Talking About Stuff, with Mike and Christiana

Hey everybody, I've uploaded episode 14.

Download the mp3 file here, or subscribe to the RSS Feed

Unfortunately, the sound quality difficulties from the last episode continue as I present the second half of my conversation with Mike from Thursday.

So it's a little hard to listen to occasionally, but I think it's a good conversation worth listening to anyway.

We discuss last week's Apprentice in some detail, explaining our shared belief that the simultaneous firing of four people was nothing more than a stunt, and that it cheapened the show. Also we talk strategy regarding the different approaches to the task used by each team.

For Martha Stewart's Apprentice, we discuss, among other issues, Jim's unprofessional behavior and David's inexperience.

That leads us to talk about the fact that nearly all the contestants on both Apprentice shows are almost absurdly successful even before coming on the show, then we talk about our idea for a new reality show called "The Assistant Manager."

We have a follow-up for something brought up during one of our previous conversations about Lost, where a friend of Mike's had claimed to have the entire second season on DVD. As it happens, it was true!

Finally, we spend some time discussing my video podcast For Science! and why I spent so much time on safety instruction.

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Okay, it's up.

There was some annoying choppiness in the Skype call which makes the sound quality on Mike's end less than ideal, but I think you can still make out what he's saying most of the time.

Sorry it's not better, I'll continue to try and find a better way to record these calls, but in the meantime, we had a good conversation about Episode 7 of Survivor: Guatemala!

As always, you can leave comments here on the blog, or you can leave me a voice-mail audio comment at 1-206-202-3280.

Thanks for listening!

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Hey everybody, I haven't figured out how to make it work with the feed yet, but I made a video podcast!

Way back in Podcast #3 I introduced a segment called: "For Science!" which is all about cool science experiments that you can do with common household items.

Well, because so many of the experiments I had in mind are much more visual than auditory, I decided to just go ahead and do a whole video podcast for it.

The experiment this time: "How to make a copper quarter with alcohol and fire!"

I worked really hard on it, so check it out right here.

For Science! #1 (Sorry, I could only do .wmv format, but I'm working on it.)

And here are some of the diagrams describing the chemistry happening here, in case you wanted a better look at them. (Click to enlarge)





And here are the results!





Also, sorry I didn't get to the "Viewer mail" segment this time. (That's why I asked for a science question yesterday.) I'll work on it for next time.

UPDATE!!!

Whoops, almost forgot to credit the music. The music in the opening is "Lizard Funeral", by Devin Anderson, found at PodsafeAudio.com.

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Okay everybody, show #12 is up and it's got a lot of stuff in it.

Download the mp3 file or subscribe to the feed.

I start by playing a fun reggae song called "Niki" by Deadpan from Podsafeaudio.com.

Then I talk a little bit about a training session I had on Tuesday in a movie theater, along with a new segment called: "Christiana's Life Tip of the Week". This week, it addresses how to stay awake when you are tired and bored, but can't afford to fall asleep.

After the training session, we got to see a free movie, so I saw Elizabethtown, Cameron Crowe's latest film starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst. I review it in the podcast, but in a nutshell, I'd say it's good, but not great.

Next, I discuss Malinche.net, a neat site where you can download new original text adventure games. They are pretty well written and fun, but the really interesting thing is that you can download some of them in iPod format!

I follow that by discussing some of the trips that I'm planning, including Thanksgiving with my mom and brother in Auberndale, Florida, and my company's annual holiday party in San Francisco.

Then I talk about three news items:

First, an item I heard about on the Geek News Central podcast, where a catholic school in California has told its students that they must take down all personal blogs and websites or risk being expelled. I move on from this to discuss issues of censorship in schools.

During the above story, I'm also interrupted by Strong Bad telling me I have an email. (I've got a sound clip of him set as my email noise.) That reminds me to direct all of you to Home Star Runner, a really funny flash cartoon series.

The second news story is about an upcomming TV series: America's Next Muppet! Thanks to Ain't-It-Cool News for the link.

The last news story talks about how Hayao Miyazaki's wonderful animated films are going to be coming to Turner Classic Movies in January. You can bet I'll be talking more about this as it gets closer. The man is a freaking genius. Thanks to Dean's World for the link.

Then, I shamelessly, (well, maybe a little shame) beg for listener feedback, and play my very first audio comment ever!

