Mad Mad Media Bratcast - REMIX

Mad Mad Media Bratcast

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So I gave Garageband 3 a try with this new podcast. It didn't work out- as you will be able to tell when you listen to this with Saturday's post. First of all, the sound on the Violent Femmes song, Kiss Off, was horrible. And there was significant drops in the song-which are not part of the original file. Then the background music wasn't there and the intro was screwed up.
That's what happens when you use a new program without reading the manual.
BUT. For those of you who subscribe to the Mad Mad Media podcast via iTunes, the next one will be really cool.
We are planning to make the first Mad Mad Media Enhanced Podcast which will feature links to artists, pictures and tracking-so if you don't like a song, you can skip to the next one. Plus, if we can get permission we will be having a "Snakes On A Plane" themed show. For now, enjoy the latest Mad Mad Media Podcast Featuring:

George Shea - President of the IFOCE (International Federation of Competitive Eating) on the Johnsonville Brat Days Brat Eating Contest

Tom Wolff, director of marketing with Johnsonville Sausage, on the birth of the Sheboygan local term "Brat Fry"

Music by:

Poor J
Playing Aug. 5 at 2:45 on the Variety Stage.
Poor J, a two member musical act featuring Irish/Wisconsin natives Eoin MacCarthy and Jason Reimer. They have been rocking out the Milwaukee area with jams like this one, Mamacita.
Check them out on their Myspace site by clicking HERE.




Violent Femmes
Playing Aug. 5 at 8:45 p.m. on the Main Stage
The Violent Femmes need no introduction. These Alt-Rock pioneers got their start playing shows in front of Milwaukee Eastsiders on the streets in front of the Oriental Theatre. As local legend has it, the Femmes were rocking out when a member of The Pretenders invited them to perform with them at The Oriental when the movie palace still had live shows. The rest is history. You can find out more about the Femmes on their Website by clicking HERE.

For more information on Brat Days, including directions to Kiwanis Park, a schedule of acts and information about other Brat Days attractions, click HERE.

New Podcast

The new podcast is available through iTunes and by clicking HERE. Unfortunately, I was working with a new program, and as I was uploading it I found flaws in the podcast. So It will be modified and reposted on Wednesday.
It's all good though!

Big show this weekend

The Made in Milwaukee 4 show will happen on Friday at Stonefly Brewing (Formerly Onopa), 738 E Center St. Milwaukee, WI 53212, 5 p.m. till 2 a.m.
Featuring music from Matt Schmid, 8:30p.m.; Dana Pasko, 9:30p.m.; Those Royals, 10 p.m., Clementine, 11:15 p.m.; Rusty Ps w/ Josh Adams Midnight and J-Todd, 12:45 a.m.
Plus Art, DJs and experimental video.
Both Clementine and Those Royals have appeared on the Mad Mad Media Podcast, check them out to the side.

Clementine pic courtesy of Clementine.

Duff Beer for me, Duff Beer for you, I'll have a Duff, You have one too

So, I was looking at the photo archives, looking for a picture of beer bottles for a story, and I found this picture.
It's of Rodrigo Contreras, sitting behind of Duff Beer at his office earlier this month in Guadalajara, Mexico. He - according to the Associated Press, which circulated the picture - holds the Mexican patent on the beer name, Duff Beer, made famous by Homer Simpson. He is trying to sell it in the US.
This guy should be on one of those Real Men of Genius commercials.
I'd drink Duff Beer (I'd even drink its lesser cousin Fudd Beer). I don't care how it tastes.
That would be about as cool as being on The Simpsons.
I couldn't find any articles on the product, but hopefully it will be available in the US soon. Otherwise it's off to Mexico!

AP Photo

Lance Bass is gay

Ladies loved him, but Lance Bass of NSYNC apparently wanted nothing to do with them. Associated Press reported today that Bass, star of the 2001 romantic comedy "On The Line," told People magazine he is gay and in a committed relationship.
Though, just about every reviewer who watched "On The Line," in which Bass falls in love with a woman on the El in Chicago, said Bass had no chemistry with costar Emmanuelle Chriqui.
According to AP, Bass said he's in a relationship with 32-year-old reality TV star Reichen Lehmkuhl, winner of season four "Amazing Race."

Read more HERE.

New Scissor Sisters song

A new Scissor Sisters song, I Don't Feel Like Dancing, has been "leaked" onto the Web. There are several sites that have posted the song. I assume it has been posted for promotional purposes. It's a darn fine song.

