Mark McDermott

The week ahead in Chicago craft beer, Feb. 27-March 1

2012-02-26T01:37:00.000-06:00

More of Switzerland's BFM, Goose Island's Old Town Yard, events with Dogfish Head, Founders, and Brooklyn.

This weekend in Chicago craft beer, February 24-26

2012-02-23T23:29:00.000-06:00

Swiss brewer brings rare treats, 5 Rabbit taps Huitzi, a SmallBar Sour fest, and Goose's Fulton & Wood series.

Musical Cheese II: The saga continues!

2012-02-19T23:48:00.001-06:00

Now, I don't know how long I'll be doing this little broadcast from the studios of WIIT. There may be a job coming down the line that keeps me from coming in for class, who knows? The next podcast could be my last! So I learned a few things after last week's opening salvo. First, the Virtual DJ software on my Windows netbook is by default expecting a soundcard installed with two

Back in the Booth! My Musical Cheese show

2012-02-13T23:53:00.000-06:00

It's something I've awaited for 25 years. I had promised myself that, if by some chance I got myself affiliated with a school or college with a radio station, I would get myself an air shift! And that one-class certificate course I'm taking at Illinois Institute of Technology is my ticket. Once I knew I would be going to the downtown campus for a class, I signed up to do a radio shift

My weekend vinyl pleasures

2012-01-16T20:27:00.002-06:00

In trying to keep up my little space on the web, I thought I'd go through my playlists that won't get posted: my vinyl listening. This weekend, while pounding away at the keys, and not wanting to be distracted by putting on the TV, I just dug out some LPs. Got the ION turntable plugged into the computer anyway, and was intending to screen all my vinyl to start listing them on GEMM. I am

The Hobbit Condensed

2012-01-11T00:07:00.002-06:00

Some months ago, the cartoonbrew blog posted a YouTube video that had unearthed a long-lost pilot for a Howdy Doody cartoon film series, made on spec for "Buffalo Bob" Smith and NBC by animator Gene Deitch ("Tom Terrific" among many others). That film was thought lost for many years until someone unearthed a copy and posted it to YouTube. Now another long-lost film has resurfaced, this one with

Goodtime's Retiring!: Holy S***! It's True!

2011-09-22T00:58:00.000-05:00

Could this be the end of my all-time favorite load bar band, the New Duncan Imperials???? Goodtime's Retiring!: Holy S***! It's True!: Yes kids, that tireless dynamo of rock power and sweaty hand-outs, GOODTIME DAMMIT, is retiring from ALL FORMS of show business. He will no...

There's something you don't see every day

2011-07-20T09:06:00.000-05:00

At least not even in my relatively upscale neighborhood. As the wife and I were driving past Ogden Avenue, right on the border between Downers Grove and Westmont, we saw the lot of a car repair shop that had parked on its lot corner: a Mercedes, and Jaguar, and... a Rolls Royce. Now I'm not sure that I've ever seen a Rolls on the road at all before, let alone in a repair shop. This is in spite of

Whadya got when ya got no lights?

2011-07-05T14:46:00.000-05:00

So two weeks ago we suffered through a major blackout caused by the storm through Downers Grove that was only later defined to be a Tornado. While we only lost a few tree branches, not even the worst storm damage our trees had suffered, parts of the village were ripped up pretty good. The park near us had so many downed braches being pushed to the sidewalk, it looked for a while like you could

Hiding out and Hanging out

2011-06-27T11:40:00.000-05:00

So, I'm still not Wi-Fi enabled and mobile. But I expect to be shortly. And I'm thinking now of locations to hide or hang out while wasting time surfing the net doing my important writing. My detached garage has no electricity, though it might be within reach of my Mac Mini's Air Port. But let's say you just want to go someplace away from the usual coffee shops and just sit in a quiet spot? Here

Commodore USA returns withn new C-64

2011-04-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

Your favorite first computer is baaack!

Another "rediscovered" Warner Brothers wartime cartoon

2011-04-04T09:45:00.002-05:00

Another Warner Brothers military film rediscovered: The Cartoon Brew site discusses this film: cartoonbrew.com/classic/grampaw-pettibone-by-warner-bros-cartoons. Much lesser-known than the Pvt. Snafu, cartoons for the Army, the Grampaw Pettigrew character was thought to have been created by the UPA studio for Navy training films, but Brew researchers found the first of these was definitely

Three topics you should never bring up in polite discussion

2011-03-21T08:58:00.000-05:00

Religion, politics, and Superman vs. Flash.DC Universe: The Source » Blog Archive » Who’s the Fastest?Probably should add to that:Hulk vs. ThingThor's hammer (unstoppable force) vs. Juggernaut (Immovable object)

Iconoscope No.1: Star Wars Episode IV | DozBlogThing

2011-02-10T08:29:00.001-06:00

When I'm at work and find these things, I can't post to Facebook, so here you go: Star Wars retold using icons. Iconoscope No.1: Star Wars Episode IV | DozBlogThing

