AudioBoo. Who Will You Boo?

*as usual links provided here, if not taking you to one of the pages here in the blog, or on our other blog, will only take you to relevant links, we do not condone word link advertising, or any of that other bullshit*

BOO! (warning, the following boo contains the "F" word)

Yeah, no...we haven't had a glass on wine at all. (That was recorded last week)

So, AudioBoo…you may have seen the term (and the links) floating around Twitter or other places on the internet. We’ve definitely seen people asking what it is, so we thought “Hey, we’re totally uninspired for writing topics and going of our mind with stress this week, lets write about AudioBoo!”

Last week we opened our first AudioBoo account, and took part in an AudioBoo throwdown of @C-J_Commode’s tweets (see Tumblr post for reference: http://jstcallmefrank.tumblr.com/post/13355942678/the-c-j-commode-audioboo-throwdown). After a sufficient amount of wine we were comfortable enough to give it a whirl, even though the final recording was the audio version of double exposure, parts recorded over itself, and conversation with The Boyfriend somehow got recorded in the middle of it…but ultimately it ended up funnier that way, so we left it (after contacting AudioBoo via and @ on Twitter about the recording error).

Some people have said (okay, Tweeted...same thing) things like, before you know it we'll all be calling each other on the phone and that AudioBoo just seems like a replacement to phones and phone messages.

Here's why it's not: It's broadcast to many people at once (usually); you don't have to run the risk of someone actually picking up the phone and having to have a conversation with that person (because, ICK!); other people don't have to listen to you. It's actually kind of fun...if you can find creative ways to use it...like AudioBoo throwdowns in conjunction with Twitter. (more about that at the end of this "article".)

AudioBoo is a “mobile & web platform that effortlessly allows you to record and share audio for your friends, family or the rest of the world to hear”, which started as a small project by Mark Rock in the UK in March 2009, and with the help from a very specific fund provided by Channel 4, a local public UK channel (think Public Access) became a business in 2010. It was launched with the AudioBoo boo of Stephen Fry, a author, television presenter, comedian...a national treasure of the UK. His Boo’s: http://audioboo.fm/stephenfry)

AudioBoo is free to use and records up to 3 minutes of audio, you can use your mobile device, or you computer, and share it across different internet platforms - such as Facebook, Websites, Blogs, and of course, Twitter.

The application itself is easy to use on the internet and on mobile devices, but you can’t (as of this writing) publish to Twitter/Facebook directly from the smartphone/mobile apps; though you can record and upload to your online account, and then publish from there; even on the website via your mobile phone, just not with the app itself. The conformation on the mobile publishing limitation comes straight from AudioBoo themselves (James actually contacted them to ask). Alternatively you can e-mail audio clips to AudioBoo via BooMail, or record by calling their PhoneBoo and leaving a message, in case your phone doesn’t have web browsing/mobile internet features. (more on the alternatives here: http://audioboo.fm/about/boomail)

While free for recording three minute blocks of audio, AudioBoo offers Pro features, an upgrade you pay for, which include things like longer recording capability, the ability to moderate and edit the audio clips by more than one user and better quality. While it doesn’t have practical uses for the average person, it does appear to be useful for some types of businesses. (For more: http://audioboo.fm/about/pro)

AudioBoo also has some handy widget for web developers, bloggers, etc. You have a choice between a Follow Button or a Playlist Player to add to your internet presence. You can see ours, added today, up at the top on the right hands side. We can imagine some people would have a lot of fun with AudioBoo in conjunction with Tumblr accounts and other types of blogs.

So far there is one competitive alternative to AudioBoo, http://cinchcast.com/; however, advertising on the site is considered to be a bit heavier.

Find the smartphone/mobile apps here:
In the Android Market: https://market.android.com/details?id=fm.audioboo.application&hl=en
For iPhone on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/audioboo/id305204540?mt=8

So, an AudioBoo throwdown, you say? These are fun on Twitter...actually AudioBoo and Twitter are fun together in general, it's pretty cool to hear the voices of the people you've been reading for months, for some, years.

