Technical difficulties

I have no idea why the YouTube clip I posted sometime last week never materialized.
So I'll give you a couple to make up for it.



Later today I hope to get the footage from the Daft Punk show up.
In the meantime, check out the Stranger's coverage.

Photos
Reviews (1, 2, 3)
Video

While the concensus seems to be one of adulation, I tend to side more with the the #2 review. Bill and Phil were also nonplussed.

A/V club

Back soon-ish

I'm taking a week-long break. Life has been moving by too quickly lately and the easiest place to cut corners is on this here blog.
So no stories about dance class or the opening at the Henry on Friday or how much I hated Transformers.
This week is the final dance lesson, Hairspray, and Daft Punk.
I hope to get some video footage.
Oh, and I downloaded the free trial of Adobe Premiere Elements which is a marked improvement over that piece of shit disguised as a program called Windows Movie Maker.
See ya soon.

Finally

Ok, I know I've been promising it all week, and I have completed it, but I would just like to justify the amount of time that it has taken me to post this.
1) It is my birthweek and y'all are lucky I'm posting at all.
2) In the past four days I have gotten approximately 16.5 hours of sleep, and this is not for lack of trying. (Factor in attempting to sleep in the middle of the day on exteremly hot days.)
C)Trying to make this video better than the last and overcome that aspect ratio problem and the conversion problem.

I did not succeed in endeavor C. The codec this camera saves the files in and Microsoft Movie Maker's inability to deal with any file other than .wma made me crazy. If I had hair, I would have been pulling it out.

So, you'll just have to deal with that aspect ratio thing. And the fact that I can't put in volume markers other than fade in and fade out at the end of the clip. But I am determined to make this program work for me. Two attempts that have been frustrating beyond belief has sent my inner nerd running to message boards.

Oh, and before I show you the finished product--I just want to thank Janice for comandeering my new toy and interviewing everyone. I had so much fun listening to what everyone had to say--and more than that, listening to your one-of-a-kind laugh. And even more than that, I'm glad I have a document of a day that was really special for me--and not special in a retarded way.

Ok, so without further ado--

Wiggle Wednesday

Last night Phil and I attended our first dance class. We are learning the hustle at the Washington Dance Center, and I can't recommend that place highly enough. For merely $10 per hour long lesson, the place is a bargain.
I haven't taken any sort of dance lesson or learned choreography since my freshman year of college when I played Hero in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
The hustle is a difficult dance--mainly because it is fast (when you think disco, you're probably thinking of the hustle), but also because it is turn'tastic! You know that scene in Prom Night when Jamie Lee Curtis is spinning around, essentially holding the camera? I had one of those moments and I felt dizzy more than a few times. Guess its time to re-learn spotting.

The dance lessons are cutting into my TV watching time--specifically, So You Think You Can Dance which is a shame, but I generally watch my shows when I get home from work in the morning.
Wouldn't you know it, the first time the show showcases the hustle was the night I was learning the hustle.
Lacey and Kameron performed a pretty killer routine that my man and I will be imitating over the next couple of weeks.
See for yourself.

Kameron and Lacey Week 4
Uploaded by mickeymcc

And, in other SYTYCD news, it looks like my girl Sabra knocked it out the effin' park again with a stellar hip hop routine.
Check it.

Dominic and Sabra Week 4
Uploaded by mickeymcc

And I swear the birthday video will be up soon. In the meantime, check out my main (drunk) squeeze's version of the evening here.

Eight things

Ok, I'm finally getting around to the Eight Things meme I was tagged with early last week by QTA.

I would have put up another video post from the birthday, but again, I was having issues w/ converting the .avi files so they could be used by Movie Maker.

Anyway, here we go.
Eight things about me you may or may not know.

1. The first hallucination I ever had was when I was five. I had a 109 degree fever from the chicken pox. I sat in bed, sweat rolling off me, shivering. There's a feeling I had then, that I've never had since that I can only describe as thick rope. I don't know why those two words describe the feeling best, but they do. Anyway, as I was shivering in bed, the whole room upended, so I was at the top corner and I watched as the Millenium Falcon that hung above my brother's bed floated toward the door.

2. The last hallucination I had was caused by delerium. After staying awake for 30 some hours, I got behind the wheel to drive from Texas to Montana. Just into the panhandle of Oklahoma, I saw a clown sitting on the hood of my Jeep. It was then that I pulled over and asked someone else to take over driving duties.

3. I am adopted.

4. I have only recieved one chilly willy in my life.

5. I am constantly playing games in my head like, "If I can cross the street before Don't Walk starts flashing, then I will kiss the man of my dreams before midnight." Or "If the next person I see is wearing a yellow shirt, I should buy a lottery ticket."

6. I take Tylenol PM on a regular basis (at least once a week).

7. I am an ordained minister.

8. Sometimes I go to movies by myself.

Paris Hilton is better than Scooter Libby

Both are spoiled brats. Only one got what they deserved.
Getting angry at the Bush administration at this point is futile. Tomorrow is our nation's 231st birthday. I hope everyone takes the time to evaluate what that means to them and ask important questions about the political process and how Bush and Co. have endlessly circumvented it.

Out of the vault

The above video clip is my weekend abridged for your pleasure.

On Friday, my lovely boyfriend took me to dinner and a movie. The dinner? A stretch for my gastronomically narrow beau, but one which he handled nicely. We went to Jamjuree on Capitol Hill. Pad See You for him. Rad nah for me. I even opted for only 2 stars of spiciness so he could sample my dish. Normally, I get four or five star spicy (which ever is the limit). I like to break a sweat when I eat Thai food.

We had some time to kill before the midnight movie, so we hit up the Madison Pub with Bill and Andrew. Then it was onto the new homo bar, Pony. Celebrity sighting--Dan Savage playing video games.

Finally, it was time for "Once More, With Feeling" the Buffy Sing Along. The show was sold out. The line wrapped around the block. It was pretty insane. The pre-show stuff could have been cut down some to allow time for purchasing alcohol after the screening, but the actual sing along was great. That episode, to me, is one of the best that has ever been on TV. I also enjoyed that as a PSA in the pre-show, they showed the Joss Whedon on Veronica Mars clip then beseeched the CW brass to reup the (now cancelled) show.

Saturday was the Henry with Bill. I wanted to check it out again, mainly to break in my new camera. Remind me to put some electrical tape over the recording light. The museum nazi told me to turn it off.

Sunday was brunch with Risa, Keith, and Phil at the usual haunt.

So, the new toy was really cheap. I got it through Amazon for around $130. I love how small it is. Contrary to what the YouTube clip would have you believe, it takes pretty high quality video. I love that it plugs right into a USB port.

My biggest complaint so far has to do with Windows Movie Maker and not the product itself. It works much easier on a Mac than it does on a PC. Plus, Movie Maker did some weird compression thing to the video image. I'm going to see if I can fix it tomorrow.

As for plans this week--I'll get around to that meme that QTA sent me. (Oh, and make sure you swing by his site to see one of my favorite video mashups.) No plans for the 4th, and a beach birthday bbq on the 6th. Please send cash or money order. Thanks!