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April 30, 2006
April 30, 2006
If you get a chance, try to catch Independent Lens' A League of Ordinary Gentlemen the next time it airs. The film, a look at the rise and fall and semi-revival of professional bowling, premiered on PBS earlier this week. Good stuff.
I'm switching from BellSouth DSL to Comcast for my broadband service. Losing a connection 20-plus times per day is ridiculous. Plus, if memory serves from when I had a cable modem a few years back, Comcast is much faster. I have 48 hours to cancel, so if any of you want to advise me against the switch, go right ahead.
Melissa and I are planning a vacation for late July. It'll be our last trip together before the baby comes. We are searching for hotels in and around the Siesta Key/Bradenton area. Crescent Beach in Siesta Key is one of the most beautiful in the world, and we pretty much just wanna relax for three or four days.
The Red Sox vs. The Yankees on ESPN means I'll be skipping softball tomorrow night. We might have rain, too. And my elbow is still a little sore and could probably use another few days of rest. Especially considering, if healthy, I'll be playing softball all the way through October again this year.
Yard Sale! Saturday, May 13 is the date. We are pricing stuff now. More info later...
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CURRENT DIVERSIONS:
LISTENING: The Mike Keneally Band - Guitar Therapy Live
WATCHING: Robert Mulligan's To Kill a Mockingbird
READING: Thomas Sowell - The Quest for Cosmic Justice
Posted by colrus at 11:16 PM | TrackBack
April 29, 2006
At Long Last!: "A Handful of On The Other Hand" DVD Postproduction Underway
After three years of teasing, false starts, rough drafts and test audiences, postproduction work on the OFFICIAL "A Handful of On The Other Hand" DVD is FINALLY underway at the Lazy Bear bunker. Mr. Ryan Digiorgi has graciously granted my request to use his "rig" to create the disc. (Ryan's computer was requested due to the fact that it runs Adobe Premiere, which is the software that I originally used to edit "On The Other Hand." Using Premiere for the project puts me back in the OTOH mood, a mood that I, like you, have frankly been out of for quite awhile. His computer also creates DVDs, which, as you're probably keenly aware, is key for a DVD project.)
In case you didn't know, "On The Other Hand" was a television show that I created and produced with a handful of local funny types during the fall of 2002 and spring of 2003. The show aired on WDSI (Fox 61) on Saturday nights and was streamed on the Web. It lasted for 13 episodes before falling on its comedy sword. Reels of OTOH material have since been shown at a couple of local film festivals. With the show now safely dead, I felt the coast was finally clear to release it on DVD.
Here's what's in the works for the DVD:
1: 50-minute compilation of OTOH material featuring improved video and audio and the "hits": The Corrector, "The East Ridge Song," Ed Pride's Fake Bacon, Megs' Valentine's Day Song, The Big Nasty, Burl Ives X-Mas Mall Trip, Dan Goes to Gatlinburg, Lyinsac, Protesting is Awesome P.S.A., Stu Stankus: D-veloper, White People at the Bessie Smith Strut, WWMLKD?, Trampoline Gun Kid, Bill at the St. Louis Zoo, Viewer Mail, J. Adam Price: Idiot, Megs Tastes Capri Sun, The Search for Bubba, Weather with Sonny McCloud, The Lactose Intolerance Rally at the Anti-War Protest, A Trip to the East Ridge Flea Market, Brad Talks to Wrestlers and Fans and much, much more.2: Director's Commentary
3: Promos
4: Audition Footage
5: Unaired Scenes
Weekly updates will be posted until the project is finished.
The DVD will be ready by early summer.