Comics Code Authority is dead - Boing Boing

2011-01-24T10:03:00.001-06:00

Comics Code Authority is dead - Boing Boing It's not yet confirmed that the Comics Code Authority will still continue in some form; presumably not, as its membership was representatives from the very publishers that submitted to its authority. While some will look at the practice of the CCA as "censorship," the dividing lines are not as clear: publishers had to right not to submit their comics

Best analysis of a failed "Star Trek" movie by its writer

2011-01-04T10:41:00.001-06:00

http://www.metafilter.com/99091… It's easier to follow the links in this article than to track to the original articles it cites. Basically, Michael Pillar, "Star Trek: TNG's" show runner, detailed what went wrong with "Star Trek: Insurrection." While I might complain that I just now realized the final plot of the movie was swiped by "Avatar," is it better than the original idea of swiping from

The cultural genome: Google Books reveals traces of fame, censorship and changing languages | Not Exactly Rocket Science | Discover Magazine

2010-12-17T10:31:00.000-06:00

What ca we learn by sorting every word ever printed? Can we achieve a concordance to the known universe? Not yet, but here's a good start. The cultural genome: Google Books reveals traces of fame, censorship and changing languages | Not Exactly Rocket Science | Discover MagazineInteresting that "The Great War" was discarded in favor of "The World War" and then "World war I" in 1938, when it must

"The Novel" or What's wrong with Marvel?

2010-12-09T14:47:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure of the background of this writer, but he hits plenty of nails on his head with his claim that the innovation of the Marvel Age of Comics ended in 1991. I read the phone-book compendium "Essential Fantastic Four" a while back, collecting #1-#20 of the magazine, and was impressed at how, even in the early days, the Lee/Kirby issues showed the characters actually growing and developing,

‘Plaster Caster’ Mounts Mayoral Campaign « CBS Chicago – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic, and the Best of Chicago

2010-11-01T09:35:00.000-05:00

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2010/10/27/plaster-caster-mounts-mayoral-campaign/#Finally, someone who's proven she's not afraid to get her hands dirty!I actually met her once, when the Chicago Psychotronic Film Society was going on in the 80s. Don't remember if she was part of the program, or just showed up because she knew the hosts. One of those showings did run the film "Groupies" with her

Helvetica In Space

2010-09-10T09:06:00.002-05:00

One day, this be done, just for the hell of it. With lasers, solar sails, I don't know. Thanks to kottke.org

One for my homiez!

2010-08-26T12:54:00.001-05:00

This past week, my parents were out to visit us. Largely because my dad, well retired, still looks for projects to work on, and we settled on replacing the very wobbly wood handrailing on our concrete deck. The deck over the attached garage, so one side has a ten-foot plunge onto asphalt if the railing gives way.The result was a great deck reinforced with lots of steel bolts and set screws. The

Fear of a Whigger Planet!

2010-05-20T09:11:00.000-05:00

Rapping order at American Fork McDonald's not a crime, judge rules | Deseret News

There are cooler fish in the sea than you've ever seen!

2010-05-18T14:31:00.001-05:00

MBARI News Release - Researchers solve mystery of deep-sea fish with tubular eyes and transparent head

Seattle boy with cancer turns into a superhero for a day | Seattle Times Newspaper

2010-04-30T12:03:00.000-05:00

Local News | Local boy with cancer turns into a superhero for a day | Seattle Times NewspaperGreat story, although one might what a character named "Moonshine Maid" might be doing with a DeLorean when she's not crimefighting. Bet those extra tanks in the rear aren't for gasoline!

You have NEVER seen this cartoon before!

2010-04-16T08:48:00.001-05:00

Unearthed after nearly 60 years, a "lost" UPA cartoon, the first directed by Gene Deitch. It was a pilot for a proposed theatrical cartoon series to star Howdy Doody, but Buffalo Bob is said have hated it. Too bad. A successful series of cartoon would have kept the character popular today, as I don't think there's a lot of footage of the TV show around. Thanks to the Cartoon Brew website for

Our New Family [Webshots]

2004-12-21T07:34:23-08:00

Our New Family

by m_b_mcdermott
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St. Petersburg [Webshots]

2004-07-22T09:53:43-07:00

Views of St. Peterburg as we met our little Vanya

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Schaller Pop Corn Days and Class of 77 Reunion [Webshots]

2003-02-13T07:02:25-08:00

Our 25 year reunion of the Schaller High School Class of 77 at Pop Corn Days, July 5, 2002

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Schell's Brewery & Sod House, Minnesota [Webshots]

2002-07-26T18:22:45-07:00

A vist to the Schell's Brewing Company, July 2, 2002

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The 2001 Rt. 66 Trip Arizona & California [Webshots]

2001-10-02T13:00:34-07:00

The Arizona leg of Mark & Barb McDermott's trek along old Rt. 66

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