Category: Trips

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Winter Wonderlanden

Well, it sure has been a while, hasn’t it. I wonder how many blog posts start out that way. I’m willing to bet it’s a very large number. Like, ninety a hundred. What’s going on, Miles Man? Hit me with the Newsizzle.

Newsbleep

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With Bryce home, and my new camera in tow, it was time for another Newsbleep. This one went on the theme of a “Pimp My Ride” show, and I tried to play up some of the cheesy motifs of such shows: the “victim”, cool teenage language, using family members as collateral, mocking the vehicle in dire need of “pimping”, nicknames of the crew so they seem more like a hip-hop posse than car mechanics, and (of course) the “reveal”.

This one was tricky. All of Holli’s stuff had to get shot on Saturday, but Tony and Tyler were going to be gone on Saturday and wouldn’t get back until Sunday. Lindsey didn’t want to shoot Saturday, but said “maybe” for Sunday. Then, on Sunday, she went fishing, so we had to shoot her on Monday (and cut a bit of her part). That and I had about two or three more characters than the original script had featured. But, it went well, and you can’t really tell that anything seems shot out of place. So far, the response has been positive. And, so far, I’d say that it’s my favorite. But, of course, the latest one is always my favorite.

Also, it was nice to get videos from family and friends to put together a “Happy Holidays” montage at the end. I really liked that, and I think I’ll work in “Call for Videos” again. I don’t know if I’ll use Mediafire again, however.

Visit my Newsbleep 007: Christmas and Must-Nots set.

Merry Christmas

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Of course, the list:

  • From Holli:
  • From Mom and Dad:
  • From Larry and Carol:
    • “The Office” t-shirt
    • 1/2 of a tripod
    • 1/2 of Apples to Apples
    • 1/2 of a Texas Roadhouse gift certificate
    • 1 ticket for Century Theatre
  • From Bryce and Lindsey:
  • From Adam and Cari:
    • 1/2 of Deal or No Deal
  • From G’ma and G’pa
    • $$$$
  • From Aunt Sue:
  • From Aunt Karin:
    • Gift certificate (which she unfortunately misplaced, but I’m sure it’ll turn up)
  • From Molly:
  • From David:
    • Something awesome that I can’t talk about until everyone has theirs
  • From Tony:
  • From Holly and Bob:
    • Something, but I’m not sure what yet as they still have it
  • From Santa:

Christmas was good. It seemed a little anti-climatic seeing as I got the video camera, my big gift, so early, but it was still good. And the bag is something I was planning on buying myself, anyway. All-in-all, it was a predictable Christmas. I think I requested or expected a higher percentage of my presents this year that usual. I’m not sure I’ll be so exacting next year. A big “Thank You” to everyone for your gifts. I love them!

View my Christmas 2006 set.

Our Anniversary Date

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Holli’s and my anniversary was on December 21st, and we had big plans, buddy, but it didn’t work out. Instead, we ended up staying at my apartment because of the roads. We did, however, have a nice present exchange and meal at Skipper’s.

Then, on the 27th, Holli came up to Sioux Falls, and we had the date we had planned for the 21st. We at at Johnny Carino’s. It was good. I had a hard time choosing my meal, and the waitress wasn’t great. At one point, another waitress came over with two plates and said, “We have the fetuccini alfredo.” Holli and I looked at each other. Neither of us ordered that. She eventually gave the food to another table. Then, later, she came back with a to-go package in her hands. “We packed up your food to go.” And I thought, “Why? Are you kicking us out?” We gave her blank stares, and protested that it must not be this table. As it turned out, the same table near ours must have gotten the wrong dish, and so they got either the original order or the food they started eating to-go, on the house. It was confusing, but the food was still good, and we ended up getting to-go boxes ourselves.

Then we went to Falls Park. It was beautiful and more lit up than a high school drop out. It was perfect for romantic picture taking.

New Year’s

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Whereas Christmas had been spent with my family in Big Stone City and Sioux Falls (with Holli able to share parts of that), New Year’s was spent with Holli’s family in Hawarden and Council Bluffs. I was very happy to have the latest Newsbleep up on the internet by the time I left for Holli’s house no Friday, so I had no editing I had to do over the weekend.

When I got there we played poker, of which I was first out, but after that we played Guitar Hero. I’d never played before. Holli said it gave her headaches, so I played with Marissa. We sucked worse a NASA airlock. Unfortunately, there are pictures, but we had fun destroying some classic guitar songs.

