http://www.paulsacademy.com Paul's Academy seeks to inspire people to think and learn in the great tradition of Plato's Academy. It's the antidote to institutionalized academia. Check it out at www.paulsacademy.com. It's time to turn on your brain. en Paul paulsacademy@yahoo.com Liberated Syndication - libsyn.com podcasts@libsyn.com (Liberated Syndication) Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:13:00 GMT 180 It's Time To Turn On Your Brain! Paul's Academy seeks to inspire people to think and learn in the great tradition of Plato's Academy. It's the antidote to institutionalized academia. Check it out at www.paulsacademy.com. think, learn, thinking, learning, education, philosophy, knowledge Paul paulsacademy@yahoo.com Paul Bryant http://libsyn.com/podcasts/paulsacademy/images/album_art_300x.jpg http://www.paulsacademy.com Yes http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=499008# For the holiday, why not take a listen to Paul's Academy Episode 007, on American Independence?

]]> podcasts Fri, 3 Jul 2009 15:13:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=499008# July 4, independence, united states, america, washington, jefferson, paine, founding fathers Paul Clean http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=472357#
]]> Vidcast Fri, 1 May 2009 11:25:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=472357# Paul Yes http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=453152#
]]> general Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:50:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=453152# alex jones, conspiracy, crazy, immature, cult leader, cults, business, bullhorn, Paul Clean http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=439898# addendum to my original review of the Tascam DR-1 for more information.

I honestly have no idea when the show will be back on the air. Please keep the show in your RSS feed for future updates.

All the best,
Paul

]]> general Thu, 5 Mar 2009 01:16:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=439898# tascam, dr-1, broken, faulty, warranty, error, expense, expensive Paul Clean http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=438847#
]]> general Mon, 2 Mar 2009 08:54:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=438847# propaganda, human manipulation Paul Clean http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=431018#
I figured out where all the noise in my recording system is coming from. It's the pre-amp on my Tascam DR-1 portable recorder (see Review 001 below). Plug a cable into the Mic2 input and the noise is horrendous--even when no microphone is attached.

Hopefully, Tascam will not force me to endure the usual horror of mailing a product item to China or California for 6 weeks, and they'll just fix it quickly without causing even more problems. Until then, I can't produce another episode, unless I can find someone else with a recorder I can borrow.

In the meantime, to help kill the time, why not take a look at THIS.

All the best,
Paul

]]> general Sun, 8 Feb 2009 15:26:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=431018# Paul No http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=423566#
In the meantime, if you're interested, check out my MySpace blog post on how tough-talking Obama is being tricked by Congress into raising taxes on around 25% of all Americans who earn less than $250,000--in direct violation of his most significant campaign promise. You'll also learn what you can do to stop it (and I hope you will).

View Blog Post

Don't let the glamour and glitz of the inauguration fool you. It's politics as usual in Washington, folks.

UPDATE (02/04/09) - President Obama signed this bill into law today, officially raising American taxes, and taking yet another bite out of middle class and poor Americans' already insufficient incomes during the "worst economic crisis since the Great Depression." In my view, President Obama's stock plummeted today. I honestly had hoped that we finally had a President with enough intellectual curiosity to do his research before signing bills that are rhetorically manufactured to sound positive, when in fact they harm poor people, and feed the rich. It's going to be another long four years, folks. This President may mean well, but he is driving blind, and we're the pedestrians in the road.

All the best,
Paul


]]> general Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:54:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=423566# president, obama, inauguration, tax, taxes, middle class, poor, tobacco, smoking, industry, exploitation, extortion Paul Clean http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=416800#
Please take just a moment to for this show at Podcast Alley. Thank you in advance!

RESOURCES

Monitor (book), by James Tertius deKay

Mariner's Museum Monitor Exhibit

The Monitor Center

Video of Monitor steam engine model

Video of expedition to Monitor wreck

Paper on documentation of the USS Monitor

Other Monitor Class warships

Statue of John Ericsson at Battery Park

]]> podcasts Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:32:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=416800# war, civil war, history, ironclads, monitor, merrimac, lincoln, navy, american Paul Yes http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=416187#
Please take just a moment to for this show at Podcast Alley. Thank you in advance!

