Author Archives: Chris

About Chris

Chris is an IT/IS management professional with over a decade of experience in IT, IS, Network Engineering, and Telecommunications integration. Chris specializes in web server deployment and information management. This includes CMS, CRM, and dynamic content deployment. Chris also manages a full service Video Head End with over 200 digital TV channels. Chris also has five years of project management, knowledge management, and engineering design experience. He specializes in both the Agile and Scrum project management methodology. He also has a background in computer forensics and information security including federal or state compliance audits (such as SOX).

DF Pirate Radio – Cliffnotes (2009 Season)

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Cliff Notes – 2009 Season

* The latest edition to the digitalflood Pirate Radio arsenal for 2009 is a new M-Audio XSession Pro MIDI controller, which when coupled with Atomix Virtual DJ allows DJ digitalflood to mix music in real time seamlessly during live mix recorded sessions. Take a listen and see if you can hear the difference?

* Literally an hour before recording “Oi Vai, This Ain’t Kosher (Vol. 5 Episode 2)” of DF Pirate Radio, DJ digitalflood dislocated his left shoulder. DJ digitalflood had been recovering from shoulder surgery on his right shoulder and this left his collar bone imbalanced. The result is his other shoulder popped out and left DJ digitalflood in some major discomfort all of an hour before recording was to begin. Nevertheless, DJ digitalflood and Reverend Damian Baker recorded the show (albeit at a slower pace). You cannot even tell what happened and indeed this only proves the dedication the cast has to the show.

* Reverend Damian Baker is really converting to Judaism. The good Reverend has previously grown up Roman Catholic, became Methodist as a young adult, and had family who was Presbyterian. He’d spent the last few years as a Unitarian Christian before deciding to seek a Rabbi and proceed down the path of Judaism. Reverend Baker spent his early college career studying Christianity and was actively looking into becoming a Protestant Minister. That was about the time he met DJ digitalflood at SUNY Orange (circa 1996) where they were both members of the WOCC Radio Club and deejayed on the station.

* M’Weezy is really studying to become a Registered Nurse and in her second year at college. This makes her availability spotty during the course of this Pirate Radio season (Volume 5) as classes continue to intensify and take up more of her free time.

* Groucho really did get MC Mary @ The Disco! with a static shock on her butt during the recording of “The Groucho That Stole Christmas” and no– DJ digitalflood didn’t teach him how to do it.

* DJ digitalflood’s house is pretty small. It has two floors comprised of approximately 500 square feet. The first floor is where Pirate Radio is recorded during seasons four and five. The floor plan is fairly open allowing audience guests to sit in the living room and watch the radio show be recorded in the computer area. Other times guests sit over by the dining room table, which is on the other side of the recording area. The kitchen is just beyond the dining room and as pointed out by MC Mary @ The Disco! has a rather slippery waxed surface.

* Just prior to recording this season, Sheeva passed away of terminal lung cancer in the Spring of 2009. DJ digitalflood dedicated “The Beat Feast 2009 Redux (Vol. 5 Episode 3)” to her memory.

* 2009 marked ten years of digitalflood.com and 2010 marks five years of Pirate Radio (there have been six seasons, but one was only an episode long– in 2007 DJ digitalflood went on hiatus to get married and have a kid hence the one episode season). This season DJ digitalflood did a lot of reflection on his DJ and audio production experiences that lead up to this milestone. “The Slighty Unpleasant Dream After Hanukkah (Vol. 5 Episode 4)” is a nod to DJ digitalflood’s exposure to the underground goth and industrial club scene, which molded much of his remix sensibilities early on. Meanwhile the “flAnneljAm: After Dark (Vol. 5 Episode 5)” is a nod to his early deejay and radio production education during his college years. Each was important in shaping DJ digitalflood’s Pirate Radio show and arguably without those influences the show would not exist today.

* digitalflood Pirate Radio is still produced on the same computer used when the show started in 2004. Last year additional memory was added. This year the main hard drive failed and had to be replaced. Otherwise, the computer system is nearly the same as it was in 2004. Regardless of this, overall audio production quality has noticeably improved thanks to updated software production applications and additional new recording equipment, as well as, an overall improvement in production techniques used by DJ digitalflood himself.

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Shoulder Surgery – 10 weeks in

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Isometric Strength Training

Isometric Strength Training - Courtesy of summitmedicalgroup.com.

Catching up since last post on my recovery from Open Bankart Surgery on my right arm, things have been very good as we go into week ten of recovery and week eight of physical therapy (PT). My left arm has on and off been an issue, but overall has been better than weeks before. I have now, without too much issue, hit 180 degree reaching upwards. My arm starts to tremble after about 2 minutes of being in this 180 degree position unassisted on its own and I start to feel intense pain after about five minutes of sustained outstretched reach. This is considered normal range and because of strength issues is expected. Long term strengthening would address this issue, but I have not been cleared for actual physical strengthening with weights thus far. Either way, I’ve recovered 100% on internal motion.

This Monday (1/4/10) I will see my orthopedic surgeon. The expectation is that I will be cleared for full outward motion and inward strengthening. As such, the head PT therapist cleared me for “isometric” strengthening. As the surgeon said internal motions are safe there is no issue with these excercises. The two new isometric exercises added are done by using light resistance against a wall. The first involves pulling inward while holding against a wall and the second involves pushing forward against the wall. Again, these both activate the muscles in the upper shoulder and work towards actual strengthening of the upper bicep. These are both key to stabilizing my shoulder, which since I’ve hit my next milestone I’m ready for. This upper arm strengthening will be key to preventing future dislocation and also maintaining overall arm strength at normal levels.