The next day we travelled to Council Bluffs to hand with their grandpa, Lauren. We went over to their uncle, Allen’s, place. He and his wife have a very nice place. Connie is a party designer, and she’s very good. As such, their house is very much a designer house. We watched a couple football games, ate some pizza, and then headed to our hotel. There we watched a Newsbleep, planned out church (for me), and went to bed.

The next day all hell broke loose. We left as early as we dared, because the weather was fast getting awful. The ride back was terrible. It was white-out conditions mixed with stupid drivers and ice. It was stressful, but Larry weathered the storm (pun intended) beautifully. I sat back and read (and eventually prayed a rosary for good measure) and listened to music while we made our way gradually home. Once back, it seemed way too late for mass in the area. My options, as I figured, were to travel to Sioux Falls for a 7:00pm service, and then it would make the most sense to go back home. New Year’s would have to be spent alone in Madison.

But, before that, Holli and I went and talked to the priest in Hawarden. I thought, at the least, maybe he could consecrate a eucharist for me, and I could read the readings or whatever. As it turned out, they were having Mary feast day mass at 5pm, and that could count towards my Sunday obligation. Score!

New Year’s Eve night was spent playing games with Marissa’s friend, Travis, and everyone else except for Adam and Cari. It was fun, but I could have done with less Fergie.

Visit my New Year’s 2007 set.

How did you spend your holidays?

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Quickly Now

Ok. Apologies to Camp Friends for not posting about last weekend. Last weekend, Holli and I went to Camp Okoboji. It went well. The atmosphere felt really relaxed. The girls did scrapbooking (which is a huge industry, I’ve discovered), and the guys played video games. Thanks to Luke for his patient explanations of the games as I painstaking learned my way around them. I’m sure if he hadn’t already beat them all hundreds of times, he would have been pretty frustrated with my n00b console skills. Pictures are in my Scrapbooking – 18 Nov 06 photoset.

Also, to Bryan, Luke, and Keith: this is the “Lazy Sunday” video that was parodied in the “Lazy Scranton” video in that Office episode.

I haven’t posted (for reals) this week because I’m way behind on the novel, and I’m also trying to put together a Newsbleep episode, so I don’t really have time to fill you retards in on my daily life. Just kidding! Well, I am kinda. Anyways, I’m going to sleep. Good night!

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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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The Vote Is Dead; Long Live the Vote

Victory!

Val Rausch (along with Steve Street) are District 4’s Representatives! Mike Rounds is South Dakota’s Governor! Congrats to everyone who won in yesterday’s elections!

Last night Holli and I drove out to Big Stone to celebrate with Dad and 14,000 other people. Holli and I mostly hung out upstairs webcamming with Bryce and, later for a short while, Tony. Bryce was the star attraction, as all the little ones were upstairs, and they were fascinated with being seen and seeing someone on a computer screen. I also got two more chapters written on the way down to the party.

Quick Results (on what I reported on Monday):

Constitutional Amendment C: Yes (52%)
Constitutional Amendment D: No (80%)
Constitutional Amendment E: No (89%)
Constitutional Amendment F: No (68%)

Initiated Measure 2: Yes (61%)
Initiated Measure 3: No (57%)
Initiated Measure 4: No (52%)
Initiated Measure 5: Yes (55%)
Initiated Measure 7: No (67%)
Initiated Measure 8: No (61%)

Referred Law 6: No (56%)

This last weekend, Holli and I came back to Big Stone. We hung out with Tony, and tried really hard to watch the pilot of Lost, but Mom and Dad showed up (who apparently didn’t know we were coming by) and ruined everything. Saturday the big thing we did was record Musebleep 006: Chapter One. I had great fun doing this, and I think it turned out really well. To go along with this, I created (and will update) a page devoted to the novel. You can read the chapters as they get finished! Just go to MilesRausch.com/nano2006 and read away!

Sunday we spent celebrating Grandpa’s birthday. We ate at the Texas Roadhouse (as you saw), and we then chilled at Grandma and Grandpa’s new apartment. It was laid back. Bryce called me, and we talked for a while about nothing much. Then Holli and I drove back, and I did some more writing. Pictures of the apartment are available in my Grandma and Grandpa’s New Apartment – 5 Nov 06 photoset.

Then, Tuesday, I got to vote. I was excited. It’s not every day you get to vote. Last time, I remembered voting absentee, so I’d never been subjected to Madison’s actual voting procedure. I drove up to the Playhouse, following Holli who was going to take some pictures of the stage. We said goodbye, and I took note of the tables. There were a lot of tables, all of which were manned by 90 year old women. I did notice that the first one was right next to a big map that showcased who voted where (by Ward and Precinct). I located my apartment on the map, and I headed for the big room down the hall.

