Friday, January 31, 2003
Dr. Apostrophe X unleashes his next creation
It seems that all I needed to stimulate my musical creativity was an alter ego and some free software. This next track off of "Sins of Omission" was sequenced in the free Muzys program you can get if you pick up any copy of Computer Music with a CD rom attached. The sounds are all free, too, most of the instruments are on that same CD (the 404 sampler for the rhodes, the SR202 for the drums, Crystal for the synth). The weird chanting thing is, of course, Audionerdz' "Delay Lama" VSTi (it's probably the cutest VSTi out there as there's this little Tibetan lama animation that sings along to your playing). The only thing on the track that I didn't get for free was a couple of audio drum loops, but I could've just as easily used free ones.
So there you have it... completely free music (less the two hours or so it took me to make the track).
Dr.'X: "Thursday Morning at the Robotics Factory" -- .mp3 format, right-click save as to download or click to stream.
It seems that all I needed to stimulate my musical creativity was an alter ego and some free software. This next track off of "Sins of Omission" was sequenced in the free Muzys program you can get if you pick up any copy of Computer Music with a CD rom attached. The sounds are all free, too, most of the instruments are on that same CD (the 404 sampler for the rhodes, the SR202 for the drums, Crystal for the synth). The weird chanting thing is, of course, Audionerdz' "Delay Lama" VSTi (it's probably the cutest VSTi out there as there's this little Tibetan lama animation that sings along to your playing). The only thing on the track that I didn't get for free was a couple of audio drum loops, but I could've just as easily used free ones.
So there you have it... completely free music (less the two hours or so it took me to make the track).
Dr.'X: "Thursday Morning at the Robotics Factory" -- .mp3 format, right-click save as to download or click to stream.
So if you've been watching "The Surreal Life" on Thursday nights on the WB then you'll know it's the reality show that has Hammer (the rapper-turned-preacher), Emmanuel Lewis (Webster!), Vince Neil (from Motley Crue), Corey Feldman (Goonies), Brande Roderick (Baywatch), Gabrielle Carteris (Beverly Hills 90210), and Jerri Manthey (Survivor II) all living in the same house and going on wacky adventures each day. That's the thing about the show: they plan out some really neat stuff for the gang to do (last time they had to put together a talent show) and only spring it on them the day of in the form of a tabloid left on the front porch.
The fourth episode aired tonight and if you've watched any WB at all this week (like maybe last night's nice episode of Angel?) then you'll know that this was the episode where they go to Vegas and get in all sorts of trouble: Hammer, Corey, and Emmanuel go to Fatburger, the ladies go to a male strip club (Cateris leaves in disgust), and Vince Neil gets drunker and drunker and swears up a storm.
But that was just the first 15 minutes. The previews gave no indication of what would happen next. After their rowdy Saturday night in Vegas the crew was back on the bus and headed back to LA in time for... church? Yep. After a discussion in the bus about how long it's been since everyone there has been to church and how often the folks their pray (Vince Neil hadn't prayed, he said, since he lost his four-year-old daughter to cancer) it was into the predominantly African-American First AME church where Rev. Hammer gave a sermon. He brought a blessing down on Vince Neil and there was not a dry eye in the place. Seriously, to hear Hammer talking about Jesus and then see Vince Neil who 10 minutes prior (in TV time) was drinking and swearing because the bus went the wrong way almost break into tears (along with all of the other surreal lifers) and then later admit that he'd resumed prayer and have it all be on TV, much less on the WB, much less on a reality show on the WB... well, after the male strippers it was all a little jarring. I don't know how much of it was set up and how much of it was "real" (we'll probably have to wait for the DVDs and their context-granting out-takes), but it sure played "real", in any case.
One thing is clear from watching the show, however: you could do a lot worse than to have Hammer as a father and Gabrielle Cateris as a mother. If nothing else, you'd be an excellent dancer.
The fourth episode aired tonight and if you've watched any WB at all this week (like maybe last night's nice episode of Angel?) then you'll know that this was the episode where they go to Vegas and get in all sorts of trouble: Hammer, Corey, and Emmanuel go to Fatburger, the ladies go to a male strip club (Cateris leaves in disgust), and Vince Neil gets drunker and drunker and swears up a storm.
But that was just the first 15 minutes. The previews gave no indication of what would happen next. After their rowdy Saturday night in Vegas the crew was back on the bus and headed back to LA in time for... church? Yep. After a discussion in the bus about how long it's been since everyone there has been to church and how often the folks their pray (Vince Neil hadn't prayed, he said, since he lost his four-year-old daughter to cancer) it was into the predominantly African-American First AME church where Rev. Hammer gave a sermon. He brought a blessing down on Vince Neil and there was not a dry eye in the place. Seriously, to hear Hammer talking about Jesus and then see Vince Neil who 10 minutes prior (in TV time) was drinking and swearing because the bus went the wrong way almost break into tears (along with all of the other surreal lifers) and then later admit that he'd resumed prayer and have it all be on TV, much less on the WB, much less on a reality show on the WB... well, after the male strippers it was all a little jarring. I don't know how much of it was set up and how much of it was "real" (we'll probably have to wait for the DVDs and their context-granting out-takes), but it sure played "real", in any case.
One thing is clear from watching the show, however: you could do a lot worse than to have Hammer as a father and Gabrielle Cateris as a mother. If nothing else, you'd be an excellent dancer.
Thursday, January 30, 2003
Victor's Job-Hunting Tip, #1
Always Look Your Best!
Self-confidence is very important. Even if all you are doing is "just" surfing for jobs on-line, looking your best is key!
Always Look Your Best!
Self-confidence is very important. Even if all you are doing is "just" surfing for jobs on-line, looking your best is key!
Zoomp! There it is!
This freaky neuvau outfit also makes a great (tiled) desktop pattern. It's very blue.
From Zorak.
This freaky neuvau outfit also makes a great (tiled) desktop pattern. It's very blue.
From Zorak.
Wednesday, January 29, 2003
Does anyone remember the name of Stan Friedberg's son? The one who used to sell Encylopedia Britannicas? You know... he "scored an A" on his Space report in that TV commercial? It wasn't Victor Friedberg, was it?
Spider-Man's Greatest Bible Adventures
Sacreligious, probably, but artfully done.
Sacreligious, probably, but artfully done.
Okay, my new techno DJ name has been slightly modified to:
Dr. Apostrophe X
(or Dr.'X for short)
I'm un-trademarking my former techno DJ name "Dr. Apostrophe" so anyone can use that if they want.
The first song off of Dr.'X's first LP ("Sins of Omission", thanks to whomever suggested that name... I wanna say it was RC but I blame him for everything ;) is the already posted Xtreme Unction.
(or Dr.'X for short)
I'm un-trademarking my former techno DJ name "Dr. Apostrophe" so anyone can use that if they want.
The first song off of Dr.'X's first LP ("Sins of Omission", thanks to whomever suggested that name... I wanna say it was RC but I blame him for everything ;) is the already posted Xtreme Unction.
Tony of "I Am Always Right" 'blog (and when are Toni and Tone' going to get in on the 'blog action, I ask you?) has a nice commentary on the state of the union address (notice I didn't capitalize that... I'm too tired to capitalize). I say nice because his comments are similar to the ones Mayize and I were shooting back and forth to each other as we watched it on the tiny MSNBC video feed at work. We were eerily aligned in our takes on most of what Bush had to say only I think she's a bit more pro fuel-cell than I am -- though I should say that when they can make a 250-to-300bhp hyrdogen-powered car that is also big, black, and shiny, I will be first in line for the new technologies -- assuming that I'm one of the people Bush thinks he can both find a job for and then have keep most of their tax money, of course.
We also disagreed on the whole African eugenic project thing, as well.
I was starting to get a little sleepy towards the end, though, so I missed all the sabre rattling. I'm glad Bush realizes that if he insists on going after Saddam then it's definitely "time to get Il" (I'm going to copyright that phrase by the way, despite the typographical unfortunateness of having a capital I and a lower-case l paired together like that, so if you use it, you have to pay me eight cents).
It'll be a few days before I can read Joe Sobran's response to the state of the Union (I'm slightly less tired now) address, but this piece from the end of last month pretty much sums up my fears about Bush and North Korea.
Hopefully that situation gets resolved peacfully and the whole region doesn't wind up "Il-in'".
We also disagreed on the whole African eugenic project thing, as well.
I was starting to get a little sleepy towards the end, though, so I missed all the sabre rattling. I'm glad Bush realizes that if he insists on going after Saddam then it's definitely "time to get Il" (I'm going to copyright that phrase by the way, despite the typographical unfortunateness of having a capital I and a lower-case l paired together like that, so if you use it, you have to pay me eight cents).
It'll be a few days before I can read Joe Sobran's response to the state of the Union (I'm slightly less tired now) address, but this piece from the end of last month pretty much sums up my fears about Bush and North Korea.
Hopefully that situation gets resolved peacfully and the whole region doesn't wind up "Il-in'".
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
US Government Printing Office: Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids
Since I'll be unemployed next week, I wonder if this tells me where I can get some of that tasty government cheese (which I actually hear makes the best grilled-cheese sandwich).
Since I'll be unemployed next week, I wonder if this tells me where I can get some of that tasty government cheese (which I actually hear makes the best grilled-cheese sandwich).
Park in a Pack: Traveling Education Kit
This looks kind of neat. I wonder what other sorts of things the National Parks Service could put into a pack...
