Tag Archives: Bethany Miller

The TLD 500 or: Breaking at the Speed of…

12 Thursday Sep 2019

Posted by in Podcasting, The Less Desirables Network

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Salutations™!!

There are milestones and there are milestones!!! Last night, I recorded the 500th episode of The Less Desirables. Of those 500, I have been on 497 of them. I’ll explain. In 2012, on April 18, a Wednesday, I had my heart surgery. That was the first show I missed. In 2013, I was in Europe for two weeks. Brian and Eugene handled the recording for those. Also, in 2013, I was in Costa Rica and Brian had to be at a school function (he was in the MBA program at Wake Forest) and Eugene had a problem with the studio equipment so he went home. That was the only week in 501 weeks that we missed a show. I don’t blame Eug for that. My setup isn’t the easiest to operate. TLD

Last night, Danielle had a family function to attend so she couldn’t be there. Our friend Tracy Bush was there to fill in. Of course, Bethany was with us, because that’s her spot! Eugene was there to celebrate with us. Our guest for the night was Chad Nance, who hosted a podcast on the network at one time. He was instrumental in the whole John Lawson story, or as the press wants to call it (and how Lawson would want it), “Pazuzu.” We really talked just a little about story and more about the production. It was a fun show. A bit long, sure, but still great.

501 weeks. That’s almost 10 years. That happens in February. I’m planning on a big deal for the 10th-anniversary show. So, keep an eye on that. It was good to have my pals on the show with me. I did talk a little bit about doing all I feel I’ve accomplished doing the podcast.

If it weren’t for TLD, we may not have ever done the Camel City Dispatch (now defunct) or Fan Interference, the first two podcasts that made The Less Desirables Network an actual “network.” There wouldn’t have been a Tart & Tangy Triad which eventually led to The Man Who Ate the Town. There wouldn’t have been The Beer Dads, Sipping NC: The Art of Drinking, Apartment 5B, or Beeswax Vinyl & More. Without doing those podcasts, I wouldn’t have gone on to produce the TVA vaping podcast, the Thrive podcast, Rule One podcast, Open the Blue Door podcast, The Owner’s Manual podcast, Wine About Real Estate podcast, Dr. Shawn Ricks’ podcast, a few new ones that I can’t talk about, yet and more. I would never have gotten the local nickname “the Podfather.”

With all these shows (and other things that either is in the works or never materialized), I estimate that I have produced around 1300-1400 podcast episodes. I really need to go back and do a full count because I’d really like to know. I have every episode of every podcast I’ve ever recorded, published or not, save one episode, or so I think. I may have found it on the server and downloaded it but if I did lose it, it was from 2011, I think. Jerry Chapman was our guest. But, other than that, I have every single one. Perhaps I’ll put that number together someday.

But, 500 episodes. To toot my own horn. That’s really something. And, it’s really impressive, for any show. Especially one that is weekly. Some podcasts do several a week and may have bigger numbers but I don’t know what those are. After all, The Less Desirables is the longest, continuously-running pop culture podcast in North Carolina. Some may have been there before me but didn’t keep it up or they showed up just after me, but I have been at it longer. Toot! Toot!

Here’s to the next 500 and I appreciate every listen you may have ever given us, Dear Reader. Thank you so very much. Thank you, Brian, for starting this with me. Thank you, Eugene, for bringing us into prominence. Thank you, Caitlin, for keeping us all in line and taking those shots at Eug and me. Thank you, Bruce, for teaching us how to be more professional in our “radio selves” and being there for us. Thank you, Danielle, for coming in and teaching us humility and how a badass woman can run a business with authority (and taking over as the “shot-taker” from Caitlin). Thank you, Bethany, for always having my back and being my other badass “work wife.” I love you all for what you have meant to this “little project.”

So, I’ve rambled enough. Until the next 500,
Scorp out!

—
“Better than tuna fish on cinnamon swirl raisin bread…” – TLD Announcer

Boss or: The Less Fit

14 Wednesday Aug 2019

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Podcasting, The Less Desirables Network

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Salutations™!!

