Tag Archives: Sipping NC: The Art of Drinking

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

Appelle-Moi or: NUMB

31 Friday Jan 2020

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Salutations™!!

Yeah, I know this is Friday and in the last bit I’ve done a “Friend Friday” post but I didn’t have time to write a long and thoughtful post today. But, I am going to talk briefly about my Google Voice number again.

We want to take listeners’ calls and texts for all the podcasts that I produce on The Less Desirables Network. This is not for the podcasts that I produce for others and outside of the Network, but this is for The Less Desirables, Fan Interference, The Beer Dads, The Man Who Ate the Town, Apartment 5B, Beeswax Vinyl & More and even Sipping NC: The Art of Drinking. TLDN GoogleVoice

If you have comments, questions, suggestions, or whatever, feel free to call or text the Network (repped by Such-N-Such Media/Such-N-Such Limited, Inc.).

It doesn’t matter which of these shows it’s for. When you call or text the number just make sure you say, “this is for xxx” (with “xxx” being the show you’re engaging or communicating about). If it’s a text, then I will read it “on-air” for the podcast that you’re talking about. If you leave a voicemail, I will play it on the podcast. If you want to communicate but don’t want me to read or play it on the air, all you have to do is say so in the communique, although I do reserve the right to read it or not in either instance.

And, if you want to communicate with me on this blog, you can also use the number.

We (the podcast owners/hosts/content artists) want to hear from our listeners, even if it’s something you need to set us straight or complain about.

So, I’m 283 words in and haven’t reiterated the number yet.  Well… it’s 336-422-NUMB. Yes, 336-422-6862. So, let us know about your thoughts, insults, questions or comments.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Colour me your colour, baby. Colour me your car. Colour me your colour, darling. I know who you are. Come up off your colour chart, I know where you are coming from… call me!” – “Call Me” (Harry/Moroder)

The Eve or: Shrimp and Ham and Stuff

24 Tuesday Dec 2019

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

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Salutations™!!

It’s Christmas Eve and this is when my family has beer-steamed shrimp (mmmmm) and ham and all kinds of treats and goodies. So, from The BCPF, 3B and myself, along with the entire TLD Network, we wish you all a happy whatever it is you celebrate!

TLDXmas2019

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!” – Charles Dickens

1827 or: How I’ve Still Gotten Myself Into This

01 Friday Nov 2019

Posted by in Beer, Blogging, Food, Life as We Know It, Movie Review, Music Review, Podcasting, Rant

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Salutations™!!

Deep sigh…

That’s what I just let out when I realized that today is the 1,827th blog post I’ve written since November 1, 2014. Perhaps more because I think there was at least one day, perhaps two, that I wrote more than one for a day.

On November 1, 2014, Kristen Daukas and Nick Badgio and I agreed to write a blog post every day for 30 days. All of November. I liked it and kept on doing it. I figured I’d go to the end of the year. I went a bit further than the end of that year. I’m going to repost the first post of the NaBloPoMo posts that happened on 1 November that year.

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©wiseGEEK

—
So we know that I’m a bit erratic or even sporadic when it comes to writing these blog posts.  Some of you may think that it’s good that you don’t hear from my blabbing self that often, some complain that I don’t do it enough.  Sometimes I have things to say, sometimes I don’t.

So, I’ve recently agreed to, along with Kristen Daukas and Nick Badgio, thus far, to participate in this thing called NaBloPoMo which is some fangdangled way to say National Blog Posting Month.  The idea behind this insanity is that bloggers post every day for the month of November.

A-Blog-Post-A-Day-For-A-Month. Sheesh, the things I get myself into.

Eugene sometimes says that I get too into lists, like the Rolling Stone Top 500 (see my many posts about that lunacy); that’s a commitment. Then I get the honeymoon stories, which I have gotten good reviews for, and will continue to do those. So, the trick will be to do what I need to do in bulk. Kind of get ahead, if you will and keep them in the pipeline. Maybe, something in my life will be interesting enough to create a post here and there.

So, you, dear reader, will be either the beneficiary or the target of turmoil for my month-long ramblings. Of course, I could just let everyone down and “not find the time” or just forget. So, today, November 1 is nombre de jour (day #1) and let the madness begin!

