-Apparently, yesterday was International Delete Your MySpace Account Day. I had no idea, though I also never had a MySpace account. For many of the reasons mentioned in the article, it never appealed to me to get one in the first place. Does that make me the earliest adopter possible? Can you be part of a movement that you didn't know about to not have a MySpace account by never having had one in the past? What a trip.
-After finding out about that Indian kidney theft ring, I am terrified that every time I get into a car or doze on the subway that I'm going to get my kidney stolen. Though more than that, after reading World War Z, the dangers of organ theft and undocumented transplant are just one more reminder of how vulnerable we are to the spread of a super-virulent virus strain that will turn us all into zombies. That's what I'm really afraid of.
-Go back and check out "X-Men 3" for a cameo from the girl from "Juno," who plays Shadowcat. The X-Men movies could try to cash in on her fame by doing that whole storyline about the X-Men in the future or an alternate present or something and only Shadowcat can tell what's happening, which could be pretty interesting, but as you can tell, I couldn't even really tell you what the general idea is, so it might be a little hard to follow. Also, she won't have a cheeseburger phone.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
January megapost
Well, quite a while off for me wasn't it? Sorry to the 3 or 4 people a week that kept coming back over the holidays and throughout this frigid January, I'm rested and relaxed and I'm back swinging. I'm trying out polls on the site, check out the side and give a little vote.
-I tend to consider myself a sophisticated consumer of media, at least in television shows I watch regularly. I take pride in how much I like '30 Rock' and my preference for the BBC version of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (Fox's version is so annoying by comparison). Unfortunately, the writers' strike has reduced me to residing in occupied territory: The biggest things I've been watching lately are 'The Sarah Connor Chronicles' and, sadly, ashamedly, giving into this season of 'American Idol' (if you didn't see Brother Guy, check it out. Fast forward to 1:39 for his audition, but it's worth watching the whole thing).
What I'm trying to say is, I think of a lot of things in terms of Terminator these days. Is the Macbook Air sent from the future? When will Google unroll Google brain, which will write its own applications, hack Facebook, take control of Earth's satellite network and become SkyNet? So you can imagine my sense of impending dread when people talk about cameras you implant in your eyes. I do not look forward to a future where machines see what I see... unless machines like watching a lot of baseball. Then I guess we're cool.
-The college movie downloading numbers are much lower than they thought. What a shock.
-Speaking of ridiculous people, a great article on Morgan Spurlock's new movie is in Variety. From the guy who brought you 'I'm going to eat McDonalds every meal, think anything bad will happen to me' comes 'Where in the World is Osama bin Laden.' The review includes such colorful prose as "Wandering from Muslim country to Muslim country, he sets out to validate his premise that Arabs are just like us, or at least more like us than they are like bin Laden. This is not hard to prove, since Spurlock has no method and no accountability." Morgan Spurlock does seem to mean well, but I really can't suspend my disbelief.
-I have a few crazy friends that are participating in an amazing contest entitled Manuary Madness, a grueling decathlon to crown Boston's greatest alpha male. So far they've completed the events "Craigslist Personals," "Sudoku in a Steam Room," and "Push Jeff's Car." There's a great video of them pushing a car through a back alley, one of them dressed as if it's ESPN's World's Strongest Man Competition. Event Four, "BAC 0.18%," takes place this Saturday, stay tuned to their website for results and pictures. Personally, I look forward to their completion of the Milk Pong event.
-Monday's 'Daily Show' was actually pretty good, I'd say best one of the strike era so far. The interview with the editor from Newsweek is a classic Jon Stewart gem about the nature of media:
Hope that gets you by, check ya later.
-I tend to consider myself a sophisticated consumer of media, at least in television shows I watch regularly. I take pride in how much I like '30 Rock' and my preference for the BBC version of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (Fox's version is so annoying by comparison). Unfortunately, the writers' strike has reduced me to residing in occupied territory: The biggest things I've been watching lately are 'The Sarah Connor Chronicles' and, sadly, ashamedly, giving into this season of 'American Idol' (if you didn't see Brother Guy, check it out. Fast forward to 1:39 for his audition, but it's worth watching the whole thing).
What I'm trying to say is, I think of a lot of things in terms of Terminator these days. Is the Macbook Air sent from the future? When will Google unroll Google brain, which will write its own applications, hack Facebook, take control of Earth's satellite network and become SkyNet? So you can imagine my sense of impending dread when people talk about cameras you implant in your eyes. I do not look forward to a future where machines see what I see... unless machines like watching a lot of baseball. Then I guess we're cool.
-The college movie downloading numbers are much lower than they thought. What a shock.