In my infinite wisdom (or lack thereof), I forgot to schedule a guest on tonight’s The Less Desirables. So we had a roundtable discussion and Danielle talked about going to The Big What Festival this past weekend. She talked about the fun she had, the people she met, the bands that she saw and the bands that were coming to Bull’s Tavern. 20190814_194006-01

Bethany talked about her daughter moving to Hawaii, new cigars and such.

And I talked about how I will be doing some work with Liz Hronek, aka Miss Fit Boss. I told you last Wednesday of the connection I felt with her about my weight problem. We talked about how to at least try to combat that over the weekend and into this week. Liz is teaching me to believe that I can get to a reasonable goal of under 300lbs and then work on other goals of less weight from that point. But, anyway, she’s awesome to work with. I just wanted to say that again.

You can listen to our episode HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Whether you are the BOSS of a business, the BOSS of your family, or the BOSS of whatever life throws your way…You can also be the BOSS of your BODY, SOUL, & NUTRITION. This is what Miss Fit Boss is all about!” – Miss Fit Boss (Liz Hronek)

Spinning Sunday or: The Haul 7/27/19

28 Sunday Jul 2019

Posted by in Spinning Sunday

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Salutations™!!

DrjohnNighttripper

©Atco

Yesterday was a good music day. I was still on a high from the night before when I participated with the Vagabond Saints Society doing the music of The Cars at The Ramkat. Then, The BCPF and I went to Underdog Records and had a full day of music intake. We have listened to the whole of our haul from yesterday by now as we listen to the last entry in this post whilst I am writing it. Here’s the haul:

  • Dr. John, The Night Tripper – Gris-Gris — Mac Rebennack wanted to do something with his character, Dr. John, the Night Tripper. It was an elaborate story he was making and wanted others to help him, even trying to get someone else to be “Dr. John.” But, he ended up doing it and highlighting a lot of the good – and probably some bad – of the voodoo/New Orleans culture. This was his debut album and it sits at #143 on the RS List. It’s weird and wicked but cool. Unfortunately, we lost Mac last month. New.
  • Weezer – Weezer — This is Weezer’s cover album and these covers are bad arse! To name a few of the covers, “Africa,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Take On Me,” “Paranoid,” “Mr. Blue Sky,” and “No Scrubs.” It’s awesome. New.
  • Kate Bush – Lionheart — Hella talent here. But, man, she is somewhat cuckoo, at least as she purveys it. Great voice. I was tired after listening to this because of the ups and downs. VG++.
  • Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest — The BCPF said she knew it would be right up her alley but she wasn’t too familiar with this. It was psychedelic, experimental and trippy but had some hints of Jeff Buckley in there, too. It was a great listen. VG.
  • Ella Fitzgerald – Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! — Original mono pressing. I can’t emphasize how much we both love Ella. She was so amazing. Her voice like silk. Neither of us care for most of the “scatting” but it wasn’t too prevalent on this album. But, there is plenty of greatness on it. It’s a bit scratchy but still a good listen. VG-.
  • John Barry – Out Of Africa (Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack) — I love John Barry’s work. From James Bond to Somewhere in Time to, well, this, and beyond. This incorporates a little bit of Mozart, but it’s a beautiful collection of music. From what I remember, I liked the movie, too. VG++.
  • Damien Jurado – Live At Landlocked — I believe, from the cover photo, Landlocked is a record/music store. The BCPF was all over this but I have to say, whilst I liked Damien’s commentary and explanations. Once he started singing it was like he only hit four notes on-key. I didn’t really care for it, but again, I’m pretty sure she did. And, that’s all that matters, right? VG-.
  • Various – Ruthless People (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) — I love soundtracks, but I have to say I didn’t really care for this one. I actually like most of the artists on the album but these songs were not that good. VG+.
  • Mendelssohn, Erich Leinsdorf, Boston Symphony Orchestra– Incidental Music To A Midsummer Night’s Dream — $1 bin find. It’s in great shape and sounds amazing. The BCPF doesn’t care much about the narration, but I think it’s cool. I like it. Great pieces of music, here, too. VG+.

