As far as cases go on the People’s Court.
Sep 7, 2008
Sep 6, 2008
What’s all this stuff about a McCain and Palin ticket?
Isn’t Palin one of the guys from Monty Python?!?! Isn’t he British?!?! I thought they wouldn’t let foreigners be president? In a nation this large you would think they could find someone here, don’t you? Besides, isn’t Palin always busy with those travelogue shows! How’s Palin supposed to address all the business of government, if Palin is off gallivanting around the world? Sure Ronald Reagan was an actor but at least he was American and not a comedian to boot! You would think if they were going to draft an actor, they would at least get a dramatic actor on the ticket!
(off camera whisper).
Oh... never mind.
A tip of the hat to the late but very talented Gilda Radner.
Isn’t Palin one of the guys from Monty Python?!?! Isn’t he British?!?! I thought they wouldn’t let foreigners be president? In a nation this large you would think they could find someone here, don’t you? Besides, isn’t Palin always busy with those travelogue shows! How’s Palin supposed to address all the business of government, if Palin is off gallivanting around the world? Sure Ronald Reagan was an actor but at least he was American and not a comedian to boot! You would think if they were going to draft an actor, they would at least get a dramatic actor on the ticket!
(off camera whisper).
Oh... never mind.
A tip of the hat to the late but very talented Gilda Radner.
Sep 5, 2008
FRIDAY PHOTO FUNNIES!
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Sep 1, 2008
The October surprise.
Not what you’re thinking though, Yankee fans are bemoaning the team’s season this year. Even though the Yankees have a surprisingly good record considering the devastating injuries they’ve suffered through - and this is coming from a Mets fan!
However, Yankee fans look west and see the Dodgers and aren’t necessarily bemoaning the loss of long-time departed manager Joe Torre. Still, Joe Torre’s string of bringing the teams he’s managed to the postseason could very well remain unbroken!
Don’t believe me?
Take a look at the remaining schedules for the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers on September 1st are two and a half games out and still face the division leading Diamondbacks head to head three more times. However, the big difference is this: aside from those games versus the Diamondbacks, the rest of the schedule the Dodgers face Sand Diego (9), San Francisco (6), Pittsburgh (4) and Colorado (3). At the time of this writing only Colorado among the four teams has more than 60 wins!
The Diamondbacks though besides facing the Dodgers have 7 games against wild card contender St. Louis! A team that is playing hard with has a winning home and road record. Their schedule fills out with Colorado (6), San Francisco (7) and Cincinnati (3).
Not what you’re thinking though, Yankee fans are bemoaning the team’s season this year. Even though the Yankees have a surprisingly good record considering the devastating injuries they’ve suffered through - and this is coming from a Mets fan!
However, Yankee fans look west and see the Dodgers and aren’t necessarily bemoaning the loss of long-time departed manager Joe Torre. Still, Joe Torre’s string of bringing the teams he’s managed to the postseason could very well remain unbroken!
Don’t believe me?
Take a look at the remaining schedules for the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers on September 1st are two and a half games out and still face the division leading Diamondbacks head to head three more times. However, the big difference is this: aside from those games versus the Diamondbacks, the rest of the schedule the Dodgers face Sand Diego (9), San Francisco (6), Pittsburgh (4) and Colorado (3). At the time of this writing only Colorado among the four teams has more than 60 wins!
The Diamondbacks though besides facing the Dodgers have 7 games against wild card contender St. Louis! A team that is playing hard with has a winning home and road record. Their schedule fills out with Colorado (6), San Francisco (7) and Cincinnati (3).
Just a thought.
You watch the weather channel during one of these storm events or just about any major news outlet, and they have reporters on the ground.
I find this somewhat humorous...
Putting a person out in the weather like that. This is news?
Newsperson: IT’S WINDY! (surprise)
Newsperson: IT’S RAINING! (surprise)
Um... last time I checked, that’s the definition of a storm. I’m waiting for that one golden moment when one of these poor clowns is out there and a billboard or something comes flying along and takes them out on camera. Maybe then they’ll stop sending people out into this crap.
Also, I think television does a disservice by having their correspondents do stuff like that.
I think people watch this stuff on TV and figure if the newsies can be out in the soup, there really shouldn’t be too much of a problem should they decide to sit out a storm or go out in really bad weather either. It runs contrary to all those warnings they broadcast telling people to hunker down for the duration of the bad weather.
I think it was in The Day After Tomorrow where there was a point in the movie when tornados were hitting the LA basin and a reporter decided to be out covering in when a car got thrown his way. It made for a funny movie moment and underlined the stupidity of the whole exercise but it will be a lot different if it happens in real life.
Some food for thought.
You watch the weather channel during one of these storm events or just about any major news outlet, and they have reporters on the ground.
I find this somewhat humorous...
Putting a person out in the weather like that. This is news?
Newsperson: IT’S WINDY! (surprise)
Newsperson: IT’S RAINING! (surprise)
Um... last time I checked, that’s the definition of a storm. I’m waiting for that one golden moment when one of these poor clowns is out there and a billboard or something comes flying along and takes them out on camera. Maybe then they’ll stop sending people out into this crap.
Also, I think television does a disservice by having their correspondents do stuff like that.
I think people watch this stuff on TV and figure if the newsies can be out in the soup, there really shouldn’t be too much of a problem should they decide to sit out a storm or go out in really bad weather either. It runs contrary to all those warnings they broadcast telling people to hunker down for the duration of the bad weather.
I think it was in The Day After Tomorrow where there was a point in the movie when tornados were hitting the LA basin and a reporter decided to be out covering in when a car got thrown his way. It made for a funny movie moment and underlined the stupidity of the whole exercise but it will be a lot different if it happens in real life.
Some food for thought.
Aug 31, 2008
A vivid reminder.
In case anyone is under the illusion of just how much the administration has failed this country over the last 8 years, if people are walking around justifying the two terms of GW Bush, it would appear that nature is planning on providing a reminder in the form of Gustav.
Any continuation of the policies of the last two presidential terms should be held up against the response of the federal government to one of the greatest disasters of modern times. If Katrina was a staggering blow to the city of New Orleans, should Gustav strengthen he may well provide the knockout punch.
Those people thinking it’s no big deal... well, you’ll be in for a very big surprise when it comes to heating your home this winter. Lest you forget Katrina was one of those factors that put this country on the fast track to $4 a gallon gasoline.
In case anyone is under the illusion of just how much the administration has failed this country over the last 8 years, if people are walking around justifying the two terms of GW Bush, it would appear that nature is planning on providing a reminder in the form of Gustav.
Any continuation of the policies of the last two presidential terms should be held up against the response of the federal government to one of the greatest disasters of modern times. If Katrina was a staggering blow to the city of New Orleans, should Gustav strengthen he may well provide the knockout punch.
Those people thinking it’s no big deal... well, you’ll be in for a very big surprise when it comes to heating your home this winter. Lest you forget Katrina was one of those factors that put this country on the fast track to $4 a gallon gasoline.
Aug 29, 2008
FRIDAY PHOTO FUNNIES!
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Aug 27, 2008
Musing on the presidential race.
I’m pretty happy right now.
I just finished watching Joe Biden’s speech and Biden pretty much hit all his marks. I was happy when I heard the news that Obama had picked Biden as his running mate because I thought it was a good choice and offset a lot of what people perceive as his weaknesses.
Even as I watched Biden’s speech though, I have been somewhat alarmed of late.
