Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Politics: Top Ten Myths about Iraq
according to Professor Juan Cole.
The guy has been spot-on since before the war and continues to expound truth in the wilderness.
This the one that jumped out at me:
The guy has been spot-on since before the war and continues to expound truth in the wilderness.
This the one that jumped out at me:
7. The new Iraqi constitution is a victory for Western, liberal values in the Middle East.
The constitution made Islam the religion of state. It stipulates that the civil parliament may pass no legislation that contradicts the established laws of Islam. It looks forward to clerics serving on court benches. It allows individuals to opt out of secular, civil personal status laws (for marriage, divorce, alimony, inheritance) and to choose relgious canon law instead. Islamic law gives girls, e.g., only half the amount of inheritance received by their brothers. Instead of a federal government, the constitution establishes a loose supervisory role for Baghdad and devolves most powers, including claims on future oil finds, on provinces and provincial confederacies, such that it is difficult to see how the country will be able to hold together.
more bad news for Hollywood
we make crappy movies and nobody watches them...waaaah, waaaah, waaaaaah!
Here's a firsthand report from a fellow on one of the forums I frequent that has some undefined promotional job with Warner Brothers:
Here's a firsthand report from a fellow on one of the forums I frequent that has some undefined promotional job with Warner Brothers:
I spoke to Masters students at Pepperdine University specifially about this.
I mentioned that between the huge amount of cable, other activities, video games, bootlegging and the overpricing of tickets and also the unoriginal movies put out, there was and will continue to be a slump.
One thing though is that it will not be like the record business. It'll be a lack of box-office numbers. Funny thing that's weird, WB (my home) had it's best year ever and was the only studio to have three 200,000,000.00 dollar movies domestically in one year.
What's always going to happen too is that in spite of lowered box-office, home video that wasn't there 15 years ago makes up so much that we're actully make MUCH more money on movies than ever.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Stalin's half-ape supertroops
This is just pure awesomeness.
Genocidal madman?
Sure.
But the cat obviously had VISION.
"I want a new invincible human being, insensitive to pain, resistant and indifferent about the quality of food they eat," Stalin said, quoted by Moscow newspapers.
His cronies were not slow in supporting him. In 1926 the Politburo in Moscow passed the request to the Academy of Science with the order to build a "living war machine".
Genocidal madman?
Sure.
But the cat obviously had VISION.
25 Most Interesting Webcams of 2005
neato stuff.
I've seen most of these over the course of the year, but it's nice having them all at one url.
I've seen most of these over the course of the year, but it's nice having them all at one url.
Wired News: 2005 Foot-in-Mouth Awards
Goofy pronouncements from various tech luminaries.
I think my favorite is the the wiretapper in chief's review of his iPod...
I think my favorite is the the wiretapper in chief's review of his iPod...
Monday, December 26, 2005
Good article on why Hollywood is f'ed
In a losing race with the zeitgeist - Los Angeles Times
"There are still optimists who say the sky isn't falling, who insist that a few hits will turn things around, or gas prices will come down, or that the business being off 7% this year has more to do with the absence of a left-field sensation such as 'The Passion of the Christ' than a long-term decline in moviegoing.
To them, I say — go ye to Costco or Best Buy and watch the giant HDTVs zooming out the door, the TVs that used to cost $7500 that now go for $1995 and allow middle-class people to have a marvelous moviegoing experience right at home without $10.50 tickets, $4 popcorn, 20 minutes of annoying commercials and some guy in the next row yakking away on his cellphone."
I've been thinking about the current Hollywood losing streak in the context of the creative explosion of 70's cinema, ably chronicled in the excellent Easy Riders, Raging Bulls.
You could do a find/replace on a history of 70's cinema and not end up far off base...'the out of touch remnants of the Studio system' become 'the out of touch Corporate paymasters', etc. The DVD panic is redolent of previous 'television' and 'VCR' panics, but exacerbated by the corporate insistence on immediate, massive profits.
The studios with their ever-narrowing lag time between theatrical and DVD releases are digging their own graves. It reminds me of that parable where the scorpion stings the dog carrying it across the river to death. A corporation like Sony can no more defy its nature than the scorpion.
Personally, I don't really care. I watch one or two 'event' movies a year, the rest of the time you'll find me in our local art house, ingesting some subtitled opus from a minor national cinema still motivated by the creative act instead of the mercantile impulse to move units for Best Buy.
There will be another sea change akin to the creative explosion of the 70's, but who knows what form it will take. Digital distribution is looming for theaters (the last hang-up is who's paying for it, the studios or the theaters), it's just a matter of time before Netflix cuts out the middle man and starts streaming digital films directly to their customers (mailing dvds back and forth doesn't really make sense in a media climate where anyone with the slightest bit of computer know-how can download the same films for nothing).
There will be room for creativity in mainstream cinema again...the only real question is will the corporate studios catch the wave, or be drowned by it.
"There are still optimists who say the sky isn't falling, who insist that a few hits will turn things around, or gas prices will come down, or that the business being off 7% this year has more to do with the absence of a left-field sensation such as 'The Passion of the Christ' than a long-term decline in moviegoing.
To them, I say — go ye to Costco or Best Buy and watch the giant HDTVs zooming out the door, the TVs that used to cost $7500 that now go for $1995 and allow middle-class people to have a marvelous moviegoing experience right at home without $10.50 tickets, $4 popcorn, 20 minutes of annoying commercials and some guy in the next row yakking away on his cellphone."
I've been thinking about the current Hollywood losing streak in the context of the creative explosion of 70's cinema, ably chronicled in the excellent Easy Riders, Raging Bulls.
You could do a find/replace on a history of 70's cinema and not end up far off base...'the out of touch remnants of the Studio system' become 'the out of touch Corporate paymasters', etc. The DVD panic is redolent of previous 'television' and 'VCR' panics, but exacerbated by the corporate insistence on immediate, massive profits.
