Review – Flagship 01 – from @FlyingIslandPre
Jumping back in the ring starting with a review. Going to start with my friends (well a good portion of them are kinda) over at Flying Island Press and their cloud breaking…(it’s a freaking Flying Island you break the ground and people die…) new approach to a paid E-zine.
In the spirit of full disclosure – This review is fairly spoiler free since it is paid content I don’t want to devalue their product It’s all cool some of it VERY FUCKING COOL to find out just how cool make the purchase it’s only $1.99 for your choice of PDF or MP3 or $2.99 for both- I’m trying out a new format for the reviews lemme know what you think.
Date: 7-13-2010
Title: Flagship 01
Author: Flying Island Press / Various Authors
Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy
Released: July 1st 2010
Price: $1.99 for Either Print PDF or Audio MP3 or 2.99 for Both – Subscriptions available soon
Available At: http://flyingislandpress.com/flagship
Links: http://flyingislandpress.com/flagship
@FlyingIslandPre on Twitter
Media: PDF or MP3
Rating: K for Kick Ass what you want me to pretend I’m the MPAA or the RIAA – Suitable for all ages – Well at least this Episode
Content: Over all fairly well chosen stories. Not sure if they were meant to be quick drafts or were finished products but there are definite quality differences in the content. I disagree with which story they chose as a “Feature Story” but then again I may be thinking along differnt lines then they.
Production: Mostly well put together – Some audio was provided by authors some was done with better equipment / sound quality than others. Over all not bad, especially for a first issue.
Cast: Varied – Some of the Stories were read by their authors.
Story: Over all I liked the Stories More details under their specific Titles. The following reviews are as spoiler free as I can make them, after all they’re all good solid stories that alone would be worth the price of Issue one.
Pirate – by H E Roulo – The Featured Story –Good Story though I think it needs a little work. It’s not bad but I can’t help feeling something is missing. Very Light hearted in my opinion. Doesn’t capture me though. Doesn’t grab on and refuse let go, and other stories in this issue were able to do that. I think given a little fine tuning the story can be better. I can’t tell you what is off about it only that something is off. Like that tasty soup your gramma just made that’s just missing a little something. If this were pass fail definitely pass, it’s a good story with a nice twist. Definitely look forward to seeing more from the Author.
Affinity – By Mary Merrell – This was a story that I was about to skip through when it got interesting. Slow start decent middle and an ending that left me wanting more. Definitely can’t wait to see more from this Author, and hopefully it will have a little more about what happens to young Talon. After a slow beginning this story gripped me making me want to know more about the world around our hero. With some work this could easily become a standalone podcast novel or even a decent podioserial in the vein of the old radio dramas of the past. Something about this story tells me that expanded and turned into a full cast podcast could be a fun run.
Ruby’s Child – by Phillip Carroll – Not sure if this one made it into the Children of Az series that PG Holyfield released late last year, but if it hadn’t if should have. I feel this comes a very close second for my favorite of the issue. Starts strong and keeps pace the entire trip through. I am going to keep my eyes on this author.
Inciting Incident. – by Bake M Petit – The pacing of this story just seemed off not sure if it was the story or the read. It’s a fun Super Origin story that definitely needs some work. I’d like to see more from this world and get a better feel for it. That might be truly what I need – Yeah sometimes the info dump helps the story instead of killing it. The pacing of the audio kept getting in the way of letting me drop fully into the story it distracted me enough where I couldn’t fall all the way in. Still an enjoyable piece and others might not have my same issue.
Apprentice – by Mike Plested – Easily tied for my second favorite of the issue. I like the way the master wizard and the abbot think. Good story, good lesson within as well. Plus I always love a good twist. Can’t really find anything negative about this story except that it starts a little slow but understandably so. Hopefully we can see more of Charlie as the time passes I’d like to see where the author could take him if given the chance.
Snake Skin – by Brand Gamblin – WOW… just WOW… This should have been the feature- Easily my favorite story in the issue. This shouldn’t have surprised me as I loved his podcast novel, and his Calls for Cthulhu videos. This story took a very different road than I thought it would, it took me by surprise more than once. Good twists in the story. This one definitely needs to continue.
The Skinny from the Fat Guy: Again I don’t want to give away any spoilers so the reviews are a little bland. But as I stated before each of these stories are well worth the cover price (if not more) on their own, all bundled together it’s a freaking steal. I really can’t wait to see more from the authors of the individual stories, and from Flying Island itself. I definitely plan on subscribing once they get that fixed.