This looks kind of neat. I wonder what other sorts of things the National Parks Service could put into a pack...
Ultimate Shopper: Modifying your club card
Help this gentleman raise up an army of Safeway-shopping clones!
Help this gentleman raise up an army of Safeway-shopping clones!
ABC News - 02/08/02 : Global warming causes giant squid blowout
"Australian scientists say global warming is turning the world's squid into much larger creatures, with huge appetites and fast breeding cycles."
Giant Squid Blowout would be a great name for a band, I think.
"Australian scientists say global warming is turning the world's squid into much larger creatures, with huge appetites and fast breeding cycles."
Giant Squid Blowout would be a great name for a band, I think.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Robots
Pete seems to be a sentient being after my own heart and I wish him all the success in the world in this endeavour. Given the way human beings treat other human beings we're definitely going to need a set of guidelines already in place when the first artificial intelligences are created. The ASPCR seems to be leading the charge in establishing such guidelines, though at this point there seems to have been more success in creating cool line-art illustrations of Robots than in drafting actual guidelines.
"It is the intent of the ASPCR to raise the awareness of the general public about the issues involved with Creating Intelligences. This includes discussing the moral and ethical implications of bringing Sentient Artificial Beings into this world, and the responsibilities that comes with such Creation."
And there are important distinctions made:
"The ASPCR is not concerned with non-aware, non-intelligent machina, regardless of how well they simulate human emotions, reactions, or intelligence. Battlebots are free to battle, car assembly robots are free to work 24 hours a day, and you can smash your toy robot as many times as you like. The ASPCR is concerned only with preparing a set of ethical guidelines in anticipation of the advent of actual intelligence and self-awareness in artificial constructs."
Of course the stickiest of the sticky questions remain: can an artificial intelligence ever actually be realized and if it ever were would we be able to recognize it as a self-aware intelligence?
Pete seems to be a sentient being after my own heart and I wish him all the success in the world in this endeavour. Given the way human beings treat other human beings we're definitely going to need a set of guidelines already in place when the first artificial intelligences are created. The ASPCR seems to be leading the charge in establishing such guidelines, though at this point there seems to have been more success in creating cool line-art illustrations of Robots than in drafting actual guidelines.
"It is the intent of the ASPCR to raise the awareness of the general public about the issues involved with Creating Intelligences. This includes discussing the moral and ethical implications of bringing Sentient Artificial Beings into this world, and the responsibilities that comes with such Creation."
And there are important distinctions made:
"The ASPCR is not concerned with non-aware, non-intelligent machina, regardless of how well they simulate human emotions, reactions, or intelligence. Battlebots are free to battle, car assembly robots are free to work 24 hours a day, and you can smash your toy robot as many times as you like. The ASPCR is concerned only with preparing a set of ethical guidelines in anticipation of the advent of actual intelligence and self-awareness in artificial constructs."
Of course the stickiest of the sticky questions remain: can an artificial intelligence ever actually be realized and if it ever were would we be able to recognize it as a self-aware intelligence?
Misleading news headline:
Yahoo! News: Libraries Can't Afford New Potter Books
Which means that many libraries can't afford more than several hundred copies of the new book. However the story does have one unintentinally funny bit about "the Clinton library":
In Clinton, Wis., population about 2,000, the public library expects up to 100 requests for the new book. Meanwhile, the library's budget has been cut by double digits.
Double-digits? So, what, that's like $10?
"Getting the Potter book means not getting something else," says Clinton library director Michelle Dennis, who said she won't be buying any children's nonfiction this year, including a set of encyclopedias she had hoped to order.
Um, some of us have to make decisions about what we're going to get and usually that means not getting anything else. It's a part of life, called "choices". Those of us who have to work for our money and can't just have it taken from other folks and given to us live with this sad reality every day. We're going to be struggling to pay for one Harry Potter book, much less 100 copies of it.
Yahoo! News: Libraries Can't Afford New Potter Books
Which means that many libraries can't afford more than several hundred copies of the new book. However the story does have one unintentinally funny bit about "the Clinton library":
In Clinton, Wis., population about 2,000, the public library expects up to 100 requests for the new book. Meanwhile, the library's budget has been cut by double digits.
Double-digits? So, what, that's like $10?
"Getting the Potter book means not getting something else," says Clinton library director Michelle Dennis, who said she won't be buying any children's nonfiction this year, including a set of encyclopedias she had hoped to order.
Um, some of us have to make decisions about what we're going to get and usually that means not getting anything else. It's a part of life, called "choices". Those of us who have to work for our money and can't just have it taken from other folks and given to us live with this sad reality every day. We're going to be struggling to pay for one Harry Potter book, much less 100 copies of it.
Woohoo!!!!
I'm again one of Justin Katz' "Songs You Should Know". This time it's for "The Video Store Song" which definitely seems to be one of the more popular tracks off of Robot Love, appearing on mix tapes across the country. The recommendation comes with a request to divulge more "making of" info. So, if you've ever wanted a frightening look into the creative process read on:
Before Jackie and I were married, this would be around March or April of ought-zero, I found myself giving up my apartment and moving in with my parents for a few months. In order to pass the nights after work (I worked, and still do work, until next Tuesday when I'm laid-off, until 10 pm) I would stop in at the local video store in Ann Arbor and rent a movie or two to watch that night. I watched some good flicks (one about an old Chinese magician who wants a young boy as an assistant but gets a young girl... foreign-film-type hilarity ensues) and some not so good (like "Plunkett and McLaine", I think, which featured Liv Tyler which is good but was otherwise rotten). I also dreamed of putting together the album which would become Robot Love (many was the night when I fell asleep with the magazine advert for the Novation Nova virtual analogue synth underneath my pillow). This was around the time when something called "DVD" was making it's first forays into the market and the video store was still very much the VIDEO store.
Anyway, I was renting a lot of movies and the struggle soon became: what do I want to watch assuming, as was the case in ought-zero, all the Hollywood films are CRAP. I wound up renting a lot of old movies (like Hitchcock's "The Rope") but mostly a lot of small, independent foreign films like, uh, "Tinseltown" which I remember enjoying but probably wouldn't so much today and something about a composer who couldn't write music anymore (seriously, watching movies at 2am after 10 hours of work every night for four months is a good way to blend them all together). What struck me was that after you'd burned through the more obvious titles at the video store, you were forced with choosing from a bunch of stuff you didn't know much about. But you had to choose something or your night alone in the spare bedroom of the parents' house -- which didn't have broadcast TV in that room -- would be pretty much a wash. You were, to paraphrase Sartre, condemned to choose. So it was while leaving the Video Store one cold April evening when the refrain "I don't know what it's called but it's small and independent and it's gonna take some time to find" popped into my head. I tried to stifle it because it sounded a bit like the breakdown from Aerosmith's "Walk This Way". But eventually it turned into a song.
Now, about recording the song itself. I bought a $200 microphone. Okay, I'll admit that. But it's a good microphone (a Rode NT-1 condenser microphone, made in Australia) and it's what I use exclusively unto this day. "The Video Store Song" was the first song on which I used this microphone (the other two songs with vocals on the Robot Love album which I recorded before I got the Rode, which were "Sarah's Lullabye" and "Cacophonie" were recorded using the Shure SM-58 dynamic mic). The song itself began with the unique bassline (which is a combination of two different patches off of the unpopular yet so, so awesome Roland JX-305 Groovebox/keyboard synth). The vocals weren't really working out so I bought a bottle of that TGI Friday's brand mudslide mix at Krogers and drank a few of those before I recorded the vocals and that worked out okay (note that the chorus has slightly different intonations).
Oh! The chorus!!! Yes! That bears a very close resemblence to another Victor Lams classic. See, I told my good buddy at work, Kevin (who is thanked properly in the liner notes of the album) about my idea for a song, that going into the video store is a manifestation of the classic existential crisis: you are condemned to choose a video -- and he said "There's too damn many in here?" quoting, of course, my classic song, available on my mp3.com site, "It's Too Damn Muggy In Here" (because it was, in my apartment in Hillsdale, way back in July, 1997). I said "ha!" and kept that as the chorus. This caused the lead vocalist of Au Revoir Borealis to ask me "Does this mean that 'It's Too Damn Muggy In Here' is done for good?" and I believe that it would be.
Heh. Writing music is fun. You need to drink and smoke to do it properly, though. Cut out either one of those things and it becomes well near impossible.
I'm again one of Justin Katz' "Songs You Should Know". This time it's for "The Video Store Song" which definitely seems to be one of the more popular tracks off of Robot Love, appearing on mix tapes across the country. The recommendation comes with a request to divulge more "making of" info. So, if you've ever wanted a frightening look into the creative process read on:
Before Jackie and I were married, this would be around March or April of ought-zero, I found myself giving up my apartment and moving in with my parents for a few months. In order to pass the nights after work (I worked, and still do work, until next Tuesday when I'm laid-off, until 10 pm) I would stop in at the local video store in Ann Arbor and rent a movie or two to watch that night. I watched some good flicks (one about an old Chinese magician who wants a young boy as an assistant but gets a young girl... foreign-film-type hilarity ensues) and some not so good (like "Plunkett and McLaine", I think, which featured Liv Tyler which is good but was otherwise rotten). I also dreamed of putting together the album which would become Robot Love (many was the night when I fell asleep with the magazine advert for the Novation Nova virtual analogue synth underneath my pillow). This was around the time when something called "DVD" was making it's first forays into the market and the video store was still very much the VIDEO store.
