Today's her first day at massage school.
Wish her luck, you lot!
Hopefully she doesn't end up like fellow massage hopefull Tony Blundetto.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Saturday, April 29, 2006
one more Batman complaint
This is nit picking, but there's no fucking way a butler would have Michael Caine's thoroughly working-class accent. Every time he spoke it rudely un-suspended my disbelief.
r/e torrent client
this one looks pretty good.
The only thing I don't like about Azureus is that it's a fat, wallowing resource hog.
Unfortunately, it's got the cleanest, most transparent torrent managing interface going...but this one looks decent from the screenshots.
I'll check it out and report back.
The only thing I don't like about Azureus is that it's a fat, wallowing resource hog.
Unfortunately, it's got the cleanest, most transparent torrent managing interface going...but this one looks decent from the screenshots.
I'll check it out and report back.
movies : another nail in Bobo's taste-coffin
So I finally got around to checking out the much-hyped Batman Begins, a flick I was predisposed toward because of Christopher Nolan's involvement. Memento is a Hollywood post-noir milestone, and Nolan seemed a perfect fit for a 'serious' take on Bats.
Unfortunately, a big budget these days guarantees corporate meddling, and a committee of suits is death to the kind of maverick creativity displayed in Nolan's previous films.
There were some bright spots, but it was mostly typical H-town formula regurgitated on schedule. Katie Holmes was an embarrassment (and she also looked really weird in some shots...she's definitely one of those people who needs a flattering DP)- she delivered more than her share of dead-fish lines in a movie well stocked with them. And I generally like Bale, but what the hell was he thinking with that "Batman Voice" he cooked up? It sounded like he had a porcupine stuck in his throat...it's the director's responsibility to shoot down these sorts of method gone awry notions.
But the thing that turned me sour from the opening shot was horrible fake facial hair. It was bad enough it looked like they made their own from cotton wool, but there was SO MUCH of it. I know 80 million dollars doesn't go as far as it used to, but c'mon now!
The first shot of Bale had him looking like someone hit his face with a misdirected blast of hair in a can. Then comes Liam Neeson, who looked like got his chin stuck in a mangy possum's ass.
And while it's quite atestament to Gary Oldman's Herculean acting chops that he was able to conquer the comically huge porn 'stache they saddled him with...why should he have to?
Oh, and that obnoxious plastic-faced twerp they cast as 'young Bruce Wayne' made me want to kick the television in every time he showed up...who let the producer's bastard child in front of the camera? >:(
Overall, watchable but fatally flawed. The best bits were stolen from far superior movies (most obviously Bladerunner). Only the dude who played the Scarecrow escaped with his dignity intact (because even Oldman's chops couldn't save the line "I gotta get me one of those!" after Bale peels out in his odd crypto-military "batmobile"....give me Burton's crypto-phallic version any day of the week).
It could have been really good if only the screenplay had escaped corporate "improvements" and all of the casting was up to the level of the Scarecrow and Jim Gordon. Instead it looked like both were determined two-face style, by flipping coins (heads, a good decision....tails, a bad one.)
Worth a rental for the Scarecrow and some cool production design, but not much else.
Unfortunately, a big budget these days guarantees corporate meddling, and a committee of suits is death to the kind of maverick creativity displayed in Nolan's previous films.
There were some bright spots, but it was mostly typical H-town formula regurgitated on schedule. Katie Holmes was an embarrassment (and she also looked really weird in some shots...she's definitely one of those people who needs a flattering DP)- she delivered more than her share of dead-fish lines in a movie well stocked with them. And I generally like Bale, but what the hell was he thinking with that "Batman Voice" he cooked up? It sounded like he had a porcupine stuck in his throat...it's the director's responsibility to shoot down these sorts of method gone awry notions.
But the thing that turned me sour from the opening shot was horrible fake facial hair. It was bad enough it looked like they made their own from cotton wool, but there was SO MUCH of it. I know 80 million dollars doesn't go as far as it used to, but c'mon now!
The first shot of Bale had him looking like someone hit his face with a misdirected blast of hair in a can. Then comes Liam Neeson, who looked like got his chin stuck in a mangy possum's ass.
And while it's quite atestament to Gary Oldman's Herculean acting chops that he was able to conquer the comically huge porn 'stache they saddled him with...why should he have to?
Oh, and that obnoxious plastic-faced twerp they cast as 'young Bruce Wayne' made me want to kick the television in every time he showed up...who let the producer's bastard child in front of the camera? >:(
Overall, watchable but fatally flawed. The best bits were stolen from far superior movies (most obviously Bladerunner). Only the dude who played the Scarecrow escaped with his dignity intact (because even Oldman's chops couldn't save the line "I gotta get me one of those!" after Bale peels out in his odd crypto-military "batmobile"....give me Burton's crypto-phallic version any day of the week).
It could have been really good if only the screenplay had escaped corporate "improvements" and all of the casting was up to the level of the Scarecrow and Jim Gordon. Instead it looked like both were determined two-face style, by flipping coins (heads, a good decision....tails, a bad one.)
Worth a rental for the Scarecrow and some cool production design, but not much else.
Azureus heads toward the crapper
I don't like the sound of this.
Whenever a neat little program starts blathering on about being a "platform" the end is near (think Netscape).
Oh well...it's been a good run, and I don't begrudge the Azureus guys their corporate cash-out (this is an obvious step toward becoming a commodity to be bought out by a behemoth like MS or AOL).
So...what's your favorite bittorrent client?
It looks like I'll be in the market soon-ish. =P
“We think of it as a platform. You can do plenty of different things with it, whether you want to share content with 5 friends or family, or whether you want to share your snowboarding stunts with a community of thousands.”
Whenever a neat little program starts blathering on about being a "platform" the end is near (think Netscape).
Oh well...it's been a good run, and I don't begrudge the Azureus guys their corporate cash-out (this is an obvious step toward becoming a commodity to be bought out by a behemoth like MS or AOL).
So...what's your favorite bittorrent client?
It looks like I'll be in the market soon-ish. =P
books : new Vernor Vinge coming out
I'm not usually a fan of 'hard' SF, but I make a few exceptions- Gregory Benford, John Barnes and (obviously) Vernor Vinge.