Overall I give Flagship a hearty recommendation.
I like the fact that viewing the file on my Ipod it actually told me where I could find the stories by time stamp.
Flagship is a very well put together E-Zine it’s a fun ride.
In The Works.
Still getting things together to figure out how to schedule my time so that I can do everything I want to in conjunction with everything I need to.
This week – Likely tomorrow – Review of Flying Island Press Flagship 01. So far I like it, and I think it’s a steal at twice the price considering how much work went into it. I plan on posting a review of the stories themselves as well as the entire package.
I’m getting back into the gear of listening to podfiction, I strayed for a while and was reading regular print books well rereading…. I plan on gettign things back together, I’m just an unorganized slackass so it take time to get my head out ass.
I plan on Randomly pimping cool shit as that what this blog was setup to do.
I plan on continuing to review cool shit as apparently several people enjoy it and it seems to be what I’m getting known for.
I plan on still pimping worthy causes – This is the biggest demand on my time as I have to actually go out and find the causes that I think are worthy.
and I plan on resurrecting 8 Questions. Though I may put a twist on it.
I’m working on my own fiction, and my family, and trying to get my wow habit back to a reasonable time played instead of soon as my fat ass gets home til I pass out drooling on my laptop….
Things are underway to get back to “normal” production please stay tuned.
Our Guys and Gals in Uniform
Sunday marks the day we in America celebrate our Independence. It’s a very special day to all of us though most of us use it as an excuse to get obliterated then obliterate things with small explosive charges. I want to stand back a moment and appreciate the men and Women who have served this nation proudly, are currently serving proudly, and those that will serve proudly, and their families.
To those of you in the armed forces keeping our way of life safe here and abroad thank you. I can never truly express how proud I am when I see a man or woman walking down the street in uniform. I want to stop and say thank you but I’m a shy coward. I truly do thank you and am proud to have been in your presence.
To the families of the men and women who serve, I thank you for the courage to support your loved one. I pray they make it back to you safe and sound. To those that have lost loved ones, I truly cannot begin to know how you feel, and honestly I pray that I never find out as I have a son and nephew / unofficial Godson that plan on joining the military. My condolences to you, and my gratitude towards your loved one’s sacrifice.
There are others closer to home that need to be thought of. Our Police and Fire Departments and our EMS Crews out there close to home protecting us. They risk their lives on a daily basis too. Hell police can get drawn on for pulling someone over for speeding, firefighters run INTO buildings that most sane people are running out of to save our asses, and medics are sometimes up to their elbows in bio hazardous substances to put us back together. Thank you.
To ALL of our protectors out there I believe we live in a very fucked up place where a guy can get millions for carrying a ball down a field hopped up on steroids and who knows what else, and you get paid too little to protect our lives and freedom from enemies foreign and domestic.
Next time you see a hero in uniform (or out if you know they’re off duty/ on leave) thank them. Thank them for all the ungrateful fucks out there that forget to thank them. And please thank them for me, Richard D. Asplund Jr.
Needless to say if you have served / are serving either in the Military, or our local Law, Fire and EMS services and are reading this thank you. If you know someone that has served / is serving please forward them the link to this post. And don’t forget to thank them. I don’t think we could ever thank them enough if we each thanked them all every second for the next billion seconds.
Thank you for your time. Americans / Those visiting America – Have a safe, happy , and fun Interdependence day. For those outside the US Happy 4th of July / Sunday.
So What Have You Done Lately??
What have you done lately to help you favorite creative content producers??
Have you given them feedback? Have you purchased any of their works that are available for purchase? Noticed any glaring errors that you think they need to address? Have you even stopped for a second and dropped them a quick “Thanks”?