Posted by colrus at 12:06 AM | TrackBack
April 25, 2006
Dear Record Labels, Relax
Like most media outlets, we at the The Pulse receive CDs to review on a regular basis -- reviews that give FREE publicity to record labels and artists and which, in turn, help sales. Most CDs that are sent to us are accompanied by a cover letter, press kit, copies of other reviews, etc. The following letter from Warner Bros. Records was enclosed with a copy of an advanced CD by a fairly popular indie rock band:
As we're undoubtedly aware, illegal file trading and piracy are two of the most daunting issues facing the music industry today, and we at Warner Bros. Records are working very hard to deal with these problems. One of our efforts to thwart unauthorized copying of CDs is to watermark the CDs we distribute.Watermarking enables us to track the CD back to the original authorized recipient. As part of this effort, the enclosed advance (album name witheld) has been individually watermarked with a unique identification number embedded in the music. This watermark is not changed or destroyed by extracting clips of the music, or by using any compression technology such as MP3.
This watermark has been assigned to you as the authorized recipient of this CD. By accepting this CD, you agree to not make any copies of this CD, to not play the CD in your computer and to not upload the CD or any part of it to the Internet or otherwise allow, or make, the CD or any part of it available on the Internet. You agree that you will not lend this CD to anyone, and that you alone will listen to this CD for promotional purposes. Accordingly, you will not play this CD for anyone.
It is our responsibility to protect our music and we take that very seriously.
Some quick thoughts:
1. Most record reviewers - myself included - listen to the CDs they're reviewing ON THEIR COMPUTERS. We do this because it's easy to pause, review and skip tracks while we are writing and because our computers are often the only thing we CAN listen to CDs on while in our offices. Furthermore, I'm not going to make "special arrangements" to listen to ANY (often lame, derivative and annoying) band's CD.
2. Rules or threats of impending doom from record labels to reviewers are likely to make reviewers skip the CDs sent by those making the rules or threatening the doom. These record labels are competing with each other for my ear and not all labels are as stringent in their policies. Some are actually quite pleasant.
3. As I briefly alluded to above, the VAST majority of new music is pure and utter CRAP these days, and when a label is a) pushing their crappy release upon us AND b) bullying us on how, when and where it can be safely reviewed and by whom, it's just not worth the effort. The above letter states that the CD is to be used for "promotional purposes." It should be noted that those are YOUR promotional purposes, not mine.
We'll see what we can do about reviewing your CD. I've got a stack of others sitting here that weren't sent with insulting letters. Have a swell day.
Posted by colrus at 01:12 PM | TrackBack
April 24, 2006
Weekly Softball Update: Week 3
Lost a doubleheader tonight. My defensive contributions were limited due to a sore elbow (one game at first base, one at DH), but I managed to go four for six with two runs batted in and a run scored.
Spring 2006 Hitting Stats
(Through Week 3)
AB: 17
R: 6
H: 12
2B: 4
3B: 1
HR: 0
RBI: 6
BB: 0
SO: 0
AVG.: .706
Posted by colrus at 11:37 PM | TrackBack
April 21, 2006
April 21, 2006
Need a diagram of the four fairly obvious proofs for some of the basic tenets of Christianity? Click here to see one created by Sugarplastic front man Ben Eshbach. Perhaps, as you peruse it, you'd like to listen (for mood's sake) to the rockin' "Jesus Is His Name" from their most recent album, Will.
Other recent and interesting Eshbach creations include: "In Walked the Captain" (a "scary" story in mp3 format) and videos of Ben noodling on the guitar, Ben ordering lunch, Ben jumping on his bed or a magic act by Ben's friend, Diego (Download recommended for this one).
Ahh... Rape. Particulars of the current Duke case aside, did you ever notice that you never hear many stories of men acquitted of rape countersuing their accusers? Especially in cases where the plaintiff has/has potentially committed perjury? In other words, where NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENED?
It seems to me that, in cases of rape, defendants are more often than not considered "guilty until proven innocent" -- at least in unspoken terms -- and that when a defendant is acquitted, common opinion is that the acquittal should be enough for him, that he should be satisfied with it and only it. Regardless of whether he has a case to countersue or not, he's somehow overstepping his bounds by even daring to do so; even if he's found innocent, he's still perceived of as guilty in most cases. The stigma is that strong.
Rape is a horrible thing and rapists deserve to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But false accusations of rape are vile in their own right and, once leveled, follow the innocent around forever.
