The Coffee Zone was packed. SRO. I chatted with Gaylin for a couple of minutes (I think she’s the instructor) and learned that some of the dancers were beginners and others were more experienced.
Author Archives: Steve Mays
Pedal like your life depends on it!
Bob lives in Madison, WI, where it’s damned cold. And every morning (and every evening) he hops on his bicycle and peddles pedals five miles to work. Whatever the weather, no matter how cold. Or so he says and I want to believe him. I don’t know how you ride a bike in ass-deep snow but Bob says you can (special tires?).
He snapped this photo this morning. It was a few degrees below zero. Note his rosy cheeks.
When it’s that cold, what happens when you sling a bucket of warm water into the air? It freezes before it hits the ground.
Update: Willie Lohman “peddles” like his life depends on it. Thanks, E. for the reminder.
Nanotube Radio
Some researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have constructed "a fully functional, fully integrated radio receiver, orders-of-magnitude smaller than any previous radio, from a single carbon nanotube. The single nanotube serves, at once, as all major components of a radio: antenna, tuner, amplifier, and demodulator."
"The nanotube radio’s extremely small size could enable radical new applications such as radio controlled devices small enough to exist in the human bloodstream, or simply smaller, cheaper, and more efficient wireless devices such as cellular phones."
They’ve provided short videos of this little bugger playing Layla, Good Vibrations, and the Star Wars theme. [Thanks, Trish]
For the record: I’m for Obama
I’ve always been a cynic when it comes to politics. I recall saying something derisive along the lines of, "I think it’s precious that you believe it makes a difference who is in office" when someone would praise or knock a politician.
George Bush and Dick Cheney have burned that cynicism right out of me. It does matter. And while I don’t know which candidate –if any– can get us out of the jam Bush and his buddies have put us in, it’s time to stand up and be counted.
I’m voting for Obama. If he wins and makes things worse, you can send me a link to this post and hold me accountable. And I promise not to hide. Funny, but I can’t find a Bush supporter anywhere these days.
This post is just for the record. No need for comments. I urge everyone to pick a candidate and support them.
How do you know when it’s over?
When you find yourself in the Fraternal Order of the Eagle Banquet Hall in Jefferson City. That’s Missourinet reporter Brent Martin. The faces say it all. [Photo by Jon Allison]
Net makes radio and TV transmitters obsolete
Doc Searls says the Net makes radio and TV transmitters obsolete the moment high-enough-bandwidth wireless connectivity becomes ubiquitous.
“We’re one good UI away from the cell phone becoming a radio. (Thanks to the iPhone, it already serves as a TV.) And we’re one smart cell company away from radio- and TV-as-we-know-it from being replaced entirely — or from moving up the next step of the evolutionary ladder. Public broadcasters know that. That’s one reason they now call themselves “public media”, a move that separates the category from its transport methods.
Will this someday be an issue for our networks? Radio Iowa. Wisconsin Radio Network. Nebraska Radio Network. Time will tell.
Googling “white boy day”
One of my earliest posts (2/18/02) was a gush about the 1993 film True Romance. I titled the post: “It Ain’t White Boy Day Is It?” …one of many great lines in the movie.
Of the 3,000+ posts here at smays.com, that one still gets the most comments. But I’m more proud of the fact that this post is the #1 Google search result for “white boy day.”
Out of how many results, you ask? Put quotation marks around the phrase: 5,490. No quotation marks: 9,880,000. This is why we blog.
Jim Lipsey
Jim Lipsey was one of Learfield’s first employees. He was part of the KLIK gang (Derry Brownfield and Bob Priddy) that helped Clyde Lear get the company up and running.
On Friday we got Clyde, Jim and Bob in a studio to talk about those early days and Jim’s contributions (there were many). Jim will be 87 his next birthday. I want to be him when I grow up. When I joined the company in 1984, Jim showed me the ropes of affiliate relations. It was a privilege to work with him. Here’s 10 minutes from a half-hour chat.
Sleevefaces
I never visit the J-Walk Blog without finding something interesting. Today it was sleevefaces. 
There are hundreds of these. Too many to browse in one sitting and the J-Walk’er picked a couple of good ones. Dog lovers might enjoy this one.
SOLD: Marantz PMD660 Digital Recorder
I’m selling I have sold my beloved Marantz PMD660 Digital Recorder. It’s in mint condition, I just want something smaller. You can see all the specs on the 660 here and if you happen to be in the Jefferson City area, I’ll let you take it for a test drive.
The PMD660 sells for between $450-500, and I’m starting at $225. If there are any budding podcasters out there, this would be a good recorder. You can reach me at stevemays@gmail.com.
UPDATE: That didn’t take long. And we have found it a good home with a podcaster who wants to crank out more programs. More on that later.