He's the cat who basically predicted internet society in the visionary novella True Names.
He's one of the few authors in any genre who's every book I hang on. He doesn't write much, but since he hit his stride with The Peace War back in '84 every novel has been a jewel. I'm not a fan of his extremist Libretarian worldview (which is why so many right wing types rate him), but he wraps it up in such lovely, fast-flowing stories you can ignore it if you like.
Anyway, he's got a new one coming out soon- Rainbow's End. Haven't read anything about it yet, but I know it will kick ass.
I highly recommend it to all fans of speculative fiction.
He's the cat who basically predicted internet society in the visionary novella True Names.
"True Names" today reads more like a piece of reportage than speculative science fiction. William Gibson may get all the glory for defining the word "cyberspace," but Vinge actually nailed the details. "True Names" includes online gathering places identical to the MUDs (multi-user domains) that became the online rage in the late '80s. Its protagonists guard their real names from the National Security Agency and other hackers with cryptographic safeguards, just like today's cryptopunks. And they live solely to log on -- the pathology of today's Internet addiction is all-too-familiar in "True Names." So maybe we don't yet have marauding artificial intelligences or the ability to upload our consciousness into the Net; given Vinge's track record, it should only be a matter of time.
He's one of the few authors in any genre who's every book I hang on. He doesn't write much, but since he hit his stride with The Peace War back in '84 every novel has been a jewel. I'm not a fan of his extremist Libretarian worldview (which is why so many right wing types rate him), but he wraps it up in such lovely, fast-flowing stories you can ignore it if you like.
Anyway, he's got a new one coming out soon- Rainbow's End. Haven't read anything about it yet, but I know it will kick ass.
I highly recommend it to all fans of speculative fiction.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Today's Hot Links
Instead of spamming the blog with lots of new posts with nothing but a link and a pithy comment (if you're lucky) I'm just gonna edit one post throughout the day. And here it is!
A full run of Alcoholics Anonymous comic strips.
Boing Boing regulars need not click.
more reasons why the Japanese rule.
How to Host an Orgy
I don't know how helpful it is, but I laughed a few times...so it's worth clicking.
for the Mac cultists out there, a huge Newsweek advertising insert circa 1984.
Ah, the halcyon days when you had to explain how a mouse worked!
Be sure to note the testimonial from a certain young geek... =D
How to Sharpen and maintain knives.
I've been cooking a lot lately which has whetted my appetite for this sort of thing.
A full run of Alcoholics Anonymous comic strips.
Boing Boing regulars need not click.
more reasons why the Japanese rule.
How to Host an Orgy
I don't know how helpful it is, but I laughed a few times...so it's worth clicking.
for the Mac cultists out there, a huge Newsweek advertising insert circa 1984.
Ah, the halcyon days when you had to explain how a mouse worked!
Be sure to note the testimonial from a certain young geek... =D
How to Sharpen and maintain knives.
I've been cooking a lot lately which has whetted my appetite for this sort of thing.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
games : best of all time
according to a bunch of different polls and things
console games are massively overrepresented, but it's still a fun browse for the game oriented.
console games are massively overrepresented, but it's still a fun browse for the game oriented.
links for you!
Hard OCP buys computers in various stores. A bold, perhaps foolhardy venture. Their conclusion? Don't try this at home!
video games infect movies, to the detriment of both.
homeland security improv
hopeless nerds with tattoos based on webcomics.
now that is nerdly.
how books make (or don't make) money
Interesting look at the book business from the publisher's perspective. In depth, possibly only interesting to people who book for a living.
check em!
video games infect movies, to the detriment of both.
homeland security improv
hopeless nerds with tattoos based on webcomics.
now that is nerdly.
how books make (or don't make) money
Interesting look at the book business from the publisher's perspective. In depth, possibly only interesting to people who book for a living.
check em!
Sunday, April 23, 2006
music: hot rocks baxblog sampler
A quick hit of some of the awesomer stuff I've run across the past year or so, zipped for your pleasure.
Cat Power : Living Proof
One of my favorite vocal performances ever. I can't even put my finger on why it's so great...pure magic.
Broken Social Scene : Cause = Time
They have a lot of great stuff on both their albums, but this one is my favorite. It changes direction several times without losing you, flashing supernatural control over pace and tone, building up layers and taking them away like a delighted child playing with the world's coolest set of legos, then shocking you with a sudden outburst, everything coalescing for a moment before darting apart.
A wonderful tune, and a freakishly brilliant experience on the dance floor...the louder you play it, the better it gets.
Sleater-Kinney : What's Mine is Yours
From the hardest-rocking album of last year, The Woods. No, your speakers aren't blown out- it's suppose to sound that way. A group I never really liked until this last LP.
Blood on the Wall: Mary Susan
The best Pixies song the Pixies never recorded.
And just for the record, I don't mind derivative..as long as it's done passionately and well.
Neko Case : Lady Pilot
With Calexico riding shotgun. This tune wraps up her noir country appeal in a tidy 2:26. If you like it, buy her catalog.
Spoon : The Beast and the Dragon, Adored
These cats seem to work by starting with a block of marble and carving away everything that isn't absolutely essential to the final shape of the song. They get a lot of play out of the tension between the elements of a tune...if I was a director I'd have these guys in heavy soundtrack rotation on my projects.
TV on the Radio : Young Liars
My second favorite tune of the past few years. Reaches inspired heights of musical purity and delivers a mind-blowing mix of incredible organic vocals and clicking, buzzing, nearly robotic music.
Wolf Parade: I'll Believe in Anything
known in the digital age as "wolf parade number nine".
True story:
I made a mix cd for my friends James n' Courtney's going away party packed with excellent tunes. Everyone wanted to know what song I'd picked for the closer, so I gave what I thought was a cryptic answer- "the best song of the year" (at the time, 2005).
James, with a happy serenity few non-buddhists can muster (let alone maintain after a night of heavy drinking) replied "oh....wolf parade number nine." as if I'd asked him the time.
