|
|
Stavro Arrgolus's Blog
Topic: Editor's Blog- (11/13) "Dragonflies & Katydids, But Mostly Chewed-Up Little Kids"
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d November 13 - 8:30 pm EST
Bollocks.
More disorientation. More enforced bedrest. Worst of all, I'm no good to drive (but then when am I ever?) and that means no food. Gotta buy it; it's not like they'll just bring it to you. Well, if one suffers the bureaucratic bluster, it's possible, but would YOU want an army of strangers in your house every day? I know that I don't.
I can't get through to Wayne. He's either got bigger problems or he's ignoring me. Things need fixing here that I don't have access to. Maybe he has storm related issues. ...Or maybe he's just tired of me reminding him things need fixing.
When I can sit up and am granted a moment or two of lucidity, I look in on the site and fix this or that and plan Xmas shows. I couldn't manage all the Halloween shows, but hopefully, I'll be able to get in all four Xmas shows. This may just be wishful thinking, so don't expect too much.
The shows will be irreverent and traditional at the same time which is a good trick if you can pull it off. I'll admit there'll be a bit of bad language and questionable taste here and there, but those will be confined to the songs and there'll certainly be none from me...well, almost none.
October 24 - 4:15 pm EDT
The medical adventure continues...
Last week, I went to the hospital for the usual cancer checkup. Nothing was found, but... Ever notice people on TV have to vanish for a while due to "exhaustion"? This, of course, is TV talk for "junkie" and "rehab". I didn't know you could really get "exhaustion". Well, I found out last week and was told to stay in bed until today. So that's what I did.
This negated last week's MMS, which was done and just needed to be recorded. With a few adjustments, it'll get made this weekend after catching up on a couple zillion household tasks and preparing for the bastard hurricane which will screw up Halloween just as a snowstorm did last year. Power was out for a week. Bastard weather! MMS-157-A will be posted sometime between Sunday and Halloween itself. After that, barring more enforced bedrest, TMMS will continue unabated every Sunday or thereabouts. I've decided to keep the theme song the same. I like it that way as well.
Why does MMS-157 need adjustments? Well...
While making the playlist, I sometimes fix details on the song pages. Mistake. The fixed pages then appear on the top of the 'songs' page list - inadvertently telegraphing my show ideas which then mysteriously appear on other shows before I get done with TMMS...so I need to stop doing that. The other reason is that I was holding back several classics for the third show. No need for that now.
_________________________________________________
There will be a new feature for the show (after Halloween) featuring a song or two that goes outside the theme. Its purpose is to play strange songs that I wouldn't ever have a chance to play within any theme. The 'Capn's Treasure Chest' (going to have to change that - I'll call it Davy Jones' Locker or something) is for playing topical or FuMP songs that don't fit the theme, but should get a play anyway, but this is just for my amusement - and to freak out those listening to the show while looking at the playlist. This feature won't appear on the playlist. Not at the time of its release, anyway.
My voice will suddenly announce, "And now for something...totally other than else" (two entirely separate Monty Python phrases from different episodes) and the feature will unceremoniously begin. The number of songs played will be random - from 1 to...the whole segment. The feature can and will appear at any point in each show. Possibly more than once. Maybe it can have its own sound effect.
October 9 - 3:15 am EDT
T he medical adventure continues....
Before I get into the new Halloween MMS episodes, let me describe the last 24 hours. Ever wonder what happens when your sleep aid doesn't work - because it's generic and made in India and therefore only contains a little (if any) of the medicine per pill to save money so the Tony Soprano running that factory can embezzle its funds, escape from India and buy a condo on Maui?
I'll tell you what happens. You stay up all night and become a zombie the next morning - until you drop onto the bed from exhaustion sometime in the afternoon. Thank you, greedy bastards in India.
So here's how it is. It's 3 in the morning on the day after what I've just described and I can't concentrate on anything very well. The room is moving around and I just ate two ice cream sundaes (chocolate and black raspberry) and I'm contemplating returning to bed, where I was all day yesterday. It's a good thing I don't drink. Needless to say, no progress was made on the shows.
