bradm

Louden Wainwright III also played not so much a cameo, but a rarely-present side character, whose name escapes me. (It was early in the series, when Trapper John was still present.)

Aloha,

Brad

After I got that up and running, I ran it at least three times, and showed it to a couple of friends here; it's classic. (And, to be said in your best "Cletus" voice: "Maw! Come quick! Ah'm on tha teeeveee!")

I especially liked being able to see ScottieKing's breath at one point; it shows how hardy us Canadian partiers can be.

Well done!

Aloha,

Brad

P.S. To get QuickTime going under IE, I went to http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/standalone/ and got the all-in-one ZIP file, extracted from it, and ran the .EXE. When I tried the on-line installer, it kept crapping out on me when it tried to get through our firewall.

This posting just came across one of the local newsgroups here at the office:

I have no idea whether (or how well) this all works, nor do I have any connection with any of the companies involved.

Aloha,

Brad

Anybody else fondly remembering the Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad [sic]?

Aloha,

Brd

Were there any tapers in the audiences?

(That's actually not as facetious as it sounds. If it's something that's to be given over and over, it might be worth it to tape it and just play new people the tape. If you can stand it, watching the tape yourself can be revelatory.)

Congratulations; good to hear it worked out.

Aloha,

Brad

Staying in a Vengeful mood, who could forget:

Aloha,

Brad

Diana Rigg, playing Mrs. Emma Peel, from "The Avengers".

Aloha,

Brad

One other thought: has anybody ever tried to do a comprehensive search of venues for this kind of thing? I'm thinking of starting off with a list of all clubs/restaurants in Ottawa, grouping them by region, eliminating places that are obviously not workable (e.g., too large, or too small, or not licensed, or not in a good location), and sending out people on appropriate nights (Monday, Tuesday, etc.) to get a feel for the places (e.g., if a given venue has a lot of people in it on most Mondays, that venue/day probably wouldn't work), and maybe even talk to the owners.

With a handful of people, the right information, and a little coordination, we could cover a lot of ground.

Aloha,

Brad

Dang. I was looking forward to it (and not just for contrition points).

I was in the Market last night, and had a thought: how about the Dominion? It's a flat-out *bar*, but they have hosted shows with groove-type music before (e.g., the Hallowe'en show with Nero, TMNS, and another band whose name escapes me).

Aloha,

Brad, Desiring Pudding Pops

I might be able to make it, but I can't get down to the Market until 7pm or so. Any idea where'll you be 'round then?

Aloha,

Brad

Don't worry about it; chalk it up to normal thread drift. And bouche did it first, by including "Buck Rogers" which wasn't a sitcom, despite being hilarious at times.

And I'd think Stephanie Zimbalist would be on the list of '80s hot chicks.

Aloha,

Brad

We seem to have veered away from sitcom land, but here are two more women, both from the same series: Hill Street Blues: Barbara Babcock, and Veronica Hamel.

Aloha,

Brad, Assuming The Position...

In the interests of completeness, I'll also reply here: I'm hoping to make it out. I've got your cell #, and I'll try to call on my way out the door*.

Aloha,

Brad

* Or just before I get out the door, as the phone cord isn't all that long...

I've only been able to get at this page using IE 5.5 (under WinNT). Netscape 4.61 (also WinNT) doesn't like it (the page comes up, but the formatting/placement is all wrong, and none of the links/buttons work), nor does Netscale 4.06 (which I used to use for the Sanctuary under Sparc Solaris 2.6).

I also tried Opera 6.02 (WinNT), and it didn't work, though I can't remember why.

Aloha,

Brad

It sounds like you walked into a Hunter S. Thompson story...I'm reading it, and thinking, in my best Marlon Brando voice, "The horror...the horror..."

But I have put "Mexican Transvestite Wrestling" on my list of song titles to use...

I'm not sure if I'd've been able to handle it all. Good work (and nicely written), doubleB.

Aloha,

Brad

Yeah, I realize that, but didn't want to clutter the post up with "no pun intended" footnotes...

