Tag Archives: PodernFamily

Now Normal Chronicles Podcast Edition or: Zooming

06 Monday Apr 2020

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Salutations™!!

I recorded three podcasts today. The Man Who Ate the Town, which I do every Monday, with Ray, Lea (who does Winston-Salem Strong with me) and Daniel Butner from Carrabba’s Italian Grill. We talked about the “list” and all the cool and good things that Daniel is doing. ZoomLogo_112b8a4

Then, Bethany, Danielle and I pre-recorded The Less Desirables, which will be released on Wednesday. We talked about the crisis and how it is affecting us.

Finally, Clay and I recorded episode #4 of Beeswax Vinyl & More. I’m going to post that (along with Wheeler’s Dog’s latest) tomorrow.

When we were recording TLD, I mentioned that I was going to ask for sponsorships for a year’s subscription to the full-on version of Zoom. The one that doesn’t cut off parties of three or more after 40 minutes. I have more control over rooms and more control over what goes on. It will help my business greatly as I can use it to record podcasts from anywhere. Danielle sent me the money almost immediately and I turned around immediately and purchased the paid version. So, from this point on, at least until April of next year, every TLD Network podcast that is recorded using Zoom will be “sponsored by Bull’s Tavern.” She’s awesome.

So, let’s do a podcast. Got an idea and don’t want to leave your house? No worries. Let’s do it remotely. Send me a message and let’s set this up.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Simplified video conferencing and messaging across any device.” – Zoom

The Now Normal or: The List Goes On

24 Tuesday Mar 2020

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

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Salutations™!!

Dear Reader, I’m apologizing to you upfront for the fact that I’m going to continue to inundate you with links to “the list.”

The list is the work of Lea Metz and myself, searching for what food and beverage businesses are doing in WSNC. Lea (pronounced Lee-ah, like my sister except hers if spelled with an “h”) joined Ray and me for The Man Who Ate the Town podcast yesterday. We all practiced social distancing and were each on a Zoom chat, Lea in WSNC and Ray in Mt. Airy and I was in the studio. You can hear that episode here.

I produce the Forsyth Mags podcast and was actually a guest on it this morning and talked about the list, as well. You can hear that episode here.

Technically, there are two different lists but that’s only for style and web usage. The data collected therein is shared between Lea and me. Nothing goes on that list unless we have discussed it with the other of us. We have had a great response and are still having people contact us to make sure their business (or a favorite of theirs) is on the list.

It has been shared and/or used by WXII, The Winston-Salem Journal, Yes! Weekly, and multiple Facebook and social media groups. I actually had someone text me today that said the executives at RJ Reynolds was using our list and had used/added it to their “teams” list. I am proud of this list and I know that Lea is, too. We talk about it all day every day, now. Someone is working on it now to make it more dynamic for cell phones and we will turn it into an app as soon as we can. We’re working on that, too. So, to update you on the list, you can find it here.

Thanks again for reading it and listening and for spending money at the local F&B businesses.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Hope this is over soon and we get to see you here.” – Nui Nui

The Buzz Around the Return or: More Closings

16 Monday Mar 2020

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Salutations™!!

Beeswax and More Logo Large

First, I am happy to announce that Clay and I recorded the first new episode of Beeswax Vinyl & More podcast since August of last year today. It was a bit rough but a few things factored into that. One, Clay and I were practicing “Social Distancing” and he was on Zoom with me. Two, we kind of just stumbled through things because we had an opportunity to do it and where we have not done it in seven months, we had to “reacquaint ourselves with our styles” to (somewhat) quote Paul Stanley. Just a lot of stuff going on in the world and we touched on it and some other things. We’ll be back to recording regularly, I hope. Listen to that episode here.

Also, today, Ray and I practiced “Social Distancing” with him at home in Mt. Airy and me in the studio. We do that every week so it was “business as usual.” Well, at least in the recording department. These last few weeks have been anything but “business as usual.” The COVID-19 thing is some serious business and the world is shutting down right now. Anywhat! Listen to TMWATT here.

Last week I provided an update from the Arts Council of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. Today I am offering their latest update:

To join with the broader community in responding appropriately to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County will temporarily close, to public access, the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts (“Rhodes Center”) and the Hanesbrands Theatre, beginning Tuesday, March 17, until further notice. All previously scheduled performances, exhibitions and other events at these venues have been cancelled or postponed.

