Two posts. This must be an all time low in the world of blogging.
So what happened? I actually have a good excuse.
I have a full unpublished draft of my first actual geek-stuff post. It was a love letter to the original Green Lantern and his creator Mart Nodell. I planned to coincide publication of that blog post with the release of the Green Lantern movie, complete with cool 60's audio stories featuring the character. In retrospect, maybe the bad mojo associated with that flick infected my blog.
What really happened is I apparently picked the worst time ever to create a blog intended to host audio downloads. Megaupload and similar sites were coming under fire by the FBI for making copyrighted material available for download. Of course, as stated in my last blog post 19 months ago, I made all of my media available on Megaupload, which has since been shut down completely. Needless to say, I was in a position where an innocent endeavor became a situation where I was potentially drawing the wrong kind of attention.
The Blog of Mystery was my new baby, and the exact wrong things all happened at the exact wrong time. Granted, almost all of my audio stuff was not commercially available, and I don't think posting it would have been detrimental to myself or any other parties. But the damage was done. The wind was completely taken from my sails. I had a specific vision and plan that now had to be reworked, and it just wasn't worth it to me.
Goodbye Blog of Mystery!
Or maybe not...
Fast forward 19 months to today. I discovered that a friend of mine started blogging about a month ago. His blog is more of a diary than the childish obsessions I've been promising. What struck me was his dedication to it, and the fact that he genuinely seems to enjoy it, which comes through even in his more somber posts. My mind whirled back to the Blog of Mystery. I tried the web address... Holy Moley! It's still there!!! The existence of my own little corner of the Internet stewed in the back of my mind all night. The creative juices started to flow again. A recipe was forming.
Time to reexamine. Time to find a new focus.
That focus has been staring me in the face all along. It's in the shape of a room, tucked away in the furthest, almost unnoticed corner of my home.
It's time the Blog of Mystery revealed the secrets of The Man Cave.
Oh, it's on.
More to come...
Explore the fabled "Man-Cave", revel in Nostalgia, and celebrate all things Geek!!!!!
Friday, February 1, 2013
Friday, June 17, 2011
A quick word about audio...
So for now, I'm going to upload all my files onto megaupload, and they will likely be in a zip file. Megaupload can be a pain in the ass, but it seems to be the least so out of most free file managers. Typically, you enter a 3-character captcha, wait about a minute, then download.
Also, I just wanted to reiterate that almost all of the audio I have is the result of hard work and determination, none of which was contributed by me. Even the pictures of album covers and what not were scanned and posted by someone else on other blogs. I sincerely wish I could give credit where credit is due, but the sheer number of sources makes that impossible.
Don't get me wrong. I have one or two surprises that I'm pretty sure no one else has posted before. We'll save those for a rainy day.
Anyway, here just a handful of blogs that I've obtained stuff from. Sadly, many others no longer exist. But please visit them, follow them, and let them know that their efforts are appreciated!
Check the Cool Wax - This is the first audio blog I discovered, and the one that made me realize that all the stuff I loved is out there somewhere. While this blog is not as active as it used to be, it is still always the first one I check, partially from habit, but mostly from respect.
Wonderful Wonderblog - Not alot of audio here, but I just love reading through this one. It's chock full of geek stuff. Halloween lovers, take note of this one come fall. Personally, I never cared about Halloween, but this guy makes you get excited for it.
Dartman's World of Wonder - Not alot of geek stuff on this one. But classic music and TV clips galore, including some odd rarities that some music collectors drool over. Plus, I think Dartman's a Philly guy. I could be wrong.
WeirdoMusic - This site is great because it links to lots of other music sharing blogs that I might not check regularly on an individual basis. Their download page gives you a nice snapshot of what's new out there, and every so often, you will find geek stuff!
Way Out Junk - Mostly kiddie stuff, but I suppose some would argue that all of this is kid stuff!
Audiobook Corner - The title pretty much says it all. They sometimes lean towards my (and I assume since you're reading this, your) tastes. So here, you can geek for hours! Novel length!!!
That's enough for now. I know there's lots I'm leaving out, so I'll just have to revisit this another time. Most importantly, I'm leaving out the guys from "Hero Envy", but that is it's own post. Coming soon.
Later!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Taking the plunge...
So, I've had this idea brewing for quite some time now. I've done alot in my life that I'm quite proud of. My greatest achievements are, of course, my wife and my two boys. I've established a career as a capable nurse. I'm living a nice, grown-up, adult life.
But here's the thing. The only thing I've ever been really, really good at, is being a geek. I've had lots of practice. Sometime in the late 1970's, my father brought me home 3 issues of World's Finest Comics, back when DC was publishing them in the "Dollar Comics" format. See, they would jack up the page count, and include multiple stories from their bright and colorful cast of characters. I was soon thrust full force into the worlds of Superman, Batman, Green Arrow, the Black Canary, Hawkman, Adam Strange, the Vigilante, and of course Captain Marvel. At the tender young age of five, my father inadvertently started a love affair, which I'm sure he came to regret once or twice, that has never abated to this day. I'm ready to share that geek love with everyone.