-Speaking of ridiculous people, a great article on Morgan Spurlock's new movie is in Variety. From the guy who brought you 'I'm going to eat McDonalds every meal, think anything bad will happen to me' comes 'Where in the World is Osama bin Laden.' The review includes such colorful prose as "Wandering from Muslim country to Muslim country, he sets out to validate his premise that Arabs are just like us, or at least more like us than they are like bin Laden. This is not hard to prove, since Spurlock has no method and no accountability." Morgan Spurlock does seem to mean well, but I really can't suspend my disbelief.
-I have a few crazy friends that are participating in an amazing contest entitled Manuary Madness, a grueling decathlon to crown Boston's greatest alpha male. So far they've completed the events "Craigslist Personals," "Sudoku in a Steam Room," and "Push Jeff's Car." There's a great video of them pushing a car through a back alley, one of them dressed as if it's ESPN's World's Strongest Man Competition. Event Four, "BAC 0.18%," takes place this Saturday, stay tuned to their website for results and pictures. Personally, I look forward to their completion of the Milk Pong event.
-Monday's 'Daily Show' was actually pretty good, I'd say best one of the strike era so far. The interview with the editor from Newsweek is a classic Jon Stewart gem about the nature of media:
Hope that gets you by, check ya later.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
We're a man and a talking supercomputer inside a car. And we kinda like each other.
-Will Arnett will be the voice of the Knight Rider car. No word on whether he will accept a role in 30 years as the life mentor for the titular character on 'Newly Activated Robot Initiates Contact With Mainframe.'
-What we do on NBC echoes in enternity. Wait till you get to photo #10. Nobody makes Wolf bleed his own blood.
-For all those Jumbos out there, NQR made it onto the Sports Illustrated college website. Maybe next time it will even be for sports. Or the illustration of sports. Naked sports. What?
-Schoolhouse Rock Live exists.
-The only thing scarier than the idea of dinosaurs getting loose in an island theme park is the idea of robot dinosaurs getting loose in a mainland theme park. As the Engaget article notes: "The dinos will contain embedded potentiometers and motion sensors (amongst others), apparently allowing the reptilian re-creations to follow visitors with their eyes, track specific colors of clothing, regulate their own movements, and even lunge at viewers... then eat them."
-I read an alarming article in the Washington Post about radiation streams coming out of black holes and shooting across galaxies. Despite the veneer of journalism and scientific restraint, I got everything i was supposed to out of it: Space aliens from another dimension are shooting particle cannons at their carbon-based enemies, and Earth could be next. They may or may not be the Protoss. The Post did not address it.
That's all until the new year, I'm out for awhile. See ya on the flip side.
-What we do on NBC echoes in enternity. Wait till you get to photo #10. Nobody makes Wolf bleed his own blood.
-For all those Jumbos out there, NQR made it onto the Sports Illustrated college website. Maybe next time it will even be for sports. Or the illustration of sports. Naked sports. What?
-Schoolhouse Rock Live exists.
-The only thing scarier than the idea of dinosaurs getting loose in an island theme park is the idea of robot dinosaurs getting loose in a mainland theme park. As the Engaget article notes: "The dinos will contain embedded potentiometers and motion sensors (amongst others), apparently allowing the reptilian re-creations to follow visitors with their eyes, track specific colors of clothing, regulate their own movements, and even lunge at viewers... then eat them."
-I read an alarming article in the Washington Post about radiation streams coming out of black holes and shooting across galaxies. Despite the veneer of journalism and scientific restraint, I got everything i was supposed to out of it: Space aliens from another dimension are shooting particle cannons at their carbon-based enemies, and Earth could be next. They may or may not be the Protoss. The Post did not address it.
That's all until the new year, I'm out for awhile. See ya on the flip side.
Friday, December 7, 2007
The Darth Vinci Code?
-From eavesdropping on Facebook, this image. Blows the mind.
-In keeping with the religious theme, Pac-Man is not to be outdone.
-The charitable fellows at Minty Fresh, Ezra Furman and the Harpoons' record label, have been hit with the holiday spirit and are giving away his album for download on their website. It was a one week only thing that expired a while ago, but it looks like it still works.
-The decidedly un-charitable fellows who came up with the upcoming NBC show "Baby Borrowing" will be picking up the time slot left empty when American Gladiators ends its run. I say un-charitable because who would do this to a baby: 'When "Gladiator" wraps its run, it will be replaced by "Baby Borrowers," which premieres Monday, Feb. 18. Based on a Blighty format, skein puts real babies in the care of rowdy teenagers in an attempt to teach the teens a lesson in responsibility (Daily Variety, March 12).' Actually, I think an earlier version of this show might be how David Spade ended up how he did. Maybe when Hulk Hogan is done hosting gladiators, he'll jump over to this show and relive his 'Mr. Nanny' days.
-Tell true stories, folks.
-In keeping with the religious theme, Pac-Man is not to be outdone.
