My first attempt at recording a podcast was predictably frustrating. I managed to set-up the equipment without much trouble, and played around with the software for a little while. But the mixer was a complete mystery.
It’s not very big, and somebody with experience would likely laugh in my face, but the thing looked like the dashboard of a 747 to me. So many knobs… Am I supposed to know what to do with them all? How would I have obtained this information? Osmosis or some shit?
I eventually found a video tutorial on YouTube where the dude shows the camera how he has his set, and I used that as a starting point. Then I tested it for a while, and made some slight adjustments.
And everything works, but there’s a lot of noise during playback. It sounds like I’m traveling down the interstate in the back of a dump truck. Yet there was no noise in the room… it was completely silent. I thought it might be my laptop, amplified a million times, so I put a big fluffy towel underneath: no difference whatsoever.
I think one of the knobs is cranked to the extreme, and it’s just going over-the-top. I don’t believe it’s picking up any actual noise, I believe the unit itself is generating it. So, I’m going to have to play around with it again on Thursday or Friday.
And so, if you have any questions you’ve wanted to ask me… leave ’em in the comments. Someday in the near future I’ll answer them all, via my own hillbilly robotics voice.
Stay tuned.
I’m taking a vacation day tomorrow, so this is my Friday. Yes, on Tuesday. How cool is that?
However… we’re supposed to get the snow I was hoping for, starting later tonight. And by the time I’m driving home, at 1:30 am, it should be interesting out there. In corporate-speak, it might very well be an “opportunity.”
But, you know, it’s winter. And these kinds of things happen in winter. Right? I’m not going to start bitching until I’m out there shoveling, or stuck in a ditch in the dark of night… along I-81’s Corridor of Fiery Death.
Oh shit…
Earlier I was listening to an album by a great old British band called 999. I had the LP back in my Dunbar ludicrous-afro days, but my current copy was downloaded from eMusic.
And it’s weird. On the record, from 1980, there was a loud pop in one of the songs, and I still anticipate it thirty years later. It was just a minor flaw in the vinyl, very standard stuff, but the pop is permanently coded in my DNA now. And it’s disconcerting not to hear it.
Do you know what I’m talking about? Have you ever grown accustomed to a pop or a skip on an album, and now consider it a legitimate part of the experience?
And since we’re on the subject, there’s a song on the first Cars album with the lyric “I kinda like the way it skips.” And at that very moment my record would skip — just slightly.
I thought that was incredibly cool. And when I replaced my LP with a CD, years later, I was disappointed (shocked and disappointed!) to realize it wasn’t intentional. It doesn’t skip on my CD copy at all. So, I guess the Cars weren’t quite as clever as I first believed? It’s too bad, really.
On Saturday I had my very first Rice Krispies Treat. Well, to be more precise, I had the corner of one, and pawned the rest off on one of our kids.
Blecch. That shit is nasty. I often hear people raving about those so-called “treats,” but it tasted like a block of densely-packed sugar to me. What am I, Secretariat? What’s next, a carrot and a brushing?
Man, that’s one sad excuse for a snack food… Might as well sit down and gnaw on a radically-sweetened air conditioner filter.
Are there any well-known and semi-popular foods out there that you’ve never tasted, not even once? Tell us about it, won’t you?
Just so you know, I’ve also never tasted Lucky Charms. Those marshmallows look like pencil erasers to me. And I can’t have that.
And I’m calling it a day here, my friends. Have a good one, and I’ll be back tomorrow.
See ya then!
I have never tasted pork rinds, slim jims, beef jerky, cheese danish (the mere name of that “treat” makes me want to vomit)…
I am fairly certain there are more, but they are not coming to me just now…
My mom used to make Rice Krispy Treats when I was a kid, and I haven’t had one since. She also made Chex Party Mix, which I do like. I’ve never had much of a sweet tooth; it’s more like a fat tooth, or a salt tooth.
I’ve never had a soft-shell crab. Pretty sure I’ve never had a Moon Pie. Never tried, nor wanted to, a fish taco. I like fish and I like tacos, but together they sound as disgusting as anchovy ice cream.
I’ve never had absinthe or chitlins.
Thanks for the confirmation Greg – at least I lived to talk about it.
I usually will try any food (with the exception of Farty’s menu) – just to confirm that I hate it. I haven’t ever shucked oysters though, I worry that if I try that they will instantly come up with an incredible g-force and I will face public humiliation. I also mostly hate anything deepfried (other than french fries) because I know I will feel sick if I eat it. I hear of deep fried cookies and such in the South US – the thought upsets my stomach.