While I am first and foremost a comic book geek, I have since discovered all of the associated realms of geekdom, and have become fairly fluent in those disciplines as well. Star Wars? Check. Star Trek? Check. Doctor Who? A big David Tennant inflected "Oh yes" to that one. But it's the ones that are a little more obscure that hold a truly special place in my heart. When I was six, Star Blazers had enthralled me like nothing else. What you see as a cartoon, I now recognize as high opera, unafraid to show a first grader that the heroes are in fact mortal, subect to having feet of clay, and may die in the very next episode. I've passed this love on to my boys, both of whom know all of the words to the theme song. (See the video below if you need a reminder.) In college, it was Mystery Science Theater 3000, a show that at first glance seemed like equal parts late night movie hosts and cowtown puppet show. They showed the 50's sci-fi from the Saturday afternoons of my childhood in the 80's, and infused it with a humor that was simultaneously hip and geeky. The references were quick and smart, and while some jokes flew right over your head, most of the time it seemed like they were actually inside of it.
So why should you care? Well, I've got more to share than just my geeky musings. Over the past decade, I've collected an obscene amount of audio files related to all things geek. It's time to open up my hard drive and share them with the world. I'm talking DC stories, Marvel stories, old Read-Along books, Power Records, Star Wars, Star Trek, BBC Audio, stuff related to old cartoons, weird albums and singles, music, stuff that will feed the geek gnawing inside you desperate to break out. And just wait until Christmas! Before you ask, I'm fairly certain that most of the stuff is out-of-print. These will be a majority of the posts, once I figure out a reliable way to upload my mp3 files. Now, most of this ripped audio is stuff I obtained from other sources around the internet, and I doubt I'll be able to give due credit. Look for an upcoming post regarding the audio and other blogs of note. And tell your friends.
Well, that's it for now. Let me apologize in advance if all of this fanfare ends up being one of only three posts, and this blog goes the way of my MySpace page... out in internet limbo and abandoned. Hopefully not. The more response I get to this blog, the more prolific I think I will tend to be. Look for the first audio file very soon. Until then... EXCELSIOR!!!!!
But here's the thing. The only thing I've ever been really, really good at, is being a geek. I've had lots of practice. Sometime in the late 1970's, my father brought me home 3 issues of World's Finest Comics, back when DC was publishing them in the "Dollar Comics" format. See, they would jack up the page count, and include multiple stories from their bright and colorful cast of characters. I was soon thrust full force into the worlds of Superman, Batman, Green Arrow, the Black Canary, Hawkman, Adam Strange, the Vigilante, and of course Captain Marvel. At the tender young age of five, my father inadvertently started a love affair, which I'm sure he came to regret once or twice, that has never abated to this day. I'm ready to share that geek love with everyone.
While I am first and foremost a comic book geek, I have since discovered all of the associated realms of geekdom, and have become fairly fluent in those disciplines as well. Star Wars? Check. Star Trek? Check. Doctor Who? A big David Tennant inflected "Oh yes" to that one. But it's the ones that are a little more obscure that hold a truly special place in my heart. When I was six, Star Blazers had enthralled me like nothing else. What you see as a cartoon, I now recognize as high opera, unafraid to show a first grader that the heroes are in fact mortal, subect to having feet of clay, and may die in the very next episode. I've passed this love on to my boys, both of whom know all of the words to the theme song. (See the video below if you need a reminder.) In college, it was Mystery Science Theater 3000, a show that at first glance seemed like equal parts late night movie hosts and cowtown puppet show. They showed the 50's sci-fi from the Saturday afternoons of my childhood in the 80's, and infused it with a humor that was simultaneously hip and geeky. The references were quick and smart, and while some jokes flew right over your head, most of the time it seemed like they were actually inside of it.
So why should you care? Well, I've got more to share than just my geeky musings. Over the past decade, I've collected an obscene amount of audio files related to all things geek. It's time to open up my hard drive and share them with the world. I'm talking DC stories, Marvel stories, old Read-Along books, Power Records, Star Wars, Star Trek, BBC Audio, stuff related to old cartoons, weird albums and singles, music, stuff that will feed the geek gnawing inside you desperate to break out. And just wait until Christmas! Before you ask, I'm fairly certain that most of the stuff is out-of-print. These will be a majority of the posts, once I figure out a reliable way to upload my mp3 files. Now, most of this ripped audio is stuff I obtained from other sources around the internet, and I doubt I'll be able to give due credit. Look for an upcoming post regarding the audio and other blogs of note. And tell your friends.
Well, that's it for now. Let me apologize in advance if all of this fanfare ends up being one of only three posts, and this blog goes the way of my MySpace page... out in internet limbo and abandoned. Hopefully not. The more response I get to this blog, the more prolific I think I will tend to be. Look for the first audio file very soon. Until then... EXCELSIOR!!!!!
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