Gone fishin'.

I am HERE. For a week. With family. In Nature. No cell service or Internet. :)

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TGIF! presents Gordon Lightfoot's "Canadian Railroad Trilogy"!

Headin' out for the annual week-long walleye fishing trip on the Rainbow Flowage in Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin! 23rd year, maybe? 22. 24. Times goes by so quickly. Here's to us - Dave, Bruce, Dad, me, brother Jas and Uncle Fran, as well as those who are with us in Spirit. What does Canada have to do with Wisconsin? Nothing. But we all love, Gordo!

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from the Free State Film Fest in Kansas...

from Marlo at the Free State Film Festival in Kansas:

"Jeff, it (PASS THE SALT, PLEASE) went great!!! It was so perfect as it really broke the ice for the weighty film it screened with (Compliance). Must tell you the director of the Charles Bradley documentary, Poull Brien, really loved it and the crowd was in stitches. Thanks for sharing it with us in Lawrence, KS. What are you working on next?"

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One man's junk.

Silver goblet with an inscription to "Kathy" from 1981.

I don't know what this is.

Copper or brass ice fishing tool.

Golf balls. We smack them around at work on lunch.

Garden decor.

Is my treasure. In this case, "the man" is my Uncle Butch, mom's younger brother. Retired, he's sorta like a picker, but he buys metals - copper, brass, etc. - at auctions for recycling. Quite often, Uncle Butch might want one item, but he has to bid on an entire truck load. 

And I sift through "the truck load"...which I am in the process of shining up.

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Free PTSP! Free State Film Festival!

Our short film, PASS THE SALT, PLEASE, screens at the 1st annual Free State Film Festival in Kansas this evening at 7:30, prior to the feature-length screening of COMPLIANCE, the controversial film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Info here.

Believe me - the audience will need a laugh before viewing COMPLIANCE. Read this Sundance Film Festival review.

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TGIF! presents....The French Waiter from "The Meaning of Life"!

The first time I saw Monty Python's The Meaning of Life I was in high school. Saw it at a drive-in. This scene - which is a continuation of another scene - is my favorite in the flick. If you are a virtuous person, watch the entire clip. If you are not, watch from the 1:30 mark. This one's for Jay.

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Cockblocked by The Beastie Boys.

I was never a fan. I liked maybe two songs but never owned an album or CD. You see, I'm not a hip hop/rap dude, you know? Frontmen and kindergarten pals (pictured above from left to right) Mike D., Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) and Adam Yauch (MCA), along with DJ Michael Schwartz (Mix Master Mike) helped to pioneer hip hop/rap back in the day (especially when "the day" didn't include white, Jewish boys from NYC) with their devil-may-care, I-don't-give-a-fuck, irreverent image (and lyrics).

3 Grammys. 8 albums. "The biggest selling rap group" since 1991 (according to Billboard). And inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this past December.

And then Adam Yauch got a cancer and passed away yesterday. He was 47. That's how old I am.

I've been listening to a lot of Beastie Boys music in the last day. I've watched a lot of interviews. These guys were hilarious and I never knew this. These guys are my age and for some reason I chose to ignore them all these years. It's not like I'm gonna run out now and buy all 8 Beastie Boys CDs. But I do have a new-found appreciation for them and their music.

Always when it's too late...

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Mary. Land. PTSP.

PASS THE SALT, PLEASE screens in the Dark Comedy block of shorts tonite (Saturday) and Sunday. Maxie our producer will be in attendance. Always nice when a rep from the film can make the festival. Check out the link here.

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lilacs.

Nothing, in my opinion, tops the smell of lilacs wafting through your home. Well...when they waft.

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TGIF! presents...."Jonny Quest"!

Probably my favorite cartoon. Loved this shit as a kid. Still do.

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"Goodnight, Seattle!"

Or maybe it would be more appropriate to say, "HELLO, SEATTLE!" Our short film, PASS THE SALT, PLEASE, is headed to the Seattle International Film Festival, screening on May 27 @ 9:30 pm in the To The Extreme segment of the festival - the WTF block of shorts. They even used a still from our film for our block - click here. Scroll all the way down to bottom right corner. Atta boy, SIFF.

What's cool is that I'll be attending. What's even cooler? This.

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Candy buttons.

Got these at The Streets of Old Milwaukee at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Here's a refresher course.

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Arts & crafts.

Finished my little art project Sunday morning. Two candle sconces made from reclaimed barnwood. I'll be the envy of Greendale, most certainly.

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You do mean "meringue lemon" pie, no?

Had a craving late last night. $7.00 for this piece of meringue/shit. Thinking of heading back to the grocery store with pie in hand and giving them a piece of my meringue. There's enough of it.

