Herro Flom Japan

My neighborhood is the Internet.

I love dealing with small companies. The smaller the better. They reply promptly, treat you fairly, offer you quality products and excellent service. And if they don't, in this day and age word spreads quickly.

My last pair of binaural mics rocked. But they broke months ago, and I never got around to getting them fixed. I wrote to Giant Squid Audio Labs (whose real name is Darren) mentioning I was a podcaster, a procrastinator and a loser of sales receipts. Within a few hours. I got a reply: Send them back with $12 for postage and I'll fix them with mics elements better suited for podcasting.

Go try that at Best Buy. Or Verizon. Or AOL. (howls_of_laughter.mp3)

P.S. soundprofessionals.com charges nearly $50 shipping for a $70 pair of mics. For some reason they can't put them in a padded envelope and drop them into a mailbox.

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When it comes to myself, I'm a perfectionist to the point of being neurotic. I can't stand putting out garbage. If a batch of audio or video isn't good enough, I either have to force myself to release it (and feel anxious until I get some feedback) or I crawl under a rock and disappear for months on end. The longer I put something off the easier it gets.

I gotta force myself to start producing again. Not because I need the attention, but rather because I don't want to lose to whatever it is that holds me back. It's probably a lot like fighting an addiction. I guess I'm addicted to anxiety. Which isn't all bad–I completly understand others who feel the same way. Having that in common with people has actually made me a lot of close friends. It's just not condusive to becoming a prolific podcaster.

OK, so I've hit rock bottom and it's time to come back up. For starters, I put in an order for a new pair of binaural mics from Giant Squid Audio Labs. The $15 stereo jobbie just isn't cutting it. Someone told me my audio quality sucks and I agree. I hate that mic. Even Andy the five six year old hates it. He likes to walk around the house recording himself, just like I did when I was his age.

Also, I'm getting close to shooting some video in Kabuki-cho with Mattias, a listener from Germany who's doing an intership just up the street from me. As an excuse to make a video there, we're going in search of the fabled Used Panty Vending Machine. Supposedly, there's one there somewhere, and if it really exists, we'll find it by interviewing everyone who should know. Hopefully we won't get the pulp beaten out of us in the process for filming someone who's–shall we say–violently camera shy.

I have to re-record the hostess bar episode. I've been doing more research, and I have a friend (a singer, not a hostess) I might be able to interview. I also have a shiny new desktop mic and mixer, courtesy of work.

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Cripes, I fall asleep for about six hours and not only do I miss the earthquake of the century, but Barak Obama declares his candidacy!

Does anyone out there know what I can do here in Tokyo to help him run for president? Whatever it is, I'm there!

For starters, I've subscribed all of you to his mailing list. No need to thank me…

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Really? I didn't feel it. Had a completely normal commute to work this morning, didn't notice any crumbled building or car-swallowing fissures in the earth's crust.

But then again, I had my iPod's volume turned up pretty loud.

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I just followed a link from Lifehacker to a blog that review Windows Freeware called freewaregenius. Wow. I could waste days here trying out new and exciting ways to optimize my PC so I can be more productive. Can't wait to try out IOBit SmartDefrag, (or maybe Auslogics Disk Defrag), Registry Distiller, MagicDisc Virtual DVD/CD, FileMenu Tools, RipIt4Me (Copies those hard-to-copy DVDs such as Curious George and Madagascar), PC Decrapifier (just because I like the name)… Mmmm, geek porn…

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