Here's what @Versability has to say about AudioBoo and hearing the voices of his followers:

Last week there was a group of our guy friends who read CJ's tweets, and this week it was our turn to get read by them...so for fun we decided we'd add them at the end of this entry today, as a fun example. We have to say, it's interesting hearing people read our Tweets, because they sound different than when we read them, that's for sure. We're supposed to award someone a Tweet of the Day for the best read...we're still waiting for @T0MFooL3RY's submission...we'll add that one tomorrow...

So...the first three submissions:

NOW WITH ADDED FOOLERY! (Added Friday, December 2)

@T0MFooL3RY

@ConfusedLush

@C_J_Commode

*we wanted to note that while CJ apparently did a good job, he's got our particular mental disorder mixed up with...something else. We are not emotions...we all have emotions...but we're people, people. Didn't want to make anybody more confused here...we have names and shit*

@grheatley

AudioBoo
So...who will you Boo?

(that shit right there...that last sentence...trademark, copyright, ours now...unless...someone else said it before today and can prove it)

Other Social Media Writing We've Done:

Social Media:

• Birds of A Feather, on Twitter, CAN Flock Together
• For Us, It's All About Team Awesome...and Twitter
• We Talk About Listing People On Twitter
• Who Are The Twitter Elite...And Of Course We Ramble
• You're Doing Twitter Wrong
• So, You've Been Unfollowed and/or Blocked
• There's More Than One Way To Skin A Troll
• We’re Not Breaking Up With You, Twitter, But…
• Our One Year Twitter Anniversary

• Klout Tells You If You're Doing Social Media Wrong...or Right

Blame Everybody. Blame Nobody. Blame Yourself.

You have to “blame” something, right? Or someone?

Yes. and No.

We wanted to take this moment to discuss a pet peeve…because we can, because this is our blog, and that's all the reason we need.

If you follow enough people on Twitter you get a real cross-section of people, and their varying views about personal responsibility. What we want to talk about it something we've seen being said for months now, in different ways, which all boil down to the same concept.

One view we’ve seen, on more than one occasion, are opinions like in a tweet we read today that reference people’s bad actions, stating they can always claim they are a result of their environment, and then they referenced Twitter as being a hotbed for such behaviour (when in fact, it’s people everywhere, all the time, always).

Now, we are a fan of the person who wrote the tweet (and we are obviously not going to name names), and we’re sure she was doing what The Boyfriend refers to as “taking the piss out of someone” or in this case, someones; which means, making a joke, obviously; we hope she was anyway.

We have also seen some tweets (on several occasions) saying demeaning things about people, their actions, and making reference to a history of child of abuse not being a valid reason for behavior…which really appalled us, if only because in the snarky bitchy way they worded it. Not because we ARE a victim of such a thing as child abuse (though we are) but the audacity of the people writing such things which are clearly ignorant and insensitive.

This way of thinking is not in which we prescribe, the opinion that bad behavior can simply be blamed on (or not blamed on) environmental and sociological factors, because while the formation of a person, their behaviours and beliefs, starts young in life (and continue all through life) and people are absolutely influenced by life factors…people can overcome it, if they choose to shift their paradigm of thinking, and responding, yet some choose to be a victim of it, using it as a crutch in life for their poor behavior and problems in life.

"My life is this way, or I think this way because of A, B and C...and that's just the way I am." (usually stated by a miserable person, who makes other people miserable, because of A, B and C)

People need only study/read (basic) developmental psychology and sociology texts, or you know, think about things logically, to understand…being a product of ones environment, a product of their upbringing, a product of their experiences with the world is how people develop as a human being.

Now, this isn't meant to sound preachy, we just get tired of willful ignorance, and want to share this way of thinking...so we don't find people, and stab them instead. See writing saves lives. *wink*

Seriously though, this understanding is how we have survived and been able to manage people, their actions, their emotions and attitudes; and how we, over time, have worked to accept people, cull patience; and also understand when we can't continue to be in the presence of people who do not understand and accept that people just do not spontaneously and blindly become who they are; which is the point we are trying to make.

