A Podcast Ping Christmas This is a reworking of the Podcast Ping Christmas Calendar from 2009. I took all the poems and music and compiled them together into a single episode. Doing this made me realize how much work I put into the Calendar. Just putting this together took a couple of hours even though I had everything else already done. The episode runs more than an hour and a half. I did have to redo the credits which themselves run about a minute and a half, and that's after compressing them....
Nov 29, 2011
As the year comes to a close, so does Podcast Ping. This is the final episode of Podcast Ping, although it's not the end of the feed. I will eventually have some new things posted here, but I explain more in the podcast. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsWrapUpShow/PPWrapUp.mp3 Podcast Ping is licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0. My online toy shop can be found at http://patrickjmcnamara.webs.com ....
Dec 31, 2009
Day 25. Christmas Day! http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay25/ppcc25.mp3 For this show I have something special. Some people might find the song I chose, “Rainbow Christmas” to have a little too much “rainbow” in it. But it's the sort of song that makes for a big production number that closes out a show and I felt it suitable for that. It's been a long run starting back on December 1st of 25 shows, and there was a lot of work that went into making them even before tha...
Dec 24, 2009
Day 24. Christmas Eve. Just one more sleep until Christmas--unless you're Santa Claus. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay24/ppcc24.mp3 Christmas Eve is often a quiet time around our house. Most of the real celebrating--and noise--comes on Christmas. And with Christmas falling on a Friday this year it seems to make for a short week. Nobody works on Christmas Eve, even if they have to. Next year it hits on a Saturday, so the week will feel more normal. The following y...
Dec 24, 2009
Day 23. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay23/ppcc23.mp3 Another song about toys. Although "The Wonderful World of Toys" wasn't really a Christmas song even though it did talk about toys. But most Christmas songs tend to be more about snow and socializing than the part most really look forward to--the presents. A couple more posts and the Calendar will be finished. But then I've got to start working on the New Year's show. It's not a lot of work but between Halloween...
Dec 22, 2009
Day 22. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay22/ppcc22.mp3 No matter how busy one is, someone else always seems to find more work for one to do. I'm not in too bad a shape. I've still got a couple gifts to make, but those don't have to be done until after Christmas. The ones for Christmas are already wrapped and under the tree. I planned on getting some baking done early, but I never found the time. However, I expect there will be a fair bit of baking going on over the...
Dec 21, 2009
Day 21. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay21/ppcc21.mp3 Only three days left (after today/Monday). Although there's four shows left because I'm putting one out on Christmas as well. (Although I'll actually be posting it the night before as I have been with the other episodes.) And I have something somewhat special planned for the Christmas show. I always listen to episodes of my own show before posting, and often afterwords as well. Usually I wind up listening to ea...
Dec 20, 2009
Day 20. Already. The Three Wise Men arrive. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay20/ppcc20.mp3 I've got a few modern renditions of classic carols throughout the calendar. It's interesting to hear how something with which everyone is very familiar can be made to sound new and interesting. There are many versions of We Three Kings that leave out the third chorus, feeling that it's too dark and grim for the season. But it's what makes it one of my favorite carols. It help...
Dec 19, 2009
Day 19. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay19/ppcc19.mp3 The song for this episode, "The Wonderful World of Toys," is one that I was mildly interested in the first time listening to but have grown to really like with repeated listenings. Most podcasts that play music will list the songs in their show notes. I've tended not to do that for a few reasons. For one, I never really got in the habit and it's a little late to start now. I also like to keep the music a bit of...
Dec 19, 2009
Day 18. One more week until Christmas. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay18/ppcc18.mp3 Now things get busy. I expect the stores will be really busy this weekend. Podcast Ping is licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0. My online toy shop can be found at http://patrickjmcnamara.webs.com ....
Dec 17, 2009
Day 17. A week from now it will be Christmas Eve. Or Christmas Eve day. Or the morning of the day of Christmas Eve. Or somewhere in the general vicinity. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay17/ppcc17.mp3 It was two years ago today that I did Bonus 9-A Visit From St. Nicholas. And since it was my first Christmas it was my first Christmas show. I feel it was one of my best shows and sounded the way I wanted the show to. As such I've tried to do much the same thing in th...
Dec 17, 2009
Day 16. Less than ten days left until Christmas. And after today, all but one song is new. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay16/ppcc16.mp3 I see from the calendar that today (December 16th) is a new moon and New Year's will be a full moon. That should make for a fun night. I still have to work on that show but I may wait until after Christmas to do it. It seems just too busy right now. I have an idea of what I'm going to do for the show and it shouldn't take too lon...
