Tag Archives: The Less Desirables Network

When It Comes Crashing Down or: A Reopening

01 Wednesday Jul 2020

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Salutations™!!

Today, I “officially” reopened The Less Desirables Studios in The Lab at Industry Hill for podcast recordings. Now, that being said I won’t be doing everything in that studio right away. Really, I’m only opening it so I can accommodate the clients that need a place for in-person podcasting. Some of my podcasts, ones that I host, will be done, some from my home, and some from the studio.

I haven’t talked much about this part, but I got my EIDL from the government and I have spent a good bit of it on new equipment, new computers, new processes and soon, a new table from which we do podcasting. I’m also going to reorganize the studio space, creating a new editing room and separate recording space.

The recording space will be in the same room that the podcasts are recorded, now. The editing room will be in a different spot in my suite, which I used to call “my office.” I never have used it as an office as I tended to do everything from the studio. The closest it has come to being an office is that the printer and internet router (thank you X1 Communications) are in there. But, it will be rearranged and used more effectively.

For the third office in the suite, I have to figure out what to use it for. My initial plan was for video. I don’t know about that now. We talked about turning it into a “set” for a revival of Sipping NC: The Art of Drinking but as of now, that whole idea is on permanent hold. The big room, I hope to figure something to do with that, too, but I am less interested in filling that room as it ties the whole thing together.

Now, speaking of Sipping NC and the “big room,” I went in yesterday to let in the cleaners that I had come in to help me prepare and when I walked in the door, I noticed a mess. It seems the top shelf of my liquor wall that held the bottles and cans Jordan Keiper and I had collected from the libation makers on the SNC show, collapsed and the bottles (save one wine bottle) had toppled to the floor. In doing so, I lost two bottles, a Bedlam Vodka bottle and a Covington Sweet Potato Vodka bottle had both shattered and the alcohol had soaked into the carpet. There were several other bottles that had fallen but none of them broke. Oddly enough, two of the bottles had lost their corked caps. That isn’t the odd part. The odd part is, I never found them. Nowhere. Gone. Disappeared.

I looked around and in the “office” I noticed a bag of ketchup and mustard packets had been gnawed to shreds by a rat or mouse or something. We have had a problem with those in the last little bit (but we have an exterminator that has planted bait traps). My only thought is that perhaps the rodent liked the smell of the alcohol and took them off somewhere to “have a party.” I don’t know, but it’s funny to think of it.

So, that was my adventure yesterday. I have clients scheduled for next week. Yay me! We’ll see where this new adventure takes me. Thanks for indulging me in my story.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I don’t think anybody can create in a space where they don’t feel comfortable.” – Amy Sherald

Now Normal Chronicles or: The Non-Video Edition

05 Tuesday May 2020

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

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Salutations™!!

Yesterday was an epic day for podcasting for me. I recorded The Man Who Ate the Town (listen here), The Less Desirables (releasing tomorrow), Beeswax Vinyl & More (listen here) and The Beer Dads (listen here). Then, I “produced” Wheeler’s Dog today. Thursday I will do Fan Interference. So, other than Apartment 5B and Sipping NC: The Art of Drinking, all of the TLD Network shows have been or will be released this week.

TLDNetwork

That’s a good week. I figured I’d give you a break from videos today since my biggest complaint has been the lack of anything happening.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Zoom sponsored by Bull’s Tavern!” – TLD Network

Now Normal Chronicles or: Whatever…

15 Wednesday Apr 2020

Posted by in The Less Desirables Network, Video

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Salutations™!!

It’s getting harder to keep up with dates. I usually know what the day of the week is but the dates are throwing me off. Probably because I’m doing the same thing almost every day. Not all day, just my morning routine is truly a routine. It’s been a long time since I’ve had an actual morning routine. And even at that, it’s not all that routine. I know that sounds kind of silly but it’s true.

Wednesdays throw me off right now. That’s usually, along with Monday, my busy days. But, although we release them on Wednesdays, we are recording TLD on Mondays right now. It’s just easier to go in one day a week right now as opposed to scattering them over days. Now, I still went in because I recorded Fan Interference, via Zoom (sponsored by Bull’s Tavern), of course. If I’m going to make money, I’m going in.

Anywhat! Today is the 54th anniversary of The Rolling Stones’ Aftermath album and the 46th anniversary of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Second Helping album. Because I value the UK versions of Stones and Beatles albums, I’m going with this because I don’t pass on a good Tesla video. Enjoy!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“‘Things are different today,’ I hear ev’ry mother say. Cooking fresh food for a husband’s just a drag. So she buys an instant cake and she burns her frozen steak and goes running for the shelter of a mother’s little helper. And two help her on her way, get her through her busy day.” – “Mother’s Little Helper” (Jagger/Richards)

Now Normal Chronicles or: 2000 in 2020

08 Wednesday Apr 2020

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

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Salutations™!!TLDNetwork

With all this “Now Normal” stuff going on, I didn’t even realize that I had passed 2000 blog posts last week. I think my official count makes this 2,008 blog posts. Part of it is that I have posted every, single day since November 1, 2014. That, Dear Reader, is 1,985 days. So, before that, my writing was hit or miss and I had a blog on another platform. It didn’t get much love anyway and WordPress is a much easier and much better platform.