If you want to leave an audio comment, just pick up the phone and dial 1-206-202-3280, or 1-206-202-EAT-0. (Yes, I'm a geek that tried to figure out what my number spelled.) It works just like an answering machine, but then they email me your comment as a sound file.

Or, as always, you can leave a comment right here!

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Check this out, I found a site that has provided me with a free phone number where you can call and leave me messages. Then the service emails me a .wav file of the message!

This is perfect for anyone who may want to leave an audio comment for my podcasts. Just call 206-202-3280, and leave a message just like any answering machine or voicemail system.

If you call and leave me messages, I can play them on my podcast. So give me feedback! Whether it's on the blog or the podcast, or just some random thing you'd like me to talk about, let me know!

That number again is: 206-202-3280

I'll be waiting to hear from you!

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A non-TV related podcast for once.

First off, I play a song called "Replaced by Robots" by Lejeune from Podsafeaudio.com.

Then I get into philosophical territory with some musings on the subject of free will.

I talk a little about my lack of productivity this weekend and marvel for a moment at the beauty of nature.

I also discuss a neat website that has some TV show and cartoon-based sheet music.

Then I discuss my NaNoWriMo project, followed by some discussion of other podcasts I listen to, as well as podcasting in general.

Mentioned Podcasts:
Dawn & Drew Show
Soccergirl, Incorporated (Site is not work-safe)
JoAnne and Stacy Show
I Should Be Writing
NPR
Naked Scientists
Ockham's Razor
Geek News Central
Ebert & Roeper
Mental-Escher.net
Tiki Bar TV

Then I spend some time talking about the difference between characters that you enjoy and characters that you love.

At last, a postscript about our want-it-now culture.

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Download the mp3 file, or subscribe to the RSS feed!

Okay, so the Survivor podcast is up now. We were thrown off our routine a little this week but we've still got a good show I think.

I play a little clip from a CBS podcast where Dana Greenlee interviews Jeff Probst, and he discusses his feelings about bunnies.

Then Mike and I have an abbreviated conversation about this week's episode, followed by my solo discourse on the revelations in this week's Survivor Live episode, and a discussion of all the feedback comments I've gotten so far. (Meaning, the one comment left by John Howard) Hey! Everyone, leave comments and stuff and I'll talk about them on the show! You'll be famous... kinda...

Good stuff!

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Hey everyone, Podcast #9 is up. No, it's not the Survivor edition yet. That will come this weekend.

This one also has a little bit of technical trouble that I can't resolve from work but will fix by tonight.

Essentially, after the time and date at the beginning, there is supposed to be music. More specifically, piano music played by me. Unfortunately, my inexperience with the MIDI interface tripped me up so when I exported my audio to the .wav file, the music got lost, and I didn't realize it until after I'd uploaded the podcast. But I'll get it fixed by tonight.

If you just fast-forward through the minute or so of silence at the beginning, it does have content. I talk for a minute about the music that I thought would have just played, and then I review the movie Madagascar, which I just saw at the $1.50 theater.

I move on then to selections from the remainder of the conversation with Mike. We talk about last week's episodes of Supernatural, The Amazing Race, and Martha Stewart's Apprentice. (I'll try to get these up faster in the future.) Then we move on to things like ice skates, walking on crutches, guys and balls, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Flatland. (Some explicit language)

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Hey everyone!

Podcast #8 is live! Download the mp3 file or subscribe to the feed!

The intro music is "He's Lost" by Blood Ruby from podsafeaudio.com.

In the main podcast, Mike and I talk about the most recent episodes of Lost and The Apprentice.

With Lost, we discuss the cheap trick utilized by the preview editors with their deceptive footage of Jin speaking English, the slick reversal of expectation regarding Rose's husband Bernard, and how the exceptional acting made Hurley's backstory both original and touching.

With The Apprentice, we discuss Toral's sorry performance and I explain my conflicted feelings about the way she acted and the way she was treated by the other women. We both express our admiration for Rebecca, and our disdain for Clay.

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All right, Podcast #7 is up, and in it, I go to the 2005 North Carolina State Fair with a couple of friends.

You can download the mp3 file here, or subscribe to the feed!

I've got a lot of great sound recordings, but I took pictures too. Check em out!


The midway, early Saturday morning.


Also the midway, early Saturday morning.


