Have I told you lately

I love that every Friday Amazon sends me a list of movies that I can download directly to my Tivo box for 99 cents. I think that's pretty awesome. Sure, most of the movies have been crap, but for a buck--and I don't have to go to Blockbuster--can't be beat.

So far we've done TMNT, Zodiac, Hot Fuzz, and, um, a couple I can't recall right now.

For tonight, Perfume and the pilot for NBC's Bionic Woman (which was free).

I am also loving Palermo's. Phil and I stopped in for lunch a couple Saturdays ago. It was great, but what I really love is free delivery and ordering on-line. Their lasagna comes in one of those thick heavy duty foil containers with a cardboard top. Its actually baked in that container and the level of crispiness that the cheese along the edge gets is all kinds of perfect. Their polpette is prepared similarly and is equally as satisfying--especially if you're in the mood for balls.

Oh, and delivery is wikkid hella fast.

Oh, and will everyone please start saving some scratch to buy my this for Christmas? Yes, I realize I don't need it by any stretch of the imagination, but its so cool! And so cool-looking!

Have a great weekend, I'll be hiking. And yes, gayming.

Threadbare

Anyone else going to Thread this Sunday?
Seems like it would be right up Andrew and Bill's respective alleys.
50% off denim sounds good.
Still, its on Sunday and I'm hiking on Saturday with Earl, so chances are I'll skip it.
If you go, though, please let me know how it is.


Also, there's a pre-party tonight at Havana. If you're interested in hearing Wesley Holmes play for free, email me and I'll shoot you the address you use to get on the list.

I will rule the universe

Ok, let's get something clear. While I appreciate your concern for Janice, it probably makes her skin crawl. Especially since she (most likely) didn't have anything too wrong other than a case of the blues. Then she went to Bumbershoot and got bumber-roughed-up which I'm sure added frustration and aggravation to said malaise.

So I was just being a friend. We've known each other for many (many, many) years and that's what friends do. You say, "Hey friend, sorry you're blue, aren't unicorns cool?"

And then your friend says, "Thanks for trying to cheer me up."

So, even though I haven't spoken to Janice in over a week, I'm sure we'll get together in the not-too-distant future to commiserate over a cup'a'joe.

Ok. So. That's out of the way.

What're my weekend plans? Well, earlier in the week, Matthew had the wise idea of solidifying our stranglehold as kings of homebound nerds. So he went out and bought an $80 board game.

Its called Twilight Imperium and it looks to be uber-nerdy. So there will be a lot of going over the 44-page rule book tonight. And tomorrow will be the first official game. I think that Matt, Phil and I will be the only players. That's ok, that allows me the luxury of interpreting the rules to say, "Jeremy rules the universe."

Average playtime is 4-6 hours. Sweet.
The game should be an on-going thing. Like "the Saturday night" thing or something. Next year is my year of "buckling down," and attempting to build up a chunk of money for a downpayment on a place. So having a long-standing, stay at home diversion could be an excellent way of passing the time. We'd also love to have a rotating cast of nerds come join us, so hit me up if you're interested.

Sunday I'll be initiating the new members of the chorus. Its a simple task. Their handlers come in, trot them around in a circle. I cup their balls and check their teeth, then pick a best in show. Actually, I'll just be relaying my experiences from my first year in the chorus.

I'm still working on OKDJ 11. I don't know what the deal is. I get started with it, then just hate it and scrap it. Check back, though. It could be up as early as next week.

Oh, but you want to know what tracks are on it? Here's a sample:

Simian Mobile Disco - It's the Beat

Giorgio Moroder - From Here to Eternity

Simian Mobile Disco is opening the Decibel Festival on September 20th.

Cheering Up Janice, Part the Second

I called and sang "True Colors" into her voice mail.
I called and sang "I Just Called to Say I Love You" into her voice mail.
Now, she is bruised.

I know what will cheer her up! Unicorns! Heyyy!

Cheering up Janice

I don't know why the bug butt biting video didn't cheer Janice up, but when I saw this (overly) precious video, she was the first person I thought of.



Hope you're cheerier soon!

Super-bored

I realize that I'm like the only person on the planet to think Superbad is pretty boring. So I feel the need to justify myself. As far as teen(ish) comedies go, I think it falls far behind Clueless, Animal House, Fast Times at Ridgmont High, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles and Three O'Clock High; however, it is superior to Porky's and American Pie (and a whole slough of others that don't need mentioning).

First of all, I thought the setup for the film was lame--must get alcohol for party to impress girls. Secondly, the conflict that the two leads have--Cera's character admitting that he would be rooming with Fogle in college--was unbelievable. The only reason it had any heft was because tertiary characters kept drilling it into our brains. The first 20-or-so minutes were great. There were some truly inspired raunchy lines, but all of that got waylaid by the second act where the movie just dragged. The party that Joe LoTruglio takes them to was tedious and I don't think I laughed--even as Michael Cera sang "These Eyes". It felt forced and uninspired.

