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Hello, is this thing on?

Okay, so here's the latest: I'm thinking of releasing a couple of direct-to-digital-distribution (think iTunes and Rhapsody, because that's where they'd show up) albums. No real definite plans, but one would be a 20+ song retrospectacle of the weirder tunes I've done over the last few years, maybe another would be a Love Hive EP (you know you want it), and a third still (maybe next year, early 2009) would be "Catechism Rock: The Album" finally. And then maybe also next year an album of all new stuff (I think "In Bed" is dead, but maybe I could get some friends together and make some real music).

So is there any interest in something like this? The only other plan I have at this point is releasing albums on custom-printed USB sticks. Don't make me do that...

Wowsers, Inspector Gadget, new music on the Professor Whimsey Page. Check it out!

My Aunt in South Dakota has a Catholic podcast!

Check it out! Lively, funny, and faithful (and you gotta love that themesong, too!).

Drink recipes from Every Day with Rachel Ray.

We'll let you know tomorrow how the Banana Hot Buttered Rum and Snappy Chai Eggnog turn out. While you're out shopping, though, remember: not only does Admiral Nelson outrank Captain Morgan, he's also about 30% cheaper which makes him the one you want to sail with. Unless you've got something against cheap imitations.

The Great Space Coater was probably the coolest kids show ever made by human beings (with the one possible exception being "The Letter People"). This show was so phat: the puppets were awesome (how can you get any cooler than a stained-glass robot elephant named Edison?), the human characters were really laid back and didn't get in everyone's face all the time like they do on Sesame Street (and they had this mini personal video player they used to show clips on that was 30 years ahead of its time -- check it out at the end of this clip here). Sadly, only a handful of clips from this show exist on YouTube today.

And of course, there is the one character everyone remembers, Gary Gnu. Fortunately, there's fairly decent fan site out there with more clips. That show was just too cool.

CNET.com: In Memoriam James Kim

I hadn't realized until today that the James Kim who had died in the Oregon wilderness saving his wife and two daughters was the same James Kim whom I'd been watching and reading on CNET for the past two or three years. I'd really come to appreciate his enthusiastic style in the little video bits he did for the CNET website (be sure to check out the video tribute they have linked from that article), and now learned that he was a really decent man to boot. He will be missed. There is no better way for a man to die than protecting his family. May we all live and die just as well.

The best commercial ever:



Hot Link totally owned that Wizrobe.

Meet your new Sith Lord!

Darth Elmo makes his appearance. Senior Calabaza Blanca looks on in shock and horror.

Darth Elmo encounters resistance early on in the neighbor's front yard.

His conquest of Sesame Street complete, Darth Elmo sojourns into other children's programming, here claiming victory over the defeated emissary of The House of Blue.

Marmaduke Explained

I laughed until I cried, reading that site.

I guess I can't dis NPR anymore...

After many years, I guess the NPR dissing has to stop, now that they've played one of my songs on one of their nationally syndicated talk shows). While doing some research online (okay, I was googling myself -- but I was trying to find one weird page in particular, not ego fishing), I came across a broken link to the Studio360.org website. In a segment interviewing Robot author Daniel Wilson about the iRobot Roomba, they used "Robot Love" (from the Robot Love CD) as background music.

It's only a few seconds (mostly the bit of me singing about giving the Robots your love, and then the Robot receiving the most welcome sandwich), but if you're interested it was on the March 24, 2006, show (how come no one tells me these things), about 10 minutes in. I wouldn't recommend installing Audible just to hear it if you don't have it already, though. It was a pain to work with but still, at least for me, worth it.

I'm not the only one who doesn't get Mary Worth. That excellent post links to this hilarious collection of videos acting out a month's worth of "Mary Worth" comics.

XOC is amazing.

One-man, acoustic renditions of classic arcade themes. While I'm partial to his rendering of Mr. Do's castle, probably more impressive from an execution standpoint is his recording of every lick of music in Super Mario World.

Don't forget to rock out to the 720/Moon Patrol medley. Probably THE rockingest videogame cover ever. The Beach Boys version of Zelda II though crosses the line into new territories of demented brilliance. Check it out too.

