Order up

Just solved "Order Up" for the Wii. It's cute and fun and makes me hungry when I play it. It's too easy, even on hard, but still worth playing. It culminates with an Iron Chef type tournament. Some of the game play is kind of stilted, like folding the tortilla, but a lot of the actions are fun like grating cheese. I appreciate that the game goes on after you beat it because you get more for your money, but it kind of bothers me that there is no closure. Anyone else have thoughts on that recent trend of games?

Too awesome

www.survivetheoutbreak.com helps us prepare for Z-Day!

Easily the most kites

I've ever seen in one place. This pic doesn't do it justice. I'm passing the dodge county fair (you know, tornado alley) and the sky is filled with kites. In about 15 miles, I'll pass the biggest goose refuge in the universe, located in Horicon WI. Does anyone remember the story on the evening news in Milwaukee back in the 80s about the family in Horicon getting tripped on their own stairs by ghosts? I dunno. The only scary part about Horicon to me is all the goose poop. Everybody poops, but if I had to pick one creature whose sole purpose of being put on this earth appears to be generating waste, it would be the goose. I suppose I can't be too hard on them, though. After all, they don't have sphincters, ya know.

October song-of-the-month

October song-of-the-month
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

Without giving away TOO much (or anything at all really) here's a little sneak preview of next month's song!

"More Than My Degree" MP3 now available for free download!

Get your DRM-free high-quality version of September's single right now at www.sunspotmusic.com!

The Louder It Gets, The More You Drink

I always thought it was in the best interest of a bar to have a great sound system where it's loud enough to sound good but not too loud so that it's unpleasant.

I was wrong. The louder the music is, the more beers you buy. Of course, this study was done in France, so you never know, but it's interesting at least.

Wendy's DrummerCam: Saturday 9/20/08 at McAuliffe's on the Square in Racine, WI

at Thoughts for Food Fall Harvest Benefit... Thanks to all who supported the cause!

Wendy's DrummerCam: Friday 9/19/08 at Phoenix Park Bandshel in Delavan, WI

Filming for "Go Pack"

#1 Reason We Should Play Detroit Again Soon

Their mayor came out of the nerd closet today and declared he was a geek and he quoted John Connor and Captain Kirk!

We haven't been to Detroit for awhile, but it sounds like it might be more welcoming that ever. Here's a link to his full speech.

New Hitchhiker's Book

I dunno how I feel about this new Hitchhiker's book called And Another Thing... yet.

How some people feel about the new Dune books and others feel about the new James Bond books is basically how I feel about this.

And this is central to one of the Great Fanboy Conundrums... does The Great Neck's Prequel Trilogy reduce the greatness of Empire Strikes Back? Is the awesomeness of James Earl Jones and Max Von Sydow in Conan The Barbarian reduced by Conan The Destroyer's sheer mentally-challengedness (featuring sex legend, Wilt Chamberlain, and anti-sex legend Grace Jones!) What about the half-human Doctor from the Paul McGann movie? (That was something I was actually cool with because someone had to explain why he spent all that frakking time on Earth!)

The originals still exist and they can still be enjoyed, but something feels diminished by a new addition that sucks. And for guys like me, I can't just will it out of existence. It's there, taunting me with suckiness and financial desperation. And if it's from the same creator (I'm looking at Godfather 3 for this one) then it stings even more, because the feet of clay are even more obvious.

I'll still read the book and try to follow its advice about the whole thing. I'll reserve my judgment until it's out, but until then, I've got a bad feeling about this.

Someone asked me...

...a little while back, what's the first thing I would do if I had an unlimited amount of money and I didn't have an answer. Now I do.

Lucid dreaming classes in Hawaii. Holy balls, does that sound awesome.

Doctor Who Pictures and the Book I Wish I Had!

This new book, Who Goes There (not the Campbell story that The Thing is based on) is all about traveling through Britain (mostly Wales, which is cool by me because that country is beautiful) to see Doctor Who filming locations. I did a bit of that, but I would've done more if this would've come out before I went. Now I'm jealous. I did get to read one of the author's books though, Dalek, I Loved You, which was his autobiography and love letter to (now) classic Doctor Who.

Here's me at the center of The Rift and right above Torchwood Three


Here's me with K9!


And here's me being exterminated by a Dalek at The Doctor Who Exhibition in Cardiff.