]]> podcasts Thu, 25 Dec 2008 02:08:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=416187# american, civil war, warships, monitor, merrimac, virginia, norfolk, union, confederacy, ironclads, hampton roads, war, navy Paul Yes http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=412135# A close look at the history of the first battle between ironclad warships: the battle at Hampton Roads between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (aka the USS Merrimac).

Part 1 concerns the reasons why ironclad warships became necessary, and it uses the career of brilliant Monitor designer John Ericcson to illustrate the problem that great minds typically encounter when they live in a world that's dominated by mediocrity.


Please take just a moment to for this show at Podcast Alley. Thank you in advance!

]]> podcasts Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:05:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=412135# Civil War, ships, shipbuilding, monitor, merrimac, virginia, history, lincoln, hampton roads, USS, CSS, erricson, genius Paul Clean http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=405514#
Please take just a moment to for this show at Podcast Alley. Thank you in advance!

12-String Guitar Links:

Daddy Stovepipe plays the 12-string

Daddy Stovepipe's website

John Joyce playing 12-string

Another talented 12-string player, using hammer-ons!

]]> podcasts Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:53:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=405514# 00:37:00 review, reviews, music, guitar, guitars, 12-string, 6-string, piano, blues, instruments, sound Paul Clean http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=392289# really tell us during the U.S. Presidential Debates? Despite the best efforts of both candidates' campaign advisors to spin the debates to their own advantage, Episode 009 shows you how to read between the lines and learn what John McCain and Barack Obama are really all about.

Please take just a moment to for this show at Podcast Alley. Thank you in advance!

ONLINE RESOURCES:

BBC Profile of John McCain (Audio podcast)

BBC Profile of Barack Obama (Audio podcast)

]]> podcasts Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:44:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=392289# Presidential Election, debates, McCain, Obama, Palin, Biden, Brokaw, politics, campgain, rhetoric, propaganda Paul Yes http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=365634#
Please take just a moment to for this show at Podcast Alley. Thank you in advance!

]]> podcasts Tue, 5 Aug 2008 02:37:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=365634# 00:36:00 news, media, corporate, propaganda, drums, drumming, drummer Paul Yes http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=358483# really happened in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776? What really happened to the American Founding Fathers after the Revolutionary War? What does Independence Day really mean to Americans today? Episode 007 explores what it means to be a good citizen who has proven worthy of the American Founding Fathers' efforts, and it takes a look at just how far the American government has descended toward the very tyranny that the Declaration of Independence sought to free Americans from in the first place. And in the spirit of Thomas Paine, Paul bluntly explains the difference between free citizens and freeloading citizens--which includes many of our elected officials....

Please take just a moment to for this show at Podcast Alley. Thank you in advance!

The Declaration of Independence

United States Constitution

What Makes You Think We Read The Bills? (Book on gross Congressional negligence)

]]> podcasts Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:03:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=358483# 00:54:00 july 4, fourth of july, independence day, constitution, declaration, washington, jefferson, paine, congress, president, supreme Paul Clean http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=355545# Before you listen to this episode, I have no choice but to amend my glowing review of the Tascam DR-1 by pointing out that the DR-1 I purchased in July 2008 more or less died in late February 2009. That's about 8 months of use (less than a year) before a $400 product became unusable. The problem began with a horrendous static whenever a cable was plugged into the Mic2 jack. Within days, it became far more serious, to the point of generating a horrific "short circuit" sounds that threaten to blow any headphone or speaker attached, regardless of the input that is used.

I seriously neglected to mention one important thing in my review--Tascam's warranty, which does not inspire confidence in their products (3 months for parts & labor, 12 months for parts). This warranty implies that Tascam is not confident that their $400 product will last more than 3 months. I am currently seeking to get this repaired, as the podcast is on indefinite hold without a recorder. However, I expect the labor charges to make it more prudent to purchase a competitor's digital recorder brand new (one with a warranty that inspires confidence).

I apologize for neglecting this crucially important factor in my original review. However, in my defense, I don't believe I've ever had a piece of electronic equipment that costs this much money break down and die within a matter of months, so I have never put much emphasis on warranties before.

To summarize then, the Tascam DR-1 is a brilliant idea, but in practice the unit has proven to be a catastrophic and extremely expensive failure. I'm afraid I can NOT recommend that you purchase a Tascam digital recorder. However, I do hope you'll still listen to this review (and Special Edition 002 on Handheld Digital Recorders in general), as these episodes may help you find a competing product that will function reliably, without breaking your bank in repair costs, or threatening your business with downtime.

