Show 4...Enter Bells

His personality begs for his own Podcast but Dorktown Radio's "Mikie" is lucky enough to have Bells on his. Finally, Zohrab makes it into the studio to help Mikie talk about (of all things) Cher, Fresno, The Swiss, beer, Howard Stern, The Golden Penny, System Of A Down and Llamas...yep, Llamas.

Download this: DorkShow4.mp3
**(Warning, Heavy Cussin')


Thanks for listening and if you have anything to say about the show, please send email mike@dorktown.net or call our voicemail at 559-224-2483.

*Subscribe to this feed:

*You can also check out our Wiffleball only Podcast at http://sportsflux.blogspot.com OR at http://www.dorktown.net/radio.html

Less Of A Dorky Show

Have you been thinking about downloading the Dorktown Radio Show but thought it was too big of a file? Your problem is now solved - It's the Dorktown "Mini-Cast".

It's a smaller show but packs in all of the dorkness you've come to expect. "The Or Game" is introduced (Sammy or David Lee Roth?).

Download it now! DorktownMiniShow.mp3



Thanks for listening and if you have something to say about the show, please email me at mike@dorktown.net or call our voicemail at 559-224-2483.

*Subscribe to this feed:

*You can also check out our Wiffleball only Podcast at http://sportsflux.blogspot.com OR at http://www.dorktown.net/radio.html

Dorktown Radio Show #2

Fresno battles it out with "The City" (San Francisco) as, friend of Dorktown, Becky joins host Mikie to discuss some Bay Area and Fresno items.

Download DorktownShow2.mp3



Thanks for listening and if you have something to say about the show, please email me at mike@dorktown.net or call our voicemail at 559-224-2483.

*Subscribe to this feed:

*You can also check out our Wiffleball only Podcast at http://sportsflux.blogspot.com OR at http://www.dorktown.net/radio.html

Dorktown/Audible Flux Podcast #1

We have done it (doesn't matter how half-ass it is), the first Podcast is out there for the whole world to not give a damn.

Download the file: Dorktowncast1.mp3 and listen to the first show. Old friend Aaron Ford is moving away from Fresno and he reminisces about his moves from Fresno, old Fresno schools, jobs and watering holes.

Thanks for listening and if you have something to say about the show, please email me at mike@dorktown.net or call our voicemail at 559-224-2483.

*Subscribe to this feed:

*You can also check out our Wiffleball only Podcast at http://sportsflux.blogspot.com OR at http://www.dorktown.net/radio.html

DUMB BLOG ALERT

BRRAAA BA BRRRAAA, BRRAAA BA BRRRAAA
THIS IS A TEST OF THE EMERGENCY BLOGING SYSTEM – THIS IS ONLY A TEST.

I don’t know about where you live, but here in Fresno, the Emergency Broadcast System test message, that is played over the radio, sounds like hell. It’s if the guy giving the message is calling from a thunderstorm in 1938.

Hasn’t our audio technology advanced enough to make a clear sounding message? Maybe the point is to make it raw sounding to get our attention. The blaring tones at the beginning get my attention enough guys, thanks.

Don’t you wish, one of those times the test message comes on, it is an actual, exciting, emergency and not just a test? Something like “Aliens have landed and are milling about around the Corcoran State Prison area. We think they are from Mars. Charles Manson is interpreting for us - more news to follow.”

THIS HAS BEEN A TEST OF THE EMERGENCY BLOGING SYSTEM. IF THIS HAD BEEN AN ACTUAL FUNNY BLOG, LAUGHTER WOULD HAVE ENSUED.

Never Judge A Tweaker By Its Cover

Tweakers friggin scare me. Their jumpy actions, wide eyes and stream of conscience speaking style, drives me a little nuts.

At my job, I work outside a lot and go all over town (Madera, CA.). I work along sidewalks part of the time. The other day, I'm working and a guy comes up who looks to be homeless or just a tweaker. He asks me "Hey man, you work for Blah Blah Blah?" [my company's name is omitted to protect the un-innocent] I say "Yea." The Tweaker inquires "Where can I go to give an application?" I tell him the only way is to go online, submit though there (which IS the only way). He says thanks and moves on.

Now, I don't think we are hiring but, I'm thinking, it's pretty doubtful they're hiring tweakers anyway.

