Month: October 2021

The Tampa Bay Rays Bend Baseball Again

Damn, that Tampa Bay crew.

Can’t take your eyes off them for a second.

The Rays will never be confused with a big-bucks organization, but their big-brain approach to being competitive is something to be admired.

They’re relentless at it.

 

Their conniving continued against the bamboozled Boston Red Sox, managing to put a pair of pitchers on the field at the same time.

Why it took plate umpire Ángel HernĂĄndez half the afternoon to figure it all out is anyone’s guess.

Then again, Ángel Hernåndez:

 

In the cold light of harsh reality, the situation wasn’t all that tough.

It’s not like players haven’t seen this from munchkin ball all the way through college:

 

This is simply another example of the Rays doing what they do to keep themselves in ballgame and the playoff race itself.

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Let this be one of the rare occasions when we come to HernĂĄndez’s defense, although limply:

 

That took 20+ minutes?

 

Tampa Bay wound up winning, 3-2.

Not sure if all this had any real effect on the result, although Chaos Theory may beg to differ.

 

Once again, sports has explained life.

Thank you, Rays, for once again showing us order outta chaos.

The Dudes at The Daily Player

Yes, we take full responsibility for what you’re reading.

You’ll find even more of it at The Daily Player, our snarky sports site complete with a catchy tune to cap off each article. It’s required reading during every happy hour!

And while you’re there, don’t forget to check out our snarky sports store, Fanorama. It’s our way of showing we want your cash, and we’re willing to sell you something to get it!

 

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ASMR

What is ASMR? It is an acronym for “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response” (which is not officially classified as a condition by the sciences) that is first bandied about on the internet around the close of the first decade of the 2000s. For the most part, the words making up the name are self-explanatory, but you might be wondering about meridian. Meridian generally refers to a high point in excitement, but technically it refers to any of the pathways along which the body’s vital energy flows according to the theory behind acupuncture. Autonomous also has specialized meaning: it can refer to involuntary physiological responses or to the autonomic nervous system, which autonomously regulates bodily functions, including sexual arousal. ASMR, however, is a nonsexual response. According to the modest ones who answered questionnaires on the topic, it is simply a tingling feeling that starts at the top of the head and trickles downward—and is characteristically triggered by a person softly whispering into a camera and making random hand movements along objects.

Other names for ASMR include “head/brain tingles,” “brain orgasm” (or “braingasms”), and “whisper porn” (despite it being nonsexual), and the aftereffect of the tingling sensation is relaxation and contentment, which makes it therapeutic for depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

Those who are able to experience the ASMR sensation can be stimulated at a salon when a stylist is gently shampooing his or her hair, or simply attentively cutting it, or when a pedicurist is softly massaging his or her foot. They can also be stimulated by a soft-spoken description of subtle movements (as flipping through a magazine, crinkling paper, stirring a bowl of soup, eating a pickle, folding laundry, or combing hair) or of a virtual massage, makeover, or medical checkup. The person gently handling and talking about the merch on the Home Shopping Network might also bring on an ASMR sensation for some.

The key to the ASMR experience is said to be a feeling of intimacy and connectedness; every hushed movement and whisper needs to be focused and personalized to make the audience feel appreciated.

A fairly well-known ASMRist (ASMR artist) was nimbused television painter Bob Ross, who would bring on ASMR in his audience with his soft, even voice and calm brushstrokes.

3 Life-Changing Benefits of Learning an Instrument

It’s a fact – learning how to play a musical instrument is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Countless studies have proven the various benefits of taking up music, and there are sure to be more just waiting to be found. Whether you’re looking for an extra hobby to pass the time, or you’re trying to fulfill a long-lost dream, learning to play an instrument is an endeavor sure to change your life in countless ways.

1. You’ll be more relaxed – and happier. 

Had a long day and trying to unwind? Maybe binging Netflix is the way you usually let the stress out after work or school, but don’t stop there. Being able to sit down and lose yourself in the music you create is a relaxing experience like no other, and it surely beats a few hours of TV. The truth is, music is therapy, and just like when your favorite song comes on the radio, it has a certain way of melting all of your worries away. If anything, this feeling is amplified when you get to create your own music from playing an instrument.

2. Your social life will grow and expand. 

A huge benefit of learning a musical instrument that’s often overlooked is the social aspect. Being able to play an instrument is an amazing skill to have, and it’ll help you to meet a lot of people who share your interest. Plus, all those musical friends you meet could turn into musicians you start playing with. The truth is, there are tons of other players out there trying to start bands and find people to jam with. And if you put yourself out there as a musician, you never know what could happen. Playing music with other people is not only a super fun experience, but it will improve your skills, too.

