The Big DumpTruck

I was over on iTunes looking at the free applications. I like to check at least once a week because there are so darned many new free apps being uploaded. I found one that will auto-generate your pirate, Jedi or stripper name. So that's cool. And the sample screen made me smile because it had Johnny Appleseed on it. We all love us some Johnny Appleseed around here. And then I looked at the 2nd screen shot and it showed even more Johnny Appleseed details! I dropped a note to the guy who created the application to find out if he's a local (or was at any time) because really, how often does ANYONE use Leominster on a sample form?

Screen shot at iTunes (no really, go ahead and look for yourself!)




[Update Sept 12: When I went in to use the application, I discovered that the above info is actually on screen as an example, so it's not only on iTunes, it's in the application. Very amusing to me, "Mad" Patch Ridingcrop aka Diamond Leatherhips aka Laf-Jo Rocfit.]

Labels: itunes, Leominster

And it's a freebie! I have this week's main "free song of the week" over at iTunes stuck in my head. Pretty unusual for me, from the freebies (although there have been some awesome songs provided for free, including Sarah Bareilles). The song is called "Let's Dance to Joy Division" by The Wombats.

I cannot speak for the rest of the CD, but dang, the free song is tap toe-ing!

So ya, that's what I have going on today. A song stuck in my head.

And you?

Labels: itunes, music

I have been downloading a ton and a half of video podcasts now that I have a new iPod nano that shows video. I highly recommend the following free, free, all free, podcasts, available for your viewing enjoyment even as we speak:

• Discovery Channel Video Podcast
• Nation Geographic's Atmosphere
• Onion News Network (Video)
• VH1 Best Week Ever
• Vintage ToonCast

Of these, the Onion News Network wins a prize for blowing me away at the amount of effort put into simulating a CNN-like news network. The "set" and graphics and music and live interviews...holy cow, my hat is off to the guys at the Onion.

VH1 Best Week Ever is cool because it's almost sort of like "The Soup" Lite. I would love for The Soup to be available as a free podcast. I'm not going to pay for it because I download it to my Tivo, but I don't always have time to watch it. It is one of my favorite shows, though.

The Discovery Channel Video Podcast gives you behind the scenes and background on bits from some of your favorite Discovery Channel shows. I'm in it for my Mythbusters addiction.

National Geographic's Atmosphere is just gorgeous footage that basically works as an almost screen saver. If you love stunning footage of nature, this is the podcast to end all podcasts.

Vintage Tooncast - public domain cartoons, and lots of videos flagged as explicit because the content is inappropriate for today's kidlings. You can imagine some of the images from back in the day all on your own, I'm sure. But if you are like me, the slice of American life seen in some of the old propaganda cartoons is endlessly fascinating. (Side note: A friend of mine just mentioned that a new DVD is coming out with old Sesame Street bits and it's flagged as being inappropriate for today's toddlers. I cannot WAIT to get my hands on that.)

I have some footage for a new DumpCast just waiting to be processed this weekend, so keep your eyes peeled for that as well. It's not quite as good as the ones mentioned above, but they aren't attempting to be mundane, now, are they? No, I don't think so.

Labels: itunes, review

Okay, maybe this will go faster once I get used to the software. Or if I hire someone to do it for me. That person will also figure out how to make the files smaller. Sorry.

Here is the first podcast, stored on my mac.com site because all the tools I use made it easy to do that. If you click on the "subscribe" button it will add the podcast to your iTunes list and any time I do a new one it will get picked up automatically. That's what we all want, right?

THE DUMPCAST IS HERE!

Labels: fun, itunes, podcast, video

I have to work today. I have to work Monday as well, but that is not the point of this point. This is the point of this post.

There are songs that immediately put me in a different place and time. Like brings back smells sounds, everything. I'm listening to my iPod on shuffle and the song The Ballroom Blitz by Sweet comes on. Suddenly, I am at Mason's Bowling alley on a Saturday morning (I was on a bowling team - the Pink Panthers. I have no idea why I can remember the name of my bowling team all these years later, but there you go). There are whole bunch of songs that were on the jukebox at Masons for years - I assume the owner just stopped buying new 45s at some point - because in junior high I was on another bowling team (after school league) and a bunch of those songs were still on there.

But Ballroom Blitz is the one song from that bunch (Telephone Line by ELO was another one) that when I hear it I'm back at Masons. (There are a couple of songs that bring me back to the Mason's mini golf. I think I spent too much time there one summer, but my best friend lived around the corner and it wasn't that bad a walk from my house, so it's not all that surprising.

So anyway, Ballroom Blitz came on and I was just back in that bowling alley in a split second. Candlepin, for you out-of-towners. I think I need to go bowling now.

Labels: childhood, itunes, Leominster, music

In preparation for Leon (the anti-Noel, duh, June 25th), I stumbled upon some podcasts on iTunes of some awesomely collectible Christmas music in the form of podcasts. I'm busy grabbing as much of it as I can to burn to CD for next Christmas, on the off chance it isn't here in 6 months.

My greatest find of the day is "Alan Parsons in a Winter Wonderland." I don't know if the artist is a fan or not, but I suspect he is. Either way, it's bloody fantastic. Look up the podcast "B-Sides for X-mas" and just try to not download the whole damned lot of 'em.

I think I'm going to call my sister and ask her if she wants to have a Leon party this year. I think it could be pretty darned fun.

Labels: Christmas_music, itunes, music