It wasn’t until Kristen Daukas got me to do the NaBloPoMo (National Blog Post Month) where you post every day for a month. Well, I can’t stop and I like streaks, so, here we are 1,985 days later and I’m still going. And, I couldn’t and wouldn’t have kept going if I didn’t have readers. Thank you, Dear Reader, for doing just that. I certainly appreciate it.

I released Beeswax Vinyl & More yesterday and The Less Desirables today. Also, Wheeler’s Dog released yesterday. Go to the TLD Network website to listen to those.

Well, that’s all I have for today.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Blogging and the Internet allow us to engage in a lot more real-time conversations as opposed to a one-way dump of information or a message.” – Indra Nooyi

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 Continued or: Imminent Lockdown

25 Wednesday Mar 2020

Posted by in Food, Life as We Know It, Podcasting

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Salutations™!!

We are now into day whatever of “The Now Normal.” All the work on the WSNC Hospitality List has left me unsure of what day it is and what’s going on. The only saving grace is for what I either record or release as far as podcasts go. It did throw me off to record TLD on a different day of the week (two weeks in a row), but somehow I remembered to post it. I did record Fan Interference today.

20200325_224712

Staring at lists got me like…

The mayor of WSNC, Allen Joines announced today a “Stay-at-Home” alert and that freaked people out. It starts on Friday but people are, of course, going to panic and continue to buy up everything, hoard stuff and put others in further need. People are going to worry about having enough to eat. I can assure you, you will. Even with the “lockdown” in place, you can still go to the store. You can still go to “essential” stores and yes, absolutely, you can still get food from restaurants. You can’t eat in, that’s true. You can have it delivered. You can get it to go. You can even just get curbside that you don’t have to get out of your vehicle for.

Yes, it is a disruption to “everyday life.” It is an adjustment. We will survive it. We will see the other side. It will take a bit. It will be uncomfortable for a bit. But, there is no reason to freak out. That does no one any good. To give you the rundown and updated food service list, visit this link.

Keep calm. Listen to some podcasts. Spend time with your family. And, yes, wash your damn hands!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Y’all made it happen.” – Katie Murawski

Day Three Quarantine or: More Food News

19 Thursday Mar 2020

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

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Salutations™!!man who ate the town Stallone

Today was another day of working from home but like the last two days, I’ve been working on the food list. It’s been hard work but I published it. There’s the blog post that I started and then there’s the services list that I put on my The Man Who Ate the Town website. It’s the most comprehensive list for WSNC that I’ve seen. Lea Metz, a friend who has ties to the food industry and I have (and will continue to) worked our butts off on this.

You can see the update here.

I’m going to bed, now.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Great info and very helpful” – Alice Dodson

Day Two or: More Food Stuffs

18 Wednesday Mar 2020

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Salutations™!!

20200317_155633

Over the last two days, I have written more blog posts at TMWATT and definitely have edited one more than any other post that I’ve ever done. And, we are still hanging out working here at home, The BCPF and I. Working from home for both of us have been really busy. She’s been dealing with canceling functions through her work because of the “illness-that-shall-not-be-named” and I have been doing all the updates for the food and beverage industry.

We’re hanging in, though. If you want to catch up on that list, you can do so here.

I also posted a TLD episode today. You can hear that here.

Until tomorrow, wash your damn hands!
Scorp out!

—
“Thank you for doing what you do!” – Chelsea Tart

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!

—
“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

Seriousness or: Postponement Et Al

13 Friday Mar 2020

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Salutations™!!

Today is a sad day. Heck, this week has been a sad week, with the exception of my Sweetie’s birthday yesterday. But, with the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic being called, the markets plummeting to “near-nothingness,” sports seasons being postponed or canceled altogether, the entity(ies) that owe me money still do so, etc. It’s just been hard.

I worry about my restaurant friends and my freelancer friends and my gig-economy friends and even myself that relies on public participation to pay my bills. How long will this go on? How long with it continue? What will be left after it passes? A lot of questions to be answered. And, while I try not to talk politics, the ineffectuality of the government agencies to take care of us other than canceling everything (when it could have done more in the beginning except for a certain figurehead that just wants to wish/will it away)… here we sit. And here is the lay of the land. Bleak. It’s mighty bleak.

