podcast – Audio Chimera: Recent Episodes
Stephen A. Schrum
First of all, a milestone: I’ve made it to podcast episode number 50!
Secondly, I’m trying something a little different this season. Besides featuring new intro and outro music from composer John Rust (check out his compositions at soundofrust on YouTube) and presenting more episodes of my audio drama series Kid Again (heard on episodes 44 and 49), I’m streamlining my approach to recording by relying less on scripted material and…just talking. In this episode, the three examples of what I am a poster person for were recorded when I had a few free moments (even while retired it’s sometimes hard to sit down and record a whole episode) and then edit it into the larger podcast. You can usually tell when this happens by a change in audio quality. And more ums…
As far as being a poster person, I saw the term “poster child” somewhere on the web and wondered about the origin of the term. It turns out it began with polio. People back then believed in science and vaccines! And so the posters of children won a lot of hearts and minds.
This got me thinking: what would I be the poster person for? I immediately thought of three health issues that I very much have knee-jerk responses to. If people say to me, “I will never get a colonoscopy!” I will tell them without pause why they need to get one. Probably with too much information. (And it’s happened often enough that it probably seems scripted, ironically enough!)
But I think everyone needs to be very aware of these three medical issues, and to be vigilant in case they’re experiencing any of the problems mentioned herein.
So please take a listen here, and find out what the other two medical issues are.
Also, I would love to see some “fan art” so feel free to Photoshop me into posters for any of these issues. I’ll be happy to share them on all my social media; find them all at http://linktr.ee/stephenschrum.
The landscape of an alien planet? No. Rather a clue to another of the health issues. This is the top of my head after the dermatologist froze some pre-cancer spots with liquid nitrogen.
We have reached the end of Season 4 of Audio Chimera with “Retirement.” Here I enumerate at least some of the reasons for my retirement at this time. And why?
People in academia often get asked, “Why are you retiring? What will you do with yourself?” But there is more to life (and academia) than teaching. I did once think that I’d work till the age of 67, like my mother did, but now that I’m 65, I think it’s time to stop and make room for the next person.
Also: How things have changed since I was a student, both with students and with academia in general. It never occurred to me to not hand in work, or hand things in late, or produce shoddy work, or even (gasp!) ask for an extension! Things have changed in the decades that I went from student to professor and, while I try not to compare students of today to me as a student back in the day, it is very concerning.
So here’s to retirement! Glasses clink! To creative projects and travel! Now if I could just be sure that I am not retiring into a front row seat for the apocalypse and the end of the world.
Listen to Episode 48 here!
Let us not welcome the zombie, or indeed ANY, apocalypse anytime soon.
The title of this blog post is a reference to the instrumental song, “Girl from Ipanema,” which is probably used more often than any other recognizable song to indicate “elevator Muzak.” Listen to the podcast and figure out the connection. The one significant song I reference in this podcast is The Grateful Dead’s “Truckin'” which … Continue reading The Boy from the Ipanema Theatre Co.
This podcast deals with TMI. No, not too much information, but the dreaded Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant. TMI Above are the photos I mention in the podcast; this is part of a reactor being taken to TMI in Aug 1970. Looking for the meltdown/radiation range graphic above, I also found some examples … Continue reading Too Much Rad on My Hands
You will soon be able to hear an upgrade in my audio for Audio Chimera. After years of using the Edirol UA-4FX as my interface between microphone and GarageBand, I began looking into mixer boards. On a recommendation from Jeremy dePrisco, I bought a Behringer XENYX Q1202USB 12-Input, 2-Bus Mixer with USB Output. While I … Continue reading Let Me Take You Higher
A new semester has begun! Unauspiciously, and under a cloud of snow and wintry mix. Luckily I did not have classes today, so I get to start my classes on a day without precipitation, I hope. The temp may even go high enough to erase the unfortunate ice build-ups I couldn’t quite exorcise today. And … Continue reading Cusp of (Not Quite) Eternity