Anyway, I was renting a lot of movies and the struggle soon became: what do I want to watch assuming, as was the case in ought-zero, all the Hollywood films are CRAP. I wound up renting a lot of old movies (like Hitchcock's "The Rope") but mostly a lot of small, independent foreign films like, uh, "Tinseltown" which I remember enjoying but probably wouldn't so much today and something about a composer who couldn't write music anymore (seriously, watching movies at 2am after 10 hours of work every night for four months is a good way to blend them all together). What struck me was that after you'd burned through the more obvious titles at the video store, you were forced with choosing from a bunch of stuff you didn't know much about. But you had to choose something or your night alone in the spare bedroom of the parents' house -- which didn't have broadcast TV in that room -- would be pretty much a wash. You were, to paraphrase Sartre, condemned to choose. So it was while leaving the Video Store one cold April evening when the refrain "I don't know what it's called but it's small and independent and it's gonna take some time to find" popped into my head. I tried to stifle it because it sounded a bit like the breakdown from Aerosmith's "Walk This Way". But eventually it turned into a song.
Now, about recording the song itself. I bought a $200 microphone. Okay, I'll admit that. But it's a good microphone (a Rode NT-1 condenser microphone, made in Australia) and it's what I use exclusively unto this day. "The Video Store Song" was the first song on which I used this microphone (the other two songs with vocals on the Robot Love album which I recorded before I got the Rode, which were "Sarah's Lullabye" and "Cacophonie" were recorded using the Shure SM-58 dynamic mic). The song itself began with the unique bassline (which is a combination of two different patches off of the unpopular yet so, so awesome Roland JX-305 Groovebox/keyboard synth). The vocals weren't really working out so I bought a bottle of that TGI Friday's brand mudslide mix at Krogers and drank a few of those before I recorded the vocals and that worked out okay (note that the chorus has slightly different intonations).
Oh! The chorus!!! Yes! That bears a very close resemblence to another Victor Lams classic. See, I told my good buddy at work, Kevin (who is thanked properly in the liner notes of the album) about my idea for a song, that going into the video store is a manifestation of the classic existential crisis: you are condemned to choose a video -- and he said "There's too damn many in here?" quoting, of course, my classic song, available on my mp3.com site, "It's Too Damn Muggy In Here" (because it was, in my apartment in Hillsdale, way back in July, 1997). I said "ha!" and kept that as the chorus. This caused the lead vocalist of Au Revoir Borealis to ask me "Does this mean that 'It's Too Damn Muggy In Here' is done for good?" and I believe that it would be.
Heh. Writing music is fun. You need to drink and smoke to do it properly, though. Cut out either one of those things and it becomes well near impossible.
Monday, January 27, 2003
"Just because you're floating doesn't mean you haven't drowned."
--They Might Be Giants, "Dark and Metric"
--They Might Be Giants, "Dark and Metric"
The cutest set of Tarot Cards you've ever seen.
Disclaimer: Yes, it's divination and that's bad, very, very bad, but it's oh-so adorable, too.
Disclaimer: Yes, it's divination and that's bad, very, very bad, but it's oh-so adorable, too.
whatsbetter?com
The site that forces you into the unfortuante position of having to decide which is better: Tom Servo and Crow or Statler and Waldorf.
Make sure that you go to preferences and make sure you want the comparisons paired (instead of random -- the link above should have this set for you already) otherwise you'll be choosing between the Lincoln Continental and Everquest.
The site that forces you into the unfortuante position of having to decide which is better: Tom Servo and Crow or Statler and Waldorf.
Make sure that you go to preferences and make sure you want the comparisons paired (instead of random -- the link above should have this set for you already) otherwise you'll be choosing between the Lincoln Continental and Everquest.
Triangle and Robert's tribute (after a sort) to Infocom games.
I have to read more of Triangle and Robert. This one is rather funny.
I have to read more of Triangle and Robert. This one is rather funny.
The Onion | Kim Jong Il Unfolds Into Giant Robot
Every so often The Onion proves it can be funny. Nicely done, lads!
Every so often The Onion proves it can be funny. Nicely done, lads!
Dave's Blog
It's a question of faith, ultimately, and as for me and my house, we choose to believe that this is really his 'blog.
Link via Kat Lively.
It's a question of faith, ultimately, and as for me and my house, we choose to believe that this is really his 'blog.
Link via Kat Lively.
Sunday, January 26, 2003
Free Music
Okay, so one great source of frustration in my life has been somewhat abated. Today we went to the new Subway in town (three blocks from our house!) to get some Sunday Special and I decided to stop in at the Bookshoppe on the park because they usually have some cool music magazines from the UK. I picked up a recent issue of Computer Music which came with a CD stocked with cool, free software: a slew of VSTi and even their exclusive "Muzys" loop-sequencing product. What I liked about this free program is that it uses the ASIO driver on my sound card wheras SONAR does not (not until this Friday when v2.2 is released). So I was FINALLY ABLE TO PLAY ALL MY VSTi WITHOUT ANY PERCEIVABLE LATENCY!!!! What a victory this was for me. I was so grateful to this free program that I instantly sat down and recorded a fine downtempo song which you may now download.
Right-click to download "Xtreme Unction" (2.5MB) or click to play.
Apparently this software can also do a bunch with .wav loops, but this song here is 100% sequenced VSTi. The program ran for a good 2 hours on my Windows 98SE PC before crashing at which point when I reloaded the software all of my SampleTank programs had been unset and I had to reconfigure them all. Ergh. Apparently it does this with SampleTank everytime you quit and restart. Oh well. That synth line, by the way, is a stock program on Green Oak's free Crystal synth.
Okay, so one great source of frustration in my life has been somewhat abated. Today we went to the new Subway in town (three blocks from our house!) to get some Sunday Special and I decided to stop in at the Bookshoppe on the park because they usually have some cool music magazines from the UK. I picked up a recent issue of Computer Music which came with a CD stocked with cool, free software: a slew of VSTi and even their exclusive "Muzys" loop-sequencing product. What I liked about this free program is that it uses the ASIO driver on my sound card wheras SONAR does not (not until this Friday when v2.2 is released). So I was FINALLY ABLE TO PLAY ALL MY VSTi WITHOUT ANY PERCEIVABLE LATENCY!!!! What a victory this was for me. I was so grateful to this free program that I instantly sat down and recorded a fine downtempo song which you may now download.
Right-click to download "Xtreme Unction" (2.5MB) or click to play.
Apparently this software can also do a bunch with .wav loops, but this song here is 100% sequenced VSTi. The program ran for a good 2 hours on my Windows 98SE PC before crashing at which point when I reloaded the software all of my SampleTank programs had been unset and I had to reconfigure them all. Ergh. Apparently it does this with SampleTank everytime you quit and restart. Oh well. That synth line, by the way, is a stock program on Green Oak's free Crystal synth.
CatholicExchange.com: Lawmaker Proposes "Choose Death" Auto Tag As Alternative
I like this guy. He's got moxie.
I like this guy. He's got moxie.
CDStreet: 911 September 11, The Album
Respectfully submitted, 911 The Album "is a crystal clear musical storied account of the events as they unfolded on that tragic day." Could 911, The Musical or 911, The Board Game be far behind?
Anyway, you can read detailed descriptions of what each of the tracks is supposed to represent here.
The next song "Mile of Runway leads Anywhere" is dedicated to the unsuspecting flight attendants and demonstrates their happy state of being before boarding their ill fated craft. Of particular interest is the message highlighting the randomness of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. The way the female flight attendant calls out from towards the end of the song is rather eerie.
Howzit sound? Dunno.. haven't listened to any of the tracks yet. I'm not a huge fan of goth music, anyway. I mean, I'm all for concept albums -- my first album, The Laissez Affair (home-recorded in the first week or two of January, 1996, I think, and only available on cassette. You can check out two of the tracks, "Vegetari 7/4" and "The Laissez Affair (Largo)" on my mp3.com homepage), was a concept album -- but unless they're donating the proceeds to charity this strikes me as a little opportunistic.
Anyway, if you want a free copy of the 911 CD, head over to cdstreet using either one of the links above and be one of the first 20 to review the album to get a copy of the album (don't know how you're supposed to review it before you listen to it, but there you go). So far only 2 people have posted reviews: "As a Pilot I listened to this CD and just listened and listened."
Respectfully submitted, 911 The Album "is a crystal clear musical storied account of the events as they unfolded on that tragic day." Could 911, The Musical or 911, The Board Game be far behind?
Anyway, you can read detailed descriptions of what each of the tracks is supposed to represent here.
The next song "Mile of Runway leads Anywhere" is dedicated to the unsuspecting flight attendants and demonstrates their happy state of being before boarding their ill fated craft. Of particular interest is the message highlighting the randomness of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. The way the female flight attendant calls out from towards the end of the song is rather eerie.
Howzit sound? Dunno.. haven't listened to any of the tracks yet. I'm not a huge fan of goth music, anyway. I mean, I'm all for concept albums -- my first album, The Laissez Affair (home-recorded in the first week or two of January, 1996, I think, and only available on cassette. You can check out two of the tracks, "Vegetari 7/4" and "The Laissez Affair (Largo)" on my mp3.com homepage), was a concept album -- but unless they're donating the proceeds to charity this strikes me as a little opportunistic.
Anyway, if you want a free copy of the 911 CD, head over to cdstreet using either one of the links above and be one of the first 20 to review the album to get a copy of the album (don't know how you're supposed to review it before you listen to it, but there you go). So far only 2 people have posted reviews: "As a Pilot I listened to this CD and just listened and listened."