As I have said many times in the past, I’m registered Republican but, I fervently believe it is not a smart thing to vote strictly along party lines as opposed to the merits of individuals running for office. I’m proud of the fact I never cast a vote for Georgie Jr. As a Republican, I have been sorely disappointed by the decisions and actions his administration has taken over the last 8 years.
Mind you, I don’t lay the blame for September 11th squarely at the feet of GW as a lot of his detractors do. Nor do I find it entirely unreasonable we went into Iraq to correct an earlier foreign policy gaffe. I’m not happy with the way the war has been executed but it is disingenuous to state Saddam wasn’t a bit of a worry. Contrary to what people would have you think, we had been f*#*ing around in Iraq for the last decade so, actually changing the situation instead of merely lobbing bombs into the country was a decidedly better policy. I don’t think masking it behind the threat of Al Queda was a smart thing either; lying to the American people is never a good idea.
The thing that has truly bothered me about Georgie is the wild spending. The spending so totally out of control and which has left this nation ill-equipped to deal with the realities facing us as we move forward into a new century.
I’ve been having discussions with a variety of people over the last few weeks because the topic of the election comes up. People are talking about it. It’s something that’s important to us as Americans.
A couple of things have bothered me though.
First off, if the Democrats do in fact lose the election in November, they really have no else but themselves to blame.
Why?
Well, there are a couple of reasons but first and foremost, no one can really admit to being happy with the actions and policies of the current administration. This goes for Democrats and Republicans alike. I haven’t heard too many people say good things about the two terms of GW. There was a time when people justified the invasion of Iraq by stating we would enjoy lower gas prices but people are so sore now it’s hard to sit down and they can see the failure in that logic.
Second, there’s that HRC factor.
It seems the Clintons really have never come out (although I will admit the last few days have done something to dispel a bit of that feeling) and put their full and unconditional support behind Barack Obama. If I was a Democrat I would be somewhat pissed.
I was listening to WNYC last week and I have to admit to being amazed, listening to HRC supporters call in to discuss whether or not they are willing to vote for Barack Obama. One guy actually said he would stay home because he felt that Obama was too far to the left (he was talking about Obama’s senate voting record). This although both he and HRC have remarkably similar positions.
Part of that is the strategy (for HRC’s camp) has to be if Obama does in fact lose, it positions Hillary to make a go for it in 2012. It gives her four years of running around crowing about the fact had she been on the ticket, the Dems would have won. Although people talk about the amount of votes she got in popular vote, they fail to recognize the votes she got were entirely from Democrats and not Republicans or Independents. Presupposing an HRC sure win as a fact is a pretty big stretch.
I’m not surprised; I don’t have a love of the Clintons and have always found their level of self-interest somewhat distasteful, in stark contrast to the image they present to the American public. A good Dem would have bitten the bullet and thrown support behind the party’s front-runner at some point but, weakening Obama within his own party could easily be part of a longer-term strategy.
I was talking to someone the other day about this. On the one hand, if McCain does win, at the age of 71 I can’t see him being more than a one-term president. If I’m right about my own speculation, he’ll pick Mitt Romney as his running mate positioning Romney to go for the top job in 2012.
If McCain does win and is effective over the course of the next four years, the problem is it will mean Romney as sitting VP will have a strong argument for ‘staying the course.’
Other things have been alarming as well...
So, what’s the excuse?
Are we really a nation of bigots?
I’m hearing a lot of things from people. Things that are surprising, unsettling, ugly.
I mean, I’m surprised too at the excuses people are coming up with not to vote for Obama. I’m not talking about hard-core Republicans who seem to have an animus for anything the Democrats do. No, I’m talking about those Democrats who are either using HRC not being on the ticket or reaching for any of a myriad of other flimsy excuses as a way to justify crossing party lines.
This runs the gamut from, ‘He doesn’t have experience,’ something which is laughable because unless you are electing someone for a second term, they never have experience to well... I’m trying to think of delicate ways to put it. Fear?
I don’t know. It’s just disappointing to me.
The funny thing is, I really buy into that whole America thing. The whole patriotic spiel we put out there even though we have a capitalistic society that is in the habit of reaming a large segment of our population. There is something very appealing to me that the stranglehold WASPs have held on the highest office in the land might in fact signal that real change is happening in our society.
Someone said to me today that part of the Obama ticket was about bringing about Socialism in this country and my response was, ‘what’s wrong with that?’
Pure capitalism as we have it means there are winners and losers. The problem I have with that is there are some things that are part of the human condition which don’t discriminate on the basis of income. Disease is one of them. It is well past time we had some form of reform in this country in terms of medical care, insurance and the costs associated with having a healthy populace.
We all benefit from having a healthier population. If some germ festers because we force people to live in squalor, well... germs are funny they don’t look at your gross annual income and skip over you because you’re making six figures.
That’s f*$#ed up.
You know, I really expected better of us. I really did.
Maybe I’m being a little naïve but strangely enough I buy into the premise and tenets that this nation was built around.
Over the last few weeks though, I’ve been more than a little surprised. Surprised by the depths to which racism still has a hold on some people. Yes, skin color really is that important. That’s f*$%ed up man! I mean, really!
I’m proud of the fact Barack Obama is able to run for president and I hope he wins because I think it will say volumes about our country, all of it good. It will break the stranglehold WASPs have held on the highest office in the land and hopefully will signal significant change going forward into the new century. I like it that someone around my age will be running the country and not just that but also that it will be someone who actually graduated from a good school and wasn’t admitted because he was a legacy.
In the end, the great thing about it is if he doesn’t do a good job we can always vote in someone else in four years. I was mad when people sent me gloom and doom emails when Junior was reelected about our country not surviving a second term because I thought it was an overreaction. If Barack Obama wins, it won’t be the end of the world maybe; it will mean a new beginning.
I’m pretty happy right now.
I just finished watching Joe Biden’s speech and Biden pretty much hit all his marks. I was happy when I heard the news that Obama had picked Biden as his running mate because I thought it was a good choice and offset a lot of what people perceive as his weaknesses.
Even as I watched Biden’s speech though, I have been somewhat alarmed of late.
As I have said many times in the past, I’m registered Republican but, I fervently believe it is not a smart thing to vote strictly along party lines as opposed to the merits of individuals running for office. I’m proud of the fact I never cast a vote for Georgie Jr. As a Republican, I have been sorely disappointed by the decisions and actions his administration has taken over the last 8 years.
Mind you, I don’t lay the blame for September 11th squarely at the feet of GW as a lot of his detractors do. Nor do I find it entirely unreasonable we went into Iraq to correct an earlier foreign policy gaffe. I’m not happy with the way the war has been executed but it is disingenuous to state Saddam wasn’t a bit of a worry. Contrary to what people would have you think, we had been f*#*ing around in Iraq for the last decade so, actually changing the situation instead of merely lobbing bombs into the country was a decidedly better policy. I don’t think masking it behind the threat of Al Queda was a smart thing either; lying to the American people is never a good idea.
The thing that has truly bothered me about Georgie is the wild spending. The spending so totally out of control and which has left this nation ill-equipped to deal with the realities facing us as we move forward into a new century.
I’ve been having discussions with a variety of people over the last few weeks because the topic of the election comes up. People are talking about it. It’s something that’s important to us as Americans.
A couple of things have bothered me though.
First off, if the Democrats do in fact lose the election in November, they really have no else but themselves to blame.
Why?
Well, there are a couple of reasons but first and foremost, no one can really admit to being happy with the actions and policies of the current administration. This goes for Democrats and Republicans alike. I haven’t heard too many people say good things about the two terms of GW. There was a time when people justified the invasion of Iraq by stating we would enjoy lower gas prices but people are so sore now it’s hard to sit down and they can see the failure in that logic.