The studios with their ever-narrowing lag time between theatrical and DVD releases are digging their own graves. It reminds me of that parable where the scorpion stings the dog carrying it across the river to death. A corporation like Sony can no more defy its nature than the scorpion.
Personally, I don't really care. I watch one or two 'event' movies a year, the rest of the time you'll find me in our local art house, ingesting some subtitled opus from a minor national cinema still motivated by the creative act instead of the mercantile impulse to move units for Best Buy.
There will be another sea change akin to the creative explosion of the 70's, but who knows what form it will take. Digital distribution is looming for theaters (the last hang-up is who's paying for it, the studios or the theaters), it's just a matter of time before Netflix cuts out the middle man and starts streaming digital films directly to their customers (mailing dvds back and forth doesn't really make sense in a media climate where anyone with the slightest bit of computer know-how can download the same films for nothing).
There will be room for creativity in mainstream cinema again...the only real question is will the corporate studios catch the wave, or be drowned by it.
RIP John O'Connor
Character Actor Vincent Schiavelli Dies - Yahoo! News
Dude was in everything, but has a special place in my heart for his sterling performance in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension, one of the best cult films of all time.
Dude was in everything, but has a special place in my heart for his sterling performance in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension, one of the best cult films of all time.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Emerald Bile reviews Stephen King
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger to be precise.
money shot:
I <3 Emerald Bile....
money shot:
Normal introductions in books are tedious self-indulgent yawny-yawn, but Stephen King has reached new heights in the extremely long introduction to the expanded version of the "The dark tower: The Gun Slinger". It is called the "expanded version" because the first version of the book was so bad, he had to rewrite it and put more words in to make it longer. Fair enough, if only he had used the extra words to make the story more interesting rather than writing a fifty page rambling introduction which was like going on a tour of his arsehole, all dark and bleak and boring as fuck.
I <3 Emerald Bile....
More Christmas Cheer
customer:
uh, do you have any books by Lenin?
me:
The commie, or the musician?
customer:
uh......the commie.
see, because I couldn't tell if he was saying 'Lennon' or 'Lenin'.....oh, nevermind.
uh, do you have any books by Lenin?
me:
The commie, or the musician?
customer:
uh......the commie.
see, because I couldn't tell if he was saying 'Lennon' or 'Lenin'.....oh, nevermind.
Tasha Robinson is a tool
The Year In Film 2005 | The A.V. Club
Ok, maybe not a tool, but certainly a film critic who let the giddy 13 year old girl inside her get hold of the keyboard while writing this ludicrous ode to the anorexic collarbones and bloated lips of Kiera Knightly:
Oh for FUCK'S SAKE!
I'm as big a fan of this film as you're going to find outside my Jane Austen obsessed sister in law, but Knightly was just adequate.
"My god, she didn't piss herself on camera...HAND HER AN OSCAR!"
"Effortlessly flowing between pride, vivid young love, and self-righteous, wounded indignation"!?
Try "Effortlessly flowing between scrunching her eyebrows and pursing her collagen pillows, big movie star smiles, and making her collarbones heave while looking faintly constipated".
She was serviceable. She didn't embarrass herself.
That hardly makes her Maggie Fucking Smith.
Ok, maybe not a tool, but certainly a film critic who let the giddy 13 year old girl inside her get hold of the keyboard while writing this ludicrous ode to the anorexic collarbones and bloated lips of Kiera Knightly:
Performance Of The Year
Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice has been adapted numerous times, but Joe Wright's luminous version brings it to fresh new life, and key to that life is Keira Knightley as the emotional cornerstone of her impoverished and at-times-intolerable family. Effortlessly flowing between pride, vivid young love, and self-righteous, wounded indignation, Knightley brought moderation but deep intensity and conviction to a complicated role that would have been all too easy to oversell or overplay.
Oh for FUCK'S SAKE!
I'm as big a fan of this film as you're going to find outside my Jane Austen obsessed sister in law, but Knightly was just adequate.
"My god, she didn't piss herself on camera...HAND HER AN OSCAR!"
"Effortlessly flowing between pride, vivid young love, and self-righteous, wounded indignation"!?
Try "Effortlessly flowing between scrunching her eyebrows and pursing her collagen pillows, big movie star smiles, and making her collarbones heave while looking faintly constipated".
She was serviceable. She didn't embarrass herself.
That hardly makes her Maggie Fucking Smith.
More Year End Lists than you can shake a stick at!
Aieeee, the mother lode!
I can vouch for the authenticity of this one.
I mean, there are a lot of other OP books that are hot but this is a good list.
I'm thinking this list is compiled from 'books sold', not all searches...most of these titles are out there, they're just expensive. We sold a copy of the John Kerry one we picked up at a yard sale for $2 for several hundred dollars.
And the Koontz book didn't exist for many, many years....it was something referenced in many of his books like the Lovecraft used The Necronomicon or the less famous Robert W. Chambers used The King in Yellow.
Ever the opportunist, Koontz collected all of the excerpts from the purported dark tome and compiled them between a single cover. It's nice I don't have to argue with fans of his about whether or not the book exists, but it's lame because it's not what they're looking for, it's just a collection of bits and pieces they already own.
And a note on the Madonna Sex book: if you have it sealed in the bag, it's worth much more than an open copy. Intact copies are fairly scarce because the covers were machined aluminum and they used a shitty clamshell wire binding, kinda like a spiral bound notebook but worse. Even if you leaf through a copy carefully, it's liable to come apart.
Why anyone would make a $100 limited edition book with a ten cent binding like that is confusing. But it's good for used book dealers, because even though a million or so copies were printed (some 'limited edition') most of them were demolished by incautious readers. A decent copy minus the bag and CD goes for $50 or so, you can sell a whole copy that's been opened for $125 pretty quick.
I haven't seen a sealed copy in a few years, I'd estimate you could turn it over fast for $300, and maybe get as much as $500 if you were willing to wait a bit. I'll definitely do some reasearch next time I have to price a sealed one.
