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michael’s music

April 11, 2005 – 8:40 am ·

Incidentally, I’ve posted the previous installment of Michael’s music reviews. It’s worth a read if you’re looking for some new tunes. Soon, I hope to integrate them a little more seamlessly with the general web page.I suppose that will happen when I make the full move to www.hollywoodland.la

By will | Posted in keefe, Music | Comments (0)

    busy

    April 11, 2005 – 8:28 am ·

    Man, I’m on fast forward right now. I drag myself out of bed this morning at seven, plop myself in front of the computer and throw some climbing gear on eBay. While I list the various cams, nuts and stoppers I have for sale I’m ripping cd after cd of my collection onto my hard drive (I’m on David Byrne now, having just archived all of my Buffalo Tom and Kate Bush.) Then at ten I’m off to Argentum to tackle the day’s web design. That lasts until two, at which point I hurry up the steet to Amoeba, where I’ll be slinging DVD’s on the mezzanine until eleven.

    Tomorrow and Wednesday? Repeat. Somewhere in there I have to find time to work out the beats on the new script for pitching purposes. The only reprieve I see in the near future comes on Thursday night. Maryanne has invited me to “pie night” at House of Pies with some of the other ‘moeba crew.

    Mmm. pie.

    By will | Posted in daily drift | Comments (0)
    • keefe
    • Music

    SFX

    April 6, 2005 – 1:29 pm ·

    I’ve mentioned my music maven friend Michael before. He’s got a knack for writing about records. In fact, I had intended to post his round-up of the best of 2004 a couple months ago, but I’ve been so busy keeping my head above water lately, I never got around to it. A couple days ago I receive a collection of his capsule reviews of some of the music he picked up in March. I immediately develop a presentation page for it, realizing that if he’s going to go through the immense trouble of writing it, someone should go through the (comparatively minor) trouble of putting it somewhere people might see it.

    So here’s his collection of reviews for some cool cd’s now available on (finer) music store shelves. I’ve even tossed in a downloadable pdf checklist for anyone who wants to track down some of his recommendations. Keep in mind that I threw together the layout code late last night. When I have more time I’ll spruce it up and make the images clickable (as well as clean up the odd little typographical eccentricities of the code.) And here’s hoping Michael wants to keep doing this. I personally love the idea.

    By will | Posted in keefe, Music | Comments (0)

      meow

      April 3, 2005 – 9:21 am ·

      I get an email this morning from Macromedia, who apparently labor under the impression that I’m a Flash developer extraordinaire. The email provides a link that, they hope, explains my nagging wonder at just how designers created the “roving cat” at the Whiskas cat food website. After reading the article, I click through to see what they’re talking about. The cat is remarkable. It’s difficult to believe this was created by as a simple vector animation. And it’s interactive. Sorta. You can feed it, give it a ball, and dangle a toy in front of it. Check it out here (you have to tell them where you’re from first.)

      I don’t have a cat yet, but it makes me want to go buy some food for one.

      By will | Posted in check it out, internet | Comments (0)

        pornboy: final day

        April 2, 2005 – 7:01 pm ·

        We’re into the last twenty four hours of bidding for the Pillsbury Pornboy. Not that the bidding has been out of control. In fact, it seems rather lackluster. Someone’s going to be the lucky winner, but it’s not going for the millions I had hoped it would. I suppose what he really needs is an inkstain that looks like the Virgin Mary. Or Pope John Paul II.

        …although he does look rather papal in this photograph, doesn’t he?

        By will | Posted in check it out, oddities | Comments (0)

          more auctions

          March 31, 2005 – 8:08 am ·

          A little action on the auction. Yesterday a small flurry of bids pushed the Pillsbury Pornboy up to just over twenty bucks, which matches my expectations, if not my hopes. And the Pornboy himself? He’s chillin’

          Meanwhile, Manager Guy and The Empress over at my favorite Query Letters site have tipped us off to an auction even stranger and more nakedly desperate than mine. Wanna buy a script? The synopsis is pure nonsense.