-The charitable fellows at Minty Fresh, Ezra Furman and the Harpoons' record label, have been hit with the holiday spirit and are giving away his album for download on their website. It was a one week only thing that expired a while ago, but it looks like it still works.
-The decidedly un-charitable fellows who came up with the upcoming NBC show "Baby Borrowing" will be picking up the time slot left empty when American Gladiators ends its run. I say un-charitable because who would do this to a baby: 'When "Gladiator" wraps its run, it will be replaced by "Baby Borrowers," which premieres Monday, Feb. 18. Based on a Blighty format, skein puts real babies in the care of rowdy teenagers in an attempt to teach the teens a lesson in responsibility (Daily Variety, March 12).' Actually, I think an earlier version of this show might be how David Spade ended up how he did. Maybe when Hulk Hogan is done hosting gladiators, he'll jump over to this show and relive his 'Mr. Nanny' days.
-Tell true stories, folks.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Yoda has a Mii face
-'Grinch' is back on Broadway. Hopefully the children have stopped crying.
-Scary article about botched lethal injections. This is a dark side of America along the lines of those Fast Food Nation chapters about dangerously undertrained workers in slaughterhouses. Except these people are in charge of killing humans. No one wants to think about the guy that gives the shot, and evidently, no one wants to train him to know anything about biology either. Morbid.
-Something a little easier on the psyche: I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father. Press A and B to begin.
-Scary article about botched lethal injections. This is a dark side of America along the lines of those Fast Food Nation chapters about dangerously undertrained workers in slaughterhouses. Except these people are in charge of killing humans. No one wants to think about the guy that gives the shot, and evidently, no one wants to train him to know anything about biology either. Morbid.
-Something a little easier on the psyche: I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father. Press A and B to begin.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Strike Goes On
http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com/
-In solidarity with the strikes going on around the entertainment industry, my cable stopped working for about a week. Quite a logistical and psychic problem for me, I can tell you; how am I going to keep up with how the Eurythmics' version of Winter Wonderland is doing?
-Joining the WGA on the picket line recently is Local One, the stagehands' union on Broadway, as I'm sure you know by now. Hilariously (or perhaps depressingly), the dominant image from the news coverage so far has been sobbing children that came to the city to see "Grinch," which is now dark. Crying kids, I guess, make for better copy than reasons for the work stoppage (it's not more money, but the various jobs mandated on union shows, like requiring flymen on all union shows, as far as my set-building housemate tells me). As much as they can, the shows try to go on for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
-After weeks of television gone dark, the first bigtime movies are getting hit by the strike. "Angels and Demons" has been pushed back to 2009, and Oliver Stone's project on the My Lai Massacre has postponed production (can't say I'll be disappointed not to see that one ASAP after the last Stone film I saw, "Alexander." When the director's cut is actually shorter than the theatrical version, there's nothing to be said). Next to go might be the news and promo writers at CBS, who have been astonishingly working without a contract for 2 1/2 years. In the ongoing wrinkled relationship between the writers' guild and the directors' guild, the DGA quietly cut a new deal with the networks.
-Not everything in media is a downer. I was inspired, though sad I didn't find out soon enough to get tickets, to hear about SNL's underground show at the Upright Citizen's Brigade last weekend. Michael Cera hosted, and I bet it was way more awesome than any episode of SNL that made it to television in recent years.
This show is the kind of thing that makes me feel good about entertainment, especially the industry, that with all the dues-paying and creative rules and crazy life, there are still personalities out there that produce because they just have to, they have to write and perform and just get it out there because what's in your head has to be shared. I'm totally getting Majors sense memories right now.
-One film I will be looking forward to is In Bruges, the first feature from Martin McDonagh, playwright of amazingly twisted "The Pillowman." One of the problems, of course, with staying so connected to media news and film festival stuff is that I get excited about stuff like this and Juno and who knows how long it could be before they come to theaters near me. Not to mention all the news about the Eurythmics.
-Courtesy of my friend David, the reality show that boils down all the extraneous parts: Kenny vs. Spenny. Trey Parker and Matt Stone bring these Canadian housemates to Comedy Central, where they battle every episode in absurd challenges. Spenny tends to go about the challenge in the normal way, while Kenny tries the most insane way to win he can think of. Here's them trying to see who can stay naked the longest:
I've only seen one episode, but it was great. They were competing to see who could eat the most meat in three days or something. Spenny kept eating more and more turkey, while Kenny tried to win by grossing out Spenny; he started off with cow tongue and never looked back. At one point, he put water, hot dogs, sausage, and bacon into a blender and then tried to drink it. Cubby also saw that episode, and gave it as ringing of an endorsement as I've ever heard: "I almost threw up." Hope that image sends you to Thanksgiving with a bang!
-In solidarity with the strikes going on around the entertainment industry, my cable stopped working for about a week. Quite a logistical and psychic problem for me, I can tell you; how am I going to keep up with how the Eurythmics' version of Winter Wonderland is doing?