The Rhodes Center includes the Sawtooth School for Visual Arts and Coffee Park, as well as The Arts Council’s own Reynolds Place Theatre, Mountcastle Forum/Theatre, Arboreal Gallery, Community Arts Gift Shop and
Every Corner Gallery.

The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are disruptive and challenging, and the entire community must make sacrifices in order to be safe and protect each other. We must comply with the safety protocols established by public authorities, and we should be proactive otherwise to help ensure the well-being of family, friends and the community at large.

At the same time, we must all strive to maintain, as much as possible, the elements of the social infrastructure of our community that have made it a great place to live, work, learn and place. There will be an aftermath of the current crisis, despite its near-term adversities, and we want our community to emerge with vibrancy and optimism comparable to before the crisis.

Accordingly, The Arts Council’s staff will continue to work during the temporary public-access closure of our venues – although we will do so remotely to the extent possible – in sustained pursuit of our mission to support and serve this community’s constellation of amazing arts organizations and artists. Even in the current crisis, the arts remain sources of comfort, inspiration and even physical well-being. Our arts constellation remains a valuable asset of this community, and we want it to shine brightly when the crisis has passed.

Please continue to reach out to us about matters of interest, as you would have done in the past, except do so via phone, email or online for the time being, rather than dropping by the Rhodes Center for a visit. Our mission to help extend the beneficial impacts of the arts to “touch every corner” of our community is unaffected by the COVID-19 crisis.

Until tomorrow, stay safe and wash your damn hands…
Scorp out!

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“Our mission to help extend the beneficial impacts of the arts to ‘touch every corner’ of our community is unaffected by the COVID-19 crisis.” – Arts Council WS/FC

New Eps or: The Network

02 Monday Mar 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday The Less Desirables Network released three episodes of the latest podcasts from The Man Who Ate the Town, The Beer Dads and Wheeler’s Dog. tldn screen 3320

I think they were all good spots but then again, I’m pretty biased.

You can listen to each of those if you visit the TLD Network page here. And, it isn’t just the three latest eps from the shows, but nearly all of the past shows in the order they were submitted.

It’s good stuff!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“We do have rum but she’s been abusing the hell out of it…” – Wheeler’s Dog Podcast Episode 4

Workin’ Like a Dog or: Behind the Wheeler

27 Thursday Feb 2020

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Salutations™!!

I wanted to take a few words to talk about the newest podcast on The Less Desirables Podcast Network. My pal, Eugene, who has been one of my besties, probably the bestie for the last 25 years and who was a former co-host with me on The Less Desirables, and author of the award-winning blog, Wheeler’s Dog, has turned that blog into a podcast.

It’s called Wheeler’s Dog Podcast. WheelersDog

It’s basically a well-planned and somewhat twisted stream of consciousness in spoken word format. It’s like him vomiting his quirky, sarcastic, curmudgeonly-laced personality into a podcast, but he’s funny as heck and ultimately he delivers with the podcast his own oddball version of love.

What does all that mean? It means you’re going to love it because it’s decidedly Eugene. And to know him is to love him.

I’m especially proud of this podcast because not only is it my pal doing it, not only is it him doing a podcast, not only is it on the Network, it’s him stepping into a realm that he is both very familiar with and very different than what he’s used to doing. I have been coaching him, helping through the learning curve, getting the episodes distribution-ready, and getting him on the major podcatcher services. I haven’t seen him that excited in a while. He has a Patreon page where you can subscribe and become a supporter which will get you perks like Patreon-exclusive episodes and “something cool.”

So, as the “mouthpiece” of the Network, and on his behalf, I invite you to listen to the first few episodes of the Wheeler’s Dog Podcast by visiting the Network site. You can also look up Wheeler’s Dog Podcast on YouTube and listen to the “free” episodes there, if you wish.

Welcome, Wheeler’s Dog Podcast, to the TLD Network family!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Let me talk about one of the things that have been bothering me lately…” – Eugene B Sims

Meanwhile… Back at the Podcast or: My Artistic Work Wife

06 Thursday Feb 2020

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Salutations™!!

One of the coolest parts of recording The Less Desirables podcast on Wednesdays is watching Bethany, one of my work wives doodle. She draws. She writes. She keeps records. I was cleaning up after the big night prepping for a new podcast client and I found her work from last night. I don’t know what half of it is (I do know the other half). I just found it interesting. She said I could share it. So, I’m calling it, “Meanwhile… Back at the Podcast.”

