mikl-emphasizes

Eminem's new album 3AM, pre-release stuff for fans via Topspin

2009-05-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

New Eminem out on Tuesday (May 19), lots of amazing stuff around the release

I am contemplating a larger post (probably on The Squid) about Eminem's new album and what the way it's being distributed/marketed/whatever reflects the kind of evolution that the music industry needs. But for now I just wanna test how this embed works.

Many props to Topspin for another amazing album release concept. Great packages of stuff fans really really appreciate at eminem.com

R.I.P. Bea Arthur (1922-2009) with occasional punk rock

2009-04-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

Bea Arthur has left this mortal coil. She will live on in reruns of Golden Girls, and Maude via memory more than actual airtime.

here's an earlier rendition of this same tune by another late icon...

Here's an old clip where Bea shows off her comic stylings...

Here's an excerpt from the notorious Star Wars Holiday Special featuring Bea as a cantankerous bartender on Tatooine

I think that we need to all keep even closer watch on Abe Vigoda now. Here's a site that can help.

Eric Lewis at 5pm today at DNA Lounge

2009-04-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

See my post on Laughing Squid for all the details

The incredible performer Eric Lewis (@eleww) is playing live tonight at a free show at DNA Lounge. DNA has been battling the state ABC board, so this is a benefit as well.

I saw Eric play earlier this week and shot video and images that are now on Flickr. He's a really special performer (read my lsquid post for lots more detail).

Here's one more video that I discovered on Nerdblog.com of an impromptu show that he did after his famous set at TED earlier this year....

Eric Lewis at TED 2009 from Michael Herf on Vimeo.

The Colbert Report's Big (Gay) Gathering Storm

2009-04-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't seen this, it is frickin hilarious.

Two Videos That Showcase Change That We Can Believe In

2009-04-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

Two great political clips from today, one on TV and the other in Congressional testimony. Lawrence O'Donnell forcefully rebuts judge-a-book-by-its-cover defense policy from an ex-Bush admin'er and Hilary takes apart photo-opp-with-Chavez-gate like only an adult from the winning political party can. Both via Talking Points Memo TV. Enjoy.

watching the bac'n guys at barcamp austin

2009-03-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

Watching the Bacn.com guys at BarCampAustin

These guys created a business letting people Buy Bacon online and bacon realted stuff. Some very cool insights. And great tips for prefab'd services that make it much easier to run a web/mail-based business.

Here's a short list:
Crazyegg.com for landing page analysis, Endicia.com for a great way to deal with postage (interface to the USPS' scary API, has an awesome Mac client--seems like Opentaps does a similar thing), Uservoice for onsite feedback.

Business model: Selling t-shirts for a high profit and lots & lots of the world's best bacon for a lesser profit per item. And being smart as hell about every aspect of marketing & operations, totally leveraging new technology like the above.

Brilliant and fun presentation. Built the biz in 3 weeks. Paid tshirt models in PBR & Pizza. Presentation soon in SF.

Beeler's Uncured Garlic Pepper Bacon from Bac'n.com on Vimeo.

That was great, now back to SXSW proper.

Scam School at SXSi

2009-03-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

Watching the Scam School guy at SXSW

I refuse to look up and remember his name, cuz it's a click away for you to learn it yourself. But it's a show on Revision3 about scams & tricks, esp. around how to get free drinks.

Very entertaining, a domestic Derren Brown who walks amongst us. Gave some background. Lots of it is about Fixed Action Patterns. Interesting stuff.

He recommends the book How to Read a Person Like a Book.

more later

I'm at SXSW (and maybe you are or not?)

2009-03-13T14:35:00.000-07:00

I'm hanging at SXSW for the week. And here I have this monthlong gap on posts at my eponymous blog. So I thought I'd get a quickie up here, in case someone surfs over here trying to figure out what my deal is.

To find out what I am doing RIGHT NOW check me on Twitter. Images are on Flickr. Read recent blogposts on my little slice of LaughingSquid. Including today's post about how NOT to attend SXSW.

More later soon yup. -em

Coraline: check.

2009-02-19T22:25:00.000-08:00

it's brilliant. duh.

Coraline and Watchmen hit theaters in Spring 2009 (like almost now)

2009-01-24T14:19:00.000-08:00

Wow, gee cool, the right movies are being made!

What joy that not both Coraline and Watchmen are coming out in the theaters in the next couple months. Here's the trailer for Neil Gaiman's Coraline:

Gaiman is a master storyteller, famous for his series The Sandman, made a wonderful and little seen feature filmed named Mirror Mask and numerous novels, comics, film and television creativity in his native England and adopted America.

The film has an incredible cast including Dakota Fanning, a Desperate Housewife, Ian McShane (Deadwood), both Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders (creators of Absolutely Fabulous and French & Saunders) and John Hodgman (noted author and A PC). There's a good page on Yahoo! Movies that summarizes details and links to trailers and photos and stuff.

Oh and Hodgman and Gaiman are both on Twitter, btw.

The Watchmen also has a cool compendium page on Yahoo! with some pretty sweet making of videos. It's an Alan Moore graphic novel that I don't have time to talk about in detail. But Time Magazine listed it in the Top 100 novels of all-tim. Here's the sneak peek trailer, which I like better than the one in the theaters now...