This room had tables all along the walls, with numbers above them. These, I guessed, were the Ward-Precinct combinations I’d seen on the map. I located my booth and headed over there. I smiled at the lady, gave her my ID, and told her my name. She pried open the thick pile of names that some decades-old dot matrix printer had spit out and searched for my name. She looked and looked, and verified the spelling, and couldn’t find it.

We brainstormed, thinking that maybe I was actually registered in the W-P that the address on my ID said. So, I walked across the room to that table. I started to explain my predicament, once again getting out my ID, but the lady answered with a loud “What?” So, I just gave her my name, three times, and she searched for my name. Again, I was absent. She asked me my address, and I started to explain why my current address wouldn’t help us out here, but she insisted, and I told her, three or four times. She suggested I go to yet another table. Or, I could walk back out to the 100 year old woman by the map and look in that gargantuan book of names. I opted to do that.

I stand in line, by the big map which everyone and their idiot is walking past to talk to this ancient old lady with glasses nearly as thick as the printout she has to page through. I wait, and I finally have my chance. I tell the lady my name. “Miles Rausch” is what I say, because – look at the address bar – that’s my name. She says, “What?” Of course, she would say that. I say, “Rausch,” and she says, “G-R-E…”, and I say, “No, no, no. R-A-U-S-C-H,” and she says, “R-A-U-C-T…?”, and I say, “No. S-C-” and she cuts me off saying, “Well, we’ll start with R-A-U.”

I smile, resisting the urge to grab the book and look my own name up. She gets to the R-A-U section and then we go through a similar process figuring out the S-C-H part. Then I look down the page. She uses a ruler to help her line people up, and she’s covering part of the names on the bottom, but there it is: Rausch, Patricia. No “Rausch” above it or below it. Apparently, despite my previous two voting endeavors, I am not registered in Lake County. I might not be registered at all to vote.

So, great. I went home feeling annoyed and disappointed. I mean, I even did all the work in becoming an informed voter on the ballot measures, and I couldn’t even excercise my voice-right. I guess if the choice is Vote or Die, then I’m dead.

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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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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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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:

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All photos from this weekend can be found in CiCi – 8 Sept 06 and The Brass House – 9 Sept 06

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samedi 17 juin 2006

Outside the Concert
Outside the Concert, originally uploaded by m!les.

Today, in some ways, was a much less eventful day than planned, and, in other ways, much more so. Awoke to go shopping. The plan was to be back by noon, which didn’t leave much time. So we hopped to it.

At the town plaza we divided into girls and guys. Girls went with Quitterie, and boys went with Alfred. We tried looking at clothes, but they were all very expensive (Alfred agreed). So we did electronics instead. Then we went home for drinks. First we took a bus to a souvenir shop. I got a snow globe. I will probably have to finish up my shopping in Quiberon.

Soon it became obvious that we weren’t going to go anywhere at noon. Our parents’ plans had changed with their travels. Apparently they got lost or something. Then the girls returned and soon we had lunch. It was pizza, and it was awesome.

Then we played Smash Brothers for a bit. The parents returned and Benoit taught us to play Toc. It turned out to be quite a fun game. Before that Molly and Quitterie had played Blokus, after which, I joined in. I like that game, too, though Toc has much more excitement.

Then we had a late dinner of potatoes, cheese, and ham, which is what, moments earlier, Linds had requested for dinner. It was delicious.

Then we went to watch Camille, Alfred, and Quitterie have a concert. It was a school band with a bit of community thrown in. Camille plays cello, Alfred plays trumpet, and Quitterie plays keys. It was good music. There was a band from another suburb there, too. They even played a Sweringen song. Then, at the end, both bands played together. The place was absolutely packed with both musicians and spectators. Quite a difference from DSU concerts.

Antoine had asked if we wanted to watch his friend’s band, and we thought it was the same time so we opted to do the concert thing instead, but he said the band was afterwards. Then, some time between dessert and finishing Toc, he disappeared, so we never saw his friend’s band.

Benoit also taught us a blowing game. But, that sounds bad, so I’ll call it an exhaling game. You use squeezies to exhale cornballs around and get them in sinks. It got competitive. I played a largely defensive game, and it worked to my benefit.

Then I wrote a post, and now I’m going to bed so I can be up for Church tomorrow.

I miss Holli. She’s probably having a blast doing all sorts of American things. *sigh*

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Amber and John’s Wedding

Wedding
Wedding, originally uploaded by m!les.