Dec 15, 2009
Day 15. This is one of the lighter shows. I initially planned a couple more comedy songs but pulled one or two to use on Blue Hot Gossip. I'll admit that I don't always write the funniest stuff, or if I do I may not properly deliver it, but I do try. Although the poem on this episode isn't mean to be funny, it just happened to go with the song. I also try and keep all my podcasts family friendly. It's easy enough to control the poetry I use but I can get a bit tricky when it comes to the music, ...
Dec 14, 2009
Day 14. Snow. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay14/ppcc14.mp3 I started on some Christmas gifts today. I've got five to make, although two of them can wait until after Christmas. I should be able to get through one a day, provided I'm not spending all my energy shoveling snow or other things. But I don't expect a problem. I've been running across a few Christmas songs that would work well for Blue Hot Gossip, although there's just no room for another Christmas show ...
Dec 13, 2009
Day 13 marks the half-way point. Less than two weeks until Christmas! http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay13/ppcc13.mp3 I expect to be quite busy getting ready for Christmas this week. Then again, it tends to feel as if every week is busy. Podcast Ping is licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0. My online toy shop can be found at http://patrickjmcnamara.webs.com ....
Dec 13, 2009
Day 12's entry is a little unusual. I was trying to parody the famous scene from Charlie Brown's Christmas where Linus explains the meaning of Christmas, but more in the way a modern child would explain it. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay12/ppcc12.mp3 I'm getting this up a little early today, although I usually try to wait until at least 6pm before posting next day's podcast. This is the one for Saturday, Dec. 12. I finally finished up recording and assembling th...
Dec 11, 2009
Day 11 deals with Christmas lights. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay11/ppcc11.mp3 It just happens that both the poem and music are ones I've used before. But as far as I can tell it's the only time it happens. For the songs I've used before I try to have new poems and for the few poems I've used before I try to have new songs. I've replaced a number of the older songs I was going to use with new ones, so I think I only have about seven old songs out of the twenty-...
Dec 10, 2009
Day 10. "The Bells!" http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay10/ppcc10.mp3 Didn't get the work done on the podcast today as I expected. I spent a good part of it clearing slush. But I should be able to finish it by the end of the week. I've got too much else to work on. Podcast Ping is licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0. My online toy shop can be found at http://patrickjmcnamara.webs.com ....
Dec 10, 2009
Day 9. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendar9/ppcc09.mp3 I've got just one show left to finish up. Once I write the poem it won't take long to record and edit it together. It's just a matter of writing it and hopefully I'll do that tomorrow. I noticed the audio quality on my recordings isn't all that great, but there wasn't really time to re-record them, nor do I really feel up to it. Most of it comes from recording at too low a level then having to amplify the recording,...
Dec 08, 2009
Day 8 deals with the yummy part of Christmas. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay8/ppcc08.mp3 I managed to get a fair bit done the past couple days. I've still got one more poem to write, a bit of recording and four more episodes to edit together. But I've now about two weeks to finish it before I use up what I've finished. I should be able to finish the rest tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest. I don't expect to get much if anything out during January. I've got some...
Dec 07, 2009
Day 7. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay7/ppcc07.mp3 The first week ends. I think I'm going to be spending most of this week dealing with presents. This is also when many shows go in to repeats or are pre-empted for specials. Although I usually don't find TV getting very dry until January, mostly because of the specials. And I'm always falling behind in my viewing, so it helps to have the time to catch up. I've noticed a growing trend lately with many animated spec...
Dec 07, 2009
Day 6 deals with the depression many go through at Christmas. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay6/ppcc06.mp3 I probably should have redone the poem since I feel I rushed it and didn't give it the proper pacing. But there's only so much time worth devoting to the podcast and I've still got more work left. Had I not done the Halloween shows I probably would have had the time to perfect the Christmas shows. And because I had to write scripts, I probably did more writin...
Dec 06, 2009
Day 5. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay5/ppcc05.mp3 I didn't get as much done this week as I hoped; I still have five more poems to write. But I've got episodes finished up to the 17th so I've got a couple weeks to finish up. I do have poems for the last two days, and music for all days, so if I really get stuck I'll just skip the poetry for a few days. But I doubt it will be a problem. It's just not all that big a priority at the moment. The release of the Calend...
Dec 04, 2009
Day 4. http://www.archive.org/download/PodcastPingsChristmasCalendarDay4/ppcc04.mp3 Three weeks left until Christmas. Growing up Catholic, Christmas for me is first and foremost a religious holiday. (Even though I would have ranked getting gifts above going to church.) So I do have some religious content in the calendar. And Christmas itself it too closely tied to Christianity to completely eliminate it. But I've tried to keep it general enough to interest those who aren't Christian. And there's...
Dec 03, 2009