Happy New Year! Welcome 2009!!

2009-01-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

let the new year in, be aware and take stock

It's just an arbitrary day of course, January 1, not tied to the sun or moon, named for a Roman god who has long gone out of style. But it's a marker, and that's useful. It's been a year (365 "days") since we last had this conversation, right?

I don't go in for resolutions, I don't think betting with yourself in front of everyone is a good or healthy way to motivate or change behavior. But your mileage may vary. But I do think that we tend to be more aware at this time, for obvious reasons (read: hungover). So it's useful to take a look at things (like this desk covered with all manner of crap? no, not that, okay?) and see where that observance takes you. But no dramatic pledges, per se, just run the old problem-solving and optimization scripts against it, and see where you end up. Again, that's me. I should just talk to myself, I suppose.

I want this to be a great year, with focus on the right things--remembering that healthy and pleasurable are not strictly expensive and that they can often be derived by very simple means: taking a walk accomplishes so much. That will be my one Zen outburst. I promise. I have no idea where it came from. But that wish is for all of you as well: a healthy, happy new year.

Also, my advice: find some optimism, which likewise is its own reward, and use it to fuel pragmatic thinking. We need to be practical and somewhat conservative as we proceed into a year that will be difficult. But make sure you know who your friends are, and remember how much that means, and make sure you have their numbers on you. That means write them down, back them up, and probably also get their zip code.

A programming note, as it were, you will tend to find fresher post-dates from me on Laughing Squid (where I guest-blog) than this blog, typically. I think I'll be writing a bit more here, certainly more than I did last year, but in general more and more interesting stuff will tend to pop up there.

That said, more here soon.....

Mikl-em

And a Merry Walken Christmas to All

2008-12-23T15:54:00.000-08:00

The play is over, long live the play. I had a great time performing in Snowmiser our twisted little Christmas review at The Dark Room.

The shadowy figure known as Puzzling Evidence shot the below footage of the show on closing night, Saturday 12-20-2008, enjoy....

I AM SNOWMISER: Walken in a Winter Wonderland

2008-12-12T18:55:00.000-08:00

Now playing at the Dark Rom (4 performances only)...

Featuring yours truly and a bunch of other talented folks. More details here.

On Obama & Blackberries

2008-11-15T21:19:00.000-08:00

NYTimes article on Obama, his Blackberry, and why POTUS can't email.

RFK Jr. on Rachel Maddow explaing Voter Supression

2008-10-22T00:56:00.000-07:00

Incredible, must see. Robert F Kennedy, Jr lays out in detail how voter surpression has and is being systemically done in Colorado and many other states. Steal Back Your Vote is Kennedy & Greg Palast's site to spread the word and help empower voters to defend their rights.

The Wicker Man rock opera, live at the Dark Room in October

2008-10-07T23:14:00.000-07:00

Mikl-em and an incredible cast bring a cult classic film to the stage

This weekend our production of The Wicker Man opened at The Dark Room in the Mission.

The show runs Thurs-Sat at 8pm through October 25th.
Buy Tickets HERE

photo by Geof Teague poster by Foul Play

Fans of cult cinema know the original Wicker Man film as a great and odd British artifact of the early 70s, starring Christopher Lee (probably the most prolific actor in history appearing in over 260 films beginning in 1948) and that guy who later starred as The Equalizer on tv (aka Edward Woodward). Oh, and hottie Britt Ekland.

It was written by the guy who wrote "Sleuth", who also adapted most of Agatha Christie's plays into films (Evil Under the Sun, etc).

It's about pagans and a christian cop. And a lotta sex. And masks. And did I mention it was 1973?

It's a better than your standard B-movie, with a psychological horror aspect that is a step above Lee's vampire portrayals of that era. It is definitely a 60's free love hangover that could spend quite a while on the analyst's couch gloriously recounting its many much enjoyed transgressions against the Nixon, stadium rock & bell bottoms.

There is an obvious comparability to that desert festival out there in Nevada, though we don't overtly touch on it in our play. From what I hear this flick was a favorite amongst the cacophonists who started Burning Man way back when.

Here's the trailer for the original film:

And an interview with the great Christopher Lee talking about the film's rather star-crossed past (missing footage, a studio that didn't believe in it):

A few years back they slandered this noble savage piece of film history with a redressed, toned-down and Nick-Caged remake. That film is so awful, by numerous accounts including the At The Movies guys, that it deserves no linkage or further mention.

Our 'umble repurposing of the story adds "Rock Opera" with an INCREDIBLE score of new tunes by Jim Fourniadis of the Dark Room in collaboration with the band Live Evil. This show follows in the fine tradition of other Dark Room musicals like Lovesick and Emperor Norton. Great original music and a fine cast (I say, even notwithstanding my own membership in said cast, you know).

In fact I get my own Tom Waitsian solo tune, as the Gravedigger--one of three parts I play in the show.

The cast is incredibly strong including my pal Steffanos, the incredible Flynn De Marco in the starring role of x-tian cop, and a great ensemble who you've seen in various other Dark Room shows like Ten Commandments, Emperor Norton, Clue, Duck Soup & Twilight Zone.