BMillerDraw

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I just took a GPS test Turns out I’m 100% that business now accessible by Salem Parkway!” – Bethany

The One With Them All (Mostly) or: The 10th

05 Wednesday Feb 2020

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Salutations™!!

I am a lucky man. A truly lucky man.

I love what I do. I know you are probably tired of hearing (reading) me say this and I know I say it a lot. I love my “job.” It’s not a job, per se. It’s not a career. It’s just what I do. What I do is podcasting. Just like I said on Monday (with the 10th anniversary of the first episode of The Less Desirables), without The Less Desirables, I probably wouldn’t be where I am in this industry.

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l to r: C Jay, Danielle, Scorp, Bethany, Brian, Eugene, The BCPF, Caitlin, Dory

I’m no big wig in it, but around here, to quote Ron Burgundy, I’m kind of a big deal. That is just me taking goofy, I don’t really think that I’m that big a deal.

Tonight, though, I got to realize what great friends and “family” I have. My podcasting friends. My podcasting family.

Brian, Eugene, Caitlin, Danielle and Bethany, all former or current co-hosts of The Less Desirables, joined The BCPF, The Beer Guru – C Jay Platt and his wife Dory (The Barley Babe) in helping me celebrate this podcast and what it has become. Brian came all the way from Richmond, VA and drove back after the podcast. Caitlin came from Baltimore. C Jay and Dory came from Charlotte. That’s amazing.

We talked about starting the podcast (Brian and I), Eugene’s joining and “not leaving,” Brian’s education and subsequent departure, Caitlin’s arrival, Eugene’s departure, Bruce’s arrival and departure, Danielle’s arrival, Caitlin’s departure, Bethany’s arrival and Danielle’s hiatus.

We talked about our memories, our guests, our music, our episodes and so on and so on.

I’m not going to write much more right now, I want to just relish the moments.

I can’t thank every one of them and every one of you that may have ever listened to the podcast, enough. If you hadn’t, perhaps you would? I recommend this one.

Tonight was a great night, a great show, a great time with great friends and family.

Until the next 10 years, this podcast at any pod time…
Scorp out!

—
“Better than tuna fish on cinnamon swirl raisin bread…” – The Less Desirables

A Decade of Decadence or: The Most Desirables?

03 Monday Feb 2020

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Salutations™!!

Today is the 10th anniversary of The Less Desirables’ first-ever episode, both recording and airing. February 3, 2010, was a Wednesday and I went to the area between Reynolda Road, Silas Creek Parkway and Wake Forest Road and picked up Brian from work as his car was in the shop.

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10 Years Old Today (the podcast, not the logo)

I took him to my house only to realize that I didn’t have the right mic or mic cable in my house for more than one person to talk. So, we had to run over to where the bands that I had been in had practiced and grabbed the right mic and cable and headed back to my house.

We sat in the “media room” (what is now 3B’s room) and looked at each other. “What are we going to talk about?” I asked. “I don’t know,” he said. I replied, “I tell you what… I’ll hit the record button and we’ll just see what happens. If we don’t like it, we can try again.”

The point was to have a 20-minute podcast, this newfangled kind of “radio-on-demand” or recorded audio thingy because 20 minutes is about the length of an average commute here in the Triad. Some are longer, some are shorter, but it’s about average at 20. How we were going to come up with something to talk about for 20 minutes was wracking our brains.

I hit the button. 38 minutes later, the first one was recorded. An hour later it was on a web server and I had half-arsed written an RSS feed, the best I could figure, and was ready for people to listen to. I don’t know that anyone did. I still don’t know if they hear them now. I just know that there are plenty of downloads. That first one was a bit rough and I think neither Brian nor myself would argue that.

It wasn’t fascinating stuff. But, you know what? Few people were doing it. We essentially had our own radio program, a morning-type show, and we were proud of that. And, here we are 10 years later and I am still proud of what we did that first day and all 520 episodes since. I am pretty sure Brian would agree with that.

This Wednesday will be the 10th-anniversary recording, number 521. I know that Eugene, Caitlin, Beer Guru Jay Platt, Danielle and Bethany will be there. There is a slim chance that Brian and Bruce will come but I’m not really sure. I’d love to have all of us in a room at once. Heck, it would be great if Superfan Damien could be here, too. But, he’s all the way out in Super Bowl Champion World (that’s Kansas City). It would be great, though. That first show even predates The BCPF by a few months.