The next day I'm in a total different part of town, at a business that's getting ready to open up. I'm waiting for the manager to get off his phone so I can ask him what he needs from me. I then hear, from behind "Hey man, you work in this part of town too?" It was the tweaker from the day before. I nod and he goes on to say "Yea, I sent my application through your guys' website, don't know if I'll hear back." I say "Man, you never know, good luck dude." He then goes on to talk shop about stuff I don't even know much about.

Tweaker is waiting for the manager too and he talks to him first. I listen in on their conversation and the Tweaker is asking the manager about a job.

Now I feel like an asshole.

This "tweaker" is going all around town, on foot I believe, pounding the pavement, trying to get his unemployed self a job. Here my jerk-ass self was lookin' down on the guy.

I'll never make a snap judgment on a tweaker again. Be annoyed maybe, but judgmental, no.

Thank You Episode I and II

GEEK-BOY OPINION ALERT - PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU CAN'T STAND DORKS WHO TAKE STAR WARS TOO SERIOUSLY.

Everybody has an opinion on them [Star Wars - "Phantom Menace" and "Clone Wars"] and most are bad. It really became almost "cool" to bash Episodes I and II.

The fact is, our imaginations built up those movies so much, there is now way the films could have matched it. Even if you didn't like the first two prequels, you have to recognize their importance.

In EP's I and II, we see Senator Palpatine's "friendship" with Anakin grow, Anakin's problems with the "Jedi Way" and Ani's love for Padame. Without that, Episode III couldn't have worked. It still would have been cool but you wouldn't believe that Anakin would have turned to the Dark Side so quickly.

Now that most S.W. fans have seen the new and final flick "Revenge Of The Sith", it is "cool" to praise the Star Wars francaise again. The movie IS pretty damn good. Even mild fans agree. But "Sith" is good due, in large part, to the groundworked layed out in Episode I and II.

GEEK-BOY ALERT NOW OVER.

Don't Let Greenlight Go Out!

What have I done? Sweet Jesus...What have I done? My bad Mojo may have killed one of my favorite TV shows.

I have been supporting the third season of Project Greenlight(at the moment, on the Bravo network)as much as I can. Tivoing every episode,writing about how great a season it's been. Every show was more interesting than the next.

Through some great show editing, they managed to find a person to dislike almost every episode. One episode it was the Director, then the Studio Head, then the Casting Director, the Director of Photography, the Line Producer, the spoiled actress and so on.

It was a fun season to watch. Unfortunately, it could be the last. A morbid statement from show Executive Producer Chris Moore, makes it look like this could be the end:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Thank You"
Episode 9

Last night was probably the last new episode of Project Greenlight ever. I am sorry to be reporting this here, but anyone reading this blog is a devoted and loyal Project Greenlight fan. You have been loyal and vocal and true fans of what we have tried to do, so I want you all to know the truth first. Although the movie FEAST awaits release, the ratings of this year's Project Greenlight show will not warrant bringing the show back. It is possible that Dimension will do the movie again, which could mean there is a contest again next year. However, my gut is telling me that without the whole three-headed monster of the TV show, contest and film, there is little chance of Project Greenlight continuing

-Chris Moore

For what it's worth, I hope the show can somehow comeback (I still haven't submited a script in to get rejected). If you want to do something, you can click this link: Online Petition and sign the petition to save PGL!! It really is the best reality show out there.

Since I seem to give bad Mojo to my favorite shows, maybe I should watch some bad shows and give that bad stuff to them. What time is "Extreme Makeover" on?

Resting On My Lack Of Laurels

Writing a Blog is goofy. Especially when you have one as random as mine.

Some people have the serious kind of Blog. Such as, political, news and information, Britney and Kevin happenings, porn - you know, important stuff.

Then there are the ones that report on things like how solid their cat's bowel movements are. Mine falls somewhere in the middle (hopefully not between porn and cat shit).

What the hell is the point of this blog anyway? Nobody's paying me to write, very little acclaim comes around (what's to acclaim really?). Yes, "bloggers" do get a lot of chicks (nothings hotter than a guy writing about Big Wheels and Wiffleball), but I'm married so what good does that do me?