So, here's the best song of 2005 and my favorite in many, many a year...it's merely brilliant until about midway, then someone flips the switch and they tear off into a rarified stratosphere of rock divinity few tunes ever dream of, let alone reach.
You can't follow it up with anything, so that's all for now.
Cat Power : Living Proof
One of my favorite vocal performances ever. I can't even put my finger on why it's so great...pure magic.
Broken Social Scene : Cause = Time
They have a lot of great stuff on both their albums, but this one is my favorite. It changes direction several times without losing you, flashing supernatural control over pace and tone, building up layers and taking them away like a delighted child playing with the world's coolest set of legos, then shocking you with a sudden outburst, everything coalescing for a moment before darting apart.
A wonderful tune, and a freakishly brilliant experience on the dance floor...the louder you play it, the better it gets.
Sleater-Kinney : What's Mine is Yours
From the hardest-rocking album of last year, The Woods. No, your speakers aren't blown out- it's suppose to sound that way. A group I never really liked until this last LP.
Blood on the Wall: Mary Susan
The best Pixies song the Pixies never recorded.
And just for the record, I don't mind derivative..as long as it's done passionately and well.
Neko Case : Lady Pilot
With Calexico riding shotgun. This tune wraps up her noir country appeal in a tidy 2:26. If you like it, buy her catalog.
Spoon : The Beast and the Dragon, Adored
These cats seem to work by starting with a block of marble and carving away everything that isn't absolutely essential to the final shape of the song. They get a lot of play out of the tension between the elements of a tune...if I was a director I'd have these guys in heavy soundtrack rotation on my projects.
TV on the Radio : Young Liars
My second favorite tune of the past few years. Reaches inspired heights of musical purity and delivers a mind-blowing mix of incredible organic vocals and clicking, buzzing, nearly robotic music.
Wolf Parade: I'll Believe in Anything
known in the digital age as "wolf parade number nine".
True story:
I made a mix cd for my friends James n' Courtney's going away party packed with excellent tunes. Everyone wanted to know what song I'd picked for the closer, so I gave what I thought was a cryptic answer- "the best song of the year" (at the time, 2005).
James, with a happy serenity few non-buddhists can muster (let alone maintain after a night of heavy drinking) replied "oh....wolf parade number nine." as if I'd asked him the time.
So, here's the best song of 2005 and my favorite in many, many a year...it's merely brilliant until about midway, then someone flips the switch and they tear off into a rarified stratosphere of rock divinity few tunes ever dream of, let alone reach.
You can't follow it up with anything, so that's all for now.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
games: late to the party
My non-gaming readers are invited to skip over this whole update
So, I (finally) got around to playing Half Life 2.
You'd think I would have been all over the sequel to one of only three PC games I've actually finished (the list: Half Life, Baldur's Gate, Doom II).
But I held off for two reasons- antipathy for Valve's bullshit Steam distribution system/Big Brother apparatus and computing horsepower, or lack thereof. Valve has always extended the corporate hand of friendship to older systems (the original Half Life was considered something of a resource hog in its day but ran on my first hand-me-down computer, a Pentium II sporting 64 megs of RAM and a Diamond Monster video card that needed a daughter card and a pass-through cable to handle 2d...not smoothly or with any great aplomb, but run it did), but my gaming tastes and needs have been refined by time.
My emphatic younger self, amok with poorly channeled sexuality and hormones, would doubtless have played the game regardless of the bloody minded graphic sacrifices demanded by the cold, souless gods of computation.
In contrast, the civilized, cultured, and yes, evolved Bax of today happily waits for the steady drip-drip-drip of supply side computer economics to trickle down a system capable of running the game in all its splendor, however many years it takes to accumulate in the rocky pool of his living room.
So much for the setup...how is the game?
At the midway point I'm happy to report the game experience is nearly perfect.
Meaning it's as much like a prettier, higher tech extension of the original Half Life as any gamer has a right to expect. They didn't fuck with things that worked, they just prettied things up and used the technological advancements to deepen immersion, not to change the base experience.
Involving and entertaining as it was, the primary reason I finished the original is because it was easy. I'm not one of those gamers who don't think they're getting their money's worth unless a game makes them spend 3 days trying to beat a tough boss, or decipher some obtuse puzzle. That kind of shit makes me look for an alternate fun diversion, like having my teeth cleaned or helping the in-laws clean out their garage.
I'm not a console gamer. I grew up in arcades where games were usually open-ended and the enjoyment was in arbitrary feats like topping your own high score, not in "beating" it. The console gamer mentality is masochistic- they're not enjoying themselves unless the game is inflicting some level of psychic pain, and unfortunately this is the audience most PC game makers try to appeal to.
Half Life was great because aside from the last boss fight it was never really that hard. All of its challenges could be solved after a few deaths by any reasonably adept gamer, and then you were on to the next. Same with the sequel.
My only gripe, and it's fairly minor, is that the game does follow a pretty narrow path, as well as Valve disguises it Which is fine, really- I prefer a narrowly defined, highly polished game experience to a more open game delivering rougher pleasures. If I want wide open vistas of possibility, I'll leave the house....in a game, I like to know what I'm supposed to do next.
But I'd appreciate just a little more explorability. And who knows, I might get it....I'm only halfway done.
So, a few years behind the curve I heartily recommend HL2 for aging, easily discouraged gamers such as myself.
So, I (finally) got around to playing Half Life 2.
You'd think I would have been all over the sequel to one of only three PC games I've actually finished (the list: Half Life, Baldur's Gate, Doom II).
But I held off for two reasons- antipathy for Valve's bullshit Steam distribution system/Big Brother apparatus and computing horsepower, or lack thereof. Valve has always extended the corporate hand of friendship to older systems (the original Half Life was considered something of a resource hog in its day but ran on my first hand-me-down computer, a Pentium II sporting 64 megs of RAM and a Diamond Monster video card that needed a daughter card and a pass-through cable to handle 2d...not smoothly or with any great aplomb, but run it did), but my gaming tastes and needs have been refined by time.
My emphatic younger self, amok with poorly channeled sexuality and hormones, would doubtless have played the game regardless of the bloody minded graphic sacrifices demanded by the cold, souless gods of computation.
