Total Number of Ratings: 8
Murmur - Episode #10 - Halloween Spooktacular!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 11:11 AM
October 27, 2009 - This episode of Murmur features Paul Montgomery, Kelly Stephenson, Jim Mroczkowski, and Josh Flanagan getting deep into a bunch of topics, including Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Top Chef, Halloween, the Death of Web Communities, and National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. It's definitely a Lifestyle focused episode of the Murmur Podcast.
Listen to the Podcast:
TV:
00:01:26 - Jim wrote a In Defense of Jimmy Fallon's new show, and Josh agrees with him. We like Jimmy!
00:09:11 - Paul, Kelly, and Josh weigh in on what's happening with Top Chef Las Vegas. Also, apparently those guys are brothers!
Lifestyle:
00:16:54 - It's time for Halloween, and the whole group spends a little time trying to figure out what that holiday means to them as proper adults, some with actual kids of their own! Paul just likes candy, and interesting outfits.
00:36:30 - The panel discusses web communities, spurred on by user Dave C's article, Unplugged: Coping with the End of an Online Community. Is it even possible to lose people on the web anymore?
00:48:33 - The group, self-professed writers all, gear up for November and National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, with the goal of writing one novel in one month. We talk about the process, the point, the successes, and the ultimate wisdom of Yoda. Will we get Jim to participate?
Music:
Halloween
Dead Kennedys
Here's my NaNoWriMo info: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/301839
Now, I actually found out about this a little late, so I didn't start until the 4th. But I'm confidant I can catch up! Just need to spend less time on the iFanboy sites.....
So this particular episode has become the episode which I have used to introduce my wife to the Murmur community. It is a process I have gone through on a number of occasions:
1. Listen to podcast
2. Like podcast
3. Weigh podcast as to whether it falls into the Listen-To-It-During-My-Morning-Commute category or the Share-It-With-My-Wife-Because-I-Am-Likely-Going-To-Be-Talking-About-These-People-Like-I-Know-Them category.
4. If the latter, begin deciding which episode my wife will most likely relate to, so that she gets the best impression of my new "friends" (yeah, that doesn't sound weird at all).
5. Begin to talk about the site and podcast to wife here and there.
6. Play chosen episode while in car for her while running errands so we can talk about what we have heard during the breaks.
7. Start referring to people from the site on a first name basis without having to explain where I know these people from.
Having read back through that, I just realized that it likely says way too much about me.
Nevertheless, great episode.
Re-commenting because I just got a chance to listen to the whole podcast -- the conversation about NaNo was particularly great, and really inspiring. I was impressed that you're all interested in participating, while still having such different perspectives on it. I particularly enjoy these podcasts when they just turn into a conversation.
having finally found enough conscious and lucid moments to listen to the edited version, i feel the need to confess that i punch people in the face way less often than i threaten to. i know not from where that violence comes.
This was easily my favorite episode. Thanks guys!
general commenting: I am a girl and I hate candy corn (but I like circus peanuts), Paul says "The Halloween" - only he can pull that off, most people get thrown off by my name - Ali is short for Alison, and "smart people do stupid things" is such the truth.
Since I first saw Kelly tweet about NaNoWriMo a few months ago, I was intrigued by it. The philosophy of "Don't think too hard! Just write, write, write!" is a neat idea. Still, I can't really imagine myself doing it. I have too much stuff written by others to get through first.
Maybe my time will be freed up after our local election next Tuesday. I certainly hope not, but if our library levy fails, I may have a whole lot more time to spend on projects like this.
I used to be quite active on Kevin Smith's message board between 1999 and 2001, but in that community, if you weren't a member since 1995, you'd basically get flamed until you could bear it no longer. Last year, Kevin discovered Twitter (a second time - his first time around, he really didn't understand how to use it), and I hear the board has really suffered because of it.