That was 1826 days ago. I have thought about giving up the “daily” aspect of it. I think somewhere along the line I wrote about that dilemma. But, I can’t stand the thought of not having a post. My writing would go all the poop. It’s hard to fill each day. It’s hard to keep up the pace that I do. Some days it doesn’t happen. I’ll be honest. I go and backfill the spaces sometimes. I’ve gotten much busier so I’ve had less time to write but somehow, I pull through.

I’ve written a lot about music – things and albums that were celebrating some kind of anniversary or that I find interesting. I’ve written about lists. I’ve written about movies. I’ve written about food. I’ve written a lot about the podcasts that I do. I’ve written about my family. I’ve written a good bit about my son. I’ve written a great bit about my wife. I’ve written mostly about me. Or have I?

Again, this was never meant to be taken as 100% gospel or to denote that I knew what I was talking about or was even telling what really happened. I set out to do this blog written from a character’s perspective and in many ways I have done that. However, I feel I let that line blur a bit and it’s more real-life than character-driven and I don’t know how I feel about that. I want to be honest or at least be convincing. Sometimes those don’t go hand-in-hand. I want to try and bring the character back out a bit. That’s why I sign everything on here as “Scorp” and not Tim. I never try to actually hide that I’m Tim, nor that The BCPF is Stephanie or 3B is Trey. I just enjoy the code names. But, it started as an outlet for me to be creative and not necessarily straight-shooting.

Kristen told me once when I struggled to describe my blog, that it was a “lifestyle” blog. I can see that. I talk about randomness but cohesively sorted topics sometimes. But, it’s about all the things I mentioned earlier and it’s not just a music blog, a food blog (I have The Man Who Ate the Town for that), a self-help blog (Beer Dads), alcohol blog (Sipping NC then and maybe its return is imminent). It’s my life. It’s my lifestyle. So, in that, it is a lifestyle blog.

To you, Dear Reader, thank you for reading and putting up with this mess every day for the past 1,826 days. I mean, if I didn’t have comments/”likes”/follows on my blog, what would be the point of me doing it? Just to read myself talking? I appreciate your time. Here’s to the next 5 years.

Heck, I don’t even know if National Blog Posting Month is still a thing. I went back and looked at the Twitter account for BlogHer and it hasn’t moved since 2016. The website for it has events but doesn’t mention NaBloPoMo. So, I don’t know. It doesn’t matter because I don’t do it for them. I do it for me.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp (Tim) out!

—
““A writer — and, I believe, generally all persons — must think that whatever happens to him or her is a resource.” – Jorge Luis Borges, Twenty Conversations with Borges, Including a Selection of Poems : Interviews by Roberto Alifano, 1981–1983

The TLD 500 or: Breaking at the Speed of…

12 Thursday Sep 2019

Posted by in Podcasting, The Less Desirables Network

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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

Nine Years On or: The Less Desirable

03 Sunday Feb 2019

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Salutations™!!

(note: I know it’s Sunday and usually I’ll have “The Haul” but this is important, so look for the record post tomorrow)

I know I’ve told this story a million times and probably to you, Dear Reader, but here it is again. It started more than nine years ago when my pal, Brian Attridge and I sat at table 1 at Finnigan’s Wake and talked about starting this new thing called a “podcast.” 08c6c-tld

Brian was to do the newer music/sports and I would do the older music/movies and just do a pop culture thing. We decided to do it on a Wednesday because the idea was to cover things that had already happened and things that were going to happen. It was smack in the middle of the weekends. It was to be 20 minutes long because that is the length of the “average” commute in this area. There was a third person named Colin that didn’t work out before we ever started to do it.

Since we had decided on Wednesday and we wanted to go ahead and get started, we decided that the first episode would be recorded on February 3, 2010, which was the first Wednesday in February. It was also the day after Brian’s birthday. His car was in the shop and I picked him up from work (he still lived in GSO and worked in WSNC at the time) and drove him to my house.

