themudthebloodthebeer

Boston Water and Sewer FAIL!

2009-04-24T17:39:00.002-05:00

It's amazing that this page came up after I tried to complain about the fact that they are the only utility I deal with that does not allow you to set up automatic scheduled payment.

#EPICstupidUTILITYmonopolyFAIL

I hate bridges...

2009-03-09T20:45:00.002-05:00

... but I love #@!% blowing up.

(via BoingBoing)

Need a 2 minute and 15 second 'pick me up'?

2008-12-17T00:09:00.004-05:00

If this doesn't help, well then good luck to you.

Via http://LiveJamie.com.

Why isn't it all High Quality?

2008-12-15T09:58:00.002-05:00

I know it looks like I posted the same video twice, or maybe Steve Garfield has required me to put his picture on my blog twice.

No, I am just showing that when you embed a video from youtube it automatically uses the lesser quality version.

Watch if you dare:

Low Quality.

But there is a way to use the higher quality video in embeds, but you must add some code.

Watch the difference:

High Quality.

To bypass this, when you get your embed code, add this snippet "&ap=%2526fmt%3D18" to the end of the two urls in the code. (Without the quote marks.)

My question is why aren't all of youtube's embedded videos high quality? Why do you have to click on the high quality link on youtube's site?

Well, youtube, what do you say to that?

Thanks to Make Magazine Blog.

"Boston Media Makers" the trailer

2008-12-11T08:23:00.006-05:00

Boston Media Makers from cohnjoyne on Vimeo.

Here's a trailer I made to help promote the Boston Media Makers (of which I am a member). Check out the video or the link for more info. Everyone is welcome.

I tried to make it look old and super 8 film-y. I shot it with the video function on my Canon point and shoot camera and edited on Apple's Final Cut Pro.

Original image

I got the music from Final Cut Studio's audio program called Soundtrack Pro. I was interested in a 70s rock/grind house type track and found something called "Phazed and Infused," which had the right sound.

To take the video edge off of the image and to make it look more like film I added both a "Gaussian Blur" and "Vignette" filter. I also sped up some of the clips to give it that jumpy, off-speed, film transfer look.

Filters added

Of course I wanted to add some scratches, dirt and grain to the image that all good super 8 footage seems to have, so I downloaded this clip from Archive.org (a great source of copyright free and public domain material.) I placed a clip of the longest section of gross, noisy, white footage above the footage I shot. I then used the multiply composite mode to combine the two images. This gave me all the junk I was looking for and also washed out the image slightly.

Composite with film junk

Finally, I added an Earthquake filter to the text to make it more frantic, although I turned most of the parameters way down.

I go to Boston Media Makers because it fosters the DIY, can do attitude that the democratization of technology and on-line media provides. All it took was an inexpensive camera, somewhat expensive editing software, and trial and error to make a relatively cool looking video. I hope you come to our next meeting and can get inspired by the cool things that people are doing.

The homemade Barack Obama...

2008-11-05T19:04:00.000-05:00

... Hope-a-Roni Pizza

The (Nerd) Choice is Yours

2008-11-04T09:03:00.001-05:00

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

More Insanity...

2008-10-31T15:15:00.001-05:00

I a big fan of what Tracy Morgan is selling, although I am not sure exactly what it is he's selling.

Here's an older clip of his I had on this site.

It's not made of Vespas...

2008-10-18T11:19:00.003-05:00

As you probably know, this video was not good enough to win a Vespa. But it was fun as hell to make.

Enjoy.

Noise Rock - 1960's U.S. Soldiers on German TV Style

2008-10-11T15:54:00.004-05:00

"The influential and ahead-of-their-time band The Monks play on German TV in 1965."

Visit their website.

Pipe Wrench Fight!!!

2008-10-07T13:31:00.002-05:00

Wow, I remember those lyrics being a lot different, and less literal.

via American Copywriter

Corporate Superheros...

2008-09-21T07:14:00.000-05:00

... Are not your friends.

Chuck Norris doesn't make spelling mistakes...

2008-09-13T07:11:00.001-05:00

... the letters are just wrong.

Baseball in Canada

2008-09-08T18:12:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately, we're getting clobbered 11-0 right now...

UPDATE: Uh, yeah, so this post must have gotten lost in customs for a few weeks.

"He'll Zap You Any Way You Can"

2008-09-05T16:37:00.002-05:00

"Jesus is My Friend" by the Christian Ska Band, Sonseed.