This week, Bethany, my co-host on The Less Desirables purchased a turntable from Jonathan at Underdog. She posted that she was playing Van Morrison and had some Fleetwood Mac. I know she has like 10 Olivia Newton-John albums, so Top Leaf Cigar Lounge will be rocking! Speaking of TLD, listen to each new episode to hear the TLD/UR special of the week. And, use Discogs to catalog your collection and use that shaking feature (shake your phone) to select a “random grab.”

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“When there’s a yellow moon above me, they say there’s moonbeams I should view. But moonbeams being gold are something I can’t behold, ’cause I was born to be blue.” – “(I Was) Born to Be Blue” (Tormé/Wells)

A Roundtable Piggyback or: Boozy Water

10 Wednesday Jul 2019

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Podcasting, The Less Desirables Network

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Salutations™!!20190710_200903-01

Tonight, Bethany and I did an impromptu “roundtable” session on TLD because our scheduled guest wasn’t feeling very well and Danielle went to an event. Bethany took a b*tch test to see how much of a byotch she is. Turns out it was xx% (listen to hear how much) and we sat around drinking Wild Basin Black Raspberry Boozy Sparkling Water from Oskar Blues.

We had a fun time. You can listen to it, HERE.

My cheesy retro movie this week is The Howling from 1981, starring Dee Wallace, Patrick McNee and Christopher Stone.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“After a bizarre and near-deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.” – The Howling

Guests or: A Fine Fill-in

29 Wednesday May 2019

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Podcasting

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Salutations™!!

Tonight on The Less Desirables, Danielle was unable to come because she had driven someone back to NOLA and was flying back. So, in her stead, she sent her right-hand gal, Rockie who brought us beer and played along with us. It was a good show. Rockie did a great job with Bethany and me. 20190529_194145-01

We talked about her, about Bull’s Tavern, music, a lot of things. You can listen HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I think podcasting is here to stay.” – Adam Scott

Roundtable Piggyback or: The Giveaway

17 Wednesday Apr 2019

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Podcasting

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Salutations™!!

I got a good deal of feedback from the conversation I posted on here yesterday, either on my page or those of Salem, who were really supportive of Graylen and, I suppose, me. cobras-logo

We didn’t have a guest on The Less Desirables tonight. That was mostly by design. We haven’t had a chance to really catch up with our lives, so Danielle, Bethany and I had a good “roundtable” discussion.

One thing we did talk about the Carolina Cobras this weekend, where, again, I am the “voice” of the team. Tomorrow morning I will release some social media that will act as a contest where I will give away two sets of two tickets to this Saturday’s game. I do hope you’ll enter the contest. You’ll have to listen to the show to win, though. You’ll have to answer a question about it. You can listen HERE.

Until then, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“The team will play in the Greensboro Coliseum and be called the Carolina Cobras.” – NAL

Citra Gose or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

18 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by in Beer, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Salutations™!!

Bull’s Tavern, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Citra Gose from Hi-Wire Brewing Company, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.citra-gose_mockup-402x1030

Goses have quickly become one of my favorite styles of beer. I love sour and I love salty and Goses are both at once. When Danielle brings in a Gose beer, I get excited. For one, it’s a Gose but also, I know that Danielle is my Beer Hero so she’s going to do us right! She did us right.

I really dig what Hi-Wire does. They’re located in NC’s Beer Capitol, Asheville. They do stuff to take care of the environment and they make great beer. This is one such beer. It’s salty and tangy and has a great floral and citrus aromatic essence about it. It’s light in body, light in heft (it’s only 4.2% ABV) but heavy on the flavor. Danielle said that if you like margaritas, you should try using this in lieu of a sour mix. I want to try that!

BeerAdvocate rates this beer 3.73/5 (Good) which I think is selling it short. Untappd has it at 3.67 caps out of 5, also selling it short. I rate it at 4.5 as it’s danged delicious. Have you had it? What did you think? If you’ve not had it or just have a hankering for more, head to Bull’s Tavern and try a pint of it. 

Listen to this week’s podcast episode to hear what we all think about it. You can do that HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“At our core, we brew beer we want to drink on a regular basis, beer we can sit down and have multiple pints with friends.” – Hi-Wire Brewing

Bolo or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

16 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by in Beer, Podcasting

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Salutations™!!