3. You’ll get to create amazing art.

At the end of the day, music is art, and the day you decide to start learning an instrument is the day you become an artist. Starting on a musical journey is difficult, but it can absolutely lead to some incredible things. The reality is, music is something that helps a lot of people around the world. Through playing music, you too can help people with the art you create, and this is an incredibly gratifying feeling. Playing an instrument is a great way to find your voice, and to share with the world your thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

Whatever reason you choose to take up an instrument, it is sure to be one of the best decisions you can make, and you’ll definitely notice the benefits. It’s also likely that the more you learn and grow on your instrument, the more you will gain positively from it. Learning to play music is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

StoneBridge’s ‘Mama India’ Remix Is One Of The Greatest Dance Anthems Of All Time

Mama India [Reloaded] is one of the best tunes of 2020, and if you don’t know it yet, you soon will because this is yet another example of great house music. StoneBridges’s remix of Mama India by Stevo is fantastic and features a funky, incessant groove, a rolling bassline and the vocals sample of Mama India. A well crafted, tech-edged slice of house and more progressive-based brilliance from StoneBridge. It’s wonderfully laden with great house sounds. StoneBridge is the man right now in house circles. Go to any city anywhere in the world and you’re guaranteed to hear a load of StoneBridge tracks. Get ready – this is by far the biggest release yet for Area 51 Records. Boy this leaves you breathless! Sure to be huge.

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How To Shoot Micro Budget Films

1: Lighting can be as simple as clamp lights and cardboard or white paper to reflect light where necessary. Again, your cameraman should have experience with lighting to help you out here. Digital shooting will allow you to experiment almost real-time with your lighting.

2: Plan Your Film

Decide on the length of your film. Shorts can be produced with a smaller budget, and allow you to post the films on Youtube and other video sharing sites to gain attention and fans. Feature films require a longer time commitment, but are not as difficult to sell, and garner more money when they are sold. Making a living will be easier if you can sell several long films instead of struggling to sell many shorts.

3: Make a Budget

Budget for your films, taking into consideration what everyone producing the film is willing to contribute. For example, if you have ten actors and crew members who each contribute $100, your budget might be $1,000.

4: Pick the Script

Find a great script for your film. You can write this yourself, partner with a writer to create one, or outright buy one from a screenwriter. The script will make or break your film, particularly with horror and other popular micro budget genres. Ensure there are as few locations as possible to reduce filming time and expenses.

5: Recruit Actors

If you want to keep costs down, you’ll need to be creative. Offer to trade work – you work on their pet project, they work on yours. You can also find friends and family, or network through them to find actors willing to do something a bit crazy for not much pay. Befriending actors and creating a network now will make it easier to find more actors for your later films.

6: Plan the Details

Have a shot list of scenes, locations, an idea of how you want each scene to look, and stick with it. You’ll also need to do additional tasks based on what you’re looking at doing in each scene; for instance, in a horror movie, you’ll need to find blood and gore special effects and perhaps a makeup artist. Your storyboard should have as many details about cast, location, props, and so on as possible. Try to shoot similar scenes at once – all outdoors scenes at once, indoors scenes in another day, etc. Remember to plan time to shoot B-roll shots like cars parking, landscape passing in a moving car, and other minor details that will bring the film to life when you edit it later.

7: Editing Your Film

There are many computer programs out there that can do this on Macs or PCs alike. Remember to keep your shot list nearby and your notes to help create the effects you’re looking for in each scene. Add the music by looking for music students, amateur guitar players, and so on to record original music. Remember to get releases for the music rights, of course, as well as acting and any other crew members.

8: Distribute the Film

Now that your film is polished and ready to go, get DVDs for as low a price as possible (as long as they’ll still work flawlessly, of course) and burn about 25 copies at a time (don’t burn 100 copies in case you only sell 75!), and remember some extras to ship to production companies.

Get disc cases and design cover art to print for each disc, or get an arts student to do it. (This can be as simple as taking a screen capture of a representative scene and adding text, or much more complex.) Add labels to each disc and make sure they’re ready to sell. All you have to do is sell enough copies to make up the production costs.

Enjoy the process of creating your own micro budget film, and be dedicated to what you do. The more you love it and work at it, the more likely you are to get a deal and move up in the film making world!