This beautiful video makes me think of the best line I heard this week:
"Jesus was a community organizer and Pontius Pilate was a governor."

via BoingBoing

Save this Record Collection...

2008-08-20T20:55:00.001-05:00

The Archive from Sean Dunne on Vimeo.

... If you have $3 million, that is.

Via WUNH.

Man this place is pretty.

2008-08-14T18:11:00.000-05:00

Standing Room 3rd base pavillion

2008-08-14T18:07:00.000-05:00

These are my new favorite, uh, seats at Fenway.

What are two places you probably won't find me?

2008-08-12T16:41:00.003-05:00

I got this unsolicited magazine in the mail. It is addressed to me. I don't know why.

I think I'm being set up to take the fall for some far fetched Keenan Ivory Wayans movie plot.

"He was such a nice guy, but he did get Field & Stream magazine."

R.I.P. Isaac Hayes

2008-08-11T15:20:00.003-05:00

I'm not saying this is Isaac Hayes finest moment, but in the film Truck Turner, Mr. Hayes starred in and composed and performed the music for this tough and tumble blaxploitation flick.

I want to write all about how the film hits every note perfectly... even the cliched ones, but the trailer says it all.

At the new Bleacher Bar...

2008-08-09T17:53:00.001-05:00

... Underneath the bleachers at Fenway.

Now I'll always call it 'WhiteJack'

2008-08-09T09:39:00.005-05:00

Sad news today.

Click on the speaker to hear it. Watch the clip here.

We'll miss you, Bernie.

Love,
America

To win a Vespa...

2008-07-27T17:06:00.009-05:00

I just made a video for a contest to win a Vespa.

The contest is being run by Hollywood East, the people who want to build a film/tv studio in Plymouth, MA.

The videos with the top 20 views before July 31 get to the judging round. Only registered members views count, but only two other people have entered so far. So no pressure registering at the site. But thank you if you do.

Click on the title, Soylent Clean, to watch.

Again, thanks, spread the word, and wish me luck.

(Inspired by this and this.)

Proof BBC is better than American TV

2008-07-26T11:26:00.002-05:00

This is a promo by the Gorillaz for the Olympics on BBC... what's NBC gonna bring?

via Stereogum.

Yes, I drank one (or more)...

2008-07-10T22:11:00.002-05:00

... but no, I wasn't.

You can get anything...

2008-07-10T21:43:00.002-05:00

... at the Atlanta airport.

How many bibles...

2008-07-10T21:28:00.000-05:00

... do you have to stock to achieve superstore status?

Finally?

2008-07-10T20:18:00.000-05:00

This picture depicts what happens to me when I try to mess with electronic devices... like fixing the 'send pictures' function on my phone.

Great Old Movie

2008-07-10T17:41:00.004-05:00

I just watched The Man Who Never Was, a great old film on hulu. It is a WWII movie about a British secret plan to use a dead body to fool the Germans. It's tense and tight and well paced for a movie that was made in the 50's.

If you watch it at hulu.com you can switch it to full screen (and you probably aren't getting the whole image on my blog anyway). And yes, there are commercials, but since you are watching it on a computer you can flip over to Twitter or your inbox or whatever you are supposed to be doing at your day job during the "hungry man" or "walmart" ads.

Also if you have to watch it over several sittings, hulu remembers where you left off.

It ain't over...

2008-07-08T12:06:00.007-05:00

My damn phone won't upload pictures by email anymore for some damn reason... until I get it figured out, you can check out this site and find out how well you will fare when the end times come.

36%

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

So begins a journey...

2008-06-15T05:09:00.001-05:00

... that will take me to 5 state capitals in one day. (This one I'm just driving through.)

Update:

2008-06-02T16:37:00.001-05:00

Yes that's a straight jacket & yes he's upside-down.

I'm not sure what this all about...

2008-06-02T16:21:00.001-05:00

... but it's happening at Castle Island in South Boston, MA.

Does it get any bettter?

2008-06-01T12:22:00.001-05:00

FCP editing on my front porch as the Yawkey League plays baseball across the street.

The Brain Trust

2008-05-28T15:57:00.001-05:00

BBC's Cross Talk

2008-05-28T15:31:00.000-05:00

... The Little Moe Edition

Us watching us watching us...

2008-05-28T12:20:00.001-05:00

Cue the cue cards

2008-05-28T12:12:00.000-05:00

News 2 Asian Reporter

2008-05-28T11:06:00.000-05:00

Take 3

Romanian TV...

2008-05-28T09:14:00.000-05:00

... Live from Cambridge.