Check it out HERE.

Or Check it out HERE.

Holy Crap!

Apple just keeps getting better and better. Today the company introduced the wireless Mighty Mouse.
The new mouse offers Bluetooth wireless capability, a laser tracking engine that provides 20x surface sensitivity, a 360-degree clickable scroll ball, a touch-sensitive top shell and force-sensing side buttons.
Cool mouse, no tail.
Of course, there is a rumor floating around that Apple will be unveiling its latest iPod in August. It's just a rumor, but I'm sitting on pins and needles.
For more information on Apple's cool new mouse click HERE.

Noooooooooooooo!

Tina Fey announced this week she would be leaving Saturday Night Live to concentrate on her sitcom, 30 Rock. Fey is writer and star of the sitcom about a late-night comedy show (I wonder if she’s writing from experience). Fellow SNLers Tracy Morgan and Rachel Dratch are also in the show.
This sucks. Fey was the best thing to happen to Weekend Update since ... well, let’s leave it at she was the BEST thing to happen to Weekend Update. Rachel Dratch said she is leaving the show too. She and her Downer Debbie character will be missed, but not as much as Fey.

Shame on you...Eric?

Yes, shame on me - for two things. First, I was going to tell you guys about a show over the weekend. The hard-rocking Black Frog was playing a show at Crossroads Bar & Grill for the Sheboygan H.O.G. Chapter 12th Annual Poker Run to benefit Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Sheboygan County. I was so wrapped up in some other stuff, that I completely forgot to blog on Friday, and thus didn't mention the group. They play around the area fairly often, and you can find out more about them by clicking HERE.
The second reason is I have been sitting on an interview with Nikka Capra from the last podcast. I was going to put it out last week, but after the problems I've had with my computer I put it on hold. I will be putting it out soon, but no definite date. You can find out more about Nikki by clicking HERE.
Well, I feel so much better. Thanks for letting me get that off of my chest.

Walk of Shame: Movie Edition

It wasn’t a good weekend to be a Lady in the Water, stuck in a Monster House, working as a Clerk or dating My Super Ex-Girlfriend, because they all flopped. For a third week in a row, the sequel to the swashbuckling hit based on a ride at Disneyland scored the highest spot on the box office chart. Everything else walked the plank.
Pirates of the Caribbean II pulled in another $35 mil., bringing it’s grand domestic total to almost $322 mil. Monster House brought in $23 mil. to make it the second highest grosser for the week.
M. Night Shyamalan’s “Lady in the Water” belly flopped, taking in only $18 mil. My guess is people are still ticked about being suckered into seeing The Village in 2004, thinking it was a thriller.
Clerks 2, the sequel to the 1994 slacker hit, brought in $9.2 mil. Luckily the film only cost $5 mil to make. Let’s hope they kept the advertising budget down.
Then there’s the heavily hyped My Super Ex-Girlfriend. I couldn’t find the budget for this film online, but I’m guessing any film with Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson has to cost more than the $8 million it took in opening weekend. And just to mention the little bit of sibling rivalry between Owen and Luke Wilson, Owen wins hands down. His movie — You, Me and Dupree, stayed in the top 10 earning almost $13 million this weekend, bringing it’s grand total to $45 mil. If Super Ex-Girlfriend makes $20, it will be lucky.


Photo of Keira Knightley and Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.

Shame on you A&E

Every Sunday my wife and I are faced with a dilemma. Do we watch The Simpsons or do we watch Flip This House on A&E. Usually, we end up watching The Simpsons at 7 p.m. and the rerun of Flip This House at 11 p.m., or I’ll watch my favorite yellow family on one TV, and my wife with watch Richard and the gang from Trademark Properties on another set.
So last night I’m watching as Lisa takes on Creationism when my wife comes in and yells “They changed it.”
Sure enough, when I tuned in to watch Flip This House at 11 p.m., A&E had changed it. It’s now Flip This House - San Antonio. And it sucked.
Now, I’m all for change. Don’t lump me in with group that hates it when things get switched around. I didn’t care when the Winslow’s daughter on Family Matters left the show. No biggie. I didn’t care when Joanie and Chachi left Happy Days to be on Joanie Loves Chachi. So be it! I didn’t care when Steve left Married With Children and was replaced by Jefferson Darci. The show must go on.
But whoever decided to mess with the great formula of Flip This House should be taken out back and shot like Old Yeller.
Richard, Kevin, Vance, Dawn and Ginger were charming. Sure, they screamed and yelled to get things done on time and took breaks to shoot skeet and go 4-wheeling, but they were fun to watch.
I made it through about 20 minutes of last night's show, featuring the most arrogant group of remodelers I have ever seen, before I turned it off.
A&E. What the ****?
I don’t know what you’re doing ... no, I know what you’re doing — you’re killing a great show! Change it back ... and change it back fast!