Saturday, January 25, 2003
MSNBC.com: EBay sued for alleged online slander; Buyer says ‘feedback’ comments damaged his reputation
"Get a life, dude!"
"Get a life, dude!"
If you're looking for a good game to play with your spouse, I can recommend Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets for the GameCube (and it's out on just about every other platform, too). The graphic work in this game, particularly the characters and textures on the environments is really jaw-dropping. The music and sound (my justification for getting the game) aren't bad either. So it's good even if you're not a big Harry fan (which we're not... we've got nothing against the lad, just haven't gotten around to reading the books or watching the second movie or buying that vibrating broomstick yet). Anyway, it's a good spouse game because Harry never dies or gets ripped to shreds by a pack of zombies. Instead, Harry merely faints (or gets knocked by a big spiky ball screaming into a bottomless pit, but I digress) and has to begin that particular room over.
Since we're not big Harry fans we weren't prepared for the really dark turn the game just took. While running around Hogwarts collecting jelly-beans (I guess they're called Bernie Mac's Nasty Flava Beans or something in the Harry Potter universe and apparently Harry Potter is a big enough celebrity there that he can get away with shooting statues and vases with his wand or rummaging through other people's desks and claiming all the beans that he finds as his own) we heard a creepy snake voice coming out of nowhere talking about how he wanted to "rip" and "tear" us. And I'm sure, for the sake of the story, there's some sense in which that could be taken in any way other than the psychotic sex-offender sense but we haven't gotten far enough into the story yet to learn what that might be.
Still, riding the broomstick and chucking gnomes is a lot of fun.
Since we're not big Harry fans we weren't prepared for the really dark turn the game just took. While running around Hogwarts collecting jelly-beans (I guess they're called Bernie Mac's Nasty Flava Beans or something in the Harry Potter universe and apparently Harry Potter is a big enough celebrity there that he can get away with shooting statues and vases with his wand or rummaging through other people's desks and claiming all the beans that he finds as his own) we heard a creepy snake voice coming out of nowhere talking about how he wanted to "rip" and "tear" us. And I'm sure, for the sake of the story, there's some sense in which that could be taken in any way other than the psychotic sex-offender sense but we haven't gotten far enough into the story yet to learn what that might be.
Still, riding the broomstick and chucking gnomes is a lot of fun.
MSN.com: TV Influences Babies' Behavior; One-Year-Olds Use Television for Emotional Cues
Verrrry interesting....
Verrrry interesting....
Friday, January 24, 2003
CDStreet: The German Art Students
"GAS is a 4-piece rock and roll band from Madison, WI. Our goal is to seriously rock without taking ourselves too seriously. We like to have fun at the expense of civil war reenactors, figure skating judges, and Dick Clark, but we only kid because we love."
The Civil War Reenactor song is pretty cute. "You bring the Monitor, and I'll bring the Merrimac, Civil War reenactor. You drink the wiskey and I'll cut your leg off, Civil War reenactor." Heh.
You can also check out The GAS HQ page for more sound samples.
"GAS is a 4-piece rock and roll band from Madison, WI. Our goal is to seriously rock without taking ourselves too seriously. We like to have fun at the expense of civil war reenactors, figure skating judges, and Dick Clark, but we only kid because we love."
The Civil War Reenactor song is pretty cute. "You bring the Monitor, and I'll bring the Merrimac, Civil War reenactor. You drink the wiskey and I'll cut your leg off, Civil War reenactor." Heh.
You can also check out The GAS HQ page for more sound samples.
Dig Tony's "I Am Always Right" 'blog. Interesting, humorous, and nicely formatted, too.
In other news, I either have gout or spiders are eating my feet. I don't know enough about either to be able to determine which it is.
That Rolling Stone article, the one mentioned on Drudge Report yesterday, actually got published. This is pretty messed up. Only a true devotee of the culture of death would think, much less tell a reporter, that getting the deadly HIV would be "the most erotic thing I can imagine."
On the same tip, AIDSmyth.com explains how folks, mostly moms and newborns, in Africa even remotely suspected of having AIDS (and over there that term, AIDS, encompasses pretty much any infectuous disease, from malaria on down) are being actively euthanized by US-funded toxic "anti-AIDS" drugs. Morbidly enough, that's one way to get rid of the epidemic: kill anyone who's infected. But there's also another name for that... genocide.
Some even view the air-dropping of condoms on the African people (tell me how a condom is supposed to stop the spread of malaria) as genocide: get the people, mostly native Africans who pose a threat by their numbers to whatever World-Bank imposed dictator is running the show at the moment, into a panic about "AIDS" and then keep them from breeding. All funded with your tax dollars, of course.
Others criticise the Church for not doing "more" (read: air-dropping condoms) to stop the AIDS epidemic (despite the fact that well over a quarter of all AIDS patients worldwide are in Catholic hospitals) but it seems to me that the Church is the only institution that wants these people kept alive.
On the same tip, AIDSmyth.com explains how folks, mostly moms and newborns, in Africa even remotely suspected of having AIDS (and over there that term, AIDS, encompasses pretty much any infectuous disease, from malaria on down) are being actively euthanized by US-funded toxic "anti-AIDS" drugs. Morbidly enough, that's one way to get rid of the epidemic: kill anyone who's infected. But there's also another name for that... genocide.
Some even view the air-dropping of condoms on the African people (tell me how a condom is supposed to stop the spread of malaria) as genocide: get the people, mostly native Africans who pose a threat by their numbers to whatever World-Bank imposed dictator is running the show at the moment, into a panic about "AIDS" and then keep them from breeding. All funded with your tax dollars, of course.
Others criticise the Church for not doing "more" (read: air-dropping condoms) to stop the AIDS epidemic (despite the fact that well over a quarter of all AIDS patients worldwide are in Catholic hospitals) but it seems to me that the Church is the only institution that wants these people kept alive.
Bishop challenges Davis on abortion
Reader Joseph passes along this story and wonders: could Granholm, here in Michigan, be next?
Actually, the first few weeks of Granholm's governorship have been fairly entertaining. The first thing she did upon entering office was slash the education budget (the democrats had, not surprisingly, demonized previous governor Engler and Republican candidate Posthumous for doing the exact same thing). The teachers' unions were, of course, shocked and scandalized but I bet it won't slack their support of Granholm one bit (Granholm knows this). And then there's the whole Wayne County Executive/Democratic Party Fundraising scandal (which, like all Democratic Party scandals involves, no joke, a 40-year-old married lawyer having sex with a 19-year-old girl he met at the dry-cleaners, whom he made an intern, and whom he asked to lie to the FBI when they came asking all these questions about a fundraising database. To her credit, she did not lie) -- Granholm's not looking like she's going to be coming out of that one completely clean. And then there was the (reported, I didn't actually hear of this firsthand) silent march through her neighbourhood (her family is from Canada) last night on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
It would not surprise me one bit to see Bishop Mengeling in Lansing follow in Bishop William Weigand's (bless him!) footsteps, particularly after the instruction from the Vatican on the responsibilities of Catholics in public office was made public last week.
Reader Joseph passes along this story and wonders: could Granholm, here in Michigan, be next?
Actually, the first few weeks of Granholm's governorship have been fairly entertaining. The first thing she did upon entering office was slash the education budget (the democrats had, not surprisingly, demonized previous governor Engler and Republican candidate Posthumous for doing the exact same thing). The teachers' unions were, of course, shocked and scandalized but I bet it won't slack their support of Granholm one bit (Granholm knows this). And then there's the whole Wayne County Executive/Democratic Party Fundraising scandal (which, like all Democratic Party scandals involves, no joke, a 40-year-old married lawyer having sex with a 19-year-old girl he met at the dry-cleaners, whom he made an intern, and whom he asked to lie to the FBI when they came asking all these questions about a fundraising database. To her credit, she did not lie) -- Granholm's not looking like she's going to be coming out of that one completely clean. And then there was the (reported, I didn't actually hear of this firsthand) silent march through her neighbourhood (her family is from Canada) last night on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
It would not surprise me one bit to see Bishop Mengeling in Lansing follow in Bishop William Weigand's (bless him!) footsteps, particularly after the instruction from the Vatican on the responsibilities of Catholics in public office was made public last week.
That '70s Site
Britain passes along a site of Celebrity Portraits from the 1970s!
Maria Muldaur (portrait #13) has never looked so scary. And I would never have imagined Ralph Nader (portrait #14) would ever hold a gun. And who knew Martin Mull (portrait #48) once had such golden locks? G. Gordon Liddy (#161) apparently had hair at one time, too. My favorites? #17 of course. Though #80 and #103 aren't bad. #123 is bad, but cool. But it's obviously #134 that gets my top vote.
Hit the "Random" button really quickly and you'll think you're having a flashback.
Britain passes along a site of Celebrity Portraits from the 1970s!
Maria Muldaur (portrait #13) has never looked so scary. And I would never have imagined Ralph Nader (portrait #14) would ever hold a gun. And who knew Martin Mull (portrait #48) once had such golden locks? G. Gordon Liddy (#161) apparently had hair at one time, too. My favorites? #17 of course. Though #80 and #103 aren't bad. #123 is bad, but cool. But it's obviously #134 that gets my top vote.
Hit the "Random" button really quickly and you'll think you're having a flashback.
"The most frightening moment in movies this year...." -- The LA Times
Yeah... I'd believe that.
Yeah... I'd believe that.
