The Sword and Laser discussion
If you could change something about the book club audio episodes it would be....
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Rob
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Apr 22, 2014 06:41PM
Yeah, I thought that when they brought up swearing in the past it was as a courtesy to parents who listen with their kids, and most same parents wouldn't object to adults talking about alcohol as a normal thing that ordinary people enjoy moderately
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Hi guys. Firstly apologies of this should be in another thread, but this one seemed most appropriate.
I have been listening to the podcasts for quite a while now and I'm glad that you guys are having success with video and audio podcasts and long may it continue.
I am exclusively audio and I felt compelled to add my point of view to this discussion. I really like your book club podcasts but I have real trouble getting into the author interviews, and I find myself getting irritated when the book club gets missed due to another interview. It may be my imagination but there seem to be more and more interviews nowadays and the book clubs are down to two a month. Is this likely to continue in the future? I'm not likely to unsubscribe but I do miss my regular old fashioned S&L.
Cheers
Richard
Mod
Firstly apologies of this should be in another thread, but this one seemed most appropriate.
I have been listening to the podcasts for quite a while now and I'm glad that you guys are ha..."
The book clubs have only ever been two a month. Technically, we're only sponsored for two shows a month, and the author interviews are extra gravy. The video shows are released on Thursdays along with their companion audio, but are not technically the "podcast," and aren't numbered as such.
Confusing, but that's how our system works!
tl;dr
You're not missing any book club podcast episodes, except for that one time we forgot to do a wrap-up because I was probably on drugs.
Thanks for clearing that up Veronica, and apologies for not picking up on it before. I know I don't realize how much effort you guys put in and I did not want to appear unappreciative so i managed to hit ignorant instead, or maybe as well. Either way keep doing what you're doing.
Rob wrote: "Yeah, I thought that when they brought up swearing in the past it was as a courtesy to parents who listen with their kids, and most same parents wouldn't object to adults talking about alcohol as a..."I consider myself sane once in awhile, and I'd rather my daughter hear a curse word than people encouraging the use of alcohol. Again, not judging, but Veronica and Tom asked for feedback. That's mine. And not to sidetrack too far, but I'd be really curious to hear what the recovering addicts in our club think about that segment.
Mod
The whole premise of the show (and its name) is that we're a space pub, where you go to talk about books with your mates. "The Sword and Laser" is a play off of traditional English pub names, specifically of "paired names" like "Cat and Fiddle" or the "Eagle and the Child."
So while I'm sensitive to your suggestion, it's part of the theme of the show, and I don't think we're over-glorifying anything.
Thanks for clarifying, Veronica. I didn't really start out suggesting that you get rid of the 'What Are We Drinking' segment. Just using it as a lens to comment on the lack of foul language. I don't know too many pubs where cursing isn't considered appropriate. ;)
Veronica wrote: "Derek wrote: "Rob wrote: "Yeah, I thought that when they brought up swearing in the past it was as a courtesy to parents who listen with their kids, and most same parents wouldn't object to adults ..."Secret Origins!
Veronica wrote: "You're not missing any book club podcast episodes, except for that one time we forgot to do a wrap-up because I was probably on drugs. "Hey it happens. You fall down. You break your wrist. You get surgery. Then you go on a complete bender and forget your podcast duties as well as your pet's monthly medications or your kids in a wal-mart shopping cart. You don't realize it until your halfway out of the parking lot and just for a moment you wonder what would happen if you just continued driving on....
The first step to recovery is recognizing that you have a problem so congratulations you're on the way... ;)
Micah wrote: Hey it happens. You fall down. You break your wrist. You get surgery. Then you go on a complete bender and forget your podcast duties as well as your pet's monthly medications or your kids in a wal-mart shopping cart. You don't realize it until your halfway out of the parking lot and just for a moment you wonder what would happen if you just continued driving on....Don't know about Veronica, but that must have happened to me three times since New Years.
Walter wrote: "Don't know about Veronica, but that must have happened to me three times since New Years. "Whew. And here I thought I was the only one....LoL.
First off: You guys have a great podcast, and it's awesome of you to take suggestions. I agree with much of what's been said already, especially the reduction or revamp of calendar into "picks". Seriously, just tell us what you are excited about, and leave the big list on the website. Secondly, I agree with something Matheus said earlier: it does seem like you guys either really love all the books we read, or are just afraid to say something bad about them.
Thirdly: Definitely agree with the more book discussion comments and the idea that longer episodes, if you have the time, are totally ok.
Fourthly: I am ambivalent on the theme music. Perhaps a revamp would be in order....
Fifthly: Where's that Earthsea wrap up??!? I still have no idea if you all did or did not enjoy that book and why. The suspense is killing me!
Lastly: Once again, this is a great show. Keep up the good work!
Ok, here is a theme music idea. I dont know how royalties work, so it may not be possible.Shorten the music by about half and add in a couple of snippets from movies and tv of people saying 'Sword' and 'Laser'. So you might have Schwarzenegger saying 'Sword' and Shatner with the 'Laser'. Change it up every podcast. Maybe have it a little contest where the first listener to correctly guess the voices and movie/show its from wins a no-prize.
