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Autobiography of a Schnook


dauber

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Well, friends, the time has come...

Autobiography of a Schnook has officially launched!

The truth is, though, it launched last week. The preface (or, as some podcasts call it, "episode zero") was released, but I didn't want to make an announcement until the first episode (or "chapter") was available as well, just to get both an introduction and some context out there.

The podcast is available on all the major podcast providers...except Apple Podcasts / iTunes...because, well...Apple takes up to two weeks to approve podcasts. Heck, even Google Play only took *hours*! But hey, it's out. icon_smile.gif

What's it about? Well...for years it's been my observation that you can go to a library or book store and find biographies of...famous people...but no biographies of just your average, everyday schnook of whom nobody's ever heard. I figured I should publish an autobiography and call it Autobiography of a Schnook. The reality is...I'd never actually finish it. But eventually it occurred to me: why not do it as a podcast? So...here it is.

Despite my two video game podcasts and my frequenting of video game fora, my first love is actually music, so every episode will have a segment called "Music for Schnooks." (Spoiler alert: a future episode will have a "Music for Schnooks" guest many of us have heard of. icon_smile.gif )

Having said that, I will NOT be posting here every time a new episode is out. In an effort to be as on-topic as possible, after this point I will only post when an episode has a video game topic. I just wanted to announce this podcast for now.

I don't know if this podcast will be any kind of success, but I really don't care; I just want to do it, and I invite you all to give it a listen. The home page is schnookpodcast.com. There's a Facebook presence, so you can "like" the page at facebook.com/SchnookPodcast if you do the FB thing. Episode links are below:

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PREFACE: Welcome to the world of a schnook.
Sean isn’t anybody rich, famous, heroic, or otherwise remarkable; he’s just a schnook. And he’s here to not only tell his story, but also to refer to himself in the third person.

https://www.schnookpodcast.com/audio/Schnook_Preface.mp3

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CHAPTER 1:
In the first chapter of Autobiography of a Schnook, Sean focuses on Thanksgiving-related topics:
– A Thanksgiving Curse?
– Music For Schnooks: Don’t Meet Your Heroes (Troubled Genius Edition)

https://www.schnookpodcast.com/audio/Schnook_Chapter001.mp3

Edited by dauber

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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Hey, all...I really didn't want to just pimp myself here, but Justin encouraged me to post updates about this podcast nonetheless. With his blessing...Chapter 6 is out!

February is a short month, but not so short that a new chapter isn't published! In this episode:

  • Growing Up Catholic: Catholic School - Sean talks about his wacky adventures in education under the rule of the Vatican
  • Long Title -- Music For Schnooks -- Don't Meet Your Heroes: Talented Dummy Edition - In honor of a recently departed musical hero

http://schnookpodcast.com/audio/Schnook_Chapter006.mp3

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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On 2/26/2019 at 3:29 PM, dauber said:

Hey, all...I really didn't want to just pimp myself here, but Justin encouraged me to post updates about this podcast nonetheless. With his blessing...Chapter 6 is out!

ABSOLUTELY you're invited to share your Podcast here! 🙌 I've been listening to Autobiography of a Schnook and I've enjoyed it quite a bit. It's not directly about video games but is pertinent to retro-life and chock-full of anecdotes about life in the 80s and 90s, working in a tech-related industry, etc. It's also been a terrific way to get to know one of our most active Forum members a little bit better, and for that reason alone it deserves to have a dedicated thread.

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The wake of St. Patrick’s Day brings the world a new chapter in this as-read-by-the-author book in podcast form. In this episode:

Death of The Mad Russian - Six years to the day of his death, we must wonder: why WAS he so angry?
Music for Schnooks: The Cliché-Free Love Segment - Sorry, no puns based on the name of the Elektra Records band, but…well, just listen!

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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I've been really off the ball on my podcasts...not posting updates....well, I remembered this time.

Chapter 10 actually does have a classic video game segment, so it's on topic!

In this episode:

  • My SENIOR Year in High School - answering a frequently-posted social media survey
  • The Mysterious Phantom Pac-Man Game - For years Sean has insisted that a sequel in the Pac-Man franchise existed, yet nobody believed him.
  • The Doors Without Jim - What's the point? Well...

https://schnookpodcast.com/audio/Schnook_Chapter010.mp3

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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1 hour ago, dauber said:

I've been really off the ball on my podcasts...not posting updates....well, I remembered this time.

Chapter 10 actually does have a classic video game segment, so it's on topic!