It pains me that I worked at Waldenbooks when this one came out, and we wrangled a huge number of copies and there was an orgy of employee discount buying. I didn't pick any up because I figured a million copy 'limited edition' was comical and I didn't know enough about the used market yet to cotton on to the shitty binding.
Oh well....live and learn!
I can vouch for the authenticity of this one.
I mean, there are a lot of other OP books that are hot but this is a good list.
I'm thinking this list is compiled from 'books sold', not all searches...most of these titles are out there, they're just expensive. We sold a copy of the John Kerry one we picked up at a yard sale for $2 for several hundred dollars.
And the Koontz book didn't exist for many, many years....it was something referenced in many of his books like the Lovecraft used The Necronomicon or the less famous Robert W. Chambers used The King in Yellow.
Ever the opportunist, Koontz collected all of the excerpts from the purported dark tome and compiled them between a single cover. It's nice I don't have to argue with fans of his about whether or not the book exists, but it's lame because it's not what they're looking for, it's just a collection of bits and pieces they already own.
And a note on the Madonna Sex book: if you have it sealed in the bag, it's worth much more than an open copy. Intact copies are fairly scarce because the covers were machined aluminum and they used a shitty clamshell wire binding, kinda like a spiral bound notebook but worse. Even if you leaf through a copy carefully, it's liable to come apart.
Why anyone would make a $100 limited edition book with a ten cent binding like that is confusing. But it's good for used book dealers, because even though a million or so copies were printed (some 'limited edition') most of them were demolished by incautious readers. A decent copy minus the bag and CD goes for $50 or so, you can sell a whole copy that's been opened for $125 pretty quick.
I haven't seen a sealed copy in a few years, I'd estimate you could turn it over fast for $300, and maybe get as much as $500 if you were willing to wait a bit. I'll definitely do some reasearch next time I have to price a sealed one.
It pains me that I worked at Waldenbooks when this one came out, and we wrangled a huge number of copies and there was an orgy of employee discount buying. I didn't pick any up because I figured a million copy 'limited edition' was comical and I didn't know enough about the used market yet to cotton on to the shitty binding.
Oh well....live and learn!
Holiday Traditions: A Christmas Carol
I've seen pretty much all of them except that one unfortunate TV movie with the Fonz as Scrooge (although I'd be shocked if he sucked any harder than Reginald Owen, who approached the part with a rubber bald-head wig and a toilet plunger up his ass).
The best by far is the 1951 Alastair Sim take. He's the best Scrooge by a country mile, the rest of the cast is impeccable, and it generates the proper level of existential dread and glorious redemption.
The other version we watch every year is the musical with Albert Finney. Great fun, featuring the best Ghost of Christmas Present of all. The 38 year old Finney does a fine job as both old and young Scrooge (Reginald Owen take note!)
The niece loves this one, mainly because it gives her a good excuse to dance like a crazy person.
The best by far is the 1951 Alastair Sim take. He's the best Scrooge by a country mile, the rest of the cast is impeccable, and it generates the proper level of existential dread and glorious redemption.
The other version we watch every year is the musical with Albert Finney. Great fun, featuring the best Ghost of Christmas Present of all. The 38 year old Finney does a fine job as both old and young Scrooge (Reginald Owen take note!)
The niece loves this one, mainly because it gives her a good excuse to dance like a crazy person.
Report from the Trenches of the WAR ON CHRISTMAS
As one of the Godless who are (as Fox News would have it) trying to drown Christmas in a bathtub much like their hero George drowned New Orleans, I thought I'd do some liveblogging on the retail face of Jesusday.
Customer story:
An elderly man comes in, leaning on his cane.
He wants $100 gift certificate for his son, and I've filled it out and am about to ring it up when he asks "is this a BOOK store?" in a disoriented tone.
"Yes sir, Phoenix Books"
"Oh...oh no! I want the record store!"
"Right on the other side of the wall, you missed it by one door."
"Oh dear!"
Believe it or not, that happens all the time. Probably once a week someone wanders up to me at the counter and asks for a CD, or wants to know where our cassette tapes are. And it's a wide demographic net...Gothic teens, punks, middle-aged Parrotheads, lawyers...no one is immune to the embarrassment of walking through a large room full of books and asking for tickets to the Yanni show.
(addenda for Anner: the Blogger spellchecker just suggested I replace 'Yanni' with 'Anna')
Customer story:
An elderly man comes in, leaning on his cane.
He wants $100 gift certificate for his son, and I've filled it out and am about to ring it up when he asks "is this a BOOK store?" in a disoriented tone.
"Yes sir, Phoenix Books"
"Oh...oh no! I want the record store!"
"Right on the other side of the wall, you missed it by one door."
"Oh dear!"
Believe it or not, that happens all the time. Probably once a week someone wanders up to me at the counter and asks for a CD, or wants to know where our cassette tapes are. And it's a wide demographic net...Gothic teens, punks, middle-aged Parrotheads, lawyers...no one is immune to the embarrassment of walking through a large room full of books and asking for tickets to the Yanni show.
(addenda for Anner: the Blogger spellchecker just suggested I replace 'Yanni' with 'Anna')
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Pitchfork: Top 50 Albums of 2005
Plus a lot of other stuff too.
Pitchfork is a trusty barometer of the 'indie' music scene, and they've tipped me off to many a fine album this year. I don't share their enthusiasm for Kanye (aside from his sublime dis of Chimperor George) or Cam'ron (unhip, un-urban white dude disclaimer: the last rap album I liked was Straight Outta Compton), but they have a bunch of good stuff there.
A quick Bax look at the ones I've heard, front to back:
Illinoise: I really liked it, the wife thought it was too precious and didn't dig Sufjan's voice. A good one, but beware the near-fanatic enthusiasm of female fans of a certain age...he's got some kind of messianic hold on them.
