Category: Art

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Dad and Daughter

I’m tired and I’m about five chapters behind on my novel. If I wasn’t tired I’d say that there was the musical this weekend, that it went really well, that Holli did a great job taping, and that there were nearly 230 people in the Gregg household all at once watching the play they had just performed. At first I thought it was a little silly, but then I remembered being in High School plays and how I’d probably do the same thing. The kids were happy and that’s all that matters.

If I wasn’t so tired, I’d also tell you that I got lots of pictures, and I’d say that you could check out Little Shop of Horrors – 11, 12 Nov 06.

I’d also say that on Sunday Larry, Carol, Holli, Marissa, MacBook, and myself recorded Musebleep 007: Chapter Eight. It went well, and you can hear the fruits of our labor, if you haven’t already, on the Musebleep site.

I’d finally close by saying that whenever I think of something in Lost, like “Who is that strange character we’ve never seen before?” or “I wonder what Hurley’s back story is…” then they explain it in the next episode. How cool is that?

What is your guys’ favorite musical and why?

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2006 Voting Guide

Well, tomorrow is voting day, and while this isn’t a Presidential election year, it has proven to be a banner year for the South Dakota ballot. There are four Constitutional Amendments, 6 Initiated Measures, and 1 Referred Law. Well, to help explain away some of the possible confusions is our very own Representative Rausch. For the sake of being truthful, I’m using the South Dakota Secretary of State page devoted to ballot questions for my Attorney General explanations. Get more info on the election from South Dakota Secretary of State’s website.

Constitutional Amendments

Constitutional Amendment C

Attorney General says:

South Dakota statutes currently limit marriage to unions between a man and a woman. However, the State Constitution does not address marriage.

Amendment C would amend the State Constitution to allow and recognize marriage only between a man and a woman. It would also prohibit the Legislature from allowing or recognizing civil unions, domestic partnerships or other quasi-marital relationships between two or more persons regardless of sex.

A vote “Yes” will change the Constitution.
A vote “No” will leave the Constitution as it is.

Rep. Rausch says:

Thumb Up

“What I voted on was to make it constitutional that marriage can only be between a man and woman.”

Constitutional Amendment D

Attorney General says:

The State Constitution currently requires that all taxable property be valued for tax purposes at no more than its actual value, and that all property be classified and taxed uniformly.

The proposed amendment to the State Constitution would base the taxable value of property upon “acquisition value” for property sold after January 1, 2007. The Legislature may authorize the assessed value of such property to be annually adjusted by up to three percent, using the 2003 assessed property valuation as the base year.

The taxable value of the property may be further adjusted if the property has changed use or classification or has been subject to addition, improvement or destruction.

The limitations of this amendment will not apply to centrally assessed property or to any property sold prior to January 1, 2007.

A vote “Yes” will change the Constitution.
A vote “No” will leave the Constitution as it is.

Rep. Rausch says:

Thumb Down

“It is my opinion, and it is shared by many, that this will cause an unconstitional balance. […] Causing a recession and a slow-down.”

Constitutional Amendment E

Attorney General says:

Citizens serving on juries, school boards, city councils, county commissions, or in similar capacities, and prosecutors and judges, are all required to make judicial decisions. Their decisions may be reversed on appeal, or they may be removed from office for misconduct or by election. However, they cannot be made to pay money damages for making such decisions. This allows them to do their job without fear of threat or reprisal from either side.

The proposed amendment to the State Constitution would allow thirteen special grand jurors to expose these decision makers to fines and jail, and strip them of public insurance coverage and up to one-half of their retirement benefits, for making decisions which break rules defined by the special grand jurors. Special grand jurors are drawn from those who submit their names and registered voters.

The proposed amendment is retroactive. The special grand jurors may penalize any decision-maker still alive for decisions made many years ago.

If approved, the proposed amendment will likely be challenged in court and may be declared to be in violation of the US Constitution. If so, the State may be required to pay attorneys fees and costs.

A vote “Yes” will change the Constitution.
A vote “No” will leave the Constitution as it is.

Rep. Rausch says:

Thumb Down

“What makes this very scary is that our Attorney General has interpreted it as saying anyone who sits on a judiciary position, so it could- it’s anyone who is making decisions for people […] will be personally held liable for their decisions.”

Constitutional Amendment F

Attorney General says:

This proposed amendment to the State Constitution includes recommendations by the Constitution Revision Commission.

The amendment would remove the current limitation on expense reimbursements received by legislators, and would allow legislators to receive salary, per diem, expenses and mileage reimbursement as provided by law.

The amendment would remove the current specific prohibitions against enacting private or special laws. The Legislature would be restricted by a general prohibition against enacting a special law when a general or local law can be made applicable.

The amendment would remove the Congressional term limit, which the federal courts have found unconstitutional. The procedure for introduction of a bill would be shortened. The amendment would require a two-thirds vote to close a legislative session to the public and prohibit any vote to be taken in a closed session. The amendment would allow the Legislature to exercise emergency powers in the event of man-made and natural disasters.

A vote “Yes” will change the Constitution.
A vote “No” will leave the Constitution as it is.

Rep. Rausch says:

Thumb Up

“This one is some changes that need to be made to our Constitution, mostly in clean-up language and just some tweaking.”