Today was a Smashing Pumpkins kind of day

Today is the greatest, day I've ever known.
Well, not really, but it was definitely a Smashing Pumpkins kind of day. I have a bunch of Pumpkins tunes form Siamese Dream loaded onto my iPod, and I am just digging it.
Especially Spaceboy and Quiet.
They are just keeping me going.
I suppose this is the new classic rock.
I'll be like those guys I make fun of, who drive up blasting Boston's "More Than A Feeling" or Guns 'n Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle."
You know the guys.

Well, it had to happen someday I suppose.

Walk down memory lane with me by listening to "Disarm." (click to listen)

Disney not the happiest place on Earth today

The Internet Movie Database reported Wednesday that Disney gave 20 percent of its employees the boot and cut the number of films it would produce a year virtually in half from 18 to 10 movies. The most shocking was Nina Jacobson, president of the studio’s live-action division — Buena Vista Motion Picture Group — not just because the latest Pirates of the Caribbean was produced under her watch and has become the biggest hit in the year but her contract had just been extended three years. The company said it would increase its reliance on “Disney-branded” films.
Disney is doing particularly well this year. Pirates has earned $258 million in its first two weeks in release with virtually no signs of slowing and Cars, a Pixar movie, has earned $220 mil. Disney hasn’t had a great couple of years though. Most recently, “The Wild” failed to wow audiences and took in only $36 mil. Maybe they should have fired the president of their ANIMATION division.

Picture from Pirates of the Caribbean. Imagine Depp saying "Off with their heads!"

Dead Like Me back on the air!

Sci Fi Channel, you are my new best friend! I am still hella mad that Showtime cancelled the grim reaper/coming of age comedy drama Dead Like Me (my favorite TV show of ALL time) and replaced it with the horribly unfunny Fat Actress, but I am happy to report the Sci Fi Channel is bringing Dead Like Me back in reruns!
The show, which premiered on Sci Fi last night (if I would have known about it I would have told you sooner) follows the afterlife of George (Ellen Muth), a bitter gen-x teen who is killed when a toilet seat fell to Earth from Mir Space Station as it fell, who unwillingly becomes a grim reaper.
George is mentored by a rag-tag group of reapers, the feisty meter maid Roxy, Jasmine Guy, the free spirit Betty, Rebecca Gayheart, the ultimate slacker Mason, Callum Blue, and Rube, Mandy Patinkin, the secretive and parental leader.
As a reaper, George has to ‘pop’ the souls of people who are about to die in accidental or tragic ways (her division), but she has a hard time making the transition from a teen with no purpose to a reaper with the huge responsibility of ushering souls to the afterlife.
Her life is also complicated from living in the same town as her family, who can no longer see her, and feelings of separation anxiety.
I have both seasons on DVD, so I have watched these shows backwards and forwards. Dead Like Me has the best writing, acting and philosophy of any TV show ever created.
If you like shows like Lost, Shaun of the Dead and My So-Called Life, you are going to love Dead Like Me.
Dead Like Me will air on the Sci Fi network on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Central. Check out your local listings of Sci Fi Channel Online (HERE) for more information.

Photo of Muth courtesy of Dead Like Me Online.

New Sheboygan Press Blog

Just when you thought there were enough blogs in the world, the Sheboygan Press has launched another one.
Zen With Jen, written by Community Editor Jennifer Kuszynski, is about the importance of introspection, meditation and developing a peaceful mind.
Personnally, I like her advice for today: "Try to make one person feel beter each day because of something you say." I don't know if I'm going to follow it, but the day is still young.

You can check out Zen With Jen by clicking HERE.

Also, be sure to check out the Press' other fine blogs (Nhia's Niche, Confessions of a Caddie and Mad Mad Media) by clicking HERE.