MIA: Interesting, but too avant garde for my aging ears. Kind of the alt-rap version of free jazz, and a bit too far out on the musical frontier for my taste.
I Am A Bird Now: I didn't 'get' it, and the androgynous whine of Antony grated on my ears.
LCD Soundsystem: A couple of amazing tracks, including one inspired by my friend James (Daft Punk is Playing At My House....James had a band Murphy was in before LCD play in his living room and heard from a NY record rep that was the genesis of the tune), some filler. Overall pretty good.
Wolf Parade: Awesomeness.
Sleater-Kinney: don't usually like them, but this was the rockingest album of the year. Possessed by the ghost of rock icons past, it avoided the chill of the tomb with inventive songwriting and a pure, genuine passion.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: the most fun, infectious album of the year. The album I'd recommend everyone get, whatever kind of music you prefer.
New Pornographers: I love Neko Case, and she sings a couple of amazing leads on this one, so it gets my seal of approval.
Spoon: About half really great songs, and half pretty good ones. A winner.
Pitchfork is a trusty barometer of the 'indie' music scene, and they've tipped me off to many a fine album this year. I don't share their enthusiasm for Kanye (aside from his sublime dis of Chimperor George) or Cam'ron (unhip, un-urban white dude disclaimer: the last rap album I liked was Straight Outta Compton), but they have a bunch of good stuff there.
A quick Bax look at the ones I've heard, front to back:
Illinoise: I really liked it, the wife thought it was too precious and didn't dig Sufjan's voice. A good one, but beware the near-fanatic enthusiasm of female fans of a certain age...he's got some kind of messianic hold on them.
MIA: Interesting, but too avant garde for my aging ears. Kind of the alt-rap version of free jazz, and a bit too far out on the musical frontier for my taste.
I Am A Bird Now: I didn't 'get' it, and the androgynous whine of Antony grated on my ears.
LCD Soundsystem: A couple of amazing tracks, including one inspired by my friend James (Daft Punk is Playing At My House....James had a band Murphy was in before LCD play in his living room and heard from a NY record rep that was the genesis of the tune), some filler. Overall pretty good.
Wolf Parade: Awesomeness.
Sleater-Kinney: don't usually like them, but this was the rockingest album of the year. Possessed by the ghost of rock icons past, it avoided the chill of the tomb with inventive songwriting and a pure, genuine passion.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: the most fun, infectious album of the year. The album I'd recommend everyone get, whatever kind of music you prefer.
New Pornographers: I love Neko Case, and she sings a couple of amazing leads on this one, so it gets my seal of approval.
Spoon: About half really great songs, and half pretty good ones. A winner.
regarding movies
chatting with bobo, who's cinematic tastes are rarely in accord with mine:
i want a cut of the merchandising rights for the tee shirt!
bobo: I only hate the crappy shit that you love
i want a cut of the merchandising rights for the tee shirt!
The Year In Film 2005 | The Onion
More top tens
Lots of them! And mostly better than Eberts. 'tis the time of year for top tens, and I'll endevor to make the Baxblog your one-stop top ten clearing house.
Lots of them! And mostly better than Eberts. 'tis the time of year for top tens, and I'll endevor to make the Baxblog your one-stop top ten clearing house.
Personal minutiae: story about the niece
So the wife visited the niece the other day and took her for a walk down to the cafe.
Along the way they ran into a woman walking down the street with a crazy multicolored parrot on her shoulder who stopped to talk (nearly everyone stops to talk to the niece, who has a habit of greeting passers by with a smile, a wave and an endearingly high-pitched "Hey-yo!")
She was naturally fascinated by the parrot, which the woman obligingly placed on her arm, much to the wife's surprise. The niece went wide-eyed, mute and frozen in amazement, staring at the bird like it had descended through a golden break in the clouds accompanied by trumpet-playing cherubs.
She recovered from her shock a block down the road, and issued this proclamation:
"It was a nice bird!
It didn't bite, or scratch!"
This was repeated a couple of times, punctuated by the wife's agreement.
After a final repetition, the niece added the kicker:
"It was a nice bird...it wasn't beastly!"
Which just about killed the Wife....and who can blame her?
Along the way they ran into a woman walking down the street with a crazy multicolored parrot on her shoulder who stopped to talk (nearly everyone stops to talk to the niece, who has a habit of greeting passers by with a smile, a wave and an endearingly high-pitched "Hey-yo!")
She was naturally fascinated by the parrot, which the woman obligingly placed on her arm, much to the wife's surprise. The niece went wide-eyed, mute and frozen in amazement, staring at the bird like it had descended through a golden break in the clouds accompanied by trumpet-playing cherubs.
She recovered from her shock a block down the road, and issued this proclamation:
"It was a nice bird!
It didn't bite, or scratch!"
This was repeated a couple of times, punctuated by the wife's agreement.
After a final repetition, the niece added the kicker:
"It was a nice bird...it wasn't beastly!"
Which just about killed the Wife....and who can blame her?
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Ebert's Best 10 Movies of 2005 (xhtml)
Fr what they're worth.
I was always a Gene Schiskel man....back when they were still on PBS and I watched religiously, Ebert always disliked the films I loved for no good reason...or at least none he could articulate.
And any critic who so ingloriously squirts in his undies about Clint Eastwood's profoundly average directorial ouvre is desperately suspect (Unforgiven was good, I liked the boxing one except for the fights, I remember liking the cinematography of Pale Rider....but that's about it.)
Taking a quick look over his list, he seems to be afflicted with the same moviegoing disease as my friend Pelf...."if it's depressing, it must be good!"
And I have to take exception with his mention of the excellent new version of Pride & Prejudice....
Oh, PLEASE.
Keira doesn't shit the bed, but the extent of her acting prowess is flexing her collarbones and wrestling the pillows of collagen she uses for lips into a pout. It's a testament to the skills of real actors like Donald Sutherland, Brenda Blethyn and the rest of the primary roles that they don't upstage and crush her in every scene.