Initiated Measures

Initiated Measure 2

Attorney General says:

South Dakota currently taxes tobacco products. The proposed law would increase taxation on tobacco products sold in the state. The tax on a 20 stick cigarette package would be raised by $1.00; the tax on a 25 stick cigarette package would be raised by $1.25. The tax on all other tobacco products such as cigars, roll-your-own, and chewing tobacco, would increase from 10 percent to 35 percent of the wholesale price.

The proposed law would deposit up to $30 million of tobacco tax revenue into the state general fund. The next $5 million, if any, will be deposited in the tobacco prevention and reduction trust fund. Tobacco tax revenue in excess of $35 million, if any, will be divided among the property tax reduction fund, the education enhancement trust fund, and the health care trust fund. The proposed law also establishes continuous appropriations out of the tobacco prevention and reduction trust fund for specified purposes.

A vote “Yes” will adopt the proposed law.
A vote “No” will reject the proposed law.

Rep. Rausch says:

Unsure

“I don’t really know. I don’t like new taxes, and I don’t like the fact that they’re dumping the $30 million into the state’s general fund. […] I probably won’t actually decide until I get into the poll booth. […] It’s not cut and dry. If you really hate smoking, and you think this will help, put it in, but it’s $30 million more that the state gets to spend in general funds. So, it’s a little dangerous.”

Intiatived Measure 3

Attorney General says:

State law currently allows local school boards to establish the start of a regular school term on any date. The proposed law would prohibit local school boards from establishing the start of a regular school term prior to the last day of August.

A vote “Yes” will adopt the proposed law.
A vote “No” will reject the proposed law.

Rep. Rausch says:

Thumb Down

“I’d just as soon have the month of August to do things with my family. […] However, I will be voting against this because I think the starting of our school term and our school calendar should remain a local issue not a state issue.”

Initiative Measure 4

Attorney General says:

This initiative would allow persons, including minors with parental consent, with a debilitating medical condition, to be certified to grow (not more than six plants), possess (not more than one ounce) and use small amounts of marijuana for medical purposes.

“Debilitating medical condition” is defined to include cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, or a chronic, debilitating condition that produces cachexia, wasting syndrome, severe or chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, including epileptic seizures, severe or persistent muscle spasms, including spasms caused by spinal injury, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease or fibromyalgia or any other medical condition approved by the Department of Health.

Certification may be accomplished by submitting medical records to the Department of Health or by submitting a doctor’s recommendation.

A person may not drive while impaired by marijuana and may not smoke marijuana in any place where tobacco smoking is prohibited.

Growth, possession and use of marijuana will still be illegal under federal law but certification is a defense to criminal prosecution under state law.

A vote “Yes” will adopt the proposed law.
A vote “No” will reject the proposed law.

Rep. Rausch says:

Thumb Down

“As a compassionate individual I really do feel for those that suffer and the fact that this does help some people in their medical condition and alleviate some of their discomfort, I will be voting against this. Part of this, it would still be an illegal drug for everyone else. […] We have other drugs that will work and will offer comfort.”

Initiated Measure 5

Attorney General says:

State law currently allows state employees to use vehicles owned or leased by the State only for state business. There is a limited exception for state employees with a supervisor’s approval. The Governor and certain law enforcement personnel are exempt.

The proposed law requires aircraft owned or leased by the State to be used only for state business, with no exceptions. A person violating this provision would now be subject to civil and criminal penalties.

A vote “Yes” will adopt the proposed law.
A vote “No” will reject the proposed law.

Rep. Rausch says:

Thumb Down

“It doesn’t really matter to me. It’s not really a shrug; I think I’m going to vote against this. I think it’s something the Governer of our state deserves. Call it a perk if you will. […] Maybe we need to come up with liability waivers and things like that that passengers going with him have to sign […], but I don’t have a problem with the Governor having a perk like that.”

Intiated Measure 7

Attorney General says:

The State operates video lottery as authorized by State law. During the last year, the State received approximately one hundred twelve million dollars ($112,000,000.00) from video lottery which is 11% of the state general fund budget.

The proposed law would repeal video lottery and eliminate this source of revenue.

A vote “Yes” will adopt the proposed law.
A vote “No” will reject the proposed law.

Rep. Rausch says:

Thumb Down

“If you’re against gambling, and you think that’s a moral problem, this in itself will not take care of that problem. […] I’ll probably leave video lottery alone. I don’t play it; I’m not addicted to it. I am a little bit addicted to the 112 million [dollars it generates]. […] But I certainly will honor the challenge, if it is voted out, to try to replace those dollars without one grimace.”

Initated Measure 8

Attorney General says:

State laws impose a four percent tax on the gross receipts of companies providing wireless telecommunications (cell phone) services instead of a property tax.

Last year the State received approximately eight and one-half million dollars ($8,500,000.00) from the cell phone tax. Forty percent (40%) of these revenues are distributed to counties based on population; the balance goes to the State.

The proposed law would repeal this tax, and eliminate this source of revenue.

A vote “Yes” will adopt the proposed law.
A vote “No” will reject the proposed law.

Rep. Rausch says:

Thumb Down

“The second part of this that I see is that the counties, our local counties, take- they get their share of tax money off of this. And so, without a way to replace those revenues, even a Grant County is going lose about $32,000.”

Referred Laws

Referred Law 6

Attorney General says:

Current South Dakota law generally allows a pregnant woman to obtain an abortion during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. Beyond 24 weeks, abortions may be performed only if necessary to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman.