Second, there’s that HRC factor.
It seems the Clintons really have never come out (although I will admit the last few days have done something to dispel a bit of that feeling) and put their full and unconditional support behind Barack Obama. If I was a Democrat I would be somewhat pissed.
I was listening to WNYC last week and I have to admit to being amazed, listening to HRC supporters call in to discuss whether or not they are willing to vote for Barack Obama. One guy actually said he would stay home because he felt that Obama was too far to the left (he was talking about Obama’s senate voting record). This although both he and HRC have remarkably similar positions.
Part of that is the strategy (for HRC’s camp) has to be if Obama does in fact lose, it positions Hillary to make a go for it in 2012. It gives her four years of running around crowing about the fact had she been on the ticket, the Dems would have won. Although people talk about the amount of votes she got in popular vote, they fail to recognize the votes she got were entirely from Democrats and not Republicans or Independents. Presupposing an HRC sure win as a fact is a pretty big stretch.
I’m not surprised; I don’t have a love of the Clintons and have always found their level of self-interest somewhat distasteful, in stark contrast to the image they present to the American public. A good Dem would have bitten the bullet and thrown support behind the party’s front-runner at some point but, weakening Obama within his own party could easily be part of a longer-term strategy.
I was talking to someone the other day about this. On the one hand, if McCain does win, at the age of 71 I can’t see him being more than a one-term president. If I’m right about my own speculation, he’ll pick Mitt Romney as his running mate positioning Romney to go for the top job in 2012.
If McCain does win and is effective over the course of the next four years, the problem is it will mean Romney as sitting VP will have a strong argument for ‘staying the course.’
Other things have been alarming as well...
So, what’s the excuse?
Are we really a nation of bigots?
I’m hearing a lot of things from people. Things that are surprising, unsettling, ugly.
I mean, I’m surprised too at the excuses people are coming up with not to vote for Obama. I’m not talking about hard-core Republicans who seem to have an animus for anything the Democrats do. No, I’m talking about those Democrats who are either using HRC not being on the ticket or reaching for any of a myriad of other flimsy excuses as a way to justify crossing party lines.
This runs the gamut from, ‘He doesn’t have experience,’ something which is laughable because unless you are electing someone for a second term, they never have experience to well... I’m trying to think of delicate ways to put it. Fear?
I don’t know. It’s just disappointing to me.
The funny thing is, I really buy into that whole America thing. The whole patriotic spiel we put out there even though we have a capitalistic society that is in the habit of reaming a large segment of our population. There is something very appealing to me that the stranglehold WASPs have held on the highest office in the land might in fact signal that real change is happening in our society.
Someone said to me today that part of the Obama ticket was about bringing about Socialism in this country and my response was, ‘what’s wrong with that?’
Pure capitalism as we have it means there are winners and losers. The problem I have with that is there are some things that are part of the human condition which don’t discriminate on the basis of income. Disease is one of them. It is well past time we had some form of reform in this country in terms of medical care, insurance and the costs associated with having a healthy populace.
We all benefit from having a healthier population. If some germ festers because we force people to live in squalor, well... germs are funny they don’t look at your gross annual income and skip over you because you’re making six figures.
That’s f*$#ed up.
You know, I really expected better of us. I really did.
Maybe I’m being a little naïve but strangely enough I buy into the premise and tenets that this nation was built around.
Over the last few weeks though, I’ve been more than a little surprised. Surprised by the depths to which racism still has a hold on some people. Yes, skin color really is that important. That’s f*$%ed up man! I mean, really!
I’m proud of the fact Barack Obama is able to run for president and I hope he wins because I think it will say volumes about our country, all of it good. It will break the stranglehold WASPs have held on the highest office in the land and hopefully will signal significant change going forward into the new century. I like it that someone around my age will be running the country and not just that but also that it will be someone who actually graduated from a good school and wasn’t admitted because he was a legacy.
In the end, the great thing about it is if he doesn’t do a good job we can always vote in someone else in four years. I was mad when people sent me gloom and doom emails when Junior was reelected about our country not surviving a second term because I thought it was an overreaction. If Barack Obama wins, it won’t be the end of the world maybe; it will mean a new beginning.
Aug 26, 2008
It’s tough work being this obstinate.
I hate buying a car. I hate that they mystify the process in order to soak you for more money. It’s ridiculous! It’s the one part of car shopping that really needs to have some kind of serious reform. Somehow, car manufacturers feel giving the prospective customer any kind of information is akin to giving up state secrets.
Today I was doing some research and I found that Mazda has a live chat feature to provide people with information. (NOT!)
What follows is an actual transcript of the live chat that I was fortunate to copy before the window was closed down from the other end. It’s twice now this week I’ve had a pointless dialog with someone who pretends they are in the field of customer service.
All I wanted to find out was the actual date that the 08 model year finished, when 09 models could be expected to arrive and how long it would take from the time I ordered a vehicle from a dealer to the time the vehicle made it to my grubby hands.
You can’t make this stuff up!
There were one or two more short notes from Keith, of course he still managed to not give me an idea what delivery times are (is it six weeks? Seven weeks? I guess we’ll never know... it’s a mystery). I know the manufacturers retool their production lines when the new models roll out, it’s not like the workers don’t know it. It’s not even like the dealers don’t know it. It’s just the public who doesn’t know it because they don’t want to have to mark down an ’08 model for a potential buyer even if the ’09 is set to arrive the following week.
Such a small bit of information... astounding!
I hate buying a car. I hate that they mystify the process in order to soak you for more money. It’s ridiculous! It’s the one part of car shopping that really needs to have some kind of serious reform. Somehow, car manufacturers feel giving the prospective customer any kind of information is akin to giving up state secrets.
Today I was doing some research and I found that Mazda has a live chat feature to provide people with information. (NOT!)
What follows is an actual transcript of the live chat that I was fortunate to copy before the window was closed down from the other end. It’s twice now this week I’ve had a pointless dialog with someone who pretends they are in the field of customer service.
All I wanted to find out was the actual date that the 08 model year finished, when 09 models could be expected to arrive and how long it would take from the time I ordered a vehicle from a dealer to the time the vehicle made it to my grubby hands.
You can’t make this stuff up!