Now, some good news. I've all the songs, bgm and sfx I'll need on an Excel spreadsheet and an mp3/wav folder for the shows. I need only arrange them into segments for MMS-156-C. Classics everyone likes in each show and the new and unpredictable where you least expect it. Everything's ready to go. ...Except me. But at the first lucid opportunity, I'll finish all the amusing & somewhat iconoclastic spookiness of the first script and complete the recording. Each show may be released as soon as it's done rather than sit on them until Sunday night.
The theme song will be replaced by Halloween type dementia for the shows and will be back in November. I'm still leaning toward Madness' "House Of Fun" as the show's theme when I'm guest hosting. What do you think? Do you desire consistency and want the theme to remain as it is or be willing to try something slightly different?
October 6 - 12:30 am EDT
H alloween season is back again.
Yes, it's an actual whole season now, second only to Xmas itself. It spans the entire month...as long as there's a buck to be made. Oh well, because of it, I have an excuse to make Halloween shows for the whole month. I compiled everything this week and will make the first show next week for tentative release on the 14th. No promises.
I can make the shows myself now, but I wish I could get Wayne's attention for some of the logistical things that make it all work. Quite a few fixes & changes are needed and I can't get a response from him at all. He's either extremely busy or he's tired of my bugging him to fix things and is ignoring me. I've done all I can on that front. I'm giving up and focusing on the shows. If I remain relatively pain-free, they'll be damn good.
September 24 - 2 am EDT
I t seemed my scripts weren't complete enough. I hate everything about the way I wrote it earlier in the year, so I'm changing it completely. Just the DJ parts, the songs remain the same.
This month - between hospital visits - I got Audacity working (thanks to several YouTube videos) and put together MMS-19. It's essentially done...except for a few minor issues. Haven't mastered the mixing yet, so it's likely to sound like ducks being pulled backwards through a wood chipper.
The other issue is the CC music. Not the songs for the show, but rather the theme & bgm. Since those have to be CC as well, it raises more difficulties. Can I use a FuMP song for a theme? - it's CC after all.
Once these minor things are sorted out, I can get into a production routine and the shows can be made faster and hopefully funnier. For now, it'll just be songs with no gimmicks.
One good idea would be for Wayne to make the sci-fi and movie bits and I can splice them into the show. Then you won't have to listen to my crappy voice the whole time. It'd work.
 ...whenever the old fart manages to finish it.
September 10 - 8:45 pm EDT
"I think drugs have done some good things for us. I really do and if you don't think drugs have done good things for us, do me a favor. Go home tonight, take all your all your albums, all your tapes and all your CDs and burn 'em. 'Cause you know what? The musicians who made all that great music that's enhanced your lives throughout the years? R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-eal fuckin' high on drugs. Man, the Beatles were so high, they let Ringo sing a coupla tunes." - Bill Hicks
T he medical adventure continues...
And if you run out of the ones that allow you to sleep AND the ones that allow you to function with a minimum of agony - on the same day - and you can't get more until you see the two separate specialists in different hospitals for each type again, guess how much you can get done? That's right - precisely dick. This level of discomfort destroys all one's motivation.
A good amount of energy was put into MMP-19. But that was then. Now I've just got to add the elusive CC bgm tracks to Audacity and carefully mix. It's only 30 minutes. Should be easy, right? Not if you dread moving from the chair in the living room.
Now here's the fun part. The recovery from the operation is complete as far as I'm concerned. The incision is no longer bothersome - but the back pain returned to replace it. Back to square one. I'd have three podcasts done if it wasn't for all this. I very much want to crank out some podcasts and then full Mad Music Shows - and I mean before the Christmas season overtakes us. Going to need 30 hours of uninterrupted sleep and much needed pharmaceutical relief from my back first.
Because sometimes, drugs do good things. (YAAAAAWWWWWWNN - OW!)
|
Member Comments:
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Excellent. I could do with a guest host to allow me some rest every now and again. If I read the runes correctly, it was Wayne's intention earlier in the year for me to take over TMMS permanently rather than just be a guest host....so I'd better do a good job. I hope he comes back to make a show or 3 every now and again.