The company

While walking through Blockbuster the other day, I noticed a dearth of movies worth my time and came across The Company
It has Michael Keaton and Alfred Molina and that's all I needed to convince me, even though I had never even seen a trailer for it. The first 16 minutes are a collection of over-acting, stilted dialogue, and slow drama. Then suddenly things get much more interesting and the action gets better too. The supporting cast and plot are great and I kinda wish they hadn't miscast Molina and Keaton. It really makes you think, too, about our country's foreign policy and everything. I recommend it. But ask Tim, I'll recommend a lot of movies to ya. For what it's worth, go rent it (or watch it online). If you rent, get both discs for all 360 minutes of drama.

Not much has changed

I still like eatin, sleepin, and rockin.

More Than My Degree

Here's the high-quality downloadable version of our new video for "More Than My Degree" Check it out here: http://sunspotmusic.com/roadmania/More%20Than%20My%20Degree.mp4

Female bagpiper!

The Rigel Band from Waunakee.

Renaissance Stallion!

Wendy's DrummerCam: Saturday 9/13/2008 at The Frequency in Madison, WI

HUGE thanks to everyone who turned out for the show last night at The Frequency! It was a great reminder of one of the reasons we love Madison: YOU ROCK!

If anyone didn't get a "lunch bag" with the new songs, please let us know and we will make sure to get one to you.

XOXOXOXOXO,
Wendy.

What a truly appreciative audience

I had an absolutely fabulous time on stage last night. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did. Can't wait to see the drummer cam! What did you think of the renovations they did to that place? I like where the stage is now better than where it used to be. If anyone didn't get their cd or goody bag, let us know and we can mail you one. Thanks for a great time.

Help us beta-test!

Our friends at Brainfruit, Inc. in La Crosse have a new application called the Desktop Media Channel and they've made one especially for us! It's the first draft of a calendar and reminder application with browsing, bookmarks, and other fun stuff on it. We know that Sunspot has some of the most tech-savvy friends in the world and wanted to see what people would use an app like this for when it relates to music or media in general. And also, how can we use an app like this to communicate with you better and put more content up that's more easily accessible? This isn't something where we're getting paid for it or we're trying to market to you. We're helping a Wisconsin company that are our friends to make their product the best it can be.

We'd love to hear your comments and then pass them onto Brainfruit. We'll also update it every month with different pics and songs from our upcoming singles.

Download the Sunspot Desktop Media Channel here.

Thanks and see you at the party tomorrow!

Sunspot At The Frequency Tomorrow Saturday Sept. 13th 7PM

We'll be premiering our new video, each ticket gets you a free beer or rail drink, a Sunspot CD with all the new singles is included, and it's gonna be our best live show yet.

Torchwood : Lost Souls

Since we don't get BBC Radio 4 in the US, they've kindly put the Torchwood radio drama about the particle collider in Geneva online for us to download. I just thought it might brighten up your morning commute, I'll be listening to it on mine.

Is it my birthday?

More ghostly footage caught on security cameras (this one at The Light Horseman Pub in York that I remember passing in July. I remember it because we were laughing about the "fancy man on a horse" on a ridiculously long walk from the Best Western to downtown.) Check it out, it's a pretty good one.

And with news of Ghostbusters 3 on the way as well as a Greatest American Hero, it just might be one of the best Wednesdays in history. I traditionally hold Wednesdays in the same esteem that fattest of cats, Garfield, holds Mondays, but today might lead me to change my mind.

Speaking of York, across from the York Castle, we literally saw ducks wait at a crosswalk and then cross the road when the pedestrian sign came on.


It's a little blurry because it was almost dark and my camera doesn't do well in low-light.

But I think they know when to go because there's a quick beeping sound that starts when it's okay to cross the street (probably for the visually challenged) just like on East Wash now in Madison where there's an actual voice that tells you it's okay to cross (and it freaked me out when I first heard it!) So, I think they just get used to that sound and it means it's safe to cross. Of course, I don't know anything about ducks and I could be talking out of my rump right now, but it sounds logical to me.

Wendy's DrummerCam: Saturday 9/6/08 @ Ballyhoos, Merrill, WI

Wendy's DrummerCam: Friday 9/5/08 @ The Fillmor, Wausau, WI

Wendy's DrummerCam: Saturday 8/23/08 @ Riverwest Commons, Milwaukee, WI

Wendy's BongoCam: Sweet Relief party 8/22/08 @ Sunspot HQ, Madison, WI

brewers

Well, hopefully they'll pull their heads out of their asses in time to stay ahead of the Cards and Phillies. So, I paid for preferred parking and this crackhead is threatening me with a ticket (at least I think that's what that unintelligible crap was) if I parked where the other attendant told me to go. Give people an inch of power and they will abuse it a mile.

Face to face with an emu

At the Vilas Park Zoo.

There's a lot of emu fans, but whenever they're asked they can never
actually describe it.

Not again!

