Podcasts: Pick of the Week #2

The podcast I'd like to bring attention to this week is an absolute MUST to download, featuring stories by regular folks, told to a live audience, and collected for your listening pleasure by a not-for-profit group. The stories range from the poignant to the hilarious, and while they aren't polished or perfect - which is part of the charm, in my opinion - they reach that common denominator in us all. Laughing at ourselves, empathizing with others and FEEL in a way that is amazing without being over-the-top with Big Money bells and whistles.




If you don't have an iPod or mp3 player, I still urge you to give it a listen via your computer. I can't gush enough about these storytellers or their stories. The only downside I have found so far is there aren't enough of them to greedily hoard - you have to be patient for the weekly additions after your first download. I don't regret listening to any of them, nor have I skipped even a part of one. They are all worthwhile, and some are truly gems. My favorite so far is "Richard Price: Fishing Hole on Delancey", but even by picking a favorite, I feel as though I'm doing all of them an injustice.

Go to the website (via the linked image above) and you can find out how to subscribe to the podcast and tons of other information - it's a whole Moth world.

LOLspeak: OMG teh fun timez 2 be havin wit dis ting

Tehre is beesin a nu langwajez in webtahn. Its be calling lolspeak. As a lovah of teh langwajez, I has 2 say dis shood buggin mez (I tewtully doan evun like it wan people cannutt speel oot "you") but, OMGROFL, sewmezthin bowt it tikklez mah funnehbone. I doan likey dem kewtzy pikturz of kittis, much lessins dem silly blurbs sewmez peepul be unjoyun pastin on tehm, but dis is where lolspeak wuz be startin at in teh first place. If youz takes a lookinz aroun teh internet, youz will find all sewrts of deez places dat talk bowt dis nu phenomeznon. Kthxbai!

more cat pictures

Goodbye, Rabbit

Out of the blue, with little to no earnest promotion by me - I sold two ACEOs in my Explexia shop today. One of a moon and bird - and the other was the 5th in the 2nd series of my rabbit.

I haven't been doing much with the art shop lately, due to my increased productivity with my stained glass. It's nice to see that people are still looking though - and even purchasing.

The other problem I'd been having with the art is that my stained glass mentor, a suberb artist in a few mediums, had mentioned that perhaps I should make artwork larger than the standard ACEO - she loves the art, but the size is just too small for her tastes. Which is something I had been considering myself. Perhaps I lack the confidence to use a bigger size, or perhaps I like the idea of art cards and feel comfortable with them. Regardless - I'm seriously considering expanding my repertoire to include larger pieces. It certainly wouldn't hurt, and if they don't sell - it's no worse/better than an ACEO selling or not, eh? Hrmmm.

Podcasts - Pick of the Week

Recently, I became the happy owner of a red 80GB Zune (don't snark at me that it's not an iPod, I had my reasons). After spending quite a bit of time packing it with as much music as I had to lay my hands on - I decided to play with the podcasts directory.

Knowing what podcasts were, and never being terribly interested, I decided to delve a bit deeper. And Holy Mother-of-Audio-Bliss, was I surprised and elated to find a whole world out there of great podcasts. I tend to like stories and commentary, and don't really care to hear the news, or how-to's, world music, interviews, etc.

I grew up in the 70's listening to people read me stories aloud, great radio programs - like NPR's "The Spider's Web" and "A Prairie Home Companion", and I also had a kick-arse collection of records, "Free to Be You and Me" with a ton of folks like Marlo Thomas and Alan Alda, and my prize collection of 12 (read 24 stories) "Let's Pretend" records, which I still own. The latter had stories and fairy tales like "Rumpelstiltskin", "The 12 Dancing Princesses", and "Faithful John". When I discovered that story-time was alive and well in podcasts - a new universe was opened through my Zune. One of cozy moments snuggled up listening to stories - as an ADULT! Okay, a lot of them so far have been cozied up to my glass workbench, but who can be choosey?

I've decided to share my joy by selecting my Podcast Pick-of-the-Week. This week, it's an old favorite:

Garrison Keillor's monologues - News from Lake Wobegon

(from radio show "A Prairie Home Companion)

Approx. 15 minutes each, and just like I remember them.

This seems too easy, but these monologues were just what I needed to start myself out. His perfect low radio voice, his amusing small town anecdotes that wander from here to there and back with perfect synchronicity ... Not to mention, there is some nostalgia in it for me. I didn't listen to PHC for the folksy music when I was a kid - it was to hear about Lake Wobegon.

Podcast training wheels, so to speak! Give it a try.

A little flowing champagne pink

When searching for more "affordable" and less time-consuming projects for my own designs - I opted for a lovely minipanel. At $20, it's certainly affordable and the colors are just beautiful. I often cringe at cutting up a piece of glass that is so pretty in it's entirety. Why not just go with the flow?
(Yes. That "flow" pun was intended. I'm a sucker for puns.)