After all, the whole point of the "Mad Music Hour" concept is to keep the shows consistent by lightening the load a bit when I don't feel up to it. The podcast can lighten it even further. Using the 'either/or' method for shows will help consistency also.
I'm contemplating making the MMH all in one go rather than starting and stopping segments. Another labor saving device that won't detract from show quality. The viability of every recent idea will be tried - after the holidays.
The plan for the Xmas shows is still 4 - 2hr shows. If I've got the energy, the last show may be a "Mad Music Special" (another new concept), a show with more than six segments.
---
Dave AuJus:
I have my half of the show completed. I'm waiting on pdx-dj1 to finish the other half. It could be ready to upload by next Sunday (maybe).
I also have ideas for 2 more shows for next year.
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d I have my half of the show completed. I'm waiting on pdx-dj1 to finish the other half. It could be ready to upload by next Sunday (maybe).
I also have ideas for 2 more shows for next year.
---
Stavro Arrgolus:
Just to be silly. How goes your MMS?
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Working with a silent partner is like working with a dead guy. He just doesn't contribute much anymore. I have the first half of the show just about finished and when I get some more free time, I'll try and finish the second half. I want to take my time and do this well to honor my late partner.
---
Stavro Arrgolus:
Speaking of change, I changed the blog title to the C & H reference. I think it sounds better.
Just to be silly. How goes your MMS?
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d I have to hammer and prod the Audacity controls just to get the DJ and song portions to the same levels anyway. I figure it wouldn't be any more effort to add this gimmick.
If possible, "Santarchy 2012" will consist of four 2 hour shows, but if I feel particularly crappy at some point (like last week), there might have to be a Mad Music Hour with the even older & more decrepit Viscount to fill in. This character is less cynical and snide than I am, so it might make a nice change.
Speaking of change, I changed the blog title to the C & H reference. I think it sounds better.
Just to be silly. How goes your MMS?
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Dave is always happy to do banners for the site but let's not have you (Stavro) spreading yourself too thin. Having your alter egos do shows down the road sounds like fun, but let's see if you can just finish out the year with some Christmas shows first.
;-)
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Today, I put the formerly dead car battery back in the car, went out and did some overdue tasks, including snagging some necessary (entirely legal) pharmaceuticals I was out of, so the shows are on their way.
If I really want to get schizo with this, Viscount Vyslo could host the Mad Music Hour and Tyro Arrgula could host the podcast - it's Tyro's birthday later in the month, so...
Maybe Dave can make some properly sized banners for them when he has nothing better to do as I've forgotten how again. Makes me wonder why I bother learning such things if I have to write it all down step by step so I don't forget...grumble, grumble...
Audacity can alter voices, so this could become interesting. It's something else to try out. Just another gimmick to scare up interest in the shows.
Too much?
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d I think that the short show would be a great idea. Whatever you can handle. Maybe instead of six segments you can do three or four. And as Dave said, maybe the goal should be a monthly show. Except that you might need to do a couple for Christmas.
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Whatever you feel up to doing, whenever you feel up to doing it, would be fine. One show a month is still better than none. I hope you get to feeling better soon. When my situation gets sorted out better, I will have more time to try and help with a show now and again. Right now I still have a lot of issues to deal with.
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d It wouldn't be fun any other way.
I'm still contemplating a Mad Music Hour like we had for a short time at the beginning of it all. 2 hours is exhausting for me (no stamina) and with podcasts, I've no freedom to play whatever (or even to play silly noises - they're copyrighted as well).
Solution: Sometimes there'll be a "Mad Music Hour", sometimes a podcast, and other times an entire MMS. Although each will have themes and you'll be able to make requests for each, you'll never know which show will be next - this solves certain problems of late.
Would this go over well or would it just be too confusing?
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d We expect nothing less then some bad language and questionable taste!
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d No, he's not dead...but he's not at all well. Not ready to go on the cart, though. I don't even think I have ninepence...
He'll be back making shows when he can stay conscious for more than an hour or two. Looking in on the site and fixing this or that will be the extent of things for now.
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Hey Starvo, check out those new (old) songs I added yesterday. Some good for Halloween or other creepy shows.