----

(68 mins). Paul's Academy goes STEREO for this in-depth review of the new device I'll use as a master recorder for future episodes, the Tascam DR-1. This episode features quite a few audio samples, originally recorded at 16-bit/44.1KHz and 24-bit/48KHz. You'll find direct links to a couple of the original files (before mp3 compression) below. NOTE: You'll need an audio player that can handle 24-bit/48KHz for two of these samples. Or you can download Audacity (below)--it loads 24-bit files, and it's FREE.

Please take just a moment to for this show at Podcast Alley. Thank you in advance!

Read my essay, How To Record and Distribute High-Quality Digital Audio

Download Audacity (Free audio editor) from Sourceforge.net

Tascam's DR-1 site

Tascam DR-1 Review, Review of Tascam DR-1

]]> podcasts Fri, 4 Jul 2008 00:05:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=355545# review, reviews, tascam, dr-1, dr1, digital, recorder, 24bit, 24-bit, sampling, sample rate Paul Clean http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=355541#
Read my essay, How To Record and Distribute High-Quality Digital Audio

Digital Recorder Review Sites:

O'Reilly Digital Media

Transom Tools

Electronic Musician

Harmony Central User Reviews

Brad Linder's Blog

Sonic Studios

Wingfield Audio (Sorry, I called this "Winfield Audio" in the show)

CNet (Good luck weeding through this marketing site in disguise, but they DO have reviews on a couple of recorder models

]]> podcasts Thu, 3 Jul 2008 23:47:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=355541# digital, audio, recording, tascam, dr-1, sony, edirol, microtrack, bit depth, sampling, sampling rate Paul Clean http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=351871# Paul's Uncertainty Principle, and Corollary #1 to Paul's Uncertainty Principle. My apologies for the audio quality; I still haven't found a replacement tube for my pre-amp. Anyone have an extra 12AX7 tube laying around?

Carl Sagan's COSMOS

Bill Hicks

]]> podcasts Sun, 22 Jun 2008 17:59:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=351871# carl sagan, cosmos, socrates, bill hicks, epa, cults Paul Clean http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=338643# ]]> podcasts Mon, 12 May 2008 01:29:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=338643# 00:10:23 noam chomsky interview education student loan loans Paul Clean http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=317550# THIS EPISODE IS FOR MATURE AUDIENCES!

Don't forget to VOTE for Paul's Academy at Podcast Alley!

Friendship

Becket (film, 1964) - My favorite story about friendship -- in this case a friendship that fell apart. Or DID it...?

Reign Over Me (film, 2008) - A celebration of the power of friendship to help people overcome truly traumatic experiences in their lives.

Love

Groundhog Day (film) - A hilarious example of a ludus lover, who only learns what love really is when he finally can't have it.

When Harry Met Sally (film) - The classic film about storgic love, where genuine love develops over time, through friendship.

The Wedding Singer (film) - A fun look at Agape lovers.

Untamed Heart (film) - A sad look at Agape lovers.

The Last Emporer (film) - Contains several subplots that concerning pragmatic relationships, contrasted with the Emporer's very real friendship with his mentor.

Defending Your Life (film) - A funny and warm Albert Brooks film about the power of fear to deprive us of the most important things in life, including love.

Return To Me (film) - A great story about "getting back up on that horse", after love throws you off. The scene where David Duchovny grieves the death of his wife is brutally powerful.

Love Story (film) - The classic cinematic story of the paradox of love, which at once brings us pleasure and pain.

The Diary of Adam and Eve (Short Story) - Possibly Mark Twain's most touching story. A fanciful account of how the first man and woman learned about the differences between men and women.

Sex

You're on your own here, guys... I'll just say it's a LOT of fun, so you should give it a try it some time.

Methamphetamines (Meth)

Meth is by far the most devastating drug in America today, because it biologically transforms good people who are capable of genuine friendship and love into people who no longer capable of normal human relations. Because of this, meth causes more pain and suffering for non-users (i.e., users' friends and family) than any other drug. Learn everything you can about this drug from hell, to protect yourself and those you care about.

PBS Frontline, "The Meth Epidemic" - View the entire Frontline episode online, with a vast collection of links to meth-related resources. This episode also explains how the U.S. government could have stopped the meth epidemic in it's tracks when it first began, but was "influenced" by Big Pharma (the pharmaceutical industry) to take no action at all, instead.

