Joe Rogan Sells to Spotify

Photo by Jonathan Velasquez on Unsplash

Podcaster Joe Rogan has sold his immensely popular podcast to Spotify:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/may/24/spotify-podcast-deal-the-joe-rogan-experience

From the article:

“By requiring Rogan’s listeners to use the Spotify app to tune in, the company gains far deeper data about who, when and where their audiences are; that, in turn, can be fed through to advertisers, who are more likely to pay higher rates if they can be assured that the target audience is listening. Control of the player also allows Spotify to vary the advertising to the audience, again increasing revenue.”

Alex Hern, The Guardian

This is unfortunate. I understand the need for these podcasters to generate revenue for their shows – they deserve something for their effort and advertising is one way to do that, however I prefer the more direct ‘donation/subscription’ model of someone like Sam Harris – where I feel I’m more directly supporting the person and their work vs. paying a large corporation who’s going to track my actions and advertise back at me. There are several other people on the internet who’s work I feel I directly benefit from and therefore I’m happy to support directlyBrad Warner and Ben Weaver among them. This move by Spotify will effectively position it as the Facebook of Podcasting. 99% of people probably won’t care – and to me that’s part of the problem.

I’d never used Spotify for several reasons, I am happy with Apple Music and I didn’t like their app/interface. This gives me one more reason to opt out. It will be a shame because if/when Rogan’s show goes exclusive on the platform, I’ll miss it.

Ben Weaver at Beargrease 2020

Photo by Scott Haraldson from benweaver.net

My main man of the Wheels and the Woods, Ben Weaver sent out an email about his participation in the Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon this year. You can read more about the race on their website and highly recommend you read Ben’s full post on his.

Ben said something so well I wanted to share it with a larger audience:

The topic of climate change and social justice are right at the center my work, however I feel concern that many of the mainstream conversations around them are missing the point. They are rooted in “war thinking” and focus on calling out the “other.” They perpetuate blame and work against efforts to strengthen culture through diversity. This is not helping us imagine a new way of being in better relationship to all things living, human and non. Instead it is ensuring that the old way of being, where we relate through separation  continues to lead.

We all know there’s enough division and divide in the world today. Far as I can see there is no time for any more of that. I have all the time in the world for figuring out unique ways to bring people together. Music, dogs, bikes, winter, food and stories resonate as a good foundation to build up from.

This is where my heart sits. In the dog fur, lit up with tree love. 

CABC – The Origin Story

Mostly I just wanted to hang out in my garage, drink coffee and talk about bikes. Then ride them. Or ride them before. Either order works.

For years I’ve thought about opening some sort brick-and-mortar bike club/cafe. I would even scope spots. Plan. Scheme. Dream.

Comic book superhero Origin Stories always start with some sort of radioactive animal bite or a mishap with nuclear material. This story is probably far less-cool.

I thought I could have a bike club in my garage. Then I remembered I live in the middle of nowhere. Both Nationally AND Internationally. I live in the sticks. I guess that makes my garage/clubhouse ‘exclusive’ in big city terms.

So I thought of a ‘virtual clubhouse’. But I didn’t want an online bulletin board or a forum. There’s not enough virtual beat up couches to lounge on in those. So I thought I could just make the whole internet – and by extension, the whole world the clubhouse. That’s the magic power of a hashtag right?

#correctiveactionbicycleclub is all it takes to get in on the action. To ‘join’. Use it and you’re there.

With a hashtag, everyone’s garage becomes the Clubhouse. Everyone’s ride becomes The Club Ride. We can all share.

I was inspired by Tarik and his club – the complete absence of red tape. Two simple rules – and one you only sorta have to follow – and you’re in. If you’re not a member, become one. I’m a member in long-standing. I told him personally, I think the Tarik Saleh Bike Club is the best thing on the internet, period. I still do. I often wonder why I’m bothering with this one.

As mentioned on the homepage – I also took Ben Weaver’s words seriously to heart. How seriously? Wrote ’em on the wall in my garage/clubhouse seriously. If I can somehow channel one-tenth of the mojo Ben has going on, I’ll be winning in my book.

Check both these guys out. Basically them, riding bikes with my buddy Andrew and coffee are the reason this ‘club’ exists, the reason I felt compelled to do something other than just ride my bike and keep to myself. I wanted to ‘tell about it’.

I don’t know where this will go. If you’re interested, you’ll have to stay tuned. The Clubhouse is currently my garage and your garage. Group rides are wherever I go and wherever you go. You get the point. I work on bikes, drink coffee and talk smack in my garage. Then I go riding with friends. That mindset and mojo seeps onto the internet and the rest of my life in various ways. That part is what the club is about.

I have a whole Apple Notes folder full of ideas of what the club could be, things I could do – various ‘actions’ – merch (of course at some point there has to be merch) – but for now, I’m just going to ride my bike, ‘tell about it’ and see where that takes me. Come along for the ride.