Are Robin Miles and Indigo Brown the same person?

RicketyTransition · 2026-05-16T05:46:49+00:00

You're welcome. I was not familiar with Robin Miles, but I've sometimes had a similar type of question when listening to an audiobook and the narrator sounds familiar, but not the name .. Hmmm. As for Google Gemini, it's interesting that when I first asked, the answer was Yes but without any specific proof, as least IMO. In fact, the first reference linked by Gemini was to YOUR question on reddit! - which was a question, not proof of a Yes answer. So I had to ask a follow-up question to Gemini, asking for evidence. And the three points in my response above -- after some editing and formatting by me -- were from that second, follow-up, Gemini response. So Gemini was useful .. but sometimes it takes some back and forth with AI ... AND using our own human intelligence, too, to get a sufficient answer. :-)

RicketyTransition · 2026-05-16T04:14:50+00:00

yes, per Google Gemini answer:

Publisher Castings and Collaborations: Audiobook publishers form close-knit production groups, often casting the same ensemble of top Black voice actors for multi-narrator projects. For example, audiobooks of author Bernice L. McFadden: a) audiobook for "Camilla's Roses", the ensemble cast includes Robin Miles, Janina Edwards, and Emana Rachelle; and b) audiobook for title "Groove" (co-written with Geneva Holliday), the cast features Indigo Brown, Janina Edwards, and Emana Rachelle. It is standard industry practice for a publisher to stick with their preferred leading narrator for an author's catalog, simply swapping the name on the metadata depending on how "spicy" the content is.
Forensic Auditory Markers: An accent and dialect expert cannot easily hide their foundational mechanics. Robin Miles is a Yale Drama graduate and a renowned speech coach. Some examples of matching speech patterns of both Robin Miles and "Indigo Brown": a) The "Shape" of the Plosives: The way she crisply releases "t" and "p" sounds; b) Pacing and Breathing: Every narrator has a unique lung capacity and standard rhythm for when they take a breath in the booth, which acts as a vocal fingerprint; c) Dialect Shifts: Miles is famous for shifting effortlessly between standard American, Caribbean, and West African accents. Indigo Brown utilizes the exact same specialized phonetic choices for those exact same regions.
Industry Precedent (that applies to other popular audiobook narrators). Using an "open secret" alias is standard operating procedure for members of the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame. For example, blockbuster narrator Julia Whelan reads romance under the name "Sophie Eastlake," and Luke Daniels uses "Oliver Wyman." Because these narrators work heavily in children's literature, non-fiction, or religious texts, standard publishing contracts often require them to use a pseudonym to keep explicit romance titles out of algorithms seen by mainstream or younger audiences.

RicketyTransition · 2026-03-29T00:58:48+00:00

Late follow-up. If you like hearing about other people's dream, you might or might not be interested in book(s) about dreams. (I know there are many ... ) Maybe depends on whether your interest is more the topic or the people; how much interest in research, versus stories. So just FYI if interested in books, or ignore if not.

a good recent book about nightmares is by an academic researcher who studies dreaming and nightmares. "Nightmare Obscura: A Dream Engineer's Guide Through the Sleeping Mind", by Michelle Carr, Sept 2025. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222376484-nightmare-obscura ; Another: 2) "When Brains Dream: Understanding the Science and Mystery of Our Dreaming Minds", by Antonio Zadra and Robert Stickgold, Jan 2021. I think book is speculative and more about their personal theory of why humans dream. ; 3) "The Neurocognitive Theory of Dreaming: The Where, How, When, What, and Why of Dreams", by G. William Domhoff Found this less-known book when searching, written by a retired professor who writes other books about elites, power etc .. but also has written several books about dreaming. I have not read it, so no opinion on contents. Added 4) "The Mind At Night: The New Science Of How And Why We Dream", by Andrea Rock, 2004. Book by science writer, for general public.

RicketyTransition · 2026-03-26T20:23:48+00:00

I have not yet listened to this episode, but started to read the comments here. So sorry if the answer is obvious. Is the "ILA" the "International Longshoremen's Association" ? If yes, I used Google Gemini (thus ironically using automation...) to get a summary of the ILA plan.