I had prepared a lot of things for the recording, like the intro, a session, etc. But, I had forgotten to get the extra microphone. So, we ran over to my office and searched through a lot of cables and other junk to get what we needed, oh and that other microphone. Then, we went back to my house, into the extra bedroom which was the original “Studio 1A” and is now 3B’s bedroom. I hooked up the microphone to the input and turned around and asked him, “what now?” He didn’t know, he had done this even less than I had. I had plenty of time in the studio but it was rarely just me talking and never with other people. “How are we gonna fill 20 minutes?” He didn’t know that, either.

I said to him, “I tell you what… I’m going to just hit record and we will see what happens.” He agreed with that. I hit record. 36 ½ minutes later, episode number was finished.

We talked about the Grammys that had happened the weekend prior. The Oscar nominations for that year had just been announced. We talked about the Super Bowl which was the Colts vs. Saints. And, we talked about some newfangled gadget called an “iPad” that was coming out and Brian had never heard of the Kindle. We were just getting started and a lot of things have progressed in the nine years since that first episode.

We had our first “official” guest on March 17, which happened to be our Official Beer Guru, C. Jay Platt. We had had “The Least Desirable” who wrote in at/to us a good bit in the beginning in the studio but he wasn’t an “official” guest. CJ came on the first Wednesday of each quarter at first but we moved him to the first Wednesday of each month after that. He was a trooper because he lives in CLT but came up to do our show with us. We have had a lot of guests since then. A lot!

We moved from the extra bedroom downstairs to the upstairs landing in my bedroom. That was Studio 2A

In 2011, Eugene came on the show as a guest and then on board as our “official third wheel” the next week, even if we didn’t call him that at the beginning of his tenure.

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Camel City Dispatch News Hour

We moved our studio to downtown WSNC, a dream of mine, in

Faninterference

Fan Interference

December 2012. We called it Studio 3A and then to another location in the same building and kept it as Studio 3A. In that studio, we launched The Less Desirables Network with the beginning of The Camel City Dispatch News Hour with Chad Nance and Fan Interference with Ty Collins (and a few co-hosts along the way) within a few months of each other in 2013. We started Tart-N-Tangy Triad in late 2013 with The BCPF and Nikki Miller-Ka.

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Tart & Tangy Triad

Brian went to WFU to get his MBA and before even graduating he was hired by the Bank of Virginia to go work in their student loan division. So, in 2013, he left and Eugene and I kept on for a bit before asking Caitlin Weaver to come in and be our “third wheel.” We stopped calling her that and she was then the third co-host. Eugene had a lot on his plate with his real job and he left in November 2015. Almost immediately, we had Bruce Cole come in and he took Eugene’s place, which isn’t really what happened. No one can replace Eugene. No one could replace Brian.

Bruce did a great job and brought along As Ardmore Turns from his radio days. He had to go back to Chi-Town to be with his wife’s family a bit and had to leave. Caitlin moved to the Co-Pilot chair and we brought in Danielle Bull to fill Caitlin’s seat. I continued to do As Ardmore Turns as Bruce left it in my hands. I did it until early-2018. I have all the old episodes, I think I’m going to release them over time.

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The Beer Dads

In 2015, CCD and Tart-N-Tangy ceased to operate. But, in

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The Man Who Ate the Town

February 2015, Jon Lowder, Paul Jones and I started The Beer Dads Podcast (now 160 eps in). In July 2016, I did the first episode of The Man Who Ate the Town podcast. We moved to Test Pattern Studios later that month. We started Sipping NC: The Art of Drinking with Jordan Kieper and myself in December 2016 which went until August 2017 where it went into semi-permanent hiatus mode. In March 2018, Apartment 5B Podcast started with Jeff Evans and Rory.

We had always known that Caitlin was going to have to leave us because she was “on

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Sipping NC: The Art of Drinking

loan” from the US Army whilst she worked on her Ph.D. In September, 2017, she left us. Danielle had brought Bethany Miller in to be a guest co-host and like Eugene before her, didn’t stop coming. She has been my right-hand gal ever since. Even when she sits on my left.