I can just imagine the buffet, though: cookies and brownies spread out, bags of Doritos laying in wait for the inevitable muchiecrisis...

Aloha,

Brad

How about pot luck? Or a "theme" pot luck, with the obvious theme being toast. We could have a couple of toasters and/or toaster ovens available for those who want to toast it up live and in person. Count me in for the mini-pizzas...

I'd be interested in seeing what kinds of toasty desserts people can come up with, or toasty drinks...

Aloha,

Brad

This week, I brought the following to the office to listen to:

Jean-Luc Ponty / King Kong

Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack deJohnette / Whisper Not

Bill Evans / Conversations With Myself

Oysterhead / The Grand Pecking Order

Eric Johnson / Alien Love Child

I'll also probably break out some of the Dead I've got on disc (I've been meaning to get through 1977.04.23).

Aloha,

Brad

How did the footage of ScottieKing playing "Baby One More Time" come out?

Aloha,

Brad

Jan Smithers, who played Bailey Quarters on "WKRP In Cincinnati" gets major points in my book. "WKRP" had that whole Ginger vs. MaryAnn thing going with Jennifer vs. Bailey; Loni Anderson may have been the Hot Babe with posters and calendars, but I always thought Jan was more attractive.

Aloha,

Brad

I just checked The Mercury, and they list:

As an alternative event, how about we find some open stage thing or karaoke bar, bring along the toaster, and make music ourselves?

Or, we could just sit around and do the traditional Toaster Night things: sing toaster carols, open our toaster presents, watch "The Night Black & Decker Stole Toastmas"...

Aloha,

Brad

The first one you listed (which most people know as "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman", subtitled, "Adventures of a Curious Character"; the second is subtitled "Further Adventures of a Curious Character") came first.

Both are essential reading. They're not dry textbooks: as well as being curious, Feyman was somebody who *lived* his life. His stories about his relationships with women (e.g., picking them up in bars or at parties, and his stories about his wife's decay and death due to TB), for example, are a joy to read.

One other book on the Essential Reading List, especially for the music junkies here, is "The Real Frank Zappa Book", by, you guessed it, Frank Zappa. It gives a lot of insight into the man, his music, and the times in which they both were around.

Aloha,

Brad

Another key is sincerity: once you can fake that, you've got it made.

No, really: you don't actually have to be confident (though it helps), just make your audience believe you're confident (this goes along with the whole "presence" idea: exude confidence [whether you have it or not], and they'll pay attention).

One thing that can help is to realize that you're helping the audience: they're there because you have something of value to give them. Think of it as a peer-to-peer transaction (quid pro quo: they give you their time, you give them the info), rather than a "I have to impress them" thing. You become a vehicle for the valuable information, rather than the key.

Also, pay attention to the logistics. Know when/where you're presenting, have anything you need set up (or know who's setting up; see if you can do a sound check), avoid things that can make you nervous (e.g., caffeinated beverages), have some water handy, and take care of any personal biological needs you may have before you start. If you're one of many presenting that day/morning/afternoon, know who's in charge and who you're following, and realize you're likely going to be starting late. If you stuff to print out (e.g., handouts, or slides), get started on it today; all photocopiers and printers are equipped with Critical Need Detectors, which always go off five minutes before a presentation. Better yet, have an admin ass't or secretary do it for you.

Aloha,

Brad

With only a day to go, you're kind of limited in your options. First off, practise, especially in front of people. Get comfortable with the material (even rehearsing it out of order, and having your practice audience interrupt/heckle you). Do you have presentation materials (e.g., overhead slides or PowerPoint)? If you do, don't just read what's on them; use them as key points, and expand on them in what you say. Point-form notes on 3x5 cards are an old standby.

Try to maintain presence (confidence is part of this; I agree with everything LowRoller says); speak clearly, enunciate properly, and remember to not go too quickly (which can happen due to nerves).

Good luck. Is taping allowed? :-)

Aloha,

Brad

OK, we've got a reason to get toasty, all we need now is an event. What's happening on Wednesday?

Aloha,

Brad