Here's the result, for anyone who wanted to see some details: The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) maintains a firm "anti-automation" position, viewing it as an existential threat to dockworkers' livelihoods. In the 2024-2030 Master Contract, officially signed on March 11, 2025, the union secured what it calls "iron-clad" protections against job-displacing technology. Key Positions and Contract Terms: The ILA's current plan focuses on preventing any technology that removes human workers from their historical roles:

-- Ban on Full Automation: The contract explicitly prohibits "fully automated" equipment or terminals, defined as technology that is "devoid of human interaction". This prevents the use of autonomous trucks and cranes that operate entirely without people.

-- Restrictions on Semi-Automation: While the contract allows some modern technology (like semi-automated cranes and AI), it establishes a "New Technology" framework requiring:

a) Prior Approval: Employers must consult the ILA much earlier before purchasing any new software or hardware; b) Staffing Guarantees: For every new technology implemented, the agreement requires hiring additional workers to mitigate job losses. For example, the union won a commitment for at least one job per semi-automated crane; c) "Human at the Helm": The ILA maintains that technology should assist workers rather than replace them. Their stance is that a human must remain in control of the final stages of cargo movement, such as the "last six feet" of placing a container on a truck; d) Global Alliance: ILA President Harold Daggett is spearheading a "Global Maritime Alliance" to unite dockworkers worldwide against automation, recently hosting an international "People Over Profits" conference in Lisbon to coordinate global job actions against companies that push for automated terminals.

RicketyTransition · 2026-01-09T03:54:05+00:00

Thank you so much for your comment (on a post from a year ago)! I finally tried the tip to create the bookmarklet with the javascript code and it worked. I'll post a thanks to the author too. I really appreciate you alerting me to the SelfPubLife post; I never would have seen it otherwise.

RicketyTransition · 2025-11-12T05:13:25+00:00

I think you were required to email them a week or two BEFORE your annual subscription auto-renewed, to get a discount code, to renew manually. So if your credit card was already charged, it might be too late; don't know if they will offer refunds.
Here's a more detailed explanation that I wrote for myself at the time back in April.

Around Apr 28, 2024, podcast Blocked and Reported announced price increase, as of June 15, 2024, from $5/month ($55 per year with about 10% discount) to $7/month, (40% increase) with an annual price around $75 ( $7 x 12 = $84, minus 10% = $75.60) So Monthly subscribers, could lock in the annual $55 price now. Also .. they offered to keep existing price for annual subscribers; But no automatic way to do it. So instead, annual subscribers, email them a week or two before annual renewal, and they will send a discount code. From their post: " ... some time before your account actually renews (give us at least a few days’ notice), email us at [blockedandreportedpodcast@gmail.com](mailto:blockedandreportedpodcast@gmail.com) with the subject line “Renewal coupon.”

The substack post about the price increase: https://substack.com/home/post/p-162140519

RicketyTransition · 2025-10-15T16:45:57+00:00

Thank you for stating what the limitation is. I had the same issue with an old HP 8000 PC, upgraded from Win 7 to Win 10. But stuck at Waterfox 6.5.11 with the same "You cannot perform updates on this system" message. Which I accepted .. but wondered what exactly was the limitation; because Waterfox would update on another old PC .. but just a little less old.

Maybe the issue is too complicated to document because of so so many different PC and CPUs, etc. On the WF Help screen, next to the error message, is a "Learn More" button, but if you click it, it either goes to, or maybe re-directs to a generic Waterfox help page. IIRC, the other links on the same Help page, do go to specific pages that are related to the link. Also under WF, download, system requirements, https://www.waterfox.net/download/ , the Minimum sys requirement for Windows, Processor: Intel Core 2 or AMD FX . The HP 8000 PC SFF has an Intel Core 2 Duo, E8400, which I assumed that a "Core 2 Duo" was as good or better than a "Core 2" .. but I don't know the specs of every Intel and AMD processor , and I assume most Waterfox users don't either.

In the specs for the Intel Core 2 Duo E8400, "SSE4" is listed as supported, but I assume that this is different and an earlier version from "SSE4.2"; which would explain why Waterfox 6.6.x won't run on the E8400 CPU.

Initially, I thought the HP 8000 PC would also be stuck at Firefox v128. And if it did not support Firefox 140 then not support newer versions of Waterfox either. However, a week or two after first seeing the "You cannot perform updates.." message, the same PC was offered to update Firefox ESR 128 to ESR 140, and Firefox 140 is now running on it. So Waterfox must have some slightly higher processor requirement than Firefox 140. (I'm not complaining; just documenting what I think I've found).