As for the B story line, with McLovin/Fogle and the cops, I dreaded each time the story would come back to them. This is the type of storyline that you can tell began with the stoned writers (Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg) saying, "Wouldn't it be cool if . . ." There was nowhere to go with it, so they end it in an explosion with gunfire.

The resolution was apparent long before we get to the final reel, and it couldn't come fast enough for me.

My final quibble with the film comes from Jonah Hill's performance. It is mind-numbingly one-note. He goes from manic to manic and lacks any of the nuance that Cera has. To believe that any girl (especially one as gorgeous as Emma Stone) would find him even the least bit do-able is really hard to believe. Hill and Cera are an unbalanced comedy team with Cera responsible for most of the heavy lifting.

So, all that being said, I still think Superbad is good for a laugh or two and worthy of a Friday night rental. I just had to justify myself.

For much more glowing reviews, see here and here.

Kirk Cameron + Howard K. Stern =

This guy from this video my guy sent to me last night. Tell me he's not a ringer for the love child of the aforementioned.





I'm sure Charles would like it. Hell, I'm sure 88.4% of gay America will like it.



And, because it's been pushed back like 50 times and all I have is this picture to keep me going, here's my girlz, yo!

Sounds like

I'm currently listening to Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion.
Brilliant.
Aboslutely brilliant.

Go atheism! Rah rah rah!

In other news, Toobs will be up at Volunteer Park on Friday (assuming there's enough sunshine to power it).


And, finally, because I know you wonder about Alexyss Tylor (the audio on this is most definitely NSFW):

My new favorite

From easily the best blog I've come across in a long, long time. This made me smile for a while today. Thank you, Samim.

Speaking of the wunderkind, his new track "Heater" w/ a remix by Claude von Stroke (who will be returning to Decibel Festival this year) and a decent B-side is available for download now at Beatport. [Samples here.] Truthfully, I prefer the B-side. There's something too . . . German-y about the accordion and oompah-oompah bass of "Heater."


Now its bed time.

It used to

make me sad when a young person called me "sir." Now it makes me sad when an old person calls me "sir."

One more time

So, to get a sense of how overwhelming the Daft Punk show was, play all four clips at once.
The lighting was amazing. There were light emitting diodes everywhere--and they were sparkly and pretty. I feel really sorry for the kids there that were on drugs. They are probably still seeing tracers today. Anyway, here's some short clips for ya!

For a lovely review by a lovely man, check it.

Less insightful

Antonioni and Bergman both left behind impressive bodies of work, and, being the film junkie I am, I thought I'd take a minute to say something about both of them.
First, Antononi.
The first Antonioni film I saw was Blowup. I liked its swingin' sixties vibe and getting to see a youthful Vanessa Redgrave was a delight. The irreverence for structure in the piece was what I really enjoyed--and of course the beautiful visuals.
I wasn't aware, however, that Antonioni really was a technician and a formidable auteur until I saw L'Avventura. Every shot is framed so perfectly--the tableaux, tracking shots, all of it is near-perfect. People in the background crawl mysteriously out of the person in the foreground's head. He quite literally implies that our desires and wishes are formed from our own minds, and he also questions how easily we can lose and forget those desires. The scenes on the volcanic island are unforgettable, and this was the first film that made me aware of architecture as texture and symbolism. L'Avventura is an incredible film that I highly recommend.


Bergman, for many of my generation, is an acquired taste. I know I only show my hillbilly sensibilities when I say that I've seen The Seventh Seal twice and it still has yet to make an impact on me. Cries and Whispers and Fanny and Alexander are more my speed. They tell specific tales with universal themes and even though Bergman is asking the big questions, you get a believability and realism that just isn't around in his earlier works. Richard Corliss of Time magazine recently interviewed Woody Allen about Bergman (and Antonioni). [article]
Still, Bergman's influence will be felt for a long time. I hope it leads to more parodies like this French and Saunders piece.


Finally, I wanted to send my condolences to the friends and family of Jeremy Blake. Chances are you are familiar with Blake's work but don't know it. He was an artist for Rockstar Games, but more importantly, he was well-respected video artist. He did the video for Beck's Round the Bend which is consistent with his style of "time-based paintings". He also did the beautiful transitions in Punch Drunk Love. He was starting to show an interest in more narrative, documentary style productions before he took his own life. His girlfriend killed herself on July 7th. Ten days later, he went missing. His naked body washed ashore in New Jersey on Monday. There are some lingering mysteries surrounding his death. [blog post]
We will never know what kind of work he would have produced if he had lived as long as Antonioni and Bergman.
Here's a couple clips to give you an idea of his work--

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!