The Audio Blog of Steven Sirski

Black Friday deals a go go! How many do you really need? Despite my middle class struggles, seeing and thinking about what I could get now to make life a bit easier (in terms of video editing). Every expat says “This time is different!” But it never is. It’s simply easier to keep going where you are rather than moving any further. What else did ChatGPT say about going to the Middle East? No real w...

Big winds a howling! Still got the workouts in today! 3.53km run done in 20.36, then to the gym for chest and back, then back out INTO THE WIND for a 4.51km run in 30.24. Feeling rather knackered now. SLV Episode 65 recorded and published, how was DaVinci in the workflow? Grading continues, will I make the deadline? And what sort of deadlines can there really be? Just get it done. And what about t...

No class this morning so an easy start, but that got me thinking… Stay in China or head on out? A few things to think about: There are no foreign billionaires living in China. What about millionaires? Workouts in! Still feeling heavy doing these pull ups. Did 105 or 110 total, 25 with 5 kg, 25 with 10 kg, plus 210 push ups, 315 squats. 4.51km run in 28.36, then another 5.01 km run after the gym in...

They had red velvet cake at breakfast! Preparation for speaking presentations begin! A panel debate - one example is if a good education is needed for a happy and successful life. Successfully convinced one class to stay for an extra hour so we don’t have to have class tomorrow morning! I should clarify, I didn’t START drinking at 13, I had my first beer at 13… though maybe my Dad gave me a sip wh...

Fell asleep early last night! Trade schools for the win? https://www.wsj.com/opinion/ford-motor-ceo-jim-farley-mechanic-shortage-autos-skilled-workers-334ae52d?mod=itp_wsj,djemITP_h Workouts in! 7.51km morning run in 49.28, then modified afternoon chest and back workouts, then ran back to the university for 5km in 29.33 to invigilate the exam. Had to modify the typical back workout so not as focus...

Hey, I’ve been pirated! My Military Museum video has been re-uploaded and dubbed over in Chinese by some fake YouTube account. Guess I gotta make a claim. DaVinci installed! Speed Editor charged! Does it work?! Not as intuitive as Final Cut. But LOTS of memory being taken up. (DaVinci for iPad is a different subscription.) http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/family/davinci-resolve-and-fusion N...

Cold outside and the heat is on! New SLV Episode out, new video up! Where to go next?! All that tech I talked about on Friday, is it necessary? -Final Cut Pro -Apple Motion -FxFactory -BorisFX -DaVinci Studio -MotionVFX -Speed Editor -Blackmagic Camera -Blackmagic Cloud Pro Cam I & II by Moment Halide Mark II -Logic Pro -iZoptope Workouts in! Saturday, Sunday, Monday… and tomorrow? 3.52km in 24.56...

You dropped the ball, Steven! You could’ve got them talking about math! Bought DaVinci… I can always return it. Downloading some video editing plugins, looking to make video editing fun again. I spent money on the audio editing, should I do the same with video? Workouts in! 3.51km run in 26.04 (with a backpack, computer n all), then off to the gym for 110 or so pull ups, 220 push ups, 330 squats....

Are they asleep already? Just who IS living next to me? SLV Episode 64 recorded, getting a little better at focusing my episodes. All about Music Engineering. Was NOT as dorky as it could’ve been… even showed them some old videos of myself! Peaked into another class to see what the students were doing… they were sleeping! Students doing math in class… maybe cause their marks aren’t so good and the...

Lost, then found! Good thing I ran around! Displaced my university food card and so had to go looking for it. Found it as someone had put it on the curb. Workouts in! No morning run, but did end up doing 8km after the gym this afternoon. took 54.52. Chest and glutes again today. How is the Maca motivation going? How is your Chinese going? Donate to the show! PayPal link below! https://www.paypal.m...

Lest we forget! Remembrance Day in the West, shopping day in China! Anything good to buy? Doesn’t look like it. Workout in! And trying some different APPs. Did back and shoulders today. Currently trying out the APP Hevy. Looks interesting, but too bad I can’t copy + paste my workout. Maybe AI has made me lazy? -Hevy -Strong -Strava -runo APP -Tempo -PUSH -JeFit -iMuscle2 -Runkeeper And should I go...

Back is killing me after sitting in this chair all weekend! Marking begins! Starting early and looking to get it done quick. Workouts in! 3.5km run in 20.57, then hitting legs today, then back out for another 4.5km run in 27.42. SLV Episode 63 up and out! Stats looking good. And a bit of sad news: a death in the family, how do bereavement flights work? Donate to the show! PayPal link below! https:...