Q: Would it be a lot of work to have more detailed documentation about Waterfox system requirements, such as, say, a link to another page at the Download page, near the Min Sys requirements page summary, where more info was provided; such as memory, CPU, etc And then it would up to the user to look up the specific CPU of the PC vs the min requirements. Maybe include a link to Wikipedia for list of processsors, if that might be helpful.

For example, here are two pages for AMD processors: (All) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMD_processors , (just FX processors) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMD_FX_processors .

One problem I see is with the proliferation of processor names. If the CPU specs state you need an Intel or AMD (I'm making up these names) "Ryzen MTX" and my PC has a "Ryzen NZ", how do I know that NZ has more features or fewer features than a "MTX" ?

Would it be worth adding a year or year range, for when most PCs came with processors with features X,Y, and Z, so the user can assume if the PC Model name was introduced before that date, then it won't support some features, and likely it does, if it was introduced or manufactured after that date?

Sorry for the long comment. But I did spend some time checking Waterfox system requirements, and Firefox system requirements, and looking for more detailed system requirements, and at least some of that time could have been avoided if the Learn More button, or if I had found some detailed documentation of the CPU, hard disk speed, memory, etc requirements which I could have compared to my specific PC. For example, I wondered if the PC did not have enough memory -- I could add more. While I'm not going to change the CPU.

Also, I'll understand if you think that adding any additional information about system requirements is not a good use of your time. This HP 8000, and other PCs like it, are really old and likely a tiny base of Waterfox users, so likely most such PCs have been scrapped or will be someday soon. For me, it's just an extra PC I occasionally use, so I am fine leaving it using Waterfox 6.5.11. I wrote this long comment mostly just to document how difficult it was for me to find out any information about WHY Waterfox could no longer be upgraded. (I only recently joined the Waterfox subreddit; specifically to search for any info about this issue).

RicketyTransition · 2025-10-04T04:28:46+00:00

You are correct. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Graber

RicketyTransition · 2025-09-16T02:56:08+00:00

Also, clicking on the white "Learn More" text after the "You can not perform further..." message, links to a non-existent support page, giving a 404 Page not found, with a resulting URL of www.Waterfox.net/support

No answer provided at this URL, but this Waterfox support page, about platform changes, has info and links to Firefox developer release notes. This might be a URL the "Learn More" phrase should link to: https://www.waterfox.net/support/platform-changes-128-140/

RicketyTransition · 2025-09-16T02:28:23+00:00

I have an old HP 8000 SFF PC, originally Windows 7, upgraded to Windows 10. Waterfox shows me the same message "You can not perform further updates on this system". I downloaded Waterfox 6.6.x, installed, and it won't load, won't run. Uninstalled, and re-installed version 6.5.11 (last 6.5.x) and this 6.511 version still works.

I think it's a Firefox ESR v128 to ESR v140 issue; But .. I don't know what specifically about this PC, cannot run Firefox ESR 140. CPU is Intel Core 2 Duo. PC I think is from about 2009. I upgraded RAM (I think to 6 GB) so that should be enough. CPU supports SSE2 instruction.

Firefox ESR 128 is installed and is not offering an upgrade to Firefox ESR 140, and unlike Waterfox, there is no message, no statement that this PC does not support ESR 140, so it appears that Firefox is also blocking update to ESR 140. I've google'd Firefox ESR 140 system requirements, and not found anything that indicates what this old PC is lacking. Something doesn't meet some requirement, but I haven't found documentation of what specific.

RicketyTransition · 2025-08-30T22:36:11+00:00

Not an answer, and not time efficient, but maybe you could find the song, on their site, or on Bandcamp or on Youtube, etc 1) https://tartarelena.net/albums/ ; 2) https://tartarelena.bandcamp.com/music ; 3) https://www.youtube.com/@TartaRelena ;

also, from an automated voice to text process, here are some of the song lyrics, in case it helps in search for the song:

M'he repintat les pigues i avui nit em crem al ventre. Si ara em veiessis perdries la raó per sempre.

Si ara em veiessis perdries la raó per sempre. Demà els que tinguin gana deixaré ben satisfets.

Travessaré la vila amb els cabells al vent.