G4's PS3 vs. Wii.

Wrong on so many levels, but probably accurate.

This is beyond belief.

Only it's completely believable, sadly.

Our bishops and archbishops, who apparently can't be bothered to speak out publically when it might mean saving someone's life (abortion, embryonic stem-cell research, the Plan B abortifacient) come out in droves when it comes to publicly speaking out against equality.

Here is the text added within the last 24 hours to our Official Archdiocese Homepage:

The Michigan Catholic Conference is among the religious organizations coming together to defend affirmative action programs that provide opportunities for women and minorities to secure better jobs and education. Cardinal Maida is among the co-chairs of One United Michigan, the citizens group seeking to defeat Proposal 2 that would amend the State Constitution to eliminate affirmative action programs. Locally, the archdiocese is supporting the efforts of the Interfaith Leaders Council and the National Conference for Community and Justice.

Spouting rhetoric (if you can call it that) Archdiocesean tool, Msgr. Halfpenny, equates "justice" not with "equality" (I guess, somewhat paradoxically given the favor they've found with the hierarchy in this Diocese, all those Haugen jingles were wrong) but with racial and sex-based discrimination (yes, "affirmative action" programs unjustly discriminate. I have very personal experience which bears that out. More on that later).

This isn't the first time the Illustrious Hierarchy in this Diocese has knowingly misled its flock. I guess, though, that when it comes to impressing your secular liberal friends there is no low to which you won't stoop. Note to the Cardinal: the people you're trying to impress aren't even the sort of people who can be bothered to visit your Cultural Center in D.C. (you know, the one you're busy closing Parishes at home to bankroll).

The Monsignor is right when he says "This is not a political issue; this is a spiritual issue," only I don't think he realizes that he's on the wrong side of the issue. Deliberately misleading your flock by misrepresenting the truth of the matter, especially for those in such authority (the only group in our Archdiocese, I might add, with the authority to send thousands of copies of a four-page pamphlet to each Parish urging them to vote No, is... guess who? the Archdiocese!) is a sure-fire way to earn yourself some Eternal Consequences.

Only there's been no evidence on the part of anyone at the Archdiocese, ever, to indicate that they care one whit about the consequences to their own or anyone else's soul. Perhaps, then, there is one consequence they do care about: their 501(c)(3)tax-exempt status. If having the Cardinal serve on the board of a Political Action Committee (excuse me: "concerned citizen's group") like the One United Michigan (for me but not for thee), speaking out forcefully (as forcefully as he's spoken about anything, I guess), and using Archdiocese resources to urge Catholics to vote one specific way on a hot-button political issue isn't enough to violate the prohibitions against political speech for 501(c)(3) organizations, I don't know what is.

As the IRS puts it:

To be tax-exempt as an organization described in § 501(c)(3) of the Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for one or more of the purposes set forth in § 501(c)(3) and none of the earnings of the organization may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate at all in campaign activity for or against political candidates.

One may argue that the Archdiocese is attempting to do nothing more than to "educate the public" (which is allowed). I fail to see how this is the case, though, when their spokestool states that this is a "spiritual issue" implying that if you vote Yes for equality, you're going to Hell.

Someone really ought to complain to the IRS (the IRS Tax Exempt and Government Entities Customer Account Services division at (877) 829-5500) and let them know what's going down here in Detroit.

I'd do it but I'm too busy opressing the poor and marginialized of our society by working for a living I've made by my own merits.

Weird Al has a new CD out this month!

Listen to a single on his myspace page. (The video by Bill Plympton (scroll down) kinda elevates it to greatness).

RIP, Steve Irwin.

The return of the Wednesday YouTube Dance Off

This week: Detroit Jitting (more info) vs. Bavarian Schuhplattler.

I can't say who won this one. It's just too close to call. (Thanks to Jayson for the links!).

More proof that YouTube rocks my world.




See also: Victor Borge's "Phonetic Punctuation" (on the Electric Company!).

You can find everything on Wikipedia: List of X-Play Characters.