His listing of The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is ironic, since its mention in Film Comment's Cannes coverage led with "The best Clint Eastwood film directed by Tommy Lee Jones".
Also, I'm sticking to my guns and refusing to see Brokeback Mountain because Ang Lee must pay for the three hours of my life I wasted on The Hulk. The wife will see it and report back, because she thinks the idea of Jake and Heath making out is "hot"....I'll post her impressions.
I was always a Gene Schiskel man....back when they were still on PBS and I watched religiously, Ebert always disliked the films I loved for no good reason...or at least none he could articulate.
And any critic who so ingloriously squirts in his undies about Clint Eastwood's profoundly average directorial ouvre is desperately suspect (Unforgiven was good, I liked the boxing one except for the fights, I remember liking the cinematography of Pale Rider....but that's about it.)
Taking a quick look over his list, he seems to be afflicted with the same moviegoing disease as my friend Pelf...."if it's depressing, it must be good!"
And I have to take exception with his mention of the excellent new version of Pride & Prejudice....
Keira Knightley is the first among equals in a gifted cast ....
Oh, PLEASE.
Keira doesn't shit the bed, but the extent of her acting prowess is flexing her collarbones and wrestling the pillows of collagen she uses for lips into a pout. It's a testament to the skills of real actors like Donald Sutherland, Brenda Blethyn and the rest of the primary roles that they don't upstage and crush her in every scene.
His listing of The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is ironic, since its mention in Film Comment's Cannes coverage led with "The best Clint Eastwood film directed by Tommy Lee Jones".
Also, I'm sticking to my guns and refusing to see Brokeback Mountain because Ang Lee must pay for the three hours of my life I wasted on The Hulk. The wife will see it and report back, because she thinks the idea of Jake and Heath making out is "hot"....I'll post her impressions.
But of course, why didn't I think of that.
while looking around for xmas gifts, I came across this excellent justification for buying a hyper-inflated product protection plan on the Circuit City site:
So I won't own it any more unless I spend $50 on their extended warranty?
Unsettling.
Why do you need this?
Protect your investment and extend the thrill of ownership.
So I won't own it any more unless I spend $50 on their extended warranty?
Unsettling.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Rodney Whitaker, Writer, Is Dead at 74; Best Known as Trevanian
Shibumi is the Citizen Kane of international superspy thrillers....if there's a better example of the genre out there, I've never read it. The two 'Sanction' books were also excellent.
RIP.
RIP.
Neato Christmas Game
GROW ORNAMENT ver.0 Flash Game
Easy as pie- click the things in whatever order you want, events then transpire while you watch. There's some optimal way to go about things, but I usually just click randomly and watch what happens.
Check out the other GROW games while you're there, there's a lot of creativity on display.
Easy as pie- click the things in whatever order you want, events then transpire while you watch. There's some optimal way to go about things, but I usually just click randomly and watch what happens.
Check out the other GROW games while you're there, there's a lot of creativity on display.
Personal Minutia: weather
Oh, I love bad weather.
Well, California bad anyway....temperature in the low 60's, enough rain to keep the streets wet. Basically an excuse to take the warm coat out of mothballs, dust off the shoulders and dig the forgotten change and ticket stubs out of the pockets.
A lot of my wardrobe is a product of magical thinking...wishing it was cold, pretending I don't live in a coastal desert, believing in the need for 3 scarves, 4 hats & 6 sweaters to survive our 'winter'. If a cloud passes in front of the sun I bundle up even though I know I'll end up wretched and sweaty.
But today's great.
I put on a sweater, wore a hat, walked to work in the rain. Even dug the umbrella out of the closet.
And I only got a little sweaty...
Well, California bad anyway....temperature in the low 60's, enough rain to keep the streets wet. Basically an excuse to take the warm coat out of mothballs, dust off the shoulders and dig the forgotten change and ticket stubs out of the pockets.
A lot of my wardrobe is a product of magical thinking...wishing it was cold, pretending I don't live in a coastal desert, believing in the need for 3 scarves, 4 hats & 6 sweaters to survive our 'winter'. If a cloud passes in front of the sun I bundle up even though I know I'll end up wretched and sweaty.
But today's great.
I put on a sweater, wore a hat, walked to work in the rain. Even dug the umbrella out of the closet.
And I only got a little sweaty...
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Just for Anner
Atrios ponders conservative reaction to Brokeback Mountain.
This is only the first in a series of "just for Anner" posts this weekend, so stay tuned.
Well, stay tuned if you're Anner.
And anyone else, if you share her interest in the uneventful minutia of my personal life....
This is only the first in a series of "just for Anner" posts this weekend, so stay tuned.
Well, stay tuned if you're Anner.
And anyone else, if you share her interest in the uneventful minutia of my personal life....
best boxing song ever?
Gotta be top 3, anyway, courtesy of the most excellent Internet Live Music Archive.
Here's the complete set from Warren Zevon...sound quality is fantastic for '76, it's gotta be soundboard. Hits all his early career peaks, including a great song with perhaps one of the finest titles in music history, Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
Here's the complete set from Warren Zevon...sound quality is fantastic for '76, it's gotta be soundboard. Hits all his early career peaks, including a great song with perhaps one of the finest titles in music history, Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Spirit of the Season
Profane rant against the 'War on Christmas' crowd.
NSFW, but well documented.
I enjoy Christmas, but I'd also like to give Bill O'Reilly an Exorcist-style anal exam with an inverted cross, so this is right down my alley.
NSFW, but well documented.
I enjoy Christmas, but I'd also like to give Bill O'Reilly an Exorcist-style anal exam with an inverted cross, so this is right down my alley.
Everything old is new again
BMW announces steam powered car.
Ok not quite, but still!
There's a subgenre of SF I've always enjoyed called 'steampunk', an alternate history where Victorian England proceeded along an analog path to the future. This is a fun nod to the past...
Ok not quite, but still!