In this episode:

  • My SENIOR Year in High School - answering a frequently-posted social media survey
  • The Mysterious Phantom Pac-Man Game - For years Sean has insisted that a sequel in the Pac-Man franchise existed, yet nobody believed him.
  • The Doors Without Jim - What's the point? Well...

https://schnookpodcast.com/audio/Schnook_Chapter010.mp3

Glad to have this back @dauber 👍

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Just barely missed the July deadline, but here's a new chapter! In today's episode:

  • Sean does another Facebook bullet-pointed list
  • Chicago myth-busting
  • "Dear Ruby," a tribute to the writings of Italo Calvino and to a source of frustration for some people in Sean's line of work

https://schnookpodcast.com/audio/Schnook_Chapter011.mp3

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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Been a while since I posted about a new episode. There've been three since my last update here! In this chapter:

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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Sorry, no attempt at a witty write-up this time!

In this chapter:

  • Schnook Radio, Part 2 – the thrilling conclusion of Sean’s college radio days!
  • Music for Schnooks – Sean and a special guest review their year in concerts

https://www.schnookpodcast.com/audio/Schnook_Chapter016.mp3

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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I apologize for the delay, friends, but here’s the first episode of 2020! In this chapter:
 
Growing Up Catholic: The Mass — Sean reminisces and makes observations about his experiences sitting in church.
Music For Schnooks: A Schnook Goes Underground — Stories of a past life in bootleg trading
 

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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Chapter 18 is out...this episode is all about...a schnook's life with beagles! You'll hear about:
 
・Snoopy and Spot
・Ruthie
・Lola
・Music for Schnooks: "Belly Rub"
 
Edited by dauber

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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How about a new episode?
 
Stay safe, everybody! In this chapter:
 
∙ How to Do a Podcast - perhaps something to do during your quarantine?
∙ Yes, And - tales of an improv dropout
∙ Music for Schnooks: "Going" - arguably the most significant lyric in The Beatles' entire discography
 
Edited by dauber

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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Out now!

Chapter 20: The All-Vinyl Episode

Get a look into the analog life of a schnook as Sean talks about records: listening, collecting, advice, and clay pigeons. (Well, maybe not clay pigeons.)

In this podcast:

  • Growing Up Vinyl – coming of age in a pre-CD era
  • My Weird Record Collection – hypertension, enunciation, and puu puu!
  • Top Ten Favorite Albums to Listen To on Vinyl – does there really need to be an explanation on this side of the hyphen?

http://schnookpodcast.com/audio/Schnook_Chapter020.mp3

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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Hoping to bring something positive to a really rough time, here’s chapter 21.

In this episode:

  • Schnook Radio, Part 3 – the thrilling conclusion of a schnook’s life on the air!
  • Music for Schnooks – I have two ears – don’t tell me to listen to The Beach Boys in mono!

https://www.schnookpodcast.com/audio/Schnook_Chapter021.mp3

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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Barely in time for Paul McCartney’s birthday, a new episode that, surprisingly, has virtually zero mention of The Beatles! This chapter begins with some serious thinking I needed to get out. But after that:
 
∙ City of Success — A schnook’s reflections on life in the big city
∙ Music for Schnooks — Hopefully better late than never, a long, long overdue tribute to a true musical genius.

https://www.schnookpodcast.com/audio/Schnook_Chapter022.mp3

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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A schnook hits the road and shows a rather…annoying side of himself in chapter 23 of this ongoing as-read-by-the-author pseudo-book in podcast form. (But in the actual episode, he refers to himself in the first person.)

  • A Schnook on the Road – It’s road trip season!
  • Music for Schnooks – Adventures of an ***hole

https://schnookpodcast.com/audio/Schnook_Chapter023.mp3

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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Another month, another episode! In chapter 25:

  • No, my computer is NOT my girlfriend! An exploration into the joys and sorrows of a 13-year relationship
  • Digital Alopecia – What? Does this mean that someone lost finger hair? Well…you’ll need to listen to find out!

https://schnookpodcast.com/2020/09/28/chapter-25/

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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I hope those BOOOOOOOs I'm hearing are because it's Hallowe'en and not a response to this podcast! In chapter 26:

  • Life as a Software Engineer - a peak into a schnook's web site job
  • Music for Schnooks - The significance of rock'n'roll albums of 1970

By the way, post-production on this episode took a long time. To get this episode out in time for October, I didn't actually listen to the final product as I usually do, so if you notice any errors...you get a prize of...being smug enough to brag about finding them!

https://schnookpodcast.com/2020/10/31/chapter-26/

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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Just in time for the end of November, a super-sized Schook! In this episode:
 
∙ the best TV episodes ever -- or, at least some of them! and
∙ a very in-depth review of concerts Sean attended in 2020.
 
A mammoth blockbuster if ever there was one!
 

Supernatural, perhaps...baloney, perhaps not.

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