On the set...

2008-05-28T09:04:00.001-05:00

... Of the short fim http://aerodynamicsmovie.com

Forget plot, acting, artistry; an ample breakfast is the most telling sign of a good film.

Slaving...

2008-05-23T15:56:00.001-05:00

... away on boring location shoot.

Summer is coming...

2008-05-14T10:34:00.001-05:00

... To Crane's Beach, Ipswich, MA

Yes I'm posting a picture of my cat and a Mac...

2008-05-14T10:31:00.001-05:00

A cold day at Fenway

2008-05-03T19:14:00.001-05:00

Do What to the People?

2008-05-02T13:42:00.001-05:00

Inside a Boston Public School.

Window Mural...

2008-04-30T17:15:00.001-05:00

... in the music room at the Edwards Middle School in Charlestown, MA.

It's been Hobb-ed

2008-04-26T11:03:00.002-05:00

Naturally.

Tore up!

2008-04-24T17:44:00.001-05:00

Outside our house today... Hopefully this will fix our sometime dodgy electricity.

And that's a wrap...

2008-04-05T19:48:00.001-05:00

... 12 and a half hours later.

Way behind schedule but in HD

2008-04-05T16:25:00.001-05:00

Don't ask...

2008-04-05T14:20:00.001-05:00

Lights...

2008-04-05T10:44:00.001-05:00

... But no camera yet, don't get me started on action.

Serious thought

2008-04-05T10:01:00.001-05:00

Set up

2008-04-05T09:37:00.001-05:00

Roll at noon?!?

paperwork

2008-04-05T06:54:00.001-05:00

Why did I say I would produce?

feul

2008-04-05T06:41:00.001-05:00

Equal exchange coffee from the 48 hr swag bag.

48 redux

2008-04-05T06:35:00.002-05:00

Embarking on my fifth 48 hour film, I will try to post pics from my phone as the weekend progresses.

Jealous much?

2008-03-30T19:47:00.001-05:00

Sunday dinner by Jennifer

Quick...

2008-03-28T21:26:00.003-05:00

I'm assuming this site will be taken down soon, so enjoy my mix and upload your own and then share it with your friends... but do it quickly.

I am so Rock n Roll

2008-03-27T15:44:00.000-05:00

Testing feeding flickr & tmtbtb

2008-03-27T15:39:00.001-05:00

Testing sending pics to my blog

2008-03-27T14:56:00.001-05:00

Did it work?

It's me, but more actorly...

2008-03-24T08:07:00.002-05:00

My cameo in the cool new web series GravityLand is finally available on the, uh, web. I was under the impression that my name would appear above the title on this episode... my lawyers are looking into it.

But seriously folks, check out this episode, then head over to the GravityLand website to check out the rest of the episodes, and to post glowing reviews of my acting abilities over there, somebody already has.

That's all for now, I have go to update my acceptance speech.

via GravityLand

Still better than Band-Aid

2008-03-10T21:18:00.002-05:00

No comment... but don't let that stop you.

via Soul-Sides

The Art of Crafts

2008-03-08T12:13:00.005-05:00

My friend and talented craft-making-type-person, Milisa Simone Moses, recently left her full time job and started making awesome stuff, including the thank you gift basket below for a production company that I worked with from Portland, Maine.

photo by MSM.

They loved it. Visit her site to learn more.

Watch, visit and share.

2008-03-03T21:27:00.004-05:00

You should totally watch this video:

And not just because I'm thanked in the credits, or because a friend made it, or because you can make the word 'gravy' with letters in the title (mmm, gravy). You should watch it because it's a locally produced, cool, new independent web series with twists, turns, purse-snatching, lip gloss and comic books.

Check out the site and the blog. And watch for my cameo in a later episode.

Take that...

2008-02-01T08:09:00.000-05:00

This is a great response to the responses to this.

NSFW (lots of cuss words)

via ArinCrumley.com

P.S. My friend Pete thinks this is all just a prelude to their next movie.

Help solve this case...

2008-01-28T13:39:00.000-05:00

... or at least be entertained by it.

If you don't know who Arin Crumley is and haven't seen the film that he made... sister, that's the biggest crime.

Cute as Hell!

2008-01-24T09:57:00.000-05:00

Here's a video for a song that I made a video for:

#62.3 - Menomena - Wet and Rusting
Uploaded by lablogotheque

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get any cute French dancing kids.

via zefrank

Inspiration in a Box.

