Making of The Shining



Thanks to an accidental double-ship from newegg.com, I ended up with 4GB of RAM, so both PC's are now maxed out. Since we're now actually able to view x264 HD files on the big screen, we rewatched The Shining. God, it's beautiful. Regardless of what one thinks about Kubrick's adaptation or interpretation of the novel, the camera work and cinematography are mindblowing.

A quick look at the wiki on the film steered us toward the featurette, "Making of the Shining". Check it:

"Stanley Kubrick allowed his then-17-year-old daughter, Vivian, to make a documentary about the production of The Shining. Created originally for the BBC television show Arena, this documentary offers rare insight into the shooting process of a Kubrick film. The documentary... is included on both DVD and the Blu-Ray disc releases of The Shining."

I wish I'd had a 16mm sync sound Arriflex documentary camera when I was 17. The short itself is fascinating, and we suggest you watch it as well.

Download it. Or watch on my blog:








- posted by Mason @ 5:54 PM (0) comments

On the Origins of Kool-Aid Man



I had a number of long discussions with a number of people today about Kool-Aid Man, his possible origins, and his basic biological (or bio-mechanical) makeup. My first thought was as follows: Kool-Aid Man (aka "The Big Man") is from a distant planet populated by other Kool-Aid Men. He crash landed on earth and (while attempting to get home) has chosen to spread his gospel of juice flavored, non-carbonated soft drinks to thirsty kids everywhere. In the above commercial, he also fights crime using Kool-Aid to foil baddies and crooks.

Megan has a different take: Dr. Eric Chambers was a scientist who worked for the Kool-Aid company inventing new and exciting flavors of Kool-Aid. While perfecting his recipe for the ultimate Kool-Aid flavor, a freak laboratory accident turned him into a giant polycarbonate pitcher filled with red Kool-Aid. After months of recovery and rehabilitation, Dr. Chambers emerges as Kool-Aid Man and is paid fabulously by the company to promote the product. He quickly becomes disenchanted and vows to stop the company at all costs. He retreats into solitude, only to be replaced by a man in a suit shaped like him which the company uses to sell Kool-Aid, the thing that Kool-Aid man hates more than anything in the world, but which he depends on for survival.

Some early speculation debated whether or not he could exist without the Kool-Aid inside him, and if the Kool-Aid was poured into him, or he generated it himself. Is it like blood or plasma? Is it his food source? If he wanted to, could he generate or be filled with a flavor other than Red? What's he made of? Plastic? Buffed diamond? Futuristic Poly-Carbonate? That clear titanium stuff Scotty has them build in Star Trek IV? It can't be glass because he smashes through fucking walls for god's sake.

My friend Ketch feels that Kool-Aid Man espouses an iron-clad and irrefutable philosophical message for this century: Breaking through barriers, Smashing down walls, and constant positive affirmation. OH YEAH!

If anyone's interested in drawing a D.C. Golden Age-esque comic written by us, then let me know. I think there's a real future in this. Or we could just take some old Hulk comics and put Kool-Aid Man stickers into every frame.
- posted by Mason @ 10:09 PM (0) comments

Fuck your EEPC



Megan's Dad (again, awesome) bought her a Lenovo S10 IdeaPad subcompact notebook computer for the holidaze. Oh wow. I'm typing on it right now. Intel Atom processor, 1GB of ram, 160GB HD [might replace it with a SSD], ten inch wide screen, and the unstoppable IBM quality. We love it so much, we can't stand it. I've downloaded all 1100 US Gameboy Advance ROMS, and have been lap-rocking the GBA all week. It runs the PSX emu perfectly as well. Battery life is pretty good for a tiny 3-cell (about 2 hours at full usage), and the built in webcam looks fine (no mom, to your left... no your other left... no, you don't need to be that close... i can see you just fine... ) Movies look awesome on it [Dark Knight 720p... pretty bad ass even though it downconverts to 1024x600... Dark Knight 720p on Glenn's 52" DLP TV blew my mind].

