Saturday, July 14, 2007

Who said Friday the 13th was unlucky?

"I'm Ojo the Unlucky," replied the boy. "I might have known I would fail in anything I tried to do."

"Why are you Ojo the Unlucky?" asked the tin man.

"Because I was born on a Friday."

"Friday is not unlucky," declared the Emperor. "It's just one of seven days. Do you suppose all the world becomes unlucky one-seventh of the time?"

"It was the thirteenth day of the month," said Ojo.

"Thirteen! Ah, that is indeed a lucky number," replied the Tin Woodman. "All my good luck seems to happen on the thirteenth. I suppose most people never notice the good luck that comes to them with the number 13, and yet if the least bit of bad luck falls on that day, they blame it to the number, and not to the proper cause."

"Thirteen's my lucky number, too," remarked the Scarecrow.

"And mine," said Scraps. "I've just thirteen patches on my head."

The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum


For a Friday the 13th, I had a particularly good day. I was able to get all the sound editing for the first episode of The Wonders of Oz finished, and let me say, if you were to compare it to the original audio files I had to work with, it sounds remarkable. The new host, just like all of us, is human, and, like me, sometimes slipped on a word or two. I'm not holding this against him. When I recorded my voice for the introduction, I had the same problem. Thanks to some wonderful audio editing software called Audacity, I was able to fix my own recording, and that of the new host's.


This takes listening to the file, finding exactly where we slip, and then deleting the bit for a repeat or editing in a new piece. (In one occasion, I used one part of another word to correct a slight mispronunciation.) As the new host lives a few states away (now you at least know it is a male and a U.S. citizen), it was neccessary to request him to re-record a few parts that are sent to me through e-mail. So, what you will hear in the finished episode is combined of two sound files, and, I hope, you will not be able to tell where I switched from one to the other.


Work didn't go too bad, either. No one died, no merchandise was ruined, everyone got along, and I got my tasks done before we left.


After work, I did discover that my dad and my youngest brother and sister were staying the night, but by that time, it was Saturday the 14th... that doesn't count as bad luck caused by Friday the 13th. (Not to mention I love my family... especially these people.)


I also talked to the new host today, via telephone. He is very excited about this episode, the next one, and the future ones. So am I. Are you?

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