There is scientific data and research in psychological sociology up the ying-yang to support the concept of human development - you can find some of it by using Google, and books, but please…Wikipedia is not a solid source of information all on its own…while it DOES reference good sources of information, it’s not even an adequate Cliff’s Notes (do they still make those? Are we old now?).

Back at it then.

One thing to always keep in mind, is that while you are a product of your environment and experiences, its how you choose to respond to it that is your choice, that's the part you have control over.

Here’s an example, and this is a basic one to understand, mostly because lots of people (most) have relationship where things like this happen:

One person in a relationship gets angry at their significant other about something likely insignificant and so they yell at them, or does something to make them realize they have done something wrong, and even though the significant other understands their partner “may be overreacting”, the significant other apologizes for whatever they did. What happens from there may vary, of course...grudges may be help on either side, deterioration of the relationship...whatever, it could go in endless directions.

If the person who is angry would take a moment to think about whether or not their anger is founded in something concrete or important, before they yell and get upset, they may find that perhaps their significant other is entitled to an apology too. It’s not THEIR fault that the other person got angry...simply stated...

It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.~ Epictetus

That’s just one example, obviously sometimes people deserve an angry outburst, but they also deserve to have a partner, friend, co-worker, stranger etc, who acts towards them accordingly, because, don't you? People shouldn't let the negative aspects of their upbringing and experiences destroy them as a person, or let them destroy another person, because it's never-ending madness.

Of course WE don't always prescribe to this (the part where we analyze ourselves before we react...the blame we usually accept), it's not always easy, but we try. This past weekend was a failure in which we had an outburst of words in a Facebook message to The Father...we said some mean things to him, and they should have been directed at someone else (or nobody else), but we said them out of pain and humiliation...we know that...and we felt bad the next day. We have yet to apologize, but...we're just trying to be honest. It's not easy. (and we will apologize...)

We've just gotten tired of people thinking outside influences shouldn't be a reason for behavior and actions, and experiences with others like friends, parents, relatives, strangers, for the way they act, they are a valid reason for people's actions, and they are environment (experience, upbringing and human interaction/relations) which are what develop a person’s perception, beliefs, evaluation ability and actions; however, that doesn't mean that the person cannot control, change or overcome the characteristics they develop from those experiences. All it takes is the will and desire to take personal responsibility.

Your attitude, as a human being, is expected to develop and continue to grow over time based on continued experience.

Need someone to blame? You, like us, should probably look in a mirror first.

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We'd love to hear opinion on this, because after all, it's based on ours only, which has been influenced by our current experiences to date (which are those with people, texts, University classes, and shared communication). We love debate, and we don't get a lot of it.

Anyway, thanks for reading...sorry if you didn't find it interesting enough, there is a whole crap load of other stuff to read here, about sex and food, and all that...just take a look around.

Is anyone else exhausted?

~Frank et al

We Give Thanks

All else aside (yesterdays post 'Thanks For The Freedom' http://just-call-me-frank.blogspot.com/2011/11/thanks-for-freedom.html)

We are thankful for:

• The amazing people of Twitter, without whom, this last year, we would not have survived (don't understand that then you haven't read enough of our blog). Thank you <3
• Our boyfriend James, who puts up with us...because let us tell you...it's a picnic, full of irritating and fruistertaing ants, some days. And he has the patience of a saint...most days. (we love you Noodle...and of course you know which ones of us do).
• Family, those who deserve it, even The Mother...because...well...we're happy we were born? Yeah...that *sigh* (there is a bit of a story about how we almost weren't...but that's for another day)
• Relatively good physical health
• Self (selves?) awareness
• That we have the capability and will, somehow, to survive, over and over again...
• That we have touched people's lives, made them happier, made them smile, made them laugh, made them think, made them hope, made them be comfortable with who they are...
• We are thankful, most of the time, for us...because if it wasn't for us we'd never have survived, right from the start.
• Despite the implications of Thanksgiving...(the real ones...the ones some find offensive, which we wrote about yesterday: http://just-call-me-frank.blogspot.com/2011/11/thanks-for-freedom.html)...Thank you. Thank you for reading our blog. Thank you for letting us be us...you will never understand how much you have all done for our crazy, confused, tortured, struggling soul...and we hope you continue to do it <3

From all of us, to all of you...