| 14:33:26 | System | Welcome philip ... |
| 14:33:26 | System | Connecting to server. Please wait... |
| 14:33:26 | System | Connected to Mazdachat.mazdausa.com |
| 14:33:31 | System | Keith has joined this session! |
| 14:33:31 | System | Connected with Keith |
| 14:33:41 | Keith | Thank you for connecting with Mazda’s Personal Shopping Assistant. My name is Keith, how may I help you? |
| 14:33:47 | You | When will the 09 models be in showrooms? |
| 14:34:36 | Keith | There are some arriving now. Which vehicle are you referring to? |
| 14:35:11 | You | the Mazda 3 5 door, I was just curious when the model year actually ended and when orders could be taken for 09 models |
| 14:35:48 | Keith | They are not out yet |
| 14:37:15 | You | Yes, I understand but when does the model year end and when can orders could be placed for 09 models |
| 14:37:18 | Keith | There is no a release date at this time |
| 14:37:18 | Keith | Is there anything else I can help you with? |
| 14:37:58 | Keith | you can place a order now for the 2009 and there is no set end date for a model year. |
| 14:38:03 | You | What is the normal turnaround time to a dealer in the Northeast from order to actual delivery date if you are not purchasing a vehicle from dealer stock |
| 14:39:20 | Keith | For that information you will need to contact your local dealer. |
| 14:39:53 | You | Well, you've actually managed not to answer a single question I put to you! Amazing! |
| 14:40:23 | You | What's the purpose of live chat if you can't provide information? |
| 14:41:04 | Keith | Sir I can explain more clearly if I could call you would that be okay? |
| 14:41:25 | You | I don't need to get a call, I just need direct answers to direct questions. |
| 14:42:16 | You | I fail to understand how a business, especially one that deals in items that would be considered big ticket items, has a need to mystify the whole buying experience. |
| 14:42:45 | You | I asked you when the model year ends and the date that Mazda factories will be delivering the new models to dealers. |
| 14:42:53 | You | You couldn't answer that. |
| 14:42:53 | Keith | I regret that I can not give you an exact date when a vehicle will arrive to your local dealer. Dealer are independent business and set their order directly |
| 14:43:19 | You | I asked you what normal delivery time to dealers is and you couldn't answer that either. |
| 14:44:06 | You | It's interesting is all, the paradigm for car shopping really needs to change. |
| 14:44:17 | Keith | Phillip instead of trying to type this out I can give you a better understanding via phone of the process may I call |
| 14:44:52 | You | Either that or you guys should seriously think about going to work for the Department of Homeland Security or the CIA. |
| 14:45:23 | Keith | I apologies for any inconvenience. I am ending that chat have a great day. |
| 14:45:36 | You | Unless of course your operations are so slipshod you honestly don't have delivery information of future models which makes absolutely no sense. |
There were one or two more short notes from Keith, of course he still managed to not give me an idea what delivery times are (is it six weeks? Seven weeks? I guess we’ll never know... it’s a mystery). I know the manufacturers retool their production lines when the new models roll out, it’s not like the workers don’t know it. It’s not even like the dealers don’t know it. It’s just the public who doesn’t know it because they don’t want to have to mark down an ’08 model for a potential buyer even if the ’09 is set to arrive the following week.
Such a small bit of information... astounding!
Aug 25, 2008
Not the brutes you would have us be.
I rarely write about sexual politics because like many topics there is the potential for some kind of atomic blast of backlash or hurt. However, I was reading something about the San Diego Comic Con recently and it caught my eye. I can’t remember where I specifically read it, I know it was referenced in a regular read and then I went on to another site but it basically told of misbehavior at the con.
It was bad behavior to be sure but the thing I took issue with was the context in which the behavior was portrayed.
Some of it had to do with guys going up to women they didn’t know and being overly touchy feely with a complete strange or just downright rude. It was from this base that a whole discussion sprang up about guidelines for sexual harassment at cons had not been drawn up (specifically SDCC).
In a word, feh!
Now, to some that comes across as a bit of a cavalier statement but hear me out before you rush to judgment...
How is this kind of behavior any different than say the obsessed female fan that trails a male creator around a con? How is it different from someone coming up to a complete stranger (a pro) and making some off the cuff rude remark?
What I mean to say is, let’s not have so much a discussion about ‘sexual harassment’ per se but more about what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior at any public gathering and how convention organizers can go about creating a better, more civil environment for fan and pro alike.
Case in point, I was at Yankee stadium in the last few months at one of the Subway Series games. I’ve gone to Yankee stadium quite a bit over the course of my lifetime but there came a point where going to the stadium just became a lot less fun.
Why?
Well, when I was a younger person, funnily enough, Yankee stadium used to have all these older guys in red shirts that acted like ushers and dealt with the crowd at the game. If anything got out of hand they got stadium security and pretty quickly put an end to whatever misbehaving was going on. I used to love going to the stadium in the early 90s and this was at a time when the Yankees well and truly SUCKED!
Going to the game though was a great experience for the most part though because the only people who would wind up going to the game were true baseball fans and were there to watch the game not to use it as an excuse to get far too drunk and act out.
The years passed and as the mid nineties came the team got better and ticket prices went up. The Yankees even did away with the ushers and instead had NYPD actually throughout the stadium for increased security. You would think it would make for a nicer atmosphere?
Wrong!
Now, as the team got more popular, even with the cops there, there was an increased incidence of just rowdy, unruly fan activity. I can remember two specific incidents, one involved sitting in the left field box seats and seeing the father of a young girl use sailor’s language to curse out a player in front of his young daughter, the second involved being in the upper deck having taken a co-worker to the game and winding up being absolutely embarrassed by a group of about 8 really drunk guys who didn’t have the common sense or the courtesy to realize there were women and kids around them.
It just got to the point where it became less fun to be at the stadium.
This last visit, my cousin took his girls and I to the stadium. He thought it would be a treat to take them one time before they razed Yankee stadium since they had never been and at this point as young women (early 20's/late teens) he figured they could weather it.
Sure enough, there came a point where we found ourselves once again amidst a group of overly drunk people.
These conventions... like any public gathering seem to bring out the worst in some people. This is by no means an excuse for that behavior because I find it as distasteful as anyone else. Certainly, steps need to be taken to make everyone able to go to an event like this and have a good time.
I mean, I’m always a little surprised at the lack of manners in some and I’m not the world’s most mannerly guy by any stretch of the imagination.
Sexual harassment though?
See SDCC is reminding me a lot of Yankee stadium.
How?
Well comics like those Yankee teams of the early nineties had been a more insular community until just recently. By recently I’m talking about the last few years. The Yankees got popular and all the low-lifes came out of the woodwork and now, as comics becomes more mainstream and has a larger profile in society, SDCC gets more popular and the event becomes a bigger draw. I don’t know what the answer is here but I am concerned that if we paint the problem in such specific hues (sexual harassment), we miss dealing with what is the core issue (polite behavior at a public gathering).
Cops didn’t make the difference at Yankee stadium; announcements don’t make the difference at Yankee stadium. As long as the Yankees are a draw and make money they don’t have to give much more than lip service to the issue. SDCC is in the same boat, there’s more money to be made and as long as that money keeps rolling in convention organizers will have little reason to deal with the problem. Clear guidelines on sexual harassment won’t do that but, a clear code of conduct for all fans that implies ejection from the event and possible prosecution will go a lot further in correcting the situation before it develops into something worse.
It just remains to be seen if the people running SDCC have the wherewithal and the will to put such procedures in place. Let’s hope they do it before we here that one really bad story out of SDCC.
I rarely write about sexual politics because like many topics there is the potential for some kind of atomic blast of backlash or hurt. However, I was reading something about the San Diego Comic Con recently and it caught my eye. I can’t remember where I specifically read it, I know it was referenced in a regular read and then I went on to another site but it basically told of misbehavior at the con.
It was bad behavior to be sure but the thing I took issue with was the context in which the behavior was portrayed.
Some of it had to do with guys going up to women they didn’t know and being overly touchy feely with a complete strange or just downright rude. It was from this base that a whole discussion sprang up about guidelines for sexual harassment at cons had not been drawn up (specifically SDCC).
In a word, feh!
Now, to some that comes across as a bit of a cavalier statement but hear me out before you rush to judgment...
How is this kind of behavior any different than say the obsessed female fan that trails a male creator around a con? How is it different from someone coming up to a complete stranger (a pro) and making some off the cuff rude remark?
What I mean to say is, let’s not have so much a discussion about ‘sexual harassment’ per se but more about what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior at any public gathering and how convention organizers can go about creating a better, more civil environment for fan and pro alike.
Case in point, I was at Yankee stadium in the last few months at one of the Subway Series games. I’ve gone to Yankee stadium quite a bit over the course of my lifetime but there came a point where going to the stadium just became a lot less fun.
Why?