People who are established in the paid markets like Stephen King have a way of tracking their success it’s called a royalty check. Many of our favorite content providers here in the podioshpere aren’t to that level yet. They need us to show them support so that someday they can grow to be the giants in the field. I think it’s author / podcaster John Mireau (@johnmierau on twitter and the Podiobook Serving Worlds) that recently gave the call to action to send a content provider 1 Praise, and 1 Constructive comment. That’s one thing that I have been striving for since launching random Pimpage. Past few months I’ve failed but I’ve been taking care of things behind the scenes, and trying to get my head back into a positive headspace instead of the downward plummet I had been in for a while. (Lots of personal crap that would prolly bore you to tears so I won’t bother to digress into it.) Here’s the deal. Find people that you value their content and give back. Be it a couple bucks on a donate button, or a couple of notes on what you like and what doesn’t work for you on their content. Just be aware that you can tell them what they should do all day long, but in the end they get to select which votes to count as it is their content so don’t get all pissed off because they “ignored” your immensely inspired and ultimately perfect logic on how they should proceed. You gotta be you they gotta be themselves too.
I would like to take a moment and thank some truly great people in the community that have inspired me to do more than just sit on my copious ass on the sidelines and participate.
Tee Morris @TeeMonster
Pip Ballantine @PhilippaJane
Scott Sigler @ScottSigler
Mur Lafferty @MightyMur
P.G. Holyfield @PGHolyfield
J.C. Hutchins @JCHutchins
Justin Macumber @JustinMacumber
Terry Mixon @TerryMixon
Ryan Stevenson @RyanEStevenson
Starla Huchton @RiznPhnx
Nathan Lowell @NLowell
Odin @Odin1Eye
Kaye @KMLaw
These are great people that you should check out on Twitter. Great Authors and Story Tellers, great people to interact with, and fun loving smartasses to boot. There are many more people that deserve to be on this list but Lunch only lasts for so long before I have to get back to fixing people’s computer issues.
But before I go there is one more person that deserves special thanks and praise… and not just because she lets me sleep with her but that is a nice bonus. My wonderful supportive HOTTIE wife Misty @TigerLilly11674.
**Mushiness Warning For those of you who do not want to bear witness to Spousal mushiness you can stop reading here for those that don’t care read on… Misty you don’t get a choice you have to read on so there:P **
Thank you for putting up with all my shit, all my faults and foibles, and thank you for being there to inspire me and loving me even when I’m a dumbass. I love you with all my heart and I thank God every day for bringing you in my life, even on the days you piss me off, oddly enough especially on those days.
Nifty Tech Blog – Review – Pimp from Valhalla Winner
Nifty Tech Blog by Doc Coleman aka @Scaleslea on twitter (but you prolly got that by the @ if not serioulsy how the hell do you find me? And doesn’t he totally look like a villain out of Wild Wild West in his pic?)
Genre – Tech \ Review \ FF Banner
Format – Blog – Location: http://www.niftytechblog.com/
Released – 2-2010 to Present and hopefully / likely for a while yet to come.
As many of you are aware, and hopefully took part in, there was an auction event earlier this year with the proceeds to benefit the daughter of podcastings own Podfather the legend, genius, creative demigod and all around good guy, Tee Morris aka @TeeMonster (put the right number of zeroes on the check this time Morris). The Boom Effect auction named after the Sonic Boom (Tee’s Daughter but you all knew that because you all took place in it right… right… don’t make me get the big stick I said RIGHT???… oh yeah internet can’t hear you… I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt this time…. and maybe next time too I am a nice guy after all…) went off without a hitch (well other than they obviously were broadcasting from the TARDIS because of the time dilation effect…) More money was raised than could have been hoped for and has been reported to be in Trust for her. It truly was nice to see the community come together and in such a wonderful way, I tip my hats to you all (yes hats… you think all these personalities enjoy just one style of hat… that’s just degrading…) and thank you for helping out in Tee’s, and SB’s time of need, now for those of you still interested in SB’s time of want I hear that Ponies are real big on little girls’ list of stuff they must own…
As part of the auction Odin / @Odin1Eye of View from Valhalla and I submitted a lot where the lucky (courageous) bidder (victim) would be simultaneously ripped to shre errr… I mean discussed, on both of our blogs. The Nifty Tech Blog was the winning bidder and both Odin and myself appreciate the generosity shown in taking a chance on us and helping in this cause.
Unfortunately, next came life a kicking us in the nards. Yup, believe it or not, two vikings managed to drop the ball on somethign that should have been an easy event… hey when you’re as damned good looking and witty as Odin and I you can’t always be on the ball. We both ended up with life issues that prevented us from providing the intentioned roast of the winner’s content. So, you will get my take on it here, and Odin has already posted his “over there”. I do apologize for how long this took. There have been personal issues that I’ve been battling, which if you’ve been following me for any length of time already know.