Thursday, January 23, 2003
Well, it took 23 hours, but I beat Metroid: Prime. I have to admit that the reason it took so long was because I was enjoying my time on Tallon IV so much and I wanted to find as many of the hidden items as possible (I know I missed two missle expansions and possibly an energy pack). The final boss (Metroid Prime) was scary but not that tough. And, just as in the first Metroid game, Samus takes off her helmet at the end (still blonde). Having played all the way through it (and most games I don't wind up playing all the way through) I have to say it's an outstanding game and nearly worth playing just for the sound design alone. Fun stuff.
Quelle Damage!
Greg Popcak on the controversy over at Blogs4God yesterday. I wasn't aware at all of this controversy, despite playing some small part in it -- I don't have time most days to visit Blogs4God, but it's not a bad group 'blog by any means: to paraphrase Groucho Marx, I wouldn't mind belonging to any club that boasts Kat Lively as a member. Okay, so that's not even remotely in the spirit of the original Groucho quote, but it was Kat's courageous post which sparked the whole controversy. But then, Kat's been demonstrating that courage thing quite a bit lately.
I do appreciate Greg's inclusion of the Tony Campolo quote from Christianity Today magazine: "People all over the world are starving to death and most of you don't give a shit. What's worse, most of you are more upset that I just said, 'shit,' than that people all over the world are starving to death."
As Greg says in his post, that just about sums things up.
And this is the point at which, in posting this, I began to read all of the reaction comments to the original Blogs4God post
Okay: let's get one thing straight. The target of the posters was never intended to be any woman or any unborn baby who's been victimized by the horror of abortion. The whole point of the posters was to wage a sort of tongue-in-cheek counter-propaganda assualt on PP who was running their own poster contest at the time (and the very fact that PP would encourage teenagers to participate in a propaganda contest promoting murder should be the thing everyone finds most offensive here, not the satirical response to the contest -- as Greg Popcak points out).
That said, Jordan Cooper is obviously not a big fan of Walker Percy or Evelyn Waugh. It's called "satire" and it is in the dictionary.
I did enjoy much of Irene's post but I, personally, don't find anything wrong with playing the "beat your adversary at their own game" game. The only caveat, of course, is that if you're going to play this particular game you better make sure you have a reasonable chance of winning and also the desire to do what it takes to win. In this instance, we measure the effectiveness and worth of satirical propaganda by its honesty. Can you be honest and turn that light of truth upon your subject? And do it reasonably well? If you can, then you have what it takes to beat your target at their own game.
And, judging from the response, it seems that the posters were truthful enough.
Whoa. Deja vu. Er, anyway...
Greater issue: If Christianity, or rather Christians, have lost their sense of humor and their sense of perspective as this post from Blogs4God moderator Dean Peters would seem to indicate, then Christianity is doomed, clear and simple. I thank my dad for not only keeping me Catholic but also for keeping loads of Percy, Waugh, Doc Johnson, Chesterton, Wodehouse, Belloc, and Dostoyevski around the house when I was growing up.
Crap. I'm going to need to do a post about the legitimacy of satire and how, in this postmodern, post-Christian, cynical age it's the most effective form of rhetoric we have, aren't I? And I did so much have other plans for the weekend.
Greg Popcak on the controversy over at Blogs4God yesterday. I wasn't aware at all of this controversy, despite playing some small part in it -- I don't have time most days to visit Blogs4God, but it's not a bad group 'blog by any means: to paraphrase Groucho Marx, I wouldn't mind belonging to any club that boasts Kat Lively as a member. Okay, so that's not even remotely in the spirit of the original Groucho quote, but it was Kat's courageous post which sparked the whole controversy. But then, Kat's been demonstrating that courage thing quite a bit lately.
I do appreciate Greg's inclusion of the Tony Campolo quote from Christianity Today magazine: "People all over the world are starving to death and most of you don't give a shit. What's worse, most of you are more upset that I just said, 'shit,' than that people all over the world are starving to death."
As Greg says in his post, that just about sums things up.
And this is the point at which, in posting this, I began to read all of the reaction comments to the original Blogs4God post
Okay: let's get one thing straight. The target of the posters was never intended to be any woman or any unborn baby who's been victimized by the horror of abortion. The whole point of the posters was to wage a sort of tongue-in-cheek counter-propaganda assualt on PP who was running their own poster contest at the time (and the very fact that PP would encourage teenagers to participate in a propaganda contest promoting murder should be the thing everyone finds most offensive here, not the satirical response to the contest -- as Greg Popcak points out).
That said, Jordan Cooper is obviously not a big fan of Walker Percy or Evelyn Waugh. It's called "satire" and it is in the dictionary.
I did enjoy much of Irene's post but I, personally, don't find anything wrong with playing the "beat your adversary at their own game" game. The only caveat, of course, is that if you're going to play this particular game you better make sure you have a reasonable chance of winning and also the desire to do what it takes to win. In this instance, we measure the effectiveness and worth of satirical propaganda by its honesty. Can you be honest and turn that light of truth upon your subject? And do it reasonably well? If you can, then you have what it takes to beat your target at their own game.
And, judging from the response, it seems that the posters were truthful enough.
Whoa. Deja vu. Er, anyway...
Greater issue: If Christianity, or rather Christians, have lost their sense of humor and their sense of perspective as this post from Blogs4God moderator Dean Peters would seem to indicate, then Christianity is doomed, clear and simple. I thank my dad for not only keeping me Catholic but also for keeping loads of Percy, Waugh, Doc Johnson, Chesterton, Wodehouse, Belloc, and Dostoyevski around the house when I was growing up.
Crap. I'm going to need to do a post about the legitimacy of satire and how, in this postmodern, post-Christian, cynical age it's the most effective form of rhetoric we have, aren't I? And I did so much have other plans for the weekend.
Wednesday, January 22, 2003
Introducing the V-Synth from Roland.
That "clunk" sound you just heard was me fainting and hitting my head on the desk on my way down.
That "clunk" sound you just heard was me fainting and hitting my head on the desk on my way down.
New Action Figures Smell Like Poop
If you didn't like the Garbage Pail Kids, don't read that story. Rather, pray for any parent sufficiently wimpy or stupid to buy their kids Stink Blasters.
If you didn't like the Garbage Pail Kids, don't read that story. Rather, pray for any parent sufficiently wimpy or stupid to buy their kids Stink Blasters.
New Scientist: Ink-jet printing creates tubes of living tissue
Mironov became interested when Thomas Boland of Clemson University, also in South Carolina, told Mironov how he could print biomaterials using modified ink-jet printers.
The printers are adapted by washing out the ink cartridges and refilling them with suspensions of, say, cells. The software that controls the viscosity, electrical resistances and temperature of the printing fluids is reprogrammed and the feed systems altered.
What's probably creepiest of all is that it sounds like they're using off-the-shelf printers and ink cartridges with only minimal modifications (like, say, filling empty ink-jet cartridges with living cells). Why is this scary? Consider what teenagers can already do with an ink-jet printer -- especially things which get them in trouble with the US Treasury department. I really never ever want to come home and find that my kids are printing off reams and reams of living tissue.
Mironov became interested when Thomas Boland of Clemson University, also in South Carolina, told Mironov how he could print biomaterials using modified ink-jet printers.
The printers are adapted by washing out the ink cartridges and refilling them with suspensions of, say, cells. The software that controls the viscosity, electrical resistances and temperature of the printing fluids is reprogrammed and the feed systems altered.
What's probably creepiest of all is that it sounds like they're using off-the-shelf printers and ink cartridges with only minimal modifications (like, say, filling empty ink-jet cartridges with living cells). Why is this scary? Consider what teenagers can already do with an ink-jet printer -- especially things which get them in trouble with the US Treasury department. I really never ever want to come home and find that my kids are printing off reams and reams of living tissue.
Melodyhound - Tune Recognition and Search
Cool idea. Too bad it doesn't really work.
Cool idea. Too bad it doesn't really work.
ACIDplanet.com: Contests: Stockhausen Composition Contest
You know, sometimes you can suck all the fun out of a composition contest, such as this. Scroll down to "General Instructions" to see what I mean. If you can figure those rules out, drop me an email because I sure can't.
You know, sometimes you can suck all the fun out of a composition contest, such as this. Scroll down to "General Instructions" to see what I mean. If you can figure those rules out, drop me an email because I sure can't.
Jen Speaks
Shouldn't that be Jen Writes?
Shouldn't that be Jen Writes?
NTI - Minirator
Really annoy your co-workers no matter which platform you us with this virtual test-tone generator (click on the Virtual MR1 image at the bottom of the page). You can download this for your MAC or PC or just run it as a Flash application.
It's beep-a-licious!
Really annoy your co-workers no matter which platform you us with this virtual test-tone generator (click on the Virtual MR1 image at the bottom of the page). You can download this for your MAC or PC or just run it as a Flash application.
It's beep-a-licious!
I 'blogged the Evolution Robotics homepage a few months ago when they were selling their ER1 robot (the one you build around your laptop) but I'm 'blogging them again because they have a new robot:
Evolution Robotics: ER2 Showcase Robot
It's cute and you can program it, among other means, by showing it special "BotLogic" cards. It seems that in Evolution's case, at least, the future of robotics lies in how well they can recognize images.
Evolution Robotics: ER2 Showcase Robot
It's cute and you can program it, among other means, by showing it special "BotLogic" cards. It seems that in Evolution's case, at least, the future of robotics lies in how well they can recognize images.