2008-01-11T09:21:00.000-05:00

Have 18 minutes and need some inspiration? Hear how the creator of Alias, Lost, Cloverfield and yes Felicity gets inspired. Fun and worth the time.

Interested in more movie stuff? See how 3 designers shot a "Saving Private Ryan" like beach landing using only a few props and themselves as the actors. (No mention of how long the post production took, but still interesting.)

via boing and ProLost.

I Love Canon!

2008-01-09T16:09:00.000-05:00

Below is a picture of what I looked like when my hella old, 2.0 mega pixel Canon S200 PowerShot suddenly stopped working before the holidays (leading to a painful lack of joyous family pictures):

(artist rendering)

Then I find out that my camera has been recalled due to a faulty chip or some such nonsense. I send the camera to Canon expecting my old camera (or a similar low pixel substitute) back in a month or two.

But no, dear readers, within a week, I get a letter that says this:

"Due to the current lack of essential components at our repair facility, and in order to expedite your repair, we have exchanged your original equipment with a new or factory reconditioned replacement model of equal or greater value."

Also enclosed is a refurbished 10.0 mega pixel Canon PowerShot SD900 Digital Elph. Did I mention TEN point O mega pixel?

I realize that I got the old camera as a present 4 years ago and this new camera probably cost about the same.

But because Canon exceeded my expectations, and gave me a MUCH better camera at absolutely no cost to me,
A. I will tell (IM, tweet, etc.) anyone who will listen how awesome Canon is
B. I will most definitely buy Canon accessories
C. I will blog about it
D. I will probably buy a Canon video camera when the time comes
E. I will probably tell myless technically savvy friends and family about his good experience with Canon
F. I will probably be a Canon customer for life.

Canon transformed me into this:

(artist rendering)

Thanks to Noah Z. Jones for the artist renderings.

You eggs aren't from around here, are you?

2008-01-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

I was searching the web for the old TV commercial that told us "Brown eggs are local eggs and local eggs are fresh." I couldn't find it, but I somehow stumbled upon this magical mystery, uh, magic:

Yes, those eggs appear to be dressed as ninjas.

Watch the English animation. Or the Korean animation if you dare.

My research has found that
"I Love Egg is...
Transforms it body into any shape we can imagine.
The main and sub characters make stories pleasantly and lovely."

You can even buy an "I Love Egg" Yamaha motorcycle.

via http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=244842

You have a good memory...

2007-12-28T10:19:00.000-05:00

I saw this a million times as a kid, or at least that's how I remember it. But now that I see it again it looks completely different than I remember.

No, I'm not high.

If you could steal a smooch...

2007-12-21T22:21:00.000-05:00

... yes, I would smooch hulu.

So, if I support the writer's strike should I not be watching this?

DP Demo Reel

2007-12-09T15:59:00.001-05:00

Click to play

I LOVE haters!

2007-11-29T13:19:00.000-05:00

Especially haters with a sense of humor:

via http://twitter.com/cc_chapman

Last baseball post this year...

2007-11-01T08:17:00.000-05:00

... maybe.

via http://twitter.com/WickedGood

Simple. Elegant.

2007-10-29T12:07:00.000-05:00

... but to big for my page.

Free Burma

2007-10-04T08:29:00.001-05:00

http://www.uscampaignforburma.org/

http://www2.free-burma.org/

http://twitter.com/FreeBurma

http://web.amnesty.org/pages/mmr-270907-action-eng

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/

The case against reunion tours...

2007-10-03T14:45:00.000-05:00

The defense rests.

via Stereogum

Nuthin's Sacred!

2007-09-24T13:56:00.001-05:00

git yer own.

Japanese Gladiators

2007-09-16T11:58:00.000-05:00

So, are there no personal injury lawyers in Japan?

via http://www.japanprobe.com/

Free music...

2007-08-31T15:12:00.000-05:00

MP3 blogs.

I love em. The second best thing the internet has to offer...

If you don't know usually it's people or groups who love music, write about it and then give you an example in MP3 form.

