Best Goombay Podcasts (2024)

1
10 I'd Rather Brian Jacks Than Flammable Slacks (The Silver Jubilee / Seven Tears by The Goombay Dance Band 1982 / Vince's Formative Movie Experiences 54:46

3d ago54:46

54:46

Summer's here, and so are we! This episode sees us roll back the clock to 1977, the year Elvis ate his last hamburger. Jeremy adorns Union Jack shorts and waves a patriotic flag as he remembers the street parties and other celebrations for Her Maj the Queen's Silver Jubilee, and muses on the transition from anarchic punk to flamboyant disco. Our UK…

1
Episode 461: #367 - From Mel’s Van O Lite to LightBulbs.com 40:23

7h ago40:23

40:23

Mel Jacobson started selling light bulbs out of a van in 1951 and in 1955, Paul’s Grandfather Don McLellan joined Mel, then bought the company in 1982 when Mel retired. When the internet arrived, teenage Paul built a website and started selling light bulbs online. But vanolite.com just wasn’t going to cut it. And so LightBulbs.com was born. Paul an…

1
Episode 460: #366 - Archlight Summit 2024 18:09

3d ago18:09

18:09

Special Release! It’s almost September and that means the Archlight Summit is almost upon us. Lea and Cindy update Michael on what to expect this year at The Dallas Market Centre in Dallas Texas. Educational and enjoyable. Catch up with friends and colleagues you haven’t seen for a while. September 17 and 18. Lea is a seasoned professional with ove…

1
Episode 459: #365 - The Lighting System From Hell 15:29

8d ago15:29

15:29

We get back to basics with lighting distributor Brian Amundson, President of Pacific Lamp Wholesale. We start off with a video of possibly the most hellish room you could ever experience. Brian discusses with Michael and Greg, how to handle a situation like that, and sticking up for the customer in general. Brian began his career in the lighting in…

1
Episode 458: #364 - Get a Grip on Lighting en Español 32:16

1M ago32:16

32:16

Alex and Paulina are our first guests from Mexico. And they seem to have many of the same challenges as in the rest of North America - problems with Chinese products and standards and certifications, for example. They are making headway on light pollution however, starting with some dark sky compliant areas in the Baja Peninsula and working its way…

1
Episode 457: #363 - The Goombay Bash 21:37

1M ago21:37

21:37

We’re a little off-topic here, but it’s for a good cause. Instead of the usual black tie event to raise money to fight cancer, founders of the H Foundation decided to create an uplifting event with The Goombay Bash. So grab your Hawaiian shirt and get yourself to the Navy Pier in Chicago on July 27th and help fight cancer (https://www.goombaybash.c…

1
Episode 456: #362 - Own Whatever the Socket Used to Be 7:52

2M ago7:52

7:52

Let’s go back to the time when people accepted that light bulbs would burn out. Michael calls it a “pseudo subscription model.” You could sell light bulbs to customers on a pretty regular schedule. We don’t need to tell you how that changed with the advent of LED. Michael and Greg discuss how distributors should react to the change.…

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09 How Come You Tell So Many Lies? (Amityville Horror / Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel / Jeremy's First Gigs 1:00:49

1M ago1:00:49

1:00:49

We're Back! We said we would make another show and we have done what we said we would do. Not out of contractual obligation, but - to be clear - it was absolutely the right thing to do. It's Episode 9, and this month finds Vince sailing very close to the wind as he trashes The Amityville Horror franchise. Jeremy gets all misty eyed as he recalls hi…

1
Episode 455: #361 - Lighting With Intention 39:44

2M ago39:44

39:44

Deborah Gottesman is a lighting Designer in Michael’s neck of the woods. Gottesman Associates has been designing lights since 1999. Deborah stresses, as a lighting designer, to consider what’s best for the client. For instance, one client who was visually impaired, needed to see everything. So a design with contrast and shadows, which would be plea…

1
Episode 454: #360 - Lighting For Risk Mitigation 33:20

2M ago33:20

33:20

Sure, Jon sells light bulbs, but he also sells safety and risk mitigation. First, by installing the right bulb in the right position, safety is increased, and second, by installing a longer lasting bulb and requiring someone to climb up and change it less often, he is mitigating risk. If you're doing it right, you’ll NEVER have OSHA involved. Jon R…