I also got a 16GB flash drive that I loaded a bootable version on Unbuntu on and it's lovely too. So buy yourself a s10, it's the best $400 laptop out there.
- posted by Mason @ 11:05 PM (1) comments

ERIC!!!!!!!!!!



We haven't seen Mikelson in almost three years. After Megan, Daniel and Cody he's my best friend in the world. We went and picked him up from his place and brought him to Sunday Dinner at Nanny's house. I like to bring people around to eat the chicken tetrazzini that I'm not willing to. Help us convince him to move out of Noble, OK and down to Dallas. That would be the best time ever. We really think that he and CJ should live together, next door to us. Nothing would make me happier than that. Talk about an ultimate sitcom... they're the Odd Couple to the utmost.
- posted by Mason @ 10:38 PM (0) comments

Big. Hard. Disk.



For christmas, Megan's fucking awesome dad bought me 1.5TB hard drive. One Point Five Terra-Byte. That's 3 million 5.25" floppies. Twenty years ago this kind of storage was a pipe dream, and ten years ago only the government and fortune 500 companies could afford that level of capacity. If I moved EVERYTHING on all my other drives over to it (well, not out the media player, obviously) it won't even be a third full. It's so fucking bad ass that I can't stand it. I can't wait to install it.
- posted by Mason @ 10:25 PM (0) comments

I'm so harcore, it hurts.



Daniel conned me into trying on his Levi's 514's (normal waist, skinny leg). Normally, I wear 517's (normal waist, straight leg, boot cut), so everyone decided to have a laugh at my expense, and why not? That's what the holidays are all about. You'll never see me in girl jeans again.
- posted by Mason @ 10:19 PM (0) comments

Merry Fucking Christmas



People's entire families will sit around the fire watching this video for years to come.
- posted by Mason @ 12:53 PM (0) comments

Youtube xmas - part four


- posted by Mason @ 12:51 PM (0) comments

Youtube xmas - part three


- posted by Mason @ 12:49 PM (0) comments

Youtube xmas - part two


- posted by Mason @ 12:46 PM (0) comments

Youtube xmas - part one


- posted by Mason @ 12:44 PM (0) comments

Westsoy Died for Peppermint Jesus' Sins



There's no link in this post because Westsoy chooses not to inform their customers about most of their products. If Chocolate Peppermint Soymilk gives you the boner it gives me, then rush right out and pick up a case of this product before it's out of stores for the season.
- posted by Mason @ 9:44 PM (0) comments

Thrift Score!



HAHAHAHAHAHA! Tascam 202MKIII at Value World in Garland for $24.24 - this is my best thrift store find since Meg picked up that Martin last year. This was a $400 dollar deck new, and this little fucker works perfectly. It was dirty and that's all. And by dirty, I mean it physically had dirt all over it. Weird. As I was walking away to check to see if the deck worked I spied a... wait for it... original 1/2 rackspace Alesis Midiverb for $1.91 - FUCK! Not the crappy midiverb II, but the first generation lawsuit model. I almost shit myself. Looks like they go for about $60 on ebay, so I'll probably sell it after I fuck around with it for a while.
- posted by Mason @ 9:44 PM (0) comments

Eagle Eye



Well, I actually liked this movie. Shy-uh LaBeef has been redeemed for me in this bloated budget thriller. Did you like the movie Enemy of the State? Would you be interested in a more sci-fi pastiche of that film? Like Tony Scott movies? Like directors that rip off his style? Then you'll love this flick. Sure, it's ridiculous, but it's consistently ridiculous. This movie got terrible reviews, but I'm not really sure why. I've seen five worse movies this week, so I don't know what everybody's beef is.