You know, I've got a lot of other things I could spend my downtime doing. My virtual Oakland A's season on MVP 2005 (Sony PS2) is way behind the real A's season. Plus there is a really bad screenplay I'm working on (I've completed a whole SIX PAGES people) that I need to get to.

Also, I get these uneasy, egotistical feelings about keeping the blog around because I think to myself "Nobody wants to hear what some hack writer thinks about Star Wars and The Foo Fighters." But I still feel an obligation to keep writing. I don't know who it is I feel obligated to either - I just do.

But I guess I'll keep writing - what the hell huh? Right now though, I need to stop. I've got page seven of a goofy screenplay to start on, right after I get the A's back to first place.

That's MY Table "Churchie"

What is it with going out to breakfast on Sunday's? Whatever town you're in, I'll bet the good breakfast places are packed on Sunday mornings. On days like Mother's Day, forget about it.

Breakfast places get a nice mix of just-out-of-church, just-woke-up-and-didn't-want-to-make-breakfast, and still-out-from-the-night-before. The one thing all of these groups have in common is waiting for a table.

You're hungry as hell, because you haven't eaten since about seven the night before, and now you gotta wait a half-hour just to sit down. There is little else to do but to start staring at people who have already got their food. (What, you expect me to TALK to the people I'm with?)

The people to hate the most are the ones who have eaten, got their checks and are still sitting around talking. There are gangs of people waiting for tables but these 'table elitist' just sit there jabering on about how they need to go to Home Depot after this and pick up spool for their Weedeater.

The group that is worse is the decided-to-have-a-big-Church or birthday or Mother's Day gathering. Couldn't have done it at somebody's house, had to do it now, seemingly, just to delay you from getting your 'short stack' with wheat toast, when you wanted.

Another group to watch are the others waiting for tables. You do an inventory of the groups, thinking to yourself "Okay, they were here before us and they're still waiting, so they haven't called us yet." Another group comes in after you boasting to their party "We should be next." And you are thinking "Like hell you are. We've been here a whole two minutes longer than you, we've put in our time, candy-ass!"

Finally, that glorious moment comes when you get to sit down. You take a quick look at the people still waiting, as if to say "So long sucka's."

Then, you take way too long eating, open gifts you should have opened at home and smirk at the groups that are still waiting, as you talk about your latest trip to Home Depot.

I'm STILL The Idiot

Since I haven't been fired up enough to write about anything lately, I decided to recycle a post from last year. Lazy? Yes. But hey, nobody's paying me to write this junk and sometimes a post you did some real work on gets lost.

Hell, I stayed up all night putting together this one:
---------------

If you were on United Flight 6054 from Kauai to LAX last Friday night, I'm the ass-hole who kept his overhead light on the whole damn flight. I don't think the poor dude next to me got a damn bit of sleep.

Let me explain. This was a five hour "red-eye" flight. So most people, the sane ones anyway, fully plan to sleep most of the flight. They take some PM pills and/or have a drink or just actually close their eyes and fall asleep. Now I did have a drink but it didn't really matter. I just can't sleep sitting up in a chair. Maybe for like thirty seconds but that is about it.

TIMELINE 8:30 PM
I am on the plane and have found my seat. I am flying with my wife and friends (Mahalooo guys) but I am sitting next to none of them due to a overbooked flight. I've got the isle (the isle is best for me since I have a pea sized bladder) and the seats next to me and across the isle from me haven't been taken yet. The people next to you can make or break a flight.
The worst is the crying baby or brat kid that have parents that don't realize or care that their kid is a brat.

Who am I gonna get? Nice, it's a couple about my age, they ought to leave me alone, which is what we all want really...Yes? But who will be in the isle next to me?....Oh how nice, it's a bonus, a German speaking women who has, yes you guessed it, a baby and a little kid. The question is, are they brats? Actually they seem fine so far. So I get settled in for a nice five hour plus flight.

TIMELINE 9:10 PM
We are shooting through the air, over the vast Pacific Ocean. The movie is about to start (Shrek 2, very solid - for in-flight movie) and I do a quick lavatory run to empty out the aforementioned pea sized bladder. I catch a glimpse of the Wife already passed out and my friends still up and ready to watch Shrek2. About three quarters of the plane is still up.