1
Episode 453: #359 - Horticulture - It's a Lot of Light 38:31

2M ago38:31

38:31

If you want to REALLY become technically proficient about lighting, get on grow lighting. Taylor Schaberg has been in the business for quite awhile and he tells us he’s still learning. You want to light a warehouse, throw up some high bays. You want to light a cannabis greenhouse? Wait a minute, what strain of cannabis is it? How strong do you want…

1
Episode 452: #358 - A Tribute to Bill Brown 54:54

2M ago54:54

54:54

If you don’t know who Bill Brown was, you weren’t in the lighting industry. From founding Bill Brown Sales at the kitchen table with his wife Norma in 1955, to creating A.L.P manufacturing in 1972, Bill was a force in the industry. Known for his mutual respect, philanthropy and hard work, he received numerous industry awards over his lifetime. We w…

1
Bonus Episode June 2024 9:05

3M ago9:05

9:05

In lieu of us releasing an episode in May or June (we hope to be back in July!) here's a short and sweet bonus episode about... frogs and Englishness and animation and things. . Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vinceandjergrowup/By Rainbow Alley Productions

1
Episode 451: #357 - Leave the Street Lights Alone 38:34

3M ago38:34

38:34

Like many of us, India “fell” into lighting. Except India’s interest is in the history of Los Angeles street lighting, from the “moon towers” of the 1880’s, to the Golden Age of street lighting in the 40’s and 50’s to the skyrocketing of street lighting over crime concerns in the 60’s. Some of these classic light poles are still in use, but alas, w…

1
Episode 450: #356 - Just The Hook 33:20

3M ago33:20

33:20

Paolo is your typical customer for a lighting distributor or a contractor. The misinformation on LED lifecycles, the difficulty in replacing drivers, and the sheer waste that has been created prompts Paolo to label the whole system as a Ponzy scheme. How many electricians does it take to change a light bulb? The joke’s on you because on many fixtur…

1
Episode 449: #355 - We Finally Know What an Agent Does 36:35

3M ago36:35

36:35

Mike is a member of AAILA and he’ll tout the benefits all day long, from assistance and support to education, just like NAILD does for independent lighting distributors. AAILA brings together independent lighting agents and makes them “stronger together.” When he’s not volunteering for AAILA, he and his company are working on projects like lighting…

1
Episode 448: #354 - LLLC - Maybe It's Coming 41:47

3M ago41:47

41:47

Luminaire Level Lighting Controls. Is it time? Bruce and Angela think so. With wireless and Bluetooth maturing, the time may be right to NOT rip out walls and old control boxes, and just install LLLC. Now lighting controls are accessible to contractors and end users. Everybody’s happy. Okay maybe it’s not quite that simple. Listen to this one to he…

1
Episode 447: #353 - Augmented Intelligence 26:44

4M ago26:44

26:44

We’ve all heard about AI by now. But probably not everyone really understands what it’s about. Pete Grett is kinda counting on that a little. As he says, using AI is pretty simple, but people just want others to do it for them. That’s where Pete steps in. He wants to help individuals be more efficient by taking away tasks and giving them to AI to p…

1
Episode 446: #352 - Neurodiversity 38:53

4M ago38:53

38:53

You will remember Dr. James from episode 291 in December 2022. She’s written a couple of books about light and health since then (see below). Light and its relation to circadian health keeps popping up on this podcast. There’s no doubt there’s something to it. But even Dr. James will tell you, the best way to deal with it is to go outside and let t…

1
Episode 445: #351 - The Council of Elrond 27:02

4M ago27:02

27:02

What exactly is the National Lighting Bureau? Well, Tom can tell us because he is now the Executive Director. He gives us a sneak peak on what's ahead for the Bureau. Tom also explains three personal goals he has as Director: increasing member benefits, outreach to like-minded organizations, and public outreach. The topic of transformation comes up…