House Bill 1215 would prohibit any person, at any time, from providing any medicine or other substance to a pregnant woman for the specific purpose of terminating her pregnancy. However, a person may provide a contraception substance to a woman without penalty prior to the time her pregnancy could be determined by conventional medical testing.

HB 1215 would also prohibit any person, at any time, from using any instrument or procedure on a pregnant woman for the specific purpose of terminating her pregnancy, unless the person is a licensed physician performing a medical procedure to prevent the death of the pregnant woman.

Any person other than the pregnant woman who violates the provisions of HB 1215 would commit a felony.

If approved, HB 1215 will likely be challenged in court and may be declared to be in violation of the US Constitution. If so, the State may be required to pay attorneys fees and costs.

A vote “Yes” will allow the Act to become effective.
A vote “No” will reject the Act.

Rep. Rausch says:

Thumb Up

“I was very proud and privileged to vote in favor of that, and I will definately vote in favor of Referred Law 6. I wanted it to be law when I voted for it in the House, and I want it to be law now.”

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I.O.U. One Post

Dan's Good Time Juice

Those who know my brother and I also know that as much divides us as unites us. In one particular area, “hanging out”, Bryce and I have very different behaviors. I’ve never really been a “hanger-outer”, as they say. I don’t know if it was my generally introverted demeanor as a child or the fact that my parents beat me when I asked if friends could come over, but something caused me to never really think of having people over. Sure, we had movie nights and stuff, but I never went to people’s houses uninvited. Bryce, on the other hand, has always been one to call everyone in his phone and invite them over, even if it’s just to watch home videos.

Having said that, this past weekend and week have been quite a “hang-y-out-y” time for me. Dan Rausch came up for the weekend, so Holli, David, and I all hung out all weekend. We found time to make a Musebleep, which has already been posted, and I’m working on putting together the Newsbleep we shot. I think, from now on, Newsbleeps will be a Friday posting, with Musebleeps continuing to be a Wednesday posting. It’ll give me more time during the week because I almost always film on the weekends.

Some of the non-bleepy things we did was make enough spaghetti to feed the last supper (as part of an altogether fairly complicated meal), watch Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (a very good, funny movie), get ice cream and Jones soda at 10 (or so) at night, church, China Moon, 2nd Street Diner, and much much more. Well, actually, not much more. It was a good weekend. Also, Dan and I “talked shop” about the family website.

I uploaded some videos that didn’t make it into the Newsbleep: How to Save a Life, Hallways, and My Room. I also uploaded some photos to that effect. Check out Newsbleep 005: Daily Horrors photoset.

Then, on Monday, Holly and Bob came over originally to carve pumpkins, but there are no pumpkins anymore, so we sat and watched Shaun of the Dead instead. Awesome movie, and both the girls had to keep covering their eyes (even though it’s a relatively tame Zombie Movie). Holly and Bob have invited Holli and I to a lot of things, but we haven’t reciprocated nearly enough, hence the Monday night hang-out.

Tuesday was Halloween. I dressed as “Miles, circa Yesterday”. Mainly because I still had some Host filming to do, and wanted to use the same costume, but also because I’m not that creative. Holli dressed as Pam Beasley, and she did a very good job, even though it sounded like I wasn’t impressed at the time.

Wednesday, last night, was Recycled Percussion, a “junk rock” Stomp-ish percussion trio supported by DJ Dirty Soul. They were good. Normally, I wouldn’t go to something like this, because I’m not a student anymore, but Holli convinced me. I paid the $5 and got tons of bootleg video and photos, and afterwards I bought a DVD from them and they all autographed it. I made one uber video called Recycled Percussion that has all the short videos I took put together. Photos are in the Recycled Percussion – 1 Nov 06 photoset.

Wednesday was also the start of my new novel. If you listened to the Musebleep, then you heard me mention it. I’m going to try the National Novel Writing Month challenge again. I’m off to a good start. To be on target, I have to write 1,667 words a day, and I exceeded that yesterday. Today might be a little less writing because I’m writing this post, ain’t I? Anyway, it’s called “Terry, The Funniest, Smartest Turtle, Or: The Majesty and Mockery of Music’s Greatest Band”. It’s a Humor & Satire novel, and I’m going to (with some help, most likely) narrate parts of the book during the month of November on Musebleep. It’s based on and cowritten with Danny Foster, the creator and front man for the British experimental rock band YasBM. And, if you’re lucky, I’ll play some of their music after the show, too. The band is old, and I don’t like announcing my fandom (they’re not very popular), but I thought theirs was the perfect story to tell. And, Danny also thought it should be a children’s book.

Anyway, to end with a question, as to get conversational comments, what did you guys dress up for and do for Halloween?

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2006 Fall TV Lineup

Our Pumps

I’d like to welcome a new member to the MilesRausch.com family: Lindsey! Be sure to bookmark and subscribe to milesrausch.com/lindsey and welcome her!

This weekend, Holli and I travelled back in time! No. We drove back to Hawarden. There we were originally going to aid Holli’s father, Larry, in constructing the set, but we didn’t have to. So, instead, we got a relaxing weekend. I did get some video of the Little Shop of Horrors rehearsal, and I got some pictures from the weekend. We carved pumpkins! Also, if you looked at the Thoughts section on the sidebar, you’ll see that there’s a new Musebleep up. Also, I updated a set called Office Magic with more office-related pictures.