This weekend my cousin Amber (Wiese) got married to John Faletti-Wiese in Sioux Falls this weekend. This weekend was much fun, and she is the first of the First Cousins to get married (on either side), so it was a new experience this weekend.

Amber and John have been dating for a couple years. At first all I heard were rave reviews about him, including (once or twice), that he was “the new Miles Rausch” in the family. I hated him. But then you meet him, and you get to know him, and you start thinking, “He IS the new Miles Rausch. In fact, he’s the IMPROVED Miles Rausch.” And then you start to plan his demise.

Six or seven attempts on his life later, he’s still in the family, and he’s marrying your cousin. Man, that’s special.

  • The wedding was nice
  • Got introduced to Trevor (again)
  • Watched Gabe become the reluctant center of attention
  • Took a family photo
  • Took lots of macro / wallpaper pictures
  • Enjoyed a neat banquet
  • Had good food
  • Spilled wine on Mom
  • Fetched all kinds of alcohol for Mom
  • Filmed a short movie (which may get put together eventually)
  • Danced
  • Jumped
  • Talked to a lot of people
  • Almost got wine spilled on me
  • Had a good time
  • Retired to bed a little before everyone else

So, I guess I’ll say “Congratulations!” to Amber and John. Many happy years!

Photos are here.

John Singing (video). Holli, black and white (video).

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23 July 2006

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

I hate 7:00am. Woke up, showered, and had breakfast. We travelled to the subway to take it to the South Ferry. There was construction going on the lines, so they were all messed up (especially on the weekends). We ended up taking a shuttle, too. Subways are hot! (not in the “Paris Hilton” way, either).

First we went to Clinton Castle to buy tickets. This used to be the 1st stop for immigrants going to Ellis Island. 1st and 2nd class passengers usually entered the United States from here. From this point we boated to Liberty Island. We got a lot of pictures at the seafront. A lot. Then we took a Liberty Tour with our Ranger. I took a panograph of the Statue, herself, and hope to have it completed soon. The same bird was walking along the bottom of the statue and ended up in everyone of my pictures of the base. We also took a lot of pictures in front of the statue, and one behind.

For lunch we had pizza. Well, everyone ordered a pepperoni pizza and drink except me, who got a hot dog combo (what’s more American than a hot dog on Liberty Island?). At lunch it took me several minutes to recall the word “pangea”, but I did it.

From here we went to Ellis Island, again by boat. I found the Statue to be interesting, but Ellis Island was fascinating. I got caught up in the history. We saw a movie on it, walked around, and then boated back to New York.

There’s a park area with lots of venders, and we hung around that for a while. sor’d Then we sought out Wall St. We found a bull (bronze) and the Canyon of Heros, which I really liked, even though it’s just the name of a street. But, to add to it, they put names and groups that were considered heros into the sidewalks down this street, and the buildings all around really felt like an urban canyon. This brought us to the Stock Exchange, and the location where George Washington was sworn in.

From there we walked to Ground Zero. There is (obviously) not much to see there. Of course, that is what there is to see. A space. A gaping hole in the frenzied mountainscape of buildings. I didn’t realize at first that we were at Ground Zero, and I inadvertently took a very poignant picture of it. I art by accident!

Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge, originally uploaded by m!les.

Next was the Brooklyn Bridge. We were sure that we had to take a subway to get there, but upon reentering the tunnels, we talked to a guy who told us that we were basically underneath the Brooklyn Bridge right now. So, we exited the Subway, and lo!, there we were. On top we walked along for a while. You walk on this wooden walkway over the roaring traffic. Holli was tired (I was, too) and her hips hurt, so we stopped before actually getting underneath anything, but Marissa stayed with us, and we talked about how the inherent dynamics of life lead one to believe that God does not, in fact, exist, while, at the same time, the simple existance of life and its dynamics do, in essense, require the existance of God in some form.

We walked back to TGIFridays, but they were closed. So, we walked to the subway, metro’d our way to home, and walked right up to an Applebees out of the subway.

On the way back I called a strange number that had awaykened us last night, and I had thought it was Dirk, but it was actually Collin. He has a kid on the way. CRAZY.

Time for bed.

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Bryce and Lindsey

Ok, Google Video was going through a tough time, and the Bryce and Lindsey video is actually up now, if you missed it.
Linds, Bryce
Linds, Bryce, originally uploaded by m!les.

This weekend was a goodbye weekend for Bryce and Lindsey. See, Bryce is my brother, and he has asked Lindsey to marry him, so, since she is going to Grad School in Philly, he is going with her, and they have an apartment, and they’ll be there for two years or so (or that’s what I heard), so, since they’re leaving a little over a week from now, there was a get-together at Justin Kaiser’s parents’ house to celebrate (or mourn or whatever).

