Where I'm From Podcast

02/12/2025

The Fakist: Breaking News is out today on most ebook platforms, including Amazon. I’m pretty proud of this one, and if you enjoy a good goof session with me you’ll probably dig it too. Let me know what you think!

Paul DaFoe never asked to be adopted by a ruthless banking tycoon. He never asked to inherit a corporate empire. He certainly never asked to be shackled to a life of boardrooms, spreadsheets, and power-hungry oligarchs. But when he turns his back on the family business and sets his sights on tele...

03/02/2024

There’s a million reasons you might to try out generative AI art. Maybe you want to make character art for your next D&D campaign. Maybe you’d love to create portraits of your dog flying through space. Maybe your a traditional designer or illustrator who sees Generative is challenging everything we know about art and and want to figure out if you can fold it into the workflows. Maybe you don’t have a computer that can run .

Whatever the reason, in this blog I'll share 9 innovative tools for you to explore and experiment with.

A round-up of 9 free and simple web tools so you can play around with Generative AI art quickly and easily.

04/12/2023

I'm going live today at 10AM PT to talk about how I'm using to build . Watch me bring my dreams to life, and get access to custom tutorials and tools. If you're excited by new creative tech like I am, you'll want to watch.

Are you curious about the creative process behind bringing a fictional world to life? Do you want to see how generative AI can be used as a tool to power ori...

02/24/2023

Actor Jarod Joseph (The 100, Arrow, The Christmas Checklist, Once Upon A Time) joins us LIVE this week to talk honestly about growing up in Calgary, the "Texas of Canada. Come join us in chat for the live recording!

SPONSORED BY Streann Studio. Sign up at https://studio.streann.com?ref=billmeeks

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Web: https://billmeeks.com/whereimfrom/
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../where-im-from/id1641156954
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5U2hbggLWXDoiiscR2Iu0y
RSS: https://feeds.transistor.fm/where-im-from

02/07/2023

Meet Dino Ignacio, the creator of the infamous 90s website Bert Is Evil. We’ll dive into Dino’s unique upbringing on the internet and recall the exciting early days of the World Wide Web. It's a good one. Check it out!

SHOW NOTES: https://billmeeks.com/where-im-from-2x03-dino-ignacio-from-the-old-wide-web/

02/07/2023

Meet Dino Ignacio, the creator of the infamous 90s website Bert Is EVIL. We'll dive into Dino's unique upbringing on the internet and recall the exciting early days of the World Wide Web. From connecting to CompuServe and exploring the BBS scene, to creating the first internet meme and winning a Webby Award, Dino takes us on a journey through the democratization of content. Don't miss this episode as we delve into the historical significance of the first meme with internet pioneer Dino Ignacio. PLUS: How Bert Is Evil influenced a conflict half a world away.

SPONSORED BY Streann Studio. Sign up at https://studio.streann.com?ref=billmeeks

SUBSCRIBE
Web: https://billmeeks.com/whereimfrom/
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-im-from/id1641156954
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5U2hbggLWXDoiiscR2Iu0y
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6915b141-7c50-4d41-b0ee-a4fe5e2a4ebb/where-i'm-from
RSS: https://feeds.transistor.fm/where-im-from
Live streams archived at https://www.youtube.com/ .

FULL UNCUT INTERVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnU8lvayMgA&t=359s



TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:14 Even Nerds Have Tech Problems
00:03:09 Clip from Internet Superstar with Martin Sargent
00:03:32 Dino on The Old Wide Web
00:05:07 Getting Online In Manila
00:05:59 - Growing Up Under Marshall Law
00:06:21 - Enter The World Wide Web
00:07:07- Connecting To CompuServe
00:09:44- The BBS Scene and Legends of the Red Dragon
00:10:15- The Compuserve Comics and Animation Forums
00:11:05 Why The Early Internet Was So Exciting
00:11:34 - Geocities
00:11:38 - Fark.com
00:11:44 - Rotten.com
00:12:09 FractalCow.com
00:12:48 - Zines and Poetry
00:13:25 - The Early Days Of Viral Content
00:15:44 - Mr. T Ate My Balls
00:16:08 Bert Is Evil
00:18:07 - Braindom: We Can Defeat Brain Together Tripod Site
00:19:40 - Bert Is Evil Goes Viral
00:20:09 - Internet Underground Magazine
00:20:18 - Winning A Webby Award
00:20:48 - The Muppets Take Bangladesh
00:23:55 - The 1998 Webby Awards
00:26:58 Streann Studio Ad Read
00:28:34 Bert Is Evil Part 2
00:28:40 - Sesame Street Reacts and The End of Bert Is Evil
00:30:19 - The Historical Significance of The First Internet Meme
00:31:28 - The Art of Bert Is Evil
00:32:54 Stable Diffusion and AI Art
00:39:29 Wheel of Anecdotes
00:45:37 The Democratization of Content
00:49:34 Outro