The Crazy Mouse.


The Hang-Glider.


The big Ferris Wheel.


A change of perspective.


Would you really care if one of those dots stopped moving?


The Enterprise, complete with 1960's throwback sci-fi art!


Regretting the Oreos.


Deep-fried heaven.


Lee and Rachel on the Orbiter.


A really cute kid that unfortunately didn't make the podcast cut. But she was cute, so here she is.


The Tomb of DOOM!!!! Mwa-ha-ha-ha!!


The Skeleton of DOOM!!!! Mwa-ha-ha-ha!!


The hole in my sleeve caused by the jagged piece of metal of DOOM!!!! Mwa-ha-ha-ha!!


Pig racing! This is the announcer.


Go piggies go!


And it's #24, Piggie Gordon by a snout!


My lovable misfit prize!


As if it weren't self-evident, it's Clyde Badger's Marqueting Booth!


The man himself. (And yes, I'm appropriately embarrassed that with all the pictures I took, I somehow didn't end up with one where he was looking at the camera.)


Going down to Cow-town, the cow's a friend to me! (For a million points, name that song!)


Eek! A spider!


The puppet-mistresses.


Lee's bitchin' airbrush tattoo.


A midway juggler, later in the day, on our way out.

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Okay everybody, the newest Survivor podcast is up, so subscribe to the feed, or download the mp3!

Mike and I are both loving Brian this week for pulling off yet another upset, this one even more dramatic than saving Lydia was. Still, we're split over whether it was really in Danni and Bobby Jon's best interests to vote out Blake over Brian. I think Danni gave up a 4-3 sure thing for a 3-3 uncertainty, whereas Mike thinks that Danni now has an in for every player on her tribe.

We also both had to give Gary props for, if nothing else, not actively doing anything stupid this week.

We talk about Judd's near hysterical-defensiveness and insecurity and also Jaime's cutting problem.

So, what did everybody else think of this episode?

The intro music is "Divided Beliefs" by Tyson Emanuel from podsafeaudio.com.

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Okay everyone, Podcast #5 is up.

In it, I talk about a little near-miss I had in the car on Friday. Then I talk a little about some of the movies in theaters right now.

Then, Mike and I discuss non-Survivor TV shows, such as Martha Stewart's Apprentice, Lost, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, My Name is Earl, and The Amazing Race.

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All right, I'm doing better. Putting up last week's Survivor podcast took me until 4:30AM. This week, I was in bed by 2:30AM! I'm improving!

Anyway, so in this podcast, Mike and I talk about Survivor: Guatemala, Episode 4.

We were both a little underwhelmed by the "big shock that has never happened before" that the previews implied was going to happen. Still, we both felt that the tribe shuffle was a good one and that it really kick-started the mental strategy part of the game.

We think that Judd has placed himself in a very precarious situation because the swing vote has never been a good place to be.

Cindy and Margaret are in big trouble, and they have pretty much only one shot, but we're not convinced that they'll be able to pull it off.

In similar trouble are Amy, Brian and Gary, who basically have very few alternatives now.

Frustrated with my lack of detail, then go ahead and listen to the podcast!

You can find the mp3 direct right here: Christiana Talks About Stuff #4 mp3

Or you can subscribe to the XML feed right here: Christiana Talks About Stuff Podcast Feed.

And as always, please feel free to comment here. What did you think of last night's episode. Have any predictions? Any suggestions or comments about the podcast? Let me know!

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Hey everybody.

I've just uploaded podcast number three and it features the following:

A personal, and hopefully kinda funny, story about a very bad day I had five years ago today.

A little segment I'm calling FOR SCIENCE!!! where I describe a nifty little experiment demonstrating that Mentos mints make soda go all fizzy.

Want to see? Here's the video of that.

Then I have the second half of the long conversation with Mike that was begun in Podcast #2. Last time, we talked about Survivor. In this edition, we talk about The Apprentice:(Both versions), The Amazing Race, Lost, and a number of other assorted subjects.

Then I finish up with a song from PodSafeAudio.com: "Emotions" by Jason J.

The best way to listen to the podcast is to subscribe to the XML Feed, but you can also download the mp3 file directly right here.

I'm still a podcasting newbie, and thus in desperate need of feedback. So please, if you have a listen, let me know what you think! Thanks a lot! I hope you enjoy it.

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