If you use Windows, chances are your registry is pretty cluttered with things you don't need anymore. I've learned of a new freeware registry cleaning program and it's pretty good. It's not completely idiot-proof so there's still a chance you could mess up your system, but it does seem to hold your hand quite a bit and tell you what can and what cannot be safely removed (and it automatically makes a backup, too). And it has an automatic registry cleaner utility (in the Tools->Registry Cleanup->Do Them All pulldown) which simplifies things quite a bit. I use Norton Systemworks on a regular basis but this program, RegCleaner found about 60 program entries and about 100 other miscellaneous entries which I could safely delete that Systemworks wasn't even telling me about. So check it out: it's free and it will make your Windows PC happier.
Po' boy Joe Millionaire makes more than me, for what it's worth. And that's not even counting whatever sort of family money he has. I didn't buy the whole premise of Joe Millionaire from the very first commercial I saw. Everything about the advertised premise of the show, and its star, flew in the face of my experience: no one who is 28 and that healthy (and that male and that white) makes $19,000 a year. It's just a fact of life. Now at the supermarket I see a whole front page spread devoted to all of his secrets (he's gay -- which seems to be a favorite of the tabloids these days, he's rich, he's a cannabal, whatever). Anyway, I saw the last 10 minutes of the most recent episode and, yeah, if this guy is a "construction worker" who's making $19,000/yr than he obviously is going to be getting a visit from an agent of the IRS.
Just shows to go ya that there is nothing more fake and unreal than reality TV. And I can't believe I spent a whole post on Joe Millionaire. Ugh. I need a shower.
Just shows to go ya that there is nothing more fake and unreal than reality TV. And I can't believe I spent a whole post on Joe Millionaire. Ugh. I need a shower.
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
WorldNetDaily: Penn & Teller ridicule Christ's crucifixion
I guess they're off my Christmas card list for sure now.
I guess they're off my Christmas card list for sure now.
Here is that bit on the Envoy! Encore! 'blog from the (self-proclaimed) Office of Justice and Peace of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, which Mel mentions in the comments section to a post below. Ugh, ugh, and ugh. Fortunately something new is coming tomorrow (according to Envoy! Encore! -- love that logo, by the way... maybe I'll get myself a professional logo for et cetera one of these days) which sounds kind of cool. If it materializes, I'll 'blog it here... or you can just go read Envoy! Encore!
Thanks, Mel!
Thanks, Mel!
Audacity: Free (er, "Open Source") audio editor program for Linux, Mac, and Windows. Looks pretty cool. I'll have to get this and play with it this weekend.
I doubt it'll replace Sound Forge anytime soon, of course, but it still looks pretty cool.
I doubt it'll replace Sound Forge anytime soon, of course, but it still looks pretty cool.
Agnula: We have met the future of computer-based music production, and it is free.
Unfortunately, it seems to also be a long ways off (in terms of competing directly with Mac and PC-based DAW software).
Unfortunately, it seems to also be a long ways off (in terms of competing directly with Mac and PC-based DAW software).
Rod Dreher on Roe v. Wade & Religion on National Review Online
In a way it's hard for me to believe that his description of the First Unitarian church service was not satire. But then, in a much more sad way, I realize that our own Catholic Church here in Plymouth made no mention of Roe v. Wade at all (we only just prayed for "an end to all armed conflict everywhere" and then "for our troops"). We Catholics better get organized and mobilized, is all I can say... seems like the Unitartians are way, way, way ahead of us.
In a way it's hard for me to believe that his description of the First Unitarian church service was not satire. But then, in a much more sad way, I realize that our own Catholic Church here in Plymouth made no mention of Roe v. Wade at all (we only just prayed for "an end to all armed conflict everywhere" and then "for our troops"). We Catholics better get organized and mobilized, is all I can say... seems like the Unitartians are way, way, way ahead of us.
Have we got a cake for you...
In case you were dying to see what the VeggieTales (TM) cake looked like, wonder no more:
This was the main cake. Marbelized chocolate. Very tasty. The figures on top of the cake are plastic and may not be eaten.
This was the "satellite" Bob cake, which depicts Bob the Tomato seconds before being quartered with a sharp chef's knife.
On a somewhat philosophic note, looking at these pictures now I realize just what a great tragedy it was that this cake was never used for its intended birthday party (the party which never happened). It's a work of art and yet was never appreciated as it should've been. The artisan actualized themself in this cake and its true potential was never realized. Yes, you may say it's just a cake, but consider what it stands for, what it means... for all of us.
"VeggieTales" is a registered trademark of Big Idea Productions. Cake was baked and decorated by "U Take The Cake" of Plymouth, MI.
In case you were dying to see what the VeggieTales (TM) cake looked like, wonder no more:
This was the main cake. Marbelized chocolate. Very tasty. The figures on top of the cake are plastic and may not be eaten.
This was the "satellite" Bob cake, which depicts Bob the Tomato seconds before being quartered with a sharp chef's knife.
On a somewhat philosophic note, looking at these pictures now I realize just what a great tragedy it was that this cake was never used for its intended birthday party (the party which never happened). It's a work of art and yet was never appreciated as it should've been. The artisan actualized themself in this cake and its true potential was never realized. Yes, you may say it's just a cake, but consider what it stands for, what it means... for all of us.
"VeggieTales" is a registered trademark of Big Idea Productions. Cake was baked and decorated by "U Take The Cake" of Plymouth, MI.
Blogdom
As I crawl out of my bottle of Kaopectate and survey the ruined landscape I once again return to 'blogging.
A couple of things so far: Justin Katz has a new 'vlog (I meant to do another 'plog last weekend but, you see, that would've been impossible given the circumstances) and Greg Popcak disses Signs.
SPOILER WARNING!!! SPOILER WARNING!!! LOOK AWAY! LOOK AWAY! DO NOT READ THE REST OF THIS POST IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE SIGNS. IT WILL RUIN THE WHOLE MOVIE FOR YOU. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
I'm not going to get into a highly technical explanation of what was wrong, per se, with Greg's "review" but I will say this, it wasn't mouth-to-mouth at all at the end that saved Morgan, it was that shot of epinephrine Mel gives him as Merril comes running out of the house (if there's one thing you can never fault Night for, it's doing his medical homework -- what I call the "WebMD Factor": reportedly he'll call his mom, who is a doctor, from the set while he's shooting to make sure he's got things right). And also, if I saw an alien in my living room I'd be hard pressed to remember to do anything without some divine intervention -- except stand there and maybe soil myself. But the point is that a lack of faith can blind us even to the very obvious and that sometimes it takes that reminder from beyond to get us to see what's right in front of us (including that baseball bat hanging on the wall). To quote from Blues Brothers 2000: "The Lord works in mysterious ways, Buster."
Greg, like many critics, takes this movie to be about the aliens, which it's not. The movie could just have easily been about a talking bunny rabbit, the darling of Merril and the kids (those that see signs) and the bane of Mel's existence (the one who doesn't see signs). And, gradually, the talking bunny rabbit could coax Mel back towards faith ("You just gotta have faith, Rev'rund! It's hop-hop-riffic!"). A little silly, perhaps, but the point is that the theme of the movie would've been exactly the same. The only problem with using the talking bunny instead of the aliens is that a) the movie would not nearly have been as good or as popular and b) there'd still be people who watch the movie and then say "The bunny looked fake" or "I don't buy the ending. Did Mel really need his dead wife to tell him that the way to win the bunny's heart was through his fond affection for greens?"
PS. I thought the whole water motif was wonderful. The whole "baptism" thing aside, it gave that girl some truly adorable things to say.
As I crawl out of my bottle of Kaopectate and survey the ruined landscape I once again return to 'blogging.
A couple of things so far: Justin Katz has a new 'vlog (I meant to do another 'plog last weekend but, you see, that would've been impossible given the circumstances) and Greg Popcak disses Signs.
SPOILER WARNING!!! SPOILER WARNING!!! LOOK AWAY! LOOK AWAY! DO NOT READ THE REST OF THIS POST IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE SIGNS. IT WILL RUIN THE WHOLE MOVIE FOR YOU. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
I'm not going to get into a highly technical explanation of what was wrong, per se, with Greg's "review" but I will say this, it wasn't mouth-to-mouth at all at the end that saved Morgan, it was that shot of epinephrine Mel gives him as Merril comes running out of the house (if there's one thing you can never fault Night for, it's doing his medical homework -- what I call the "WebMD Factor": reportedly he'll call his mom, who is a doctor, from the set while he's shooting to make sure he's got things right). And also, if I saw an alien in my living room I'd be hard pressed to remember to do anything without some divine intervention -- except stand there and maybe soil myself. But the point is that a lack of faith can blind us even to the very obvious and that sometimes it takes that reminder from beyond to get us to see what's right in front of us (including that baseball bat hanging on the wall). To quote from Blues Brothers 2000: "The Lord works in mysterious ways, Buster."
Greg, like many critics, takes this movie to be about the aliens, which it's not. The movie could just have easily been about a talking bunny rabbit, the darling of Merril and the kids (those that see signs) and the bane of Mel's existence (the one who doesn't see signs). And, gradually, the talking bunny rabbit could coax Mel back towards faith ("You just gotta have faith, Rev'rund! It's hop-hop-riffic!"). A little silly, perhaps, but the point is that the theme of the movie would've been exactly the same. The only problem with using the talking bunny instead of the aliens is that a) the movie would not nearly have been as good or as popular and b) there'd still be people who watch the movie and then say "The bunny looked fake" or "I don't buy the ending. Did Mel really need his dead wife to tell him that the way to win the bunny's heart was through his fond affection for greens?"
