• Adweek has a great interview with Audie Cornish, the new host of "Weekend Edition Sunday". And she has some helpful thoughts on how to avoid Schweddy Balls Syndrome.
• MaxFunCon's crafting instructor, the vivacious and colorful Ms. Jessica Kallam, is getting married soon and her funky DIY wedding invitations were featured recently in Offbeat Bride along with helpful how-to tips.
• M.E.D.'s awesome track “Outta Control” (from his forthcoming Classic - due out November 1st) is available for streaming or download on egotripland.
• On how the ubiquitous smartphone camera has shaped us into a culture of compulsive photographers and photograph collectors. And how that relates to monkeys who, given the same tools, can create a self portrait that is far superior to any profile image that you have ever posted on Facebook.

• Our good friend Jonathon Coulton will be releasing his much anticipated CD “Artificial Heart” in early September. Lucky for us, he has already posted the first track! Coulton sings supporting harmony on the song, leaving the lead vocal work to Long Winters front man (and this year's MaxFunCon writing instructor) John Roderick. Coulton is currently touring the country with fellow TSOYA alums They Might Be Giants.


• Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's latest movie "Paul" is due out on DVD on Monday, August 9th. It features the talents of several MaxFun favorites, including Jane Lynch, Bill Hader, and Jeffrey Tambor.


• Hey, did you catch Brian Posehn on Conan? He is out on the road to promote his latest release, "Fart and Wiener Jokes". If you want to catch those weiner jokes live, you can find his schedule here.


• Set your DVRs: Michael Ian Black will premiere his new one-hour special Very Famous on Comedy Central tomorrow, Saturday August 6th, at 11pm/10c. If the anticipation is too much for you, check out the network's teaser clips.


• Tig Notaro just released a terrific new CD, Good One. If you want to fill your weekend with joy, and be the envy of all your friends, then you should download it immediately. For you old school purists, it's also available on vinyl.


• Can you believe that our beloved MaxFunCon pals Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy have been producing their terrific Rifftrax films and commentaries for more than five years? To celebrate, on August 17th the trio will be skewering the flick "Jack the Giant Killer" and broadcasting the performance live to movie theaters around the country. Go here to find more info on the big event and locate a participating theater near you.

This week, highlights from our annual creativity and comedy conference, MaxFunCon. Join us for some excerpts of illuminating talks:

• Thoughts on getting started in public media, the role of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, and more from On the Media's Brooke Gladstone. Her book The Influencing Machine is out now.
• A conversation between John Hodgman and Lee Unkrich, director of the acclaimed film Toy Story 3, on making a final sequel to a beloved series. (You can also listen to our past interview with Lee on The Sound here.)

Plus, top-notch comedy from:

• Stop Podcasting Yourself's Graham Clark
• MaxFun favorite Maria Bamford
• UK comedy darling Josie Long
• Our pal Greg Behrendt
• And to close, some musings from veteran road comic Jerry O'Hearn.
  

The very funny Jackie Kashian is an LA-based stand up comic, frequent collaborator of our pal Maria Bamford, and host of The Dork Forest podcast. Her comedy album It is Never Going to be Bread is available now.

Here's a selection of her stand-up set from the stage of the Lake Arrowhead Conference Center at MaxFunCon 2011.

Comedian Jon Dore returns to join us at MaxFunCon 2011. Recorded Sunday, June 12, 2011. Accents, audience Overheards, Graham's Dad Movie Reviews, and the Littlest Hobo.

Download this episode here.

Jesse and Jordan record live at MaxFunCon 2011 with special guests Matt Besser (as Zeus), Josie Long and Greg Behrendt.

(Photo by zekewilliams)

Graham Clark and Dave Shumka, from Stop Podcasting Yourself, will be joining us for MaxFunCon 2011! If you don't listen to their delightful and hilarious podcast already, know that you should. Here's a great episode featuring comedian Paul F. Tompkins that illustrates why Graham, Dave, and Dave's dog Grandpa are awesome.

Be sure to visit www.maxfuncon.com to find out everything there is to know about MaxFunCon 2011, and subscribe to the MaxFunCon Podcast.

If you were waiting to buy your MaxFunCon ticket, you've waited too long... tickets are sold out!

We do, however, expect to release a few tickets over the next few months, once we have our full lineup booked. Last year, we even released one or two just a week or so before the event.

If you snoozed and are concerned you may have losed, get yourself on the wait list. Email waitlist@maximumfun.org and we'll let you know if any spaces open up before June 10. Please be sure to include your name, phone number, and whether you wish to purchase a single ticket or a ticket for a couple sharing a bed.

Marc Maron got personal during his standup at MaxFunCon 2010, and here's your chance to listen to it.

Be sure to visit www.maxfuncon.com to find out everything there is to know about MaxFunCon 2011, and subscribe to the MaxFunCon Podcast to hear exciting segments from last year's MaxFunCon as they become available. In the coming weeks we'll bring you segments with some MaxFun favorites, including John Hodgman and Jonathan Coulton.

And be sure to visit www.maxfuncon.com to find up-to-the-minute information about MaxFunCon 2011 and subscribe to the MaxFunCon Podcast to hear exciting segments from last year's MaxFunCon as they become available. Next week, standup from Marc Maron.