Plot? The government is watching you via CCTV, your cellphone, thermal imaging and every other piece of electronic hardware in the world. That's about it. There's a lot of awesome Bruckheimer-esque explosions and other such overblown Hollywood nonsense. Well worth your time, especially if you smoke dope and need something to watch while you're high.
- posted by Mason @ 6:51 PM (0) comments

Babylon AD



Oh sweet fucking christ. I know I say this pretty often, but Babylon AD really is one of the shittiest movies I've ever seen. In fact, it's one of the worst films anyone's ever seen, as evidenced by it's rating of 7% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Quick quiz. This picture is:
a) psychotropically confusing
b) nausea inducingly boring
c) edited by a 12 year old
d) all of the above

The plot is (I think), that Vin Diesel is some sort of future criminal who agrees to transport the mother of a new messiah and her asian nun escort across eastern Russia, Canada and into the US. Somehow it's also about his death, rebirth and enlightenment, a religio-facist kabaal and the moral consequences of his killing absolutely everything that moves. I hated this film. I didn't understand a single second of it, and to call the acting wooden would be generous at best. Even the seemingly endless sequences of brutal, senseless violence aren't well executed enough to reedeem this waste of studio capital. I highly recommend not wasting a single second of your life on this derivative piece of filth. Four thumbs down.


even the trailer is terrible
- posted by Mason @ 6:50 PM (1) comments

Tex Avery



I'm a huge Tex Avery fan, and have been since I was 5 or 6. I just downloaded the complete body of his work from the internets, and it holds up incredibly well. The House of Tomorrow has always been my favorite, so I present it here for you. Let me know if you want me to burn that shit off for you.
- posted by Mason @ 7:47 PM (0) comments

DUCK!



I know it's not original, but I can't resist. Dubya has pretty good reflexes for an old drunk.
- posted by Mason @ 6:43 PM (0) comments

More VHSrip TV Garbage Vomit



Ahhh.... the whole estate sale tape is finally ripped and uploaded to demonoid. This episode of Entertainment Tonight is especially awesome. Please let me know if you have old tapes lying around the house.

Lynda Carter 1984 Variety Special
Entertainment Tonight - March 16th, 1984
- posted by Mason @ 10:33 PM (2) comments

Terror on the Beach (1973)



Ewwww... Dennis Weaver trash fest!!! I finally ripped, converted and uploaded Terror on the Beach. Ohhhh, it's bad. If you'd like to DL it and you don't have a demonoid.com login, leave a comment with your email in it, and I'll send you an invite.

Terror on the Beach (1973)
Director: Paul Wendkos
Writer: Bill Svanoe (writer)
Release Date: 18 September 1973

Dennis Weaver ... Neil Glynn
Estelle Parsons ... Arlene Glynn
Kristoffer Tabori ... Steve Glynn
Scott Hylands ... Jerry
Susan Dey ... DeeDee Glynn

These hippies have a used firetruck and multitrack recording equipment, and they use these two things to terrorize and frighten a family on vacation in a VW bus. Be forewarned, this movie is terrible. Awful. Almost unwatchable.

This film has never been available for retail sale in any format, so I was quite please to find it. The quality isn't bad for a 25 year old VHS tape in EP mode. In terms of transfer, you should find it flawless, and an accurate representation of the VHS tape itself. Again, I've left all of the late night commercials in, as they are actually more interesting than the film.

Given that I've said that this movie is terrible, it's a must for all Dennis Weaver fans.

Maxell T-120 tape (ep mode) -->
Sony SLV-M10HF VCR-->
Digital Max DMD-R0501 DVD recorder-->
DVD+RW (from recorder)-->

Encoded with DVD Decrypter and AutoGK.
Output codec: XviD
Format: AVI
Resolution: 640x480 ( AR: 1.33 )
Audio 1: English AC3 2ch
Audio Encoding: VBR MP3 256Kbps

- posted by Mason @ 10:26 PM (2) comments

Xmas Pressers


the internet is pointless. see above.