Adding to yesterday’s one year analysis, what’s the issue? The issue isn’t so much that I haven’t built the next thing, it’s that all of the things I have done in the last year could have been done while at my old job. Basically, I created a bunch of work for myself that really only led to me making less money and still just getting the same number of things done. Tried to sit down and re-write ye...

Steve, do you miss your old job one year on? No, maybe the size of the paycheques, but not the monotony. KFC on campus! Same with Luckin! Is this CAPITALization of the university education a good thing or bad thing? And did I try anything? Moderations done, so marking begins. Learning a lot about the structure of sentences, ie, what would be considered strictly compound and complex sentences. Foun...

Easy going day, but this won’t last. Looking into voice and SMS services, Twilio, Eleven Labs, Retell AI, and a few others. Doesn’t have to be perfect, but does need to be effective. Back to YouTube Shorts as they garner a higher view rate than my long form videos. Also looking to build out the Chinese course again this year. Workouts in! 7.51km in 50.07 (didn’t want to go!), Back upper body worko...

From Shanghai to Song Shan, this podcast is with you! Getting cold, or getting a head cold? Gotta bundle up! No workout in today cause had to do my moderation, did the kids listen to what was needed? New AI tools to try out, and getting ready for a revised Chinese course! Gamma AI, Retell AI, and how else can I use the podcast to promote these things? Duped by Mac Whisper! I thought it was an offi...

Up from a nap! Welcome to the new month! November here we are! New AI tools to try out, and getting ready for a revised Chinese course! Gamma AI, Retell AI, and how else can I use the podcast to promote these things? Workouts in! De-load week? 3.58km run in 22.04, then to the weight room for legs and chest, then back outside for another 4.51km run in 28.12. Getting cold! And I don’t want to get my...

Guess I have some editing to do! 聊斋志异 by request! But… some different stories. Workout in! Only a 4.52km run AFTER my workout. Did get 110 pull ups done, 220 push ups, 330 squats, but all were unweighted. Took about 30 minutes to do. Just wasn’t feeling it but mainly because I hadn’t slept well. Was working on yesterday’s episode in the morning, the freelance course, then had to finish editing...

Twas the night before Hallow’s Eve, and all was a-twitter, frothing hither and tither, especially the critters… The US testing nukes, but… against whom? Given yesterday’s talk about Project Serpo and all the alien stuff, do you think those nukes are for us? Or just a proof of technology AND, more importantly, a big step in the RESEARCH and DEPLOYMENT of the knowledge? No workout in, even though ha...

Workouts in! 7.52km in the morning in 47.02, weight room in the midday for mostly upper body but some legs too, then out for another 4.52km in 29.27. Natty gains: Mike Israetel with Jeremy Ethier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vawuA8-CLWw -sleep is important - stress can affect it, so can alcohol -how much can you actually gain? Will your gains change over time? Another video edited and should be...

Still working out, Steve? Yes. Yesterday’s runs in! First run done was 3.51km in 21.49, then off to the gym for legs and chest, then out for another 4.52km run in 28.10. Another workout in today, but focused on the back. Followed some of Jeff Nippard’s odd workouts to help hit the back. Thinking… what if I just did single muscle groups? Could I make it work? What of the gamification of education?...

Sounding good, so I think. Coming up to the end of the month, what should I read for this year’s Halloween? The Rope? The Call of Cthulu? Another Edgar Allen Poe story? How was the bus ride? PUKE! Would you wait 30 minutes for a tanghulu? We did. It was WORTH IT! New SLV podcast up, Episode 61 - all about why I came to China. Thinking… how many episodes can I do a month and how big does the file h...

Maca motivation and two projects a day - is it even possible? (spent much of the evening reading about running metronome APPs - bought iMuscle for iPad when I meant to get it for iPhone) Workouts in! How were the clothes? 3.51km in 23.35, then off to the gym for 105 pull ups (35 with body weight, 35 with 5 kg, 30 with 10 kg), 210 push ups, 315 squats. Then out for another 4.55km run in 29.42. -Sti...

The end of the bootcamp! Time to deploy! But where to do it and how much to pay? Railway, hostinger, n8n, Digital Ocean? What’s up next? Freelance webinar, sales training, anything else?! GOLD drops! How far can it go? 10%? 20%? MORE?! Cup with handle formation (formed from 1980s and 2012 peaks)?? Don’t try to predict! (But how do you pick an entry price?) Maca motivation and the two project conun...

Sounds better me thinks, but didn’t use Logic Pro Mastering chain yesterday. It’s something I need to remember to do but, overall, I think yesterday’s episode sounded better than last week’s. Should I take sponsorship money for this podcast? How’s your toothpaste experiment going? Workouts in (new clothes in, too!) 7.53km in 48.05 this morning (0C but not bad), weights for rows and shoulders, then...