One other thing we did this weekend was watch an episode of The Office. I’m a big TV buff. I think what appeals to me is that television shows can have nearly the same quality as motion pictures, but TV comes in bit-sized chunks. Some television show budgets run into the millions of dollars per episode and boast enormous crews to handle effects (practical, special, and computer), and you get a brand new 22 minutes or 48 minutes every week. Also, with my brand new Internet TV Show, Newsbleep, I can consider every second I spend watching television as “research”. And not the boring, Computer Science Journal Weekly type of “research”.

So, here are my thoughts on some of the shows in the 2006 Fall TV Lineup.

Heroes (NBC, Mondays) (website)

This show has caught my attention. I wasn’t sold at first, but as the show has gone on, I’m a fan. Heroes is a complex show about a group of seemingly unconnected individuals who all suddenly find themselves endowed with super heroic traits: flying, foretelling the future, bending time and space, and indestructibility to name a few.

I like:

  • The super hero theme
  • Hiro, a quirky, enthusiastic Japanese guy
  • The complexity of the story (so far)

I dislike:

  • The “symbol” that shows up everywhere
  • Some of the cheesy effects that aren’t that good
  • “save the cheerleader, save the world”

Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip (NBC, Mondays) (website)

This is, by far, the best show on television. It centers on a sketch comedy show that is trying to make a comeback. Created by Aaron Sorkin, the creator of West Wing, this hour-long drama follows a number of key characters, from the head writer to the president of the network. I really like that Matthew Perry, who plays Matt Albie, has found a nice dramedy to hone his dramatic and comedic skills. In most ways, he’s the main character of the show so far, a decent portion of the show exploring his (ex)relationship with actress Harriet Hayes (… real name). Perfect everytime.

I like:

  • The comedy
  • The drama
  • The music: same guy as West Wing
  • The writing
  • The acting
  • The directing
  • The everything else

I dislike:

  • It’s only on once a week
  • It’s only on for an hour at a time

Gilmore Girls (The CW, Tuesdays) (website)

This is a show for moms and daughters, or, in my case, moms and sons and sometimes girlfriends. Really, the general consensus on Gilmore Girls is that it’s a girl show. That is probably because the two mainest characters are female, both named Lorelai and both with a formidable vocabulary and pop culture knowledge. However, every guy who I’ve talked to who has given the show a fair chance (Seth Larson) has decided that it really is one of the smarter shows on tv. Unfortunately, the creator and head writer for the show, along with her husband (writer and director), left the show at the end of last season, and I’ve felt that things have been amiss. This may be the last season for Gilmore Girls.

I like:

  • The fast-paced, reference-laden banter between L&L
  • How everyone in the show seems to be really smart
  • The music

I dislike:

  • That Lore and Luke broke up
  • That Lore and Chris are together
  • How the show doesn’t seem as vibrantly witty as before

Mythbusters (Discovery, Wednesdays) (website)

This show really could be considered research, and it is by far the most educational show that Holli and I watch. If you’re not familiar with it, Adam and Jamie, and the rest of the cast, take on urban legends and myths, and then they work on either proving it, disproving it, or reaching no conclusion.

I like:

  • The science aspect
  • The interesting way they present the science aspect

I dislike:

  • How it’s on Discovery channel, and I never think to watch it

The Office (NBC, Thursdays) (website)

The Office is back with its third season. There were many who thought the show wouldn’t make it past season one, but it really has proven to be the sleeper hit of the NBC lineup (hence the move to the Thursday Primetime spot from Tuesday last year). I’ve been losing faith in this show, however. I feel that, in order to cater to a more popular audience and in order to satisfy more artistic whims, they are sacrificing their own rules on how to direct and write it. I hope that this doesn’t keep up, or that they keep it minimized, because I really want the show to keep that quirky aspect. We’ll see. So far, I’ve found the show entertaining, and I hope they really develop Jim’s story-line (and find more humorous situations for him and his coworkers to be in) to keep us all interested in the “other branch”.

I like:

  • That the show is still going strong

I dislike:

  • “Artsy” direction and writing
  • A somewhat weak Jim treatment so far

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS, Thursdays) (website)

This is the CBS workhorse. No one can even think the letters CBS, in that order, without thinking about CSI. With that said, I’ve been unimpressed with this season so far. I just haven’t managed to get really interested (or perplexed) by any of the cases so far. Maybe they need another genius serial killer, or maybe they just need to hang up at the end. I think this may be CSI’s last life, also, but we’ll have to see if they pull out of it.

I like:

  • The dramatic/science mixture
  • The combination of dramatic/frightening episodes with humorous/ridiculous episodes

I dislike:

  • That it seems they’ve exhausted all creative avenues for the show (or so it would seem)
  • That Grissom is getting gradually less and less attention overall (phasing him out?)

And that’s what you gots. Those are my takes on this season of television. Anything to add? Disagree with something? Let me have it.

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Reboot!

Mine and Holli's

It’s my birthday(.com)! To celebrate one year of MilesRausch.com, I’ve decided to share some of the major changes in my life so far.

“MilesRausch.com” Has Been Rebooted

The redesign (and redevelopment) boasts some new features. Along with an entirely redone design, you might spot:

  • New favicon
  • Four colored versions (which change on special days)
  • Asides, Quotes, and Lyrics in the sidebar
  • Improved “Archives” page
  • Better support for Internet Explorer and Safari (but IE doesn’t work fantastic yet)
  • Fluid-width layout

“The Car” Has Been Rebooted.

