Dead Seriously.

Unknown to most readers at BCC, there has been a significant effort behind the scenes to reboot the once-proud Zeitcast–BCC’s podcast, in which a handful of permabloggers shoot the bull over the Interwebs about topics Mormon or otherwise. Unfortunately, each and every attempt up to this point has failed, with the grandest and most epic of failures coming last night.

Failure #1:
My first attempt at a podcast! Just before Halloween, Steve Evans, John C, and I discussed Halloween candy, Trunk-or-Treats, and a Book of Mormon-based novel that John found in his local library. After recording, I discover that the software I was using to record (Audacity) has multiple input settings, and that I had chosen the wrong one. Thus, I had recorded 15 minutes of silence. Steve mocks me harshly, and exaggerates the length of time we were recording before I caught my mistake to anyone who will listen.

Failure #2:
Another pre-Halloween attempt, in which Steve Evans, Guest Kyle M, and I fail to launch on account of Steve’s struggles with his recent installation of Windows 7 and Audacity’s compatibility with it. Of course, we don’t realize that his software has failed until we have been talking for 35 minutes or so about a variety of topics, including Halloween, Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites, and other minutiae. I feel poetically smug as Steve tries to reconcile his mockery of me the week before with his own foul up.

Failures #3 & #4:
John C, Steve Evans, Kathryn Soper, & I combine for a couple of essentially doomed attempts as Kathy learns to navigate Audacity, and John C’s audio files are too quiet to be used. At this point, I was still thinking that we were in “practice mode” and that all would be well on the next attempt. I was so naive!

Failure #5: The Thanksgiving Day Miracle
Kathy Soper, Steve Evans (sort of), and I discuss Turkey Bowls, Thanksgiving Day feast preparations, and plans for Black Friday. The entire recording comes off without a hitch, and we nearly have our first success. Unfortunately, after editing, remixing, and spending roughly 1/4 of my Thanksgiving Day preparing an amazing Zeitcast, I accidentally save a blank audio file audio file over the top of an edited, complete Zeitcast. file. I receive a “look” from my wife for having wasted the entire morning while she wrestled with kids & the holiday meal, and determine that I should probably not attempt another Zeitcast for a while.

Failure #6:
The bitterness of Failure #5 a fading memory, Kathy Soper and I reengage the mics and keyboards. This time, with Steve Evans not available, we only make it about 5 minutes into the conversation before Kathy’s recording software crashes. I’m too annoyed to care about trying a second take in one day, so we agree to give it another run the following morning.

Failure #7:
Kathy and I combine for the most epic of all failed Zeitcasts to date. The recordings are done properly. The editing is completed without a problem. The audio file, as well as supporting text, links, and photos are uploaded to BCC in correct fashion. The Zeitcast is posted! It’s a success!…and then it is determined that the discussion Kathy and I had about Finnish Christmas food is too mean for public consumption. The Zeitcast is pulled, with only a few minutes of the podcast’s remnants to be found in the RSS feeds of BCC subscribers.

[UPDATE! I posted an edited version of Failure #7 at BCC here.]

Failure #8: ????????
To top Failure #7, the next bomb will likely have to nuke BCC entirely, leaving no survivors.

[UPDATE No. 2: Failure #8 appears to have come off without a hitch...]

________________________