1
Episode 444: #350 - Contrast is at the Heart of Lighting Design 25:28

4M ago25:28

25:28

From billionaires’ butler to very successful owner of 3 hair salons with 77 employees (which also meant 77 headaches) to lighting designer and decorative lighting store retailer. William has always had a knack for what looks good and that has served him well as a lighting designer. When he’s not out designing the interior and exterior lighting of a…

1
Episode 443: #349 - Respectfully Aggressive 33:12

5M ago33:12

33:12

Two interesting perspectives on the lighting distribution industry: Sean Valliere who knew nothing about the lighting industry when he became an owner of Lamp Sales Unlimited, and Miranda Shepherd, who worked at Lamp Sales Unlimited for 23 years and also became an owner. Sean and Miranda discuss how they keep customers coming back by carefully choo…

1
08 Countryside Special (Hedgerow Porn / "First Time" by Robin Beck, 1988 / White Dog Poo) 54:10

5M ago54:10

54:10

Spring is in the air! We don wellies, raincoats and natty hats to take a gentle stroll through the verdant splendour of the English countryside. Jeremy wonders why the fields and hedgerows were littered with discarded top shelf porn mags in various states of destruction, and traces the decline of the paper smut industry. Our randomly picked UK Numb…

1
Episode 442: #348 - IoT In Non-Technical Language 34:17

5M ago34:17

34:17

Omar is so knowledgeable about the Internet of Things that he’s written a book about it. He talks to Michael and Greg about the future of smart sensors and cloud data. Imagine a smart sensor that can see where, when and why people gather in a particular spot in a retail establishment. But, as Michael points out, a downside of collecting all this da…

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Episode 441: #347 - The Germans Are Taking Over LightFair Part 2 11:13

5M ago11:13

11:13

Michael and Greg continue their conversation in Frankfurt Germany. This time Michael is the “guest.” Greg asks Michael what he thinks about the organizers of Light + Building taking over LightFair. Is this a trojan horse? Is this a way for European companies to worm their way into the North American market?…

1
Episode 440: #346 - The Germans Are Taking Over LightFair 7:04

6M ago7:04

7:04

Entschuldigung! Greg is Michael's "guest" on this one, reporting from Light + Building in Germany. But mostly they talk about LightFair in America. It seems Light + Building will be organizing the next LightFair. Greg is a little more ambivalent than Michael about it. But they both agree LightFair needs to be shaken up. Maybe some Europeans can do …

1
07 Accidentally Putting on Glitter (The launch of Channel 4 in 1982 and its first year of broadcasting / Rock Your Baby by George McCrae from 1974 / Glam Rock from 1970 - 1974 and the Chinn and Chapman ... 1:06:34

6M ago1:06:34

1:06:34

Vince enthuses about the launch of the UK's fourth channel back in November 1982, and how exciting Channel 4 was in its infancy, with its remit of providing alternative programming and showcasing contemporary art. Plus scary animations! Our randomly-selected UK Number 1 is 1974's proto-disco Rock Your Baby by George McCrae. Jeremy dons platforms an…

1
Episode 439: #345 - Develop and Deploy 35:49

6M ago35:49

35:49

You might have caught Buddy on Restoring Darkness ep. 92. We had him on Restoring Darkness because he’s at the front lines of manufacturing responsible outdoor lighting. You might even say, he’s cornered the market. When Sedona Arizona put out a tender for dark sky friendly lighting, his company, Crossroads LED was the only bidder. And this gels wi…

1
Episode 438: #344 - Create A Garden 45:12

6M ago45:12

45:12

You can’t help getting swept up in Dirk’s enthusiasm and energy. And that’s over the internet. Dirk insists that distribution is a noble calling. It’s a 7 Trillion dollar economic engine and it supports over 6 million jobs. In the middle of the pandemic, Dirk decided he wanted to support that calling, so he went on the road with his We Supply Ameri…

1
Episode 437: #343 - Maintain The Feeling 37:01

7M ago37:01

37:01

Avi doesn’t give a damn who makes the lights or what kind of lights they are as long as the feeling and emotion is achieved in a space. And of course, that feeling has to be maintained. So if you’ve buried a light fixture in concrete, that “feeling” is going away in about 5 years when the light burns out and you can’t get at it. If you want to keep…