          Keep on bidding, America!

          By will | Posted in check it out, daily drift | Comments (0)

            pornboy update: day 3

            March 30, 2005 – 1:37 pm ·

            I’m beginning to think I’ve overestimated the public’s need to see a baking icon festooned with porn starlet signatures. A common mistake, to be sure. I’m sure we all know many people who’ve made the same mistake. Bidding stands at $1.25. I’d been planning to use auction proceeds to buy a house on Beachwood Canyon. I may have to scale back a bit. When this is all over I just might be able to buy a box of toothpicks.

            Stay tuned.

            By will | Posted in check it out, daily drift, internet | Comments (0)

              banking

              March 29, 2005 – 11:58 am ·

              I’m at Wells Fargo, trying to get a cashier’s check to pay for the new Silver Beetle. The bank teller is nice, but she spends a full ten minutes staring at her computer screen, tapping the keys, contemplating, thinking, mulling. Then she says she has to call another bank to confirm that the deposit made three days ago was actually made. This is annoying. Didn’t someone already do that? Isn’t that why it took me three days to gain access to that money in the first place? Sometimes it amazes me that the complex, multi-layered transactions that run Wall Street and corporate America ever manage to take place. How do they make all those fifteen minute confirmation calls?

              By will | Posted in daily drift | Comments (0)
              • Hollywoodland

              pornboy update: day 2

              March 29, 2005 – 12:42 am ·

              Two bids came in pretty quickly, but the thing is still only at $1.25. That’s pretty cool. Usually bids don’t start rolling in until Day 5. Seventy visitors so far. Not bad, really. I’m actually kind of pleased with the design of the auction page, so that’s the best that can be said of the auction so far. Seventy people got to check out the design…

              I’m sure you all my know someone who could use Pillsbury Pornboy. So spread the word, willya?

              By will | Posted in check it out, Hollywoodland, internet | Comments (0)
              • Hollywoodland

              sting & mr. macintosh

              March 29, 2005 – 12:05 am ·

              Sara makes fun of me tonight because I’m waxing ecstatic over the unexpected release of the old Sting film, Bring On The Night. It’s a cool flick, part document’ry, part concert film, capturing Sting during his Dream of The Blue Turtles phase. Somewhere after The Soul Cages, Sting got insufferably boring, but back then he was cool, surrounding himself with cool musicians, and turning out some quirky, fun music. The film is decent, but that performance of “I Burn For You” is worth the purchase price alone.

              Sara’s idea of utter coolness is, of course, Social D. She’s not wrong, but Sting was once cool, too. I don’t think she believes me.

              And she also never cared for The Office (why am I friends with this woman?) so she’s not at all moved when I point out actor Ewan MacIntosh shopping the Mezzanine. as usual, I’m surprised at how sometimes recognizing an actor can cause my brain to slip a cog. yesterday someone points out Dave Navarro and Carmen Electra and I yawn. Today, I’m going, “Cool!”

              By will | Posted in amoeba, Hollywoodland, life in hollywood | Comments (0)
              • Hollywoodland

              pornboy update

              March 27, 2005 – 11:32 pm ·

              The auction’s online. Check it out here. Oh boy, this is exciting…

              By will | Posted in check it out, Hollywoodland, internet | Comments (0)
              • Hollywoodland

              pillsbury pornboy

              March 27, 2005 – 10:46 pm ·

              I write in my last post that one rarely sees the Pillsbury Doughboy (hee-hee!) mentioned in the same breath as the fine women of Vivid Entertainment. I’m hoping to change that, if even for just a little while. Some time ago I ran an Isla Vista video store called Emerald Video. As emmissaries of that fine establishment, a handful of Emerald crewmembers and I ventured down to L.A. for the 1996 VSDA convention. Those things can be pretty dull (unless you happen to love the video business) so it’s no wonder the highlight for most people is the convention center’s “porn wing.”