~Frank et al

• 

Thanks For The Freedom

Thanksgiving.

It is a celebration of thanks, to be certain...but also, a time to remember what the privilege of beng an American really cost. Yes, we know…this isn’t Independence Day, but Thanksgiving is a celebration that paved the path to Independence Day, whether you know the history, or can appreciate it, or even agree – this is our view. This is the time of year we acknowledge the real people who died for our freedom.

Thanksgiving is a holiday that originally paved the way to the beginning of White America being founded. Many U.S. history books neglect to comment* on the fate of the helpful Indians, nor do schools generally discuss what happened in the years following the Thanksgiving Feast. (For someone else’s perspective/opinion and a brief history read: http://northerntruthseeker.blogspot.com/2009/11/happy-thanksgiving-celebrating.html, because we couldn’t write it better than he did); they merely tell you to be Thankful this time of year, often times to God.

We're not writing today to "stand on a soapbox”, we merely desire to reflect on the irony of The First Thanksgiving, and that White Europeans initially left England to find a place where they could be free to practice their own religion...and then those people tried to force the native people of this country to follow their own practices, and told them that their spiritual beliefs were wrong. They wanted a country founded on separation of religion from the government, and they went in search of land where they could enjoy religious freedom; and if you believe people found it and enjoy it, even today, then you are not living in the America we know.

This weekend people in The United States will give thanks for family, for a roof over your head, for all that they have (because many do not have the luxuries you may enjoy, even in the vast freedom and opportunity of America), some may give thanks for all the freedom that comes with being American; but we hope they don't forget to give thanks to the people who used to live in the place they/we now call our country. They will not remember, or likely acknowledge, when Giving Thanks this weekend, that there were people who died trying to protect the land that was theirs, from people, some theirs, yours and our ancestors, so we could enjoy our freedoms, while taking it away from others. If people are to be proud and thankful then they should also recognize and understand in order to appreciate truly, all that they have; empty thanks and ignorant pride is worse than pride itself. (If you are to subscribe to things like basic "sin")

I'd like to be thankful for the freedoms we have, despite our personal misfortunes...but I find it hard without being disrespectful, so instead I am, we are, humbled by not only the tragedies of the past, but the lives of people.

Don’t agree? That’s fine, we’ve written about Freedom, and how much we are thankful for things like freedom of speech (http://just-call-me-frank.blogspot.com/2011/09/doing-freedom-right-our-911-post.html)…have a problem with us expressing our freedom? What kind of American would you be if you did?

Oh…

The following excerpts are only a portion (about 1/3rd) of the original story, which can be found here: http://www.2020tech.com/thanks/temp.html#story

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And just for fun....

Happy Thanksgiving by the way, a day when the average American will, in one meal alone, consume at least 3000 calories. ("Your Body On A Holiday Feast". Women's Health Magazine. November 2011: 20). We can hardly wait to throw the feed bag on...

And while you enjoy gorging yourself this Thanksgiving…be thankful.

Simpson just announced to the world via HuffPost Weird News that she's decided to go on a diet, but she's having a hard time letting go of the "prestige" that goes along with the honor of being America's heaviest woman -- and said she views Eman as an upstart trying to usurp her hard-earned fame. (More....http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/03/worlds-heaviest-woman_n_942546.html#undefined seriously, it's worth the read...)

Because attempting to be the fattest woman in America is considered an "upstart" (a term generally used to describe entrepreneurship)...

Proud and Thankful to Be An American...