Well, when I was a younger person, funnily enough, Yankee stadium used to have all these older guys in red shirts that acted like ushers and dealt with the crowd at the game. If anything got out of hand they got stadium security and pretty quickly put an end to whatever misbehaving was going on. I used to love going to the stadium in the early 90s and this was at a time when the Yankees well and truly SUCKED!
Going to the game though was a great experience for the most part though because the only people who would wind up going to the game were true baseball fans and were there to watch the game not to use it as an excuse to get far too drunk and act out.
The years passed and as the mid nineties came the team got better and ticket prices went up. The Yankees even did away with the ushers and instead had NYPD actually throughout the stadium for increased security. You would think it would make for a nicer atmosphere?
Wrong!
Now, as the team got more popular, even with the cops there, there was an increased incidence of just rowdy, unruly fan activity. I can remember two specific incidents, one involved sitting in the left field box seats and seeing the father of a young girl use sailor’s language to curse out a player in front of his young daughter, the second involved being in the upper deck having taken a co-worker to the game and winding up being absolutely embarrassed by a group of about 8 really drunk guys who didn’t have the common sense or the courtesy to realize there were women and kids around them.
It just got to the point where it became less fun to be at the stadium.
This last visit, my cousin took his girls and I to the stadium. He thought it would be a treat to take them one time before they razed Yankee stadium since they had never been and at this point as young women (early 20's/late teens) he figured they could weather it.
Sure enough, there came a point where we found ourselves once again amidst a group of overly drunk people.
These conventions... like any public gathering seem to bring out the worst in some people. This is by no means an excuse for that behavior because I find it as distasteful as anyone else. Certainly, steps need to be taken to make everyone able to go to an event like this and have a good time.
I mean, I’m always a little surprised at the lack of manners in some and I’m not the world’s most mannerly guy by any stretch of the imagination.
Sexual harassment though?
See SDCC is reminding me a lot of Yankee stadium.
How?
Well comics like those Yankee teams of the early nineties had been a more insular community until just recently. By recently I’m talking about the last few years. The Yankees got popular and all the low-lifes came out of the woodwork and now, as comics becomes more mainstream and has a larger profile in society, SDCC gets more popular and the event becomes a bigger draw. I don’t know what the answer is here but I am concerned that if we paint the problem in such specific hues (sexual harassment), we miss dealing with what is the core issue (polite behavior at a public gathering).
Cops didn’t make the difference at Yankee stadium; announcements don’t make the difference at Yankee stadium. As long as the Yankees are a draw and make money they don’t have to give much more than lip service to the issue. SDCC is in the same boat, there’s more money to be made and as long as that money keeps rolling in convention organizers will have little reason to deal with the problem. Clear guidelines on sexual harassment won’t do that but, a clear code of conduct for all fans that implies ejection from the event and possible prosecution will go a lot further in correcting the situation before it develops into something worse.
It just remains to be seen if the people running SDCC have the wherewithal and the will to put such procedures in place. Let’s hope they do it before we here that one really bad story out of SDCC.
Aug 24, 2008
Not going dark but...
While the blog isn’t going dark, there are going to be a few changes.
Eventually, one goal over the next few months is to do a radical redesign and move things away from the standard template. It basically is reliant on the amount of free time I have over the next few months.
Also, as part of that redesign I’m going to be revamping the sidebar. If someone doesn’t reciprocally link here they’re coming off the sidebar. I’ve got no good reason to publicize other people’s sites if they can’t be bothered to go through the small trouble to link to me. As things stand, I’ve been writing another blog somewhere else and the hits are astronomical compared to what I get here.
I’ve been focusing on spending more time away from the computer. As it stands I haven’t been as successful as I would like to be in that regard but, progress is being made.
Elayne Riggs, Cherry Bomb and Blog Sensei are about the only people who link here so if someone else has they’re blog in the sidebar and doesn’t link they will be gone shortly.
A couple of blogs will come off the sidebar merely because they are seldom updated and it really doesn’t make much sense to put up a link to a site that seldom has new content.
Also, I’ve been busy! Work seems to be coming in and there are a few long-term projects about to come to fruition soon so I have a lot less time to focus my attentions here. I’ve got two writing projects that I’m currently working on and that’s in addition to the normal freelance workload so... well I guess it just means some things fall by the wayside.
Dating too seems to be occupying more and more of my time. This is fun but a double-edged sword so to speak because maintaining balance in life becomes harder when you are trying to structure your schedule around other people.
But, like a friend of mine says, it’s all good!
While the blog isn’t going dark, there are going to be a few changes.
Eventually, one goal over the next few months is to do a radical redesign and move things away from the standard template. It basically is reliant on the amount of free time I have over the next few months.
Also, as part of that redesign I’m going to be revamping the sidebar. If someone doesn’t reciprocally link here they’re coming off the sidebar. I’ve got no good reason to publicize other people’s sites if they can’t be bothered to go through the small trouble to link to me. As things stand, I’ve been writing another blog somewhere else and the hits are astronomical compared to what I get here.
I’ve been focusing on spending more time away from the computer. As it stands I haven’t been as successful as I would like to be in that regard but, progress is being made.
Elayne Riggs, Cherry Bomb and Blog Sensei are about the only people who link here so if someone else has they’re blog in the sidebar and doesn’t link they will be gone shortly.
A couple of blogs will come off the sidebar merely because they are seldom updated and it really doesn’t make much sense to put up a link to a site that seldom has new content.
Also, I’ve been busy! Work seems to be coming in and there are a few long-term projects about to come to fruition soon so I have a lot less time to focus my attentions here. I’ve got two writing projects that I’m currently working on and that’s in addition to the normal freelance workload so... well I guess it just means some things fall by the wayside.
Dating too seems to be occupying more and more of my time. This is fun but a double-edged sword so to speak because maintaining balance in life becomes harder when you are trying to structure your schedule around other people.
But, like a friend of mine says, it’s all good!
Aug 23, 2008
Aug 22, 2008
FRIDAY PHOTO FUNNIES!
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Aug 15, 2008
PUT IT IN THE BOOKS!
The Mets win a nail biter 2 to 1 over the Pirates and now for fireworks and a show by Collective Soul.
I have to say that PNC park is one if the most beautiful parks I have ever watched a game at. The sight lines are amazing, the fans and the food are great! We could learn a thing or two from the way Pittsburgh does a game. PNC is backed up right against the Allegheny and the downtown Pittsburgh skyline provides an amazing backdrop. The common areas are broad and spacious, you can even see the field pretty much anywhere in the ballpark.
It's worth the trip!
The Mets win a nail biter 2 to 1 over the Pirates and now for fireworks and a show by Collective Soul.
I have to say that PNC park is one if the most beautiful parks I have ever watched a game at. The sight lines are amazing, the fans and the food are great! We could learn a thing or two from the way Pittsburgh does a game. PNC is backed up right against the Allegheny and the downtown Pittsburgh skyline provides an amazing backdrop. The common areas are broad and spacious, you can even see the field pretty much anywhere in the ballpark.
It's worth the trip!
FRIDAY PHOTO FUNNIES!
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Aug 14, 2008
The last train out...
Riding the train, especially one of the last trains of the night out of Grand Central is a singularly unique experience... And not in a good way.
If riding the train can sometimes be obnoxious, the late night trains elevate all those bad qualities to a whole new level.
Right now I'm on the train after a long, long day. The train is a short one with only four cars open. What this means is there's no such thing as a quiet car. Every car is full, not to brimming but crowded.
Diagonally opposite me, a woman wearing flip flops with some tattoo on the side of her foot (writing I can't read) is trying her best to see if it's possible to get into the missionary position with her boyfriend in the narrow three seater they occupy.
