I wrote yesterday that I’m looking for a nice microphone.

I decided to go mostly with the setup suggested by The Roadhouse:

• MXL 990 Condensor Mic ($50)
• Behringer eurorack UB802 Mixer/Preamp ($50)

After assorted accessories (mic stand, XLR cable, pop filter, etc.) I wound up spending $143 at Musician’s Friend. I just need a 1/4″ to 1/8″ adapter cable yet from RadioShack to hook this up to the audio input on a sound card (or my iMic USB gadget).

Librivox sounds great and I look forward to volunteering.

Thanks to everyone that responded to my earlier post looking for suggestions for a video game console.

I wound up choosing a Playstation 2, and the game that tipped the balance was Ico. I’ve only spent a few minutes with it, but it looks great. I especially like that it has no on-screen status displays, messages, etc. whatsoever. A refreshing change.

I am a little disappointed with the lack of 16:9 games available on any console.

Also picked up a nice Logitech wireless controller from the local GameStop. Very nice little unit.

Recently, I bought a copy of Wil Wheaton’s book Just A Geek.

I’ve read one chapter so far. And I have to say: great book.

This has to be one of the most insightful, brutally honest books I’ve ever seen.

It’s also funny. Here’s a little snippet, recalling his first-ever book signing:

… a guy walked over to me, and extended his hand.

“Hi, Wil,” he said, “I’m Tim O’Reilly.”

HOLY MO– WIL! IT’S TIM O’REILLY!! HE CAME OUT TO SEE YOU!

Before I could scream out, “I KNOW! I KNOW! I KNOW! GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY!” my brain said, “Stay cool, Wil. Don’t geek out.”

I heeded my brain’s advice . . . “It’s really nice to meet you,” I said. . .

Check me out. I totally behaved myself.

“Nicely done,” said my brain. “Have some serotonin.”

Wil talks a lot about his two inner voices: his totally-honest self, and the voice he calls Prove To Everyone Quitting Star Trek Wasn’t A Bad Idea, or just Prove To Everyone for short.

I think we all have some of Prove To Everyone in us. Especially Americans, and free software hackers, where competition and, well, proving onesself are expected.

It’s time to loosen up a bit.

I’m going to enjoy the rest of this book.

Today we got to see the first ever live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion from Kansas, at the Kansas State fair.

It was great to see the show in person (second time for me; I also saw it at Purdue back in 2001). All the jokes about Kansas were fun, too. And they even recovered fine when — I kid you not — the wind at the grandstand blew all their music, notes, and scripts away. Twice.

Cliff, if you were listening, the bit about the bloggers for some reason made me think of you ;-)

I’d like to close this post with this, posted by NotInKansasAnymore to the discussion board for tonight’s broadcast:

You’re a true Kansan if:

1. You no longer associate bridges or rivers with water.

2. You have never met any celebrities (Bob Dole isn’t a celebrity;
he’s your neighbor.)

3. You know the meaning of Rock Chalk Jayhawk.

4 Your closest neighbor is more than a mile away and you can still

see him from your front porch.

5. You can properly pronounce Salina, Basehor, Cimmaron,
Schoenchen, Kechi and Osawatomie.

6. Going on vacation means going to Hutch to the fair or to Abilene
to Ike’s museum.

7. A traffic jam involves two cars staring each other down at a
four-way stop, each determined to be the most polite and let the

other go first.

8. A Mercedes Benz is not a status symbol. A Ford F10 4×4 is.
(Except in Johnson County)

9. You discover that in July it takes only 2 fingers to drive your
car.

10. The terms Sooners and Huskers cause hairs on the back of your
neck to stand up straight and your blood pressure to rise.

11 You have owned at least one belt buckle bigger than your fist.

12. You think people who complain about the wind and weather in
their states are SISSIES!

13. You are not surprised to find movie rentals, ammunition and
bait all in the same store.

14. You know that the true value of a parking space is not
determined by the distance to the door but by the availability of

shade.

15. You have been asked, “Where is Toto” more than once.

16. You had at least one summer job that was bucking bales or
custom cutting.

17. More than once you’ve made a beer run to another state.

18. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned to multiply.

19. Your school classes have been canceled because of the cold.

20. You know in your heart that K-State can beat Oklahoma in
football.

21. Traffic congestion is ten cars waiting to pass a combine on the
highway.

22. You have had to switch from heat to A/C in the same day.

23. You know everything goes better with Ranch.

24. Your school classes have been canceled because of the heat.

25. You have ridden the school bus for more than an hour each way.

26. In August, you break a sweat the instant you step outside at
7:00 a.m.

27. You instantly know someone is from Johnson County when they
call everything west of Topeka… “Western” Kansas.

28. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard
and look for a funnel.

29. You know the real way to pronounce the name of the river…
arKANSAS.

30. You think the opening day of pheasant season is a national
holiday.

31. “Vacation” means going to Kansas City or Wichita for the
weekend.

32. You measure distance in hours.

33. You know several people who have hit more than one deer.

34. You see people wearing hunting clothes at social events.

35. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave
both unlocked.

36 You think of the major food groups as beer, beef and beans.

37. You carry jumper cables in your car and make sure your better

half knows how to use them.

38. You design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

39. You know the four seasons as: summer, road construction, still
summer, winter.

40. It takes you 3 hours to go to the store for one item even when
you’re in a rush because you have to stop and talk to everyone in town.

41. You lock the doors to your truck but leave the windows rolled

down.

42. You call sodas just plain ol’ “Pop”!!

43. FINALLY….. you are 100% Kansan if……….. You actually
understand these jokes and forward them to all your friends from
Kansas.