There's a subgenre of SF I've always enjoyed called 'steampunk', an alternate history where Victorian England proceeded along an analog path to the future. This is a fun nod to the past...
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Huge collection of timewasters
Rum and Monkey: Personality Tests and Web Toys
I ran the Grunty Caveman one and it entertained.
Hudson might be interested in this one....
I ran the Grunty Caveman one and it entertained.
Hudson might be interested in this one....
Home Defense Furniture
James McAdam [Porfolio]
Snazzy.
Alas, I always have so many books piled on my nightstand by the time I armed myself it would be too late.
Snazzy.
Alas, I always have so many books piled on my nightstand by the time I armed myself it would be too late.
LA Weekly: News: Tookie’s Mistaken Identity
Interesting article on the actual founder of the Crips.
A bit heavy on wide-eyed nostalgia ("he was like Robin Hood"), but interesting anyway for someone who only knows what the national news robots have been spouting.
A bit heavy on wide-eyed nostalgia ("he was like Robin Hood"), but interesting anyway for someone who only knows what the national news robots have been spouting.
Attention Bobo!
Oldest Known Maya Mural, Tomb Reveal Story of Ancient King
"There are kings, they have art, they have writing," Saturno said. "All these things we attribute to the Classic [Maya period] are all in existence in the Preclassic. Now if we want to talk about origins, we need to be going back further in time."
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Stuipid Marvel Comics Character of the Day
Angar the Screamer!
I hated this dude, every time he popped up in a comic it pissed me off....although I'll admit, I always wanted him to fight a steel-cage death match with the Disco Dazzler!
(Raise your hands....who bought Dazzler #1 because it was a sure fire collectible?)
I hated this dude, every time he popped up in a comic it pissed me off....although I'll admit, I always wanted him to fight a steel-cage death match with the Disco Dazzler!
(Raise your hands....who bought Dazzler #1 because it was a sure fire collectible?)
The Year in Media Errors and Corrections
Some good ones here.
A new site to me...I like the idea of someone keeping tabs on fuck-ups and corrections, I think I'll add them to the bookmarks.
A new site to me...I like the idea of someone keeping tabs on fuck-ups and corrections, I think I'll add them to the bookmarks.
Monday, December 12, 2005
BBC NEWS | Politics | A House full of insults
I love UK slang, and you should too.
He also once described - with impunity - the former Tory MP Terry Dicks as "living proof that a pig's bladder on the end of a stick can be elected to Parliament".
Sunday, December 11, 2005
football
I'm not much of a fan...when it comes to sports with a high mortality rate that tend to invalid the majority of participants boxing is my poison of choice.
But childhood programming is hard to override, so I find myself tuning in whenever the Chargers are contenders late in the season (which has the extra benefit of insulating my fan's heart from the inevitable early-season doldrums).
My periodic fandom is helped by the team itself, which seems eternal- whatever the ownership or coaching regime, the Bolts can be counted on to combine a solid air attack with a pathetic defense. I can lost track of them for years at a time and it's like I never left. Getting caught up is never a problem because it's the same house with a new coat of paint.
I got hooked by attending games during the electrifying Air Coryell era, which was a time of yin/yang tension between the offense and defense: the former perennially leading the league and the latter trailing everyone except the inevitable sad sack franchise that simply didn't give a damn (usually Tampa Bay during their 'clown suit uniform' era).
Each game proceeded identically regardless of opponent- the offense scored at will, the defense played like they were paid according to yards allowed, and each season had the inevitability of Napoleon's Russian misadventure....great early promise freezing to death in an Eastern wasteland.
There's something comforting in the inevitability of their playoff collapses. I never have to worry about getting too invested, because even their Super Bowl appearances have an air of inevitability about them...they're like the scrappy Little League team from Pennsylvania that's just happy to be on the same field as the powerhouse from South America or Asia.
If your defense sucks the only way you win in the playoffs is by accident...
But childhood programming is hard to override, so I find myself tuning in whenever the Chargers are contenders late in the season (which has the extra benefit of insulating my fan's heart from the inevitable early-season doldrums).
My periodic fandom is helped by the team itself, which seems eternal- whatever the ownership or coaching regime, the Bolts can be counted on to combine a solid air attack with a pathetic defense. I can lost track of them for years at a time and it's like I never left. Getting caught up is never a problem because it's the same house with a new coat of paint.
I got hooked by attending games during the electrifying Air Coryell era, which was a time of yin/yang tension between the offense and defense: the former perennially leading the league and the latter trailing everyone except the inevitable sad sack franchise that simply didn't give a damn (usually Tampa Bay during their 'clown suit uniform' era).
Each game proceeded identically regardless of opponent- the offense scored at will, the defense played like they were paid according to yards allowed, and each season had the inevitability of Napoleon's Russian misadventure....great early promise freezing to death in an Eastern wasteland.
There's something comforting in the inevitability of their playoff collapses. I never have to worry about getting too invested, because even their Super Bowl appearances have an air of inevitability about them...they're like the scrappy Little League team from Pennsylvania that's just happy to be on the same field as the powerhouse from South America or Asia.
If your defense sucks the only way you win in the playoffs is by accident...
Richard Pryor, RIP
a fine memorial from Digby.
I'm not quite old enough to have appreciated Pryor's revolutionary qualities.
My Richard Pryor was Gene Wilder's touchy but adorable and essentially harmless sidekick in Silver Streak. I have dim memories of what made him great, but that's it- he was the guy the hip grownups had on LPs they wouldn't let me listen to, the guy the television execs were scared of (even as they longed to steal some of his credibility and popularity for themselves).
One of a kind, and so influential you take him for granted until you stop and think about it.
RIP.
I'm not quite old enough to have appreciated Pryor's revolutionary qualities.
My Richard Pryor was Gene Wilder's touchy but adorable and essentially harmless sidekick in Silver Streak. I have dim memories of what made him great, but that's it- he was the guy the hip grownups had on LPs they wouldn't let me listen to, the guy the television execs were scared of (even as they longed to steal some of his credibility and popularity for themselves).