I traded in my POS (previously owned stupidcar) for $995 and got a brand-new (used) 2001 Chevy Impala LS for a decent sum. This was a huge step for me, and a huge amount of stress.

  • Heated, leather seats
  • OnStar (maybe)
  • Trunk big enough to fit four dead hootchies in it
  • Remote control
  • Power sunroof
  • tape and cd player

This is quite the story, so grab a snack. Actually, that’s what we were doing. It was Saturday, noonish, and Holli and I were going to get some beverages for our frozen pizza. If you haven’t had it, Coke with Lime is one of the greatest beverages out there. It’s got the hard, chrome-flavored kick of Coke with a hint of refreshing lime (note: you won’t get the same taste by mixing Coke with Sierra Mist).

Anyway, it’s hard to come by in Madison, so we decided to try every gas station in town. When we got up to Classic Corner, Holli noticed the marquee in front of Prostrollo’s read “Used Car Sale until 5:00 Today” or something. We went in to get our beverage (which they didn’t have!), so I totally trashed the place and left in an anger. I suddenly wanted to buy something expensive, and I wanted it to take a very very long time.

We drove around the lot, and I looked for any cars I thought I’d like. I didn’t see anything with “007 Stunt Vehicle” on it, but I did see some interesting cars, and we got out to look at them. Without warning or prompting, a salesman was upon us. I gave him my range, and the first car he showed us was a 2001 Chevy Impala. He said his cousin, Adam Pauli, owned it before and had traded it in for a pickup. He said he was originally from Summit. Then he said I could drive it.

This concept sorta blows my mind. They give you keys to a car and just let you leave. He didn’t sit with us. In fact, he used to time to find out how much my car was worth. Holli said that they use your current car as collateral (and as a reason to make you come back) but I had nothing attached to that car. We could have driven to Canada and found a better life amongst the ice-frosted stars.

Anyway, I eventually decided to get the Impala. We walked in and began the process. There were some awkward questions, mostly about work, like what does my employer do and what is my job title. Because I don’t have a job title, I just kinda explained what I do and we made something up with the word “manager” in it. Then he passed the paperwork off to the business manager guy, and we sat in the customer lounge.

We sat there a long time. We watched, like, 10 “Trip My Truck” episodes, and I got increasingly panicked about my purchase. It’s a lot of money for a long time and my old car was still running. Oh, man. Why did I agree to this? It got worse and worse, and then we talked to the business manager.

So, for a car they don’t take credit card. They take cash or check, which means you have to have that money, which means if you don’t, then you have to get a loan, which I hadn’t yet, which they were going to find for me, and without this loan, you can’t get a car. So, the long wait was because “It’s not that you have bad credit; it’s just that you don’t have enough of it.” Right. So, the only loan he could find me was 16.99% interest. I didn’t know what else I could do, so I accepted it, but I didn’t have insurance yet, and I said I was going to research that over the weekend, so the loan was put on hold because they need that info.

Eventually we were allowed to leave with the car, uninsured and unpaidfor, and I drove it to my apartment. I was in a daze the rest of the day, placing calls to dad, Bryce, and sending pix, plus getting calls from mom and Tony, and Holli calling her parents, I was just kinda numb to all of it, and still am a bit. Dad keeps saying, “You just have to do it” and “Are you smiling yet?”
There are pictures of the car and the free swag I got from the dealership in my My New Car – 2006 photo set.

P.S. It appears that Coke with Lime isn’t sold in Madison; we ended up getting Pepsi with Lime, which isn’t even the same thing, don’t get me started.

“The Job” Has Been Rebooted.

I’m full-time at Certus Managed Hosting Solutions of which, CRESH is now CRESH.NET, a division of said company. Some of the high points of that are:

  • Decent salary
  • Decent Benefits
  • Commute to Sioux Falls 3 days a week
  • Head or manager or whatever of something or other

I’ve also decided to pursue writing as a career. I’m not quitting my day job, yet, but I am working on getting into festivals and contests and stuff. This means that:

  • Writing “table”
  • Joined The Dramatists Guild of America (and got a card)
  • Currently working on: 3 novels, 12 short stories, 1 poems, 1 screenplays, 0 short films, 0 music videos, 3 one-acts, 3 three-acts, 5 sketches, 1 musical, 1 television show, 1 mini-series
  • Currently completed are: 0 novels, 1 short stories, 20+ poems, 1 screenplays, 3 short films, 2 music videos, 11 one-acts, 1 three-acts, 2 sketches
  • Currently published: 1 short story, 2 poems
  • Currently performed/recorded: 3 Newsbleeps, 2 Off the Records, 4 one-acts, 3 songs, 1 poem, 2 prize-winning speeches, 1 short film, 1 sketch
  • (numbers may be adjusted for inflation of ego)

It seems fairly overwhelming when you list it out like that, but I try to work on one thing at a time. Holli’s been very supportive, helping to keep me on track when I start things, and helping me to not get all crazy even after finishing things. An interesting development has been that the new Tech Director at DSU has a master’s degree in playwrighting, and I hope to talk to him soon (as soon as I have time).

So, romp! I hope you guys enjoy the new theme. I really like it.

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Newsbleep 003: All’s Not Well-a In Pella

Dutch
Dutch, originally uploaded by m!les.

