G’Day World transcripts now available!

by | Jun 4, 2007 | Podcast, Uncategorized

For years now I’ve had people ask me about podcast transcriptions. So I’m pleased to announce that TPN has just started working with UK company Pods In Print to provide transcripts for some of our shows. We’re going to start with a couple to test out demand – G’Day World, Digital Photography Show and Napoleon.

Tom Price, the guy behind Pods In Print, has real live human beings doing the transcriptions, which is important. I haven’t found a software solution yet that could even begin to handle TPN’s range of dialects – my Aussie accent, Ewan’s Scottish accent, Dave’s geek accent….

Anyway the first transcript available is the Vint Cerf interview. Get it here. Access to the transcripts requires a subscription. It’s US$12.95 for one month or $120 a year.

Would love to get feedback on the service.

G’Day World feed fixed!

by | Jun 1, 2007 | Uncategorized

A big THANK YOU to Mick Hanna in TPN IT. The G’Day World feed is now unborkified. Turns out it was just one of the many problems we’ve had as we’ve tried to install PodPress. Dan has built a great app and it works great with new installs, but every time we’ve tried to install it over the top of one of our existing shows, all hell breaks loose. Enclosures break, feeds breaks, it’s a nightmare. Especially on a show like this with 300 podcasts in it’s archive. The idea of rolling it out across all 100 TPN shows is terrifying.

If anyone out there has managed to install PodPress over the top of an existing show and not run into major issues I’d love to hear from you.

Exposing Uri Geller

by | Jun 1, 2007 | Uncategorized

Filmmaker Brian Flemming (GDAY WORLD #210) had a interesting post on his blog today about Uri Geller. Those of you born after 1980 might not even know the name, but he was pretty famous in the 70s and 80s as an Israeli guy who had the power of telekinesis.

Now – I’ve always been a fan of Geller’s. I even read his autobiography when I was a kid. I never had any doubts that he was a simple magician – a prankster, a trickster. But he was so good at it! I love to be amazed. It happens so rarely.

That doesn’t mean I totally discount that telekinesis might be possible. Who doesn’t want the force pull? Damn, I have spent countless hours over my life trying to make that shit work. One day – with the help of aliens or AI, I intend to have it. I won’t rest until I have it. I MUST HAVE IT.

But I don’t think Uri has it. And Brian pointed me to a list of fabulous videos by famed skeptic James Randi which are on YouTube and totally blow all of Geller’s techniques. They are stunning viewing. I still didn’t pick the tricks until Randi would stop the video, explain it, and THEN, when you watch it again, it is so obvious, it’s silly.

But goddamn, this guy is GOOD!!! You have to appreciate that. Magic on TV for all these years and he is still (almost) getting away with it.

Only 1 week until MODM #2!

by | Jun 1, 2007 | Uncategorized

40 people are registered so far to come to MODM #2, which I’m pretty happy with, considering it’s only our second event and we’re still one week away. Our sponsors for this event are Eight Black. Special guest at the event will be Dr Peter Ellyard. If you haven’t already registered, please make sure you do, because our caterers are keeping an eye on the numbers. Register here. And subscribe to the MODM blog here. Oh and there is now a MODM group in Facebook.