25 May 06 Netflix for progressives.

Ironweed Film Club is a new movie service similar to Netflix, but with a progressive spin. Their shtick is for $14.95 a month they send you a DVD containing one feature length movie, usually a documentary highlighting a current national or international issue, and a few shorts. It's more like an expensive magazine subscription than a DVD rental service, because the DVDs are yours to keep. Past films include the NJ election documentary Street Fight and the immigration documentary Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary.

I don't think the service has been running for too long because they don't have a huge backlog of issues to buy, so it might be a good idea to wait to see if it gets off of the ground. It'd be bitch to sign up and then the thing gets shut down from lack of subscribers. I think I might check into once the monthly income is stable, I am a documentary junkie after all.

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25 May 06 missed the train.

Deathdealer: A Documentary

How did I miss this?

Where can I get a copy (Netflix doesn't have it)?

Has anyone seen it and is worth the trouble of finding it?

Oh, and does anyone know what movie/tv show or whatever Hank is currently filming that he keeps talking about in his daily dispatches?

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25 May 06 Fun with Dick.

– INSERT EVIL CAPTION HERE –

25 May 06 Big Brother Watch.

via Boing Boing

U. Florida cops ask fiction writer for fingerprints, DNA

The university police at Gainesville's University of Florida have targeted a graduate student in the English program over his publication of a piece of horror fiction on his LiveJournal. The police have repeatedly visited the student and demanded that he submit his fingerprints and DNA to them so that they can compare the fictional murder he described in his story to evidence from any similar unsolved murders.

Philip Sandifer is a graduate student in U. Fla's English program, and keeps a personal creative writing journal called “Pulp Decameron,” where he posts very short stories in the styles of various pulp genres. The stories are released under a Creative Commons license. One story, I am Ready to Serve My Country, is a first-person account of a murderer who executes two victims before applying to the military.

On May 12, detective Sanders of the University of Florida police left him a voicemail asking him to contact her. This began a series of meetings and calls with the University Police in which detectives repeatedly pressured him to allow them to fingerprint him, so that they could compare his prints to evidence from unsolved murders. They cited his publication of the horror fiction as the reason.

I spotted the story on Sandifer's LiveJournal last week and rang the university police. I spoke to Detective Sanders, but she declined to give any comment on the case, referring me to Lt. Sharkey, the Department's press-relations officer. I left several messages for Lt. Sharkey, without receiving a call back.

However, on May 18, Sandifer posted an update to his LiveJournal, stating that the police had met with him and his faculty advisors, Kenneth Kidd and Sid Dobrin, and the police had told him that “a journalist from the UK” was asking about his story. They advised him that he'd better turn over his DNA and fingerprints before the story broke. They also questioned Sandifer's advisors as to whether their students should be writing material like Sandifer's.

| MORE |

Here is today's follow-up entry.

What the hell? So are fiction writers only supposed to write about puppy dogs and shopping? So much for the career of every mystery writer out there, you are all now suspect. You know, because the only way someone could possibly know so much about murder and what have you is by actually doing it. This is what happens when people lack imagination, which I assume is something that isn't on the job application for 'Dickhead Police Officer'. I know I know, isolated incident, but it could be a prelude. I think I'll write about the most vile, disgusting, and stomach turning stuff in my creative writing class this fall just to see if I can get the attention of the UCF bobbies.

p.s. This no Internet at home shit is for the birds, I'm back sitting in Panera. Tomorrow night I take flight, expect some phone posts from the road.

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24 May 06 Double Take.

Infamous (2006)

While researching his book In Cold Blood, writer Truman Capote (Jones) develops a close relationship with convicted murderers Dick Hickock and Perry Smith.

Sounds great, but uh, didn't they already make that movie? Sandra Bullock as Harper Lee, bwahaha!

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24 May 06 Office Space moment.

I just found a drawer full of TPS Reports, if I didn't have a stuffed up
head I would have spit coffee out of my nose laughing.

They didn't have the proper cover sheets on them either.

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24 May 06 sailing the sea of cheese.

Woke up feeling worse today than I did yesterday, so bad that I couldn't
manage B&N this morning. It feels like someone kicked me in the head
and stuffed my sinuses full of that Nickelodeon slime (or was it Floam?).

Just got to make it 5 hours. Hopefully I won't have to cancel some movie
plans this evening, but it's not looking good.