There’s a new Newsbleep up! This one was recorded on a Gregg family gathering in Pella, IA, nearly under everyone’s nose (except Holli’s). That’s right. It was kinda spur of the moment, and I didn’t have a script going into it, so I just filmed stuff and contrived a story later on, but little ideas of what I was going to do along the way.

There is an entire other website devoted to Newsbleep: http://newsbleep.milesrausch.com. And it’s a vidcast-enabled site, so that means you can subscribe using iTunes or you can use any other Vidcast program by subscribing to the feed. And, as if that’s not enough, you can watch to the vidcasts on the website itself using a nifty quicktime player. To watch the video, go to Newsbleep 003: All’s Not Well-a In Pella.

The weekend was neat. We first went to Hawarden, and watched their Homecoming game, which they won. Marissa’s boyfriend was king, and I got a video of it, called J-Rad Is King.

Then we rose really early to drive to Council Bluffs to pick up Holli’s grandpa, Lauren Leaders. He remembered my name, which was neat. Eventually we made it to Pella, IA, where we watched Central College play The Knights (Wartburg, I think) and I got this video of a touchdown, which was completely by accident.

This Newsbleep was interesting because I experimented with changing contexts; taking a video or picture that is in one context and then using it for another. It made writing this a little challenging in that I wanted to weave a cohesive story that made sense within it’s own context by taking elements out of their context. But, I enjoy the end product, and I really like this guerilla method of Newsbleeping, where people have no idea what I’m filming them for or how I’ll abuse their likeness.

If you have a chance, watch the show Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip. It’s awesome. Pictures from the weekend are in my Newsbleep 003: All’s Not Well-a In Pella.

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Off the Record 001: Death

Guess who’s still getting the most out of his MacBook? That’s right. I’ve made a podcast. It’s called “Off the Record”, and it’ll hopefullly be entertaining to listen to. I plan on updating Off the Record more than I’ll be updating Newbleep because it’s a lot easier to just talk than it is to be in two places at once. Plus I do all my podcasts naked. The topic for this one was “death”, but you can’t listen to it here.

There is an entire other website devoted to Off the Record: http://offtherecord.milesrausch.com. And it’s a podcast-enabled site, so that means you can subscribe using iTunes, subscribe using Odeo, or you can use any other Podcast program by subscribing to the feed. And, as if that’s not enough, you can listen to the podcasts on the website itself using a nifty flash player. The mp3 version of the podcast is album art-only, but the m4a version is an enhanced podcast with chapters and multiple album arts for your enjoyment.

This podcast I had a lot of help, and I think having group involvement really makes it interesting. Participants were Bob Davidson, Holly Smith, and Holli Gregg, with a special segment by David Rausch. Also, Holli made the awesome graphic. So, please head on over to the Off the Record 001: Death post and give it a listen!

Also, this weekend was spent in Hawarden, Iowa. David was nice enough to come with us, and we all had a good time. We saw a West Sioux football game, which was nice, since they won. We also met and talked to more family (which always makes me nervous), but it went well, and I really like Holli’s aunt’s voice. I know that sounds weird, but you should hear her voice, then you’ll see what I mean. It feels odd to meet her cousins because they are so much older than her. Her cousin Brody, for instance, is 30 years old. I didn’t even know that they made cousins that old.

No, but seriously, it was nice. We watched some Office, Carol had a birthday, and got a MacBook on Sunday. And, on the way back, we had a stimulating conversation about religion and it’s misuses and the way the public shapes and is shaped by religion. It was enlightening.

In Other News: Mom, the reason I didn’t answer my phone is because I was performing with Comedy Bytes from 7 until 11ish.  But, yes, if I could have planned it I probably would have avoided your call.  And, no, I haven’t seen the Gilmore Girls yet this season, so don’t ruin it.

Yes, that’s right. I thought last semester was my last show, but I agreed to stay on until auditions, which meant entertaining Freshmen during the first week of school, doing a quick 10 minute bumper at Monday night’s Coronation, and a full 45 minute show last night in the Underground. I think the show went really well. The turn out for the show last night wasn’t as big as I would have liked, but it was still a major crowd, and they laughed. Afterwards, they gave Holli, Mike, and I long underwear and a card with no money inside. It was touching.

In Related News: I got Digital Cable today, and the guy who hooked it up was a sexist. He had on The Price Is Right, and they have glamorously dressed girls, but I would say it’s quite tasteful. Camera pans to a girl. He says, “I think she should take her shirt off.” I was floored, not at the joke, because I’ve said so much worse, but at the fact that he was assuming I was the kind of person who would enjoy a joke like that. That, and she wasn’t wearing a “shirt”, it was a dress. There is nothing in my apartment to suggest that: no rifles or antlers, no posters of half-naked chicks fishing, no swimsuit calendar. There was a slightly awkward silence. The camera pans over to another woman, African-American, dressed in similar attire. He says, “I think she should, too.” So, feeling that I needed to respond, and knowing that he wasn’t yet down installing my cable, I said, “Well, if they did things like that, I don’t think they’d be on CBS anymore.” Laugh. He says, “Yeah, but I would watch religiously!” Ironic choice of words. I smirk, and go into the kitchen. That’s the last time I make small talk ever again.

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I Hate You, Mike Shinoda

The Star
The Star, originally uploaded by m!les.

