Quantum Leap Day

Happy Leap Day... Quantum Leap Day!

We put together this little video to celebrate the party that can only happen once every four years and to honor our man, Scott Bakula! Don't forget we're having a Quantum Leap Day party at the Sunspot Headquarters in Madison tonight as well at 6:30pm. If you don't have a copy of Cynical, the album, "Scott Bakula" is on, you can get it on CDBaby or you can download the song right now from

Bird Boy

Some weird shit from Mother Russia, this poor seven year-old can only speak in "chirps" because his mother left him locked up in a room with birds all the time. Poor guy was probably mentally ill and his mother didn't know what to do with him so she locked him up.

Here's an interesting (albeit, kinda stupid) discussion on it that made me laugh a few times (especially when someone asks, "I wonder if he can really communicate with birds?" Like he's the frickin' Beastmaster!

11 Planets?

When did there get to be 11 planets in the Solar System? Wasn't it only a year or two ago that we downgraded Pluto? I kinda felt bad for Pluto because of that (except for the fact that we'll be living there a few millenia from now, speaking of, there's a Doctor Who marathon on Sci-Fi today, I'd suggest skipping work and watching it.)

Anyway, I was just kind of shocked by that when I read it. Looks like we're being inclusive when it comes to dwarf planets, but we're still exclusionary when it comes to opening the borders!

Quantum Leap Day

Just a heads-up, we're going to be having a Happy Hour event at Sunspot HQ on Friday in honor of Leap Day. We're calling it Quantum Leap Day and making it a Scott-Bakula themed event. We'll be providing beverages (ie, beer) and snacks and entertainment. We want to invite everyone, but the only thing we ask is that you bring at least one Sunspot Virgin to the event. If you're interested send us an email for an RSVP and we'll see you on Friday!

Beam me up!

Beam me up!
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

My self-guided tour has led me to other worlds.

Fun in the sun

Fun in the sun
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

by the big pyramid!

Monday Geek Reviews

This weekend I tried out Raving Rabbits. I don't know how many of you bought a sound card in the 90s that came with the trial version of Rayman, but things have come a long way since then. The story line and graphics are kind of terrifying. If you like bunnies, this game is not for you. The bunnies do terrible things to each other and to you (flame throwers, hammers to the head, etc). The last board of each level is really fun. Usually you get to shoot a bunch of rabbits with a plunger gun. Sometimes you have to ride a warthog, and I'm not really into that because the controls and camera angles are kinda rough. Some of the challenges you do leading up to the locked board on each level are fun too, although I'm not a huge fan of the DDR/guitar hero - like bunny dance on each level.
My biggest beef with this particular game is that you can only play multiplayer on the tasks you have already unlocked on one player mode. All around, it is a disturbing game, but I found myself wanting to do more levels to climb out of the jail cell and see if there is some sort of uber-bunny-boss.

The Heidegger Paradox by Sunspot Video

Here's a video for our song "The Heidegger Paradox". Thanks to The Guppy Effect and Mr. Robert's in Madison, WI for providing the party!

bowling

Awesome. This guy was just halfway down the lane after his last throw cuz he's so mezzed up.
Last night at the Barrymore, Daniel Tosh was super funny. Optimator at Essen Haus is a beautiful thang.

Looking to Party Today?

Head to Beck's on The Water on Lake Wisconsin today at 5pm to see me fill in for Cactus Joe in Baby Rocket. They're a lot of fun and since Joe's outta the country I was happy to step in and perform with them today. So, if you're looking for a party, Baby Rocket starts at 5pm and plays til 8. Hope to see ya there!

Condo for sale!

A lot of you might already know this (and a couple of you might have lived there!), but if anyone is looking or knows someone who's looking for an awesome deal on a place to own, I'm finally selling proper my condo on the west side (right next to the mall, on the beltline, across the street from Pedros's, ie, awesome location!) I had a good time being in the landlord business, but it's time to simplify. So, I'm selling this baby I'd love for a friend to get a chance first, so if you know anyone looking to upgrade from renting to owning their own place, let me know. Click here for more info!

My Just Desserts

I was using Windows XP on my Mac through Parallels and trying to download some cracked software and I got the Win Reanimator Trojan (not the good kind.)

