Amanda Congdon: Suspicious Sounds
January 18, 2007 | 1 Comment
So… Amanda Congdon was at CES last week. She claims it was boring, but the sounds of the clip above tell another tale.
Amanda: oh my god… oh… (panting continues throughout)
Man 1: are you all right?
Man 2: Here you go
Man 3: You’re back
Man 1: It’s done. It’s completely done. (laughter)
Man 2: You were just nervous a little bit, that’s what it was
Amanda: Wow… OK…
Man 1: You did it
Man 2: How do you feel?
Amanda: Oh… I feel…
Man 1: Tingly?
Amanda: I feel tingly, I feel.. yeah… I feel like I… you know… just got… got… I don’t know… hit by an electric fence in all…
Thanks to Tim for pointing me at the original video, even though it’s nothing compared to the audio clip… A bigger thanks to Amanda for one of the most erotic things I’ve ever heard on the web.
Tags: amanda congdon, audio, audio clip, CES, electric fence, erotic, group sex, orgasm, panting, sex, suspicious sounds, tingly
2006 in Review: What I’ve Been Listening To
December 30, 2006 | Leave a Comment
Podcasts were a new media for me to consume this year and in turn make up a majority of what I have been listening to. I received an iPod for Christmas in 2005 allowing me to get into podcasts. Looking back at the mix of podcasts and music I have been listening to, I think it helps me with perspective about what is in my head this year.
Podcasts:
- Ricky Gervais Show - The crown jewel of comedy podcasts. Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant harass and berate Karl Pilkington, hilarity ensues. I enjoyed The Office, this led me to the podcast and now I consume all comedy that Ricky Gervais delivers (Flanimals, Extras, etc.) I am sad that this series has ended. Hopefully the trio will miss it and return soon.
- NPR Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me - I had been listening to this fairly regularly on NPR. Since it became available in podcast, I haven’t missed an episode. This is a great weekly dose of news with a funny spin. Think of it as a radio version of the Daily Show, presented as a quiz show.
- TWiT - Leo Laporte, Patrick Norton, and John C Dvorak are only a handful of the regulars who look at “This Week in Tech”. This weekly discussion about all things tech is fun for any tech savvy individual with an interest in current tech topics.
- Marvel Podcast - consistently good content, though the sound quality, editing, and ability to keep the RSS working properly all count as negatives here. These lack polish in the technology department.
- Comic Geek Speak - As a Marvel only comic fan, I only listen when Marvel is the core of the discussion, but whenever something Marvel hits the show notes, I tune in. I’ve especially loved the Civil War episodes. If you are a comic fan, these guys can satisfy your need to hear and enjoy in depth conversation about events happening in comics right now. Most of us aren’t fortunate enough to have many real life comic fan counterparts to do this with…
- Never Not Funny - I would give this a 3 out of 5 on the funny scale. Not something I would ever pay to listen to, but plenty entertaining to fill a long car ride or as background while doing chores. Jimmy Pardo and Mike Schmidt could use more guests on their show to play off of. Instead, they mostly play off of their producer…
Music Podcasts:
Pub Songs Podcast
Irish and Celtic Music Podcast
Both of these are from Marc Gunn and are pretty solid. I think there is great potential in the near future for music podcasts to take off. Their ability to introduce subscribers/listeners to new and interesting music within a defined genre is greatly powerful.
Radio:
Almost exclusively I listened to idobi Radio. The constant stream of advertisement free punk kept me entertained almost all day of nearly every work day. I’d like to expand this list and find other great radio stations. If anyone knows good alternative rock, punk, celtic, or classical radio stations that are streamed at at least 128 kbs, I would love to hear about them.
Sweet Bands/Albums:
- Green Day: Bullet In A Bible - I can not even count how many times through I’ve listened to this entire CD. I don’t usually like live CDs, but the energy captured here is intoxicating. If you like Green Day, or punk in general, you must own this.
- The Bloody Irish Boys - I discovered these guys on the before mentioned Pub Songs Podcast. I just can’t get enough of their punk Irish mix of music.
- Ceann - Another Pub Songs Podcast find, this Pittsburgh based band mixes music I love with
- Ik Ben - Scott Hylbert’s band is wonderful. I cherish every track they have released.
Music Singles:
These aren’t necessarily new, but they are six selected tracks (five was too hard) I couldn’t get enough of this year. I have excluded any of the artists/albums I mentioned.
- Welcome to the Black Parade: My Chemical Romance - idobi radio introduced this to me just before it started getting insane amount of radio play. I say play away, this song is so sweet.
- Masters of the Universe: Army of Freshmen - As a lifetime He-Man fan, this song is an absolute blast.
- Blackbird: The Beatles - out of the blue I heard this Beatles song which I previously had not heard much. I’ve always liked The Beatles and it was fun to find a “new” song I love.
- Surrender: Cheap Trick - this was used in the sadly cancelled Sons and Daughters partial improv TV show. I get a bit sad when I hear this since I loved the show, but it is still awesome.
- The Suffering: Coheed and Cambria - Al introduced me to this tune. I love it so much.
- 24: Jem - this was in the Ultraviolet trailer and totally sold me on the film… until I saw the movie and hated it. Oh well, the song is still awesome.
That’s it, everything that has colored my audio landscape this calendar year. The iPod made is a banner year for audio in my house. I hope I find half as much great stuff in 2007.
Tags: 2006, audio, bullet in a bible, ceann, celtic, green day, ik ben, internet radio, irish, karl pilkington, marc gunn, music, npr, podcasts, pub songs, radio, ricky gervais, Scott Hylbert, twit
Audio/Video Cables - STSI
September 25, 2006 | 3 Comments
Recently I decided it was time to hook my Power Mac up to my 42″ DLP projection TV and receiver. I decided I would use the second DVI output on the video card and the fiber optic out for audio. I needed about 25′ of wire, both DVI and fiber optic. (I wish Apple would add an HDMI out so one wire would suffice).