Without that first show, there probably wouldn’t be any Fan Interference, any Camel City Dispatch News Hour, Tart & Tangy Triad, The Beer Dads, The Man Who Ate the Town, Apartment 5B, Sipping NC: The Art of Drinking, or Beeswax Vinyl & More. No The Less Desirables Network. No, Rule 1 Podcast, Owner’s Manual, No Mask No Cape Podcast, Forsyth Mags Podcast, Open the Blue Door Podcast, Wine About Real Estate Podcast, Margaret’s SpeakEasy Podcast, Transformative Conversations Podcast, Lunch Link Podcast, Thrive with Dara and Garth, or any of the ones that I should be starting in the next few weeks.

I’m not saying that none of these last group of podcasts wouldn’t be there, I’m just saying that I wouldn’t be the one making them happen if it weren’t for the first-ever recording of The Less Desirables 10 years ago today. I wouldn’t be called “the Podfather.”

When I started this journey in 2010, no one knew what a podcast was. I had to explain around seven times a day what it was. Now, I only have to explain it once every seven days. Now, almost literally everyone has a podcast and when people around here want to start one, they at least come to me first. That makes me feel good. It makes me feel important. It makes me feel like I truly am the “father” of the podcast culture around this area.

All this because Brian and I sat in a room in my house and made stuff up for about 40 minutes. Since that first day, there is only one thing that has stayed constant since the very first show. Not me, I haven’t been on every show. Not Brian, he left in 2014. Most would think it is the theme song (which I wrote, by the way). Nope to all of that. The only thing constant since the first-ever show (which was recorded on that day) is the disclaimer at the very end. It still has Brian’s voice on it, here, five and a half years since his leaving. So, even though he’s not here, he’s here every week.

If you’d like to hear this (very rough) first episode, you can do so here. Listen to that one and then listen to the one this week and hear the difference.

Well, here’s to another 10 years (at least) of The Less Desirables and The Less Desirables Podcast Network. Thank you for listening and reading…

Until tomorrow, same pod channel at some pod time (your choice)…
Scorp out!

—
“The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the contributors and not necessarily those of our distributors or hosting company. This podcast is copyrighted and any use of this product cannot be reproduced without the expressed written consent of Such-N-Such Limited, Inc. So don’t do it…” – The Less Desirables

Pulling Through or: In the Apartment

03 Tuesday Dec 2019

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Salutations™!!

Even though I’m sick, yesterday I still managed to record The Man Who Ate the Town, two episodes of The Beer Dads and today I recorded the latest episode of Apartment 5B. I’m still not feeling well, but I had some time with my friends and that was cool.

covered-illness-101

©Allianz

On TMWATT, Ray and I talked about the Tavern in Old Salem closing and a few restaurant reviews. On TBD this week, we talked about Paul dropping a bombshell that he used to own a wine cellar-building business. And on Apartment 5B, we have throat punches, workplace misconduct and conspiracy theories. We had fun on all of them.

Listen to TMWATT here.
Listen to TBD here.
Listen to Apartment 5B here.

I appreciate the listens.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“When you put your heart and soul into a business and you have your family involved in it also and wonderful staff, we have some wonderful people who have been with us all the way. We have a hostess who has worked here for 30 years as the front of the house hostess and a wonderful person. We’re sad for our employees.” – Rick Keiper

The Day After or: Blessed Beyond Deserving

21 Thursday Nov 2019

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday, I responded to what is not probably closer to 290 birthday wishes, be it by Facebook posts, Facebook Stories, Messenger, LinkedIn, texts and emails. I am blessed to have such great friends and family in my tribe and community. They care for me, they care about me. It’s a wonderful thing to be loved. 20191120_205349-01

Additional awesomeness from yesterday? They finished the renovations on our kitchen, laundry room and bathroom.

I got to spend about an hour and a half or two with my mother.

My friend, Algenon at Zesto Burgers & Ice Cream treated me to a fantastic birthday lunch.

My buddy David from Sunnyside Millworks, a “Lab Partner” (see what I did there?) gave me a gift certificate for Hoots Beer Co (a fave)!

Then we recorded The Less Desirables and The BCPF was our special guest. I had Danielle there, of course, and Tracy was our guest co-host and the best surprise, Bethany showed up! I had all my favorite work wives there with me.

I have closed in on the $300 fundraiser for Tourette Association of America

I love my life. I had a great start to my 49th year on the planet. Thank you to everyone involved.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey