@humanitypls.bsky.social
I am an avid audio book lover .. but will never, ever purchase one with virtual voice narration. Made the mistake once .. it’s use increases profit & the product diminishes.. hate it, hate it, hate it. Won’t even download the free books with it. It flattens out the spirit of what’s written.
If authors did not consider this a valuable service, they would not allow their creative works to be narrated with Audible's Virtual Voice technology. And if Audible did not offer this service, authors could use third-party computerized narration services to produce audio versions of their books.
November 7, 2025 at 5:16 PM
I am an avid audio book lover .. but will never, ever purchase one with virtual voice narration. Made the mistake once .. it’s use increases profit & the product diminishes.. hate it, hate it, hate it. Won’t even download the free books with it. It flattens out the spirit of what’s written.
Reposted
here's a draft post on how I do the Pivot to AI videos.
www.youtube.com/@PivotToAI
this is just what I have so far. what details are missing?
what am i dead wrong on?
comment welcome!
www.youtube.com/@PivotToAI
this is just what I have so far. what details are missing?
what am i dead wrong on?
comment welcome!
![Camera mount: anything that will mount a phone stably. The loved one and kid got me a ring light for Christmas and told me to rant on TikTok when something annoyed me. Unfortunately, ring lights are incompatible with wearing glasses - you get virtual googly eyes projected perfectly onto your lenses - but the phone holder bit still works well mounted on the desk. [Amazon UK, Amazon US] I also have an older phone mount for a camera tripod.
Microphone: Your video can be iffy, but your sound has to be good.
I use my Jabra Evolve 40 headset, which was designed for work Zoom calls. [Amazon UK, Amazon US] This is not great, but it’ll do. I turn the bass up in post-production and it sounds better.
I really want a Røde - the loved one has a Røde M3, which is all the mic you need for a remarkable range of use cases, for around £80. [Amazon UK, Amazon US] The M3 really needs phantom power - if you use a battery, you will forget it’s switched on and it’ll go flat - which is another £20 box. But Røde make an enormous variety of good podcasting mics of professional quality and you’re unlikely to go wrong. A Røde is the next piece of kit I’ll spend money on.
Lighting: A 9W daylight bulb above, a 9W daylight bulb to my left, and a 9W yellow bulb (“warm white”) to my left are doing the job so far. The lights to my left and right are in clip-on gooseneck mounts attached to the shelves. [Amazon UK, Amazon US]
Teleprompter: Elegant Teleprompter on Android. This puts a floating window over your camera app. It’s free with unobtrusive ads and the developer is very in-touch with his user base and likes to fix problems. [Google Play]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2aiipqemoobrrilfx4jbm6pb/bafkreifdfvsifrdj3lruz6k5lguz7kaxvnr7xkgpk734nnuhi23c7zk74u@jpeg)
![Sound: I edit the sound in Audacity, which is free, open source, and just works. If you know what you want to do, you can probably do it. I normalise the very quiet phone audio, do a noise reduction, pump up the bass 4.5dB, then go through the audio de-umming and removing breath noise, the latter being the main reason I want a microphone that isn’t up my nose. Then compression, then it’s ready. [Audacity]
Screen shots: I take these in Firefox and edit them in GIMP. I also make the title cards in GIMP. Just make things 1280×720.
Video editing: I use OpenShot, which is a bit open-source, but it basically works and it’s free. I get the video, the cleaned audio, the various still images, and the theme music, and assemble the video. Export at 720p as “MP4 (H.264 va).” I could go to 1080p, but this is a talking head show and you don’t need my nose hairs that sharp. [OpenShot]
When you finally give in to the urge for fancy with equipment, pro podcaster kit is super cheap on Alibaba and hence Amazon. Go through surplus listings and see if you’re lucky.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2aiipqemoobrrilfx4jbm6pb/bafkreidxh4dac32gewyxa7ajfsrqageawlqwytceiud6p5brydgrquskjy@jpeg)
March 16, 2025 at 10:21 PM
here's a draft post on how I do the Pivot to AI videos.
www.youtube.com/@PivotToAI
this is just what I have so far. what details are missing?
what am i dead wrong on?
comment welcome!
www.youtube.com/@PivotToAI
this is just what I have so far. what details are missing?
what am i dead wrong on?
comment welcome!
Agree 100% .. it’s sooo flat, incorrect intonation .. hurts your ears to listen. It actually throws off the storyline.
I got that email a few weeks ago...HARD fuckin' PASS. 🤮
The only one of my books that isn't currently in audio (with human narration) is my latest release...cos times are tough and people aren't buying books atm. But no matter what I'd never do Virtual Voice. I love my narrators.