So, I went looking to steal something and got punished for it because now I've got to clean out my Windows Virtual Machine, which is a total pain. So, lesson learned. I bet there's a song in there, about trying to download porn or pirated software and ending up with spyware (it's like a geek version of a song where the protagonist sleeps around and ends up with an STD!)

Zap Reader Speed Reading Website

Back in college, I reviewed a piece of software called "Vortex" because I heard it was speed reading software that was reverse-engineered from alien technology. (Somebody claimed that, so I had to check it out.) It was software that flashed each word at you very quickly in a non-linear fashion, and the promise was that retention was higher and the whole process was much faster. I have to admit, it was pretty cool, but it was inconvenient because I had to load up the software and do cut and pasting every time on my old Winblows Pentium 100.

But this site, Zap Reader does the exact same thing, it's free, and it might help you get through those long articles you've been meaning to read but don't necessarily have the drive for.

Working on the next Video

Working on the next Video
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

Getting some footage for the next Sunspot video, to be revealed in the near future...

31 Days Till Spring!

It seems like just yesterday I was blogging about there being 65 days left until the first day of Spring, and here we are now, just 31 days away from the long-awaited change of season.

As much as winter has gotten on my nerves lately, this morning I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the trees looked with that quarter-inch of ice covering every little branch. With the sun reflecting off of them, it looked like glass.

I didn't find it quite as charming Saturday night when the entire city was spontaneously turned into an ice rink. But this morning I was impressed enough to almost stop and take a photo (although I was afraid that if I stopped, my car wouldn't be able to continue forward... no traction...).

Another great thing lately has been that the days are getting noticeably longer, wooohoooo!

Wednesday Night Eclipse - Big Chance For Romance

If you're looking for something special to follow up your V-Day to get some panties wet and some undies tight, there's a lunar eclipse tomorrow night. It's gonna be big and it's gonna be colorful and it looks like a perfect opportunity to get to Makeout Point.

Plus, when you look at the sky, you never know what you're going to see! This is an eclipse that you don't need to poke a hole in a paper plate to watch, so I'm definitely going to be out there.

I Knew It

but I was just trying to ignore the inevitable for as long as I could. A new study that links heavy mobile phone use to increased cancer risks. Of course, there going to tell us not to be alarmed. Just like with smoking research for a long time, there's no direct correlation yet, but they'll eventually find it. But cell phones are a way bigger industry and how are you going to ban cell phone use in public places because it might be emitting "secondhand radiation" to unsuspecting employees and patrons? With wireless internet devices and bluetooth, you can hardly tell when someone's using their phone anymore.

When is being a cellphone user going to be looked down upon like we look down upon smokers?

Monday tech reviews

Wii Rapala Tournament Fishing:
The reviews are just awful, but I like it. This one was a present and I was a little leary of opening it because the reviews said things like, "My wife gave me this game. How do I tell her it sucks?" But I kept reading and it seemed like the negative reviews were from hardcore gamers complaining of the graphics and controls and everything, but the fishermen were giving it good reviews. Being more of a fisherman than a gamer, I decided to give it a whirl. The controls do take some getting used to and the gameplay is slow at times, but it is really cool to pull a big muskie out of the water and the tournaments are fun and like most wii games, you can unlock cool stuff that keeps you motivated. I think I might like trophy bass 4 just as much, but this one is well worth playing. A lot of the gamers complained about using the nunchuck because you can just hold the A button instead, but I like to use both. Reel with the A button with a drink in the other hand and then when a fish hits, pick up the nunchuck and pretend you're hauling in a lunker. The only well-formed quote I found in the reviews was the comment on the view angle of your character. It said it looks like you are having a redneck out-of-body experience.
Funny stuff. Worth playing.

Wintry mix

I don't know about you, but when the weatherman says wintry mix, I think of cute cheerful things like this:

They should just call it what it is - car in the ditch weather. I think that would really make things clear.

Saturday night funtimes!

Come on down to Mr. Roberts this Saturday (2/16)! Not only will our friends in The Cloth Sea and The Guppy Effect be kicking ass and rocking socks off, but we'll be there with video cameras to get some footage of people rocking and having fun for the next Sunspot video!

