Tech Friday: ElevenLabs Voice Changer AI modification

Posted By on May 16, 2025

Having tested and used ElevenLabs “text to speech” artificial intelligence software in the past, at newer “Voice Changer” (and clean up) application came available recently. I’m not sure where it might be useful, 11ElevenLabs Logo but I especially liked the “clean up” (removing background noise) and “speaker boost” filter … but unless there is a reason to put your own personal voice through the app for each recording, I’m not sure it would be useful for everyday purposes? Still, it is impressive technology and fast, at least for short recordings.
 

  Rich (original recording) – 25 seconds | 5/10/2025
  Antoni (ElevenLabs voice) – 25 seconds | 5/10/2025
  Bill (ElevenLabs voice) – 25 seconds | 5/10/2025
  Alice (ElevenLabs voice) – 25 seconds | 5/10/2025

Woke the “Old Girl” from her winter slumber last weekend

Posted By on May 15, 2025

Although I recall posting a “winter slumber” video of my 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel a decade ago, it has been a while — don’t look at the dust!

Solar Charging the battery after a winter slumber MB Grille and badge

So … after noticing the battery had lost some of its charge while “sleeping,” I decided to put the solar charger to work my W123 after taking a short video of the sweet sound of this well engineered car … and its OM617a “million miler diesel engine.”
 

There are great patriots in America who still honor the late Congressional Medal of Honor receipient Ed “Too Tall” Freeman

Posted By on May 14, 2025

Post from 2016One never knows the connections that might be made online these days — and not all of them are of the negative variety. 

I had the pleasure of talking with Bill Rogers from New York who happened to run across my MDB post from 2016 on Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Ed “Too Tall” Freeman and he took the initiative to look up my phone number and left me a voicemail. I think he was looking for a way to contact the Freeman’s family (likely in Idaho), but I returned his call and we had a very pleasant conversation just the same. 

He asked if I would like to listen to the song he and his wife wrote about Captain Ed Freeman. Politely I said yes (not expecting much) and mentioned that I would like to include it on my personal blog. He agreed and forwarded it on to me — it brought goosebumps to my arm and is wonderful to know still exists (see X.com post below the break too).
 

  Bill Rogers | Captain Ed “Too Tall” Freeman

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Wishing my daughter Katelyn a very Happy 39th Birthday

Posted By on May 14, 2025

This content is restricted.

Audiobook: “Men Without Work” by Nicholas Eberstadt

Posted By on May 13, 2025

Blue collar advocate Mike Rowe was interviewed on the FoxBusiness channel that I monitor daily and mentioned the ongoing crisis of “Men Without Work” … or Men Without Work - 2017capable men that have stopped looking for work. He mention the 2017 book by Nicholas Eberstadt and since I’ve always been concerned that since Industrial Education has been discounted by many and removed from schools, that we have ill-prepared “men” (and women) for the skilled trade jobs available. 

I borrowed the audio version of the book and am looking forward to what Eberstadt’s conclusion might be … or at least help me get a better handle on why Americans aren’t focused on learning the skills and working.

Hopefully I’ll make it through the almost 4 hours of audio and use it to make sense of why so many men in America chose NOT to work or even gain the skills for the jobs available and want to provide for themselves Thinking emojiand their families rather than exist in poverty? 

Check out my thoughts from last weekend in an editorial that I’m submitting to TheHustings on tariffs and the Trump administration’s attempt to bring back manufacturing jobs to the United States.

Music Monday: “The Morning After” by Maureen McGovern

Posted By on May 12, 2025

Atlantic Dunes _April 2025

Before leaving Florida and driving back to Ohio this spring, we waited a little longer in able to update and install fiber for our Internet and TV at the condo in Delray Beach. Although Xfinity has been stable, the BlueStream Fiber combined services was newly contracted by the The Morning After SingleHOA — it’s actually a big improvement and nearly identical to what we have at our house.

BlueStream appUpgrades aside, I also installed the BlueStream app on my iPhone and so far it works well. As a test beside the normal TV video, I tried streaming the “Flashback 70’s” radio stream and picked up a forgotten song and musician from 1973. So for Music Monday, here’s “The Morning After” …  the only chart single by Maureen McGovern … although she did have a long career in music for movies and in musicals.

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Happy Mother’s Day to all moms … with a cardinal selfie

Posted By on May 11, 2025

Cardinal 250510

Because my mom loved birds and Brenda loves the beauty in nature, for Mother’s Day this year it is not flowers or a card, but a technology assisted Happy Mother’s Day with a beautiful cardinal. Of course this isn’t the first time he or his friends appeared on our Wyze Cam (they come every year) but his color was bright and bold … and triggered a “person detected” yesterday.

Charging BlockI’m not doing the expected flowers (number one Mother’s Day gift in the US, by the way) or candy, but the kind my wife dislikes the most: a tech gift. She (or we) occasionally squabble Apple Watch Chargerover the Apple Watch charging cord (she left her’s at the condo), so decided to add a nightstand charging stand and new multi-port 40 watt power block to charge her other electronic gear. More cords to tinker with … but I think it will ultimately be helpful. Happy Mother’s Day, Brenda. (more…)

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog