Sunday, March 30, 2008

The Blog That Runs Itself

It is pretty darn nice when blog has the readership that allows it to run itself. The readers are acting like adults talking to adults for the most part and giving out information when they see it.

If you never venture into the Comments area you are missing out on some great content. I applaud the Comments area and from all the blogs I have ever read I have to think this Comment area is one of the best.

Here are a few links to photos from the area (we need a cool name for this area)

debsmad's photos of Oshkosh

photo from ty of the building they are filming


Pretty good article from Galesburg dot com


A photo that ty found of the Chicago filming
notice lights on top of building

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As for deleting comments. I've only deleted a few so far. I deleted two because they looked like they could contain a virus or some other harmful entity. I've deleted a few comments because they were redundant and I have deleted the remnants of a few a few that were already deleted by "author".

Yesterday I deleted one that just pissed me off with what I deemed an insult to my writing capabilities (only "I" can insult me and I do it all the time). However in retrospect perhaps being told I write like a 17 year old was a compliment and it is I that insulted 17 year olds by thinking this was a bad thing.

To any 17 year olds I do apologize.

It just shows that this blog is not a Democracy it is more of a Dictatorship where "the leader has not been elected and may use force to keep control."

The Anonymous commenter asked why I was trying to raise money for the Auditorium when I should be raising money for the Police Department. That is a very good question. But perhaps Anonymous is also being shortsighted. Why not raise money for hunger, why not raise money for schools, why not raise money to help our solders in foreign lands or our Fire Department.

The reason I'm not raising money for the above is that they already have ways for raise money. The citizens already fund the Police Department and Fire Department. There is already an infrastructure for the USO. I have gone to events where the Fire Department has raised money selling Miller, Miller Lite, Bud, Bud Light (those beers are like drinking my own bile, God they taste hideous - pure swill - NOT that I mind other people drinking "it". . . . but that is another story).

Plus - none of these organizations are the reason Universal picked Columbus. The reason Universal picked Columbus is it's buildings and if you have paid attention, I am very very into the "Pay It Forward" theme. It is something my dad instilled into me.

Thus - the Auditorium. I tend to give inanimate objects feelings and personalities. Buildings have feelings and this building is old and needs care, it had a broken arm and nobody cared for a long long time. I want to help. (Don't worry, I only take this "feeling" thing so far, remember, my wife DJ is always there to ground me . . what did you say Mr. Chair?).
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Enough preaching.

DJ and I are thinking of a Kurth Brewery visit Friday night. If anyone is in the area COME ON DOWN!! (do they have ANYTHING besides Miller and Bud?)
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I watched "I Am Legend" last night. I think DJ saw 15 minutes and then went into the bedroom for some relax time. Interesting movie if you like Zombies. Will Smith is awesome but the problem I had (besides a VERY VERY touching sad dog scene) was that throughout the movie things happened that were never answered.

I have a pretty nice Home Theater and a 7.1 sound system in our little house (I am a total audio geek with a 4 foot tall sub woofer) and I'll watch anything in HD or converted HD. HD zombies are awesome (insert evil laugh).

On another note - there is a documentary this summer about Lions. What is truly amazing is that they follow a lion family for three years and it is shot by . . . . .TRAINED ELEPHANTS!!

Thats right. They put cameras in fake tree trunks and have trained elephants follow the family around putting the tree cams in the places with the best views. Then a remote operator can focus the turn the camera to the correct view.

When the tigers move the elephant will move the tree cam and the tigers are not the wiser.
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Movie stuff.

Interesting thing about the 1932 Dillinger Studebaker that was NOT used in the movie. I'll save that for tomorrow as I just found out. Michael Mann!! details details details.

Last but not least - here is ONE page of The Book - this will give you a look and feel of what I'm trying to accomplish. You like?


OK - gotta go buy things to help the American economy - it's getting close to garden season you know and I have SO many gardens (more on that later).

Rod M

42 comments:

  1. gotta be fair...i did not take the pics only found them on the net cause..i have nothing better to do then look for that stuff:)

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  2. LOL - I was thinking HE IS EVERYWHERE!!

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  3. Here's my research on THE WOMEN OF PUBLIC ENEMIES. It's based on general internet searches and they may or may not be included in the movie.
    Beryl Hovias- JD's first wife probably won't feature.
    Evelyn Frechette- (Billie) questioned for 4 sleepless nights.
    Lillian Holley- CP sheriff.
    At Little Bohemia. Nan Wanatka along with sister Audrey? Voss got news of the gang to FBI.
    Helen Gillis-Baby Face Nelson's wife.
    Pat Cherrington-Pat Reilly's wife, a minor gang member.
    Marie Comforti-Homer Van Meter's g/f.
    Mary Kinder-Pierpont's g/f
    Pearl Elliott-Pierpont's g/f.
    Dolores Delaney-Alvin Karpis'g/f.
    Ed Shouses'wife.
    Mary Longnaker- JD's g/f.
    Bessie Green-wife of Eddy Green.
    Ana Cumpanas-(Anna Sage, the lady in Red.)
    Polly Hamilton-JD's last g/f.
    Many of these women were questioned including food and sleep deprivation for gang info. and imprisoned for harboring.
    Of course in the bg there was also Ma Barker and Bonnie Parker.
    Hopefully we will have some great cameos by interesting actresses like Lily Taylor, to add colour to this wall to wall hunk- o- spunk shoot 'em up.

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  4. Hi, Rod!
    I want to thank you once again for your excellent job and to encourage you. It is your blog and all of us are your visitors! We come here because it's very interesting for us to read what you write. And we, those who are very pleased with dialogue with you, are in overwhelming majority!! And, certainly, you have the right to establish here your rules! Because this is your child! Good luck!

    Viola, you are real researcher! Thanks a lot! I share your hope!
    Oh!Three girls for JD? Is it enough?
    And two girls for Pierpont? Is it too much? I hope, he will get if only one!

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  5. Nice recap for those who don't read the comments. You are so nice to your readers. :)

    Could ya pick me up a gallon of milk while you are out? hehe

    I have a question. Do you think they are just coming back to Columbus to touch up a few possible scenes? They took everything down...how much more can they be doing here? I get the feeling they may or may not come back, depending on what they see on the tape they've already shot. :(

    Or maybe they will do more inside stuff from the mansion or the bank?? It just seems like they don't have much of the staging left intact here. Just thinkin' out loud.

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  6. im not everywhere...all the time..:) I am going to go to oshkosh and check it out this afternoon!

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  7. Suz - we spent way too much. Bird feeders and all sort of things.

    The Columbus shoot still needs to have the killing of Red at Reds Pharmacy so there are some major things happening.

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  8. Just read on imdb that the PE crew are really having problems with flash photography they have to re-shoot; and people deliberately shouting. They are working really long hours too. I think Universal have got to tighten the reins a bit on this.
    On a lighter note, kolokshanka, I've been watching some David Wenham on youtube from COSI and GETTIN'SQUARE. He has done some pretty funny and outrageous stuff.

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  9. I have to say that I love this first page of your book; very much in keeping with the timeframe of the movie! I scrapbook (not digitally) and will be trying to keep the layouts I do with my photos as authentic to the era as
    possible too. Keep up the good work
    Rod!!

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  10. Debsmad - thanks for sharing your Oshkosh pics. I'm probably heading up there sometime this week too to check it out. = )

    thanks for sharing your research viola!

    I like the feel of 'the book' page too...

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  11. When is the deadline for submitting photos?
    Loving the blog!

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  12. No real deadline for photos - I don't want to have the book out BEFORE the movie comes out for legal reasons.

    I'm hoping for more from the 2nd Columbus shoot.

    The only thing I want to stress is to make them large and clear. (but not Raw,If you do not know what RAW is then don't worry about it).

    I'm thinking of calling the High School Photo Dept - do they have one?? Get some kids to skip school for a photo assignment(not in trouble aren't I).

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  13. Where should we send pictures for the book?

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  14. Bets place for me is

    rodmelotte@charter.net

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  15. If not photo dept, is there a yearbook staff or graphics art group? Maybe extra credit to help out?

    Just a thought.

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  16. I will gladly skip work for an assignment :) JK. That is a good idea though. I think most high school students that are into photography would love it!

    I hope everyone is having a fabulous Sunday. It is kind of gloomy out today so it is a good day to just chill out. Hope everyone is well :)

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  17. Rod-loved your blog page today and since my daughter is 17 years old and quite the writer in the family---turn that insult into a compliment! I also like the look of your book---so glad you're putting that together. I think it's a "time will tell" as far as shooting goes----from what I've read the "return to Columbus" was for some house scenes and rural road scenes---again, it's a wait and see....

    ty, debsmad and others that have so kindly shared their pics and links to pics, I do appreciate your efforts, too.

    Thanks again for allowing those of us from different parts of the US and the world share in your excitement about the film

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  18. Here's a picture I took...it's from the first filming day [Monday] in Columbus. Nothing very exciting, lol. But you can see the white van and can vaguely see them filming inside a black car in the distance. Johnny's black Expedition later pulled up in the blank spot by the curb near me...but sadly I didn't get a pic 'cause I wasn't aware that 'black Expedition = Johnny' at that point and was caught off guard.
    Here it is:
    http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q275/charliethedogg/?action=view&current=johnnydepp003.jpg

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  19. my bad! here's the right link:
    http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q275/charliethedogg/?action=view&current=johnnydepp003.jpg

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  20. well crap. here.
    http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q275/charliethedogg/johnnydepp003.jpg

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  21. OH MY GOD lmao.
    http://i138.photobucket.com/
    albums/q275/charliethedogg/
    johnnydepp003.jpg

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  22. Claire - the link didn't work for me. Is the pic set to 'public'?

    I'm happy to share my pics. I know they're not as great as others out there but I was so excited to be able to contribute something. :)

    I definately plan on being in Oshkosh for at least one of the filming days, but I don't have much hope that I'll see any stars or anything good. I won't be there until after work, and I'm kinda clueless about where the best place to watch from would be. I also wish I had better cameras. But it will still be fun to be there!

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  23. Claire - THAT was funny! sometimes things come out that just make people smile by accident.