-Joining the WGA on the picket line recently is Local One, the stagehands' union on Broadway, as I'm sure you know by now. Hilariously (or perhaps depressingly), the dominant image from the news coverage so far has been sobbing children that came to the city to see "Grinch," which is now dark. Crying kids, I guess, make for better copy than reasons for the work stoppage (it's not more money, but the various jobs mandated on union shows, like requiring flymen on all union shows, as far as my set-building housemate tells me). As much as they can, the shows try to go on for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
-After weeks of television gone dark, the first bigtime movies are getting hit by the strike. "Angels and Demons" has been pushed back to 2009, and Oliver Stone's project on the My Lai Massacre has postponed production (can't say I'll be disappointed not to see that one ASAP after the last Stone film I saw, "Alexander." When the director's cut is actually shorter than the theatrical version, there's nothing to be said). Next to go might be the news and promo writers at CBS, who have been astonishingly working without a contract for 2 1/2 years. In the ongoing wrinkled relationship between the writers' guild and the directors' guild, the DGA quietly cut a new deal with the networks.
-Not everything in media is a downer. I was inspired, though sad I didn't find out soon enough to get tickets, to hear about SNL's underground show at the Upright Citizen's Brigade last weekend. Michael Cera hosted, and I bet it was way more awesome than any episode of SNL that made it to television in recent years.
This show is the kind of thing that makes me feel good about entertainment, especially the industry, that with all the dues-paying and creative rules and crazy life, there are still personalities out there that produce because they just have to, they have to write and perform and just get it out there because what's in your head has to be shared. I'm totally getting Majors sense memories right now.
-One film I will be looking forward to is In Bruges, the first feature from Martin McDonagh, playwright of amazingly twisted "The Pillowman." One of the problems, of course, with staying so connected to media news and film festival stuff is that I get excited about stuff like this and Juno and who knows how long it could be before they come to theaters near me. Not to mention all the news about the Eurythmics.
-Courtesy of my friend David, the reality show that boils down all the extraneous parts: Kenny vs. Spenny. Trey Parker and Matt Stone bring these Canadian housemates to Comedy Central, where they battle every episode in absurd challenges. Spenny tends to go about the challenge in the normal way, while Kenny tries the most insane way to win he can think of. Here's them trying to see who can stay naked the longest:
I've only seen one episode, but it was great. They were competing to see who could eat the most meat in three days or something. Spenny kept eating more and more turkey, while Kenny tried to win by grossing out Spenny; he started off with cow tongue and never looked back. At one point, he put water, hot dogs, sausage, and bacon into a blender and then tried to drink it. Cubby also saw that episode, and gave it as ringing of an endorsement as I've ever heard: "I almost threw up." Hope that image sends you to Thanksgiving with a bang!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Striiiiiiiike
-There seems to be a lot of media attention on what public perception is going to be about the WGA strike. Do ordinary people understand what's happening? Won't they just think it's a bunch of spoiled people throwing a fit for scraps of money when they get paid tons already to not do brain surgery, but write tv shows? Well sure, but here's a short tutorial on the issue. Plus, I don't think anyone would think of, say, teachers, as spoiled brats if community college principals or something started webcasting classes and charged money for online courses without paying the teachers a share of the new revenue. Your salary could be 30k or 300k, working for less money than you earned still tastes the same in your mouth. This gets at a much bigger issue of most people thinking writing well, or at least consistently, is easy. It isn't.
-If the strike has you unhappy with your run of the mill rerun, check out something I bet you haven't seen: here's a clip from the short-lived Bravo show ASSSSCAT, a veriable all-star team of comedians on a show before its time. Think of it more as a deep track from a band you love rather than a rerun; plus, this show probably would still be able to go on if it was still on the air. No one writes improv, yo.
-Reality TV isn't all un-talent shows and whore-offs: The N is coming out with a reality show about high school kids who compete in community-based challenges. Who knows how good it will be, only time will tell, but at least someone out there is trying, right?
-Lastly, I don't actually think this is that great, but how can you turn down an article titled Wiener Takes All: A Dogumentary.
-If the strike has you unhappy with your run of the mill rerun, check out something I bet you haven't seen: here's a clip from the short-lived Bravo show ASSSSCAT, a veriable all-star team of comedians on a show before its time. Think of it more as a deep track from a band you love rather than a rerun; plus, this show probably would still be able to go on if it was still on the air. No one writes improv, yo.
-Reality TV isn't all un-talent shows and whore-offs: The N is coming out with a reality show about high school kids who compete in community-based challenges. Who knows how good it will be, only time will tell, but at least someone out there is trying, right?
-Lastly, I don't actually think this is that great, but how can you turn down an article titled Wiener Takes All: A Dogumentary.
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