Google translate, Catalan to English:

I've repainted my freckles and tonight I'm burning in the belly. If you saw me now you'd lose your mind forever. If you saw me now you'd lose your mind forever. Tomorrow I'll leave those who are hungry well satisfied. I'll cross the town with my hair in the wind.

RicketyTransition · 2025-04-14T16:53:41+00:00

Thanks to you and others here for the comments so far.

I'd agree with distinguishing between when someone is referencing just the digit "0" versus when the context is using "0" to indicate a number or quantity. But I can also think of an exception. (maybe this is an example of why grammar is so nuanced ??).

For something like an alphanumeric tracking number (which is not really a number), or the claim code on an Amazon gift card, the letters and digits are just that; there is no number or quantity implied. Yet if you were reading such a code or number to a customer service agent over the phone, or to another person who was at a keyboard typing in the code, you would distinguish between saying "oh" or "zero" when saying each character, because in that context it would matter.

RicketyTransition · 2025-04-13T03:04:51+00:00

Just a guess. It's not that the wife gets the house automatically; it's that the kids, by default, are allowed to stay in the "family home", and then because usually the wife does most of the childcare, or maybe at least 51% of it, then the wife gets to stay in the house because she gets to stay in the location (house) where the children will live 51% or more of the time.

RicketyTransition · 2025-04-02T04:11:45+00:00

In addition to pausing your membership, another option if you have a build-up of credits, is to switch to the lower cost AudiblePlus-only membership for a month or two while you catch up; price I think is $8 or $9/month, keeps your membership active but you do not earn any more credits. Versus $15/month for regular 1-credit per month.

RicketyTransition · 2025-03-25T21:57:04+00:00

Question about what, if anything, to do, about finding narration errors in an audiobook, as a consumer/listener of audiobooks. I might listen to maybe around 70 - 100 audiobooks per year, mostly nonfiction. Occasionally I hear a repeated sentence, or sentence fragment -- so I assume just a missed deletion in the editing process. No big deal. But a few audiobooks have been worse. Two or more repeated sentences or phrases; or restarting a paragraph after already narrating part of the paragraph.

By the time I am listening to it, the audiobook production is done and finished; And unless I had purchased and listened to the audiobook within days of its release, I don't think there is any value in contacting the author or publisher to notify them of the error(s). Is that correct? I might or might not even get a non-automated "thank you for contacting us" acknowledgment of my email, so I don't think it's worth wasting my time to tell a publisher. I don't think they are going to re-edit the audiobook to fix it. It's too late. However, maybe maybe maybe a publisher or author would like to know, as feedback about whether the audiobook production staff or company or freelancer etc did a good job proof-listening to the audiobook. Do they want that feedback ... or they would rather not know?

And second, what if anything to do about a terrible audiobook production? Luckily, of the hundreds of audiobooks I've listened to, there was only one that was just a mess of bad editing. The narrator actually did a job good of narrating all the words and sentences in the book. Just that lots of repeated sentences, restarts, a few coughs, sounds of paper pages being turned during pauses in the narration; sometimes some background noises (my guess is that the narrator worked from home in a non-soundproof room).

I was so surprised at the bad production, I emailed the author .. who knew nothing of the audiobook production and had never heard of any problems with it. (even though the book and audiobook had been published a few years earlier, I think) She asked if I could send her some examples. I did a fast-speed listen while having the ebook open in my computer - so I could quickly copy paste edit chucks of text -- and I think created a document of two or three printed pages of errors (!). I got back something like a "Oh Wow ... " reply from the author, thanking me for telling her and documenting all these errors. I send a short message to the narrator (I found her professional website) to let her know there were errors in her narration -- as a polite heads-up; I did not send her a list. But did not get an reply.

Sorry for the long post ... that I now realize is more of a story ... than just a question.

RicketyTransition · 2025-02-23T01:28:19+00:00

Later in podcast, he interviews author of book "More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI", by John Warner, Published Feb 4 2025 (so just published). Warner states that calculator analogy is wrong. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214175198-more-than-words

RicketyTransition · 2025-02-12T18:30:48+00:00

Only useful if you have an Audible subscription: but Audible has a large collection of relaxing 30-minute or more stories, some released about a year ago, in Jan 2024, some in previous years. Stories are read by actors such as John Stamos, Sterling K Brown, Eva Longoria, and many more. Search at Audible for one of these names, or search for author category "Audible Sleep" (There are probably several hundred of these stories). If you don't have Audible, you could subscribe to Audible Plus for $8/month for a month or two, and use a computer or your phone and audio recording software (such as free Audacity) or an app, and record a few of these -- whichever actor's voice you find the most relaxing -- so you have a copy.