How dare you pen such catchy beats and riff such rockin’ rhymes! I remember when I first heard of Linkin Park. I remember seeing them on a show called Pharm House (or something) and they were an up-and-coming musical act. I lived and breathed Linkin Park. I went to fan sites and downloaded B-Sides and rarities. I memorized trivia. And now he seems to have done it again, Mike Shinoda, with his band Fort Minor. I got the CD for that one song (Where’d You Go?) and I (as a joke) listened to the whole album, and I liked it. I really liked it. Who’s heard this? What did you think?

But one song struck me (besides that one song) like [your mom reference] hit [sexual reference]. It’s called “Believe Me”, and I noticed something strange about it. I played againa and again, and then I noticed it. I recognized the violin line. I thought on it the whole day at work, and then I realized, it’s the exact same violin line from a song called Alessandra by the band Unorganized Crime. It’s a lower pitched, a little slowed down, but it’s unmistakeable. I wondered how he got away with that (if at all) or if the two struck an agreement. Then I was messing around with Garageband working on some music and guess what I discovered. That exact same violin line! Yeah! They both got it from Garageband, which, I suppose, makes it public domain, but it was odd.

Last week Holli and I took a walk and took some pictures. Her pictures are in her Walkaround DSU – Sept 2006 set and mine are in my Rendered DSU – 14 Sept 06 set. It was neat. I don’t know much about night photography, so it was a learning experience. Also, using long exposures sure show you how dirty your lense is.

Then, this weekend, we basically just lounged around hanging out. There wasn’t much on the agenda. Monday, however, I went on a spending spree. I had just paid off the last of my bills that weekend, and I still had over half my paycheck left, so I bought Ghostbusters 1 & 2 DVD set, The Office: Season 2, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Directions ( a Death Cab for Cutie DVD), and The Gilmore Girls Season 4 ($20 marked down from $50). It was awesome. So, now Holli and I have a problem. Continue to watch Aqua Teen Hunger Force or go ahead with The Office. It seem that our unofficial plan of action is The Office, and I’m okay with that. Who’s seen these? What did you think?

I would like to thank everyone for your comments on the Newsbleeps. I plan on making more. My eventual plan for content on MilesRausch.com is going to be two text posts and two multimedia posts per month and all for free! I have some things planned, some things incomplete, and somethings very nearly ready to disclose in the coming weeks. Something to think on, MilesRausch.com turns 1 on October 9th. So, hopefully, I’ll have some surprises for you. *wink*

This past week I’ve watched the movies Dune and Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and I have learned something about the future and space: both are very weird. I hope I die before 10191, because I don’t think I’d like it much. Also, I’ll be much more careful about what seasoning I use on my food from now on. Who’s seen it? What did you think?

This weekend Holli and I are heading to Hawarden. She has some family gathering there, and we haven’t visited since May, and her dad is directing their musical this fall. It’s Little Shop of Horrors, and Holli and I are acting as Executive Producers. Well, not really, unless he wants us to, but that’s what I told Bryce so he would be impressed with me. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen the movie yet, so we have to do that like right-quick. Who’s seen it? What did you think?

By the by, I injected this post with comment starters. Can you spot them? What did you think?

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Newsbleep 002: All Night Long

Newsbleep 002: All Night Long

Also, view CiCi and Sliding Drawer also taken this weekend.

This time almost all of this was scripted or planned. Not so much a video blog as an internet TV show, but it’s one where I’m in control of everything. This weekend, on Friday, Holli babysat CiCi, so I brought supper over (despite feeling really under the weather) and we ate and took a walk, and I took some video and pictures (see above and below, respectively). Also, on Friday, Dave joined Holli and I for a go of it down south. I decided to jump the Steve Irwin fan club bandwagon and make a “tribute” video to him. To be fair, Steve did entertain me, and I have nothing but good will towards his conservation and relocation efforts, but I got a little sick of how many tributes to Steve there were on the internet (and almost every art-upload site was full of them), so I shot right back. That day, however, we spent the entire day with Jenny and Molly Brass, eating out, going to Target (I bought the special edition of Narnia and shampoo), and finally we went to their house for supper and some home videos. A good weekend. Then I spent the rest of it editing this thing while Holli felt conflictingly more and more proud and more and more annoyed that I was ignoring her for my MacBook once again. I’m sorry, baby! I love you!

Shownotes:

MilesRausch.com Newsbleep 002: All Night Long

at least one person liked the Newsbleep, so I’m doing it again

Firstly. Night Stalker

Thanks, M-train. And good evening to all you wannabe Newsbleepers. I’m here, in the field, on location, right here in my apartment. The same apartment that you see in the opening animation. I am sitting mere feet from the very table at which I broadcasted the original Newsbleep, #001, in 2006. I know!

But I’m not here to rehash old (bleep)s. I’m here to investigatorially journalize the amazing night life of Madison, SD. One of the amazing features of my MacBook is the iSight camera, built right into the lid. It’s this same camera that I’m using right now, and that comes with time lapse capabilities.

My first experiment with this feature materialized in the form of a music video for a Radiohead song. See the show notes for a link. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it captured the imagination of the nation. My second experiment was of myself a few nights ago. I wanted to see what it looks like when I sleep. I’ve never been able to watch myself sleep despite my numerous sleep/mirror inventions and experimentation with LSD. Also, I’ve been a sleep dancer ever since I was an infant, when my mother played Elton John to get me to sleep. I’m sorry to everyone who’s had to endure that, but I wanted to see just what moves I really have. But the footage was too dark, so I deleted it.

