Whistling 'S' in the New York Times

thistlechick · Post by **thistlechick** » August 1st, 2006, 8:43 am

My Librivox recording of Kipling's "If" is featured in today's article in the New York Times on the Whilstling 'S': http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/science/01whis.html?ref=health
(you have to log in to read the article though)

If anyone has a paper version of the New York Times laying around, I'd appreciate knowing how the article looks in print.

a.r.dobbs · Post by **a.r.dobbs** » August 1st, 2006, 9:13 am

What a ... dinstinction, Betsie! Exemplary sibilance has its benefits after all when it lands you in the New York Times!!

Cloud Mountain · Post by **Cloud Mountain** » August 1st, 2006, 9:14 am

NYTimes.com wrote:"[thistlechick] who had braces as a teenager, winced when she heard her voice on tape after she started doing recordings for LibriVox, a program that uses volunteers to read works of literature."

That's funny. I never heard you whistle. Have you ever worked with a de-esser plug in? A good one goes a very long way. I keep one in place as a side change in my analog equiptment between my mike and my USB interface to the computer. (Does that make sense?)

Interesting that author Joyce Cohen refers to LibriVox as "a program" ?nothing about "online." If you wanted to give LV a possible little plug in the NY Times, you might (or I might for that matter) send an email to Corrections and they might clarify Cohen's slip in an upcoming Corrections on p. 2.

Good article overall. And congrats. The Times. I'm impressed.

A

a.r.dobbs · Post by **a.r.dobbs** » August 1st, 2006, 9:22 am

"heard her voice on tape" is a bit off, too.

thistlechick · Post by **thistlechick** » August 1st, 2006, 9:35 am

cloudmountain wrote:Have you ever worked with a de-esser plug in? A good one goes a very long way. I keep one in place as a side change in my analog equiptment between my mike and my USB interface to the computer. (Does that make sense?)

I tried to use SpitFish, but wasn't ever able to figure out what settings to use... it's not intuitive... I've gotten to the point, though, where I don't really care about my S's and anyone who has a problem with them can go listen to someone elses recordings *shrugs*

Post by **hugh** » August 1st, 2006, 9:40 am

i love your esses betsie! ...

Cloud Mountain · Post by **Cloud Mountain** » August 1st, 2006, 12:56 pm

Love them esses too!

(And if anyone cares to further comment on my confusion between tape and digital audio files should keep in mind that the "t" on the keyboard is but one leftward downward diagonal and two leftward horizontal keys away from the "s" and they can easily get mixed up. C.f. Sape, or ettes, etc.?

kayray · Post by **kayray** » August 1st, 2006, 3:27 pm

Heh, I don't hear Betsie's whistling Ss. Maybe my high-end hearing has deteriorated? Anyway, it's pretty cool to be in the NY Times for ANY reason, Bets :)

(I hope someone (Alan? :) will suggest that they correct the librivox "program" to the librivox "website"! Seems like someone should have checked the facts a little more carefully.)

Cloud Mountain · Post by **Cloud Mountain** » August 1st, 2006, 4:10 pm

kayray wrote:Heh, I don't hear Betsie's whistling Ss. Maybe my high-end hearing has deteriorated? Anyway, it's pretty cool to be in the NY Times for ANY reason, Bets : )

(I hope someone (Alan? : ) will suggest that they correct the librivox "program" to the librivox "website"! Seems like someone should have checked the facts a little more carefully.)

Will do tonight...

Facks/shmacks.

.

thistlechick · Post by **thistlechick** » August 1st, 2006, 4:38 pm

kayray wrote:(I hope someone (Alan? will suggest that they correct the librivox "program" to the librivox "website"! Seems like someone should have checked the facts a little more carefully.)

Hmmm.... well, she seemed to have a pretty clear idea of what it was when I was talking with her (for 2 hours!) and she had clearly visited the website... I think perhaps she meant program more in the terms of an organized activity rather than as software...

a.r.dobbs · Post by **a.r.dobbs** » August 1st, 2006, 7:44 pm

I agree, Betsie, that's just what it sounds like to me, in context. Like the LibriVox project.

It isn't so much an error as a vague reference, with the result that fewer folks who read the article will think to look for LibriVox online than would have otherwise.

a.r.dobbs · Post by **a.r.dobbs** » August 1st, 2006, 7:50 pm

cloudmountain wrote:(And if anyone cares to further comment on my confusion between tape and digital audio files should keep in mind that the "t" on the keyboard is but one leftward downward diagonal and two leftward horizontal keys away from the "s" and they can easily get mixed up. C.f. Sape, or ettes, etc.?

whutcha TAWKIN about Alan?
Are you referring to my note way back that highlighed "on tape"??
I was quoting the Times there.
so...who was commenting on your confusion between tape and digital, er huh?

--Anita (don't worry folks, between Alan and me this passes for banter, all friendly like)

LibraryLady · Post by **LibraryLady** » August 1st, 2006, 9:01 pm

I love that dentists can't hear whistling esses because they have high pitch hearing loss from the machinery. There is some sort of irony in that. Bets - cool on getting in the NYT - and I honestly never noticed your esses until you mentioned them to me!

thistlechick · Post by **thistlechick** » August 1st, 2006, 9:18 pm

a.r.dobbs wrote:It isn't so much an error as a vague reference, with the result that fewer folks who read the article will think to look for LibriVox online than would have otherwise.

Yes, and since the article isn't about Librivox anyway, the passing reference is more than adequate to describe the project. I thought it was very kind of them to include the entire Librivox recording, introductory disclaimer and all.

Cloud Mountain · Post by **Cloud Mountain** » August 3rd, 2006, 6:39 pm

thistlecchick wrote:Yes, and since the article isn't about Librivox anyway, the passing reference is more than adequate to describe the project. I thought it was very kind of them to include the entire Librivox recording, introductory disclaimer and all.

My thought exactly. Which is why on reflection I never sent a note to the correction's editor.

(If there were a policeman assigned to that editor's office at the New York Times, would he or she be a corrections officer?)
.