This is a little out of my norm for a review well because this is a little (okay a lot) out of the norm for the kind of content I generally peruse. I mean there is not a hint of Vikings, or car chases, or space ship fights or smart assed pirates giving what for to snarky queens ANYWHERE. I mean epic fail there, but as it’s a Tech review and not fiction content we can’t all be perfect, but as far as it being a tech review it’s actually full of win and even the parts of it I didn’t like so much came up draw rather than lose.
This is a site dedicated to Tech – He claims Nifty tech and I’ll agree with the non Mac tech… but that’s becaused I’m a biased prick and despise all things Mac (okay except for an Ipod touch).
Tech Blogs and reviews are not my cup of tea – Yeah I’m a tech support geek by trade yet I don’t go all gaga over tech reviews. I’m tech support by virtue of talent and knowledge, not for the love of all things tech / computers. I know tht even before the auction Odin had a ken for Doc’s Blog but I first heard of it when he won.
Now let me say this upfront – Were I more of a tech / gadget freak this would totally be my ball of wax.
Content – Doc has a nice array of items that he (and some guests) have posted on. Apps for Iphone – Itunes – Solar powered speaker thingy some nutjob just couldn’t stop raving about ;P.
Plenty of information, screen caps, and pics so you can see the tech in action not just read about how freaking cool this is. I give it high marks as far as being a good place to find out about cool toys, and being very informative.
There are plenty of useful gems out there – Dropbox is one that I use myself and appreciated seeing someone else tote on about it. He’s had a chance to review the Apple Cornelius (I still maintain that Cornelius is a much less silly name than IPad) and I want one even more, he’s reviewed Google Voice andother service I personally use and enjoy, and there’s Delicious Library – a Mac only product that makes me scream I want I want I want, even though Mac is the DEVIL, (I will maintain that stance until I can afford one, or one is gifted to me and I have a chance to work with it.)
Doc includes a FF section you guessed it every Friday to inform people about cool peeps to follow in twitter. Lot of fun peeps to check out, if you’re not into the toys as much at least check it on Fridays for some quality people to follow on twitter, along with some good info why they’re so freaking cool.
Production – Well it’s a blog, so it’s not like we can talk about sound quality or casts or sound effects or anything like that but there is production value, there is layout and there is time spent making sure it looks the way he wants. I personally like the site it’s easy on the eyes, there isn’t a lot of distracting sparkly banners and motion. The true star of the show is the content not the flash and glitz of a “kickass site” (which most “kickass” sites make me want to kick the designer in the nards for making the thing too damned busy). Doc did a very good job putting the site together
Over all – Even though I’m not the tech blog kinda guy, it’s an enjoyable read, there is plenty of good information, it’s a little on the dry side but then again that’s how I feel about all tech blogs which is why I tend to avoid them. EVEN THOUGH I am not a tech blog kinda guy I do have this one on my RSS feed, and though I don’t check it religiously I do give it a once over every week to week and a half. Now that’s kinda like getting a kid that hates broccoli to eat it one meal a week and ASK for it if it’s not been served in a while. There really isn’t much I can bitch about. It’s good solid and well thought out delivered in a decent layout with a well thought out review with good images so you can see the product as well as read about it. Had I not been directed to it I would have overlooked it, but I am glad that it got my attention.
While it may not be a wild thrill ride that I can’t get enough of, it is a well written, and valued part of my week. I thank Doc for a job very well done, and I look forward to seeing where things go from here.
Disclosure: As mentioned above, this review is being provided in an effort to make good on payment rendered. I would like to state however, that I really do like and endorse The Nifty Tech Blog and label them as a good read.
Back in Black….and white…
Okay Random Pimpage is about ready to start coming back to life, it’ll likely live up to it’s name to start and just be random postings until I can get everything back into some semblance of chaos I can work in… order just doesn’t work for me… sorry about the hiatus but I needed to get some things right in my life, and in my own headspace before I continued.
I still plan on doing the worthy causes segment, I still plan on doing 8 questions. I think I’m going to do them the way I truly meant for them to be. I ‘m also going to work up to ACTUALLY interviewing some people. Eventually I plan on adding audio here and some segments may be moving to audio. And of course I plan on doing random pimpage to give a people their due that are doing a hell of a job, not just in podio / blogoshphere but wherever I see it even in meatspace.
