Posts By Dan Whelan
0 Episode 55 – Eh?
Happy Late Thursday all! Sorry about the late posting, but it was a busy day here at the Wheels Brewing Co Studio.
Well, I mean … I assume it is. I’m at work during the day, but … you know, something might be going on.
I digress. Adam and I had a fantastic time this week with Matt here in studio in Minneapolis, MN, and Molly FaceTime-ing in from NYC. Matt and Molly are two really funny people, and it was great to have them in the same conversations.
The four of us had such chemistry from the get go that we didn’t actually have a Mic Check topic this week. We just started chatting and perpetuating the conversation until half of an hour went by.
And as an apology for dropping the Mic Check so late, I’ve also included an additional pre-episode bonus track! You can listen as Dan, Adam and Matt struggle to successfully connect with Molly via Skype. It’s some goofy fun.
0 Episode 54 – Bonus Tracks a-Plenty
As we gear up to tape tonight’s episode, we realized that we still had additional content to share from Episode 54.
That’s right, the Bonus Build a Title game!
We had a lot of fun messing around with the Stitcher SmartRadio ad copy that is read between our usual discussion and games, and hope to splice them together for an entertaining, if not just wacky, version to play when’er we want. BUT AFTER, Dan suggested they play a few quick rounds ofBuild a Title to spice things up.
And in the future, we will be looking to YOU to help us kick off rounds of Movie Bluff, so if you have a suggestion for a great starter movie, TV show, or actor, or even an overall theme, we’d love to hear it! Contact us on Facebook or Twitter and let us know what YOU want to hear!
Until then, click here to listen to EVERYTHING from Episode 54.
0 Episode 54 – 10/02/12 feat. Ben “Rodge” Rodgers & James Wheeler
Ben & James join Dan and Caity in the studio to discuss everything they’re absorbing digitally in the web, BS their way through some news and play “Movie Bluff.” With Adam out sick after the MN Ren Fest, Caity fills in as Dan, Ben & James chat her up as the conversationalists they are. Enjoy!
Taped at The Wheels Brewing Co Studio, Minneapolis, MN on October 2, 2012.
Check out photos and this week’s bonus tracks by clicking here.
Click here to listen: Episode 54 – 100212
0 Episode 54 – My Rider has Funyuns
Happy Thursday, everybody!
Unfortunately, Adam recovering after all seven weekends performing out at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, and was unable to join us for Episode 54, but Producer Caity Shea Robertson filled in as we were joined by Ben “Rodge” Rodgers and James Wheeler in the Wheels Brewing Co studio.
We’re hoping Adam has a speedy recovery so he’ll be back with us for Episode 55.
The four of us were very in-sync during this episode taping (which you’ll hear tomorrow) but we also had tons of fun with the MULTIPLE bonus tracks that we taped. We also got all over the place with varying topics while taping.
Today, we’re releasing TWO of the bonus tracks! First, we have this week’s Mic Check for you, where we discussed how the CD has turned 30 years old (remember that scene in “The Wedding Singer” where they get a CD player?). We also have a bonus track comprised of guests Ben and James discussing Fantasy Football while Dan got the studio set up. You can find both bonus tracks here.
Make sure to stop back tomorrow to check out the new episode!
0 Episode 53 – 09/25/12 feat. Curtis James & Dave Wheeler
Curtis and Dave join Dan and Adam in the studio to discuss everything they’re listening to and watching on that there Internets, banter like mad men, and play “Movie Bluff.” Curtis and Dave are super detail oriented in that which they intake from streaming, and bestow an excellent conversation upon Dan and Adam. Enjoy!!
Taped at The Wheels Brewing Co Studio, Minneapolis, MN on September 25, 2012.
Check out photos and this week’s bonus tracks by clicking here.
Click here to listen: Episode 53 – 092512
0 Episode 53 – WATCHING a podcast?!?
So much has been happening around the “Buffering …” podcast this week!
We’ve officially changed the studio name from the “Frank Oz Memorial [Theater Memorial] Studio” to the “Wheels Brewing Co Studio”, for one. In all honesty, as funny as it was to name the studio in memory to someone who is not yet dead, it was time to wrap that up, and go with something better.
Based on the above, we’re going to be shutting down the Frank Oz Memorial Studio Facebook page next week, so, if you haven’t already merged over, go check out, and ‘like’ the “Buffering …” podcast fan page!
We’ve also started generating non-podcast content for the site! Dan published his first article early this week, which you can read here, and there’s more to come!
But for now, it’s time for an overdue Mic Check, featuring this week’s guests, Curtis James and Dave Wheeler! And stop back tomorrow for a brand new episode!
Dan also tested a new USTREAM app this week, where he created live streaming video of Curtis and Dave as they got into the Mic Check. For the first time ever, you can WATCH the Mic Check by clicking here!
Enjoy!
0 A&E titles disappear from Netflix
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “In all, about 800 hours of content is gone from A&E as well as its History channel, while 300 hours remain, at least until an agreement expires in about the middle of next year.” This means you’re losing “Hoarders”, “American Pickers”, “Pawn Stars”, and “Storage Wars”, among others, from Netflix Instant Streaming. Netflix and A&E are still reportedly in talks, and may potentially come to an agreement, but nothing is certain yet.