Not again!
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

Mike and Ben are using the jumper cables as props to try to flag down someone to help us jump the van again.

Oooops

Oooops
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

Van battery is dead (again). D'oh! Thanks to Rob from Cool Hand for the jump!

Great writeup in the City Pages

Great writeup in the City Pages
Originally uploaded by Wendy Lynn

huge thanks to Dino for writing an incredible story about us in Wausau City Pages! If you live in the area be sure to check it out... We'll scan it when we get home (or find the online link) so everyone else can read it!

Central Wisconsin Weekend!

Looking forward to a big weekend as we return to Wausau for our first appearance ever at the spectacular new venue, The Fillmor!



Then we'll make a quick recovery Saturday for all-night rocking at Ballyhoos in Merrill!



Hope to see YOU there!

P.S. Thanks to the Wausau Daily Herald for putting us in their Best Bets section for tonight!

Humanity Should Not Be Destroyed Reason #12

Old people doing water aerobics.



I was sitting in the sauna this morning at the gym and watching one of the classes in the pool and it was seniors dancing to "Memory" from Cats. I almost started crying, it was like the fricking plastic bag in American Beauty, I couldn't help myself. Then I let one go that almost made my swimming trunks rip at the seams and I ruined the moment. But the real humiliation was the guy who walked in about two seconds after that happened and encountered me half-naked, teary-eyed, with a fresh stink about me in hundred and five degrees. Needless to say, as soon as he started talking about the rainy morning, I muttered something about the heat and made a hasty exit.

But that still doesn't take away the great scene I got to enjoy. So many AARP members I've met are bitter and sad, and these people were so active and joyful. Happy old people, another reason to avoid the alien death ray.

Another reason to love Madison

The Society for Creative Anachronism on Library Mall.

New Jewel and My Name Is Bruce

Am I missing something? I'm listening to Triple M today, and they play a version of "You Were Meant For Me" that doesn't have the "Dreams last for so long, even after you're gone" and just has her repeat the "I know you left me and soon I know you will see" line twice. I wiki'd it but to no avail. Is this a new version? It's got more electric guitars than acoustic (and the electrics aren't doing much, I liked the acoustic better, I think) and this is the second time I've heard it on the radio and been confused (the first time I was drunk, so I accepted it as a delusion.) Also, wasn't Jewel naked in a movie or something? I can't Google it because I'm not on SafeSearch-off friendly territory.

Anyway, I had to listen to the radio today because even though all your tips for the iTrip were very helpful, I still had issues getting a station that worked well (sigh) and tried holding up the iPhone to my ear and listen the whole time, but that got kind of dangerous (and it was too scary because I'm listening to the audiobook version of Cell and it's too ironic to be listening to it while holding my cellphone to my ear, so I had to stop.)

The video shoot went great last night and tonight we do interior shots, which hopefully we'll have available online next week (or maybe we should debut it at The Frequency show, I'm trying to think which one would be more suitable) but either way, single number 3 is coming along like gangbusters and it's awesome to be able to devote so much energy at a time into one song. I think Prince does it this way too, one song at a time until it's complete. And hey, if it's good enough for His Purple Majesty (that sounds like a nickname for a penis, doesn't it?) then it's good enough for us!

And I'm afraid that this might be the coolest thing I've ever seen, I know there were test screenings last year, but it looks like it's finally coming into wide release. Bruce Campbell playing himself!

iTrip stations in Madison?

Since the LCD iTrips came out, they no longer have 87.9 available as a frequency, which made me cry a little because that's the only one that reliably works. Anyway, I was wondering what station works for everyone else that uses one? (And don't give me that all FM Transmitters are crap, because I realize that they'll always be unreliable in cities, but I don't have an aux in on my beauty factory stereo.) I keep getting frustrated in the morning because 88.1 keeps getting taken over by some Christian station and there's nothing worse than trying to listen to some heavy metal and have it be interrupted by some Mariah Carey-alike (or even worse now, it's Christian Nickelback - no, not Creed) singing something pseudo-sexual about Jesus. Then 107.9 is a NPR station that only comes in sometimes, so I can't use that one either. When I have to listen to the radio in the morning, it always puts me in a road rage and I don't know why. I swear there's subliminal messages in Madison's "morning zoo"'s that command me to kill. Anyway, it's getting bad and I've stooped to holding my iPhone to my ear to be able to listen to anything. It's causing me to risk my life.

Also, Misfits and Motorhead in Madison on September 10th... where's the press coverage on this? There's two big shows that week (don't forget about us on September 13th!) and I have to be at one, so I wanna go to the other one too. Does anyone have tickets yet? Are the Jerry Only-led Misfits any good?



He looks kinda hungry...