1
06 Hey! Gotta No Respect? ... (The Death Of John Lennon 1980, There's No One Quite Like Grandma 1980 and Stock, Aitken, and Waterman 1984 Onwards) 1:02:20

6M ago1:02:20

1:02:20

We have reached the halfway point of Season 1, and Jeremy brings the dreadful events of December 1980 to the show. The death of John Lennon and how it affected him at the age of 10. Vince recalls the heady days of Stock, Aitken, and Waterman when they were omnipresent and every other song in the charts was helmed by them. As always, we discuss a ra…

1
Episode 436: #342 - Amazon For Electricians 40:10

7M ago40:10

40:10

Returning guest Melvin Newman tells us what’s been going on with Patabid since we last saw him. There’s a new partnership with City Electric Supply, improved estimating software and AI, and even more time savings for contractors. Melvin is the President/CTO of PataBid. Prior to co-founding PataBid in 2018, Melvin worked in the construction industry…

1
Episode 435: #341 - The Phases of a Lighting Career 31:33

7M ago31:33

31:33

Another short one with Michael and Greg. In this episode, our hosts discuss the phases of a career in lighting distribution. The first phase had Greg going everywhere looking for dead light bulbs or broken lenses just to get a supply business going. Michael’s story is similar except he did it on Rollerblades. Buy some inline skates and get your bus…

1
Episode 434: #340 - Keep Lighting Weird 41:28

7M ago41:28

41:28

Watch for Brian and his team on the cover of the Spring 2024 edition of Today’s Lighting Distributor. Brian tells Michael and Greg about how he started in the business and about how he continues to be successful and what the future holds for his company, Pacific Lamp. And for all you Restoring Darkness fans out there, Brian is a big advocate for re…

1
05 Put The Needle On The Record ... (A Ghost Story For Christmas 1971-79, Pump Up The Volume by M/A/R/R/S 1987 and Betamax vs VHS 1975-84) 54:58

8M ago54:58

54:58

This time around, Vince discusses his fondness for the 'A Ghost Story For Christmas' strand that made its welcome, annual tv appearance when he was young. Meanwhile, Jeremy remembers the warring formats at the heart of the home recording epoch at the beginning of the 80's. This month we head to the 1980's for the first time as our randomiser select…

1
Episode 433: #339 - 2024 Predictions 40:58

8M ago40:58

40:58

Al, Michael, and Greg look back at some of their predictions and try to guess who said what, and assess how accurate they were. But you can’t look back without looking ahead. The guys give their predictions on artificial intelligence, lighting controls, and Al even has a prediction for Acuity. Al Uszynski is an experienced executive with over 25 ye…

1
Bonus Christmas Stocking 2023 17:51

8M ago17:51

17:51

Merry Christmas! As a little bonus, we've recorded a Christmas-themed mini episode, in which Jeremy waxes nostalgically about his childhood family Christmas routine, and Vince deep dives into his mum's favourite Christmas chockies as delivered by the intrepid and mysterious Milk Tray Man. Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vinceandjergrowup/…

1
Episode 432: #338 - Take Back Our Destiny 39:33

8M ago39:33

39:33

It’s always fun, informative, and educational to have such experienced people like Richard on the podcast. He also brings his incredible energy and positive attitude with him, not only to the podcast, but wherever he goes. With an incredible 60 years in the business, he’s got a lot of knowledge to pass on. This podcast is one of our favorites this …

1
Episode 431: #337 - The Great Equalizer 30:17

8M ago30:17

30:17

LEDucation will be here before you know it (March 19-20, 2024) so Jamie Eck, Co-Chair of the LEDucation Committee, gives us a preview of what to expect. As Jamie says, “LEDucation is geared towards the design community,” but there will be plenty there for everyone else too. And watch for some live streaming podcasts from Get A Grip On Lighting, Res…

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Episode 430: #336 - The Bulb Collector 44:28

8M ago44:28

44:28

Do you have an enthusiasm for old light bulbs? Then contact Chad and you can geek out about an 1880 Edison Bristol Board Filament prototype lamp, or an 1886 Luminoid Incandescent Lamp. In fact Chad probably has the greatest collection of antique lamps and related electrical artifacts in existence. But this episode isn’t all about antique light bulb…

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Episode 429: #335 - Thanks Ellis Yan 56:16

9M ago56:16

56:16

The King of Lighting Ellis Yan is one our favorite guests on Get a Grip on Lighting. His company TCP has been a supporter of the show for years. Today we honor some of his greatest moments with our "Best of Ellis Yan".

