» Fringe Blog – Writing on Film, Culture, and Things on the Fringe

Fringecast 16

jelewis8 — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 07:01:00 +0000

It’s not every day you get a chance to spar with the best and come out on top. But with this Fringecast, Joe and I do that, squaring off with such diverse topics as retro weather reporting and the ethics of finding money on the street or in the woods, with the eventual but inevitable question “What would Jesus do?” entering the fore with surprising results. The answer involves slurpees and hobos, in case you were wondering. I have an interview with Jenny Chowdhury and Cory Forsyth regarding their prescient Popularity Dialer, which we discussed on a previous podcast and which they bravely set out to create and support out of pocket. Finally, we discuss alternatives to the term “The Man”, eventually deciding on “The Awesome” as an acceptable substitute.
If you fancy yourself a boxer and care to dance in the ring with us and these fiendishly simple (yet complex) topics, tune into iTunes and listen like you’ve never listened before, or download it directly in mp3 format. You may also access the Fringecast XML feed through a feed reader. All shows are archived by date, and can be accessed on the right hand sidebar.
Music was provided for free by the Podshow Podsafe Music Network, which is PPMN, or “peppy men” for short.

Fringecast 14

jelewis8 — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 07:24:16 +0000

It’s been too long since we conducted a Fringecast, so as an extra special treat, we offer a slightly longer edition, our fourteenth podcast, for your enjoyment. Sara Zechoski joins Joe Blum and I, finally as a Los Angeles resident, to discuss Joe’s jury duty summons, Sara’s least favourite numbers, and my sock collection. Mel Gibson doesn’t escape our critical eye, and we discuss the fashionability of anti-Semitism. Robot Tim joins us for a review of the movie Clueless, and then we call two-time Fringecast interviewee Tim Shabanowitz to discuss his recent move out to Denver, Colorado, speeding, and Kansas.
It’s not something you’ll want to miss, especially if you really can’t stand morning radio. So put down that TPS report. Hang up that phone. Cancel all your meetings. And sit down to enjoy Fringecast 14 (direct link), or download it on iTunes. You may access the Fringecast XML feed through a feed reader. All shows are archived by date, and can be accessed on the right hand sidebar.
Music was provided gratis by the Podshow Podsafe Network, which makes it really easy for us to sound good, simply by having good segues.

Fringecast 12

jelewis8 — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 09:21:16 +0000

If you had anything you could be doing that could be considered a life, you probably wouldn’t be reading this, so I can assume you’re giving two thumbs up to the latest Fringecast, a biweekly 30 minute offering of monumental proportions, filled with the kinds of things you expect mental patients and mad geniuses talk about whilst drinking tea and playing mahjong.
This week we are proud to present a discussion of clothing and mattress tags, we invite noted Superman expert Jay Lalime in to rebut our conclusions from last podcast concerning Superman’s lame-itude, we discuss mobiles and a new service plan you can use to get out of stupid events you never wanted to attend in the first place. Finally, the one, the only…Derek Reimer shows up for a little discussion about Africa. And there’s a whole new trailer for the fake film Mountain High, which we’re sure you’ll enjoy if you dig disembowelment and spooky mountain asylums.
The current episode is here (direct download), or you can listen to the iTunes feed. The XML feed can be accessed directly as well.
Previous episodes are on the sidebar. Music came from the Podshow Podsafe Network, which provides free music for podcasters to use without worrying about licensing issues. We believe you can find the cure for the blues somewhere in their vast archives, so check ‘em out.

Fringecast 10

jelewis8 — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 10:53:46 +0000

Whether it’s contracting avian flu or stealing recycleables, or simply pitting Joe versus John in a hair contest, the Fringecast crew has put together a delightful 10th Episode with all the class and sass you’re used to. It’s free, and people love free crap, even if it’s the worst thing to come down the pike, so start downloading and telling your friends about the new episode.
Check it out here (direct download), or listen to the iTunes feed. The XML feed can be accessed directly as well.
Previous episodes are on the sidebar. Music came from the Podshow Podsafe Network, which provides free music for podcasters to use without worrying about licensing issues. Cheerio, podcast music giver-awayer for free-ers!
UPDATE: Afraid our podcast was reducing the number of hits to their own terror cell website, a terrorist of unknown ethnic origin captured me and forced me to put up a bad URL for the Fringecast. Thankfully, I escaped to correct the error. Sorry about that. I blame Bush.