PS. I thought the whole water motif was wonderful. The whole "baptism" thing aside, it gave that girl some truly adorable things to say.
Monday, January 20, 2003
Thanks to everyone's prayers and wellwishes! 'Xander is now feeling much better (his fever finally broke). Whatever virus he had, though, has taken up residence in my belly.... Ugh. So much for the big MLK-day party. I'll be back blogging in a bit.
Sunday, January 19, 2003
Lies, Damned Lies, and even Damnder Lies
MSN.com: "Top Ten Car Movies"
Okay, there's no written law that says you have to include "The French Connection" or "Ronin" or "The Blues Brothers" on your list of "Top Ten Car Movies" so what's not totally inexcusable is that MSN.com left these off their list. What is totally inexcusable is that MSN.com left these essential car movies off their list while including "xXx" (retch!), "Thelma & Louise" (double-retch!), and "The Love Bug" (fine if you love Buddy Hackett, but otherwise triple-retch!). Oh, and then of course they go and put "Bullitt" at number 1 because they think that will make them cool. Sorry posers, but if you include a Herbie movie (and I don't care if it is the one with David Tomlinson in it) on your list of Top 10 Car Movies you have abdicated any claim to coolness.
The way I see it, this is just one more reason to really hate MSN.com.
MSN.com: "Top Ten Car Movies"
Okay, there's no written law that says you have to include "The French Connection" or "Ronin" or "The Blues Brothers" on your list of "Top Ten Car Movies" so what's not totally inexcusable is that MSN.com left these off their list. What is totally inexcusable is that MSN.com left these essential car movies off their list while including "xXx" (retch!), "Thelma & Louise" (double-retch!), and "The Love Bug" (fine if you love Buddy Hackett, but otherwise triple-retch!). Oh, and then of course they go and put "Bullitt" at number 1 because they think that will make them cool. Sorry posers, but if you include a Herbie movie (and I don't care if it is the one with David Tomlinson in it) on your list of Top 10 Car Movies you have abdicated any claim to coolness.
The way I see it, this is just one more reason to really hate MSN.com.
Barbershop
We watched "Barbershop" tonight and I enjoyed it immensely. Cedric the Entertainer (especially his hair in this movie) is my new hero. I loved all the subplots and character dyads (particularly nice was the resolution of the conflict between the college-educated African-American barber and the uneducated white "black wannabe" barber, though the poetic chunky West African character and his love interest provided a nice subplot, too). This is one of those movies where the absense of a strong story structure (though there is a story, of course) actually works to the movie's benefit, letting the strong performances and characterizations take center stage. It's also quite a funny movie. Also refreshing was the PG-13-rated language (particularly telling is that the only utterance of the f-word comes right before the words "Jesse Jackson", hence, one would assume, Jackson's failed efforts to get that line removed from the DVD version).
Steven Greydanus never got around to reviewing this movie, but Crisis magazine's Terry Teachout enjoyed it (in his particularly erudite review which is not yet available on Crisis' website -- maybe next month) so you'll have to take my word for it: check it out.
Overall, our trip to the video store this week did not disappoint. All three movies were good, though I liked "Barbershop" better than the movie about the divine secretions of the old ladies. And I will probably watch "Barbershop" a second time before I watch "Signs" again but that's only an indication as to which was a more enjoyable movie-night experience, not which I consider to be a "better" movie with more "haunting moments". "Signs" was pretty much a continuous 106-minute haunting moment, which makes it something you just want to pull all of the shelf (assuming you buy it) when you need that particular kind of tummy-punch.
We watched "Barbershop" tonight and I enjoyed it immensely. Cedric the Entertainer (especially his hair in this movie) is my new hero. I loved all the subplots and character dyads (particularly nice was the resolution of the conflict between the college-educated African-American barber and the uneducated white "black wannabe" barber, though the poetic chunky West African character and his love interest provided a nice subplot, too). This is one of those movies where the absense of a strong story structure (though there is a story, of course) actually works to the movie's benefit, letting the strong performances and characterizations take center stage. It's also quite a funny movie. Also refreshing was the PG-13-rated language (particularly telling is that the only utterance of the f-word comes right before the words "Jesse Jackson", hence, one would assume, Jackson's failed efforts to get that line removed from the DVD version).
Steven Greydanus never got around to reviewing this movie, but Crisis magazine's Terry Teachout enjoyed it (in his particularly erudite review which is not yet available on Crisis' website -- maybe next month) so you'll have to take my word for it: check it out.
Overall, our trip to the video store this week did not disappoint. All three movies were good, though I liked "Barbershop" better than the movie about the divine secretions of the old ladies. And I will probably watch "Barbershop" a second time before I watch "Signs" again but that's only an indication as to which was a more enjoyable movie-night experience, not which I consider to be a "better" movie with more "haunting moments". "Signs" was pretty much a continuous 106-minute haunting moment, which makes it something you just want to pull all of the shelf (assuming you buy it) when you need that particular kind of tummy-punch.
Saturday, January 18, 2003
Sick kid
Well, it turns out that when a baby runs a fever for more than 24 hours and all that infant's tylenol does is just reduce the temperature for a little while before it spikes back up again and then if the baby throws up it turns out it's not just teething, it's a stomach virus. I spent most of today holding a sick kid (so sick that his birthday party had to be cancelled... what does one do with an entire Veggie Tales sheet cake, originally intended for 24 hungry family members?) and so I got none of things done today which I had planned to do. But, I'm very satisfied with the day I had.
Well, it turns out that when a baby runs a fever for more than 24 hours and all that infant's tylenol does is just reduce the temperature for a little while before it spikes back up again and then if the baby throws up it turns out it's not just teething, it's a stomach virus. I spent most of today holding a sick kid (so sick that his birthday party had to be cancelled... what does one do with an entire Veggie Tales sheet cake, originally intended for 24 hungry family members?) and so I got none of things done today which I had planned to do. But, I'm very satisfied with the day I had.
Signs
Okay, finally saw it. This movie is perfect. There is no way in which it could be improved. It is complete, whole. I think it's possibly the best film made in any of the genres of suspense, drama, or, um, the genre of projecting images onto screens. I'm not going to talk about it because you've all already seen it and know how good it is. Talk smack about this movie and I will be forced to beat you down, though. I think I liked it so much because I couldn't pin down what sort of movie it was going to be (answer: none of the above) and because it played on absolutely every one of my fears (things on the roof, things coming in through windows, things that you see reflected in a mirror or screen, things outside that you can't see, but they can see you, never having a shotgun handy when you need one, etc.). Okay, so it didn't play on my other main fears of trees or wasps, but it did wig me out, big time. Let's see.. I jumped out of the couch a) when the dog barked, b) when the thing was on the roof, c) when Mel dropped the flashlight (the first time), d) the first time the kid pulled out the baby monitor (though I admit that I've been creeped out by baby monitors for as long as I can remember -- there is just something not right about a radio transmitter that's always transmitting, even when no one is in the room), and I'll stop there because these go all the way through q). And then of course I (spoiler alert!) cheered at the end when it all came together. And the movie looked and sounded good enough to eat, to boot (I have to admit, that James Netwon Howard guy can really score a picture). Plus it had, need I say it? MEL!!!!
I want to watch it again. Right now. But it's late (I already spent an hour watching the bonus footage on the DVD).
ps. In response to Mel's (not Gibson, I don't think?) comment below, asking about the merlot: all I know is that it came in a bottle and the bottle had a cork, which makes it already two steps above what we usually drink. Also, I recall that I had some crazy dreams last night which makes it a very fine merlot indeed.
Okay, finally saw it. This movie is perfect. There is no way in which it could be improved. It is complete, whole. I think it's possibly the best film made in any of the genres of suspense, drama, or, um, the genre of projecting images onto screens. I'm not going to talk about it because you've all already seen it and know how good it is. Talk smack about this movie and I will be forced to beat you down, though. I think I liked it so much because I couldn't pin down what sort of movie it was going to be (answer: none of the above) and because it played on absolutely every one of my fears (things on the roof, things coming in through windows, things that you see reflected in a mirror or screen, things outside that you can't see, but they can see you, never having a shotgun handy when you need one, etc.). Okay, so it didn't play on my other main fears of trees or wasps, but it did wig me out, big time. Let's see.. I jumped out of the couch a) when the dog barked, b) when the thing was on the roof, c) when Mel dropped the flashlight (the first time), d) the first time the kid pulled out the baby monitor (though I admit that I've been creeped out by baby monitors for as long as I can remember -- there is just something not right about a radio transmitter that's always transmitting, even when no one is in the room), and I'll stop there because these go all the way through q). And then of course I (spoiler alert!) cheered at the end when it all came together. And the movie looked and sounded good enough to eat, to boot (I have to admit, that James Netwon Howard guy can really score a picture). Plus it had, need I say it? MEL!!!!
I want to watch it again. Right now. But it's late (I already spent an hour watching the bonus footage on the DVD).
ps. In response to Mel's (not Gibson, I don't think?) comment below, asking about the merlot: all I know is that it came in a bottle and the bottle had a cork, which makes it already two steps above what we usually drink. Also, I recall that I had some crazy dreams last night which makes it a very fine merlot indeed.
