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Call me crazy, but

I really would like to attend CPAC (Conservative Political Action Committee) as a blogger/podcaster. So, I emailed them requesting credentials. Now, to raise the money to go. It’s not that much for megabus to DC roundtrip, I have a place to stay, so that’s not an issue. Oh, and I will need souvenir money.

Oh, OK, the REAL reason I want to go, is that I hear Orly will be there and will “get in their faces, and I am longing to witness the confrontation and her being ejected…

15 Minutes

Why, yes, I will be hosting a talk show

over here Fridays 5-7 PST/8-10 EST. I’ll be talking about Language and how it shapes the Consensus Reality and what happens when language gets schizoid. Call and let’s discuss the following premise:

I’ll be bringing up elements of what some call “woo” and others call “new age” and others NWO, call it what you will, but the fact remains, we as a whole, agree on our Reality and what it means to us. The fabric of Reality is being torn and patched by the Rightwing from the Kochs to Heritage Foundation to Glenn Beck and Orly Taitz. It’s my opinion, that there is a shift from a Forward looking reality where our Nation excels to one where we live in a Dystopian World not so much of William Gibson or Phillip K. Dick or even Orwell or Huxley, but one of our own intentional making.

Progressives, Liberals, and yes, my own dear Pagans have let the frightened Right shift perceptions, while we just whinge and stamp our feet. Their tactics are not “occult” or “mysterious” they’re actually rather blatant and simple:
Story-telling.
Metaphor
Trust me. I know what they’re about.
Let’s tell some stories ourselves, shall we?

Vocal Booth

BOOK REVIEW: Getting Started with Audacity 1.3

I podcast, so when I was contacted by the wonderful people at Packt Publishing to review a new book on the use of the open-source audio multi-track recording and editing program Audacity, I said, “OF COURSE!” and, I was sent a review copy of Getting Started with Audacity 1.3 by Bethony HIitola.

(A note to all you Windows and Linux users, don’t let the fact that a mac was used in the production of the book dissuade you from using this book. Audacity is a cross platform application.)

The book is directed towards the new to podcasting who are looking for an easy and uncomplicated application for producing podcasts, and while reading the book, I found a solution to my own Skype recording issues (sorry AudioHijack). Getting Started with Audacity 1.3 is written in a clean and concise manner that may put off a more experienced podcaster or producer as it doesn’t delve into sample rates and the more arcane and esoteric areas of recording and editing.

Being focused on the new to podcasting, the book uses screencaps and exercises to get the new user familiar with the process of recording, editing and finishing the podcast. One of the many highly useful tips that the book gives, is a how-to for timed recording – an automatic start/stop. For example, you have a 25 minute interview planned, you can set it to stop recording after that time, although should the interview be rolling along, there is the risk of losing anything beyond the set time. To get around that – set the timer to end at 45 or 60 minutes.should it run less, then simply stop the recording. From there, the reader is walked through the process of editing, adding silence, music and other effects to create a finished and airworthy podcast.

All in all, a very good, very useful introduction to Audacity.