And then there's Al Sharpton.
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Current Diversions:
LISTENING: The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out
WATCHING: SCTV - Volume 2
READING: John Stossel - Give Me a Break
Posted by colrus at 11:46 PM | TrackBack
April 20, 2006
April 20, 2006
Oh, Glorious Day! We went to the doctor yesterday and saw our baby's heartbeat (175 beats per minute) via the Ultrasound machine. Though the image is much more real on the computer screen, these pictures ain't too shabby.
(Click on pics for bigger view.)
So, yes, Lazy Bear's Killing Elvis is the movie I'll be appearing in. While I was originally under the impression that this information was to be hush-hush, apparently it wasn't. Shooting will take place this summer with a fall premiere planned for Chattanooga. The film will also feature this guy, as well as 25 other actors. Check out the trailer here.
In Related News: After MANY false starts, post production work on the "A Handful of On the Other Hand" compilation DVD is finally under way. The rough cut of the video, orginally created in 2004, is being tweaked, cleaned up and re-worked to provide the most entertaining snapshot of the show possible. The disc will include at least one commentary track and I am also racking my brain for other possible bonus features. (Though let's face it, there really isn't a lot of extra footage sitting around.) The DVD should be ready by early summer.
13 years ago yesterday, while I was eating lunch in the cafeteria at Middlesex Community College, I was transfixed by live TV coverage of the burning down of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. At the time, public opinion favored the destruction of the compund (and its inhabitants) because the Branch Davidians were "a crazy cult" who stockpiled guns and who had killed ATF agents. The FBI, under the direction of Janet Reno, took over the siege and (though some will argue to the contrary) burned down the compound, killing all but a few of a few of the Branch Davidians still inside.
I've always been uneasy about this moment in history. It seems to just hang there, worthy of closer inspection. And while somewhat intense scrutiny and review of the stand-off has occurred in the years since, the public remains largely indifferent about it. Now, 13 years later, Americans seem to have come to two differing conclusions: The siege at Waco was either a case of justifiable cult extermination or a flagrant abuse of power by our government. (A third, smaller segment of the population claims it was a collective act of suicide.) The fact that most people tend to lean towards the first scenario is pretty scary. But so is the second. Bottom line: This was a horrific event all the way around.
There remains a great deal of debate as to what really happened at Waco. One of the better accounts is the 1997 documentary, Rules of Engagement. The film won awards upon its initial release, but I can't help but think that its Davidian-favoring slant has affected its appeal since. I recommend this film to anyone wanting a little more insight into (at least one opinion of) the events that transpired at Waco.
As an aside, it was announced yesterday that six Branch Davidians will soon be released from prison. The four were convicted for their roles in the deaths of four federal agents during the incident.
In two years, it'll be 15 years since the incident. Maybe I'll write something big about it then...
Posted by colrus at 11:38 PM | TrackBack
April 18, 2006
BILLet: April 18, 2006
Throughout the course of any given week, I think of -- and then soon forget --things I'd like to post. I've decided to jot down these thoughts down on a notepad throughout the week and post them in billet form when I can. According to Webster's Dictionary, a billet (pronounced BILL-it) is a "small paper; a note; a short letter" and a perfect word to describe these posts. It's also an obvious play on my name, which makes it all the more geekily appropriate.
Here we go:
Most important around the Colrus home is the fact that my brother-in-law is DEFINITELY going to Iraq. My sister recently posted the following on the comments thread of another post and I think it warrants reprinting here:
Roy, my husband got news yesterday that he is scheduled to leave for Iraq in September. His company has sent a couple of groups over since March and will continue shipping drill sergeants to Iraq until December. Roy's reserve unit is stationed at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. We (myself, son Ryan, daughter Jordan and, of course, Drill Sergeant Roy) could use all the prayers we can get for a safe tour of duty and return home!
I second her request for prayer.
Melissa continues to do well, now almost 11 weeks into her pregnancy. We have another doctor's appointment this week and will hopefully have a new Ultrasound photo to post. The anticipation we are feeling in advance of becoming parents is amazing and I love my wife so unbelievably much I can't stand it. Her? She puts up with me...