TIMELINE 11:30 PM
The movie is over and the captain has turned off the interior lights so that people can start sleeping (again, normal people anyway). There are about a dozen overhead lights on now, mine being one of them. I'm reading now but I want to start writing stuff but I keep thinking the guy next to me will try and read what I'm writing. I don't know why I am thinking this-As if this guy gives a shit about what I'm writing. I am mostly just afraid he'll look over and think what a dumb-ass I am for writing about being on a red-eye flight.

TIMELINE 12:45 PM
The baby across the isle has finally started to cry. I think I am the only one that is not bothered by this since I am the only fool in the area with his light on. There are actually twelve lights currently on in the entire plane.

TIMELINE 1:15 AM ( 4:15 LA time)
Out of approximately 300 people, I am now the only one with his light on. Yep I am the only loser who isn't trying to sleep. I'm still worried the guy next to me is looking at my writing even though he has his head buried in his hands-probably thinking "I wish this jack-ass would turn off his fuckin light."

TIMELINE 4:55 AM (now switched to LA time)
The Captain has announced that we are getting ready to land and everybody needs to wake the hell up. I'm the only person to have kept his light on the whole flight. I don't know if I should feel proud or stupid.

In the end, I'm not sure why I decided to write about sitting through a red-eye flight being the only person who tried to stay awake. Writing practice? Pass the time? To just piss off the guy next to me?

Nah, probably just to be an idiot.

ROCK FLUX

It's about time that I put my limited knowledge and half-baked opinions of music to work - by reviewing song new rock songs.

"The Best Of You" - Foo Fighters
This song gets better every time I hear it. The problem is, Dave Grohl has been talkin' up the new album saying its very 'hard'- This song isn't. "Best" is a good song that doesn't live up to Foo Hype.

"Little Sister" - Queens Of The Stone Age
A good song the first forty times a heard it, after that...Eh.

"Beverly Hills" - Weezer
In a word...Disappointment. Fun song the first couple of times through but it grows old quick. I can't tell if the song is making fun of or loving Beverly Hills, which annoys me - Weezer should be spoofing B.H.

Plus, the video is set at the PLAYBOY MANSION and all the director does is get a group of people clapping as they sit around The Weez playing - Lame.

"Be Yourself" - Audioslave
Way too radio friendly and safe for musicians of their ilk. Especially for a hard rock band's first release. A nice song from a band that shouldn't play nice.

"Happy" - Mudvayne
This is the kind of song that good metal bands produce. Reigned in just enough to get radio play but still hard. This song gives Mudvayne a chance to become a very relevant band in the rock scene.

The Fastest Hour In Television

Do you like movies? Ya like the TV shows? Do you like to hate people? Hear and see old guys yell? See people get pissed off at each other one hour, then hug the next? Do you like seeing chubby men take a bath?

THEN WHY IN THE HELL AREN'T YOU WATCHING "PROJECT GREENLIGHT"?

Project Greenlight (now in it's third season, on it's new network "Bravo" [Thursday nights]), is a reality show that brings a beginning writer/s and director together to try and make a low-budget indi' movie. The wanna-be's get a studio backing but have little money to work with. (If they gave them a lot of money, the show wouldn't be as dramatic)

This season (the third)has been "dramatic" as hell. Fighting, people being fired, the director being almost fired (twice), the writers already getting an assignment for another movie before production started on their PGL script ("Feast") and the season is only half over. All this while pseudo brothers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck executive produce from afar.

A couple episodes ago, a big brewhaha-hahaha-ha happened when a casting director (Michelle Gertz) appeared to go behind some backs to get an actress cast that the director [John Gulager] didn't want. Message boards and Blogs jumped all over Michelle (me being one of the biggest jumpers) calling her everything in the book (I said don't trust her or hire her - What the hell do I know?).

Turns out that it was more about dramatic editing than Michelle being a bad casting director. Executive Producer Chris Moore (who has been fun to watch every season) recently wrote his own blog in defense of Michelle:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Defense of Michelle Gertz
Episode 6

For today's BLOG I am going to write about Michelle Gertz. Michelle is getting killed on the show because John wanted her only to cater to him. As an executive producer of both the movie and the show we had to make some hard decisions on how Michelle came across. It was John's point of view, not mine, the producers or the studio that ultimately made it to air. We all love Michelle and would work with her again. John revealed early on that he wanted to cast his family in the movie and that marketability did not matter to him. The studio, Dimension, and I gave Michelle clear directives to keep us posted and to not allow John to control the information getting to us. We also asked her to look out for the marketing of the movie. Finally, and most importantly, we asked her to give us her opinion, even when it differed from John's.