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TGIF! presents...The Beach Boys "Re-Do It Again"!

I love that headline.

The Beach Boys (my favorite band of all-time) began their 50th anniversary reunion tour and will headline the Marcus Amphitheater on Sunday, July 1 at Summerfest in Milwaukee. My brother and I will be in the 3rd row, front center. Let's make a party of it!

In this video:  Brian Wilson (whom I met), Al Jardine, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston & David Marks (playing guitar at the 1:30 mark and who was a BB for a year and eight months and performed on their first four albums), various members of Brian's touring band including Jeff Foskett singing high notes at the :40 mark (whom I know and who's been playing with the BB's & Brian Wilson forever)  and at the :29 mark playing drums is John Cowsill (who's been playing drums for Love & Johnston's BB group for a few years) of The Cowsills, who I also met. Sadly, but forever in our hearts and souls, Dennis & Carl Wilson have both passed.

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"You press the button, we do the rest."

Remember those old Kodak negative frames I bought at an antique store a couple weeks ago? Here's the one I had to get fitted for glass. Genius idea, whoever thought of it. Pictured (left to right - me, Uncle Fran Ircink and Brother Jason) up at the Rainbow Flowage in Lake Tomahawk back in 2002 during our annual walleye fishing trip...the year I caught my trophy smallie.

23 days....

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TGIF! presents...Fun's "We Are Young"! For Zol.

headed to Madison this afternoon for the Wisconsin Film Festival and the screening of our short film, PASS THE SALT, PLEASE, on Saturday afternoon.

gonna check out what's happening on 60's flash-back State Street and see what the radicals are up to who wanna oust my state's governor and see a bunch of other people's films and eat free food and slam a beer and scope out film chicks and steal a kayak dressed only in a deerskin thong and paddle across Lake Mendota in search of the elusive whooping cranes there and then paddle back just in time to see our film screening at Frank Lloyd Wright's Monona Terrace 'cause Frank was a hardcore mofo and then check out some more films - maybe even some 50-minute films that are being touted as "shorts" and then i'm gonna have another beer, perhaps a Spotted Cow which is brewed in Madison - maybe i'll have a few Spotted Cows - and get shit-faced 'cause that Spotted Cow shit will do that to a man and then i'll steal some pot from some hippy and get high and visit with my hall director, Bob Wade, who i worked for while i was an RA at UW-Whitewater and haven't seen in a million years and he & i can find out where all the cheap, coed hookers hang out at and then i'm gonna settle down quickly 'cause i'll be visiting with Uncle Fran Ircink, Aunt Mary and Cousin James and maybe have some more brewski's 'cause i'm staying overnight there and talk about huntin' & fishin' and the all those good times we spent together 'cause I'M FUCKIN' YOUNG, dammit!

well - maybe not so young. hang in there, Zol, ya little bitch, 'cause YOU ARE YOUNG, too! i love you!

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So long, Dick Clark. You get a 100.

Great song and interview with my boys, The Beach Boys, on their first American Bandstand appearance. You will be missed, Mr. Clark.

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"SB 1040 isn't fair." Not if you wanna retire at 47, it isn't.

We're talking teachers and teachers' unions. But this time, not in Wisconsin - but Michigan.

So the state of Michigan wants to renegotiate health benefits for teachers. What's new? From the article, "The proposed legislation continues the 3 percent employee contribution to retiree health care and further increases out-of-pocket contributions to a total of 8 to 11 percent of salary. And current employees would have to be 60 years old before they could receive any health care benefits. Retirees would see an increase in their health care premiums."

But it gets better. The Michigan Education Association (the union), offers testimony by a number of teachers on this senate bill, but leads with Terri List. Ms. List had planned - (now pay attenton to this) - to retire in three years at the age of.....(ready?)....47. Under SB 1040, she wouldn't qualify for health benefits until aged 60.

“I understand we have to tighten our belts, but we don’t have to use a tourniquet and cut off the blood supply entirely.” - Ms. List

Ms. List is 44. She wants to retire at 47. And the teachers' union in Michigan is making her a martyr.

It probably would've been a smarter move to leave Ms. List's comment about retiring at 47 out of the article, no? And the unions wonder why they're not liked by many. More on Ms. List...if you can stomach her. (There's a teacher pictured in this article but she's not identified as Ms. List so I didn't put her picture up. So I posted Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher" instead. Smile!)

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"Cause I'm a picker, I'm a grinner...."

