December 22, 2005

Audible Althouse, #27.

Here it is, my first podcast recorded in the daytime, and, more importantly, my first podcast recorded with the new Blue Snowball Microphone. It's 46 minutes. Remember you don't need an iPod to listen. You can stream the podcast right on your computer. Just go over and click that "POD" button! [ADDED: Or just click here.]

Topics: how much I detest the movie "Contact," the extent of the character development in "Annie Hall," whether women -- as in "King Kong" -- are sexually attracted to apes, why folks just can't get used to the notion that we evolved from apes, how Egyptologists argue about whether two men in a 5000 year old painting are gay, what the cowboy from The Village People has to say about "Brokeback Mountain," how rotten the finale to Martha Stewart's "Apprentice" was, how FOXNews has infected our holiday greetings, a proposal to take note of the War on Advent, my place in the Divided Kingdom of Kostria-Wingery, and my chance to become the Conservative Blogress Diva.

20 comments:

bill said...

folks just can't get used to the notion that we evolved from apes

I haven't listened to the podcast yet, so maybe you go into this in more detail. So not to get all nitpicky, because I agree with your basic point, but it's more accurate to say that human and apes are cousins - we evolved from a common ancestor.

I've heard too many creationists argue that "if we evolved from apes, why are there still apres around." I just want to yell:
1. Evolution doesn't work like that.
2. We didn't evolve from apes, but we still have to invite them to the family reunion.

Peter Hoh said...

I had some technical problems with the podcasts, but recently I found that I could get them from the iTunes Music Store. The free downloads work smoothly.

Ann Althouse said...

Art: I think it was picking up the sound of the refrigerator. I'll set up the room differently next time.

chuck b. said...

It sounds fine to me...you seem particularly happy on this podcast.

I can't believe you have all these squirrel problems. Did you try the mothballs?

Palladian said...

It sounds better than before, certainly, but I agree with Art, there's some ambient frequency that's fairly distracting. Also, do you have the capsule switch set to position 1, 2 or 3? I would suggest position 1, as it's recommended for vocals. Perhaps you have it on position 3, which is the omnidirectional setting. That might explain the background noise.

I think it might be time for you to buy one of these babies!

Ann Althouse said...

Palladian: It was on 2, which is where it was out of the box. I'll try 1 next time ... and get away from the refrigerator and into a more padded environment (where I belong anyway).

reader_iam said...

Can't wait to hear your latest on your newest!

Normally, I would have listened to it already, while folding laundry (your podcasts are great at motivating me to try and get at least some household tasks done. Thanks!).

But my son started his vacation today, and tackling questions containing the words "women," "apes" and "sex" is way more than I'm up to handling.

AnechoicRoom said...

Contact ..... Jody Foster (right?), on her way to some other dimension/galaxy. And she's strapped in, ready to be transported through the worm hole. And she starts yammering: Ok to go now. Over and over again. And I sez to meself, keeriste, she should have gone to the bathroon before she left.

Ran on MSN yesterdie, something about South Korean zoo, and Christmas.

XWL said...

Another reason to hate squirrels (or your refrigerator), they interrupted you while you were quoting me.

(and do you have to use your pontificating voice while quoting me? I'd prefer the urbanely witty voice if you please)

(actually I think that's your generic, 'I'm speaking in the voice of an man' voice, but it's the internet, anything and everything can be construed as a personal affront if you try hard enough)

(and thanks for commenting on my comments, needless to say, it's always appreciated)

(now if I could just lure you into pointing folks over to my blog, guess I'll just have to write better posts there and here)

reader_iam said...

Anechoic:

Perfect!

chuck b. said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
chuck b. said...

And a true diva knows how to pronounce Manolo. Say it with me: ma-NO-lo.

john(classic) said...

Uhh, would that be "blogress" or "bloggerette" -- careful, one has a whip, the other chews gum?

And anyway, I thought your ambition was to be a pantherine aviatrix?

Ruth Anne Adams said...

Daytime podcasting = WAY more words/minute than evening podcasting.

My theory: Daytime drug of choice is caffeine. Nighttime drug of choice is wine.

btw, the sound IS clearer.

Paul is a Hermit said...

Without looking at other comments. Sound is noticably better, you should be happy with investment but acoustics are noticably different, probably due to different rooms. I really thought of following you by getting one, went to Apple's site, saw the price, decided to stay with my Sony a while longer.
Too late to ask Santa.

Ron said...

Yep, I missed the sarcasm...

The sound is much better, but the content, just on the "crotch-o-meters" alone, had a nostril-like quality...

The best part of the sound is that even you speak quietly, I can hear the details of what you're saying...

Pete said...

Dang. I thought the new microphone would make these podcasts shorter. For what it's worth, I listened for a few minutes before my teeny tiny little attention span reached the end of its tether but I thought it sounded somewhat better than the brief bits I've listend to before.

Ron said...

Oh, and speaking of Mozart:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051222/ap_en_mu/mozart_mania

note the "Mozartwurst." Now that's fame: getting a sausage named after you....

Rick Lee said...

"Remember you don't need an iPod to listen. You can stream the podcast right on your computer."

I hadn't thought about it, but I'll bet there is a tremendous amount of confustion for (non-techie) people about this. You can listen to podcasts on all sorts of devices. I use my Dell Axim PDA for podcasts even though I own a nice MP3 player (Creative Labs brand, not an iPod).

Prent Rodgers said...

I enjoyed the podcast today, but you really need to get closer to the microphone. 12" from mouth to mic is the maximum distance before it starts to sound thin. And make sure when you move it closer, that you don't speak directly into the mic, or your p's and b's will pop. Put it just to the right or left of your mouth 12" away and you should be good to go.