One of a kind, and so influential you take him for granted until you stop and think about it.
RIP.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Boring game? Hire a player
For anyone wondering why "Chinese gold farmer" is an online insult, here's your answer.
As a lifelong gamer myself, I find this kind of thing facsinating.
(Here follows a rambling, heavily annotated meditation on my online gaming career...ladies, feel free to skip ahead to the next post)
I've always been a process guy when it comes to games...I like the journey more than the destination, whatever it is. Even when I played fast-paced kill or be killed FPS games like Counterstrike or Urban Terror, chatting with other players was a major component of my enjoyment.
I was never able to enjoy fps games that didn't involve "dead time" when you could safely chat with the other ghosts (and since I came to the genre late and lacked the requisite fast-twitch coordination to compete on even terms with the legions of teens suckled on the merciless teat of console gaming, I had plenty of down time to hone my l337 typing skillz...)
I played the game mentioned in the article, WoW, for a few months. The game mechanics are more suited to my temperment, since the whole game is built around elaborate time sinks that provide ample opportunities to chat with friends and strangers.
But I was eventually driven away by the very feature that makes it so attractive to the gold famers- the end game.
The whole of WoW is just a huge time sink leading up to level 60, when it changes from a traditional MMORPG where you team up with other players to perform game tasks to a pure PVP game where the focus is on having the best equipment and weapons so you can defeat other players instead of computer-controlled enemies.
Most WoW enthusiasts are destination oriented...they play the game because they want the PvP cherry on top of the sundae. For people who only want the endgame the ability to skip all the 'tedious' stuff that comes before makes sense....and has apparently given rise to a strange niche economy.
As a lifelong gamer myself, I find this kind of thing facsinating.
(Here follows a rambling, heavily annotated meditation on my online gaming career...ladies, feel free to skip ahead to the next post)
I've always been a process guy when it comes to games...I like the journey more than the destination, whatever it is. Even when I played fast-paced kill or be killed FPS games like Counterstrike or Urban Terror, chatting with other players was a major component of my enjoyment.
I was never able to enjoy fps games that didn't involve "dead time" when you could safely chat with the other ghosts (and since I came to the genre late and lacked the requisite fast-twitch coordination to compete on even terms with the legions of teens suckled on the merciless teat of console gaming, I had plenty of down time to hone my l337 typing skillz...)
I played the game mentioned in the article, WoW, for a few months. The game mechanics are more suited to my temperment, since the whole game is built around elaborate time sinks that provide ample opportunities to chat with friends and strangers.
But I was eventually driven away by the very feature that makes it so attractive to the gold famers- the end game.
The whole of WoW is just a huge time sink leading up to level 60, when it changes from a traditional MMORPG where you team up with other players to perform game tasks to a pure PVP game where the focus is on having the best equipment and weapons so you can defeat other players instead of computer-controlled enemies.
Most WoW enthusiasts are destination oriented...they play the game because they want the PvP cherry on top of the sundae. For people who only want the endgame the ability to skip all the 'tedious' stuff that comes before makes sense....and has apparently given rise to a strange niche economy.
The Worst Breakfast Ever.
review of a Hungry Man 'all day breakfast'
Funny stuff!
I ran across this while trying to find a picture of the Round Table ULTI-MEAT (tm) pizza so I could taunt my pal the Zim with it.
Zim, for those unfamiliar with his proclivities, lives for the breakfast buffet at the Mirage Hotel in Vegas where he gives free reign to a lust for bacon best described as unholy.
Funny stuff!
I ran across this while trying to find a picture of the Round Table ULTI-MEAT (tm) pizza so I could taunt my pal the Zim with it.
Zim, for those unfamiliar with his proclivities, lives for the breakfast buffet at the Mirage Hotel in Vegas where he gives free reign to a lust for bacon best described as unholy.
Top 10 Strangest USB Drives
Check it.
I like the sushi!
I think it's neat when utilitarian stuff like this gets the fanciful treatment. It took computer case makers 25 years to figure out they could make something besides a beige box....USB drives are recent technology, but their cosmetic evolution is quite advanced.
I like the sushi!
I think it's neat when utilitarian stuff like this gets the fanciful treatment. It took computer case makers 25 years to figure out they could make something besides a beige box....USB drives are recent technology, but their cosmetic evolution is quite advanced.
Holiday Classics
SCARED OF SANTA GALLERY
the link is old, but I thought I'd share anyway for the edification of those who don't haunt the internets with the same glaze-eyed determination as, say, Bobo.
the link is old, but I thought I'd share anyway for the edification of those who don't haunt the internets with the same glaze-eyed determination as, say, Bobo.
Wednesday, December 7, 2005
Candy Retailer Book
circa 1949
More fodder for Anner...I despise advertising generally, yet enjoy old-timey promotional stuff like this.
More fodder for Anner...I despise advertising generally, yet enjoy old-timey promotional stuff like this.
Catapult Kits
Gifts for the young, the young at heart, and anyone on your list who's planning to storm a castle in the New Year.
I think this one is my favorite.
The wife accused me of being a geek the other night during our screening of Return of the King because I mentioned the orcs were using Trebuchets. =/
I think this one is my favorite.
The wife accused me of being a geek the other night during our screening of Return of the King because I mentioned the orcs were using Trebuchets. =/
Mel Gibson Cashes in on his anti-Semitism
What's the big deal?
Atrios doesn't see much of a problem.
I do, for a couple of reasons.
First, Holocaust denial of the "well, it was a war, a lot of people got killed- what's so special about the Jews" variety is more pernicious than the pure strain that says nothing happened.
It's the same hatred, only dressed in a suit so it doesn't alarm the dinner guests. It's a way to hate Jews while giving people who want to believe they're reasonable an out.
"Oh, Mel, you know...he's not really anti-Semitic, he just has some eccentric beliefs, ha ha ha!"