"...I'm a lover. And I'm a sinner. Playin' my music in the sun."
- excerpt from "The Joker", by The Steve Miller Band (Steve's from Milwaukee, by the way)

My latest foray into antiquing, primitives and the like yielded some cool finds. This handle fastening device (above) was a three-in-one tool manufactured by Bridgeport Hardware Manufacturing. The patent was issued to Willis F. Hobbs on October 6, 1914. "Iroquois" is marked on one side of the handle - may be the style of tool, not sure. Apparently it was pretty common in the grocery business as a crate-hammer-box-hatchet-pry bar. Picked it up for $20. Ebay prices ranged from $30 - $150 (never used) and it comes in a variety of styles.

Titled "Spring" and reminiscent of a Currier & Ives print. I also like the frame.

Ten bucks. Never know what to do with all those votive candles I have.

Box with leather strap. I'll figure out some use for it.

Two bucks at the Prairie Chicken Festival in Wisconsin Rapids. Reader's Digest knows everything.

Beeswax taper candle. If they had known it was beeswax, it would've been higher than $3.50.

Funnel. Jas & I can use this when we go sugaring. No chance of maple syrup dripping over the bottles.

Unique pulley system doo-dad. I've never seen one like this before. Gonna leave it just like that and hang it on the wall.

Kodak negative contact print frames. Probably late 1800's. Picture frames.

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PTSP screens @ Florida Film Festival, April 15 & 19!

Shit. We screened at Noon (FL time) today and then again at 4 pm on Thursday. Check out the link here.

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PTSP wins at WorldFest!

Soooo...apparently our short film, PASS THE SALT, PLEASE, had been chosen by the WorldFest jury panel as an award-winner. We'll either win a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze award which will be announced on the evening of April 21st. However, our film is not screening at WorldFest, April 13-22.

Huh. The WorldFest International Film Festival site is here.

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TGIF! presents...The Civil Wars' "Kingdom Come"!

Brand new! From The Hunger Games soundtrack!

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what Leroy Butler said...

...if the referees call the game right, Minnesota’s in the Super Bowl because they can kick a field goal from - like the 35, Sparky, instead of the 50…I think Brett Favre and Minnesota got an unfair shake. They did not throw the flags and I wanna know why, in the 2009 investigation, what did the referee – what was his comment. He was standing right there – Brett went to him and told him, 'Look man, they’re hitting me', and the ref said, ‘I gotcha, I gotcha, I gotcha’. They hit him (Favre) 3 more times during the stretch of that and was it worth it? Was all this worth it?...

- Leroy Butler, former Super Bowl-winning Green Bay Packer on ESPN's 1250AM The Big Show in Milwaukee, commenting on the 2009 NFC Championship game between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orlean Saints during a discussion on "Bountygate". NO beat MN in OT and went on to win the SB. Funny though - I don't recall any of the guys on The Big Show talking like this when it happened three years ago.

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He is Risen. Easter Sunday.

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Good Friday..."Jesus Christ Superstar: Trial Before Pilate (including 39 lashes)"

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Birds.

We've noticed an inordinate number of robins hanging around the cemetery. And they're hanging out in groups - 5, 6 or 7 at a time. And they're pretty brazen - not venturing too far away from us.

There are approximately 15 billion living birds in the United States at any single moment. There are 313, 292, 591 people in the US (as of this moment).

If every single person living in the US went outside at the same time and all those birds woke up on the wrong side of the nest and decided to attack us – that’s 48 birds per person. They would peck the shit out of us.

Have a nice walk in the park.

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"Where'd ya go Pop Culture Chick #10? Joi Lansing.

Joi Lansing (I couldn't recall her name at first) popped into my head when I heard that Earl Scruggs, banjo extraordinaire, had just passed away. It was Flatt (Lester) & Scruggs that made "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" a hit, as well as "The Ballad of The Beverly Hills", appearing on the show a number of times. Joi played Lester's wife Gladys (his real wife was also named Gladys).

Aside from acting in B-movies and on television, Joi was a pin-up girl (no shit) and a nightclub performer. Sadly, she passed away in 1972 at the age of 43 from breast cancer.

Here's more info on Joi and a video of her singing. And a quick glimpse of Joi on The Beverly Hillbillies at the 24:02 mark. Va-va-va-Vooooom!

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Prođe u Salt Lejk Sitiju, ritanje zadnjca molimo vas u Srbiji!

PASS THE SALT, PLEASE, our award-winning short film that's been making the film festival circuit (21 so far - don't tell me you've never heard of it) will screen at the 59th Belgrade Documentary and Short Film Festival on March 31 (Saturday) at 7:00pm - that would be Noon Central Time. And as our director, Tatjana Najdanovic (who will be in attendance) and producer Max Maksimovic are Serbian, this is an extra special moment for them. Here's the website link. And here's a chicken.