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Of course, the holiday shows won't use the theme song at all. It's replaced with sound effects & surprises.
'House of Fun' has a long instrumental intro like 'Madness' does - meaning it would also work well for the show. The thinking was that the difference would be minor, but you could tell who was hosting by which song you heard. 'One Step Beyond' would work also..."Hey you! Don't watch that! Watch this!"
Maybe I'd better concentrate on making the show's content sound adequate before messing with the theme song.
I sent Wayne a script copy. He hasn't responded to my mails in weeks. Maybe he's annoyed about that 'Commodore Stavro' thing.
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Mix it up by all means!
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d I would stay with Madness because it has been the shows theme song for a long time. People do recognize it immediately. That being said, there is no reason why you couldn't use House Of Fun at one or two of the breaks or open hour two with it. Just my humble opinion.
;-) Dave
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d It's posted. Next week: fish
After that - Halloween. 3 weeks of 2 hr MMS it if I can manage. Can't do both the main show & podcast. Not yet, anyway.
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Good luck Stavro. We're all counting on you........
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Yes, it's been stuck in there all this time. A bit of Ex-Lax and it's showtime.
It'll make a big splash sometime this week.
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Sounds like you're about to pull this podcast out of your .... well the show's focus says it all.
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Yes, I do. The OCD in me is still unsatisfied with the way the voice came out on the show and there's no one alive anymore around here to tell it to shut up.
So this particular show may blow goats but with practice, they'll get better. I'd like to make one really good Halloween MMS with sfx and silly voices and off the wall antics without being chained down by CC.
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Now you know why it took DJ and me so long to put out our fill-in shows. There's a lot more to it than just playing the songs. I wish he was still around to help me finish our Star Trek & Star Wars show.
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d I have one. I've been making them for a couple of years now. This show is no different. What caught me by surprise wasn't the opening or closing, but the middle - which I took for granted. Add to that no sci-fi or movie segments and it had to be filled out with more songs. About ass. Not exactly an overwhelming task. They materialized rather quickly.
As Eddie Murphy once 'sang', "....Feels real good when you sing about your butt."
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d In that case you WILL need a script.
;-)
---
Stavro Arrgolus:
Too easy. I've got to be amusing (hopefully) and cleverly turn phrases with decent timing or it'll be dull dull dull.
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Too easy. I've got to be amusing (hopefully) and cleverly turn phrases with decent timing or it'll be dull dull dull. Did my best. I think the mixing's screwed up. I'll get better at it eventually.
Wonder if it's ok to use a FuMP song for theme music. It's all CC, so...
---
Dave AuJus:
Looking forward to hearing it. Just announce the song, who did it, and maybe what album it comes from, or the date it was released, or the artist's website. Good Luck!
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Looking forward to hearing it. Just announce the song, who did it, and maybe what album it comes from, or the date it was released, or the artist's website. Good Luck!
---
Stavro Arrgolus:
Good news: The podcast is almost done. Just trying to get the mixing to sound ok now. The hard part was what to say about the songs afterward. Maybe Wayne just winged it. I'm going to have to write something out each time until I develop such ability.
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Bad news: No pharmaceutical relief. The specialist demands to be seen. What a racket.
Good news: The podcast is almost done. Just trying to get the mixing to sound ok now. The hard part was what to say about the songs afterward. Maybe Wayne just winged it. I'm going to have to write something out each time until I develop such ability.
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Indeed it is. And if I can get my spavined ass off this chair and down into the town tomorrow, the rest of the pharmaceutical relief will be mine also.
Then, podcast time - after I wake up, of course. It's not like the topic is going anywhere. Ass is always in season.
Wait, that didn't sound quite right....
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d "Wake up! Wake up! It's time to take your sleeping pill."
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d Saw one of the specialists today. I just might get that sleep now. Haven't had any rest for a week and a half. Going to bed is an exercise in futility. No sleep = blurry screen (and everything else). Ever try to make a podcast when you can't see what's on the screen when you need to?
Tonight I'll get that sleep and then it'll be podcast time.
|
|
|
fiogf49gjkf0d ...zzzzzzzzzzzzz
|
|
|
|
|