Delusions of Fidelity

jelewis8 — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 00:46:07 +0000

Oh man oh man oh man! I’m excited for many different reasons, none of which have anything to do with my upcoming experiments for recording Skype interviews for future podcasts. This last time we had a fine time chatting with Tim Shabanowitz over in Boston Massachusetts about the weather and Serbian deli food, and we did it live, which worked well for those of us on either end. For the podcast audience, however, the audio quality did not overly impress. That’s because at the last minute I realized I had no way of recording both the incoming stream (what my sound card calls “What U Hear”, yes, with the vowel substituted for the pronoun, as if it took too long to read the entire three letters of “You”) and the incoming stream from the microphone. Forced to record the audio coming through the speakers with the microphone = Lowest. Quality. Ever.
So last night I did a bit of investigating. Turns out you can easily record both if you have a separate device or a piece of software that sadly, isn’t free. What? In this golden age of ecologically friendly vehicles and Paris Hilton and a China-compliant Google? You have to pay for software? What an outrage! Reminds me of UK artist Adam Neate who believes Art should be free. No word on whether that’s Art with a capital A or the lowerclass, lowercase, proletarian art. Annnnyway.
I believe I have a method of doing future interviews which will render a more positive listening experience for all. No, it does not involve black magic, voodoo chickens, or the cloning of Vincent Price, though it is diabolical in its simplicity.
No, I’m excited because I have a trip back to the East Coast for a few days coming up in a week and a half. My former roommate John Irwin is getting hitched, so I figured I’d come down for the free food and champagne. One can only hope they have champagne. Or at least a goodly amount of vodka. I’ve got a lot on my plate, though, so the next few weeks are going to be packed with interesting things that seem more important than they actually are.
See him adjust style sheets to effect change in his online portfolio! See him check his word count and beam in delight as the number 40,000 ticks over! See him wince as he misses yet another chance to ask the girl who came into the coffee shop three times today what her name is! She wanted me…
It feels like the last week and a half I’ve done nothing but design web sites and write paltry snippets in my novel. I feel good about it all, of course, but that’s because I’m satisfied with simple things. The pleasure of a day spent writing in the coffee shop is equatable to my love of hamburgers, which isn’t that obvious of a statement, unless you have read previously of my love for the burger. It’s intense, it is. So now you know.
And knowing is half the battle.

Fringecast 4

jelewis8 — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 08:48:56 +0000

In a bold move that has many questioning whether it isn’t a publicity stunt to cover for St. Patrick’s Day sins, Fringeblog is glad to provide the brand spankin’ new Fringecast (click to listen directly) a week early. Luckily, the crew is in top form, with special guest Sara Z. making her broadcast debut as the first female on the podcast and an expert in feminine razor technology, which we expound upon in unconventional fashion. We also talk March Madness, Last of the Mohicans, St. Patrick’s Day drinking experiences, and donations to cover the cost of a billboard. You can only find out more if you listen.
You can subscribe to the Fringecast via iTunes, or by adding this to your feedreader. You can find previous podcasts available on the sidebar, below the Fringecast subscribe graphic.

The Excuse Is Gone

jelewis8 — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 01:03:52 +0000

Whoa. Two days without posting anything! I feel bad, and I have no excuse. I owe you all a rundown of my weekend on the East Coast, which was a blast. I hope to have that up by tomorrow. Honest and true.
I sort of got sucked into another project that has kept me busy, in addition to getting a lot of work done for one of Essejnet’s clients, Floyd County. It’s been interesting, to say the least.
All this is to say, bear with me, don’t go away, don’t die, and don’t give up on me! I swear I’m still here.
I’ll also have some cool 50 Word Fiction and new poems, and some assorted what not. I’m considering starting a video blog and/or a podcast. I’m still mulling ideas. If you have any, I’d love to hear ‘em.
Oh yeah. Red State is now viewable online. Let me know what you think. It’s a 55mb download. Or you can wait until I post the hi-res Quicktime 7 version. Or you could wait for the sweet DVD, coming out November 27. Whichever.