The only one of my books that isn't currently in audio (with human narration) is my latest release...cos times are tough and people aren't buying books atm. But no matter what I'd never do Virtual Voice. I love my narrators.
November 7, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Agree 100% .. it’s sooo flat, incorrect intonation .. hurts your ears to listen. It actually throws off the storyline.
Reposted
Australia to recognize Palestinian state https://twp.ai/4ipJ36
www.upi.com
Australia to recognize Palestinian state - UPI.com
twp.ai
August 11, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Australia to recognize Palestinian state https://twp.ai/4ipJ36
Reposted
It's a one-on-one with the boss...
August 11, 2025 at 12:28 AM
It's a one-on-one with the boss...
Reposted
Yes … what have we become?
July 24, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Yes … what have we become?
Reposted
We are a nation under duress. People are being taken from their homes, from grocery stores, from safe places. People with no prior criminal history. People who have active cases for citizenship or asylum.
July 18, 2025 at 3:51 PM
We are a nation under duress. People are being taken from their homes, from grocery stores, from safe places. People with no prior criminal history. People who have active cases for citizenship or asylum.
A nice thought. A logical thought. Today it just feels so naive. This is said with grief, not criticism.
Since when does the President hate half of the people of the *United* States?
We pay his salary.
He works for us.
So, he needs represents ALL of us.
We pay his salary.
He works for us.
So, he needs represents ALL of us.
July 5, 2025 at 6:24 PM
A nice thought. A logical thought. Today it just feels so naive. This is said with grief, not criticism.
Reposted
He’s passed abortion bans, hate policies, and tax cuts for the rich. But refuses to pass away. Evil protects its own.
July 5, 2025 at 3:57 AM
He’s passed abortion bans, hate policies, and tax cuts for the rich. But refuses to pass away. Evil protects its own.
Reposted
In lead-up to 2024 presidential election, a private lab quietly performed sweeping changes to voting machines used in more 40+% of U.S. counties. No one told Public. No one reviewed updates. No one verified results.
dailyboulder.com/report-votin...
dailyboulder.com/report-votin...
Report: Voting Machines Were Altered Before the 2024 Election. Did Kamala Harris Actually Win?
In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, a private lab quietly performed sweeping changes to voting machines used in more than 40% of U.S. counties. No one told the public. No one reviewed th...
dailyboulder.com
July 5, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Reposted
Reposted
Reposted
We’re calling for a Florida boycott over the inhumane “Alligator Alcatraz” detention site. Cancel your family vacation and choose a different destination this summer.
July 5, 2025 at 1:20 PM
We’re calling for a Florida boycott over the inhumane “Alligator Alcatraz” detention site. Cancel your family vacation and choose a different destination this summer.
Reposted
Reposted
Wow! France gifted her to us, and now they’ve captured what so many Americans are feeling on Independence Day. The values the Statue of Liberty stood for are no more.
📌 A stunning mural of the Statue of Liberty covering her face was unveiled in Roubaix, France, on July 3, 2025.
📌 A stunning mural of the Statue of Liberty covering her face was unveiled in Roubaix, France, on July 3, 2025.
July 4, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Wow! France gifted her to us, and now they’ve captured what so many Americans are feeling on Independence Day. The values the Statue of Liberty stood for are no more.
📌 A stunning mural of the Statue of Liberty covering her face was unveiled in Roubaix, France, on July 3, 2025.
📌 A stunning mural of the Statue of Liberty covering her face was unveiled in Roubaix, France, on July 3, 2025.
Congress needs to realize sooner rather than later, that it is Trumps intent to strip Congress of any meaningful power. Doesn’t matter, Democrat or Republican, the guy wants TOTAL control, and he is taking it bit by bit.
June 27, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Congress needs to realize sooner rather than later, that it is Trumps intent to strip Congress of any meaningful power. Doesn’t matter, Democrat or Republican, the guy wants TOTAL control, and he is taking it bit by bit.
Reposted
TOP NEWS TODAY 🔝
🔥 BAVOVNA in Lgov!
🚂 Russian tank train hit in Zaporizhzhia region. 11 burning fuel tanks.
🇨🇦🇩🇪 Canada and Germany will finance the expansion of the production of Ukrainian interceptor drones.
SUPPORT ME 💙💛
☕️ buymeacoffee.com/MAKS22
✅ PayPal: maksmu24@ukr.net
☑️ patreon.com/Maks24
🔥 BAVOVNA in Lgov!