    I think we all have been through the TOO LONG address problem.

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  24. I like the beginnings of your book.
    I wish I had some good pictures to
    contribute, but alas, my little
    camera didn't have the potential
    for anything worthy of being in
    the book.
    Keep up the good work...love your
    blog!

    Bonnie

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  25. Rory Cochrane pics!!

    http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg2/mommabowie/394.jpg

    http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg2/mommabowie/395.jpg

    http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg2/mommabowie/393.jpg

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  26. Well, crap...now my links don't work.

    *works to fix this*

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  27. Rod - important info regarding Kurth:

    They have four taps:
    1. Point Amber
    2. Miller Lite
    3. Kurth
    4. Usually a Leinie product

    I got my PE book and I cannot put it down. I am right after the Manitowish shootout - this is going to be a rated R movie!
    Thanks for all you do for us PE fanatics!

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  28. deb - break up the links into sections like clair did.

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  29. Trying again...

    http://i244.photobucket.com/
    albums/gg2/mommabowie/
    393.jpg

    http://i244.photobucket.com/
    albums/gg2/mommabowie/
    394.jpg

    http://i244.photobucket.com/
    albums/gg2/mommabowie/
    395.jpg

    If this doesn't work, I've already emailed Rod the direct links. lol

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  30. debsmad--your links take me to my PB album-lol! I know I didn't fly in from Cali for the filming.(I wish I could have!) Thanks for trying---maybe Rod can get it?

    Do we know the actor playing Piquette? According to an extra from CP, Piquette was the main speaking parts in the CP filming.

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  31. Calgal - if you copy/paste each section individually to make one complete address in your addy bar, it should work. Pain in the butt but seems to work for now.

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  32. Debsmad, your links worked fine for me. The ones I got in my e-mail update (the ist ones not the 2nd) thanks!

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  33. I think the links form Comment areas will be copied over to the regular blog the next day.

    I'd be curious to see how many blog readers read the comments.

    I'm getting some interesting numbers on visitors which is encouraging . . .at least for me!

    Typically the number of unique readers is about 50% the total number of hits. at least in all the blogs I have ever written.

    This one is more like 65-70%

    for instance

    In a normal blog you can have 100 hits and 50 unique readers. This is what MOST blogs get.

    This one is 100 hits and 70 unique readers. Not sure what it means but it's interesting . . in a vague way.

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  34. I heard Rory Cochrane is Phil D'Andrea...Does anyone who knows the story better know more about this character? Thanks for all the pics and wonderful information :)

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  35. debsmad-thank you---that's the trick--what great pics of Rory! Thanks for sharing them. Claire, thank you as well.

    Rod-I hope people are reading the comments section--I've alerted people to check out your comments section as well as your blog. GLad you're getting so many hits.

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  36. You ever seen the unreleased ending of I Am Legend? From the DVD? It's floating around online somewhere. Many people are of the opinion that it's much more interesting and feels far more complete than the theatrical version of the ending. I'm one of them.

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  37. Anonymous - I Am Legend.

    1. who moved the mannequin?
    2. who set that trap
    3. How did the woman and the kid get to the island - no bridges
    4. how did they get OFF the island

    5 Butterfly? I saw the glass and tattoo but . . odd connection.

    kathy - Kurth at Kurth? If they still make their own beer I'm looking forward to it.

    I did not drink beer until a few years ago when I discovered micro brews.


    bedtime

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  38. I was also going to comment about the original ending for I am Legend. I do think that it tied things up in a much better (and more meaningful) way than the ending of the theatrical version. Grinder - it's my understanding that the lead male night stalker (or whatever they're called) was the one to mimic the trap Will had set, and put up the mannequin to lure him to it. This is part of the reason I think the alternate ending is better - it shows us his realization that the zombies are more intelligent and complex than he was giving them credit for, which I think they foreshadowed with the trap thing and then never developed it. As for getting to the island, I don't know how to explain that one. If you're interested in exploring a bit further, I googled the alternate ending and found some interesting articles about the movie, the book, and what could have been.

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  39. Lindsey - I read in Saturday's comments that Rory is portraying "agent W. Carter Braum." I haven't read the book, and am not up on my Dillinger history, so I don't know who either of these guys are.

    I love the comment section (except for some of its limitations, grr) because it's like a mini-forum.

    And the brewery...my husband's name is Kurth. He was tickled pink to find he has his own brewery! lol

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  40. Viola,Thanks for all research and information. It is greatly appreciated. :)

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  41. Hey Deb,
    I must have missed that comment but on the IMDB it says under the cast for Public Enemies that his name is Phil D'Andrea. That is where I get most of my info but I have no idea how accurate it is! Craziness :) I am just glad to hear that Rory Cochrane will be in the movie and that I may have a chance to see him! Thanks to everyone for all their useful information :)

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  42. In regard to your comment about the '32 Nash used in Public Enemies........ Yes, the guy (my husband) who bought the '33 Nash (not a '32) off E-bay knew how old it was!!!! We like to collect some of the rarer cars, the Nash being one of them. It was a neat adventure having our car involved in the movie.

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