One time in the Arctic – I tried whale blubber. I can confirm that I hated it. Take my word – you don’t need to try it. I don’t believe that is a popluar treat for most North Americans, but it is up there.
I’m lackfood intolarent so I’ve tried many things. No hog balls or the weird stuff Andrew Zimmerman eats. What a fucktard. RKT…nope. I can’t handle that kind of sweet stuff. Furit pies is me. Sea Bass is the foulest thing I’ve ever tasted. Spit it right out…manners be damned.
I love a good cheese danish and the real deal beef jerky….sorry Stephanie…great road food!!!
Oh God, just once I’d like to give myself a vodka and coffee enema without making a mess of things.
Rice Krispy Treats in any way, shape or form are THE BEST! What is the matter with you people?! Homemade are, obviously, the preferred, Little Debbie runs a very close second and the blue foil ones are in third. Even the freaky no-name kind out of the vintage snack machines you see are WORTH IT!
I actually made “sushi” for my kids with rice krispy treats, filled with gummy worms, wrapped in fruit roll-ups. Sweet? Yes. Awesome? Absolutely.
(and yes, everyone thought they were real sushi rolls)
And Alex – neither have I! I didn’t even know what that was when I first started reading WVSR… I had to google it (shhhhhhhh).
I still don’t have a clue as to how it is pronounced.
Hey Jeff, there is a website called TalkShoe where you can do a podcast for free, you call in on your phone and it records it, plus there is a chat room so people can listen live, and you can take calls too. It works pretty well you may want to look into it!
Good Evening Surf Reporters….
sorry I’m late for the party.
There’s a huge difference between RKT from the package and the homemade version. I’ve had the vending machine offering and just *blech. So it’s the home recipe or none at all.
It’s been a while since I’ve had Lucky Charms, but used to love them. One thing to do is sprinkle a handful or two over a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Don’t scoff until you’ve tried it.
Jason, I’m surprised. Your kinky ass has never eaten ass? Supposedly it tastes just like chicken. Very dirty chicken.
Oh shit, look at the clock, almost time to leave this hell hole my employer calls work. Had fun, gotta go, bye.
You’re making the RKT’s all wrong – 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of light corn syrup, 1 cup of peanut butter (melt them) and mix in 6 cups of Rice Krispies. Mash ’em in a 13×9 AND THEN, melt 6 oz of choc chips and 6 oz of butterscotch chips – spread over the mashed RKTs and chill. Best sugar high ever.
or – instead of a 13×9 pan, pack ’em in ass crack with a heavy smear of chocolate goodness on top – MmmMMMmm
Idiots on the road today, but instead of my normal outburst, “AssRabbit” came out at full volume. The WVSR is taking over my vocabulary
Sadly, there is not much I haven’t tried. I know I don’t like Spam, potted meat, Vienna sausage, Velveeta, any sweetened cereal, any packaged pastry, frozen pizza, french fries, pickled pigs feet or any other pig part, cheese whiz, margarine, or any product containing high fructose corn syrup. Maybe that’s why I only shop at Trader Joe’s, Fresh Market and Whole Foods. Oh an during the summer, I am at the framers market every weekend. Now, 30 years ago, you could have called me a liar.
Jeff, what the hell is wrong with you man, Rice Krispy Treats are the fershinzel. But don’t buy those nasty pre-made things. Get the recipe and make them yourself. It’s easy and you will enjoy it.
Alex, you are wrong man, you are just wrong!!!
I love Lucky Charms. It’s always fun to discover what color it’s going to be on the way out….
I can’t really think of any popular snack food that I haven’t tried.
I love my Rice Krispy Treats. slowly melt the butter and marshmallows for a crispier Krispy Treat. When I’m feeling fancy, I spread cream cheese and strawberry jelly on them.
Oh, and LOST was really good tonight, as expected! Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia was on there! weird, man
Things I absolutely refuse to eat:
Lamb, liver, tripe, turnips, parsnips, kale, beets, salmon, possum, squirrel. peanut brittle, fruitcake.
I also refuse to eat any food that I can’t immediately identify.
I like Maypo a *lot*, though, and since the weather is so shitful, I think I’m gonna have a big bowl for breakfast tomorrow.
Today’s quote: “I went to a restaurant that serves “breakfast at any time”. So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance.” Steven Wright.
Uncle Buzz’ comment about “food that I can’t immediately identify” reminded me of a surreal moment in a seaside restaurant in Kanazawa, Japan.