              Remember this pic of my brother and my friend cavorting with Chasey and Janine?

              I’ve spent the past couple days preparing an Ebay auction of one of the fruits of that little jaunt, and it’s an auction for just about one of the weirdest things I own. It’s a plastic Pillsbury Doughboy, er, “doll” I guess one might call it, signed by every one of Vivid’s contract girls.

              1996 was post Babrara Dare, post Tori Welles, but the lineup was classic: Janine Lindemulder, Kobi (Kobe?) Tai, Jenteal, Dyanna Lauren, Raquel Darrian, Christy Canyon, Nikki Tyler and Chasey Lain (who’s still on contract, I believe.)

              Oh man. I’m talking like this was the classic Yes lineup or something, but to a bunch of guys in the business, raised on video, this were names you knew. Even if you didn’t admit it. Everyone was getting promo slicks and headshots signed. I’d been wondering what to do with that doughboy I’d just picked up at the Twentieth Century Fox booth… [David Brent laces his fingers together, teeth on his lower lip, knowing look in his eye. Point made. Well done.]

              So the auction’s not online yet. I’ll post a link to it when it kicks off (just after midnight tonight.) I haven’t got a shred of a clue as to what the thing is worth. I suppose it’ll net a ten spot or something

              …if people can find it. It’s highly unlikely that it’ll come up in an auction search. This blog is my only hope. If enough people find this thing just weird enough, maybe word will spread. And somewhere, that bored rich porn aficionado will take a breather from his baking long enough to place a generous bid…

              I’ll keep y’all posted.

              By will | Posted in check it out, Hollywoodland, internet | Comments (0)

                new wheels

                March 25, 2005 – 11:31 pm ·

                You know there aren’t many web pages in which the Pillsbury Doughboy and The Vivid Girls appear together? There’s probably a good reason for that, but it’s a peculiar fact I’m soon hoping to remedy. In fact, I just have, simply by typing these words. Isn’t the Internet weird?

                So, yeah, I’ve been gone. Last Sunday I drive up to San Luis Obispo to get outta the city for a few days. It rains most of the time I’m there, but that’s okay. Gives me an excuse to sit around and do nothing for a while. The Honda doesn’t fare very well. The clutch slips so much now that the tachometer breaks away even when I’m in third gear. Makes that hill just north of Gaviota rather interesting.

                It looks as if this automobile angst will change. I’ve just put down some money to hold this. It’s a beauty. I can’t afford it at the moment, but I’ve got a few things I can sell to help pay for it. I guess that’s a whole different kind of angst, but at least I’ve got air-conditioning to help me through it.

                And yes, more on that Pillsbury/Vivid thing later, when the project nears completion.

                By will | Posted in daily drift | Comments (0)

                  so much for technology

                  March 20, 2005 – 11:48 pm ·

                  The other day I promise Danny to print up a copy of The Last Hit for him so he can pass it on to someone else who can pass it on to a magician somewhere who can wave his bejeweled staff and cause it to open on five thousand screens nationwide. When I get home I find my 3-hole paper supply has dwindled to twelve sheets, one of which is creased, so I decide to look into the Kinko’s option.

                  They have this nifty piece of software you can download to your desktop that slips an option into your “Print Document” command. This option allows you to print to a Kinkos of your choosing instead of to your Epson 740. This, I learned today, is not much of a time-saver because now you have to get in your car and drive a few miles to find out there’s something wrong with your printer cable.

                  By will | Posted in daily drift, screenwriting | Comments (0)
                  • Hollywoodland

                  Liquified chimes in

                  March 15, 2005 – 9:07 am ·

                  Liquified sez: John has decided to put all of his energies into the show at the Mayan on Wednesday, and will not be appearing at Amoeba on Tuesday. That’s a nicer way to put it than, “John’s got a head full of phlegm and British Airways won’t let him on board.”

                  By will | Posted in amoeba, daily drift, Hollywoodland | Comments (0)