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Apartment 5B

We moved into The Less Desirables Studios in The Lab at Industry Hill in July 2018. It has been our home ever since. The TLD Network is strong. There is a chance of a resurrected Sipping NC podcast, too. But, all of this wouldn’t be possible without that first episode recorded nine years ago today. So, to Brian, Eugene, Caitlin, Bruce, Danielle, Bethany, Chad, Ty, Hailey Brooke, Jon, Paul, Nikki, The BCPF, Jordan, Jeff, Rory, Kelly Bone, Tim Johnson, Ray Morgan, our countless guests over the last 1100 episodes or so (combined), thank you all for the roles you have played in this roller coaster called The Less Desirables (and TLD Network) and happy anniversary to you! I love you all.

Thank you, our listeners for your support over the last nine years and for your future support. Thank you to our sponsors, past, present, and future for all you have done or will do for us. We love you, all.

And a very, very special thank you to The BCPF (Stephanie) for always being by my side when I come up with these crazy ideas. I love you infinitely.

I am going to leave a link to that first ever episode HERE. I’d appreciate a listen. It’s rough. It’s amateur. It’s funny. It’s clear that I was getting over an allergy or cold. It also contains the two things that have never changed since we recorded it: the theme song (although the intro has) and the disclaimer at the end. To this day when you listen to episode 469 (this week) that ending is still the same and is the legacy of Brian in every episode.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp (Tim) out!

—
“Until next time, same pod channel at SOME pod time… Your choice…” – The Less Desirables

The More You Know or: A Little Love

14 Friday Dec 2018

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Rant

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Salutations™!!

You know, Dear Reader, I have clout. That’s a funny word, “clout.” Not Klout, the social media analytics tool that measures your social media importance. I mean real clout. According to one dictionary’s definition, clout is “influence or power, especially in politics or business.” how-to-shop-local-winston-salem

Now, I’m not bragging on that, that’s a heavy cross to bear, but I know people, people know me. I speak about things, I write a somewhat influential food blog/podcast. People tell me things so I can tell others. That has been built up from The Less Desirables to my time producing/co-hosting Sipping NC, my writings, and so on.

My point, again, is not to brag. My point is people entrust me with information with the intention of spreading it around. With this, I will admit that I get a lot of concessions. I get some “freebies.” I get invited to things because of this “clout.”

Many of the things that I “push” are things that are provided by sponsors of one of my podcasts. I understand that. You understand that. I make no bones about the “official sponsors” that I promote or advertise. Those things are posted about are things that are bartered, traded, gifted or whatever. But, they get that all the time and I will absolutely continue to do that, in abundance.

But, there are a lot of companies out there that are worthy of talking about, even beyond my sponsors or trade partners. These local businesses need to be noticed, need your support and need to be on your “must stop” list.

A Daisy a Day Florists, Airtype, Alma Mexicana, Bookmarks, Brookstown Inn, Camel City BBQ Factory, Mr. Barbecue, Sally Gupton Photography, West End Coffee House, Camino Bakery, Jeffrey Adams, Hutch & Harris, Fearless WS, Footnote, Camel Pawn Shop, Alkali Hair Studio, West End Cafe, Computer and Technology Services (CATS), Fortified Futures, Vibes Up Winston-Salem, River’s Edge, Seamless Living, Dr. Renea’s, Happie Food, Image360, Ink It Promotional Products, Train to Relex Yoga, The Breathing Room, The Porch, The Olio, The Tin Can, BeYou360, TimmyVO, Ed Dean with Cruise Planners, Solutions Afoot, SixFour Web Design, Stallone Frazier Photography, SunnySide Mercantile, Twin City Hive, Black Mountain Chocolate, Sunshine Beverage, Broad Branch Distillery, The Ramkat, Earl’s WS, Wise Man Brewing, Fiddlin’ Fish, Triad Speech Consultants, Crafted The Art of the Taco, Reboot, Dogwood Hops & Crops and The Trophy Room, Sweet Aromaz, The Flour Box, The Tavern at Old Salem, Cowboy Brazilian Steakhouse, Krankies, Fair Witness, a/perture cinema, Sweet Potatoes, Rec Billiards, Mozelle’s Southern Bistro, Campus Gas, ANY of the artists’ shops or galleries on Trade Street, Ronnie’s Country Store, Monstercade, Southside Beer Garden, Old Winston Social Club, Burke Street Pizza, Uncle Buzzy’s, Cin Cin’s, The Quiet Pint, May Way Dumplings, Penny Path Cafe, Cafe Arthurs, Stell Brew, The B-String, Hair Bomb, Coffee Park (all locations) and many, many more.