Unfortunately, you didn't get to see any of this in the show, mostly because none of it happened while the cameras were around. I want everyone to know that Michelle did her job and saved the movie from absolute failure by going around John when she did. I have worked with her many times and in different situations she plays her role perfectly. She is always respectful and works well with directors. Project Greenlight is different because it is a contest winner not a director at the beginning. John became a director but during the casting process he was still acting like a contest winner. Michelle saved him and us from that. Please stop the anger and diatribes toward her. She is a sweet, smart, strong, fun to work with casting director and it makes me sad that Project Greenlight is doing anything but helping her. I would work with her again. Sometimes for dramatic purposes or because there is not enough time, the show only gives a quick view of something that is far more complicated than it appears on the show.
-Chris Moore
(courtesy of bravotv.com)

Ya see people, drama. It's real drama too, not that goofy kind like on American Idol (those people suck this year, don't they?)

So start watching already - Then you could know what the hell I'm talking about when I say "Watch a chubby man take a bath."

Where Hollywood's Real Power Is

If you were sitting around the other day, thinking about the most powerful people in reality television (why you would, I don't know, but I have), the first person that would pop into your head might not be the show's editor, but it should be.

A couple of weeks ago, on the Bravo reality show "Project Greenlight" (a contest to give unknown Writers and Directors a chance to make a real movie, in this case "Feast"), Michelle Gertz (Casting Director for the film "Feast") found out how powerful an editor of a reality show can be.

Michelle and the Director [John Gularger]had been working to cast the film and got to the role of Heroin. A finalist for that role was the actress Navi Rawat. John had been shown, in interviews and clips, to not like Navi for the part. The show's Producers [Joel Soisson and Mike Leahy] also seemed to agree she wasn't right. Michelle was shown to be a big fan of Navi and really pushing for Navi to win the role.

The studio decides to go with Navi for the role. The Director and Producers are a bit stunned, thinking she wasn't really still around to be picked. Then, through the shows editing, Michelle is shown on the phone with Navi's agent and Navi, looking as if she is friends with Navi, celebrating her getting the part.

In the end it looked as if Michelle quietly got the studio to pick Navi, behind Gulager's, Soisson's and Leahy's back. (Director's and Producers wouldn't exactly be able to trust a Casting Director if they knew they behaved like that.)

The show's viewer is at the mercy of the editor. If that's all they are going to show, that's all we are going to know (that was lame...sorry). Maybe Gertz did nothing behind their backs. She just went to the Studio with all of the names for Heroin and they happened to like Navi.

But why would the editor show that? That's not a "powerful" show. Powerfully boring maybe.

Softball Is For Posers

I admit it, I play Wiffleball. Go ahead and laugh but you're probably just jealous.

What's that you say? You can't be jealous because you don't know what Wiffleball is? Well, you're not the only one with questions about Wiffleball. When I'm having a conversation with someone and they find out I play Wiffleball, I get many questions. Well, Okay, not many questions but there are a few, such as:

-You play what now?
-Is that the ball with the holes?
-Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha, ya right...wait, you're serious?
-Hey, my five year old and I play that.
-Huh?
-Wiffleball, that's cool. (No idea what Wiffleball is.)

Actually the most common reaction I get is a polite smile and head nod. But I just know that they're thinking "I knew he was a dork but ,WOW, I had no idea".

Okay, I'll concede that an adult playing Wiffleball is a bit on the geek side, but it shouldn't be considered any worse than playing Softball.

Like Softball, Wiffleball is just a modified version of Baseball. But Wiffleball has the element of pitching that Softball (well slow pitch anyway) doesn't have. In Wiffleball, you have all of the types of pitches that Baseball has plus a couple extra ( the "Cadiwampus" is very popular). Softball just has the Toss-it-up-there-so-the-girl-from-Service-Deli-can-hit-it and the Huck-the-holy-hell-out-of-it under-arm pitch.