Saturday, around 2:15ish, Bryce and Holli and I went to get Lindsey. From there we drove to the firehall to get ice. Bryce asked me if I remembered the combination, which I didn’t. Then at the end of our ice excursion, he asked me again, and I remembered. Much to my delight. We added our drinks to the cooler at Boy’s (Justin Kaiser’s) and waited for more guests to arrive. During this time, Holli and I gave them our present, drinking glasses with cool stems, and Boy gave them his presents, legal software. Once enough were assembled, Bryce began writing up a bocce ball tournament. Holli and I were on a team, and we were team “Gobias”, as in “Gobias some coffee”.

The plan at first was to divide into groups and go two games at one time, but we were thwarted by the game (only one white ball, known as a “brick”, was available). So, we played as one big group. Holli and I lost. It’s hard to tell who won. Then we went in, rested a bit, then Ryan showed up and Chris left. So we played another game, but Ryan kept throwing it really far, and I didn’t feel like exacerbating my football injury, so I usually just dropped my ball near my feet.

Then we went in, sat around for a bit, and ordered pizza. Holli and I volunteered to go get it, so when it was ready, we hopped into Bryce’s van and tried in vain to get out, but I have no idea how long that van is, and I could see Tyler getting kinda upset if I turned his bug into modern art, so I played it careful. Too careful. 120 minutes later, I was pulling out of the driveway, annoyed and confused, like after watching The Da Vinci Code. But we nabbed the pizza, drove back, Ryan left, and we ate it.

After / during the meal, I popped in a DVD. It was one I made for Bryce and Lindsey. It was basically a slideshow put to music (my skillz at iMovie are still quite limited) but I tried my best to make it touching and personal. Unfortunately, I don’t have that many pictures of Lindsey, so I had put out a request for pictures to the home email account, hoping that Bryce wouldn’t see the email (which he didn’t), but apparently Mom didn’t think it was worth her time to respond, so I never received any help whatsoever. Thanks. Linds, I’m sorry you aren’t more prevalent. I really tried. I did.

After the DVD, I gave Bryce and Lindsey a little packet each. The packet contained a CD that I made for them, called “Heay Brother and Sister-In-Law”, and a copy of the DVD. I hope they enjoy them. I felt like I should do something for them, and I like doing creative things, and it helped me learn my Mac. It was a win-win-win situation.

After that we began one of the longest poker games in history, and I ended up winning $30 by crushing everyone in my path. My final victim was Tony, and before that, Tyler. Holli was an early casualty. I knew I had the cards, so I bet high, but she saw me, then I bet high again, trying to scare her off, but she proclaimed being stubborn, and saw my bet. I halved her chips in one hand. Eek. Then the losers played Apples 2 Apples.

I hope it was a good time. I had fun, but it was way later than I wished to stay. Oh, well. Good luck Bryce and Lindsey! We’ll be out to visit as soon as we can!

I uploaded the movie to here, and this is another movie I made with iMovie ;). Yes, Chris, I made these on a Mac, and I’m typing this post on a Mac!

Photos are here.

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Rock-a-Boji

Rock-a-Boji
Rock-a-Boji, originally uploaded by m!les.

Seeing as Holli was unable to perform her usual listing on her last post, I’ll go ahead and pick up the listed slack.

  • Went to Iowa
  • Witnessed “Rock-a-Boji” – a dance of some sort where the kids can request songs or actions (ie. “Can you request that Natalie dance with a boy?”)
  • Took a ton of random-effects pictures
  • Messed with exposure time, aperture, film speed, and a host of other numbers that go from high to low and back again
  • Met: Luke, Deb (Demarest), Megan, Jeff, and many others
  • Re-connected with: Bryan, Deb (Wittrock), Mandy, Keith
  • Hugged: Bryan
  • Worked on: a writing project and a film project
  • Slept in Staff House (the holy of holies)
  • Saw: Arnold’s Park, Arnold’s Amusement Park, Arnold’s Perk, Arnold’s Dock (Floating), Arnold’s Lake, and Arnold’s Disgruntled Unfriendly Waitress at The Wharf (she cussed at me!)
  • Worked doing: hardly anything; I vacuumed twice and that was it
  • Overall: I enjoyed myself

I get nervous hanging around Holli’s friends because I’ve introduced so much of Satan into her life, I’m afraid they’re going to say, “You made our friend into a Devil Worshipper!” and I’ll say, “She told me to!” and then we’ll fight with knives. I hate that.