The point is, all of these businesses are locally owned (and/or operated) and deserve some love. Sure, I take pride in my sponsors and will do everything to promote them, not just because they’re my sponsors but because they have supported me. I’m not going to mention any of them in this post because, for this post, it’s completely unsolicited recommendations. Every one of these businesses is run by local folks who care about their customers and deserve your attention. Not one of these businesses asked me to say anything. I just think this is the weekend and Christmas is coming up. Gift certificates, stocking stuffers, trinkets, dinners, lunches, beers, spirits. Each one of them can help you fulfill your needs and you’ll help keep them in business. I don’t usually say please, but please show them some love and support. They deserve it.

Until tomorrow, when you may see me in a few of these businesses…
Scorp out!

—
“What local businesses SHARE with corporations is a certain expectation of increased profits in the month of December, which many count on to carry them through bleak months like brutal January and devastating February.” – Dana Moody

Piggybacking or: A Couple of Piggies

30 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by in Beer, Food, Podcasting, The Less Desirables Network

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Salutations™!!

So, I’m not piggybacking The Man Who Ate the Town this week. Well, not exactly. TMWATT podcast is going to take a couple of weeks off. The podcast, not the blog. Not the Instagram account. Not the Facebook page. Those aren’t taking a break. The facts are the food scene is a little slow right now, but worry not, Dear Reader, when “breaking food news” comes along, I’ll be reporting it!TBDBottle.png

But, onto the exciting news! The Beer Dads produced their newest episode tonight. It was the first we have done since March. Lots of changes in our lives and, of course, the new digs, right!? So, to hear the “welcome back” episode, check out the post, HERE.

Fan Interference comes back next week and we’re working on Sipping NC: The Art of Drinking. I hope to get the whole TLD Network back up and running, soon!

And, thank you for reading and listening!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“If music be the food of love, play on.” – William Shakespeare

The Space Within or: Mad Lab?

28 Thursday Jun 2018

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

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Salutations™!!

Last night, Danielle, Bethany and I recorded the first ever episode of The Less Desirables from our new digs. I have used that term a lot in the last bit but I feel it’s appropriate for this location. Anywhat! Now that we have all the ducks in place, I am in a position to tell you guys of the new space and give you a (virtual) tour.

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Main Office Area

First, the location itself. You know, Dear Reader, that we were in the Test Pattern Studios that were in the back of, you guessed it, the Test Pattern bar; right across from The Garage on 7th Street. Well, we are now about 4 blocks north, almost exactly, from that location. We are now on N Chestnut Street. The area is called Industry Hill (or at least we’re trying to make it so). It’s between 7th Street and Northwest Blvd. It’s where the Warehouse District is/was and whilst some are saying there’s no industry here, I say poppycock. Warehousing is an industry. Textiles is an industry. Furniture is an industry. There is plenty of industry here.

But, my plan to expand Such-N-Such Media into a real media company that goes beyond just podcast production and voice-overs. My new location is more than just a podcast studio. Here’s how it works out.

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The NC Libations Collection

First, there’s the main area. It sits about 300 square feet. I plan on getting a TV and streaming programming on it, including offering some advertising space to sponsors. Yes, the traffic is limited but we do get a good bit of guests coming through for the various podcasts (and other future things) so it’s just another incentive. That’s where the beer fridge is and out great friends over at Machine Gun Graphics are going to make me a huge TLD logo like we used to have in the Chatham Bldg studio. It leads to all the other rooms and studios. It also has all the bottles and libations from the guests on Sipping NC: The Art of Drinking podcast.

 

Then there’s the podcast/VO/production room. This is where all the magic happens. The six-foot round table that we have had for the last several years is too big. It fits but it makes it hard for people to sit around the table. So, our pals at Sunnyside Mill Works is going to custom make us a four-foot round table. So then we have something special; something no one else has.

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The Podcast Studio

Next, the video room. It’s awfully plain right now but I’m going to hang a green screen, a black muslin sheet and a white muslin sheet so I can create nearly any background I need to for video and photography. That opens up my service availability and scope of operations.