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04 Quicker Than The Human Eye ... (Ninjas, Kung Fu and David Soul) 1:06:13

9M ago1:06:13

1:06:13

'Everybody was Kung Fu fighting' (according to Carl Douglas) in 1974. But were they really? Most of the populous were trying to create a diversion so they could get the hell out of there before testing out their rudimentary martial arts skills in a gang warfare scenario. This month Vince takes a look into the burgeoning disciplines that really took…

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Episode 428: #334 - Start With The Entropy 40:22

9M ago40:22

40:22

Tony is back with an update on the progress of his Quantum LIFI. If you fully understand what he’s talking about in this episode, then you’re probably Tony Lawrence, or you should call him up and get a job at Light Rider. Seriously, this stuff is mind blowing. No more description necessary. Just listen. Tony Lawrence is an entrepreneur, technologis…

1
Episode 427: #333 - On the Road 34:00

9M ago34:00

34:00

Billy talks to us from his car (don’t worry, he’s not driving) which is apropos as he is moving on in his career. Billy is winding down his agency, Digital Filaments. He considered driving a bus - nothing was off the table - but he is far too valuable in this business to be anywhere else. He’s going to continue to head up AAILA, and if you’re in th…

1
Episode 426: #332 - These Guys Are Dangerous 39:21

10M ago39:21

39:21

Check out episode 246 from March of 2022. Forest and Zach were on the verge of launching Parspec. Well now they’ve been at it for a year-and-a-half and it sounds like it’s going pretty well. With AI, customer feedback and a host of talented employees, Parspec is ready to provide you better access to data and to make your product search faster and e…

1
Episode 425: #331 - Everything’s Connected 51:00

10M ago51:00

51:00

Mike Johnson and the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) is here to define what “good” looks like in the world, as far as the built environment goes. ILFI has a Living Product Certification which requires independent scientific validation that a product has left the world in better condition than had it not been made - a net positive effec…

1
03 Songs Our Daddies Taught Us ... (My Parents' Record Collection and Grandstand) 1:06:28

10M ago1:06:28

1:06:28

On this show, we both bring something in to remember our parents by. In Jeremy's case, it's the scattergun musical taste of his parents and his Dad's shifty demeanour when discussing the provenance of his record collection . In Vince's, Saturday afternoons spent marking time, watching Grandstand, (and watching out for his Dad!) until something bett…

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Episode 424: #330 - Amateur Lighting Industry Historian 34:24

10M ago34:24

34:24

Something a little different on Get A Grip On Lighting. Frank brings us some fascinating episodes in history related to light, everything from the origins of the traffic light, to the invention of the Lite Brite toy. Did you know the first President to have electric lights in the White House was afraid to touch the switches? There is much more like…

1
Episode 423: #329 - Dynamic Color 26:18

10M ago26:18

26:18

Katherine and Carrie sat down with Michael and Greg at The Archlight Summit to dive into the history and future of color. You’ll learn some really fascinating facts about color. The word ‘blue” is not mentioned once in Homer’s “The Odyssey.” Did they see blue at the time? Or did they not know how to describe it? Before trade routes opened up, peopl…

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Episode 422: #328 - The Future of the Built Environment 28:10

11M ago28:10

28:10

Rachel and Jessica from Stantec dropped by to chat with Michael and Greg at the Archlight/NAILD Convention, to talk about the challenges of lighting in the work environment. Rachel and Jessica have to take into account efficiency, safety, mental health, circadian rhythm and the quality of the lighted environment. All that while working within the c…

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