Oh, bullshit.
Ignoring a massive edifice of evidence so you can keep your racist daydream soap bubble intact is contemptible, whether you're a multimillionaire movie star or a gutter punk.
And in this case Mel is leveraging his own Holocaust denial to generate buzz for a miniseries on the Holocaust.
If it wasn't so sickening, you'd have to admire his chutzpah.
For an instructive look at the development and mentality of a Holocaust denier, I recommend Mr. Death from Errol Morris. As much as I love all his stuff, this one is objectively his best, most powerful film.
Atrios doesn't see much of a problem.
I do, for a couple of reasons.
First, Holocaust denial of the "well, it was a war, a lot of people got killed- what's so special about the Jews" variety is more pernicious than the pure strain that says nothing happened.
It's the same hatred, only dressed in a suit so it doesn't alarm the dinner guests. It's a way to hate Jews while giving people who want to believe they're reasonable an out.
"Oh, Mel, you know...he's not really anti-Semitic, he just has some eccentric beliefs, ha ha ha!"
Oh, bullshit.
Ignoring a massive edifice of evidence so you can keep your racist daydream soap bubble intact is contemptible, whether you're a multimillionaire movie star or a gutter punk.
And in this case Mel is leveraging his own Holocaust denial to generate buzz for a miniseries on the Holocaust.
If it wasn't so sickening, you'd have to admire his chutzpah.
For an instructive look at the development and mentality of a Holocaust denier, I recommend Mr. Death from Errol Morris. As much as I love all his stuff, this one is objectively his best, most powerful film.
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Creationists beat professor in Kansas
via Orcinus.
The logical extention of the kind of hate speech spewed by right-wing talking heads.
I forsee a day when everyone who isn't a white fundie wingnut will have to abandone the deep midwest and it will need to be walled off in a reverse of the Escape from New York theme....
The logical extention of the kind of hate speech spewed by right-wing talking heads.
I forsee a day when everyone who isn't a white fundie wingnut will have to abandone the deep midwest and it will need to be walled off in a reverse of the Escape from New York theme....
NSFW band of the year
HAH!
Bobo watched the video and provided this running commentary:
Bobo watched the video and provided this running commentary:
good so far
dude that was genius!
NERD ROCK
they sound like that band that did pretty fly for a white guy
they go to a comic store in the vid
motorcycle vs car at 155 mph
Yow!:
No gore or anything, the sculpture created by the wreck was put on display as a caution to other drivers. Crazy stuff.
No gore or anything, the sculpture created by the wreck was put on display as a caution to other drivers. Crazy stuff.
gawt-damn power outages!
Feh.:
The one night I schedule a full slate of on-line shenanigans with my pals, the power goes out the minute I get home and stays off until 9:15.
Grrrr.
I blame Condoleeza Rice.
The one night I schedule a full slate of on-line shenanigans with my pals, the power goes out the minute I get home and stays off until 9:15.
Grrrr.
I blame Condoleeza Rice.
Monday, December 5, 2005
GEEK ALERT
giant plush dice!
I could totally play Runequest by mail with the lego rolling machine, my giant plush dice and my Cthulhu slippers...I'd be the hippest gamer in town!
I could totally play Runequest by mail with the lego rolling machine, my giant plush dice and my Cthulhu slippers...I'd be the hippest gamer in town!
advertising
Sony Draws Ire With PSP Graffiti
Sony corporately subsidising graffitti?
we're approaching some kind of advertising tipping point.
Sony corporately subsidising graffitti?
we're approaching some kind of advertising tipping point.
Sunday, December 4, 2005
one for Dango
HAH hah!:
"There was a scientific method to Daniel Zeiszler's madness when he tried to extract methamphetamine from his own urine, after smoking the illegal street drug last September in his South San Francisco hotel room."
"There was a scientific method to Daniel Zeiszler's madness when he tried to extract methamphetamine from his own urine, after smoking the illegal street drug last September in his South San Francisco hotel room."
Saturday, December 3, 2005
Film: Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire
short review:
Eh.
somewhat longer review:
Ehh.
The wife's review, repeated at intervals during the 3 hour run time:
"I have no idea what's going on."
I don't think Mike Newell was a good choice to helm this project. The best parts were the mundane bits (the winter ball, going to class, etc). He didn't seem to care about the magic, it had the workmanlike but uninspired feel of second unit work.
And I don't know if it was just the theater I saw it in, but a lot of the dialog was really hard to figure out. I'm a fan of Brit slang, so that wasn't it, and I can usually make sense of even the most hardened UK dialect given time (Mona Lisa, Trainspotting and Sexy Beast all fell to my adaptive ear). But a lot of the dialog in this one left me scratching my head.
Eh.
somewhat longer review:
Ehh.
The wife's review, repeated at intervals during the 3 hour run time:
"I have no idea what's going on."
I don't think Mike Newell was a good choice to helm this project. The best parts were the mundane bits (the winter ball, going to class, etc). He didn't seem to care about the magic, it had the workmanlike but uninspired feel of second unit work.
And I don't know if it was just the theater I saw it in, but a lot of the dialog was really hard to figure out. I'm a fan of Brit slang, so that wasn't it, and I can usually make sense of even the most hardened UK dialect given time (Mona Lisa, Trainspotting and Sexy Beast all fell to my adaptive ear). But a lot of the dialog in this one left me scratching my head.
PCWorld.com - The 100 Best Products of 2005
Firefox #1.
I like lists of crap like this, hope you do to.
And to the half of my loyal readers that still along in the slow lane and put their computers at risk by browsing with IE, get with the program!
Surfing the net with IE is like cavorting around a whorehouse sans condoms...
I like lists of crap like this, hope you do to.
And to the half of my loyal readers that still along in the slow lane and put their computers at risk by browsing with IE, get with the program!
Surfing the net with IE is like cavorting around a whorehouse sans condoms...
Thursday, December 1, 2005
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