But, that’s not all. Staples in our communities are pulling back or flat-out canceling their events due to “an abundance of caution.” I understand and support that. But, it doesn’t make it any easier. Because of what I do, I get a lot of pressers in my inbox. And today, alone, I got three (with more most likely coming). First:

RiverRun International Film FestivalRiverRun

RiverRun International Film Festival is committed to the health and safety of our attendees, volunteers, staff, and community. The widespread health concern about COVID-19 is a reminder of the global nature of our daily lives and interactions. Given the latest news and the request to not convene groups over 100, we must announce the cancellation of the 2020 RiverRun International Film Festival. While we will greatly miss seeing everyone come together to celebrate the diverse global stories reflected in our films, we place a greater priority on the wellbeing of our constituents.

Once it is safe to reconvene and for our guests to travel, we hope to schedule a few mini-fests in the coming year to highlight some of the great films that were part of this year’s program. For donors and sponsors with badges and vouchers, please retain those and use them at our year-round screenings.

“The entire RiverRun team had worked tirelessly on what was shaping up to be one of our best festivals ever,” RiverRun Executive Director Rob Davis said. “We are saddened for the filmmakers and creators who we had looked forward to celebrating, but the health and safety of our community must be the priority.”

We offer two options for ticket buyers. You can request a refund through the Stevens Center Box Office, but we hope you will consider the value of your purchase as a donation to RiverRun. You can request a refund or indicate your preference to donate by contacting the Stevens Center Box Office online at boxoffice@uncsa.edu or by phone at 336-721-1945. Refunds for tickets purchased at RED Cinemas in Greensboro will be processed by the RED Cinemas box office. All requests for ticket refunds must be made by April 15.

RiverRun thanks the entire community for its support and looks forward to seeing everyone at our year-round screenings and at the 23rd RiverRun International Film Festival April 8-18, 2021.

**

But, wait, there’s more…

a/perture cinemaaperture2

Dear friends,

In our desire to do everything we can to keep our community healthy, a/perture cinema will be closing today Friday, March 13 through at least April 3 and until we know that it is safe to gather audiences together for the art of film. All scheduled special event programming and regular film screenings during this time are now canceled or postponed. This decision has been reached after much deliberation and in acknowledgment of a/perture cinema’s place as a community destination for film.

Despite having recently implemented increased sanitation and other precautionary measures, a/perture believes the best course of action at this time is a temporary closure. By voluntarily closing at least into April, a/perture cinema is prioritizing the health and safety of customers, staff, and the community at large, including vulnerable populations.

Public support is especially appreciated during this time and will help a/perture to reopen with minimal disruption as soon as it is acceptable to do so – memberships and financial donations will still be accepted.

a/perture cinema appreciates the community’s understanding and patience during this unprecedented time. a/perture looks forward to resuming business and welcoming customers back to the cinema upon reopening. In the meantime, please visit the a/perture cinema website for updates regarding rescheduled special events and films and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay connected with us while we are physically closed.

**

And…

Piedmont OperaPO logo

Piedmont Opera always considers its patrons in every decision it makes, and today, it makes one that concerns your physical health. Yesterday, both North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Allen Joines, The Mayor of Winston-Salem, advised against gatherings of more than 100 people in an effort to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. With this in mind, we must announce that we are canceling our performances of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I.

As we approached this decision, we examined all other possibilities. We spoke with Concord Theatricals, who holds the performing rights to The King and I, about live streaming the production to our patrons, but permission was denied. We evaluated rescheduling the production, but it was both calendar and cost-prohibitive. We were left with no choice.

“The cast, crew and staff are so saddened with this news. So many people, from professional singers to four-year-old children were making their debut on our stage,” said Piedmont Opera’s General Director James Allbritten. “As much as our community could use the ‘shot in the arm’ that this beautiful production would have given, it cannot be at risk of our patron’s health.”

In consideration of the state’s request that organizers be lenient in their return policy, Piedmont Opera is bypassing its usual no-return policy and will offer patrons two options. We hope that you will consider turning your purchase into a donation to support the company in this most challenging time. While the production has been canceled, the company will still have to bear the sizeable cost of producing this show, as we were only days from opening. You may also request a refund or indicate your preference to donate by contacting the Piedmont Opera box office at boxoffice@piedmontopera.org. Piedmont Opera has a very small staff and requests that you use this email address only to make your request. Please be patient. All requests for refunds must be made by March 27, 2020. After March 27th, tickets will be automatically converted into donations, and the purchaser will receive a letter for a tax deduction.

Piedmont Opera wishes everyone good health and a healthy return to the vibrant arts scene here in Winston-Salem, The City of the Arts.

Such worrisome and discouraging news. Remember folks, wash your damn hands!! You can prevent the spread of COVID-19 by limited physical contact with others, washing your hands, thoroughly with real soap and warm water and wipe down your phones, remotes, keyboards, mouse, etc. Just wash your hands!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“As much as our community could use the ‘shot in the arm’ that this beautiful production would have given, it cannot be at risk of our patron’s health.” – James Allbritten, General Director, Piedmont Opera