🚂 Russian tank train hit in Zaporizhzhia region. 11 burning fuel tanks.
🇨🇦🇩🇪 Canada and Germany will finance the expansion of the production of Ukrainian interceptor drones.
SUPPORT ME 💙💛
☕️ buymeacoffee.com/MAKS22
✅ PayPal: maksmu24@ukr.net
☑️ patreon.com/Maks24
June 21, 2025 at 6:52 PM
TOP NEWS TODAY 🔝
🔥 BAVOVNA in Lgov!
🚂 Russian tank train hit in Zaporizhzhia region. 11 burning fuel tanks.
🇨🇦🇩🇪 Canada and Germany will finance the expansion of the production of Ukrainian interceptor drones.
SUPPORT ME 💙💛
☕️ buymeacoffee.com/MAKS22
✅ PayPal: maksmu24@ukr.net
☑️ patreon.com/Maks24
🔥 BAVOVNA in Lgov!
🚂 Russian tank train hit in Zaporizhzhia region. 11 burning fuel tanks.
🇨🇦🇩🇪 Canada and Germany will finance the expansion of the production of Ukrainian interceptor drones.
SUPPORT ME 💙💛
☕️ buymeacoffee.com/MAKS22
✅ PayPal: maksmu24@ukr.net
☑️ patreon.com/Maks24
Just sickened and pissed off…max level pissed of .. but hardly a day goes by that that frkn jerk doesn’t bring me to raging anger. Jeezuz Mary what are we going to do? Oh my God. Damn him & Benny too. War mongers.
June 22, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Just sickened and pissed off…max level pissed of .. but hardly a day goes by that that frkn jerk doesn’t bring me to raging anger. Jeezuz Mary what are we going to do? Oh my God. Damn him & Benny too. War mongers.
Oh my God
Just awful, just awful.
Just awful, just awful.
June 22, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Oh my God
Just awful, just awful.
Just awful, just awful.
Reposted
Also, it's amazing but not at all surprising how much of the media has uncritically parroted Noem's line that Senator Padilla "lunged" at her. Again, without noting that THERE IS CLEAR VIDEO EVIDENCE HE DID NO SUCH THING.
This isn't only bad journalism; its a racist trope that KILLS men of colour.
This isn't only bad journalism; its a racist trope that KILLS men of colour.
It’s amazing. The article recounts Noem’s take on things—that Padilla didn’t ID himself—without noting that there is clear VIDEO SHOWING HIM DOING SO.
It feels like a literal “don’t believe what your eyes saw” moment.
A total failure in coverage.
It feels like a literal “don’t believe what your eyes saw” moment.
A total failure in coverage.
Sen. Alex Padilla disputed the White House’s account of the events surrounding his forcible removal from a news conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles.
June 13, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Also, it's amazing but not at all surprising how much of the media has uncritically parroted Noem's line that Senator Padilla "lunged" at her. Again, without noting that THERE IS CLEAR VIDEO EVIDENCE HE DID NO SUCH THING.
This isn't only bad journalism; its a racist trope that KILLS men of colour.
This isn't only bad journalism; its a racist trope that KILLS men of colour.
Sick to my stomach after seeing the SenPadilla arrest. We’ve seen a lot of frightening actions by this admin, but this? This is by far the most frightening of all. Our country is crumbling under the weight of Trump’s fascism
June 13, 2025 at 4:09 AM
Sick to my stomach after seeing the SenPadilla arrest. We’ve seen a lot of frightening actions by this admin, but this? This is by far the most frightening of all. Our country is crumbling under the weight of Trump’s fascism
Reposted
I’m calling for the censure of House Speaker Mike Johnson for two things: condoning the assault on a sitting Senator and for being a total douche.
House Speaker Mike Johnson calls for the Senate to "censure" Alex Padilla after he was restrained and handcuffed by FBI agents at Kristi Noem's presser, adding that it is "wildly inappropriate behavior."
So it looks like Republicans want to escalate this!
So it looks like Republicans want to escalate this!
June 12, 2025 at 11:45 PM
I’m calling for the censure of House Speaker Mike Johnson for two things: condoning the assault on a sitting Senator and for being a total douche.
Reposted
Will be interesting to see if Putin responds or helps Iran retaliate, hopefully he does nothing but get killed by Ukraine. 🇺🇦 🙏
June 13, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Will be interesting to see if Putin responds or helps Iran retaliate, hopefully he does nothing but get killed by Ukraine. 🇺🇦 🙏
Reposted
