Couch 166: The Un-hex-hexed Couch

Okay, voice recording depends on your 1) smartphone microphone and 2) the quality the recording app saves the audio in.

Recording App:

The default Android voice recorder app tends to be this one. Got to open the menu by pressing the 3 dots then Settings.


And make sure it's set to the best quality, something like this.


But most people download voice recorder apps on the Google Play Store which allow you to save even higher quality. Here's a list: https://www.androidauthority.com/bes...ndroid-615332/

I use a fuss free one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...splendapps.vox

Set at these settings.


Microphone: Depending on your smartphone, especially if it's older, the in built microphone might not be good enough. But a lot of the times it is OK.

For me because I transcribe parts of some sessions, I bought a cheap microphone specifically meant to boost the recording volume of my smartphone. All I had to do was plug it into the standard smartphone jack.

thank you so much, QM!

I found two yellow jackets inside my house. I'm scared of these aholes. I got stung 5 or 6 times once and they chased me while I was running away. I managed to shoo one out a door last night but then I couldn't find the other one. Found him this morning, and although I prefer not to kill bugs if I don't have to, it was me versus him and I flattened him. I really hope there are no others in here with me.

Yikes, sorry you got stung! I got stung by one on my couch a year ago. Hopefully those were the only two. I also don't like killing bugs, but they attacked you first, so it's different!

I didn't get stung this time. That incident was years ago but left an impression. If I'd gotten stung last night, I'd probably had to go stay at a hotel because I'd be too terrified to sleep.

Oh, gotcha! Glad you escaped them this time then. I'm terrified of any buzzing sound I hear in the house now (I'd mistakenly assumed the yellowjacket was a fly when I'd heard it...)

God, the university keeps ****ing with email and google so we are half one format and half another and the two big companies do not play nicely together and we are sent forms on one format that we cannot fill out unless we are on the other format. I ****ing hate the idiocy of making this about a hundred times more complicated than it used to be.

I read that first as "the universe" and started to think look at SD speaking my language then I noticed nope. "university". Heehee

Sorry they're making things difficult, though.

My university has just introduced a dual-authentication system for faculty and staff that is driving me nuts. I need to have my cell phone on me at all times to access university services, whether it's in an office, classroom, or at home.

They'd Google-ized before I got here, and it seems pretty smooth. But next year we are switching from Blackboard to something called Canvas for course websites and online instruction. I am sure that will not be problematic at all.

We googlized a few years ago and the problem now is that we degooglied some but not all. So we are half outlook/microsoft crap and half google. And we have dual authentication as well. I have almost completely stopped using classroom technology altogether because of it (and the fact our technology does not work most of the time anyway) and have started bringing in my own stuff and using it on my own hotspot network. They are looking at messing up blackboard as well. It is a nightmare.

The university I study at has gone semi-microsoft too, so seemingly it's an international problem. The explanation I was given is that it relates to the free student Microsoft office software but that argument doesn't stand up to scrutiny; it worked perfectly well last year.

We were told it was because it was more secure and was needed because of the med school.
I think it all comes down to money.

Oh, dual authentication drives me crazy! With two academics at home, now whenever the phone rings, there is a general call out - is that you? Best is getting email on cell phone and the dual sends the request to the cell phone in one's hand.
Guess it keeps the IT dept going...
We're mostly google at my Uni so kids have no idea how to save a file because google auto-safes. Before a computer exam, in which their answers need to be in Word, NOT a shared google doc, I had to have a mini lecture on saving files!

I feel so lucky to have the therapist I do. Yesterday we talked about my fears about getting back to the same place I was at last weekend. We made a plan for getting through this weekend. He's going to call me on Saturday and told me to email him if I wanted to talk today. We talked some about how he got all clinical on Monday when we talked about how suicidal I was last weekend and how it makes me lose the connection somewhat. He said he doesn't like getting clinical and doing risk assessment. We talked some more about going to the DBT center and my anxiety about doing so. He offered to make some calls to get more information to ease my anxiety some. He said our relationship is deep and that he cares about me. That he's happy to be there for me, even though I don't really have any one else right now; that he is there for me. He said that although some people think that because it's therapy, that the relationship isn't real, but he doesn't feel that way at all. That our relationship is real. There were a lot of tears and it was an intense session, but it felt really nice to hear him say all that.

Hmm. We would be, if we werent both in such denial about getting old period! (im sitting cuz of my wonky knee)

He sounds lovely. I'm glad he can be here for you right now.

But when your team needs you, you're gonna do this, right? Make like Gibby and blast a 3-2 backdoor slider out of the park for a walk-off?

Well yeah there's always that...

Gibby!!! Wonder what hes doing these days? Playin with the grandkids? Gettin fat? The Fear Strikes Out guy was coaching with the Cubbies i think until like almost his 90s. Jimmy Prescott?

I wish my H will come home soon with our food order. I ate at 6:30am this mornong before work. Its now 6:40pm and i must say I’m hungry. I dont eat at work ever so coming home hungry is a daily occurrence, but today I’m extra hungry.

Okay-back to the regular scheduled program.

Oh, ATAT- I saw “mega” stuffed oreos in the grocery store the other day. I dont know how long they have been around for, but I never knew “mega” stuffed oreos existed.

They’ve been around a while—too much creme in my opinion. Completely ruins what SD calls the delicate balance between vanilla creme and chocolate wafer cookie.

Una—Jimmy Pearsall? And I think Gibby has cancer.

They have been around for years

Indeed. Too much filling.

I don’t eat Oreos so I thought they were new. Looks like I have to get up-to-date on my knowledge of Oreos.

The Couch needs a pillow.