We won't be playing but we WILL be partying. So, come on and join the fun at Mr. Roberts! Did I happen to mention the show is FREE!?

9:30 PM, yo!

Anybody tried the "choking game"?

I thought since yesterday was Valentine's Day and all, people might have tried a little erotic asphyxiation to celebrate the holiday. I guess it's pretty deadly because 82 Americans have died from it according to a report from the CDC released today (but so is driving, skiing, drinking, eating "Fourthmeal" at Taco Bell, etc...) Anyway, you're supposed to reach a euphoric state by cutting off oxygen to the brain and looks like the easiest way to do that is to tie a belt around your neck and pull (probably pretty fricking hard.) I would think that you'd pass out before you were able to actually accidentally kill yourself, but I guess not always. I've never tried it and I have no desire to cut oxygen off to my brain, even if it feels awesome. But, I wonder what's the state like? What kind of mind do you have to be in to try it? Just sounds like a cool topic for song. But I don't know if I'm feeling too empirical about it, ha.

Whoa, there's a ton of "Choking Game" memorials on YouTube for people that have accidentally killed themselves doing it. Guess I won't be trying this one at home.

Comedy club

I love dollar thursdays. This guy is REALLY funny.

Life Finds A Way

More parthenogenesis (an egg becoming an embryo without being fertilized) in Komodo Dragons this week. Which is exactly what happened in Jurassic Park.

Loch Ness Monster Dead?

I'm in the middle of planning my first Loch Ness Safari, so this is disheartening news!

Awesome UFO pic

Another great shot from the increasingly UFO-friendly UK (sightings increased by 40% there in the last year!)



I don't know if it's government aircraft or extraterrestrials or dudes from the future (but what a great psychological warfare weapon would be our ships dressed up to look like UFOs to terrify an enemy), but sightings are on the rise, so something's up.

Reason Humanity Should Not Be Destroyed #6

Meet Romeo, the world's littlest bodybuilder. I must be feeling like a cornball today, but this guy's story really moved me.

Obama

Am I the only one that thinks of Baraka from Mortal Kombat whenever I hear Obama's full name pronounced? Try it. BarackObama. Say it out. Maybe it's just around here in Wisconsin we say our O's a little different that folks east of Lake Michigan. I'd vote for this guy for president:

Reason Humanity Should Not Be Destroyed #5

It was freezing cold on Saturday night in Milwaukee and there were still huge snow drifts on the streets. I went to park the van after we loaded in on Saturday night and I got caught in the alley and was absolutely stuck. Out of nowhere, a guy shows up and offers to bump the van out using his truck. When he was approaching me, I thought he might have a snow shovel or would help me push. But no, he literally offered to ram the Sunspot van with his expensive truck (it must have been worth something, there was a LCD TV inside that was on.) So, sweet, right?

On the first ram, it didn't work out (do first rams ever work out?) because the trailer hitch nailed his license plate and messed it up. He didn't even get mad (I would have been at least kinda upset), he just said, well, let's try it from the other side. He then drove out and backed his truck right into the van, freeing it and enabling me to get out of the cold and back into the venue. So he rammed me backside to backside and it was a literally liberating experience. I don't know who the guy is, because he just took off after that, but I'd just like to point out a good samaritan.

Mason-Dixon

When I was a boy, my uncle in Mississippi used to tell me this joke:
Why are Northerners stupid?
Because they won the war and kept the North.

Madison, WI
Today's high: -3
Wind Chill -40

Pascagoula, MS:
Today: 70 degrees and sunny

Would u laugh if i said my name was biggus catus??

Biggest. Cat. Ever.

Onion Nerd List

The Av Club inventory on 20 things geekier than Monty Python is their Best. Inventory. Ever. The YouTube clips in the list are brilliant.

I got six myself, and yes, I've written fan fiction back in the newsgroup days, but I can't find it online anymore. :( One of these days, I'll have to find some old pictures of the live action vampire game we used to play!

"Alive Day" Torchwood Video

Alright, after watching all those awesome Doctor Who fan videos from season one a couple years back, I've wanted to make a fan video using one of our songs, but it was hard to find an appropriate song. We just finished a recording of a brand new song, "Alive Day", and I made a video for it from clips of Torchwood Season One. It's one of my favorite shows currently and I thought the subject matter of the song and the TV show fit perfectly.