Thanks to boosted consumption of TV shows through streaming media content providers like Netflix and Hulu, it’s hard to forecast how partnerships between networks and providers will evolve. The AMC Network has been at war with DISH TV for more than two months now, leaving viewers without award-winning shows like “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad”, and there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel there, but, at the same time, AMC’s simultaneous $2.4 billion lawsuit against DISH may also be playing a large role in that agreement.
The Hollywood Reporter also mentions that the price tag isn’t necessarily completely to blame in halting A&E’s content on Netflix. THR’s unnamed sources say Netflix is seeking exclusivity for content, though it does not mention that which was included in Netflix’s proposition. After a few searches, I found a majority of A&E’s popular content available on Hulu, as well as for sale on iTunes and Amazon Instant Video, (plus full episodes available on A&E’s web site) so I can understand A&E’s concern with dropping multiple avenues of income.
I know that I have professed my appreciation for “Storage Wars” on a few of our episodes, but I’m not feeling a whole lot of emptiness from this loss. Yes, it’s bad news due to a level of inconvenience, but I just listed off a number of additional sources above (A&E’s web site and Hulu have full episodes posted for free) where you can find it. Plus, if you have yet to cut the cord from cable or satellite, they syndicate the Hell out of some of those shows, so you can just turn on the TV and play ‘A&E Roulette’.
I have no ill will for the programming A&E offers, but I see it as a great deal of guilty pleasure TV and filler TV. Why do people watch “Hoarders”? To make themselves feel better about themselves. That pile of dishes in the sink is NOTHING compared to this lady on “Hoarders”. Why do people watch “Pawn Stars”, “American Pickers” and “Storage Wars”? To make people think their old junk is worth some serious coin, turning them into hoarders, and generating additional subjects for “Hoarders”. That, or to create an “Antiques Roadshow” for an EXTREME generation. All I’m saying is I don’t see the loss of A&E’s content as a deal breaker between myself and Netflix.
In the grand scheme of things, not a lot of people are without A&E access, if you’re hankering for a fix … as long as you’re not using a gaming device without Internet browsing. Otherwise, you’re fine. And in case you’re wondering, yes, videos hosted on A&E’s web site work on both Android and iOS mobile devices.
0 Episode 52 – 09/18/12 feat. Katie Best & Joel Vollmer
Katie and Joel join Dan and Adam in the studio to discuss that which is currently streaming in their homes and places of work, a bit o’ news, as well as play “Movie Bluff.” Katie and Joel are experts on leading us to great pseudo-related tangents, and we had a great time doing so. Listen in!
Taped at The Frank Oz Memorial Studio, Minneapolis, MN on September 18, 2012.
Check out photos and this week’s bonus tracks by clicking here.
0 Episode 52 – Foresight and Intern Slaves
Happy Thursday, all!
Before we get to this week’s Mic Check, featuring Katie Best & Joel Vollmer, we have a few announcements for you regarding the podcast. It’s been a year so far, and Adam and I have discussed a few things we will be changing over the next few weeks.
First, we are in the midst of transitioning from our Frank Oz Memorial Studio Facebook page to a “Buffering …” Podcast Facebook fan page (say that five times fast!). What does this mean for you? If you are a fan of the Frank Oz Memorial Studio on Facebook, we’d ask that you switch over to the new page, as we will be deleting the Frank Oz Memorial Studio page in two weeks.
To go along with that last announcement, we will no longer be taping in the Frank Oz Memorial Studio. Or, to rephrase, we are no longer calling what could conceptually be called my living room the Frank Oz Memorial Studio. We ran that inside joke about an inside joke through the motions for a while, but it’s time to go legit, in terms of the name. No decision has been reached yet, but we’ll keep you posted.
Next, Adam and I will be solidifying ourselves as Streaming Media experts by contributing an article here an there on the site over the next few weeks. We want to make sure the podcast is nice, light, and relatable, so we’re cutting down on honorable mention news, and sticking to discussions that everyone can get in on. Now you’ll be able to turn to the “Buffering …” podcast site for your streaming news. Stay tuned for that.
Also, we will be simultaneously churning out reviews of Streaming Media sites, providers and hardware. Our reviews will also overlap in some areas so you can get both of our opinions on it.
So there’s everything you can look forward to in the coming “Buffering …” weeks. Until then, here’s this week’s Mic Check, featuring Katie Best & Joel Vollmer.
0 Episode 51 – 09/11/12 feat. Peter Jurgensen & Julia Schmitt
Peter and Julia joined Dan and Adam in the studio for another pseudo high school reunion, plus the occasional conversation about streaming media. Dan listed off a number of honorable mentions for news this week, plus how Apple is taking on Pandora & Spotify, and highlighting Crunchyroll’s 100,000th paid subscriber. As a celebration for running for a full year, a majority of the episode is dedicated to Movie Bluff.
Taped at The Frank Oz Memorial Studio, Minneapolis, MN on September 11, 2012.
Check out photos and this week’s bonus tracks by clicking here.
The Buffering Podcast 