After much searching for the most affordable solution, I found STSI. Their prices are fairly cheap and they had everything I needed in the appropriate lengths. Since the TV has HDMI inputs, I got a 25′ DVI/HDMI cable ($29.99) that allows me to run the video signal loss-less without the need for an adapter. The fiber optic cable I got was a 25′ pro-series optical cable ($17.99). To round out the order I also picked up a 6′ HDMI cable ($14.99) for my DVD player, a 6′ gold plated component video cable ($7.99) for my cable box, a 3′ optical cable ($4.99), and a 6′ optical cable ($5.99). I had no intended purpose for those, but at the price they seemed good to have on hand.
Due to the low prices, I was not expecting to get the best quality cables, but rather just good enough. When the cables arrived I was pleasantly surprised. The quality of these cables rivals Monster cables for 1/10th the price in some cases. As a quick comparison, Best Buy sells 8′ HDMI cables for $119.99, 35′ for $249.99, and 6′ optical for $29.99.
I highly recommend STSI for all your A/V cable needs.
Tags: audio, cables, component, dvd, dvi, fiber optic, hdmi, mac, monster cables, optic, optical, power mac, stsi, video, wires
Ridiculous 911 Call: Lady Wants Burger Done Right
September 6, 2006 | 5 Comments
The title says it all, here is an emergency dispatch call where a lady argues that the police need to come down and straighten out Burger King. Apparently they were not making the burger she wanted… Wow.
Dispatcher: Sheriff’s department, how can I help you?
Woman: Yeah, I’m over here . . . I’m over here at Burger King right here in San Clemente.*
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: Um, no, not San Clemente; I’m sorry, I live in San Clemente. I’m in Laguna Niguel, I think, that’s where I’m at.
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: I’m at a drive-through right now.
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: I went . . . I ordered my food three times. They’re mopping the floor inside, and I understand they’re busy . . . they’re not even busy, okay, I’ve been the only car here. I asked them four different times to make me a Western Barbeque Burger. Okay, they keep giving me a hamburger with lettuce, tomato, and cheese, onions, and I said, “I’m not leaving . . .”
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: I want a Western Burger because I just got my kids from Tae Kwon Do, they’re hungry, I’m on my way home, and I live in San Clemente.
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: Okay . . . she said, she gave me another hamburger; it’s wrong. I said four times, I said, “I want it to go. Can you go out and park in front?” I said, “No, I want my hamburger right.” So then the . . . the lady came to the manager. She . . . well whoever she is, she came up and she said, um, she said, um, “Do you want your money back?” And I said, “No, I want my hamburger. My kids are hungry and I have to jump on that toll freeway.” I said, “I am not leaving this spot,” and I said, “I will call the police,” because I want my Western Burger done right! Now is that so hard?
Dispatcher: Okay, what exactly is it you want us to do for you?
Woman: I . . . send an officer down here. I . . . I want them to make me . . .
Dispatcher: Ma’am, we’re not gonna go down there and enforce your Western Bacon Cheeseburger.
Woman: What am I supposed to do?
Dispatcher: This is . . . this is between you and the manager. We’re not gonna go and enforce how to make a hamburger; that’s not a criminal issue. There’s . . . there’s nothing criminal there.
Woman: So I just stand here . . . so I just sit here and [block]?
Dispatcher: You . . . you need to calmly and rationally speak to the manager and figure out what to do between you.
Woman: She did come up, and I said, “Can I please have my Western Burger?” She . . . she said, “I’m not dealing with it,” and she walked away. Because they’re mopping the floor, and it’s also the fact that they don’t want to . . . they don’t want to go through there . . . and . . . and . . .
Dispatcher: Ma’am, then I suggest you get your money back and go somewhere else. This is . . . this is not a criminal issue. We can’t go out there and make them make you a cheeseburger the way you want it.
Woman: Well . . . that is . . . that . . . you’re supposed to be here to protect me.
Dispatcher: Well, what are we protecting you from, a wrong cheeseburger?
Woman: No . . .
Dispatcher: Is this like . . . is this a harmful cheeseburger or something? I don’t understand what you want us to do.
Woman: Just come down here. I’m not . . . I’m not leaving.
Dispatcher: No ma’am, I’m not sending the deputies down there over a cheeseburger. You need to go in there and act like an adult and either get your money back or go home.
Woman: She is not acting like an adult herself! I’m sitting here in my car; I just want them to make my kids a . . . a Western Burger.
Dispatcher: Ma’am, this is what I suggest: I suggest you get your money back from the manager and you go on your way home.
Woman: Okay.
Dispatcher: Okay? Bye-bye.
Tags: 911, audio, burger king, call, crazy woman, dispatch, funny, humor
Electronics Projects
November 12, 2005 | 1 Comment
Jon has recently been excited about electronics projects he’s been finding in MAKE Magazine. In reading about Pad2Pad, I found them linking over to Electronics Lab which has all kinds of fun electroncs projects.
However, more interting is Electronic Kits. Of particular interest there are these:
- Electronic 500 in 1 Lab
- Clear Stereo Tape Player
- Classic Video Pong
- Cola Powered Digital Clock
These amongst others seem like fun. I need more money, more time, or better excuses to play with this stuff.
Tags: audio, clock, digital, electronic, electronics, project, projects, transmitter, video
Star Wars Theater
January 7, 2005 | 1 Comment
So I’ve always wanted a home theater in my house that was seperate from a living room. Somewhere sweet that has great sound, picture, and ambiance.
A friend of mine recently sent me along this over the top home theater. Check it out
Tags: audio, Fun Whatnot, home theater, star wars, video