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The House at Loon Lake

Happy Dave Has Left

08:40 / 25.10.06

Please, please tell me that you're at home right now, or at least able to put on a set of headphones. Because you have to go listen to this (streaming). Possibly the most haunting and moving thing I've ever heard.

Once you've recovered, go check out how I found it and join me in digging through this absolute treasure trove of digital Americana. Post your favourite episodes here for others to enjoy.

Also, if you like your digital media to be portable, here's how to get the shows sekrit-like in mp3. It involves spoofing your useragent in Firefox, but it's not too difficult. Top tip, the bit of HTML malarkey at the end isn't necessary, just go into Firefox options and set it to always prompt you what to do with downloaded files, you should then be able to save straight to your hard drive.

MattShepherd: I WEDDED KALI!

09:00 / 25.10.06

This is great, Dave! Thanks.

If you like this brand of audio drama, I thoroughly and completely and totally recommend Joe Frank. He doesn't delve into the spooky as much -- a lot of his stuff is hilarious -- but the style is similar.

Mistoffelees

09:31 / 25.10.06

I can´t figure out how to download that mp3. How do I get to the part of "Now the Shoutcast server will let you through, thinking Firefox is iTunes."?

So far, I can only listen to the mp3 while it´s streaming. I did the firefox “general.useragent.override” thing and clicked around in the downloads options, but I can´t get it to download.

Happy Dave Has Left

09:50 / 25.10.06

Go to Tools, Options, Main, then click the checkbox that says 'Always ask me where to save downloads'.

Also, I have the DownThemAll extension installed, which may explain why loading a .mp3 link in my browser tab automatically goes to a download dialogue.

Ah, also just thought, you can go to Options > Tools > Content and click the 'Change the way my browser handles files' button at the bottom. Scroll down til you find mp3, click the 'Change Action button', and select the 'save to my computer' checkbox.

Hope that works.

sorenson

11:00 / 25.10.06

What an amazing story. I would have loved to find something like that house as a kid - I have always been fascinated by the small details of how people live their lives.

MattShepherd: I WEDDED KALI!

11:41 / 25.10.06

I'm using Cool Edit and setting the record in to system sound, then just hitting "record" and playing the stream while the software records it. It works well in real time (obviously), and I imagine you could do the same thing with a freeware program like Audacity or reasonably priced recordware like Goldwave.

Happy Dave Has Left

21:25 / 25.10.06

Here's a great list of the TAL staff favourites - great place to start once you've thoroughly eeped yourself out listening to the original post show.

Tsuga

00:50 / 26.10.06

I've found mentions of TAL a few places here, I'm surprised there's not a thread.
I heard the first half of this story, but missed the second half. I'll have to listen to it. One of my favorites is "pimp anthropology". While being hit-or-miss, more often the show hits.

netbanshee

01:49 / 26.10.06

Yeah... it is odd that there's no mention of This American Life.

This is the first show I ever heard from the program. Was driving over to the old gf's house and ended up spending 45 minutes in her driveway after a journey through some wooded backroads. Quite vivid.

The only other ones that are coming to mind right now are the show on Cars and Super Powers, but I've definitely enjoyed my share. It's the benefit of having to drive somewhere and having good public media in Philly.

Happy Dave Has Left

13:17 / 26.10.06

Here's a good 'un - Adventures in a Simple Life - two brothers and a friend cross America on horse back with a tape recorder.

redtara

22:36 / 26.10.06

Thankyou Ecstatic Dave. i listened to this this morning at supid o'clock. It was gorgeous. Am going to try all the other links on this page in the hope of finding more gold.
Pleasure indeed.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

23:02 / 26.10.06

Would like to add name to the chorus of thx. A magical piece. What fascinated me is the way that all this stuff, all this gear, was so freighted with meaning for some and so devoid of it for others--especially those who were actually closest to the vanished family. Food for thought... I like the fact that in the end, the rest of the clutter being given away, the narrator has as his one last memento a blank piece of paper.

Happy Dave Has Left

08:29 / 27.10.06

My pleasure - I thought this would go down well on the 'Lith, as it's such a beautifully constructed story - I urge you to dig through the archives, some of the stories are simply fantastic. It can be hit and miss, but when it hits, man, does it ever HIT!

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