no clue productions site overhaul and new content coming soon

The no clue productions site hasn't been updated since last year. That's all about to change soon. In a recent post, I spoke about Jon's new indenation pop podcast and the kick in the butt that I needed. I have been working hard on a new site design that has a bit more pop and just looks more polished. I had been doing all my own hand coding of my own html for the last few years which has gotten too tedious. I'm not interested in making new site content like that anymore. I've been looking for easier ways to update and make the site look more polished. I also didn't want to spend a lot of money or time learning dreamweaver or go live. I think I've found a good solution to all my issues with Apple's iLife.

Since I love the apple products, I started to play more with iWeb in the last few months and I think I'm getting a lot better. Since it's template driven, I wanted to use the templates, but make them more my own. I think I have finally started to figure out some good ways to do that.

I'm pretty excited about the new look. I'm anxious to get it out there. It is still a few weeks away before going live, but here's a preview of the new look. I am also working on some brand new content. Look for the new content to launch the same day as the new site. It should be the start of a bunch of new content from no clue productions over the next few months. I look forward to getting it all out there soon.

Keep coming back for more updates. Later.

iTunes Complete Album

Finally, iTunes announced today the launch of "Complete My Album". It allows you to buy an album at a reduced price when you purchase a single off that album. This should help spur more full album sales on iTunes. I definitely think I would take advantage of it. I have purchased single songs in the past and then went back to buy the full album because I ended up really liking the song. There is a time limit, but this is better than nothing. Thanks Apple and iTunes! Finally!

Sabres are #1 in new ESPN the magazine - giving back to fans

Hey,
ESPN the magazine just named the Buffalo Sabres the #1 pro team in sports in what kind of a product is given back to their fans. I whole heartedly agree and what a great comment for the city of Buffalo. Considering just a few years ago the team was in bankruptcy and was almost lost, this is a huge honor.

Check out the article.

Also read this one if you have time. Ales Kotalik should be back in action for tomorrow's game.

Good news indeed all around.

Sabres lose to Toronto

My Buffalo Sabres have got to get their act together. They have shown throughout the season that they can play well and play consistenly well. That's why they're at the top of the standings in the East. But I'm worried as we approach the playoffs that the injuries have gotten to them and they're not giving it their all. They lost Saturday night to Toronto 4-1. They have kept Toronto's playoff hopes alive. This comes on the heels of a 5-4 comeback victory on Friday night. They won that game, but were manhandled by the Leafs for the better part of the game.

I guess we'll have to see, but I have high hopes for this team after such an incredible season so far. I don't want them to run out of gas at the end of the season. Here's hoping they don't. LET'S GO BUFFALO!

Read the story in the Buffalo News about goalie Ryan Miller trying to spark some fire in his team.

Jon's new indenation podcast

Jon's get a new indenation podcast. This first one was a test. It's a chat with him and LaRue Binder about the NBC hit show "Heroes". Download the podcast and check it out. I am working on stuff very slowly, but now this is a little more of a kick in the butt for me, since Jon found time to complete some of his projects. I'll keep you posted.

Jon also gave the main site a refreshed look like he likes to do. Check it out.

no clue movie review - 300

I went to see the movie, 300, directed by Zack Snyder, today. I have to say that I enjoyed the movie immensely. It is ultra violent, highly stylized and a great action flick. It's not for history buffs. At least, I doubt that this is a true representation of acient Greece.

The movie is an all out action flick about King Leonides and the city of Sparta being overrun by the army of persians led by the God King Xerxes. The source material for this movie though is not a history book, but the graphic novel "300" by Frank Miller. I felt like the movie was an all out rush of adrenaline for me. So many intense action scenes featuring beheadings, mass death and sword fighting. I just felt a rush from scene to scene. It did seem to drag a bit toward the end and maybe could've been cut a bit more in the editng room, but I have a feeling they were leaving room for some soundtrack montages. But, all in all, I really enjoyed the film.

Again, no marvelous acting. This movie is about style. And it has a lot of it. It's got a very unique look to it. I've read it was shot with a lot of green screen elements and the backgrounds were added later. But it's more than that. Shot on film gives it a grain which usually doesn't happen with the modern green screen films of today. Many of those are shooting digitally, which gives them an intensely polished look. This movie isn't like this at all. He's playing with colors in the film to make the red capes of the Spartan men just pop off the screen. The other colors are very subdued. It makes for a very breathtaking look. He's also got the bodies of the men in the movie as part of the style. Miller's graphic novel had these intensely buff men of Sparta fighting the Persians and Snyder's film has that too. Which must of required tons of intense physical workouts all the time by the entire cast. But it does lend to the style of the film. It gives it this graphic novel come to life look.

The movie also has fantstic sound. I mean really big sound. It's amazing. See this movie in a good theater to take advantage of all the amazing rumblings, fighting noises, screams of the armies, thundering armies, etc.

Overall, I'd say I enjoyed the movie and would recommend it if you like highly stylized, violent films. It's not for everyone. But I liked it a lot. It was a good movie to release tension and just have a good time. I've seen a lot of films that require concentration lately with subtle story points, etc. This movie was the complete opposite. It has a very clear simple story and purpose. I just sat back and watched all the fighting, cool look and cool filmmaking on display.

You can find out more at the official website.

Come back again, and I promise to have more movie reviews coming. Until then, i'll be at the movies....

Amazon Unbox on TiVo

This week Amazon Unbox on TiVo made its debut. I of course owning a TiVo had to give it a try almost immediately. That and the fact that Amazon is offering a $15 credit to just try it out. I have purchased TV episodes as of now. They have movies too, but they are standard definition and not in widescreen. Not interested in movies like that. TV is fine though. $1.99 per episode, just like iTunes, but I can download it directly to my TiVo. Amazon Unbox also allows you to store your video files on their servers and download to my TiVo whenever I want. That way I don't have to store items on the TiVo if I don't want to. I like that. The episodes I downloaded, Bones and Veronica Mars, were of very good quality, commercial free and branding free (no logos, watermarks, bugs, etc.) which I like a lot too. Overall, I'm very happy with the service. The website and order process could be a little less complicated. The order process is fine, if you can locate the Unbox page. Luckily, I bookmarked it. It's hard to tell, what's available for TiVo and what's available for your computer. Although, the process must be evolving on a daily process because I sent an angry email when my Veronica Mars episode wouldn't download to TiVo. Amazon quickly rectified the situation by sending me an email and the download was ready the next day. I will say that my TiVo is part of my home network, which I think has a pretty good connection. It does take a bit of time (20-25 minutes once the download starts) to download the TV shows. As long as you're not in a hurry though it's fine. Plus, it seemed that the downloads aren't always instantaneously available for download. All in all, it's not a bad service. iTunes is still by far a better user experience, but my iTunes TV shows and movies that I bought live on my Mac and not on my TV. That is why Apple TV is interesting to me. But all in good time. For now, I have yet another alternative to getting my TV when I want it where I want it. And that is good in my book.

I also want to applaud TiVo for staying in the game. I love my TiVo, but they definitley suffer from an inability to stay current and accept trends. Since they haven't been purchased by a behemoth, they are trying to stay afloat. I say to anyone, buy a TiVo. They are great. But they definitely have drawbacks. Like mine, is standard definition only and single tuner only. I had to buy a service and a box. Most people get that in their cable box and they don't have extra equipment laying around and extra service fees. So I say keep up to date and forming alliances TiVo. It's in your best interest. We don't want you going anywhere.