I may start going against my if you can’t say anything nice just shut your freaking trap policy that I have here on this blog and you might see some rants.
I still have obligations to get out of the way, just thought I’d throw out a heads up that I am not gone, I have not given up on blogging / podcasting / writing I just have to get the rest of my ducks in a column (I hate rows) so that I can actually do it all and not melt down, and not have them conflict with each other. I have way to freaking many hobbies and really need to cut some out.
So in short I am not back yet.. but soon….
God Bless and have a blast, and as always take it lite.
-Rich
Going Dark
There are some things I need to address in meatspace and while I’m addressing them my creative efforts will be taking a break.
Nobody is Ill or Injured, there is no major earth shattering issue that needs support from the community. – There are just some things I need to take care of for my family’s sake and my own so my energies are better focused there than finding media to review, or working on my own creative efforts.
Thanks for your understanding, and patience at this time.
I plan to return, just not sure when.
Tuesday’s Worthy Causes
Once Again it’s time for Tuesday’s Cause –
There are a lot of causes out there that we don’t see, children that need a transplant families effected by disaster, and nations effected by even larger disasters. Take a moment today and pray or send positive thoughts / energy (whatever your “thing” is) and if you got a spare dime chip it in to help a cause, or better yet donate some time to help a cause along or even a shoulder or an ear to someone that is effected by a tragedy. To make the world a better place we all need to do our part, and maybe some of the next guy’s part as well. If we’re not contributing to a solution we’re not only contributing to the problem but teaching our kids to as well. We need to start acting and stop talking about acting. After all we need to try to emulate the people we want our children to become.
Today’s Cause – Us.
Yeah okay maybe some of you are the upright citizen brigade and are always courteous to others and being the best example of humanity you can, most of us fall short. I know I do. Today’s cause is to look inward. Look at ourselves and ask ourselves are we the person we want to be. Is there any aspect about ourselves that we loathe and we feel we need to change. I’m not talking about five extra pounds on the thighs but if you started to go there then maybe you need to work on being superficial. Our souls, our animus, our character whatever you want to cal it is our foundation. Without it we cannot achieve to be who and what we want. Without it we cannot show our children how to be the people we feel they could be and change the world. I’m a shallow man, I have a lot of anger and rage issues that I need to deal with to be the man I want my kids to look up to. I have other faults too and I need to work on them but I think these two are the largest threat to undermine the foundation that is me. If I don’t get these under control I don’t believe that I will be a worthy role model for my kids. Take a hard look at yourself and see if there is anything bout you that you’d object to in your children. Then work on ironing those wrinkles out of your life soon we can remodel ourselves to be the role models we’d respect for our kids.
Maybe the next segment that I should add is the Remaking of a Man – Becoming the hero I want my kids to look up to.
Until next time take it lite
Hit me up at rasplundjr@gmail.com with the Subject Tuesday Cause if you have a cause you want / need me to pimp. There are plenty of people out there that need a hand, not just a hand out. See who you can help today.
Thanks for your time today.
God Bless – If God isn’t your thing then well it’s still mine but Positive thoughts your way still.
Random Pimage Presents 8 Qs with @AlRuff and @Obajoo
Well it’s Monday once again and you know what that means… No it’s not time to feed your sibling to a volcano to appease the fire gods… though on second thought I still owe my sister for telling on my about sneaking out when I was.. err nothing… Love ya sis don’t pay any attenion to the Mayan death cult on it’s way to your house… No it’s actually time for more 8 Questions. This week I bring you another double stuffed 8 Qs. The wonderful talent behind the Gearheart Podcast Novel. If you haven’t given it a listen really what are you waiting for? … No really why haven’t you listened to it yet… You’re gonna make Alex Cry and he’s good peeps…. Again like I was saying before… ooh SHINY!!!! This week I bring you the talented and and just totally freaking awesome couple behind the Gearheart Alex and Renee White.
Alex White
1 ) How did you get into Podcasting?
I got into podcasting because no one would read my novels. I don’t know if people thought they sucked or what, but I could almost never get someone to finish a book. I think everyone has been burned by having a writer friend who makes them read something truly awful. I eventually decided that it was the medium- reading off a computer screen kind of sucks- and I thought I’d podcast the book. After all, if you can combine it with something you have to do anyway, like manual labor or commuting, it would at least be a diversion. So yeah, I started podcasting because I thought it would suck less than reading it off a computer screen. Naively, I believed that I had a new idea. Imagine my surprise when I found a blossoming community of awesome people!
