Now THAT'S Fast!!

I dropped into my nearby Apple store the other day and spent a few minutes playing with the new Mac Pro computer, the next generation MacIntosh. Two dual processors ( that's 4 Intel chips) running at 3 gig... It'll think faster than you can move! But what really blew me away was watching it run Windows XP.

Because the new Macs are using Intel processors, they can run Windows operating systems as native software, not as emulations. And with the quad processor configuration, these new Mac Pros can run Windows faster than any of the top-end PCs out there: IBM, Dell, Toshiba, whatever! It still takes an annoyingly long time for Windows to boot, just like any PC, but when you're done with whatever drove you to "the dark side" you can reboot in OS-X and go on with your business in comfortable MacIntosh style.

However, there was just something terribly wrong with seeing the Windows start-up icons and hearing that old Microsoft chime coming from a Mac!

Next thing you know, they'll be telling us that Jaguars and Volvos are made by Ford!

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The Short Straw!

Luck seems to have a way of overlooking me whenever Chance picks a name from the hat. So imagine my surprise when I learned that, after barely a year in my new home in PA, I was one of the chosen few to be awarded an opportunity some community members aren't given in their entire lives... Jury duty!
I've always been skeptical of this element of our court system. Imagine. Some poor soul's fate is put in the hands of 12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty!

Fortunately, the trial was to be a case of Eminent Domain, in which a township wanted to take undeveloped land from an unwilling seller. When asked if anyone had strong feelings about the preservation of open spaces, I jumped up. Until that moment, I had never realized how passionately I feel about nature, conservation and the ecology! I was told to go home.

Sept. 2006 Issue

Studio Of The Month

The humble beginnings of this studio were in a creaky old two story colonial house with a slate porch and big white columns, facing a quiet side street in the modest little town of Arden, NC. John Brooks had honed his production skills in radio, like so many of us in the production business. But John coupled this with entreprenurial skills and a grand vision to create ProComm Studio Services.

Now located in a modern office park with a close view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, ProComm consists of multiple studios and a staff of highly qualified professionals who specialize in supplying the industry's best talent to clients from all over the US.

From simple, bridged ISDN sessions with talent, to complete, turn-key production services, John and the crew at ProComm are dedicated to quickly delivering the biggest and best "bang for the buck" in the audio business, nationwide. Clients love 'em, and those of us who are in the talent pool feel the same.

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Got VO?

Martin Glitesman at Hippo studios in Rhode Island was the first to respond to my plea for samples of finished productions using my voiceovers. He sent me a couple of cute spots he put together for an eyecare client. He cast me as an over-the-top radio drama announcer in the tales of "Non-Squinty Girl" and "Suddenly Hot Guy".

Got a MrVO sample you're proud of? Please send it in.

And if not, why not? I'm always available!

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Got Aspirin?

Ya gotta give credit to a tough guy. Adrian Powell of ALP Communications in Toronto hauled himself into work to join Tom Blainey in a phone patch session with me a few days ago. This in spite of being knocked into the street the previous day by a woman backing a Lincoln the wrong way up a one-way street!

The former rugby player refused hospitalization for observaton after it was determined that nothing appeared to have been broken. But much of him is now a lovely shade of pedestrian purple!

A Shortz Story

Irene and I are shameless puzzle addicts, as I've already mentioned in an earlier newsletter (May'06, "Puzzle Me This") so, naturally, we had to go see the movie "Wordplay" when it came to our favorite theater in Phoenixville. I was curious to see how anyone could make a documentary about the world of crossword puzzles that would appeal to anyone but a turbo-charged geek.

Well, damned if they didn't do it! New York Times Crossword Editor, Will Shortz, is one of the stars of the show, as he should be. He is charming and entertaining in interviews as well as in glimpses behind the scenes at his weekly appearance on NPR. And he is, of course, very clever with words!

It was also interesting to see how a crossword puzzle is made (NOT by computer!) We were amused at the various techniques and comments of celebrities who attempted to solve that puzzle: the Indigo Girls, Jon Stewart (Comedy Central), Mike Mussina (Yankees pitcher), Bob Dole, Ken Burns, and Bill Clinton. We also got an inside look at the Crossword Puzzle Championships that have been an annual event at the Stamford Mariott in Connecticut since 1978. Amazing!

If you like crossword puzzles, this movie is worth checking out. Wordplay.

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Making The Cut...

This is the month when I go for carpal tunnel surgery, so if next month's newsletter looks like a pasted-up ransom note... that's why! Please be patient with the patient.

My mouth, should be totally unaffected, so keep those scripts a-comin'!!

MrVO.com

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The 50-50-90 rule

Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.