~Ivy ...and some et al...
(I would recognize those et als who are present for this entry today, however, since they do not often share my loving nature...they shall remain nameless...if I was to convey a message they are giving me, it's somewhere around the "Shut the fuck up with this touchy feely caring bullshit, nobody deserves to be thankful for shit, who cares...". Yep, so thankful...)

*We recommend reading The Language Police by Diane Ravitch to learn how history is changed over time due to government and special interest policies.

When All You Can Write Is Ramble

We’re discussing with ourselves whether or not to go to an every other day schedule of blog posts for the time being, or keep on trying to blog everyday. We've been working on planning out tour (see: http://just-call-me-frank.blogspot.com/p/our-2012-adventure-plans.html) and “launching” out t-shirt design page (http://just-call-me-frank.blogspot.com/2011/11/show-and-tell.html), and then…you know…there’s Twitter…and the holidays. (*whimpers*our first holidays in about seven years...)

We’ve been waking up and too often the though it “what will we write about today” crosses our mind, and we know something should be put here everyday, for habits sake (read: http://just-call-me-frank.blogspot.com/2011/09/habits-and-blogging.html ), however, we want the posts to mean something to us…we know, you read these too, but for us this blog is primarily for us...it’s the tracker of our life, and … right now…we could probably write about, obsess about,  things such as:

• ·         Every time The Mother talks our brain sizzles and fizzles and we can barely process a thought. It's like an ice pick.
• ·         The struggles of a relationship while living with DID.  How do the people we know [now, thanks to Twitter] who have DID manage their relationships? We had a very tearful discussion with James (The Boyfriend) last night…about some of our others (alters).
• ·         One day we will need to be employed, again…and try to maintain a real job..our track record is not so good…and based on the USA employment situation, and us, entering it again for the first time in seven PLUS years (we were living and working outside of the USA for the past seven) makes us nervous…what will we do, with our backpain (often time debilitating), and with our…us...issue…we've never been employed for long.

And so much more.

And now we border the defensive...

People on twitter think we drink a lot, and are always drunk (as do, apparently, some of our previous friends, after we cut them from our life)…but we’re not. We have only been drunk once in the last week. We’re pretty tipsy now, but still, we’re not stupid drunk…we can can write, and listen to the mother yap (barely) in the background, and form other thoughts…we’re not sure what being drunk feels like to most people. We just feel a lot more relaxed, our back hurts less, and we’re more tolerant to…things like The Mother. It’s why we’d like to be at least tipsy everyday before she arrives home...

Some people might be okay, being 32 (collectively as the oldest we are, in our case) and living with their parent, their boyfriend joining them…but still, deep inside…we can’t help but think that our potential is being squandered, even though we have no clue what our potential may be…because we’re sure we’ve never reached it, and if we have….well, then we’ve squandered it somewhere, and please, let us know where.

But then...not everyone has potential...how can they with so many people in the world (at least 6,840,507,000 as of 2010)

We’d love to ramble on and on about how people don’t choose to be unemployed, like us. Though this time, we were forced to move, and it IS a choice because we have travel plans in the near future, and we needed a "mental health" break. Being "aimless" is akin to feeling lost…but, uggg, whatever, The Mother is bitching and we just lost that thought...

We’ve worked with poor, homeless and unemployed people, and you begin to learn, some of that misfortune happens by choice, some of it is a decision they make, and some of it you will never understand, unless you do...and sometimes they fight to have their next job, they fight to buck the system...they don't want to be part of it.

So, we could have written about anything tonight, instead you got that, because…we’re trying to decide how, and what, to write about…beause writing about only us…we don’t want to do that all the time, at least I don't…there is a whole damn world out there, and a whole lot of shit going on, and we are but a tiny fragment, not even a worker ant…living in their mother’s basement…trying to decide the next move, and not squander our potential potential…because life is short, as anyone who has experienced near death understands…and…being stagnant, is frustrating.

So...Viola! A blog post...

Now, back to pain-free inebriation.