Biel wants to date You

Well, if you're the highest bidder.
Jessica Biel, who was named the "Sexiest Woman Alive" by Esquire Magazine last year, is donating a date with her to a fundraiser auction for 18-year-old Molly Bloom of Boulder, Colorado, who lost her leg when she was hit by a limo on prom night.
Biel, famous for roles on 7th Heaven and the remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massecre, will take the winner out for lunch in Denver.
I know there are a lot of people out there who have saved a lot of money for an occasion like this.
Guys, this is not a test.
The auction is tonight. And don't start kidding yourself, this is the ONLY chance you're going to get to even be in the same room with Biel! Good luck!

To find out more, click the link HERE.

This photo is courtesy of Do Something That Matters (who obliously got the picture from Esquire Magazine, so thank you to Esquire too.)

Snakes on a Plane

I can't wait to see Snakes on a Plane. To me, this is the most exciting movie of the summer. I wasn't excited about Superman, Cars, Lady in the Water, Miami Vice (though I was a huge fan of the TV show), Pirates, You Me and Dupree, Monster House, John Tucker Must Die or My Super Ex-Girlfriend, but Snakes on a Plane - now that I'm excited about.
Why? It's Snakes on a Plane. How freaking crazy does that sound. You can't go anywhere, but there are snakes all over the place. Snakes on a Plane. That's nuts!
And, as far as a summer movie goes, it can't fail as long as there are snakes, a plane, and a plane with snakes on it. The rest of the movie practically writes itself!
August 18 can't come fast enough. I need to see Snakes on a Plane, and I need to see it now!!!






Here's the preview courtesy of the nice people over at YouTube!

Mad Mad Media Podcast #6

Mad Mad Media Podcast # 6

Click to Listen/Right-click to Save

Terra Naomi-I’m Happy. I ran across Terra’s virtual tour while on YouTube. She had written a song, recorded it and played it in front of her webcam for a worldwide audience in three days. Talk about the immediacy of the Internet. And it was a damn good song to. This song is off of her 2006 EP, “8-Track.” And don’t forget to check out her virtual tour.



Website

MySpace

YouTube Virtual Tour (highly recommended!!!)

MoZella: Love is Something
MoZella, of Detroit, is getting ready to release a CD through Maverick Records. She was supposed to play at Summerfest, and I was going to put her on our Summerfest Podcast, but her show was cancelled. Oh well. When she does make it around this neck of the woods, she will be worth checking out. In the meantime, here’s a few links.

Myspace

Website


Nikki Capra: The Stars Have Left the Sky

I don’t know how I ran into Nikki Capra on MySpace, but I instantly dug this song. When I contacted her about using it on the show, she immediately said yes and put a link to my humble little blog on her Web site and MySpace site, therefore becoming my new best friend. She plays a lot around Chicago, so if you’re in the area I highly recommend checking her out. Also, if my computer is still working, I will be posting an interview in had with Nikki next week. Until then, check her out on the Web.

Website

Myspace


The Hush Sound: Wine Red
These guys are awesome, and they are getting massive attention on their summer tour with The Dresden Dolls and Panic! @ The Disco. If you can find (steal) tickets for their show, check them out. Here are some links to them on the Web.

MySpace

Website

Bang! Bang!: Creepwalking
New Wave isn’t dead, and it’s gotten a lot better. Case in point, Chicago’s Bang! Bang! (You know, I didn’t really plan this but there are a lot of groups from Chicago on this podcast.) To be honest, they make the New Wave music I grew up with sound like old crap. You have to hear it to believe it.

Website

MySpace





The Young Republic: Blue SkiesAny group that describes their music as orchestral folk is all right in my book. This 9-piece Boston group is about as cool at they come in my book. Nothing else to say except, enjoy.

Website

Myspace

Oh, the humanity

Here's a little more insight on my computer woes. I was updating the playlist on my iPod yesterday, but while it was loading I got an error message that iTunes couldn't find two songs by Superchunk.
I investigated further and found that not only were the songs gone, two Superchunk CDs were completely missing. No problem, I thought, I'll just load them back in. But it wouldn't take them. I got them back into iTunes by changing the folder name, but I still couldn't figure out what happened. I figured my drive didn't like Superchunk.
Then, another CD disappeared. Then another and another. I freaked! I have over four days of music on my external hard drive. I thought I downloaded a virus. I scoured the net looking for an iTunes virus (none reported since version 4.6) and ran a virus scan. Nothing. But by now, several full discs, Superchunk, Auf Der Maur, Sarah Mclachlan, Mel C, Run DMC, and others were gone.
I spent hours backing up the rest of my library last night before any more damage had been done. When I ran a disc repair utility on my Brand New 250 Gig external hard drive my wife gave me as a wonderful present, it found a corrupted area... on my NEW drive. It appears to be fixed, but holy crap.
I was ready to cry last night. Now, I'm prepared for anything. But I have no idea what I would have done if my music collection disappeared into thin cyberspace air.
So, I'm pretty tired today.
But, the newest Mad Mad Media Podcast did not disappear (then I really would have cried). It will be posted tonight. Those of you who have signed up for the podcast on iTunes should be able to get it now. Thanks for listening to my computer woes.