It's a hard battle especially in her weight class but she's trying her best.
In front of them the drunks are having a convention. They are dazzling the rest of the car with lurid tales of fellatio in classrooms with 9th grade teachers. The volume of their voices only manages to increase with each additional stop.
If I said this is fun, you'd know I'm being sarcastic.
Me, I've got the headphones in for my new phone even though I am trying unsuccessfully to drown out the dull roar.
I guess though on the plus side, I'm able to write about it as it happens. I don't think anyone who is loud or wasted is over the age of 25.
I'm a bit amazed at the total lack of self-control and then I think back and wonder if I exhibited the same stupidity. The other thing that amazes me is how the conducters are so totally removed from it all. It's like I'm babysitting someone else's kids.
Riding the train, especially one of the last trains of the night out of Grand Central is a singularly unique experience... And not in a good way.
If riding the train can sometimes be obnoxious, the late night trains elevate all those bad qualities to a whole new level.
Right now I'm on the train after a long, long day. The train is a short one with only four cars open. What this means is there's no such thing as a quiet car. Every car is full, not to brimming but crowded.
Diagonally opposite me, a woman wearing flip flops with some tattoo on the side of her foot (writing I can't read) is trying her best to see if it's possible to get into the missionary position with her boyfriend in the narrow three seater they occupy.
It's a hard battle especially in her weight class but she's trying her best.
In front of them the drunks are having a convention. They are dazzling the rest of the car with lurid tales of fellatio in classrooms with 9th grade teachers. The volume of their voices only manages to increase with each additional stop.
If I said this is fun, you'd know I'm being sarcastic.
Me, I've got the headphones in for my new phone even though I am trying unsuccessfully to drown out the dull roar.
I guess though on the plus side, I'm able to write about it as it happens. I don't think anyone who is loud or wasted is over the age of 25.
I'm a bit amazed at the total lack of self-control and then I think back and wonder if I exhibited the same stupidity. The other thing that amazes me is how the conducters are so totally removed from it all. It's like I'm babysitting someone else's kids.
Aug 9, 2008
Didn’t see that one coming!
Read this today and was just shocked by it!
“Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital,” his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.
Read this today and was just shocked by it!
“Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital,” his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.
Quiet around here.
You may or may not have noticed a dearth of post of late. There are a couple of reasons for the lack of activity.
First off, it’s summer and a few weeks back I decided I spend entirely too much time on the computer when I’m not working. It’s wasted time too! Time spent aimlessly wandering around the web not accomplishing much. So, one of my goals is to cut back on the actual amount of time I am on the computer and not getting paid for it.
Second, one of the big reasons I am drawn to the computer repeatedly throughout the day is to check the various email accounts I have. Well after resisting as long as I was able, I finally broke down and upgraded my phone. The nice thing is I got this:
and it means I don’t have to go on the computer to check or respond to email anymore! It works out to being a great solution to not being online!
Third, all of a sudden I am literally deluged with work. It’s like the damn opened. It will be quiet for a bit of time and then all of a sudden I’m having several clients call me at once! Of course, when I am slow, I have absolutely no shame sending emails around fishing for work but, it seems like the fish are biting - if only for this week and next.
I had gotten to thinking about it the other day and I realized being a freelancer is like being a waterfront whore. When the fleet is out you are desperate and can barely find two nickels to rub together but, then when the fleet is in you can’t say no to whomever wants to f**k you because the memory of lean times are still very fresh. Feast or famine, after all these years I have yet to figure it out!
You may or may not have noticed a dearth of post of late. There are a couple of reasons for the lack of activity.
First off, it’s summer and a few weeks back I decided I spend entirely too much time on the computer when I’m not working. It’s wasted time too! Time spent aimlessly wandering around the web not accomplishing much. So, one of my goals is to cut back on the actual amount of time I am on the computer and not getting paid for it.
Second, one of the big reasons I am drawn to the computer repeatedly throughout the day is to check the various email accounts I have. Well after resisting as long as I was able, I finally broke down and upgraded my phone. The nice thing is I got this:
and it means I don’t have to go on the computer to check or respond to email anymore! It works out to being a great solution to not being online!
Third, all of a sudden I am literally deluged with work. It’s like the damn opened. It will be quiet for a bit of time and then all of a sudden I’m having several clients call me at once! Of course, when I am slow, I have absolutely no shame sending emails around fishing for work but, it seems like the fish are biting - if only for this week and next.
I had gotten to thinking about it the other day and I realized being a freelancer is like being a waterfront whore. When the fleet is out you are desperate and can barely find two nickels to rub together but, then when the fleet is in you can’t say no to whomever wants to f**k you because the memory of lean times are still very fresh. Feast or famine, after all these years I have yet to figure it out!
Aug 8, 2008
FRIDAY PHOTO FUNNIES!
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Aug 2, 2008
Simple design.
I finished a project a few weeks back. I was pleased with the way it came out and last week met a few friends in the park to chat so, I bought the comps along.
Usually, I won’t bring work around with me to show people. It just strikes me as tacky but, I should really let it bother me less because self-promotion is what it’s all about in the end.
In this case, I knew at some point during the course of the conversation what I had been working on lately would most likely come up and it seemed to make more sense to bring the comps along rather than to go into some detailed explanation.
So, I broke them out when we got to that point in the conversation and my compatriots seemed to be suitably impressed. I know the piece looks good so, even if I get a crit on something I’m not overly concerned. One comment stuck with me though and that was about the overall piece having a ‘simple design.’
I got to think back on that sometime later...
It was probably one of the biggest compliments I’ve ever gotten although I don’t know if the person meant it that way.
The piece was all me. I wrote the cover blurb for it, did all the research required for the background information on the packaging and the disc labels themselves, went through hours of footage to pull screen caps to use on the cover. If it looks simple at the end, it’s the result of a lot of effort put into it.
Over the years I’ve been lucky.
I’ve been lucky in the sense that I have had the opportunity to work with some really, really talented people - designers. Designers with great sensibilities, good eyes for color and balance, people who have gone on to win awards for their work (some projects that I was myself involved in). These people are true pros.
When you look at the end result of their work, it seems so effortless, so natural but the reality is it isn’t.
Today, because certain tools are so readily accessible, people think the use of them makes for a good design but it doesn’t. Instead, more often than not the availability of effects like drop shadows on text, embossing text or a whole host of photoshop filters only adds to the clutter of something. It obscures conveying a message or a meaning of a piece. Same thing is true on the Internet as well, just because we have Flash doesn’t mean every site needs to be animated. Design is about clear, simple communication. If you took these prevailing sensibilities and applied them to architecture you would readily understand the point I’m trying to make.
We would wind up with the most garish and unlivable structures surrounding us.
So, hearing that something has a simple design is a good thing.
Sure, it doesn’t take into account many hours spent looking for just the right image, retouching, color correcting, finding balance across shots, balance in the overall piece. However, it means I’m progressing because years ago I’d be making the same mistakes (drop shadows and the like) in my own work.
I finished a project a few weeks back. I was pleased with the way it came out and last week met a few friends in the park to chat so, I bought the comps along.
Usually, I won’t bring work around with me to show people. It just strikes me as tacky but, I should really let it bother me less because self-promotion is what it’s all about in the end.
In this case, I knew at some point during the course of the conversation what I had been working on lately would most likely come up and it seemed to make more sense to bring the comps along rather than to go into some detailed explanation.
So, I broke them out when we got to that point in the conversation and my compatriots seemed to be suitably impressed. I know the piece looks good so, even if I get a crit on something I’m not overly concerned. One comment stuck with me though and that was about the overall piece having a ‘simple design.’