In contrast, the civilized, cultured, and yes, evolved Bax of today happily waits for the steady drip-drip-drip of supply side computer economics to trickle down a system capable of running the game in all its splendor, however many years it takes to accumulate in the rocky pool of his living room.
So much for the setup...how is the game?
At the midway point I'm happy to report the game experience is nearly perfect.
Meaning it's as much like a prettier, higher tech extension of the original Half Life as any gamer has a right to expect. They didn't fuck with things that worked, they just prettied things up and used the technological advancements to deepen immersion, not to change the base experience.
Involving and entertaining as it was, the primary reason I finished the original is because it was easy. I'm not one of those gamers who don't think they're getting their money's worth unless a game makes them spend 3 days trying to beat a tough boss, or decipher some obtuse puzzle. That kind of shit makes me look for an alternate fun diversion, like having my teeth cleaned or helping the in-laws clean out their garage.
I'm not a console gamer. I grew up in arcades where games were usually open-ended and the enjoyment was in arbitrary feats like topping your own high score, not in "beating" it. The console gamer mentality is masochistic- they're not enjoying themselves unless the game is inflicting some level of psychic pain, and unfortunately this is the audience most PC game makers try to appeal to.
Half Life was great because aside from the last boss fight it was never really that hard. All of its challenges could be solved after a few deaths by any reasonably adept gamer, and then you were on to the next. Same with the sequel.
My only gripe, and it's fairly minor, is that the game does follow a pretty narrow path, as well as Valve disguises it Which is fine, really- I prefer a narrowly defined, highly polished game experience to a more open game delivering rougher pleasures. If I want wide open vistas of possibility, I'll leave the house....in a game, I like to know what I'm supposed to do next.
But I'd appreciate just a little more explorability. And who knows, I might get it....I'm only halfway done.
So, a few years behind the curve I heartily recommend HL2 for aging, easily discouraged gamers such as myself.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
you knew it was coming...
electronic giant Phillips has taken out a patent to disable the consumer's ability to change channels during commercials.
A dream come true for the networks, although I can't imagine what their buyer demographic would be.
Maybe Paranoid schizophrenics?
A dream come true for the networks, although I can't imagine what their buyer demographic would be.
Maybe Paranoid schizophrenics?
something for the geeks
Onion Style
it's weird how you pick up a foriegn language for every game you play.
there's some basic shared vocabulary, but you always end up with a few new pages in your personal dictionary.
it's weird how you pick up a foriegn language for every game you play.
there's some basic shared vocabulary, but you always end up with a few new pages in your personal dictionary.
RIP Germano Facetti
Unknown to most, he was art director for Penguin books during an especially creative period and was responsible for some of the best covers of the time.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
gallery of laptop stickers
just like skateboards, only more expensive!
in a similar vein, I finally got my Lebowski stickers from Bobo and am now faced with a quandry: which one goes on the car?
choices are:
Gimme the ringer. Chop! Chop!
We Believe in Nothing.
Not on the rug, man.
It don't matter to Jesus.
This aggression will not stand, man.
vote in the comments.
The winner will join My President is Lee Marvin and Robots WILL Kill You on the Baxmobile.
in a similar vein, I finally got my Lebowski stickers from Bobo and am now faced with a quandry: which one goes on the car?
choices are:
Gimme the ringer. Chop! Chop!
We Believe in Nothing.
Not on the rug, man.
It don't matter to Jesus.
This aggression will not stand, man.
vote in the comments.
The winner will join My President is Lee Marvin and Robots WILL Kill You on the Baxmobile.
Monday, April 17, 2006
the PC mod for the womanless freak who already has a realdoll and a robotic pregnant woman
there's something in the air today...
and some excessively detailed instructions for making your own.
The dark side of the Japanese cyborg fetish...
and some excessively detailed instructions for making your own.
The dark side of the Japanese cyborg fetish...
robotic pregnant woman
Sunday, April 16, 2006
more seasonal coverage
nutshell history of Easter candy
I always dug the chocolate rabbits and the jelly beans...but peeps are just disgusting.
I always dug the chocolate rabbits and the jelly beans...but peeps are just disgusting.
Happy Easter
here are some bitchin' eggs for all you freedom-hating secular humanists!
last year's gallery
and the year before
be careful out there...
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
music: something totally awesome I found on teh internet
A top quality Bernie Worrell live show!
I was nosing around Archive.org looking for fresh Elliott Smith live sets and tripped over this quality performance by Bernie's Woo Warriors.
He was the keyboard controls of the mothership during the heyday of Parliament/Funkadelic and remains on the cutting edge today as a member of freak-rock collective Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains along with two former members of Primus, Les Claypool & Brain and faceless guitar sociopath Buckethead.
This is some top-drawer organic funk, and the recording is A-1 considering it's a bootleg. I especially dug the cover of Super Stupid, one of my favorite Funkadelic cuts. The guitarist is no Eddie Hazel, but he holds his own, and the rhythm section kicks. Check it.
I was nosing around Archive.org looking for fresh Elliott Smith live sets and tripped over this quality performance by Bernie's Woo Warriors.
He was the keyboard controls of the mothership during the heyday of Parliament/Funkadelic and remains on the cutting edge today as a member of freak-rock collective Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains along with two former members of Primus, Les Claypool & Brain and faceless guitar sociopath Buckethead.
This is some top-drawer organic funk, and the recording is A-1 considering it's a bootleg. I especially dug the cover of Super Stupid, one of my favorite Funkadelic cuts. The guitarist is no Eddie Hazel, but he holds his own, and the rhythm section kicks. Check it.
Eyes of Jack Kirby
boooWEEEEEEEEooooooh!
I hated Kirby when I was a young comic readin' fool...his stuff just looked like a bunch of squiggles to me. The only comic of his I bought off the rack was Devil Dinosaur, the tender story of a mutated red dinosaur and his trusty human sidekick Moon Boy streaking for acceptance in an uncaring world.