Here are some of I check daily. With a link to the site and an example of songs you can get there.

http://funky16corners.wordpress.com/
My new favorite classic soul website. I actually don't read the blog much but he offers long, mixes of soul songs organized around a theme. Recent themes included "Soul Strings", "Soul Hammond Organ", "Beatles Covers" and "Popcorn Songs".
You can also download each song in the mix in a zip file. Here's a recent single song:
Geraldo Pino: Heavy, Heavy, Heavy *

http://soul-sides.com/
Used to be my fav classic soul site, still a winner, but this is where you go to hear great songs and learn a ton about the song, the artist and because it's written by "a PhD in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley."
Rita Wright: Touch Me, Take Me

http://stereogum.com/
Stereogum is a hipster site that likes art rock almost as much as it likes making fun of heiresses. Hit or miss but often has hidden gems.
Kings Of Leon: "My Party (Kenna And Chad Hugo Remix)"

http://rawkblog.blogspot.com/
This site is new to me and it seems to love indie rock, bootlegs and covers. And although we just started going steady, I'm already wearing it's letterman jacket.
Ryan Adams: "I Want it That Way" (live Backstreet Boys cover)

http://mashuptown.com/
Ok, sorry, I like mash-ups... screw you.
DJ Topcat: Young Folks Rehab

*I'm stealing these download links and they are often temporary so grab em' now. (If you right click and open in a new tab/window you can preview before download. If you want to keep 'em, right click and then click 'save link as'.)

Flowers + Time Lapse, again?

2007-08-10T09:37:00.001-05:00

Garden from cohnjoyne and Vimeo.

I'm actually pretty allergic to flowers... but I've found that although they don't smell as good on video, they don't make me sneeze.

My new favorite Red Sox blog...

2007-08-08T13:05:00.000-05:00

... keeps its wits about it, and so should we:

"their (NYY's) schedule is about to get a lot tougher and ours (BOS) is about to get much easier."

via http://joyofsox.blogspot.com

Finally a movie...

2007-08-07T07:36:00.000-05:00

... that is less of a waste of time than the game it is based on:

via ticklebooth.

Vote for a winner

2007-07-31T10:58:00.000-05:00

(Note: I removed the actual embedded file because it annoyingly auto-played every time someone visited the site. But please still go to the link below and vote for this video. Thanks.)

Help these local cool kids get a new home entertainment system. They deserve it, not only because they are awesome but because their video is the best.

I think you have to go to the site to vote... and you should.

vote at this site: http://makeshifters.com/#/view_the_entries/23

My new favorite song/video

2007-07-31T09:10:00.000-05:00

"Post hip-hop troubadour RJD2 teamed with dance and media artist Bill Shannon for the 'Work It Out' video. Shannon, born with a degenerative hip condition, developed a way to express himself through dance (and even skateboarding) on crutches."
- via Spinner

He is a persian...

2007-07-22T12:12:00.001-05:00

Look for Angus someday soon at http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Not actual size

2007-07-20T09:54:00.000-05:00

Regular John knows how you feel.

Kings, indeed!

2007-07-18T12:53:00.000-05:00

This needs a remix with the NFL voice guy...

C'mon America?!?

2007-07-13T11:13:00.001-05:00

C'mon America, why you gotta embarrass me? Don't make me turn this thing around... oh, it looks like that's what you're trying to do... go backwards.

Don't make me keep on progressing.

via www.twitter.com/pistachio

Oh yeah?

2007-07-11T09:32:00.000-05:00

Oh, yeah, Onion, if this is true, how are you showing this video? Huh? Tell me, Onion!!!

Breaking News: All Online Data Lost After Internet Crash

via http://twitter.com/stevegarfield

Don't worry this bandwagon is a hybrid.

2007-07-10T13:45:00.000-05:00

I tried real hard to watch Live Earth this weekend... but both times I put it on... Genesis (followed by Shakira).

Sorry, no!

Instead I went outside.

Since we're all enlightened now... none of us need to see this:

via American Copywriter

P.S. There are some great performances out there from Live Earth.

Olde Tyme!

2007-07-05T17:04:00.000-05:00

Here's a pic of my grandparents, my mother and my uncle... date and location unknown.

Director's Cut

2007-07-04T18:14:00.000-05:00

"Competitive consumption is a dog eat dog world... you know?"

In light of the recent upset in competitive eating, I present a a new tighter cut of our 2006 entry into the 48 HR film project...

Click To Play

Update: This is the nicer looking, quicktime version.

Fun with typography.

2007-07-02T13:01:00.000-05:00

.pǝɹoq ʎ11ɐǝɹ ǝɹɐ noʎ ɟı

via chris penn.

"I could eat a wagon wheel"

2007-06-29T12:34:00.001-05:00

I say that all the time and the wife looks at me like I'm crazy. Now, here's proof that I don't have an original thought in my head:

Sudden stop...

2007-06-27T13:18:00.000-05:00

via hairless.

Caution: Well placed cuss word at end of video.