New View 2

You may have recently observed that some major updates have occurred to the SPR blog. While many of the updates over the past several months have been intentional, changing the entire layout on Tuesday was not. With one click of the mouse, I managed to alter Making Noise forever by deleting the template that organizes the design of the blog. Originally, I thought I had deleted all the content on the site as well. Thankfully, after several panicked minutes, I realized that everything was not lost. This created an opportunity to further tweak Making Noise and design a layout that could better handle new interactive features such as the weekly poll, picture of the week and the Photoshop designed header. When I started interning at SPR last October and took over responsibilities for the blog, I had no clue how to manage it. With a modest amount of HTML and website design knowledge from a college class I took a year ago at Gonzaga, I had the ambition to give the blog more pizazz. With the recent changes, I feel as though Making Noise is one step closer to that goal. In the coming weeks there will be more minor changes as I fiddle with the aesthetics. If there is anything you would like to see added to the blog feel free to leave a comment.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me

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With a great deal of hype surrounding Watson, the IBM computer that can play Jeopardy, I thought that Making Noise should jump on the quiz show bandwagon and ask the staff some questions. Just like the title of the NPR quiz program Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me, many of them tussled with the deep, thought-provoking questions asked. Here are a few samples:

Choose a movie title that is the story of your life?

Jerry Olson, chief engineer – “Sleepless in Seattle.”

Reason behind answer: Not getting enough sleep

If you could only see in black-and-white and one additional color, what color would you choose?

Brian Lindsey, operations assistant and Weekend Edition host – “Gray, the world is not always back and white.”

Can you name four words that rhyme with pencil?

Mary Cravens, membership coordinator – “Stencil, tinsel, utensil, and pencil (Wait… that shouldn’t count!).”

If you could go on a road trip with any person, dead or alive, who would it be?

Verne Windham, program director – “I would like to take a drive with Dr. X, who is down on Obama-care.” Verne felt in order to properly address all the issues surrounding the subject, the length of the road trip would need to be similar to the amount of time it takes to drive to Seattle.

What do you think the greatest invention is in your lifetime?

Ann Torigoe-Hawkins, underwriting representative – “The GPS. Good or bad it’s amazing we can find out exactly where we are in the world at any time.”

If you would like to answer some unique questions NPR's, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me has an interactive question section. Link: http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/

Also, if you have a question you would like anyone at the station to answer, leave a comment and we will added it to the post.

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Car Talk

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Wow! I was wrong that gas prices would remain low during and after the recession. Washington now has the seventh highest gas price in the country, with a gallon of gas costing nearly $3.25 according to gasbuddy.com, and it’s only February! What is a driver to do to save at the pump?

With the economy recovering and car sales up, it seems that the manufacturers are gearing up to take advantage of drivers’ smaller pocketbooks. Just look at the Super Bowl, where there were over a dozen advertisements for a variety of new models: electric, diesel, hybrid, there is so many options to choose from these days to save energy and money.

I grew up listening to Car Talk with my dad on Saturdays and I still find Click and Clack’s advice helpful when I’m trying to find ways to save gas money since I drive a Jeep Wrangler, essentially a vehicle that is a brick on wheels. I am always looking for ways to improve my estimated 15 MPG (which it rarely is). Recently on their show, a caller asked a question about whether having a full or half filled tank is better for keeping gas costs down? After much debate and shared stories of how callers were able to beat the system and drive on fumes for hundreds of miles, it was determined that more gas equals more weight, thus causing worse mileage. So, I guess that means that even the pennies from my ashtray will get me where I’m going.

If you’re looking for something to listen to this weekend, my recommendation is to turn the dial and enjoy some ‘Car Talk.’ If you're a fan of the show leave a comment about your impressions.
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Catchy Converations

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Strolling into the SPR office each morning you don’t quite know what to expect. I find it similar to playing Roulette, it’s anyone’s guess what will happen. Take for example, last Tuesday. It was a peaceful time at the station; it felt like few were in attendance. Then the blackout occurred. With the station without juice for nearly an hour, it was interesting to see how the noise level escalated as people emerged out of their offices, some of which I still have no clue where they're located. Even with the computer monitors turned black and the sound of typing hushed, the noise of multiple conversations still echoed. All the action focused to the lobby and the studios, thanks in part to a generator that kept the lights on. One of the first perceptions I had when I first started interning at the station was the welcoming environment, where it seemed that striking up a conversation was effortless. Now I wouldn't go as far as to say that its like the Who’s in the Grinch Stole Christmas after they all got robbed, but it’s great to see all the interactions that occur each day between staff. I know it’s a consensus that some days it can be distracting and just when you think that nobody will be in for the day that everyone suddenly does arrive and the decibels start to rise. According to a Cornell study just recently released that looked at 40 clerical workers, the impact of low level office noise dramatically reduces productivity (it’s true). Those studied in a noisy environment made forty percent fewer attempts to solve an unsolvable puzzle and made half as many ergonomic adjustments to their workstations. (I always knew Rubik cubes were unsolvable puzzles). One thing the researchers noticed was that the subjects typing wasn’t affected. While a quiet environment would be great, apparently I have no excuses when it comes to typing blog posts. My slowness is probably related more to the archaic hunt and peck method of typing I use.
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As far as my perfect work environment, I wouldn’t have it any other way than to have a sporadic mixture of conversation and noise. It makes every day a new adventure.
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Voice Rejoice