Everything interesting that I've been doing lately relates to Secular Gift Giving Day and the presents that we're buying for you and yours. We've purchased all this cool shit, but I'm not going to post it because they're surprises, see? Most of the last two weeks have been consumed by XXXMA$$$ shopping, thinking about shopping, or planning for shopping.
- posted by Mason @ 6:44 PM (0) comments

Hi-fidelity



The Morse Electrophonic Total Music System. This beast was only $10 at an estate sale over by the store (on Oram, I think) and I found it very difficult to pass up. Look at it! I want to rub my dick all over it it's so beautiful. I couldn't find anything online (ok, I only searched for about five minutes), but wouldn't you assume they bought it at Sears in 1977? Hit me up with some history regarding Morse Electrophonic.








- posted by Mason @ 6:44 PM (1) comments

Dino-topia







I took these photos of a life size concrete and wire dinosaur on South Buckner a while back and forgot to post them. So, uh... here they are.
- posted by Mason @ 6:43 PM (0) comments

Juicer, I Love you.



I bought a used juicer off a co-worker this week. Much like the vita-mix, I didn't know how rotten my life was before I owned it. Sure, I run the juicer at work everyday, but having that shit at home is amazing. I've been making fresh salad dressings in the fucker! (lemon or lime, ginger, carrot, cucumber and spinach - add a seeded banana pepper for some heat) We eat salad almost everyday, and the fresh, oil free dressings add a totally different dimension to greens. The downside is having to clean the basket after every usage, but there's no way around that.

Wake up, run the juicer, drink the juice.
- posted by Mason @ 7:29 PM (0) comments

Quote of the mother-fucking day.




"Oh man is that tofu? I ain't ate tofu since the last time I was in jail."
- posted by Mason @ 7:27 PM (1) comments

The Horses are the Problem



I suppose it's not really a conversation when only one person is talking. See if you can follow the logic of the following (told to me by a person who believes that the human body has evolved to solely consume red meat, preferably raw):

The Guy: See, the rich people in this country hate the fact that middle class people can afford horses for their daughters, so what they're doing is shutting down all the horse slaughter houses. That's gonna cut the horse population in this country by three quarters, which will drive up horse prices so high that middle class people won't be able to afford them. Then the rich people's daughters will feel more privileged.

Me: ........

The Guy: See, most people don't take economics.

Me: ........uh.......

That shit is true. You can't make shit like that up. There's a 1/2 hour version of the story that I'll tell you if you ask me about it. It was completely fucking nuts. Also, he claimed that all the nutrients your body needs are found in beef, that nothing edible grows in the rain forest for six months a year, and that vegetarians are responsible for more deaths than anyone else in history.
- posted by Mason @ 4:22 PM (1) comments

So you don't know what to get this year, huh?



I realize that I'm hard to shop for. As a result, here is a list of things I would like, in no particular order. They range from about $10 to $400 and are all available on the internet.

Standalone rackmount CD Burner (Tascam, HHB, Marantz)
early 90's timex indiglo ironman (just like the one I got for xmas 16 years ago)
Zoom H2
external 1TB harddrive
sobakawa pillow
ds lite w/hack card stuff
rackmount patch bay
studio rack w/ shelves and drawers
any kit from buildyourownclone.com
a few DVD+RWs
video stabilizer (macrovision defeater)
some DDR RAM for the PC
box of chocolate builder bars
thorlo postal socks
xm xpress home kit
any out of print VHS trash
asus ee pc (the cheapest one - linux and no harddrive)
belt made out of used tires
black Levi's 517 size 30x32
maxell cassette tape belt buckle
guitar amp powersoak

I could have posted links, but that would be in bad taste.
- posted by Mason @ 11:09 PM (0) comments

Heavy Metal Peavy Orgasam



All I want for xmas is this awesome Peavey Horizon II. It's so fucking metal I can't stand it. I love you, craigslist. Too bad it's the holiday season and I don't have three hundred bucks just lying around to blow.