Calgon, take me away.

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23 May 06 fog of war.

Did someone put a damn curse on me or something? This morning, while not 100%, I didn't feel as shitty as I do right now. When I got to work (work #2 that is) it just went all downhill; sinus headache, itchy eyes & nose, snot face. I took some meds but I don't want to overdo it because I'm still at work and I don't want to make an antihistamine induced blunder that ends up costing the bank a million dollars (okay so that is rather unlikely, but so what). Does someone out there have a tall, skinny, half-thai doll that they accidentally put in the washer on the spin cycle? Save that fucker and dry him out, I need to be 100% by the weekend.

Back to the grind, and by grind I mean wandering the Internets while letting my automatic processes run on the server. Oh yeah, I'm earning my keep.

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23 May 06 predictable.

via email from work

ExpertsForecast
a Busy Hurricane Season

This year should be less fierce than last, scientists say, but four to
six storms could be Category 3 or higher.
Way to use the law of averages and the fact that this is how it's been for
nearly all of Florida's history to make it sound like you guys are experts.
While you're at it, why don't you predict some more brush fires, mudslides
in California, or perhaps unrest in Sudan; then you'd really be showing off
your powers of prognostication.

I think I'm getting sick which doesn't bode well for a road trip and
spending time with friends. Time to overload on OJ and herbals (no not
those herbals, you know I don't do that). Getting up in some mountain air
will help too. Work till 9:30 and then back at BN tomorrow at 7am, no time
for love Dr. Jones.

Have a good one.

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22 May 06 zoom zoom.

As I said previously, the best thing about working with older country ladies… the food. Today my co-worker gifted me with some homemade apple butter, talk about knowing the way to a man's heart. Next week, or when I get back rather, she's bringing me homemade blackberry jam. Yeehaw!

I don't anticipate having any Internet service when I get home because this time I think the actual modem took a shit (right now I'm leeching off of the Internet connection at the office). This means that an actual Brighthouse guy will have to come out to the house to install a new one and we all know how easy it is to get one of those guys to come over don't we. I have a spare cable modem but for some reason they won't let you tell them the MAC address over the phone, one of their smelly technicians has to come out there and physically do it for some reason. Why do those guys always stink so bad? Is it a job requirement or something? Besides, I think I'd rather have my own modem and wireless router in my room so that I can have control over all of my Internet settings, I'm weird like that. And this matters to anyone because? Right.

Too much to do and less time to do it in damn it. I can't wait until a week from today, I'll be away form here and enjoying the company of my favorite people (and getting paid for it, I still can't get over this for some reason).

I'm going to have to write up my Da Vinci bitch session tonight and post it tomorrow because I don't have time to sit at work and do it right now. Oh, speaking of work I suppose I'd better get back to it. These accounts are going to update themselves are they?

Have a good one.

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22 May 06 Mission Accomplished (sort of)

The Internet at my house is currently on the fritz so I couldn't report on the outcome of yesterday's quest for adventure. Thus this little bit is coming at you live from the Winter Park Panera bread where it takes 10 minutes and three people to get you a large coffee and a chocolate chip muffin. So, let's go down the list shall we:

• Leave the computer at home - Check
  This was easy enough, I just had to pry my clammy Thai from it and then run out the door. You need to start these kind of days with an easy goal.

• Find a good place for some breakfast - Check
  Although I didn't really find it, it's just there, but me and ate at Too Jay's where I had a splendid feta and spinach omelet. So far so good.

• Find a place to buy cheap stuff… - Check
  Deciding that I needed to find some useless trinkets and what have you a flea market sounded like the perfect idea. We drove too far west on I-4 looking for one and ended up in that weird negative zone between Orlando and Tampa. It's creepy out there; full of giant car dealerships, golf courses, and scary, planned communities full of white people that are really happy on billboards. After stopping for some directions we ended up at the flea market on 192, the non-Henry Miller air-conditioned nightmare. Worst flea market ever. First of all, air-conditioned? Flea markets are supposed to be hot, uncomfortable, the sound of sand-shuffling beneath your feet drowned out by screaming children. It's supposed to smell of body odor and shitty hot dogs with possibly a touch of dog poo from the guy selling puppy-mill puppies at the end of the hall. This place was nothing of the sort. Indoor, linoleum floors, and the same five or six booths repeated over and over throughout the entire place. I want a creepy oriental food store, a guy with one-eye selling bootleg DVDs, novelty acrylic toilet seats with barb wire in them, illegal fireworks, and everything that is 'As Seen On TV'. This place was a disgrace to the title Flea Market, I bet you couldn't even get a good haggle going on here. Give me Frontenac Flea Market over this shit anyday, PSJ represent!