I was being wined and dined by my Japanese hosts and we went to the “best seafood place in town” which is saying something since Kanazawa is generally regarded as the best city in Japan for seafood…
About halfway through our umpteen course meal, some crunchy stuff comes out on ice that I can’t identify – definitely ocean-borne, definitely raw, but WTF?
So I ask my hosts and they stare at it and shrug “I dunno, let’s ask the waiter”.
The waiter comes over, fields the question, stares at my plate for a minute and then mumbles “I dunno, let me ask the chef”.
The chef comes out and fields the question, looks at the plate and says “I dunno, it was available at the market this morning so I bought some and we’re trying it out. Do you like it?”
I still don’t know what it was, except that it didn’t kill me…
I recently worked with a lady (cool lady, by the way… not some weirdo) who had never tasted pop (or soda for you weirdos), with the exception of one sip of Sprite only a couple years ago. She’s in her 50’s, and only had one sip of Sprite once, and even that was in the more recent years….
Absolutely blows my mind. She said the look and idea of it just grossed her out. I just don’t get it.
I’m not even a big pop fan, I seldom drink the stuff any more. But I can’t imagine having never tried it.
Odd.
D
Ginger-I don’t know how they pronounce it in NEPA but around here Yuengling is yingling, almost has a oriental ring to it. I think the only reason I find it so good is the fact I have to drive 3-4 hours to buy it and rarely get it. Kind of like Coors way back when, that stuff was the shit when you couldn’t get it and now that it’s everywhere I wouldn’t buy it if it was the last twelve beers in town.
Except for the bucket of sodypop during Avatar I haven’t had any pop this year. And the McDonalds Drive through has closed too since I no longer waddle (well I’m driving but you get the idea) through this year. But funny enough, I’ve never had a Big Mac. Had everything else but not their signature Burger.
“She who must be feared and obeyed” used to put the RKTs in the fridge after assemby… we Finally realized that was why they were as dry and as crunchy as Phyllis Diller.
The proper way to pronounce Yuengling is “Yingling”.
In German; the ue (or ü) vowel sound is pronounced by making the “i” sound while scrunching up your mouth as if you were trying to make the “u” vowel sound. It basically comes out sounding an awful lot like the “i” sound, so that’s close enough for an English-speaker.
There is no way to describe to an English-speaker how to properly pronounce the German ö (oe) vowel sound. It just takes practice. I’ve enjoyed listening to various pronunciations of the word loess by English-speaking geologists, ecologists, geographers, etc over the years. They often say “luss”.
Twenty years of schooling and they put me on the day shift.
R.I.P. Capt. Phill Harris from the Deadliest Catch.
he was my favorite.
A couple of the captains on Deadliest Catch are outright pricks. Phil Harris seemed like a genuine decent guy. I’m a fan of the show but I wonder how I will feel now when I watch it. Sad.
It’s terrible that Capt. Phil Harris died. Both of his sons working on the boat and all. I liked him and I like Sid. There’s one guy with a beard that’s a fucking prick. Can’t remember his name. But he throws fits about stupid shit. For example, he flipped out because he didn’t have a chicken noodle soup cup to spit his tobacco into. He thought it was bad luck. Another time he flipped out because nobody woke him up when they saw walruses or somesuch. Fuck him.
I went out on a big boat for three days once and caught crabs.
You mean Captain Keith Colburn on the Wizard. Yeah he can be a dickhead.
Being the Fat Secretary, you may find it surprising that I have never eaten a single fried candy bar, fried coke, fried butter (TH?), or any other such delicacy offered at the County Fair. The very thought of it makes me want to hurl. I don’t think I have ever been in the room with an opened can of Spam, and for this I am grateful.
Stephanie said “I have never tasted … cheese danish (the mere name of that “treat” makes me want to vomit).”
Steph: I used to think the same thing, many years ago, until I finally tried a cheese danish, and discovered much to my delight that they’re made NOT with cheddar or swiss or any similar cheese like that, but rather with cream cheese in the manner of a cheesecake. So they taste like a cheesecake on top of a danish pastry. Yum yum, yum-yum-yum.
I have never tried a fried coke danish
Deadliest Catch is my absolute favorite show, and I am sad to hear of Capt. Phil’s passing.
I always think that I want to go work on a crab boat but I think I would just curl up in a ball and cry.
Try this on for size: “WSVR Fritters” in a bowl beat 1 cup of flour with half a bottle of Yingling (after two world wars who the hell cares how Germans pronounce anything!) add 1 teaspoon of paprika! Take a can of spam &cut into half inch slices dunk into batter & fry…….dto I’ve also been on a Carnival cruise!!
Pagan, Your reference to the cruise makes me LMAO.