But all of his DC stuff was floating around cheap in the used market, so I trudged through his DC era, the good (New Gods, Miracleman) and the bad (Forever People, Kamandi, the last boy on earth) just for something to do. I liked his stories, but I couldn't stand his art...and in comics art is 9/10ths of the law.
Now I have an appreciation for his protean creativity (he basically invented modern comics, Stan Lee notwithstanding) and the massive impact on the industry.....but I still don't like his art.
I hated Kirby when I was a young comic readin' fool...his stuff just looked like a bunch of squiggles to me. The only comic of his I bought off the rack was Devil Dinosaur, the tender story of a mutated red dinosaur and his trusty human sidekick Moon Boy streaking for acceptance in an uncaring world.
But all of his DC stuff was floating around cheap in the used market, so I trudged through his DC era, the good (New Gods, Miracleman) and the bad (Forever People, Kamandi, the last boy on earth) just for something to do. I liked his stories, but I couldn't stand his art...and in comics art is 9/10ths of the law.
Now I have an appreciation for his protean creativity (he basically invented modern comics, Stan Lee notwithstanding) and the massive impact on the industry.....but I still don't like his art.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Wal*Mart's control of video game content
An interesting look at the result of one monolithic retailer dictating what will and won't sell.
They wield similar, if not as pervasive, influence over mainstream music CD and DVD sales.
Fortunately the market is an all-knowing, wise and benevolent master and none of this could possibly have a chilling effect on creativity.
:rolleyes:
They wield similar, if not as pervasive, influence over mainstream music CD and DVD sales.
Fortunately the market is an all-knowing, wise and benevolent master and none of this could possibly have a chilling effect on creativity.
:rolleyes:
battle of the whole roast chickens
I'm on a bit of a soup making bender, which means I need stock, which means I'm roasting a lot of chickens.
I've been pitting recipies against each other gladiator style in the arena of my kitchen, and it saddens me to report the gore-streaked winner, striking a heroic pose atop a mighty pile of the fallen, is food TV poofter Jamie Oliver.
I wanted not to like it, but his take not only produces the best tasting chicken with the crispest, most appealing skin....it's also the easiest to make. A powerful one-two punch that laid out my bias against mass media personages leveraging their celebrity to sell books.
My testing hasn't been exhaustive, but Oliver bested the recipes of my bookshelf favorites and the one cited by many as the p4p champ, Marcella Hazan from her book Classic Italian Cooking. It delivered a tasty bird, but turning and basting the chicken every 15 minutes was a pain and the skin simply didn't measure up.
Oliver's technique gives you great crisp skin with no basting and only two turnings- you basically pan-sear the top of the bird in an oiled, preheated roasting pan, then cook it for an hour as usual. I've made it a several times and it's always come out splendid.
So, grudging but well deserved praise for Mr. Oliver's methodology.
I'll have to shelve my bias and try out some of his other ideas.
I've been pitting recipies against each other gladiator style in the arena of my kitchen, and it saddens me to report the gore-streaked winner, striking a heroic pose atop a mighty pile of the fallen, is food TV poofter Jamie Oliver.
I wanted not to like it, but his take not only produces the best tasting chicken with the crispest, most appealing skin....it's also the easiest to make. A powerful one-two punch that laid out my bias against mass media personages leveraging their celebrity to sell books.
My testing hasn't been exhaustive, but Oliver bested the recipes of my bookshelf favorites and the one cited by many as the p4p champ, Marcella Hazan from her book Classic Italian Cooking. It delivered a tasty bird, but turning and basting the chicken every 15 minutes was a pain and the skin simply didn't measure up.
Oliver's technique gives you great crisp skin with no basting and only two turnings- you basically pan-sear the top of the bird in an oiled, preheated roasting pan, then cook it for an hour as usual. I've made it a several times and it's always come out splendid.
So, grudging but well deserved praise for Mr. Oliver's methodology.
I'll have to shelve my bias and try out some of his other ideas.
Monday, April 10, 2006
yo Pat (& a random cooking tip)
so howcome Autumn drops by when she's in town and yet I never see you?
And how were teh tacos?
to keep this post from being an utter waste of everyone else's time, here's my modified technique for making scrambled eggs:
usually they want you to stir more or less constantly- but I don't like the texture that creates, and it's hard to time (for me at least). They're either too wet, or too dry. Omlettes also have fiddly timing, and there's nothing worse than an under-cooked omlette.
I blend techniques: i start out by pushing eggs toward the center of the pan as for an omlette, but after about half the eggs are cooked I start stirring them around, as for traditional scrambled eggs. When everything is just about set but still damp on top I throw on some cheese and fold it over like an omlette. Let it cook a few seconds, then flip it and let it cook a bit more, then take it off the heat to let it set.
Less fiddly than making a 'straight' omlette but with that kind of texture, which I prefer to the small curds you get from constantly stirring the eggs.
disclaimer: I mix my scrambled eggs with about a 1/2 tablespoon of cream- the result is head and shoulders above other methods. YMMV if using a lesser addititve.
And how were teh tacos?
to keep this post from being an utter waste of everyone else's time, here's my modified technique for making scrambled eggs:
usually they want you to stir more or less constantly- but I don't like the texture that creates, and it's hard to time (for me at least). They're either too wet, or too dry. Omlettes also have fiddly timing, and there's nothing worse than an under-cooked omlette.
I blend techniques: i start out by pushing eggs toward the center of the pan as for an omlette, but after about half the eggs are cooked I start stirring them around, as for traditional scrambled eggs. When everything is just about set but still damp on top I throw on some cheese and fold it over like an omlette. Let it cook a few seconds, then flip it and let it cook a bit more, then take it off the heat to let it set.
Less fiddly than making a 'straight' omlette but with that kind of texture, which I prefer to the small curds you get from constantly stirring the eggs.
disclaimer: I mix my scrambled eggs with about a 1/2 tablespoon of cream- the result is head and shoulders above other methods. YMMV if using a lesser addititve.
Sunday, April 9, 2006
from Goatwhore to Goat on a Pole
Could this be the missing link between the Ancient Goat and our modern era?
Indeed!