Rumor has it that my sister-in-law will be leaving her brand new Hummer H3 at my house for THREE DAYS later this week while she flies out of town. I'll admit it. The urge to shoot a rap video in it will be overwhelming. All up in the Signizzle Mountizzle, yo.
I have accepted a small role in a film. That's all I can say. It is a small and local project and should be fun. I play an informant and I die at the end of my scene.
My Borderline Improper First Thought Upon Reading About Bill Hobbs' Recent Islamic Cartoon Debacle: "If I had a nickel for every time somebody worried about offending Muslims..."
Here's what Instapundit had to say about it:
BILL HOBBS HAS LOST HIS JOB FOR BLOGGING: The Knoxville News-Sentinels' Michael Silence calls it "sickening" and "pathetic." He's right.I call it a defining moment for Belmont University, in which that institution squandered all the goodwill and interest among bloggers that it spent the past couple of years building up.
I pretty much agree. Belmont has now tarnished all my fond memories of BlogNashville 2005. Just think, Tennessee bloggers might never get to see Dave Winer act like a fool in public ever again. What have you done, Belmont?!?
Though he takes long breaks from blogging, I have to say that Ron Ott is my number one, all-time favorite blogger. Why? Creativity. When he posted a picture of an impromptu sculpture he'd done of the head of disgraced former Worldcom CEO Bernard Eggers, I was hooked. His blogs have always been different and interesting, and his latest, Doodlepost (now featured each week in The Pulse), might be the best of all. Doodles on Post-It Notes. Brilliant. Check it out.
I recently watched a couple of episodes of the WWII-themed mystery series, Foyle's War. I am now hooked. This stuff is REALLY well done and Michael Kitchen is pretty much a monster of an actor.
In preparation for a large piece on illegal immigration, I have amassed an enormous file on the subject. And while recent protests have spurred my interest in finishing SOMETHING on the topic, I now have so much stuff that I almost don't know where to begin.
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Current Diversions:
LISTENING: Mercury Rev - The Secret Migration
WATCHING: The Bob Newhart Show - Season Three DVD Set
READING: Consumer Reports - 2006 Buying Guide Issue
Posted by colrus at 11:04 AM | TrackBack
April 17, 2006
Weekly Softball Update: Week 2
Short-handed loss tonight. Had to play with three outfielders, which included me in left. Caught 5,674 fly balls and went 3 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.
With the intense sun and heat -- and no time to stop to get a bottle of water before the game -- I was so exhausted by the seventh inning that, during my last at bat, I was completely relaxed and hit the hardest line drive I've hit thusfar this season. (The key to hitting a softball, I've learned, is to be completely relaxed and explode through the ball at the last possible second.) During my postgame shower routine, one thing became obvious: I have seriously lost weight. Yay!
Spring 2006 Hitting Stats
(Through Week 2)
AB: 11
R: 5
H: 8
2B: 4
3B: 1
HR: 0
RBI: 4
BB: 0
SO: 0
AVG.: .727
Posted by colrus at 09:29 PM | TrackBack
April 16, 2006
Extremely Short CD Review: The Flaming Lips - "At War with the Mystics"
The Soft Bulletin was a good effort, if not a just tad bit overrated. (Spin gave it a 9 out of 10 upon its release. I give it an 8.)
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots was on overly cute, somewhat underwhelming successor.
At War with the Mystics is a welcomed return to the trippy, experimental cacophony of the Lips' earlier material, especially for folks like myself who spent two whole summers wearing out cassette copies of Transmissions from the Satellite Heart and Clouds Taste Metallic.
And people will hate it.
Posted by colrus at 11:11 PM | TrackBack
CD Review: Built to Spill - "You in Reverse"
Dipping gently into the expansive jam-laden approach of their 1997 album, Perfect from Now On, as well as its hookier follow-up, 1999’s Keep It Like a Secret, Built to Spill has created a successful pairing of the two without falling into the somewhat stifled ditch they found themselves in on their last release, 2001’s Ancient Melodies of the Future. Former session contributor and touring guitarist Jim Roth is now a full-fledged member, and the album — the band’s first in 13 years without producer Phil Ek — is a slow burning, sometimes muddy, but mostly sparkling affair.