Bull’s Tavern, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents Bolo Coconut Brown from Burial Beer, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.burial

As Danielle said during the show, she’s never heard of a coconut brown before. We’ve heard of coconut stouts and coconut porters. But, never a coconut brown. It’s hard to beat just about any beer that has Burial’s name on it. So, when those factors are combined, that means delicious creamy goodness.

To me, there was a little bit of flavor dilution. There wasn’t a big coconut flavor push in the beer. The flavors were all a bit muddled. On top of that, the beer had been in a growler for an hour or so and it was warmer than I’d want it. I’d love to retry it right out of the tap. All that being said on the flavor, I liked it. I would just have liked a little more clarity. The brew is 5.6% ABV.

BeerAdvocate rates it at 3.94/5 (Very Good). Untappd has it at 3.91 caps out of 5. I rated it 4.25 out of 5. Tune into the latest episode of The Less Desirables to hear what Danielle, Bethany, Cheyenne, Nathan and I had to say about it. You can listen HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Dense forest demand sharp blades. Worn, torn, chipped or rusted, the Bolo shepherds the path. Later still, this tool of ancient times takes on the tiring task of harvesting the hidden fruit of the tropics. Enjoy an aroma that reminds you of tropical granola with a smooth maltiness that hints at chocolate and nuts. Baked in our kettle, cured to perfection.” –  Burial

Many a Brew or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

09 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by in Beer, Podcasting

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Salutations™!!

Bull’s Tavern, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents a shload of beer.

Yep, I said it was a shload of beer. Chances are the brews we had on the show this evening you’re not going to find at Bull’s Tavern, so instead, we are just going to talk about Bull’s Tavern. 1_tld

They have 24 taps. They have an extensive liquor wall. And, they have a lot of live music. So, beer, booze, music. That’s a great combination. Add in a great atmosphere and you have a near perfect place.

The thing about the beer selection at Bull’s Tavern is that there are many that you won’t find anywhere else in WSNC. That’s because, with Bull’s partnership with Gate City Growlers, they get brews that you just won’t find anywhere else. They drive to the far reaches of the state to get the best beer this state has available. Yum!

As far as live music goes, here’s what they have going on this week:

May 10 – Something Like Seduction
May 11 – Little Stranger
May 12 – Brothers Pearl

Go support local music and have a great beer whilst you’re at it.

Tune in to this week’s show and listen to Caitlin, Bethany and me talk about the beer that Caitlin brought. You can listen HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

I’ve Been Drinking About You or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

25 Wednesday Apr 2018

Posted by in Beer

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Salutations™!!

Bull’s Tavern, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents I’ve Been Drinking About You Double IPA from Casita Cervecería, The Less Desirables Beer of the Week.beer

Danielle brought us a good beer this week (well, every week). She brought this lovely gem from a nomadic brewery here in NC, Casita Cervecería. What does that mean? Well, think of it as if it’s a “pop-up” dinner at a restaurant. At a pop-up, a concept restaurant comes in and uses another restaurant’s facility, equipment, and space. This is what Casita is doing. They are creating “temporary” breweries inside other breweries.

This brew, as best we can tell, was made/brewed at Duck-Rabbit.

It was delicious. You got a waft of hoppiness in the beginning but that went away and what was left was a fruit-forward, honey-laiden, sweetish flavor. This is a good beer. It leaves a great lace, too. It’s a bit heavy on the ABV (7.5%) and I’m okay with that. It doesn’t taste boozy, though.

BeerAdvocate has it rated at 4.15/5 (Exceptional) and Untappd has it at 3.99 caps out of 5. I rated it 4.25 out of 5.

Have you had this brew? If so, what did you think? If not, or you just have a hankering for more, you can head to Bull’s Tavern and grab a pint or, if you have a growler, you can go fill it up with this delicious brew.

Tune in to hear the show and find out what Danielle, Bethany, Abigail and I think. You can listen HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“We like the idea of using our creativity to make a product that will make people happy.  It’s our greatest hope these beers will become part of your joyful memories.” – Casita Cerveceria