Radio Voices

 Posted by on 18 February 2013 at 10:00 am  Cool, Recommendations
Feb 182013
 

Last weekend, I bought this e-book — Broadcast Voice Handbook: How To Polish Your On-Air Delivery. Speaking live is difficult. Although the quality of my delivery has improved dramatically with the practice of over two years on air, I’ve wanted to put some concerted effort into further improving not just my delivery but also the quality of my voice. Hence, the book.

Also, for anyone interested in the equipment that I use to broadcast and record:

They’re of pretty darn good quality, particularly for the price. They’ve been super-reliable too.

For just basic audio quality, I absolutely must keep my mouth very close to the microphone. Even an inch makes a difference. Alas, I got sloppy about that for a while, until someone pointed out the problem. I’ve been better over the past few months, but I should be even more conscientious. So, if you’ve noticed degradations or improvements in quality, that’s due to user error, not the equipment.

Oh, and if you want to hear an awesome radio voice, check out this video of a homeless man:

The man utterly destroyed his life with drugs and alcohol, but based on this follow-up story, he seems to be on the right track now!

Awesome Snow Horses

 Posted by on 3 January 2013 at 12:00 pm  Animals, Art, Cool, Horses
Jan 032013
 

Here’s what I found about it: “Workers shape a snow sculpture prior to the annual Vasaloppet China Ski Festival at Jingyuetan Park in Changchun, Jilin province, on December 25. According to local media, the festival will kick off on January 2, 2013.”

Happy New Year!

Behind the Scenes at Amazon

 Posted by on 10 December 2012 at 12:00 pm  Business, Cool
Dec 102012
 

I love Amazon, and seeing pictures of their warehouse in operation is pure awesome!

Nov 152012
 

This video of behind-the-scenes training and filming of the Clydesdales for Busweiser commercials gives me oh-so-many ideas of tricks to teach Lila this winter!

Facial Transplant: Go Science, Go!

 Posted by on 25 October 2012 at 12:00 pm  Cool, Medicine, Science
Oct 252012
 

Wow, thanks to the University of Maryland Medical Center:

The University of Maryland released details today on the recovery of Richard Lee Norris, the 37-year-old man who received the most extensive full face transplant completed to date seven months ago. Norris, of Hillsville, Virginia, was injured in a 1997 gun accident, losing much of his upper and lower jaws as well as his lips and nose. The transplant surgery, completed on March 20, 2012 at the University of Maryland Medical Center, included replacement of both jaws, teeth, tongue, and skin and underlying nerve and muscle tissue from scalp to neck.

“For the past 15 years I lived as a recluse hiding behind a surgical mask and doing most of my shopping at night when less people were around,” says Norris. “I can now go out and not get the stares and have to hear comments that people would make. People used to stare at me because of my disfigurement. Now they can stare at me in amazement and in the transformation I have taken. I am now able to walk past people and no one even gives me a second look. My friends have moved on with their lives, starting families and careers. I can now start working on the new life given back to me.” …

Norris continues to gain sensation in his face and is able to smile and show expression. His doctors say the motor function on the right side of his face is about 80 percent normal, and motor function on the left side is about 40 percent. He eats primarily by mouth and is able to smell and taste.

Norris’ historic 36-hour full face transplant was led by Eduardo D. Rodriguez, M.D., D.D.S., professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of plastic, reconstructive and maxillofacial surgery at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Norris’ surgery marked the first time in the world that a face transplant was performed by a team of plastic and reconstructive surgeons with specialized training and expertise in craniofacial surgery and reconstructive microsurgery.

Richard Norris has regained his capacity to live a full life, thanks to an amazing team of doctors.

Synchronized Horses

 Posted by on 24 October 2012 at 2:00 pm  Animals, Cool, Horses, Sports
Oct 242012
 

I wasn’t convinced that this performance was all that… until they began jumping through rings of fire about halfway through. Then, it gets even better: I can’t imagine taking off my saddle while cantering!

Wow.

Goosestepping Parade

 Posted by on 23 October 2012 at 2:00 pm  Animals, Cool, Funny
Oct 232012
 

The only parade of goosestepping that I ever want to see must involve real geese marching to drums and whistle (?), just like this:

It’s 36 seconds of awesome.

The Crazy Hexaflexagon

 Posted by on 18 October 2012 at 2:00 pm  Cool, Mathematics
Oct 182012
 

Oh, I want to make myself a hexaflexagon!

As IO9 says:

Remember the first time you saw a Möbius strip (the ring-shaped surface with only one side) and it felt like your world had been turned upside down? The hexaflexagon tends to have a similar effect. Only more so.

I should not have been surprised to learn that Paul made these for himself as a kid. *grumble* *grumble* *math whiz* *grumble*

Bunny Herds Sheep

 Posted by on 11 October 2012 at 2:00 pm  Animals, Cool, Funny
Oct 112012
 

No, really:

I don’t know what’s funnier: that the rabbit thinks that he can herd sheep — or that the sheep obey!

Here’s the backstory from the translated page:

One of the summer’s highlights, for us, usually when we go to a small village in the High Coast. In this small beautiful village living among a couple named Nils-Erik and Gretel. They have a farm with sheep and some chickens. Yes, and the little dwarf bunny Champis course!

Nils-Erik and Gretel have no shepherd, even though they have a fairly large flock of sheep. They do not need either, they’ve Champis! Champis is really their grandchild, Hanna Grönlunds rabbit. Nils-Erik and Greta had repeatedly told us about Champis and how he herded sheep and we thought that we just have to capture on film … Said and done …

… One day last summer we went to the farm, equipped with a video camera, and succeeded where filming this little jolly rabbits ‘in action’ :)) Jeez, what he’s working!

Metronome Syncronization

 Posted by on 9 October 2012 at 2:00 pm  Cool, Science
Oct 092012
 

32 metronomes, started at random, will synchronize in a few minutes when placed on a slightly movable surface.

Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha