Episode 133: Ninjas

[Flack]

Episode 133 is Online.

This very special episode of You Don’t Know Flack is all about ninjas. From wanting to be a ninja in the 1980s to watching ninja movies and playing ninja-related video games, I cover it all in this deadly episode. To add ambiance and set the mood I recorded this episode out in the woods. Was that a good idea? You’ll have to listen and decide!

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Episode 133: http://podcast.robohara.com/?p=322
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[Earl Green]

POWER WALKERS! Stealthy and lethal! And goofy as hell. Just walk like a normal person already.

[AArdvark]

The public podcasting ambiance is great!

I was randomly flipping channels a few years ago and came across that rooftop fight scene you described. I remember stopping and watching it out of sheer amazement. Crazy ninjas jumping twenty feet in the air and things. Obviously suspension of disbelief must be a lot easier in Japan. Or it's a James Bond syndrome.

[Flack]

POWER WALKERS! Stealthy and lethal! And goofy as hell. Just walk like a normal person already.

I make no claims to have my finger on the pulse of the 60+ exercising crowd, but criminy, I was amazed at how many people were willing to drive to a park and go walking on a walking trail through the woods while it was raining. Old people are some dedicated exercisers, that's for damn sure.

[Flack]

The public podcasting ambiance is great!

I was randomly flipping channels a few years ago and came across that rooftop fight scene you described. I remember stopping and watching it out of sheer amazement. Crazy ninjas jumping twenty feet in the air and things. Obviously suspension of disbelief must be a lot easier in Japan. Or it's a James Bond syndrome.

There's another part I didn't mention. While being pursued -- and again, this is in a location where they did not know the fight was going to go, so it's not like anyone had time to set things up before hand -- the bad guy pops out from behind a corner, ducks back, and pops out again. When he pops out the second time, the good guy slices him in half, only to discover that it was a lifesize dummy and the bad ninja is now in another location. Even with preparation, this would take the coordination of David Copperfield. I guess we are just to accept that this ninja somehow carries around a life-size dummy of himself at all times?

[Earl Green]

I guess we are just to accept that this ninja somehow carries around a life-size dummy of himself at all times?

It's a blow-up doll! What, you don't have half a dozen Acme Inflatible Ninjas on you at all times?

You are not skilled in the way of the ninja... at least not in the Looney Toons universe.

[Flack]

I recorded this episode because it was one I could do "off the top of my head" with little prep and little research. I'd say so far it has generated the most feedback of any episode. It's currently at 4,000 listens which dwarfs many of the others that I thought would go over great.

[Earl Green]

Sort of like my started-out-as-a-spoof chiptune project. That gets more downloads and generates feedback than the whole daily-mini-podcast I have going (which sometimes makes me think "I'm doing this... why, again?") - each one gets about 20 times more action than anything to do with the podcast. Of course, you put the words "free music to download" out there - or, for that matter, "ninjas" - and people perk up pretty quick. You never know what's going to catch on.

[Flack]

The episode I did about the NES -- which I thought would be huge -- got 400 downloads. The ninja episode officially has 10x that many, at 4,000.

Tonight I will record the OKK episode (the OK Krackers, my old "cracking group") and then I will start working on next week's episode for the backmasking, which I think will be popular.

[Earl Green]

If you need some backmasking examples, I have a few on hand, mainly '70s ELO tunes where Jeff Lynne was thumbing his nose at the controversy.

[KHoos]

Thoroughly enjoyed this podcast. It's an interesting insight into your life, and I admire how you describe it and how open you are about it. You didn't mention your ninja period on Commodork, which makes this so much 'newer' to me.
And yes, I have a backlog in listening and getting around to posting comments.

[Flack]

I'm glad you enjoyed this episode. This one turned out to be quite a popular one! There were a few phases I went through -- ninjas, skateboarding, and breakdancing -- that didn't really fit in the Commodork story line.

Even if you have a backlog, I greatly appreciate your response and comments!