What was it that you said? No, I'm actually going to do a podcast right now I know I haven't done one in over a week, but I'm doing it now. I got all the new equipment set up I'm yeah, okay. I gotta go Hello, welcome to the Daily Grateful.
My name is Michael Gross, and I'm speaking to you today on a I would say 60% Completely redone studio with all kinds of new stuff in it, but I'm still working on it I've been gone for a while, but I'm back now. I'm back. Yeah, I'm back still trying to define what this podcast is all about It's about gratitude, and we're going to definitely talk about that today And we're in it. There's going to be story time because there's always story time But let's get into the technical aspects of things right now because I'm testing this out for the very first time I got a brand new microphone now.
I have been broadcasting to you for years The last big microphone I had was a RE 20 standard broadcast microphone one that Rush Limbaugh always used and everybody else It's it's in the other room. I stopped using it. No, no, no Ten years ago. Yeah, ten years ago I stopped using it because I went to a thing called pod fest which was a podcasting thing in the jiggy place It was a you know I get together and they had every microphone known to man there and you could get on every microphone with headphones And you could test out every microphone that existed so I said well This is fun because I'd never loved my RE 20 I mean, you know, it's the best microphone standard of the industry if you go to buy it they're like 450 bucks I don't know and so I was going through all these microphones and a company out of Australia had a microphone called the Roadcaster Pro, I think it was called or something like that.
Anyway, it's what I've been broadcasting on for the last ten years It's a wonderful microphone. It is an absolutely wonderful microphone. I like it a lot So and by the way, it was half the price of an RE 20 But I like the way it made me sound well when I say half the price the microphone itself today sells for $220 But you've got to get the windscreen which costs $40 and you got to get the shock mount which cost got only knows what and you're Gonna wind up, you know, spending 350 bucks by the time you're all done So they came out with another microphone not long after that called the Pod mic which was $99. I gotta tell you what a nifty Ass little microphone that is it is just so nice and I have one two I have three of them in the studio that I know of there's probably more in a drawer here I just somehow accumulated I bought one and then they sent me one and then someone gave me two and So I have a bunch of those and when I have a guest in the studio, which is never except I had my son in here He was broadcasting on the Pod mic.
Well, I don't know about a year ago They came out with another new microphone road road by the way is the apple of audio equipment if you didn't know They are truly the apple of audio they came out with an audio interface called the Roadcaster Pro and It does everything. I mean, you know, this is like doing a radio show I have all the buttons where I can just put anything on here I have all these sound effects, you know, like I know that you know anything like that that I can do and I can put commercials in here It's like a radio station in here. I've got that and now I bought the new Road Pod mic USB Now the main difference about that is that it goes and this is technical It goes into an audio interface which I have it into right now But if you don't have an audio interface, it will you can just plug it right into your computer and it pops the software into your computer That does all the processing that my Roadcaster Pro does So not all of it, but a bunch of it. So it's pretty but here's the best thing It's got a really good wind screen that comes with it It this whole thing costs 200 bucks and I I'm so far I tested one out in January in Orlando and I was in a small studio and I checked it out I really liked it and my friend Dave Jackson gave up his sure SMB 7 to go with this microphone this $200 microphone.
I said that's pretty impressive and I'm seeing a lot of people going to this microphone. So I Didn't want to spend money. So luckily a supplier sent me the microphone They told me we're sending you one just say nice things about us if you want to and then I bought Road has a new Microphone stand. I've always used a boom microphone stand and this is a desk one that Road makes it costs $90 I bought that and I'm really liking that.
I'm really liking that a lot. So this is the new sound I put in the settings The Roadcaster Pro has settings for every microphone and it has the Pod mic listed in there But it doesn't have the Pod mic USB listed in there So maybe I need to download some firmware to get that on but I'm doing the podcast with us today And I'm very happy time for a sippy-sippy stick with me because I don't edit things out So anyway Broadcasting essentially with all road equipment now and recording with all road equipment and I'm pretty happy But that is not what I'm here to talk to you about today I'm here to talk to you about my friend Jennifer my friend Jennifer and I have been best friends since 8th grade and just so you know That was 1965 and we're still best friends. I love her dearly I never met Jennifer's father him and his mother or you know him and her mother divorced when we were kids So I never met him, but I heard about him. He was a World War 2 veteran and I was talking to Jennifer this morning about him Now, let me just say I am someone who is if you know me You know I have the most reverence in the world for war heroes and veterans and people like that And it came to my attention today that I've never laid eyes in person I've seen pictures But I've never laid eyes in person to a Purple Heart was awarded a Purple Heart in World War 2 He was a Marine and I yeah, I've gone to ceremonies and Dunedin have the Purple Heart Park there I've gone to ceremonies there.
I guess in August every year. They have Purple Heart Day But the Purple Heart is one of the oldest awards still given by the US, you know to US service members It was originally established by George Washington on August 7th 1782 It was called then the badge of military Matt Merritt And and to be eligible for this you have to be wounded or killed in action Action against an enemy of the United States, all right So that is that is a pretty big thing and Jennifer's dad was awarded that we were talking today about a different subject And she was telling me that her sister up in Michigan kept all of her dad's army I'm sorry marine stuff and she really wish she had it. She said all I have is this Purple Heart I said you have a Purple Heart she said yes I said you realize that you have the biggest prize of your dad's life You have the the best thing other than his family that he ever did you have the best recognition of all of his efforts in World War two in your possession And she goes oh and I told her a little bit about the Purple Heart and and I know she knew it But I I just really pounded it in I said and I was I was getting choked up Knowing or just learning for the first time that her dad. I've never met anyone and I'm just you know I'm in my 70s now folks I've never met and I've met a gazillion veterans from World War two from Korea from Vietnam from the Gulf Force Afghanistan I've Iraq I've never met anyone who was awarded the Purple Heart and I've never seen one in person Jennifer's getting a visit from me tomorrow.
She doesn't know it yet But I'm gonna go over there I'm gonna take a picture of the Purple Heart and her and the Purple Heart because what an incredible thing To have what an incredible honor to be bestowed on someone and to be now bestowed on his ancestors Because Jennifer will be able to pass this on to her daughters and to her granddaughter I mean the legacy of her dad's heroism in the World War two will just go on and on and I am so grateful that I've after knowing Jennifer since 1965 no mathematician on earth can tell me how many years That is this is the first time hearing about this and I am so grateful and so honored to know this If you or a family member was awarded the Purple Heart Wow, I thank you and if you're a family member, I thank you and I thank Jennifer today on the phone. I said wow Wow That is just more than I can handle All right, we're gonna get back to a regular schedule of these things and We're going to develop this podcast into something as I continue to rebuild the studio Why am I rebuilding the studio because this will soon be a YouTube channel more work on that? We'll see you next time. Hopefully tomorrow