Regarding NaNoWriMo: 1,600 words a month? Wow. That is extremely commendable. And Kelly: Twice?! Amazing. I don't care if you think your writing is good or bad. That's still impressive. As someone who took an entire year to write a 120-page screenplay, I can appreciate what a massive undertaking that is.
funny you should mention screenplays. the nanofolks also sponsor script frenzy, which is a month (june?) where you write a full-sized screen play. something for everyone!
I really should do Script Frenzy next year. I tweeted about it a lot and never ended up doing it. The writing of the script is relatively quick. It just requires tighter planning and extensive rewriting after the fact. Most of the process is rewriting. But you have to start with a single draft.
i think i heard it from whil wheaton first, but i doubt he originated it. the idea is basically that it's easier to edit a page of crap than to fill a blank page. that tiny pearl of wisdom has almost completely changed my writing philosophy. if i get stuck on something, i choose the crappy word, highlight it so i know it sucks, and then move on.
Later this week, I'm finally joining the current decade and getting a DVR installed, and I'll start keeping up with various late night shows so I can have opinions on them. (Also, I'll get Internet running reliably enough that i can actually hear these podcasts!)
Logistically, November is never a good month for me, but NaNo always looks tempting. One of these years.
I think addition of the DVR was what killed late night tv for good in our house. when you can watch whatever you want, there's no need to flip between late night shows hoping for someone/something interesting.
and november is never a good month for anyone. do it! DO IT!!
That's a good point. I can use the DVR to figure out if I *like* late night TV and would not just be watching it b/c of insomnia ;).
Re: November, I literally have a half dozen other writing commitments already, and I'll be on vacation for a week, to say nothing of holidays, so it's really not going to happen. I'll be interested to follow you guys' progress, though!
Damn fine episode this time around.
On the topic of online communities, I somewhat agree with Josh that you need both types of people. I don't really see the point of having people that constantly hate on everything. It's one thing to have people that don't have the same views, but why have people that do nothing but complain and/or start fights? Overall, respect is needed above all else, and that is sometimes lacking in the bigger communities.
And screw you guys (except Kelly) because during this time of the year, I love candy corn. I can eat a bag a week. I'll probably just go as some mad scientist type this year for Halloween. No time to make anything else.
It's probably crazy, because I also have classes, but screw it--I'm in NaNoWriMo too. Here's my link, if you want to friend me/berate me to write more: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/247303
Also--one bit about the web-community thing, from what Josh is saying: In an ironic twist, one of the better communities I'm on at the moment? Ellis' current forum, Whitechapel. Always full of interesting discussions, while still being polite.
A) Thanks for the spotlight!
B) Kimmel is still on and has some decent bits. "Unnecessary censorship" "Barbershop Wisdom," etc. Kimmel is an unapologetic "straight man" (in the comedic sense) so he appeals to that aesthetic. A less refined, less nuanced version of David Hyde Pierce. He got the time slot shaft.
Like Jim(ski), I consume every moment of Late Night I can, and I try to watch everyone regularly, as each comic has a different skill set. I love Ferguson so much, I enjoy Jimmy Fallon, Letterman was literally the first person ever watched on television and has become the lovably cynical Uncle I enjoy watching. Watching Conan find his Tonight Show Sea Legs is fascinating and Chelsea Handler brings a whole differnt kind of thunder.
And George Lopez has an impending show on TBS that I have to check out. I still have to watch Mo'Nique.
fuck it -- I'm in it now. And I just added Kelly as a writing buddy, so now the peer pressure is on too.
Here's me: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/539460
Be my buddy; help me get through this!
Great discussion, guys and gal. This is probably my favorite overall episode of Murmur thus far (though admittedly, I skip a lot of the TV recaps because I'm behind on a lot of shows). The banter was great. ;)
I also particularly enjoyed the writing discussion. I've actually signed up for NaNoWriMo for the first time. My work on Wormwood has built up a novel in my head, and I'm using November to bang that out. Stoked to hear all of you who are going for it as well.
Respond
Had a great, productive day of writing, and the creative juices are still flowing. Damn work getting in the way of my writing! I'm hoping that by Sunday, I am on pace with where I should be. That little graph at the bottom is laughing at me.