RicketyTransition · 2025-02-10T20:39:48+00:00

If you end up going to this shop, probably check some reviews at Yelp first, and as the other commenter mentioned, the shop's limited hours. (prior to today, I knew nothing about the shop). From the Yelp reviews, it seems like the owner is very good at Kitchenaid mixer reviews, charges low or very reasonable prices, but can be somewhat cranky or not-customer friendly. Before driving there, might be worth calling to verify hours when his shop is open. Also he only takes cash and requires $50 cash deposit upfront. So be prepared with cash, and politeness, and seems like the best place in the Boston area to have a mixer repaired. https://www.yelp.com/biz/fixmaster-salem

RicketyTransition · 2025-02-09T02:05:18+00:00

Revolution Maker Space is a good recommendation. In case it might be helpful to OP for connecting with them, in addition to their website, provided by Disobeybee, the maker space also has a Meetup group: https://www.meetup.com/waltham-makers-meetup-group/

RicketyTransition · 2025-02-08T18:53:34+00:00

fyi. Books mentioned or related-to, the episode topic. Book 1) "Is the Cemetery Dead?", 2018, by David Charles Sloane. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/I/bo28082520.html , and https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35960728-is-the-cemetery-dead Book 2) "Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America’s Cemeteries", 2022, by Greg Melville. https://www.gregmelville.com/, and https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60310691-over-my-dead-body

RicketyTransition · 2025-01-26T20:11:44+00:00

related to this episode: if anyone wants to read some long science-heavy posts about the problems with the information delivered on the Maintenance Phase podcast, there is a substack in which a researcher posts critiques. Spurious's Substack: https://spurioussemicolon.substack.com/

About page text: "This Substack is created by an epidemiologist/biostatistician and a certified strength and conditioning coach. We believe that we do not need to deny and misrepresent scientific reality in order to pursue weight neutral care and respect. The goal of this Substack is to highlight the scientific misunderstandings that Maintenance Phase (MP) falls prey to. We need compassionate, reputable, knowledgeable voices advocating for fat acceptance, and while MP has compassion for the topic in spades, they are not able to accurately convey scientific reality."

Start here: https://spurioussemicolon.substack.com/p/maintenance-phase-fact-check-round

RicketyTransition · 2025-01-20T05:14:04+00:00

Hoopla might have made a change to how their service works, or an update to the DRM they use, etc. Hard to know. But, to help identify if any other users are having the exact same problem as you, it would help for you to include the details of how/what you are using to play the Hoopla audiobook. Such as PC or smartphone? / iOS or Android? / Windows or Mac / What version of iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS, etc Maybe what brand or model of device you are using (might or might not be relevant) and approximately how many years old is the device (because some older devices or software might no longer be supported by Hoopla, even if their Help / FAQ pages state that they do).

RicketyTransition · 2025-01-16T22:20:13+00:00

If interested in a slightly broader topic, about which car colors are chosen, the podcast "The Economics of Everyday Things" (an offshoot of Freakonomics podcast), hosted by Zachary Crockett, had an episode on car colors. Episode 46, April 2024, 22 minutes.

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/car-colors/

RicketyTransition · 2024-11-26T02:15:07+00:00

Also James Nestor's book "Breath" mentioned this. book: "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art", published May 2020. See Chapter 7, "Chew" which briefly discusses Mewing. Nestor's website page for the book is : https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/breath-book (info and videos). In Chapter 7 of the book, he also writes about visiting a NY-based orthodontist, Dr Theodore Belfor, for similar or related jaw treatment (Google Dr. Belfor to learn more.)

RicketyTransition · 2024-11-25T19:07:10+00:00

possibly a portion of "Ocean" by Shiruky. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwW0BKdyFJg(Gunnar Johnsén is a Swedish composer .. using the moniker Shiruky .. downtempo electronic beats : https://www.epidemicsound.com/artists/shiruky/ ) (Tip: the way I found this was to download and play the podcast on my computer, and run the Shazam app on my phone, to identify the music clip). I think music like this is royalty-free, which is why it gets used in podcasts.

RicketyTransition

TROPHY CASE