Have you ever heard a recording of your own voice? If you’re anything like me, it’s reminiscent of sounding one octave lower than if you just breathed a balloon full of helium. Today, I got a chance to get in the studio and record my first promo for the station's blog. It took several days of brainstorming script ideas and searching for audio tracks to select just the right clips and finalize the promo. In the studio, it was a little nerve racking to put on the headphones and hear myself for the first time. Maybe it was the caffeinated beverage I had sitting next to me, but I couldn't refrain from speed-talking and sounding like I was a hostage forced to read a scripted plea. It wasn’t until I started enunciating all my lines, especially k-p-b-x (dot) org that it started to flow. Something about the letters “p” and “b” next to each other created issues with my tongue getting tangled. While it would have been great to do everything in one take, it was only a matter of time before practice made perfect…or so I thought. I didn't realize it, but in a span of 15 minutes we probably went through two dozen takes. Stretched thin for time, Patrick tried to make the best of it and we were able to get everything recorded that we needed for the first 15-second promo. My fears of sounding high pitched and nasally like Fran Drescher were dispelled. I have hopes for my future promos. Next time, maybe I can conjure up a deep Barry White voice. Tune in to KPBX or KSFC and maybe you can catch me in action.

Blast from the Past

I’ll admit I was a tad bit envious after stopping by the growing collection of music and videos downstairs at Spokane Public Radio. I couldn’t stop myself from flipping through the endless rows of organized vinyl records. Even though Bill Wright the Guru of donations was tired of the constant stream of staff members pursuing and parading through his organized area, I couldn’t pass up the chance to take a sneak peak at all great album art. What do Blondie, Ted Nugent, and Christmas with Johnny Mathis all have in common? Not much, except they all have outlandish album covers that are up for sale at the KPBX Recordings and Videos Sale, February 19 and 20, in the Spokane Masonic Center. Bill, in the last several days, has started to display some of the colorful, unique, and odd records on a wall in his downstairs dungeon for all of us to see. While visiting the music lair I was also amazed to see all the retro turntables, tape decks, speakers, (and something I’ve only seen in movies) a reel-to-reel tape machine. So, if you have ever thought about getting into vintage vinyl, or your looking for equipment, seize the moment to grab a turntable and some LPs for some classic listening this next month. If you’re into DVDs and videos there are plenty of those too. Are you ready music aficionados? “I got my 45 on so I can rock on” - Sheryl Crow



Bagel Burglar

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Have you ever placed leftover food in the fridge for safekeeping, just to find out later someone already grabbed it? Today, a similar unjust crime occurred at the station. John a volunteer was nice enough to drop by with a spread of bagels and cream cheese. One by one in the lobby, everyone constructed a mid-morning snack. Then, it was discovered that someone left only half a bagel in the bag! Fortunately, Eckart Preu, the conductor for the Spokane Symphony, was in the studio with Verne promoting the group's upcoming concert theme, C.S.I Neurotic Composers. He sparked the idea to do some perusing and analyze the crime scene. Amid an array of cream cheese containers sat the lone half bagel in the bag. There were too many suspects, too little time. The only break in the case came when some spilled cream cheese was discovered on a desk. The sample has been sent for analysis, but meanwhile the bagel burglar remains on the loose. Who could have committed such an etiquette offense?
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Revealed Resolutions

Resolution season has arrived and every year along with millions of other Americans, the staff at SPR has set their goals. While chatting with several people at the station, I discovered that even though Verne says his best resolution is not having one, Kathy did resolve to get organized and have more fun. Stephanie the volunteer coordinator has set her goal to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Unsuccessful for several years, my plan is to also get in shape and get organized. Another 2011 resolution I have is to cut back on the sweet treats. This might be a difficult goal since on my first day back from holiday break there is still candy and goodies lingering around the station. With indication that more candy canes, chocolate, and baked goods are on their way in the next few days, I might have to put off my goals for the unforeseeable future. If you have any resolutions you want to share post a comment on the blog. After being on hiatus for several weeks for the holidays the blog will return to being updated regularly. It’s been too long since the last picture of the week. With a big dump on its way, a snowy picture seemed fitting. Take a guess where it was taken. Hope everyone is having a great start to 2011!