Driven to Drink

Certain lines from this final, supremely inebriated, Del Norris podcast float to the surface then dissipate like my attention and ability to complete deeper thoughts in the midst of chemical enhancement.

“I’m the one who has Autism.”

“Meg Ryan in Top Gun.”

“We can all change and move into the vagina of the Venn Diagram.”

Yes people, we can all change…and move into that spheroid that is neither to the left nor to the right, but exists inclusively in the middle.

Today, Jason gets deep.

Today, Jason commits his second soliloquy. (“Saul-ih-kwee” in Jasonese, which is not Japanese, but somehow not not Japanese. Weird.)

Today, we get gay, but not gay gay. M’kay?

Today, I present to you, “Can I Kick It? (Del Norris, pt 3)”

It’s often enough said that laughter is the best medicine.

I’d argue it’s a very, very effective medicine. The best? I don’t know.

Another wonderful medicine? Having an honest, insightful, ego-minimized conversation with a friend.

And alcohol. Alcohol can be a wonderful medicine…a lubricant to break down psychological defenses and allow two people the room to connect.

This is the best thing I’ve ever recorded.

If you want to hear the conversation and not the introduction, you can fast forward to 12:45.

But you won’t do that, right?

Today we count down the final six Hostess snacks, plus an honorable mention that ended up landing in the number 2 spot after tasting.

Please listen through the entire podcast, including the final song, because a wonderful surprise awaits you at the end of the rainbow.

The very first Driven2Drink special contest.

There are prizes.

I know, right?!  Very, very exciting.

This is not FAKE NEWS.

Ain’t nobody got time for that.

We present to you, “The Hostess With the Mostest (pt 2).”

  Ding Dong…with Ding Dongs

Last week, you heard (…or didn’t hear, but if you’re here and are about to hear this, please go back to the first post, which is here but also on Libsyn and iTunes, but now, like right now, here, like right here, is the continuation of…) my conversations with Tom Prigg.  As you remember, or perhaps that last sentence caused you to forget everything, Tom has tossed his impressive hat into the ring to contest Keith Rothfus’ (Pennsylvania’s 12th district) seat in the House of Representatives.  I’m not a Rothfus fan, though I am his constituent.  I’ll do more than just a little bit to ensure that Tom is my representative next Winter.

Here is Tom’s website.

Driven2Drink is proud to re-assert the first unofficial endorsement of Tom Prigg for Congress in 2018.  (That and two dollars will STILL get you a coffee at McDonald’s with a little extra to put in the Ronald McDonald House fundraising bin.)

Please listen.  Please visit Tom’s website.  Please consider, particularly if you live in PA-12 and are not satisfied with the representation of Keith Rothfus, supporting Tom in any way you’re comfortable (e.g. donate, volunteer, post something positive to social media, share this podcast with a friend or family member on the fence).

We present to you, “Tom Prigg for Congress, PA-12 in 2018 (pt 2).”

-G

 

 

 

Recently, I sat down to talk with Tom Prigg.  Tom has tossed his impressive hat into the ring to contest Keith Rothfus’ (Pennsylvania’s 12th district) seat in the House of Representatives.

Here is Tom’s website.

As my Scotch-Irish & German yinzer (…that’s Western Pennsylvania Vernacular English for people who use the third person plural pronoun yinz, as in, “Hey yinz guys…yinz goin’ dahn tahn ‘nat?”…) ancestors would say, “Tom is good people.”

Driven2Drink is proud to offer the first unofficial endorsement of Tom Prigg for Congress in 2018.  (That and two dollars will get you a coffee at McDonald’s with a little extra to put in the Ronald McDonald House fundraising bin.)

Please listen.  Please visit Tom’s website.  Please consider, particularly if you live in PA-12 and are not satisfied with the representation of Keith Rothfus, supporting Tom in any way you’re comfortable (e.g. donate, volunteer, post something positive to social media, share this podcast with a friend or family member on the fence).

We present to you, “Tom Prigg for Congress, PA-12 in 2018 (pt 1).”

-G

 

 

That smolder, though. #TomPriggForCongressPA12

The premise here is simple.

Try 10 Hostess snacks and rank them.

We did that, and here you have the first half of the recording.

Also, you’ll have a couple of musical surprises.

And, I’ve figured out a perfect makeshift noise minimization for my microphone.  You’ll hear about it.

Oh, my patreon site.  You can be a D2D patron for $1 per month.  One shiny quarter per week.  We are the ones who make a brighter day so let’s start giving, huh?

We present to you, “The Hostess With the Mostest (pt 1).”

Yo, Ding Dong man.  Ding Dong.

-G

 

  The orange cupcake…is…amazing.

The world lost an exceptional musician and educator this week.

I certainly feel the loss.

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From Deane Root, Chair of the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Music:

We are deeply saddened to report the passing of John Goldsmith on Thursday, February 2. John joined the music department faculty in 1989 and served for a quarter century as the beloved director of the Heinz Chapel Choir and teacher of musicianship. He was the advisor for undergraduate music majors for many years. John is an indelible part of the lives and memories of thousands of Pitt students, faculty, staff, and alums.

Immediately upon his arrival, he set about rebuilding the role of the Heinz Chapel Choir in the University. He quickly restored it as the University’s preeminent student ensemble through superb musicianship, resulting in packed concerts and international attention for the University. John led the students on singing tours of Europe, South America, and Asia, sharing news and photos through daily Internet updates. A native of Westerville, Ohio, he is remembered for his wit, his passion for the ensemble, as well as for the many ways in which he shared his superb musical talents. He will be greatly missed.

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One never knows how much one will miss another…until the other is gone.

One rarely appreciates the impact and influence of another…until the other is gone.

I now know.

I miss him.

And, his impact and influence on me was immense and immeasurable.  I am a competent, confident ensemble singer, soloist, and musician because of him…and him alone.

I stood among stellar vocalists, myself simply serviceable, entirely unaware of how lucky I was, and created aural art so powerful that audiences wept.

That’s John Goldsmith’s legacy.

Please spend a little time with me, and with the Heinz Chapel Choir, and with a group of HCC alumni who serenaded Mr. Goldsmith just days before he took his final breaths in this lifetime.

God speed, JG.

You were loved, and we have made music.

-G

   

Today you’ll hear the first proper recording using Penelope.

The facilities, as I’ve said in the past, have been updated.

The introduction was recorded with Penelope and her stereo microphone.

The first half of the podcast-proper, titled, “Penelope,” was recorded using a vocal microphone plugged into Penelope.  A bit of popping with the /p/ sounds, and unintended hand-to-mic noises, which means I’ll need to get pop filters and stands.

Otherwise, it all sounds wonderful, I think.

A run through audacity, some compression, equalization, noise reduction, chopping and polishing.

Who said you couldn’t polish a turd?

For music, we’re going new-school to old-school soul.  First, Khalid with “Location.”  Last, Stevie Wonder with “As.”  In the middle, RJ’s instrumental jam, “I Can Read Your Mind,” which I haven’t used in a year or so.

We present to you, “Penelope and Hood Ghosts.”

Oh, Ghosts in the Hood.  On WeTV.  If it seems at all intriguing, watch it.  I promise.