(crickets)

What makes this experiment worth it is that I live above the only traffic light in Madison, ergo the busiest intersection in town, which nearly guarantees good footage. Now, it’s very nearly 11pm. I’m going to set this up, and, always the devoted reporter, I’m going stay up all night long, watching along with you.

(timelapse and shots of me sleeping)

So there you have it. Madison is a town of freaks who come out at night to feed on the dreams of the living, turning the streets dark-red with nightmarish blood-lust. Anyway, back to you, M-train.

Secondly, Ghost Stalker

Thanks, M-ego (amigo). Over two years ago, the Newsbleep offices received an unmarked package in the mail. We naturally thought it was sars, and we beat the package until it was unrecognizable. After calming down and smoking a joint or two, we inspected it to find this spectacular home video. Take a look.

The video shows what appears to be a misty-like ghostly apparition dissipating into the window. Naturally, we thought nothing of it, until the studio moved into the very apartment where the video was taken.

So they did call the landlord, but the story he had was neither convincing, nor worth filming. So nothing happened until we located the author of the original video, and the story he gave us was much more better.

A fascinating story with humorous commentary. Thank you, Miles. And we we turn to our final story of the evening. Some of you may have heard that Steve Irwin, a man who’s enthusiasm for the ugliest, dangerousest creatures on earth has horrified and entertained the world for years, passed away while playing with fish or something. Newsbleep, always one to jump on the bandwagon, presents this “In Memorium”.

Lastly, Steve Irwin Stalkers

Reporter: Thanks Vitamin ‘M’. I’m driving down South Dakota Highway 19, heading towards what APPEARS to be the city of Sioux Falls. In the vehicle with me are David Rausch and Holli Gregg, two self-proclaimed Major Steve-Nerd Irwinites.

This In Memorium celebrates the life of famed South American Actor/Comedian Steve Irwin who coined the famous phrase “Crickey, dat croc done ’bout took me arm off!”

Montage of driving.

Turns music off, “Hey guys, story time. Name 10 to 15 of your favorite Steve Irwin moments. Dave, go.”

More driving. Make it up. Eat at Chile’s to celebrate his South American heritage. Tie-in to bringing Jenny Brass her shirt back.

As always:

check for more Newsbleeps or other info
read other MR.com blogs
All photos from this weekend can be found in CiCi – 8 Sept 06 and The Brass House – 9 Sept 06

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Newsbleep 001: Courtship, Cards, and Competition

Newsbleep 001: Courtship, Cards, and Competition

I’m certainly into video lately. I was experimenting with my iSight camera at home this weekend, and I decided that I’ll try a vblog entry. I don’t know how often I’ll do it. If I use my iSight camera, then I can do it whenever I want, but if I use a better camera (like one of them from campus), then it might be less frequent.

Shownotes:

MilesRausch.com Newsbleep 001: “Courtship, Cards, and Competition”

hopefully more entertaining and saves me typing
great sound effects like this
awesome visual effects like this, and this, and this, and this, and this

3. Courtship

Alicia and Doug
tiny, lonely church
guy I called for an address used the phonebook
timed it to sit in the front
Went: “Weddingingly”; Was: “Weddingy”
no photos (crickets); moment of silence

Related News: bryce called to say that he and I have a bond that no one else can have

2. Cards

a lot of poker
a lot of peanuts
a lot of arrested development
surprise poker shark: Micaela Rausch; had Dan’s friend Jon and Uncle Frank scared of her, something I’ve been for years
Dave gave us a tour of his house (Jenny, Holli, and I); ended in philosophical discussion in Micaela’s room

Related News: I got Arrested Development 3

1. Competition

annual Labor Day softball tourney
won first game, lost second and third
Members of the team were: Dick, Barry, Keith, Unknown Guy, David, Chris Smith, Chris Fellows, John, Guy I Should Know, Dan, Uncle Tony, My Dad, Mike G., and Uncle Mike.
Nicknames: D-saster, Scooter, F-stop, and D-rail

Related News: Seeds are addicting, and we should keep them away from Holli
Related News: Tony likes to touch people’s faces
Related News: Chris Smith will answer to any nickname you give him, with a smile.

As always:

Check Newsbleep for more Newsbleeps or other info
Read other MR.com blogs
All photos from this weekend can be found at the 2006 Labor Day Softball Tournament set.

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Grounds For Divorce

This music video is for a band called Wolf Parade. The video was shot around last St. Patrick’s Day (hence the snow and the green shamrock on my right hand). I remember it being a slightly boring weekend. David was originally supposed to be in it, but he found a ride home, and took that ride. Which, it turns out, was just as well, because I hardly had time to fit all the footage in as it was.

The idea was born from the song itself. I often found myself bouncing along to it, and I thought it would be funny if we followed a guy and a girl who find themselves inexpicably bouncing to this song, in beat. Of course, there’s also a “surprise” ending.

I worked hard on this. It was my first real music video. Sure, we’d done music videos before, but this was going to be the first one where some out-of-camera editing was going to take place. Where would my career be without our first Weird Al and Beck music videos? In any case, I went so far as to storyboard this, not realizing how difficult it can be (and how far off you can get) storyboarding something with such specific timing. The trick for most of it was to have the song playing everywhere. I put it on my iPod, and hooked up my iPod speakers, and we went crazy.

Be sure, if you like the video, to rate it on Google Video. Share it with your friends.

You can view pictures from the experience on Flickr.