Softball does have the fact that the ball is close to being hard as a baseball and you need an aluminum bat, like college Baseball (ohhh yes, aluminum bats in college Baseball, I smell another column). Also, your not going to get hurt with a Wiffleball like you could a Softball. Although if you've been hit square in the 'junk' with a Wiffleball ,like most of us have, you wouldn't say that!

A major stumbling block for making Wiffleball considered a less dorky sport is the whole "played it as a kid and then I discovered there are these strange creatures called girls" thing.

Now that I have managed to fool a girl into marrying me, the fact that Wiffleball is considered a kids game, to me, is one of it's selling points. Every time we play I get a little flashback of when I played as a ten year old. Summer days of going from morning till dinner, no matter how damn hot it got (by the way, an August Fresno day feels like Heatmiser himself is lurking about). Threre are some moments, while playing, when it feels like no time has passed at all.

I hope that one day Wiffleball can break out of that kid/geek stigma and become a more respectable sport (yea, you know, like Bowling or Dodgeball). I will be waiting with ball and Banana Bat in hand.

Now are you jealous?


*Check out my Forum and sign up:Message Forum!
*Also check out my Wiffleball League Website:FWL

I'm Goin' Ta Hell

Is it wrong that the first thing I thought of when I saw this picture was the "Bring Out Your Dead" scene from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"?

Yep, I'm going hell for sure now.

*If you want to tell me off, go to my Message Forum!

FORUM STILL WAITS...AND WAITS

Yes, the new FORUM is in full force but has yet to catch on. I think the lack of posting messages in the forum is because people don't want to look like "geeks" or maybe they have something "better to do" or actually have a "life".

Yea, I get it. You don't have "time" to post about Star Wars or the A's pitching staff, when Britney Spears is going to pose nude for Playboy, how good the MVP 2005 is, or even talk Wiffleball.

Shame on you for having a "life".

Well I don't have a life so come with me to post in the Audible Flux/FWL FORUM. A new writers section has been started so if you write blogs or write anything, come on in.

If you are a writer who doesn't want to talk about writing and just wants to talk about Wookiees, we got that for you too!

MESSAGE FORUM

Road Raged

"Move your fuckin' new Cadi' ya son-of-a-bitch!" That's what I told the guy in front of me at the Shaw-n-Van Ness Citibank drive-thru ATM (actually, I just said it to myself but I'm sure the dude was getin' the 'vibe' I was throwin'). This guy was driving a brand new Cadillac somethin'-er-another and he was taking to damn long at the ATM.

[Don't ya just hate it when people decide to do a year's worth of banking...at the ATM?!]

I really wasn't pissed at the Cadi-man, it's just fun to get pissed at somebody who's driving a nicer car than yours. That's really how I define my road-rage; what kind of car the person is driving.

It's less about the other driver's egregious traffic error and more about the person who did it and how snobish their car is.

So if somebody is driving a grossly oversized SUV or a Porsche and they are from say sixteen to sixty years old and don't look like they can kick my ass, they are getting a tongue lashing; something like, "Hey ya Son-of-a-cock-fucker!"

Now, if the person is driving a midsized or a pick-up, maybe something cool but not self-important, I'm a little more willing to let driving errors slide. It's not as fun to cuss out a like-car-owner - they might be a cool person who just 'spaced' for a second.

There is no way somebody in some arrogant-ass car is a 'cool person' or just 'spaced'; they're just a cock-fucker...right?

AUDIBLE FLUX CREATES USELESS FORUM!!

Well I hope this new FLUX FORUM won't be useless. I have created [Well I didn't exactly 'create', I just signed up] a new FORUM for this blog.

Please feel free to go there and discuss anything that's going on, what I've been writing about, how I suck or post a picture of you're ex. nude.

Go check the shat out, become a member and start posting now, by clicking AUDIBLE FLUX FORUM

LITTLE VADER BABIES

I have a love hate relationship with movie trailers. I always enjoy watching them but hate it when they reveal too much. The new Star Wars trailer personifies this love hate.

I know I shouldn't but I can't not watch the new Episode III trailer. It's so bad-ass but It makes me so pissed because it gives the whole movie away. Yes, I already know what basically happens but the trailer really spells it out.

The trailer does do it's job though - I can't wait to see the friggin movie. If you want to see the trailer go ahead and click HERE!

But if you don't like spoilers, I suggest you don't. So so damn discipline, unlike me.