Срећно!

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Atlanta loves PASS THE SALT, PLEASE!

The block of comedy shorts we screened with at the Atlanta Film Festival will have an encore screening this Sunday, April 1. That's good. Means our short (or block of shorts) was popular enough to re-run. We like re-runs at film festivals.

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TGIF! presents....Jan & Dean's "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena".

Jan Berry's (on left) birthday is April 3. Wanted to get this posted in time. He passed away in 2004 and would've been 71 this year.

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Separated at Birth! Liv Tyler & Jessica Paré.

You know Liv Tyler (top) - actress and daughter of Aerosmith's Steven Tyler. Paré is currently starring on Mad Men and had a delightfully wonderful hot tub scene in Hot Tub Time Machine (didn't see the movie but saw the scene - Google it).

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PTSP's rockin' in Cleveland on March 28th!

We've been placed in the Hollywood Shorts segment - click here for details. And click here for the song that put Cleveland on the map. Sorta.

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Safe journey, Eric Lowen...

Eric Lowen, of the singer/songwriting team Lowen & Navarro, passed away yesterday after a 9-year battle with ALS. I was acquainted with both Eric & Dan (Navarro), originally turned on to their music by my high school friend, Tina, and have seen them perform several times. Eric's courage and strength while battling his illness was quite remarkable. I also became friends with Eric's caregiver of 5 years, Julie and it was Julie who called me last night about Eric's passing.

Eric put up a helluva fight, outlasting his illness many years in comparison to others. His music will live on and will continue to inspire. I feel blessed to be privy to all that he was - and still is.

Here's Eric singing one of my favorite L&N's tunes, "If You Loved Me Like That".

This job is not a chosen one, it chooses one. It has never been easy and it is getting harder now, but I would never trade the experience for anything. The mysterious and magical thrill of writing a song, the charge of being in front of an audience, and also the exhilaration of speaking in the language of music with other musicians. It will end for me, but the songs will go on and the memories are mine forever... - Eric Lowen

I encourage you to explore the music of Lowen & Navarro. They are quite excellent. Thank you, Eric...and God Bless you.

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TGIF! presents..."Your Wildest Dreams" by The Moody Blues!

I'm a big "Moody" fan. Got it from my father. This is one of my favorites. And it goes out to a long lost friend of mine....I hope she is well. I miss her.

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PASS THE SALT, PLEASE screens in Atlanta 3/23!

That's tomorrow evening. Or it's tonite - whenever you read this bost. Here's our short film block information. Someone explain to me why a film festival would screen another film in the same bunch with our film that has virtually the same title and features two guys sitting down to dinner? March 23 @9:15 pm. I hope it's better than that other Pass the Salt film...

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"You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting. Come back when you're worthy. Bitches."

Above:  Two cunts in search of a life. Head Coach Sean Payton (left) and former Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams. Both out of a job for at least a year. HA!

Ah yes....great quote from A Knight's Tale. My post headline - don't tell me you haven't seen A Knight's Tale???

The High Commish of the NFL has laid down the law on these two pricks - as well as other coaches on the New Orleans Ain'ts. In case you don't know, the Ain'ts were found in violation of NFL policy for offering bounties - cash to deliver hits on other players. So much cash for a knock out, so much for cash for this or that. Williams has since left the Ain'ts (January 2012) for the Tennessee Titans (coincidence?), but he's suspended indefinitely so who knows what'll happen to his sorry ass. Payton was suspended for one year. His reaction - stunned. Actually he said:

Jay Glazer (Fox Sports):  "Are you, OK?"


Sean Payton:  "No - I'm not OK."

Too fucking bad, you fuck. You fucked with my Minnesota Vikings - and Brett Favre - in the 2009 NFC Championship game (Vikes got robbed in OT), a game my gut tells me we would've won (even with 6 turnovers) had Favre not been knocked around like an ultimate fighter player (this - in a league that "protects" its QB's). Course, that's just my opinion. Anyways, Commish Goodell will hand down sentences on Ain't' players soon. The Minnesota Vikings already got rid of one former Ain't they picked up (last year?) who figures on being suspended.

Here's the full story.

Bye, bye, asshole(s). You cheered to the world while raising your Super Bowl trophy, "This is for New Orleans! This is for Katrina! This is for the fans!" Cheating shitbags. Go fuck yourselves. And take your Super Bowl trophy and stick it up your collective twats.

FYI:  And if anyone comments, "Don't be naive, Jeff - this is going on all over the NFL", you can fuck yourself too. You don't know how widespread it is (or isn't). We do know it apparently has happened on teams Gregg Williams coached for. Regardless - the Ain'ts GOT CAUGHT. Period.

