After several failed attempts at recording, here is my first phlog.
A website called ipadio offers a phone blogging service and this is my first effort. Although I’ve installed the software on my Android phone, this recording was made on a landline.
Reading more on the ipadio website, I can really see the potential for this service.
The “live” coverage of the Mount Gambier tennis final I gave on Coveritlive would have been better suited to streaming audio.
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Nice.
It’s funny how we get turned on by certain voice tones.
I am the first to turn “off” when I hear an American accent, and I just know I am being judgmental… and am not very comfortable admitting this judgmental attitude of what is completely unreasonable, and it is totally unacceptable, being a counsellor (I know this and I am a flawed human)…with pimples and stuff, (yes I know it’s ugly) and I do wash when it’s hot and sweaty weather.
So you won’t be hanging out to hear my voice anytime soon.
That would be too scary to deal with, after my little disclosure.
Twitter: mgorey
says:
From my observations there are some lovely American accents and some ugly Australian accents. I heard a classic Bogan voice abuse barking dogs on my walk tonight.
I think my favorite accents are soft Irish and Welsh.
Sometimes I am ashamed of the Aussie accent, especially when people are angry and loud.
Bogans sounding off is so unattractive in Australian.
Me? I like the cultured English accent, and love the French, and like you Michael I find a soft Irish… is kind of riveting to listen to.
Accents are quite an interesting thing, aren’t they, especially reading about how the accents in different regions evolved over time?
I’m not really sure if there is one particular accent I prefer over the others, but there are a few I like.
I like the New Zealand and (white, Anglo) South African accents; at least to my ear, they are relatively similar sounding.
They are also the only two accents that I think I could copy relatively easily, without sounding ‘stilted’.
This is probably because they are often said by linguists to be the most similar to the Australian accent; this seems quite obvious with New Zealand, but I would assume that the Anglo Sth African accent would to at least some extent be influenced by Afrikaans.
Like Ebony, I do like some cultured English accents; not sure if this is what used to be called ‘Received Pronunciation’; but I don’t like anything too aristocratic sounding.
Most Canadian accents are pleasant and some American accents can be nice, although some can be grating.
Most American accents from the North-east US (and I assume the US West Coast, although I can’t be sure) are quite nice.
If I had to think of a good overall accent, I like what is called ‘Mid-Atlantic English’ or ‘Transatlantic English’; basically this is a mixture of Nth-East US and cultured English, traditionally used by many in the entertainment industry, but also long used by many in the business and political elite of the US.
According to Wikipedia, usage of Mid-Atlantic English has declined in recent decades, but it can still be heard in the relatively ‘neutral’ accent of most Hollywood celebrities.
A North American or English accent (or mixture of both) is apparently still the preferred accent for teaching English as a second language overseas, as often Australian and New Zealand nationals have more difficulty in securing employment in this sector than their UK/US counterparts.
Twitter: mgorey
says:
If you watch American movies from the 1930s, the accents are almost English.
There used to be a a standard British accent, “Oxbridge” inspired I think, that was used by the BBC and the ABC. The Queen speaks a polished version of it.
It’s fading though, which is a shame, because of multiculturalism and regionalism.
There is no longer a universal British accent that crosses international borders. Watch BBC on pay TV and you’ll hear what I mean.
Australians are often chameleons when it comes to accents. While some people possibly exaggerate their accent when they travel, I adapted mine. In Africa, people thought I was English or Cape Town South African. The cape SA accent isn’t as harsh as it is in the Transvaal and Free State.
Greg Norman is a good example of the Aussie chameleon.
I like the South African accent too.
As for the New Zealand accent, my brain goes numb when I hear fish and chips, pronounced as “fush and chups”.
Kind of messes with my head, but I guess when you hear an accent often enough, it grows on you.