Please let us know what you think and if you dig the song, we'll be making a few more tweaks, but we'll have an MP3 of it up soon as well.

If you like it, please feel free to let your friends know about the new tune.

Some photos from Agave (Austin, TX) last year

A friend we met at the show at Agave last year recently sent us some photos he took at the show.

That show was the last one in our 3-day, 5-show marathon in Austin. Looking at them just makes me more excited to get back down there again this March! Woohooo!

Here are the photos - Thanks Vic!

Reason Humanity Should Not Be Destroyed #4

Sometimes, we're funny. My friends all know my personal disdain of pants (and the wearing of said pants) in almost any form, here's some subway riders that agree with me.

Yes it's snowing...

Yes it's snowing...
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

..but unlike the past few major storms, this time we do not have a show tonight.

Luckily we have a few days before Saturday's show in Milwaukee; we're going to need extra time to dig out the van!

Rock O'Clock

Rock O'Clock
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

Hanging out at practice enjoying some beer while it snows outside. Thanks to our buddy Watson for the Miller Lite!

Indiana Jones News

Don't click me unless you want to see pictures of the Crystal Skull from the new Indiana Jones movie!

As any good geek does, I love Indiana Jones (well, except for the TV show when it was the "Little Indy" episodes) and I also think that crystal skulls are awesome, even though to be honest, I'm not really sure what they were supposed to have been used for. I know the whole thing was that they were "too perfect" or some shit to have been created by an ancient civilization so that it must have been created by extraterrestrial technology, but I don't really buy that. Humans have always been interested in skulls from the Mayans to The Misfits, so for an artist to create a skull out of crystal doesn't seem to be a big stretch. Either way, though, they're frickin' sweet.


Look at me! I'm frickin' weird, man.

Sunspot 982 - Twice the size of earth!

Thanks to Jase for sending this awesome link about a weekend Sunspot flare-up! Check out the amazing photographs of it!

And Wiiiiii

Thanks to Michael in Racine for this picture of his new and improved wii controller for guitar hero!

Wednesday

February 6th, Mark from the Rock and Roll Report will be playing "Goodbye Good Guy" on his podcast. Check em out, yo!

Wisconsin another step closer to the Nanny State

A statewide smoking ban is on the horizon and our tax money is paying for the ads to support it. And most people I know are cool with it. Can we please have "overthrow of the government" as a checkbox on the ballot this November?

Mother, did it have to be so high?

mpowering madison

This program fits in with Mike's biodiesel plans to reduce our foreign oil dependency and to make sure my great great grandchildren don't curse my name for a new ice age. I signed up today. I feel cleaner already. I thought MG&E was super evil until I went to one of their seminars. My favorite line was, "Most corporations encourage you to use more of their product. We would like you to use less." Plus, I got to go up on the roof of East High School (which kinda looks like the Kremlin, only without the little knob thingies.)

Super Who Cares?

I'll be honest, without the Pack it's just another football game. And I'm not interested in advertisements as "entertainment". Well, I did like the GoDaddy girl, but it made me feel dirty.

Anyway, I guess it's a good excuse to get drunk.

Photos from Club Tavern Show

IMG_5107
Originally uploaded by EC_Mike

It kinda looks like Uncle Brett's playing with us in this picture, doesn't it? Anyway, thanks to EC Mike for posting shots from Thursday's all-night party at the Club Tavern!


http://www.flickr.com/photos/60757419@N00/

I love it when you call

I'm not one to get my musical tastes from Hollywood, but the movie Good Luck, Chuck (don't bother with anything but the unrated version) has a sweet song by The Feeling in it. The last time I was this excited about a movie song was Fanfare Ciocarlia's version of Born to Be Wild (yeah, I watched the credits 6 times just for the tuba part) and before that was probably the Singles soundtrack. The pimps did have that one song on MI2 and they're playing the Bean tomorrow night. Tonight, we're headed for the Bean: Clownboy's 100th show review with Pine and Dot Dot Dot.

Wendy's DrummerCam: Friday 1/31/08 @ Club Tavern, Middleton, WI