Goatonapole is the philosophy of being that holds that there is a Goat and a Pole and that the Goat is on the Pole. In the relation of Goat and Pole we Goatonapolists find an eternal thread of unfathomable cosmic significance, a point of reference in which all opposites dissolve into a unity of infinite breadth, a universal truth underlying the very fabric of existence.
Indeed!
aftermath
Great night of fights, even though my longshot Zab didn't come through (which is why he was an 8-1 dog). The undercard was solid, as I expected- the Diaz/Cotto fight was a non-stop tornado of punching, I think the first clinch came in the 11th round (and only lasted a few seconds)...the rest of the fight was two guys filling the air with leather. Diaz was the clear winner, having an crucial edge in handspeed and landing the cleaner shots, but Cotto came to win and left it all in the ring. No shame in losing to a better fighter.
Arce/Alvarez was intersting while it lasted, but Alvarez was simply too small and too old. Great style matchup though, and a cut above the usual undercard fodder.
They also fed another raw, undersized white dude to Chavez Jr, about which the less said the better.
The main event provided 7 interesting rounds out of 12, which is a pretty good ratio for a PBF fight. I had Zab up 3-1 after four, but then he got nailed good in the 5th and went into his shell, covering up, not throwing and coasting along until he woke up for the 12th.
The fight was marred by one of those "only in boxing" demi-riots, occasioned by Judah throwing a savage (and entirely intentional) low blow in the 10th as Floyd was beating his ass around the ring like a rented mule.
Floyd staggered away, hopping on one leg, and his trainer though that was a good time to leap into the ring and scream at Zab....which of course triggered the invasion of the ring by sundry members of each fighters "team" and assorted ringside hooligans....followed with heart warming alacrity by a sizable phalanx of venue security and real cops, who snuffed the budding crisis before it could spread beyond the ropes.
What should have happened, according to the letter of the law, is a DQ of Floyd. If anyone from a fighter's corner enters the ring during a round, that fighter forfeits. It's pretty clear. But not making that call was a fair enough result, because Mayweather had completely taken over the fight and was cruising until the nut-shot speed bump.
According to fightnews the NSAC is witholding the fighter's purses:
I don't think anything will come of it, but it's boxing so you never know.
Anywhere but Vegas I'd be worried about Don King pulling some shenanigans, but his influence in Sin City is markedly less toxic than in other boxing meccas.
Arce/Alvarez was intersting while it lasted, but Alvarez was simply too small and too old. Great style matchup though, and a cut above the usual undercard fodder.
They also fed another raw, undersized white dude to Chavez Jr, about which the less said the better.
The main event provided 7 interesting rounds out of 12, which is a pretty good ratio for a PBF fight. I had Zab up 3-1 after four, but then he got nailed good in the 5th and went into his shell, covering up, not throwing and coasting along until he woke up for the 12th.
The fight was marred by one of those "only in boxing" demi-riots, occasioned by Judah throwing a savage (and entirely intentional) low blow in the 10th as Floyd was beating his ass around the ring like a rented mule.
Floyd staggered away, hopping on one leg, and his trainer though that was a good time to leap into the ring and scream at Zab....which of course triggered the invasion of the ring by sundry members of each fighters "team" and assorted ringside hooligans....followed with heart warming alacrity by a sizable phalanx of venue security and real cops, who snuffed the budding crisis before it could spread beyond the ropes.
What should have happened, according to the letter of the law, is a DQ of Floyd. If anyone from a fighter's corner enters the ring during a round, that fighter forfeits. It's pretty clear. But not making that call was a fair enough result, because Mayweather had completely taken over the fight and was cruising until the nut-shot speed bump.
According to fightnews the NSAC is witholding the fighter's purses:
The purses of both Floyd Mayweather and Zab Judah have been withheld by the Nevada State Athletic Commission until a review of the tenth round near riot is made....Trainer Roger Mayweather has been placed on indefinite suspension for entering the ring.....15 minutes after the fight promoter Don King was still arguing with officials that Mayweather should have been disqualified when Roger Mayweather entered the ring.
I don't think anything will come of it, but it's boxing so you never know.
Anywhere but Vegas I'd be worried about Don King pulling some shenanigans, but his influence in Sin City is markedly less toxic than in other boxing meccas.
Saturday, April 8, 2006
fight night
There's really nothing like the anticipation before a good boxing card.
Given how often even 'competitive on paper' matchmaking produces a one-sided or lackluster result, I sometimes think the optimistic expectations bred by the thundering approach of a big fight is what keeps me hooked. Whether the fight that eventually bursts through the trees lives up to the tumult of its approach is another thing entirely.
Which is why it's good to turn a card into a social event- if the fight stinks, or ends abruptly and unexpectedly, you've got company, food and liquor to act as insurance and ease the transition from heightened expectation to humdrum reality.
Also, the trauma of even legendarily crap-tastic fistic abortions like Gainer/Marquez or Ruiz/Rahman can be somewhat alleviated by spreading it out- shared suffering has its own place in the hierarchy of male bonding.
While the main event of this baby could be dramatic and amazing, could suck ass or (more likely) land somewhere in between those two poles, the two televised undercard bouts promise pugilistic excitement of a less rarefied but more reliable nature.
Put it all together and you have a recipe for adventure. I'm heading out in about 30 minutes with the Pelf for our traditional pre-fight ritual of picking up the beer and pizza (the best pizza in California is a 20 minutes away, and worth every second of drive time).
A full report will follow tomorrow.
WAR, JUDAH!
Given how often even 'competitive on paper' matchmaking produces a one-sided or lackluster result, I sometimes think the optimistic expectations bred by the thundering approach of a big fight is what keeps me hooked. Whether the fight that eventually bursts through the trees lives up to the tumult of its approach is another thing entirely.
Which is why it's good to turn a card into a social event- if the fight stinks, or ends abruptly and unexpectedly, you've got company, food and liquor to act as insurance and ease the transition from heightened expectation to humdrum reality.
Also, the trauma of even legendarily crap-tastic fistic abortions like Gainer/Marquez or Ruiz/Rahman can be somewhat alleviated by spreading it out- shared suffering has its own place in the hierarchy of male bonding.