Outward motion wise the head PT was able to get my arm to about 50 degrees. This was way beyond the 30 degrees expected and shows I’m ready for further outward stretching and conditioning. I’m also able to put my hand to the small of my back (the handcuff position) and across my chest to touch my opposite shoulder without issue. Again, this is done with minor discomfort and shows overall shoulder muscle healing has been achieved.

I’m 100% on target recovery wise and this is all good signs. We’ll see what the surgeon says, but I’m pretty hopeful at this point for being cleared for strengthening and outward motion.

I’ve also been told that once that happens I’ll be cleared for Nintendo Wii Bowling therapy. I’m not making this up. My ultimate goal will be Wii Golf or Tennis. Again, these are valid methods of rehabilitation. The idea is these video games simulate real world movement of active sports motions and if you can do them in simulation then you can do them in real life. Thus proving my ability to sustain normal activity and then some.

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We Are The Champions!

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My Yahoo! Fantasy Football team, the Rhode Island Rabbits, have won my league’s Super Bowl! We are the champions of the world (or at least the dinky online league I’m in)! Final scoring went like this:

Week 15
(Dec 15 – Dec 21)		 Week 16
(Dec 22 – Dec 28)
Semifinal

(1) Rhode Island Rabbits102.34

(4) really da really101.68

View Matchup

Semifinal

(2) Brooklyn Dodgers111.88

(3) 5yardsout116.42

View Matchup
Final

(1) Rhode Island Rabbits102.38

(3) 5yardsout86.98

View Matchup
3rd Place Game

(4) really da really83.44

(2) Brooklyn Dodgers85.94

View Matchup

As you can see, I absolutely housed 5YardsOut 102.38 to 86.98. While not the highest scoring game of the week, it was more than enough to seal my victory late Sunday night with all hope for my opponent gone by early Tuesday morning as the final regular season game of the NFL year wound down in OT.

I took the league by over 100 points overall:

Rank Team W-L-T Pct Pts Streak Waiver Moves
*1. Rhode Island Rabbits 10-4-0 .714 1430.08 W-7 7 8
*2. 5yardsout 8-6-0 .571 1306.62 L-1 4 10
*3. Brooklyn Dodgers 8-6-0 .571 1340.52 W-1 1 4
*4. really da really 8-6-0 .571 1282.38 W-1 2 11
5. doobie brothers 7-7-0 .500 1301.28 W-1 9 16
6. League Champs 8-6-0 .571 1137.16 L-1 10 22
7. ICRMBWNHB 6-8-0 .429 1277.78 L-1 6 12
8. HTOWNHARDHITTAZ 7-7-0 .500 1185.78 L-2 8 14
9. cowboys21 4-10-0 .286 1203.50 W-2 3 –
10. DOmers 4-10-0 .286 985.18 L-3 5 13

I put together a stellar eight wins in a row over the last eight weeks. All in all, I’m very happy with the results. My team had arguably a great season. This season will certainly be built on and incorporated into next year’s effort.

In the meantime, I’ll be sitting and waiting for MLB Baseball to begin so I can resurrect my Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball team (also the RI Rabbits) and try to better last year’s fourth place finish.

For now though, I’m going to bask in the glory of victory and brag all I can about my football expertise. Having said that, I still have no idea who half the people are on my team. All I know is they made me win and that’s all that matter I guess in the end. :mrgreen:

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DF Pirate Radio – “The Groucho That Stole Christmas”

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Title: Vol. 5 Episode 6 (Click link to play) Rel: 12/29/09
Description: “The Groucho That Stole Christmas” – It was supposed to be a quiet Christmas Eve of settling down by the tree and listening to carols while sipping a nice glass of wine. Just when DJ digitalflood thought the highlight of the night would be Santa Claus stopping by to drop off presents for his family, MC Mary @ The Disco! shows up. With that the chaos begins– throw back womanizing jokes, off color humor, and outright back alley gossip ensue. It’s all down hill from there. To top things off Groucho attacks the radio broadcast and tries to steal Christmas. All the songs in Welchville cannot stop him, but when all is said and done the true meaning of Christmas is found thanks to some high pitched rodents singing about a hula hoop.

In the grand tradition of digitalflood Pirate Radios of the past, this year’s episode is no different in many ways. It’s plus sized at one hour and forty one minutes of total run time. One DJ is under the influence and one is an outright bad influence on their own. The jokes will at times make you laugh and other times make you cringe in shock. Yet, it’s bigger and better than every DF Pirate Radio Christmas show before it. We’ve freshened things up with some new Christmas tunes that will serve as a suitable background to any White Trash Christmas morning. In short, it’s the gift that keeps on giving– even when you wish it would stop. So get out your egg nog and make one last toast to old Saint Nick before the New Year comes. It’s holiday time at the Pirate Radio and no one will be nestled in bed with dreams of sugar plums dancing in their heads. But there will be mentions of Gabriella Bush and Dr. Done Get It Dot Com. As well as, some ice skating in the kitchen and Ebola for all!
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Jimmy Crack Corn

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We may look cute-- but our rabbits will rip your face!

We may look cute-- but our rabbits will rip your face!

First, I’d like to thank everyone who came out for “DF Party 2009: Holiday Shenanigans” last night. We had an incredible time. Skinner and Shannon were fed drinks frequently by all. I know for a fact they both appreciate the sentiments. GWs, as always, proved to be the ideal place to party and Right On Red did a great job providing the soundtrack to chaos.

Be sure to keep your eyes on the Rhode Island Rabbits over the next twenty four hours. My Yahoo! League Fantasy Football team is in the Super Bowl and hopefully will walk away with the win by tomorrow evening’s close (12/28) of regular NFL season play.

Finally, if all goes well you’ll see “digitalflood Pirate Radio Vol. 5 Ep. 6” either tomorrow night (12/28) or the evening after (12/29). Stay tuned for that as well.

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