Photo courtesy of Andreas Hess

So long Jeff

WHBL newscaster Jeff McAndrew will end his career at the Sheboygan news radio station today to take a position with WOSH in Oshkosh.
He has been with the station for more than five years.
I sat next to Jeff while working on stories and talked with him about local events and other things on numerous occasions, and he is a stone cold pro in the radio news field.
His signature style will definitely be missed in the Sheboygan area.
So, good luck Jeff, I hope everything works out for you in Oshkosh.
And keep in touch.

Eat This!

I could mention this on my blog yesterday because I was sworn to secrecy until today, but Johnsonville Brats and the International Federation of Competitive Eating have announced that ESPN will be filming a one-hour special on Sheboygan's Brat Eating contest to be aired on Aug. 5 and Sonya Thomas, The Black Widow, will be defending her title of brat eating champion of the world against 7-time hot dog eating champion Kobayashi.
Organizers are calling it the Showdown in Sheboygan!
Last year, the first time the IFOCE was involved in the competition, Sonya Thomas ate 35 brats in 10 minutes to take the championship. Then, what the rest of the media isn't telling you, she ate two more as a victory lap.
But, Kobayashi is an eating machine. He ate 53.75 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes at the 2006 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island, NY to set a new world record. Thomas took third with 37 hot dogs and buns.
The runner up to the hot dog eating contest, Joey Chestnut, will also be in Sheboygan as well as other professional eaters.
This is actually a pretty big deal. George Shea, president of the IFOCE, told me yesterday that the Brat Eating contest quickly became one of the top four eating contests in the world and could be equal in popularity to Nathan's contest.
This is going to be huge. The brat eating contest will be held on Aug. 5.

Brat days website HERE.

Photo of Kobayashi courtesy of Nathans.

2,000 and climbing

I have no idea when this happened, but sometime while I was away we passed the 2,000 visitors mark. So again, thank you to everyone who visited! 10,000 is just around the bend!

Back from the backyard

I have to say, it’s a little hard to get back into things after you come back from a vacation. I’d love to report that I jetted off to some exotic place, and sipped on tropical drinks with a paper umbrella all week, but I can’t. I pretty much stayed home.
But it was great. I didn’t log onto the Internet for days, something I haven’t done for a very, very, very long time. But because of my hectic online lifestyle, I failed to notice how much the real world has changed.
First of all, I was frustrated to find out that you can no longer buy Lawn Darts (Jarts). They are now illegal or something. In my book, this is a crime against humanity. I was rarely allowed to play lawn darts when I was a kid, because my parent feared I would be skewered.
Oh, I could go hunting with a gun, but those darts could kill me (sarcasm Mom and Dad). Or at least put your eye out. But making them illegal is dumb.
If you can’t pay attention to someone when they are throwing a blunt dart in your direction, then maybe natural selection is trying to take you down. Bring Jarts back with the warning — “LOOK UP DUMMY!”
Another thing I found out was that here in the City of Sheboygan, you cannot buy sparklers — those virtually harmless “fireworks” that everyone has when they are kids. You can buy them out of town, but you can’t get them here — and according to one clerk, they are illegal to even use within city limits.
Everybody does. Not only that, my neighborhood sounded like a war zone on the Fourth of July, which is fine, but then don’t say the darn things are illegal. They seem to be only frowned upon, and the last time I checked that doesn’t necessitate having a law.
On the other hand, the week off was filled fun and adventure. We took plenty of walks (even though it seems to be alewife death season on the beach), watched some TV, read (a little) and saw a couple of movies (here’s how far behind I am — X-Men 3 and Wedding Crashers).
But I am ready to get back to the Mad Mad Media lifestyle. I have a great podcast lined up for Friday and some really cool things coming over the next couple of days. So thanks for stopping by, it’s good to be back!


Photo courtesy of Ambivalent Images.