touch it. I was a little scared, of course, hoping that part of the glacier did not calve off and fall on me! But, it’s not melting down here, so there was very little chance of that. Either way, I’ll admit, I was definitely on high-alert while being in the middle of awe.

Walking Along the Glacier

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2015-01-17 10:48:38
• CameraILCE-7R
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/350
• Aperture11
• ISO64
• Focal Length16.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
• Exposure Bias

Team America

This was a hilarious movie… totally worth watching if you’ve never seen it.

Daily Photo – The Red Fields of Blenheim

I don’t even know what kind of plants these are, but they are quite beautiful. I was driving back from Picton to Queenstown, and I made as many side-stops as I could. I drove to the end of a random road near Blenheim and found this cool area… it was great from the ground level, but even more mesmerizing from the air.

The Red Fields of Blenheim

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2019-05-06 16:58:19
• CameraFC2204
• Camera MakeDJI
• Exposure Time1/500
• Aperture2.8
• ISO200
• Focal Length4.4 mm
• FlashNo Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

Trains in India

And if you thought your commute was a pain in the ass…

Daily Photo – Walking along the boardwalks in Glenorchy

We usually take our workshop guests out here on the walk through the wetlands. Every time it’s completely different, but it’s always a guaranteed good photo or ten! On this particular morning, the wind and the lake were calm, leaving for a perfect reflection. The area around that pyramid-shaped mountain is called Paradise.

Walking along the boardwalks in Glenorchy

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2019-04-24 10:05:10
• CameraILCE-7RM3
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/1000
• Aperture7.1
• ISO250
• Focal Length49.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

Paul Stamets on Joe Rogan

One of my psychonaut friends sent me this video! If you are interested in mushrooms… well, this is the dude!

Daily Photo – Incredible Moscow

During our New Zealand workshop, I got a request about how I achieved the “streaky” effect you see in this photo. I decided to re-create it with this photo from Moscow! And then, after I was done, I decided I like this photo even more than the original, unstreaky one!

Incredible Moscow

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2017-06-04 21:40:11
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time4
• Aperture5
• ISO160
• Focal Length57.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
• Exposure Bias-0.3