2 ) When did you start writing and Why? Do you remember that “1st” story?
I started writing poetry as a little boy. I loved limericks and I avidly consumed Shel Silverstein. When I got a little older, I had a girl I wanted to impress, so I wrote a story about an adolescent werewolf named Percy. She liked it, so I kept writing horrible short fiction for girls in the hopes of impressing them. Wow. This question has made me realize that my artistic life began as a very base pursuit…
3 ) What’s it like working on a Podcast like the Gearheart with your Spouse?
It’s great fun! At first, things were pretty crazy, and it took us a long time to get into the swing of production. Poor Renée… she’s always getting dragged into my hairbrained schemes. I’ve put her in prank movie trailers, comic projects, music and now this. Other than our marriage and our child, The Gearheart is the longest running project we have ever undertaken. I’m proud of the working rapport we’ve built, and I think it serves us very well. Things weren’t always easy- creative disagreements were had, but we came out ahead.
4 ) You’re also a graphic artist does that play for or against your writing crative efforts? (Are you ever working on one when the urge takes over to be working on the other?)
I’m a writer who happens to be good at graphic design. Every other talent- music, design and marketing- is geared toward making more people hear and enjoy my stories. I pay the bills with my design, but if I had my druthers, it would be the other way around. So I use my honed skills to enhance my writing. If you need a fancy cover and a soundtrack to make you read/listen to my book, I’ll make it for you. I just want to be taken seriously, and I think presenting my ideas in a way people understand will help. The mass media is capable of such a slick presentation, and I don’t want to be stifled by the fact that I can’t match their values. I’ll just try to learn how they do things and make it myself.
5 ) If I remember correctly you do your own music for the podcast too. Is there any part of the production you don’t do yourself (other than the female parts)?
Renée handles the all-important detail of making sure we believe in the tension between the male and female characters. I make sure that when the spotlight is ready to go on, everything is in place. I handle graphics, web design, music, mastering, mixing and tagging. Also writing, but who cares about that?
6 ) I’m going to make an ass out of u and me and assume here that you have a fascination with old time radio because of the “commercial” you’ve done for the show – What are some of your favorite old radio dramas and what drew you to them and your style of podcast?
Well, I had a boxed set of tapes of The Shadow that I used to listen to all the time, but not a lot other than that. I always liked the promise of old radio dramas, but I never really got into the execution. That’s probably why I don’t actually do a full-on radio drama for The Gearheart. I did look at a lot of movies and TV, such as “O Brother Where Art Thou” for the “Pappy O’Daniel’s Flour Hour.” I like those little things. The commercials started out as a fun diversion, and I wanted to make something in the vein of the era I was going for. I wanted pulpy 20s, so that’s where those come from.
7 ) I saw on twitter you were working on a Agustus short story, any chance we might see a little more of the other characters’ pasts like maybe that of the mercenaries?
Well, I don’t want to spoil anything. Let’s just say we learn a LOT about them in the next book.
8 ) Now that the Gearheart has finished up – What’s next?
Next? I don’t get to take a break? *sobs* Actually, I’m planning to begin production on my next podcast very soon, with a planned Fall release. It’s called “Festival of the Bizarre,” and it’s a near-future noir thriller. It should entertain those of you with more… shall we say… violent streaks… I’m also working on “Maiden Flight of the Avenger,” the Augustus short story, hopefully to be released soon. Lastly, I’m working on a secret Gearheart project that should please everyone. I’ll try to drop more details as I firm things up for publication.
Thanks for the opportunity, Robert! Keep on pimpin’!
(btw it’s Rich… not Robert)
Renee White
1 ) How did you get into Podcasting?
Honestly, I’d never thought about it until Alex started doing The Gearheart podcast. Originally, he was doing all the voices on his own. He had asked me if I wanted to help, but I said no because I had never acted before. The extent of my voice talents at that point were making silly voices for Ari’s stuffed animals. But after listening to Alex doing the female voices, and honestly thinking he sounded completely ridiculous, I decided to give it my best shot. I knew how much this story meant to him, so I wanted to help him make the best product he could.
2 ) What’s it like working on a Podcast like the Gearheart with your Spouse?