While the main event of this baby could be dramatic and amazing, could suck ass or (more likely) land somewhere in between those two poles, the two televised undercard bouts promise pugilistic excitement of a less rarefied but more reliable nature.
Put it all together and you have a recipe for adventure. I'm heading out in about 30 minutes with the Pelf for our traditional pre-fight ritual of picking up the beer and pizza (the best pizza in California is a 20 minutes away, and worth every second of drive time).
A full report will follow tomorrow.
WAR, JUDAH!
music: recent winners
Band of Horses, Everything All the Time
Tapes n' Tapes, The Loon
Jens Lekman, Oh You're so Silent Jens
Calexico, Garden Ruin
you can ingest samples of all of these fine artists (and more) in various formats at the indispensible Hype Machine, savior of music in the salt flat wasteland of the Clear Channel Radio era.
Tapes n' Tapes, The Loon
Jens Lekman, Oh You're so Silent Jens
Calexico, Garden Ruin
you can ingest samples of all of these fine artists (and more) in various formats at the indispensible Hype Machine, savior of music in the salt flat wasteland of the Clear Channel Radio era.
deadwood head's up
Amazon has a 30% discount on pre-orders.
Without getting into the riduculous price point (100 bucks for somethig that cost less than 5 bucks to make? Nice!)that's a sweet deal for the best show on television.
Without getting into the riduculous price point (100 bucks for somethig that cost less than 5 bucks to make? Nice!)that's a sweet deal for the best show on television.
Wednesday, April 5, 2006
new shoes
So the wife comes home yesterday with a new pair of shoes...
her explanation?
"well, I needed something to wear for the rain!"
Oh sure, like these are rain shoes....
sigh....
her explanation?
"well, I needed something to wear for the rain!"
Oh sure, like these are rain shoes....
sigh....
tacos tacos tacos!
courtesy DT, Tacohunt.
A site dedicated to reviewing every taco in LA. I ran across it a few months back, but it was but a seedling compared to the mighty bush of knowledge it is today.
Pat take note: plenty of coverage of the Westsiiiiiide.
down side: it's making me hungry, and the nearest great taco is a 45 minute drive.
A site dedicated to reviewing every taco in LA. I ran across it a few months back, but it was but a seedling compared to the mighty bush of knowledge it is today.
Pat take note: plenty of coverage of the Westsiiiiiide.
down side: it's making me hungry, and the nearest great taco is a 45 minute drive.
Tuesday, April 4, 2006
classic arcade console art
full blown nostalgia for this former arcade rat.
I tried explaining Baby Pac-Man to my wife once, confusing her thoroughly and banishing forever whatever lingering doubts she had that indeed, she married a geek of the highest grade.
I tried explaining Baby Pac-Man to my wife once, confusing her thoroughly and banishing forever whatever lingering doubts she had that indeed, she married a geek of the highest grade.
Fights! (attn bobo)
Great card this Saturday, Judah vs Mayweather with two quality undercard fights.
I'm hooking up with Pelf, you should head up and join us.
Common sense says PBF will dominate as he always does in high profile bouts, but there's something in the air lately and I've laid down some green on Judah by KO at 8-1. On the undercard, Arce never disappoints and the Diaz/Cotto fight has all the makings of a good scrap.
Also, the wife wants to see you.
I'm hooking up with Pelf, you should head up and join us.
Common sense says PBF will dominate as he always does in high profile bouts, but there's something in the air lately and I've laid down some green on Judah by KO at 8-1. On the undercard, Arce never disappoints and the Diaz/Cotto fight has all the makings of a good scrap.
Also, the wife wants to see you.
Monday, April 3, 2006
remembered my password!
updates for all, huzzah!
here's a great site dedicated to cataloging ludicrously overpriced shitpiles across the nation.
hours of fun, even for an impoverished renter like me.
here's a great site dedicated to cataloging ludicrously overpriced shitpiles across the nation.
hours of fun, even for an impoverished renter like me.
Q&A
Q:
what's worse than a dude who smells like a french whore?
A:
a dude who smells like a French whore and talks like an auctioneer.
He's making me nostalgic for Derby & Ponytail Guy.
what's worse than a dude who smells like a french whore?
A:
a dude who smells like a French whore and talks like an auctioneer.
He's making me nostalgic for Derby & Ponytail Guy.
High on Fire insta-review
stealing from a chat with Ivanus:
"High on Fire is awesome.
kinda sound like Motorhead crossed with
....
something."
and going the extra mile, here's a gallery of GOATWHORE photos from the very show our intrepid duo attended:
courtesy Dirt, Jr.
and don't miss their set list
A band who names a tune Perversions of the Ancient Goat is a band I'm down with sound unheard.
"High on Fire is awesome.
kinda sound like Motorhead crossed with
....
something."
and going the extra mile, here's a gallery of GOATWHORE photos from the very show our intrepid duo attended:
courtesy Dirt, Jr.
and don't miss their set list
A band who names a tune Perversions of the Ancient Goat is a band I'm down with sound unheard.
GOATWHORE
Yeah, you heard me....GOATWHORE.
I was gonna title this post "when middle aged men throw the horns", but was afraid the mental image of Ivan and Bobo in a mosh pit would drive even the most stalwart and grounded reader gibbering mad, as if they'd glimpsed the oddly textured ivory pages of that ancient and evil text The King in Yellow
Since the principals refuse to update, the onus of reporting this foray into the music of their youth (well....actually the music of Ivan's youth, bobo being more the sensitive, pompadoured Joy Division/Bauhaus/Love and Rockets sort) falls upon me.
So yeah, Ivan came across this band High on Fire and cajoled Bobo into seeing them in Long Beach at Alex's Bar. A bar who's google description as the 'best damn punk rock bar in Southern California' seems both limited in ambition and somewhat at odds with their offer of free wifi with the purchase of a drink. This puts me in mind of a post-punk friend of a friend who sported a bleached mohawk for years past its expiration date and espoused a punk rock ethos while making regular visits to the chiropractor on his folk's dime...but anyway.