• Go to the gun show - No
  I decided against this since I'm going to wait for my brother to take the class with me when it comes back around in July. No point in wasting $7 just to tease myself with firearms and weapons of minimal destruction.

• Take a picture of something interesting - Check
  Taking a detour to Winter Park we went to the Art of the Motorcycle exhibit at the OMA. I was pretty impressed actually, I thought it was going to be like the Chihuly exhibit and only have a couple of pieces, but there were tons of bikes. I spent the extra $3.50 for a photopass and took a bunch of pictures of all of the bikes. I also snuck an illegal photo of the one Chihuly piece they have there permanently and and I also contributed to the wall of Eric Carle art. I also got the best desk ornament ever (see below). OMA Flickr Photoset.
  

  My contribution to the Eric Carle wall. Oh yeah, I have excellent art skills.

• Not on the list, but we did take a detour to the Eola Wine Shop for some wine and cheese and to pretend like yuppies for a little bit.
• See a matinee - Check
  We went and saw The Da Vinci Code. I've got a mouth full to say about this movie that will have to be reserved for its own post later today, most likely after work. I'm glad I saw it just so I can talk about it, but damn I should have gone and seen Art School Confidential. The one thing I will say is this, Ron Howard thinks his audience is full of idiots. While he may be right, he didn't have to be so obvious about it.

• Talk to a stranger (one that I'm not ordering a beverage or food item from) - No
  I failed at this and I don't really know why. If I'd had the chance to haggle at the flea market it may have come to pass, but there was nothing I wanted to buy.

• Read somewhere outside - Check
  Just to satisfy this final wish I read outside for a bit when I got home. Sure I was at home, but it counts damn it.

So there it is, a day spent out and about and not on the computer, a difficult thing for a guy such as me.

One of my unmentioned goals for the day was to find some completely weird trinket or ornament to put on my desk at work for less than five dollars. Although I failed to find something cool for only five bucks I did find something that, while costing three times as much, is also three times as awesome at the OMA store. Say hello to my new, little desk friend.

I can't wait to creep the ladies at work out with this thing. Time to browse the world while I can, have a good day kids.

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21 May 06 To Infinity, and Beyond

I spent all day couped up in the house reading, listening to music, drifting in and out of consciousness, and then finished the night off with a bottle of wine and more reading. So today is adventure day then. It's been a while since I just got in the car, drove, and let the wandering spirit lead me somewhere.

On the agenda:

• Leave the computer at home

• Find a good place to eat some breakfast
• Find a place to buy some cheap t-shirts, cheap hats, and cheap sunglasses–yeah, I'm cheap, so what?
• Possibly go to the gun show, though I don't think I am going to do the concealed carry class. I need a wingman (or woman) to do this with me and my brother expressed interest in doing it. The show comes back around every two months anyway.
• Take a picture of something interesting.
• See a matinee (either The Da Vinci Code, Don't Come Knocking, or Art School Confidential at the Enzian)
• Talk to a stranger (one that I'm not ordering a beverage or food item from)
• Read somewhere outside

Let the day begin, later taters.

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21 May 06 miner issues.

Is it just me, or is a ridiculously dangerous time to be a miner?

p.s. new layout, though I don't know how I feel about it yet. I may go back to the old style. then again, 90% of the people who read your stuff do so through their friends list so it really doesn't matter.

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21 May 06 hankerin' for hank.

Why I wish I had the IFC.

Fuck you Brighthouse and your expensive ass.

20 May 06 More Chucky B.

retroCRUSH has an interview up with Dean Cameron, the director of Bukowsical!, a musical based on the loveable curmudgeon. While I have my doubts about how good this could be, especially after listening to this sample song, the fact that it exists is cool enough. Adding to the coolness is the director, Dean Cameron. Who's Dean Cameron you ask? You may remember him as Francis 'Chainsaw' Gremp from a little movie called Summer School. Possibly one of the best movies to play twice a week on Comedy Central and TBS during those magical summers of the late 90s.

Dean also has a blog, but then again doesn't everybody.

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