It's great fun, and I hope you can catch it!

Alan Moore self-documentary from 1987

2008-09-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

Alan Moore, author of Watchmen and V for Vendetta and "the face of success in Thatcher's Britain"

Wonderful, dated and wonderful. I'm finishing up Watchmen right now, quite behind the times really, since I've known about it since the 80's. But never got around to reading it until now. Can't wait for the movie, and meanwhile the design of website is fantastic.

For Pop Will Eat Itself fans, if there are any out there, note there's a sample pulled from the short above that is used in one of their songs ("Shortwave Transmission"); the quote is near the end of the video: "television, movies, comics" at 9:21 in. PWEI name-checked Moore and his works frequently on their This is the Day, This is the Hour, This is This album. And pages from The Watchmen appear in the video for "Can U Dig It?".

Here's a version of The Watchmen trailer that's been dubbed with the PWEI song "The Fuses Have Been Lit":

different, but it kinda works.

San Francisco Gin No. 209 featured on MSNBC

2008-09-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

This report appeared yesterday on MSNBC. No. 209 is a great gin, made in SOMA right near the Giants' stadium. Great to hear about an excellent local product getting national attention:

Sept. 3: A small San Francisco distiller is combining the best ingredients from around the world with some tech knowledge to make a eco-friendly gin. KNTV's Lisa Bernard reports.

The Speech that Barak should give at the convention

2008-08-25T01:16:00.001-07:00

The New Vision - Theodore C. Sorensen

The purpose of public office is to do good, not harm; to change
lives, help lives, and save lives, not destroy them. I look upon the
presidency not as an opportunity to rule, but as an opportunity to
serve. I intend to serve all the people, regardless of party, race,
region, or religion.

This is an excerpt from a remarkable speech that the Washington Monthly asked a former speechwriter for JFK to produce several months back, in the heat of the Democratic primary season. There were still many people in the field at the time, so this was written with the thought that any of the candidates might give it.

It's a wonderful idea and an incredible speech. Read it and then let's see how Barak's actual speech measures up.

Gavin Newsom may actually be "G.O.B." from Arrested Development

2008-07-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

Judge for yourself, folks, but to me Gavin Newsom, at least in the interview below with political blog Talking Points Memo, bears a striking resemblance to Will Arnett who plays the character George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II on the late, lamented Fox network comedy Arrested Development.

The only difference here is that "Gavin" is speaking intelligently about some excellent political ideas (and then about his general ambition to be Governor of California):

And for comparison, here's the mayor of San Francisc--oops, I did it again. I mean G.O.B., the (hilarious) loser magician brother on Arrested D. Try playing the above and below videos simultaneously for comparison!!

Convinced? Not convinced? Either way, let's do another one, shall we?

Oh, crap, what about one more?

For the record I am not rabidly anti-Newsom, although I am not his biggest fan. I mainly, like "G.O.B.", find him funny. :)

Rand Corporation says US should abandon phrase "War on Terror"

2008-07-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

From Countdown, amongst coverage of 3 ongoing scandals. Note Rand also endorses taking a law-enforcement rather than military-focused approach to fighting Al Qaeda.

My latest laughingsquid post...

2008-07-21T15:27:00.001-07:00

New post up on LSquid about the new Neal Stephenson novel Anathem and Long Now

Support Todd and the Gear Wall

2008-07-17T22:47:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody, the arts community of the Bay Area is rallying this weekend to support one of our own. Can you spare something to help Todd Blair of SRL and CCA? More details: http://ping.fm/xgTEu

John McCain lies to vets face-to-face

2008-07-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

From tonight's Countdown show...

How fantastic that a Vietnam War vet steps up and sticks to it, getting McCain on the record, denying his recorded voting record. Good interview after the clip giving it more context.

I'm judging again... "What's Your Answer?!" on July 27th

2008-07-09T18:50:00.001-07:00

I will be helping judge the relative merit of aspiring comedic answers at What's Your Answer?! a twisted take on pub trivia competitions.This is the third or fourth time we've done this show. It's a little like the Match Game on Goldschlaager.

A bunch of loaded questions are put forth in front of a group of pub-trivia type teams (i.e. quasi-random bar-goers and assorted know-it-all's--hey!! this means YOU!). The teams then come up with not the *right* answer but the *funny* answer. Then they send one brave soul (sucka!) up to read their answers aloud.

A group of judge-mental types who think they are the funniest thing since sliced bread (hey!!this means ME!), then present scores for each answer (ala' the former East Germany, but with lower dollar value bribes and more random acts of sadism). The bottom line is really just more fun than the whole family should be legally allowed to enjoy!!

And actually, fortunately , we live in a world where's it's NOT legal for the whole family. Only those in the house who can legally quaff booze are allowed to display their ignoramuses here for all to see. That includes me. I am too old enough!!!

Like I said, it's called What's Your Answer?! it's coming up late in July (Sunday 7/27), so move outta the damn country before then, if it bothers you so frickin much. Here's where you can find out what we in the business like to call "more": http://ping.fm/uRoWc