At first it was really weird! I still get a little shy around him like some star-struck teenager. I’m told that will wear off in time. I made a rule in the beginning that he couldn’t look at me when I was acting. Silly, I know, but I felt so self-conscious! Unfortunately, that shows in the beginning episodes when my “acting” was really just dryly reciting lines. As the podcast went on, I learned to ease up and really get into the characters.
3 ) Is it difficult keeping all the characters straight that you have to do for the Podcast?
Oh goodness, yes. Ever had a conversation with yourself, but trying to use two different personalities? It’s bonkers. I don’t just have to worry about the voice pitch, but also the cadence with which the characters speak. If it gets really difficult, we’d record all of one character and then the next character afterwards, and edit them together in post to make sure the voices stay consistent.
4 ) What Exactly is a “Domestic Scientist”?
“Domestic Science” was the term used back in the 50’s for “homemaking” when they taught it in schools. I wanted a term that was kinda geeky sounding, but also encompasses all the crafty stuff I do.
5 ) Okay I see the geeky and awesome looking Baked goods pics at your blog, and your Avatar on twitter – Any other cool baked goody projects in the planning / execution stage?
I REALLY want to do a Dr. Who cake for my birthday in April, but I don’t know if I’ll have time to do it. I’m also planning on making a D20 cake tutorial for @kyledockery (http://twitter.com/kyledockery) sometime soon. Life has been a little insane these last few months, so I haven’t had a lot of time to make really crazy stuff.
6 ) What other creative hobbies help you pass the time?
here are too many to name! I seem to make a hobby of collecting hobbies. If I see something cool on the internet, I want to learn how to do it. I picked up knitting, crochet, and cross-stitching just to make video-game related crafts. (You can see those at my Flickr set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/obajoo/sets/900086/) I am learning photography, and I also draw a bit. I’ll hopefully be using that last one to make some art for a potential Gearheart game Alex and I have designed. It’s still in testing, but it is going very well! I also love board games and video games.
7 ) What are the biggest changes you’ve had to make to adjust to your son’s diagnosis?
It would almost be easier to answer what HASN’T changed. When your kid has autism, your entire life is turned upside down. Since I feel that we need to concentrate on Ari’s therapy, I’ve basically put my life on hold. No going back to school for me, no having another kid for at least 3 years, no job to bring in extra income. And that’s the long run stuff that’s easy to ignore. It’s the day to day routine that can completely wear me out. For instance, when he is thirsty and wants some juice, I can’t just give him the juice cup. He has to vocalize for it. Just one little syllable: “ju-” is all we need. But that is so hard for him, that he’ll break down into tears, screaming and kicking, because he’s so frustrated that he can’t communicate what he needs. And I have to wait the tantrum out, patiently repeating “Juice? Want juice? Say ju ju ju….” Those tantrums can go on and on. Not the normal 2 year old fits, but like 30 minutes and counting. He ran around randomly crying off and on after lunch today for over an hour and I still don’t know why. As for other changes, our lives are filled with therapist meetings, doctor appointments, researching articles on sensory integration disorder and autism, reading book after book on autism, listening politely to “advice” from people who read an article one time so now they think they’re experts. Luckily he’s not that bad in public, but when he has his bad days, we have to deal with people staring at us for one reason or another, judging us. If he’s acting up they stare with a sneer, obviously thinking I’m a bad parent that can’t control my kid. If he’s making weird sounds, or shaking his head violently despite my efforts to calm him down, they stare wondering “What’s wrong with him?” I try not to let it get to me, but it still hurts. But things are looking up! His therapy is going very well and can now use 4 words. He works harder than any other 2 year old I know, and I love him more and more and couldn’t be more proud of him. Together, we’ll get through this.
8 ) What does Obajoo stand for / mean?
It’s a nonsense word, actually! When Alex, our friend Joey, and I were making up nick names for ourselves for a freelance design group, I couldn’t think of a thing. I think I saw an Odwalla truck or something earlier that day so I said “Quick! What’s a three syllable word that begins with O?” being silly more than anything. And Joey pops in with “OBAJOO!” So it stuck. 🙂
You can Find them both on Twitter Alex as @ALRUFF and @TheGearHeart and Renee as @Obajoo
You can find more on the Gearheart at it’s homepage – http://www.thegearheart.com/
and you can find Renee’s Blog The Domestic Scientist over at http://www.thedomesticscientist.com/
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