02/03/2023

Three certified cheeseheads (voiced by Dave Theune) call up Bernie Love to see if he has the answers to their problems.

CALLERS VOICED BY Dave Theune

“Bernie Love” played by Bill MeeksLA based on his scripted “Love @ Night” sketch for America’s Next Top Podcaster.

AI Bernie Love Voice model created with Voice.ai. Bernie's AI voice model was trained on the original “Bernie Love,” Tripp Rogers.

Puppets generated with the help of Stable Diffusion, including custom models based on Bill's face and original puppet artwork.

Animated using the face tracking/lip sync features in Adobe Character Animator.

01/31/2023

Join us once again as we delve into the life and career of actor and Upright Citizen's Brigade improvisor, . This time, we discuss find out how his roles would be different where he's from in 'What If It Happened Here?'. We explore Dave's college years in Milwaukee, including the city's rich beer culture. From the Miller Brewery Tour to the Beer Barons Cemetery Tour, Dave shares his recommendations for the places to hit up when you're in town. He also shares his thoughts on the famous Von Trier and his memories of ComedySportz. Find out what led Dave to move to Los Angeles and how he got involved with the UCB Theater. Don't miss out on the exciting conclusion of our interview with Dave Theune.

SPONSORED BY Streann Studio. Sign up at https://studio.streann.com?ref=billmeeks

SUBSCRIBE
Web: https://billmeeks.com/whereimfrom/
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-im-from/id1641156954
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5U2hbggLWXDoiiscR2Iu0y
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6915b141-7c50-4d41-b0ee-a4fe5e2a4ebb/where-i'm-from
RSS: https://feeds.transistor.fm/where-im-from
Live streams archived on YouTube at .
FULL UNCUT INTERVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e84P95KlKnw



TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:49 What If It Happened Here?
00:01:09 - Good Girls
00:02:03 - The Big Bang Theory
00:02:58 - The Connors
00:03:10 - Santa Clarita Diet
00:04:54 - Adam Ruins Everything
00:05:49 - Teenage Mountain Lion / Early Days of Hulu
00:08:08 - NTSF:SD:SUV::
00:08:45 -- Robert Forster's Letter Opener
00:14:19 Streann Studio Ad Read
00:15:58 Milwaukee
00:16:08 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
00:18:05 Milwaukee Beer
00:18:58 - Miller Brewery Tour
00:19:23 - Beer Barons Cemetary Tour
00:21:11 - Von Trier
00:21:31 - Brewery Tour Recommendations
00:22:06 ComedySportz Milwaukee
00:28:14 Moving to Los Angeles
00:30:28 - Eric Price
00:30:51 - UCB Theater
00:31:06 - iO West (Improv Olympic)
00:33:28 - The 3 "A"s for Improv
00:43:03 Going Back Home
00:45:58 Outro
00:46:09 - Dave Earns A Tobolowky
00:47:07 - UCB Bangarang
00:47:10 - UCB Town Meeting

01/28/2023

September McCrady/Nineof12 (co-host of Geek Grills, my former team member on America's Next Top podcaster) joins us LIVE this week to talk honestly about growing up in Lockport, New York. Come join us in chat for the live recording!

SPONSORED BY Streann Studio. Sign up at https://studio.streann.com?ref=billmeeks

SUBSCRIBE
Web: https://billmeeks.com/whereimfrom/
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../where-im-from/id1641156954
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5U2hbggLWXDoiiscR2Iu0y
RSS: https://feeds.transistor.fm/where-im-from

01/25/2023

Going live at 10AM PT to chat with Iyaz Akhtar about growing up in Queens, NY. Should be a great time. Come hang out and chat!

Iyaz Akhtar (host of This Old Nerd, formerly of CNET and the TWiT podcast network) joins us LIVE this week to talk honestly about growing up in Queens. Come ...

01/24/2023