Relentless album opener “Goin’ Against Your Mind” is a brisk, two-chord exercise, slickly pounded out in layers for close to nine minutes. “Traces” is spooky mid-tempo pop wrapped in Dog Martsch’s warm blanket voice. “Liar” is soft, hooky, sing-a-long folk rock a la R.E.M. “Saturday,” the closest thing to a ballad on the album, is a swift, sweepingly breezy almost-intro to the chunky “Wherever You Go,” which could easily be an outtake from the sessions that produced Neil Young’s “Like A Hurricane,” and which lights a fire under the second half of the album.
From its sick and dirty opening riff and chugging on through to its gorgeous three-guitar break, “Conventional Wisdom” is unfairly good, but “Gone” might actually be the prettiest thing here, sliding in and out of minor key build-up and power chord blasts before slowly sinking in a sea of organ courtesy of Quasi’s Sam Coomes. “Mess with Time” is a fiery, middle-eastern guitar battle where both sides eventually decide to give up the fight in favor of shuffling ska jam session. A lullaby gives way to a fuzzbox freakout on “Just a Habit,” while “The Wait” closes the album in country style with sprinkles of reverb, reversed guitar and outer space sounds sprinkled on top for taste.
Recommended.
Posted by colrus at 10:51 PM | TrackBack
April 13, 2006
Rejected Plot Ideas/Movie Titles Suggested at the Screenwriter's Meeting for "Snakes on a Plane!"
Peanuts on a Bumper!
Tacos on a Conveyor Belt!
Air Filter on a Receipt!
Cats in a Delivery Van!
Georgia on My Mind!
Jammin' on the One!
Senior Citizens on a Bus Trip!
Bathing Suit in the Water!
DJ Jazzy Jeff on the Fresh Prince!
Embroidery on a Doily!
Snakes on a Plate!
Bathroom on a Budget!
Sunshine on My Shoulder!
Feel free to suggest your own...
Posted by colrus at 01:11 PM | TrackBack
April 12, 2006
Parents v1.1
I know no better way to resume activities on this blog than by posting the first-ever photo of our child. The above ultrasound is from March 23, the day our doctor verified the heartbeat. This was an extremely joyous event considering our last pregnancy. Melissa is 10 weeks along as of today. She is tired a lot these days. And when she isn't tired, she's hungry.
So happy we are. And blessed.
Posted by colrus at 02:00 AM | TrackBack
Weekly Softball Update: Week 1
My spring softball season started this week. We split a doubleheader and I hit pretty well. It looks like I'll be bouncing back and forth between third base and left field, which is fine with me.
Spring 2006 Hitting Stats
(Through Week 1)
AB: 7
R: 3
H: 5
2B: 3
3B: 1
HR: 0
RBI: 4
BB: 0
SO: 0
AVG.: .714
Posted by colrus at 12:24 AM | TrackBack
My Nephew the Soldier
My nephew Ryan recently completed Army basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. He shipped out the same day for Fort Huachuca near Tucson, Arizona. At Fort Leonard Wood, he earned a sharpshooter badge and was amongst the company's fastest runners and leaders in push-ups and sit-ups. His company earned Honor Company for the best overall scores. The Drill Sergeants told my brother-in-law Roy (who, himself, is a drill sergeant in the reserves and who might be going to Iraq to train the Iraqi army) that Ryan was a "darn good soldier." Ryan will be at Fort Huachuca for AIT training until the first week of August. We are very proud of him.
Here are some pics:
(Click for a larger view)
Ryan during basic training.
Ryan and his dad (my brother-in-law Roy) at graduation.
Soldiers talking about whatever soldiers talk about.
Ryan with his mom (my sister Wendy) at graduation.
Posted by colrus at 12:17 AM | TrackBack