I got to think back on that sometime later...
It was probably one of the biggest compliments I’ve ever gotten although I don’t know if the person meant it that way.
The piece was all me. I wrote the cover blurb for it, did all the research required for the background information on the packaging and the disc labels themselves, went through hours of footage to pull screen caps to use on the cover. If it looks simple at the end, it’s the result of a lot of effort put into it.
Over the years I’ve been lucky.
I’ve been lucky in the sense that I have had the opportunity to work with some really, really talented people - designers. Designers with great sensibilities, good eyes for color and balance, people who have gone on to win awards for their work (some projects that I was myself involved in). These people are true pros.
When you look at the end result of their work, it seems so effortless, so natural but the reality is it isn’t.
Today, because certain tools are so readily accessible, people think the use of them makes for a good design but it doesn’t. Instead, more often than not the availability of effects like drop shadows on text, embossing text or a whole host of photoshop filters only adds to the clutter of something. It obscures conveying a message or a meaning of a piece. Same thing is true on the Internet as well, just because we have Flash doesn’t mean every site needs to be animated. Design is about clear, simple communication. If you took these prevailing sensibilities and applied them to architecture you would readily understand the point I’m trying to make.
We would wind up with the most garish and unlivable structures surrounding us.
So, hearing that something has a simple design is a good thing.
Sure, it doesn’t take into account many hours spent looking for just the right image, retouching, color correcting, finding balance across shots, balance in the overall piece. However, it means I’m progressing because years ago I’d be making the same mistakes (drop shadows and the like) in my own work.
My very own Missile Command.
I have one of those cluster maps in the sidebar that logs the geographic location of visitors to the blog and every time I look at it all I can thing of is the old arcade game Missile Command.
I have one of those cluster maps in the sidebar that logs the geographic location of visitors to the blog and every time I look at it all I can thing of is the old arcade game Missile Command.
Missile Command is a 1980 arcade game by Atari Inc. that was also licensed to Sega for European release. The plot of Missile Command is simple: the player’s six cities are being attacked by an endless hail of ballistic missiles, some of them even splitting like multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), and in later levels smart bombs which can evade a less than perfectly targeted missile. As a regional commander of three anti-missile batteries, the player must defend six cities in their zone from being destroyed.
Aug 1, 2008
FRIDAY PHOTO FUNNIES!
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Jul 31, 2008
VIDEO VAULT THURSDAY!
(because exclamation points make all the difference)
Today we are taking a step into the WayBack machine and going way, way back to that ancient period almost three decades ago!
The year is 1979!
Nickelodeon launches, Jimmy Carter is president, the Ayatollah returns to Iran, Margaret Thatcher becomes prime minister, Morning Edition begins on NPR and the Soviets invade Afghanistan.
There isn’t even an MTV!
However, the nascent beginnings of the music video revolution are beginning to take root and early music videos are being broadcast. This week’s video is one of them!
This actually was a favorite of mine at the time and I still have the single (in the jacket pictured below)!
(because exclamation points make all the difference)
Today we are taking a step into the WayBack machine and going way, way back to that ancient period almost three decades ago!
The year is 1979!
Nickelodeon launches, Jimmy Carter is president, the Ayatollah returns to Iran, Margaret Thatcher becomes prime minister, Morning Edition begins on NPR and the Soviets invade Afghanistan.
There isn’t even an MTV!
However, the nascent beginnings of the music video revolution are beginning to take root and early music videos are being broadcast. This week’s video is one of them!
This actually was a favorite of mine at the time and I still have the single (in the jacket pictured below)!
The single was bolstered by a promotional video that was well received in its day; the clip featured Scott as a DJ singing into a microphone from behind an exaggerated turntable setup, at times flanked by two women who sang and danced in a robotic manner. One of the sight gags in the video depicted a rather plain-looking woman actually recording the backup vocals, which are then mimed by the female models, something that seems to foreshadow a number of incidents that occurred much later in the music industry with groups such as Milli Vanilli, C&C Music Factory, and Black Box.
Jul 30, 2008
Four color musings.
The ugly truth is, I kicked the habit and joined the unhooked generation.
What it means is 7 months into 2008, I’ve stuck to one of my New Year’s resolutions. The resolution to kick the weekly comic book fix. Funny thing is, today, comics are more a part of the mainstream than probably any time since the forties or the mid sixties.
The big difference?
When I first started buying comics, their cover price was 10¢. While, I’m sounding like one of those guys I used to hear growing up... ‘Back when I was a kid blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,’ today a comic book starts at a cover price of $2.99 and climbs from there. When I was six or thereabouts, had a dollar gave me the incredible booty of 10 comics - the same haul today would set me back almost $30.00. It’s a big change!
In addition, I’m finding even though a lot of good material is out there, I find myself less attached to old favorites as time goes on.
Maybe the events in comics are a reflection of what happens in our world at large. I know the world is a smaller place than it was when I was a kid but, I don’t think of it being a darker place. Somehow though, comics have become much, much darker than they were when I was a youngster.
I was going to put the blame at the feet of this generation of writers but, I can’t say that is entirely the case. Some writers in the field ‘get it’ and manage to tell a story without going for the lowest common denominator for dramatic effect. Unfortunately, those scribes number among a select few and the remainder are pretenders at best. Maybe that’s because this generation grew up reading comics and little else and it shows.
Looking back, there was a time when comics were about science, math or exploration. Nowadays, they seem to be more about violence alone. I can’t say that it’s a good thing either. Comics have taken on characteristics I just don’t find appealing.
Back on Free Comic Book Day I started to write a post:
The industry wide event that I used to spread word about doesn’t even garner the slightest bit of excitement for me. While it brings to mind the quote from Paul of Tarsus there is something more than that to it. I never considered Comics childish but something in them has become banal (for lack of a better word).
I even went to this year’s NY Comicon and started writing about that too:
The ugly truth is, I kicked the habit and joined the unhooked generation.
What it means is 7 months into 2008, I’ve stuck to one of my New Year’s resolutions. The resolution to kick the weekly comic book fix. Funny thing is, today, comics are more a part of the mainstream than probably any time since the forties or the mid sixties.
The big difference?
When I first started buying comics, their cover price was 10¢. While, I’m sounding like one of those guys I used to hear growing up... ‘Back when I was a kid blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,’ today a comic book starts at a cover price of $2.99 and climbs from there. When I was six or thereabouts, had a dollar gave me the incredible booty of 10 comics - the same haul today would set me back almost $30.00. It’s a big change!
In addition, I’m finding even though a lot of good material is out there, I find myself less attached to old favorites as time goes on.
Maybe the events in comics are a reflection of what happens in our world at large. I know the world is a smaller place than it was when I was a kid but, I don’t think of it being a darker place. Somehow though, comics have become much, much darker than they were when I was a youngster.
I was going to put the blame at the feet of this generation of writers but, I can’t say that is entirely the case. Some writers in the field ‘get it’ and manage to tell a story without going for the lowest common denominator for dramatic effect. Unfortunately, those scribes number among a select few and the remainder are pretenders at best. Maybe that’s because this generation grew up reading comics and little else and it shows.
Looking back, there was a time when comics were about science, math or exploration. Nowadays, they seem to be more about violence alone. I can’t say that it’s a good thing either. Comics have taken on characteristics I just don’t find appealing.
Back on Free Comic Book Day I started to write a post:
I might’ve posted this image once before, I can’t really tell if I did or not and I’m not going to spend the time going back to look....and I just petered out because when Free Comic Book Day rolled around even that was no longer enough to get me to set foot in the local store and that’s a bad thing.