Peavey Horizon II Guitar and Case Made in USA - $300 (Frisco)
Reply to: sale-948453403@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-12-05, 10:37AM CST

Folks I have a Peavey Horizon II electric guitar and hard case in super clean condition. Color is the rarer "Iced Mauve" with maple neck. Pick ups are 2 "bladed" humbuckers and a single coil. I believe this to be an 1983 0r 84 model. Its all original and near mint. Here are the specs:

Specs:
* 1 Volume Control
* 2 Tone Controls – Unique circuitry puts the Bridge or Neck pickups progressively in SINGLE COIL MODE when the control is between 7 & 10. Below 7 is HUMBUCKER MODE.
* 2 Toggle Switches Switch 1 is a standard Gibson style switch for Bridge, Neck, and Bridge + Neck. Switch 2 controls the Middle pickup. Center position is OFF. Upper position is ON & IN-PHASE with Bridge & Neck pickups. Lower position is ON & OUT-OF-PHASE

The tone possibilities are endless which will put you at home in whatever style you play. Price is $300 Call 214-205-3038 Thanks for looking and have a great day!

- posted by Mason @ 4:25 PM (0) comments

Lynda Carter, The Most Self Indulgent Woman Ever



Oh. Shit. How's about a home recorded VHS tape from 1984, bought an estate sale for $1 that contains the following:

1) Lynda Carter: Body and Soul Variety Special (all singing, all dancing, all nonsense)
2) Entertainment Tonight (from March 1984)
3) Local Dallas Channel 8 Newscast (from the same day)
4) The Hindenburg (a boring PBS special)
5) Terror on the Beach (awesome made for tv from 1973, never available on VHS or DVD movie staring Dennis Weaver and the mom from Roseanne who get terrorized while on vacation by a group of hippies who drive around in an old firetruck and use multitrack recording technology to frighten squares... it's fucking great)

Well, the first thing you'd do is xfer all of that trash (excluding the PBS special) to DVD, then rip it and then post it on Demonoid, wouldn't you? Hell yes you would.

This Lynda Carter thing is just horrible. She finds a way to relate every Cole Porter she poorly lipsyncs to her childhood in Arizona. The tap-dance duet with Ben Vereen is pretty embarrassing and in her country duet segment a red faced, pop-eyed Eddie Rabbit is so out of his mind on blow that he looks ready to tear his own skin off. I'll post the download link after I post it. You should really watch it. Or at least watch these bad clips from it.




- posted by Mason @ 4:22 PM (0) comments

Broken Deck, Broken Heart



ARRRGGGHHHH. Fuckers. I wanted this Nakamichi BX-100 to work so badly. $12.12 at Family Thrift over on Buckner. I plugged it in... it powered up... and then the tape transport didn't work. The fucker just wouldn't play. If it had been $5 I would have just bought it and tried to fix it. It's not a Dragon, but even a low end Nakamichi is a bad motherfucker to be your back up deck, no?

I love cassettes. Give me your old decks. I want to make a house out of them.
- posted by Mason @ 4:22 PM (0) comments

LightScribin'



I got my LightScribe drive today. It's pretty cool. Along with a cracked copy of NERO, I should be able to make some pretty awesome discs. I wish it was faster (almost 20 minutes for a full graphic disc), but I suppose I shouldn't expect too much for a $20 burner. Now all the FLAC'd shows I've been downloading will look like proper bootlegs.
- posted by Mason @ 4:22 PM (0) comments

Beastmaster Remake?



My friend Bradley brings up an interesting question: Which would you rather see remade, Clash of the Titans or Beastmaster? My answer was, "Well I'm sure someone already is". I was right... Clash of the Titans (2010), poop. There's also already a bad Beastmaster TV series from the late 90's (ewww, it's Australian no less) so that's out. I would like to see a really well done Beastmaster remake, maybe directed by Guillermo del Toro or David Fincher. I know, that's nuts, right? No, it would be awesome and you know it. The Beastmaster story rules and you know you want a huge budget Hollywood remake of it. The Clash of the Titans thing might not be horrible... ok, it will be, but you'll go see it anyway.
- posted by Mason @ 4:32 PM (0) comments