Friday, January 17, 2003
One Down
Just watched The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and it is a very fine movie. Don't not see this movie because you think it's some dumb chick flick or something: it's a surprisingly complex and tender movie (with Sandra Bullock and Ashely Judd -- though of course the movie is really about the older Ya-Yas and there are quite a few funny bits). The male characters come of extremely well, too (James Gardner's character really is a saint, but an entirely believable one) -- which is really nice after the way guys are treated in most of these "women" movies (as abusive jackasses or dumb prizes). I really quite thoroughly enjoyed it. Jackie says it's nowhere near as moving as the book, but the movie works as a movie on its own merits which, by any standard, means it's a good adaptation.
So check it out, even if you don't have issues with your mother.
Just watched The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and it is a very fine movie. Don't not see this movie because you think it's some dumb chick flick or something: it's a surprisingly complex and tender movie (with Sandra Bullock and Ashely Judd -- though of course the movie is really about the older Ya-Yas and there are quite a few funny bits). The male characters come of extremely well, too (James Gardner's character really is a saint, but an entirely believable one) -- which is really nice after the way guys are treated in most of these "women" movies (as abusive jackasses or dumb prizes). I really quite thoroughly enjoyed it. Jackie says it's nowhere near as moving as the book, but the movie works as a movie on its own merits which, by any standard, means it's a good adaptation.
So check it out, even if you don't have issues with your mother.
Steven Greydanus' review of The Hours pretty much sums up why it would be the belle of the Hollywood ball (there's more to find repulsive than just Nicole Kidman's prosthetic nose, it would seem).
You know it's a good week when DecentFilms.com has four or five new reviews posted on it. I think Greydanus enjoyed writing his review of Kangaroo Jack just a little too much.
As for me, I'm catching up with The Best of 2002. I still haven't seen Signs but that ends tonight: we just rented that, Secret Sisters of Andy Devine's Yo-Yo, and Barbershop. I can't wait to see all three.
CORRECTION: that second movie is actually Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I'm only slightly less enthusiastic about seeing it now... even though I was really looking forward to a scene where Roy Rogers has to convince Andy that no matter how hungry he is, they still have to find the yo-yo before the Chyanne do.
You know it's a good week when DecentFilms.com has four or five new reviews posted on it. I think Greydanus enjoyed writing his review of Kangaroo Jack just a little too much.
As for me, I'm catching up with The Best of 2002. I still haven't seen Signs but that ends tonight: we just rented that, Secret Sisters of Andy Devine's Yo-Yo, and Barbershop. I can't wait to see all three.
CORRECTION: that second movie is actually Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I'm only slightly less enthusiastic about seeing it now... even though I was really looking forward to a scene where Roy Rogers has to convince Andy that no matter how hungry he is, they still have to find the yo-yo before the Chyanne do.
I enjoyed The Barrister's glossary, featured over on his 'blog.
It reminded me a bit of Sobran's Cynosure, only funnier.
It reminded me a bit of Sobran's Cynosure, only funnier.
TV and Merlot Night wherein Victor drinks merlot and watches the television programs taped by Jackie over the past week
All four shows this week were winners. If you were considering watching any of these programs and hadn't yet, I can recommend all of them.
First up: The Surreal Life puts (MC) Hammer, Emmanuel Lewis (Webster), the lead singer from Motley Crue, the woman from Survivor, Corey Feldman, and a couple of other people in a house together. The espisode I saw (which aired tonight, Thursday, on the WB) was the one where they all visit a truck stop and then go camping. This show rocks. If you've ever wanted to see Webster get buried up to his neck in sand (in good fun, of course) or MC Hammer just rail on Corey Feldman for living in the past ("We live a blessed life, Corey! We get paid 13 million for our next record or movie and meanwhile there are people who can't afford to provide for their families!" "What? I never made 13 million dollars on any movie!!"), this is the show for you. The scene where Hammer and Corey Feldman try to pilot a row boat was just about the funniest thing I'd seen all week.
Next, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. The funniest hidden camera show ever, mostly because it puts its host in every sketch. The "Gameshow with utterly confusing rules and then let's see how long it is before our mark contestant freaks out" sketch was one of the best ones to date. Catch it Thursdays on the WB.
Bernie Mac. Okay, I like the Bernie Mac show. I really like the show. It's always been funny and full of heart. This episode was funny, full of heart, and had the most positive portrayal of Catholic morality, theology, and clergy that I have ever seen on television. No joke. I don't have time to summarize the episode, but the one little boy terror even genuflected and made the sign of the cross in a Church... later on in the episode he made a confession, both to confess how rotten he'd been in the episode and also to demonstrate to his sister how she could empty her "sin cup" (she'd eaten an apple, after the family had set her up to fall so she'd stop lecturing them all on how sinful they are)! And it was funny, hilariously funny, and yet addressed the moral themes with respect. Start watching this show now (I think it's on Wednesdays on Fox) and you'll catch this episode in reruns. This is quite frankly the best episode of any sitcom I've ever seen. You have to be watching this show.
Cedric the Entertainer is hitting its stride, midway through its first season. It doesn't quite match Mr. Show in terms of post-modern sketch-comedy zaniness, but it's actually far funnier -- which, of course, means it's leaps and bounds ahead of SNL and MadTV. The charismatic and talented Cedric himself puts this show way, way over the top. It's on Wednesday nights on Fox.
All four shows are worth watching. And who says there's nothing good on Television? Well, I mean, Mark Shea says that, but one gets the feeling he's not watching the right shows. I have a feeling that if he'd seen this week's Bernie Mac, he'd be hooked for life.
All four shows this week were winners. If you were considering watching any of these programs and hadn't yet, I can recommend all of them.
First up: The Surreal Life puts (MC) Hammer, Emmanuel Lewis (Webster), the lead singer from Motley Crue, the woman from Survivor, Corey Feldman, and a couple of other people in a house together. The espisode I saw (which aired tonight, Thursday, on the WB) was the one where they all visit a truck stop and then go camping. This show rocks. If you've ever wanted to see Webster get buried up to his neck in sand (in good fun, of course) or MC Hammer just rail on Corey Feldman for living in the past ("We live a blessed life, Corey! We get paid 13 million for our next record or movie and meanwhile there are people who can't afford to provide for their families!" "What? I never made 13 million dollars on any movie!!"), this is the show for you. The scene where Hammer and Corey Feldman try to pilot a row boat was just about the funniest thing I'd seen all week.
Next, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. The funniest hidden camera show ever, mostly because it puts its host in every sketch. The "Gameshow with utterly confusing rules and then let's see how long it is before our mark contestant freaks out" sketch was one of the best ones to date. Catch it Thursdays on the WB.
Bernie Mac. Okay, I like the Bernie Mac show. I really like the show. It's always been funny and full of heart. This episode was funny, full of heart, and had the most positive portrayal of Catholic morality, theology, and clergy that I have ever seen on television. No joke. I don't have time to summarize the episode, but the one little boy terror even genuflected and made the sign of the cross in a Church... later on in the episode he made a confession, both to confess how rotten he'd been in the episode and also to demonstrate to his sister how she could empty her "sin cup" (she'd eaten an apple, after the family had set her up to fall so she'd stop lecturing them all on how sinful they are)! And it was funny, hilariously funny, and yet addressed the moral themes with respect. Start watching this show now (I think it's on Wednesdays on Fox) and you'll catch this episode in reruns. This is quite frankly the best episode of any sitcom I've ever seen. You have to be watching this show.
Cedric the Entertainer is hitting its stride, midway through its first season. It doesn't quite match Mr. Show in terms of post-modern sketch-comedy zaniness, but it's actually far funnier -- which, of course, means it's leaps and bounds ahead of SNL and MadTV. The charismatic and talented Cedric himself puts this show way, way over the top. It's on Wednesday nights on Fox.
All four shows are worth watching. And who says there's nothing good on Television? Well, I mean, Mark Shea says that, but one gets the feeling he's not watching the right shows. I have a feeling that if he'd seen this week's Bernie Mac, he'd be hooked for life.
Thursday, January 16, 2003
The Moog Cookbook homepage, unupdated since March 2000.
Synthmuseum.com - Your Vintage Synthesizer Resource
Pretty cool site. Check it out.
Pretty cool site. Check it out.
Digital Domain - CD Mastering, Replication, Digital Imaging & more...
'Blogging this so I'll be able to find the site again. My favorite article is the Honor Roll of Good-Sounding Pop CDs which rates good-sounding pop CDs on amount of db gain and whether or not, as you approach maximum loudness, there's any obvious artifacts or squashing due to compression. I'm a geek. Yes, I am a geek.
'Blogging this so I'll be able to find the site again. My favorite article is the Honor Roll of Good-Sounding Pop CDs which rates good-sounding pop CDs on amount of db gain and whether or not, as you approach maximum loudness, there's any obvious artifacts or squashing due to compression. I'm a geek. Yes, I am a geek.
The folks at Cakewalk seem to have cooked up another great product: Cakewalk Project5 Soft Synth Workstation
Da-rool, da-rool. I sure hope I have an income by March.
Da-rool, da-rool. I sure hope I have an income by March.
The episode of Angel which aired last night rocked. Wesley is back with the good guys again, Lorne is as green as ever, everyone at Wolfram & Hart is dead, dead, dead (and zombies, now to boot!), and now rumor has it that Faith is going to be showing up soon. Even better news? The next five episodes are all new, too. I can't wait for Fox to start releasing the past seasons of Angel on DVD. Ever since that show began, and it helped that it began to air at the same time Buffy began its long slow march into mediocrity (though it's beginning to turn around this season -- Faith is popping up there, too,