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Women Celebs I Love #11 - Lena Headey

Geezus - it's been forever since I've done one of these posts. I first remember seeing Headey in Zack Snyder's 300 (2007). She brought strength and sexy to the role of Queen Gorgo...a queen I would gladly allow to rule over me (ha!). She's also starred in the TV show, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, as well as The Brothers Grimm and the cable series, Game of Thrones. Quite a long resume actually.

And I love her British accent. And she's sexy (did I say that already?). Yah. Here's Lena in an interview for 300.

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EB...WTF?!

Who is that man with my girlfriend?! Damn that man.

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classified.

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Day. St. Patrick's. Happy.

I'm still tuckered out from "sugaring" (burning maple sap into syrup) with my brother the last three weeks so my energy to get creative this St. Patrick's Day is sapped. HA! Get it? Unlike most years, "sugaring" came pre-March 17 (watch for posts).

That being said, my love for everything Irish has NOT waned. So, here are some of my favorite blog posts from my blog, "Good Craic. Welcome to Eire" (my 2009 trip to Ireland). One note - mute the music on this blog before you open up these links. I'm thinking you won't wanna hear two Celtic tunes playing over one another.

1.  "Ceol" means "music". Live music from Galway and Castle Oranmore in Galway.

2.  "Dathannach". Translation: "Colorful". Various places we visited.

3.  "Fear Faiche" loosely means, "green man". Pastoral photos set to verse.

4.  "Teach tábhairne" means "pub" in Gaelic. Me - in front of a lot of pubs.

5.  " Mé " means "me". More me - all over Ireland.

Enjoy...I know I did. Slainte!

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Fight scene from "The Quiet Man".

Couples don't walk like that anymore, you know? Classic John Ford (director) - and Wayne and Maureen O'Hara and Barry Fitzgerald. Watch it.

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TGIF! presents....Level 42's "Something About You"!

Remember this tune? (For Tom)

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Happy Birthday, Brother!

Jason and I are up north "sugaring". You know - the maple sap into syrup thing. Can't think of a more pleasant way to spend time with Jas then on his birthday...in the woods....creating something from Nature with our own hands.

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TGIF! presents...The Monkees' "Valleri"!

I met Davy Jones somewhere between 1987-89 while I was working in the sales department of WKLH Classic Hits 96 in Milwaukee. I told him this song was my favorite Monkees' tune. Short guy - surrounded by four babes.

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Jedi prayer, goats & another goat...Gregg Williams.

Gregg Williams is the former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator. I've always been creeped out by him and my intuition is very accurate. So Williams leaves the Saints in January for the same position with the St. Louis Rams and suddenly the NFL releases a 50,000 page report based on an investigation that Williams offered "bounties" (monies) to his defensive players while at New Orleans to "take out" players from opposing teams. Hmmmmm....coincidence?

Remember the NFC Championship game two years ago? With Brett Favre at the helm of the Minnesota Vikings, the Saints beat Minnesota in OT and went on to win the Super Bowl. Favre got the shit kicked out of him most of the game - one penalty was called, at least one penalty wasn't called that the refs admitted afterwards that they missed and there were at least a half dozen other calls that should've been penalties as well. I mean, even a blind man could see Favre looked like an ultimate fighter contestant on the field rather than a quarterback in the NFL - a league that "says" it makes it a priority to "protect" it's QB's.

Here's the story with more details. Williams has issued an apology...but he can fuck himself. Head Coach Sean Payton apparently knew about it so he can fuck himself too. So did the GM and owner. Fucker's 3 & 4. Still waiting to hear how the NFL will come down on Williams, the coaching staff of the Saints and its players. So basically the whole team can fuck itself. Word is that the penalties will be harsh.

So for all of you fans who knew the Saints were playing dirty in that NFC Championship game but whose cries fell on deaf ears, our time has come. This jedi prayer from "The Men Who Stare at Goats" is for you. 

"Mother Earth, you are my life support system. As a soldier I will drink your blue water, live inside your red clay and eat your green skin. Help me to balance myself as you hold and balance the Earth, the sea and the space environments. Help me to open my heart knowing the universe will feed me. I pray my boots will always kiss your face and my footsteps match your heartbeat. Carry my body through space and time. You are my connection to the universe and all that comes after. I am yours and you are mine. I salute you...oh, and Gregg Williams is a cunt."

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The Really Funny Horny Goat International Short Film Festival

Tonite. Click here. Last night's screenings went well...including our own film, PASS THE SALT, PLEASE.

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