So they make the scene, and according to Bobo have a fine time amongst the wire thin meth addicts and beer bellied rockers. Watch Them Die rocked by all accounts, GOATWHORE rocked harder, and headliner High on Fire rocked hardest of all, ejecting our heroes happy, spent and sopping wet into the graying pre-dawn of their workaday lives.
I'm hoping they picked up some merchandise to commemorate their metal interlude ( ideally this fine remix of a heavy metal icon), something to clutch in their hands when they awake, proof that it wasn't all a pleasant, headbanging dream.
I was gonna title this post "when middle aged men throw the horns", but was afraid the mental image of Ivan and Bobo in a mosh pit would drive even the most stalwart and grounded reader gibbering mad, as if they'd glimpsed the oddly textured ivory pages of that ancient and evil text The King in Yellow
Since the principals refuse to update, the onus of reporting this foray into the music of their youth (well....actually the music of Ivan's youth, bobo being more the sensitive, pompadoured Joy Division/Bauhaus/Love and Rockets sort) falls upon me.
So yeah, Ivan came across this band High on Fire and cajoled Bobo into seeing them in Long Beach at Alex's Bar. A bar who's google description as the 'best damn punk rock bar in Southern California' seems both limited in ambition and somewhat at odds with their offer of free wifi with the purchase of a drink. This puts me in mind of a post-punk friend of a friend who sported a bleached mohawk for years past its expiration date and espoused a punk rock ethos while making regular visits to the chiropractor on his folk's dime...but anyway.
So they make the scene, and according to Bobo have a fine time amongst the wire thin meth addicts and beer bellied rockers. Watch Them Die rocked by all accounts, GOATWHORE rocked harder, and headliner High on Fire rocked hardest of all, ejecting our heroes happy, spent and sopping wet into the graying pre-dawn of their workaday lives.
I'm hoping they picked up some merchandise to commemorate their metal interlude ( ideally this fine remix of a heavy metal icon), something to clutch in their hands when they awake, proof that it wasn't all a pleasant, headbanging dream.
Sunday, April 2, 2006
customers: bad looks
I don't care how much of a hopless, dice-hugging geek you are......
You should NEVER combine a black derby with a ponytail you've turned into a string of ben wah balls with multiple elasic bands and one of those wispy not-quite-a-goatees.
I had some retardedly nerdly looks going in my youth (including anarchonritic hat, but not a derby or greek fisherman's cap thank god) but this guy takes the cake.
I will STILL take him over the portly middle-aged guy looking for the Time-Life series on the west who looked normal enough but smelled like he caught fire this morning and put it out with a bottle of cologne.
You should NEVER combine a black derby with a ponytail you've turned into a string of ben wah balls with multiple elasic bands and one of those wispy not-quite-a-goatees.
I had some retardedly nerdly looks going in my youth (including anarchonritic hat, but not a derby or greek fisherman's cap thank god) but this guy takes the cake.
I will STILL take him over the portly middle-aged guy looking for the Time-Life series on the west who looked normal enough but smelled like he caught fire this morning and put it out with a bottle of cologne.
April Fool's Hoaxes
via wikipedia.
Bobo's Taco Liberty Bell gag is in there, among a host of others.
2006's crop of hoaxes
and a list of hoaxes from 2005
This should bring you entirely up to date. See ya next year....
Bobo's Taco Liberty Bell gag is in there, among a host of others.
2006's crop of hoaxes
and a list of hoaxes from 2005
This should bring you entirely up to date. See ya next year....
more for DT
In a bout of shameless pandering to my few loyal readers, I present this David Eggars bit on America's conflicted relationship with soccer because I dimly remember you mentioning him once. Hopefully it was in a positive context...
Also, your man David Foster Wallace has a new collection of essays out, headlined by that Lobster article you tipped me off about a while back.
Our continued indifference to the sport worshipped around the world can be easily explained in two parts. First, as a nation of loony but determined inventors, we prefer things we thought of ourselves. The most popular sports in America are those we conceived and developed on our own: [American] football, baseball, basketball. If we can claim at least part of the credit for something, as with tennis or the radio, we are willing to be passively interested. But we did not invent soccer, and so we are suspicious of it.
Also, your man David Foster Wallace has a new collection of essays out, headlined by that Lobster article you tipped me off about a while back.
Saturday, April 1, 2006
a solemn promise to my readers
no fake April Fool's nonsense from me!
I remember when the shenanigans were constrained to outlandish stories from friends and the de riguer fake article in the newspaper, which was bearable.
Alas, the internet has provided legions of juvenile mentalities with giant bullhorns, so you can't really leave your e-house without being buried in a cascade of bullpucky.
The problem is 'jokes' that are credible enough to be believed ARE believed and create eddies and currents of disinformation. Jokes that aren't credible tend to be...uh, not funny I guess is the kindest thing to say.
Of all my usual haunts only Slashdot found a solution to the conundrum, turning the whole site into an April 1st fantasyland of nonsense.
And they also provided a link to the best individual 'joke' I've seen so far- a review of Duke Nukem Forever, the most notorious piece of vaporware in gaming history.
So, a happy pracical joke-free April Fool's Day to you, my readers.
More updates coming later today- I'm having issues because the new computer at home means a new Firefox install, which means a cleared web cache, which means trying to remember what the hell my password is.
I remember when the shenanigans were constrained to outlandish stories from friends and the de riguer fake article in the newspaper, which was bearable.
Alas, the internet has provided legions of juvenile mentalities with giant bullhorns, so you can't really leave your e-house without being buried in a cascade of bullpucky.
The problem is 'jokes' that are credible enough to be believed ARE believed and create eddies and currents of disinformation. Jokes that aren't credible tend to be...uh, not funny I guess is the kindest thing to say.
Of all my usual haunts only Slashdot found a solution to the conundrum, turning the whole site into an April 1st fantasyland of nonsense.
And they also provided a link to the best individual 'joke' I've seen so far- a review of Duke Nukem Forever, the most notorious piece of vaporware in gaming history.
So, a happy pracical joke-free April Fool's Day to you, my readers.
More updates coming later today- I'm having issues because the new computer at home means a new Firefox install, which means a cleared web cache, which means trying to remember what the hell my password is.
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