Mod
Tom wrote: "OK, so what do you think of the names 'Quick Burns' and 'Bare Your Sword' Love them? Change them? Turn them into a new acrostic every week?"I like the two names - keep them!! ^_^
I, too, like the segment names.Though "The Calendar" name could use some work. It's not very descriptive of what the segment is about and can be confusing. (I kid.)
I kind of like things as they are, I think they play to Tom and Veronica's strengths. Still open to new stuff being tried and things to be changed up a bit.One area that does not get much coverage is older SF/fantasy (e.g. not about a writer currently writing fiction). This could be something which draws from the group or asks the group questions - e.g. where to start with Greg Egan? or who are your favorite Hard SF books? Or something like "Classics Corner" where a writer and one of their key works is briefly summarised/recommended.
I think the names are fine, although Bare Your Sword has always sounded vaguely euphemistic in an uh, "adult" way, to me!
Keep the segment names and intro sounds.
Ben wrote: "I think the names are fine, although Bare Your Sword has always sounded vaguely euphemistic in an uh, "adult" way, to me!"Samsies.
I think you should keep "Barrier Sword." :)
Tom wrote: "OK, so what do you think of the names 'Quick Burns' and 'Bare Your Sword' Love them? Change them? Turn them into a new acrostic every week?"I would like video animation to go along with those.
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*patiently waits for Sean to explain this*
Mod
"We have an email from the half-dozen robs on the forums, they apparently have a new etsy store! It sells artisanal rods."
Tamahome wrote: "*patiently waits for Sean to explain this*"A gas main rant, ahem atom.
terpkristin wrote: "I think you should keep "Barrier Sword." :)"So I wasn't the only one who heard it that way...
I also thought "bare your sword" was "barrier sword" for about a year and a half of listening, I really didn't get what "barrier sword" was.
In that Van Halen song, Little Guitars, I thought 'catch as catch' was 'etch a sketch'.
Mod
Tonight's episode incorporates some of the suggested changes, the big one being no more calendar Segment. Instead its picks! Things we and you all are reading. (Lifted from the "What else are you reading thread).
We also made the news more community-driven.
We had a special guest on this episode of course, so it's a little different than a normal episode but I think you'll see where we're going with it.
The May 13 episode is ALL book discussion. But what book? Stay tuned and find out.
Thank you all so much for your honest and extremely helpful thoughts and suggestion. You are without a doubt the best community ever!
Tamahome wrote: "In that Van Halen song, Little Guitars, I thought 'catch as catch' was 'etch a sketch'."Until I read this, I still thought it was 'etch a sketch'.
Mod
Could you guys PLEASE put the dates of upcoming shows, SOMEWHERE! You folks have LOTS of places to do this and I can never find the show dates. I just try and figure it out ..."
This one was posted on the Goodreads events page and on Google Plus.
We won't have another live episode until the 27th of May.
Not about content of the show, but am I the only one who gets confused with the mixing up of video and audio shows on the website? If I'm wanting to listen to a podcast (no video) and I have to skip past a load of videos, I lose all track of where I am up to whenever I fall behind. Can we keep them in separate places?Edit: I think it is the hangouts that mix me up most, since they seem to be treated as podcasts. I could, of course, listen to them that way, but if there is video, I like to watch it, and when I'm looking at podcasts, it's generally when I'm doing something where I can't watch. So I skip the videos for later, then forget where I am up to.
The official podcasts are numbered - that's how I tell them apart, but I guess now some of them are watchable too so....
I wish there was a way for Goodreads or Google Plus to notify you say an hour before an event.
Mod
For google+ can't you mark yourself as "attending"? I haven't paid attention to the stream stuff, but for events I swear I got notifications about events I said I was attending.
Mod
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Yeah, the naming convention is different. But I understand your confusion.
Tamahome wrote: "I did. You got email?"
Yeah, I also got an email too!
I guess I'm confused by the podcast numbering too.Today I loaded up episode #172 expecting a standard format podcast with the usual segments. Instead I got the audio from a google hangout with an author. Not what I was expecting (nor wanting. I probably one of the few that rarely listen to the author podcasts, and just listen to the main book group podcast).
I really don't see the confusion some of you guys are having. There is usually one podcast episode a week. It alternates week-by-week between book club episodes and author interviews which can be from Google hangouts, con panels, or wherever. The audio from the video show episodes are included as a freebie bonus and are clearly named differently to the podcast episodes.It's really not that complicated, especially if you take 5 seconds to check the episode description and see what you're about to listen to.
EDIT: I don't mean to come across as combative or put anybody down but I think these type of comments are kind of unfair to T&V.
Mod
Today I loaded up episode #172 expecting a standard format podcast with the usual segments. Instead I got the audio from a google hangout with an ..."
That was a standard podcast with a wrap-up. We also happened to have a Kickstarter backer and author on, who we spoke with as he wrote our alt pick and picked the main. That was the level he contributed to.
The Sword and Laser
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