KCI.ORG - Resources on meth, including a heartbreaking discussion board where you can witness for yourself how addicts' friends and families are literally tormented by their loved one's meth use.

The Oregonian Special Report on Meth - Investigative journalism the way it should be done, with an emphasis on meth-using parents, and their children.

Corporations

The Corporation (film) - A documentary film that explains why corporations fulfill the generally-accepted criteria that define a psychopath. Only when we comprehend this can we understand the devastating effect that inhumane, non-human institutions have on human relations.

HATE/Inability to Love

View some relevant quotes about the relationship between HATE and LOVE here.

]]> podcasts Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:31:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=317550# 01:09:30 friendship, friends, love, sex, drugs, meth, eros, agape, ludis, storge, marriage emotions,mentor, corporate, language, english Paul Yes http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=285371#
Let me also say thank you to Best Buy, for recently giving me a great deal on a Fender Acoustic guitar. In case you weren't aware, there are currently six Best Buy stores with internal music stores. Be sure to stop by their guitar shops and experiment with different guitar tones yourself!

]]> podcasts Fri, 7 Dec 2007 18:27:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=285371# guitar, acoustic, electric, effects, tone, guitarist, musician, music, instrument, physics, amplifier, speaker Paul Yes http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=271762#
Please take just a moment to for this show at Podcast Alley. Thank you in advance!

Resources for Real Travelers:

On the Road by Jack Kerouac - the classic work of American travel during the Beatnik era. Not for everyone, but perfect for some.

Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck - Steinbeck's account of his travels around the United States in the early 1960's, traveling in his pickup truck with his dog Charley by his side.

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts, is by far the best modern book I've found on how to be a Traveler, rather than a tourist. You can also visit Rolf Potts' website

Iron and Silk (DVD) - A fabulous dramatization of Mark Salzman's time as an English teacher and martial arts student in early 1980's China, produced by and starring Salzman himself. A truly unique independent film that nobody should miss.

Rand McNally Goode's World Atlas 21st Edition - The best overall world atlas, in my humble opinion.

National Geographic Magazine - still doing it after all these years!

Unique Media Maps - These fun, cartoonish maps do a phenomenal job of presenting United States and World topography. These simple maps won't tell you how to get anywhere, but you'll learn a lot by poring over their detail. I just love these maps!

Hear more from Rich Zubaty--the vagabond podcaster--on travel, romance, and other issues on his Rude Guy Podcast

Keywords: Travel, traveling, traveler, tourism, tourist, geography, topography, philosophy, philosopher, thinking, thinker ]]> podcasts Sun, 28 Oct 2007 20:37:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=271762# 60:02:30 travel, traveling, traveler, tourist, tourism, vagabond, romance, experience, geography, topography, monumens Paul Yes http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=256798# think about fish today.

Please take just a moment to for this show at Podcast Alley. Thank you in advance!

Online Fishkeeping Resources:

Keith Seyffarth's First Tank Guide (the best place to start for novices)

Aquaria Central (helpful discussion group)

Badman's Tropical Fish (helpful discussion group)

Tropical Fish Forever (helpful discussion group)

Elmer's Aquarium (see the fantastic Freshwater Aquarium Handbook)

PetEducation dot com (maintained by veterinarians)


Keywords: fish, fishkeeping, aquarium, goldfish, betta, animals, pets, society, government, water, chemistry, bacteria, philosophy, thinking


]]> podcasts Mon, 17 Sep 2007 19:46:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=256798# 01:02:51 fish, fishkeeping, aquarium, goldfish, betta, animals, pets, society, government, water, chemistry, bacteria, philosophy Paul Yes http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=254024#

Please take just a moment to for this show at Podcast Alley. Thank you in advance!

Podcasts referenced in the show:

Dave Hitt's Quick Hitts podcast.

Dave & Seth's Urban Coffee podcast.

Keywords: podcast, podcasting, podcaster, recording, electronics, audio, editing, rss, really simple syndication, microphone, xlr, tube amp, amplifier, cakewalk, psychology, media


]]> podcasts Sun, 9 Sep 2007 17:49:00 GMT http://paulsacademy.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=254024# 00:45:57 podcast, podcasting, podcaster, recording, electronics, audio, editing, rss, microphone, xlr, tube amp, cakewalk Paul It's Time To Turn On Your Brain No