Something that I’ve never had before? An actual office for Such-N-Such Media, Such-N-Such Limited (the company that owns the media company) or any of the podcasts. Now, I do. Odd blue walls and all. I don’t know how much I’ll be in there as of right now but I do plan on using it in the future.

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Video Studio

I have my own bathroom that I don’t have to share with the rest of the building. The rest of the building has to use the communal restrooms. One of the coolest things in there is an old Wachovia bank vault. Well, it’s night drop safe with a Night Depository “slot” that is made of die-cast iron and what appears to be brass. It’s still pretty cool.

The building we’re in used to be the EG Forrest main offices. EG Forrest was a food distribution company that sold their company a few years back. Being as they were a food distributor, their breakroom actually had a hood system like in restaurants, although there is no stove or grill under it. I am sure there used to be. There is also a commercial grade dishwasher that was left behind and it powers on. Chef Travis said they use the same one at Willows Bistro and is getting me in touch with their technician so I can have him check it out and see if we can get it to work. That would mean I can get clean glasses without having to hand wash them. I hate doing that. So, keep your fingers crossed.

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The Office

Ideas for the name of the building has been floating around among the landlord and me. We have had a few other names which I think are cool but, for now, we are going with The Lab at Industry Hill. It’s sleek and classy. Odd-kind of something of a name for a podcast called The Less Desirables, huh?

So, there’s the big secret. I did a sweep today of Test Pattern Studios to make sure that I had everything out as it was my deadline. It’s clear. Onto bigger and better things in the Lab at Industry Hill!

Check out the first podcast recorded there, last night, HERE.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I find podcasting an enticing space.” – Jason Calacanis

On the Move or: Stu-Stu-Studio

25 Monday Jun 2018

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

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Salutations™!!

Today, with the help of my son, 3B and my nephew, whom his mother calls “Wee One,” both of them 16 and strong-backed, I moved everything that was ours out of Test Pattern Studios. It looked weird with all the stuff out of there. But, we moved it all into the new location and we’ll be able to tell you more about that studio in the coming weeks.

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Scorp holding the key to the new SNS Media recording facility.

But, I wanted to do some numbers on the other shows. A recap, we moved into Test Pattern Studios on July 20, 2016, and stopped production on June 20, 2018. That’s 100 weeks/700 days. 100 episodes of The Less Desirables were recorded there, as I stated a few days ago. Now, let’s talk about the others.

If my calculations are correct, we recorded 66 episodes of The Beer Dads in Test Pattern Studios.

We recorded approximately 85 episodes of Fan Interference. That could be a low estimate. It may be closer to 90 but here’s where I’ll put the proverbial “~” in there.

We recorded 36 episodes of Sipping NC: The Art of Drinking podcast there.

We recorded 73 episodes of The Man Who Ate the Town podcast there.

We recorded 10 episodes of Apartment 5B podcast there, which isn’t on the TLD Network, but you should still check it out!

We recorded five episodes of Twisted Tulip Podcast with Stacy V, which has never been released, only recorded and produced.

Such-N-Such Media (the company that produces the podcasts) also does production for outside content. We produced around eight (again, “~”) episodes for the Piedmont Triad Apartment Association’s Not a Complex Podcast in Test Pattern Studios which were recorded off-site by Jon Lowder.

Also, SNSM produces Thrive Podcast that is recorded off-site and sent to me to “massage” it and get it ready. This has just started to be released. If you have people in your life that are dealing with cancer, have them check out this podcast. Or, heck, you or your loved ones don’t even have to have cancer, perhaps you’re in treatment or are the caretaker for someone who is a cancer thriver? This is an entertaining podcast that still touches on subjects important to anyone with “the Big ‘C’.” We have produced around eight of those so far.

If my math is correct (or should I say the calculator on my laptop), then that’s 391 podcast episodes in that 700 days/1 years 11 months.

Again, I can’t thank B Cole enough for allowing us to use the space. I’m going to miss my 7th Street Window but progress happens. Now it’s on to greener pastures, at least that’s what I’m hoping for. Again, more to come on the new space. So, wish me luck for tomorrow as I go and start putting the pieces of the puzzle back together.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I’m easy. Put me in an interesting location with good people and I’m there.” – Jane Curtin