Anyway, I scanned this in awhile back because sometimes over on the StatueForum sculptors will ask for reference images of characters they are planning to sculpt. Randy Bowen was getting ready to do an Ultron statue.
The industry wide event that I used to spread word about doesn’t even garner the slightest bit of excitement for me. While it brings to mind the quote from Paul of Tarsus there is something more than that to it. I never considered Comics childish but something in them has become banal (for lack of a better word).
I even went to this year’s NY Comicon and started writing about that too:
The Comicon wrap-up.Comics are so very insular in some ways as an industry and also as an art form. The convention was a big reminder of that for me and while I continue to want to write something in the field, I no longer have the need or compulsion to read stuff the way I once did. Nobody is more surprised than I am by that development.
Rather than make life sound like all gloom and doom, I should say aside from the stuff with the cat I had a really terrific weekend at NYCC a few weeks back, something I needed desperately.
I managed to spend a little bit of time at the NY Comicon on both Saturday and Sunday. Sat in on a few panels. Saw and met bunches of people.
Got a chance to thank Erik Larsen in person for the wonderful columns he’s written of late up on CBR, especially the one about taking the time out to appreciate people while you can.
Finally met Steve Rude in person! After years of communicating with him and the ever-gracious Gino via email. All I came away thinking was how the phrase gentle giant really applies to the man. What was also kind of funny was watching him get as much fanboy as anyone else over Joe Sinnott who was part of a panel Steve and I had attended.
I had a long chat with Kevin McGuire and got pointed over to the great comedic films he has been working on. I will never forget the moment when one anxious fan came up to him during the course of our conversation and said to him, ‘I never got a chance to see your stuff when you were big!’ Sideways compliment to say the least handled with grace by the aforementioned Mr. McGuire.
I finally got a chance to see Keith Williams! I think it was the first time in almost 20 years! Keith is someone who worked the stacks at Barnes and Noble many, many years ago. Funny thing is he was working almost side by side with later DC editor Joey Cavalieri.
Met and had a good long chat with Bob Almond
Finally met Dave Simons who I had heard a lot about.
It was fun but...
I have to say I can see where these things are well into the point of getting played out. New York Comicon is a good thing for the industry without a doubt but, the thing I was reminded of was how just by no longer indulging in that weekly fix since January I had grown entirely disconnected from the world of comics. It happened that fast.
You would think it would take a lot longer but, it didn’t.
I just didn’t have the excitement within me about the latest news regarding character Z.
The pros I chatted with are entirely another matter.
In large part because my view of them is dramatically different than it once was. These are guys who struggle to get by. Not a few of them either. Taking a walk down Artist’s Alley is a reminder of just how tough a business comics really is.
The odd thing is that while it’s good for the pros to get that kind of feedback, it leads to odd moments on the part of both pro and fan alike.
Jul 28, 2008
Cherry really is da bomb!
I have a whole interesting slew of links along the sidebar there. Those blogs I read on a regular basis. I updated the links a little bit of time back and I was surprised to see I dropped a blog without realizing it, maybe a subconscious move on my part stemming from irritation towards the blog’s owner.
I wish some of the people I’ve linked to would reciprocate and link here as well but, it doesn’t seem right to directly ask them to do so. It‘s an amazing dislpay of humility on my part considering all the other ways I can be brazen about promotion.
One of the few people who does link back to me is Cherry Bomb. Cherry is someone whose blog I have read over the years and through her blog I have found a bunch of other blogs I read regularly. She is a burlesque dancer and a good writer too. Recently, she wrote something and gave a reading of it at RKB’s In The Flesh series. She posted the text only to later take it down due either to second thoughts or backlash over what she had written.
It’s a boldly personal piece she wrote though and I found a link to the reading she gave of it. She was wonderful! Take a look for yourself:
I have a whole interesting slew of links along the sidebar there. Those blogs I read on a regular basis. I updated the links a little bit of time back and I was surprised to see I dropped a blog without realizing it, maybe a subconscious move on my part stemming from irritation towards the blog’s owner.
I wish some of the people I’ve linked to would reciprocate and link here as well but, it doesn’t seem right to directly ask them to do so. It‘s an amazing dislpay of humility on my part considering all the other ways I can be brazen about promotion.
One of the few people who does link back to me is Cherry Bomb. Cherry is someone whose blog I have read over the years and through her blog I have found a bunch of other blogs I read regularly. She is a burlesque dancer and a good writer too. Recently, she wrote something and gave a reading of it at RKB’s In The Flesh series. She posted the text only to later take it down due either to second thoughts or backlash over what she had written.
It’s a boldly personal piece she wrote though and I found a link to the reading she gave of it. She was wonderful! Take a look for yourself:
Jul 27, 2008
Perfect for a hot summer day.
I wrote this way back in December and never got around to posting it. After the heat wave we had last week and considering it was nice and toasty warm yesterday it seems only fitting to run it now if only to break the heat:
* note to self - time to get started on the Christmas cards!
I wrote this way back in December and never got around to posting it. After the heat wave we had last week and considering it was nice and toasty warm yesterday it seems only fitting to run it now if only to break the heat:
I hate snow.And that was December... coming up on the anniversary of the departure of the EYOC and leading into a January that was unsettling health wise for me and the beginning of a long downward spiral for kitty. I still hate the cold and even though it is warm I can remain holed up in the Fortress of Solitude but, the one thing I would be less inclined to do in cold weather is to take long scooter rides and there is no denying the joy that those rides bring!
I know there are a lot of people who just love it when the world gets draped in white. There is something clean I imagine about a landscape garnished with snow. Nights are brighter when there is a coating of snow on the ground. Even acknowledging these benefits though, I still find I hate the cold weather and the form of precipitation takes at the turn of the year.
I didn’t go out of the house today.
Now, that’s not all that unusual because I can easily hole up in the house for a prolonged period of time. I’m one of those people that is perfectly content and who can find innumerable ways to amuse myself alone.
The only thing is the cold weather makes it all the more likely for me to hole up if only not to expose myself to the cold. I just don’t like cold. Hot is okay but, cold can be unbearable at times.
It snowed this week on Thursday and I dutifully went out and spent the several hours shoveling the driveway to make everything nice and clear - when it’s warmer and it rains, shoveling is never a concern. The end result of my efforts was a tidy pile of snow about 7 feet high and 10 feet wide at the base. A snow tepee if you will.
Today when it snowed and then sleeted and then rained, while my neighbors were out attacking the build up I stayed ensconced in my fortress of solitude and made a big cauldron of beef stew. I’ve been meaning to cook up a bunch of food for a while now. January food, food that will be consumed in the New Year. The storm just gave me an excuse to focus my efforts in the kitchen. I still have to make up a whole batch of Chicken Sorrentino (something that may happen in the wee hours of the morning today).
I spend hours prepping and making up big batches of food and then freezing it in individual portions for later consumption. The stew came out good.
There’s still a whole bunch of holiday stuff to take care of too. Shopping, cards, things like that but I find myself not entirely motivated to get it done.
* note to self - time to get started on the Christmas cards!
Jul 26, 2008
A great meme.
I came across this great meme on Jamelah’s blog a little while ago and couldn’t resist it:
I came across this great meme on Jamelah’s blog a little while ago and couldn’t resist it:
- Put your mp3 player or music player on your computer on random.
- Post the first four lines from the first 20 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song (Skip repeat artists).
- Post and let everyone you know guess what song and artist the lines come from.
- When I met you I should’ve been warned
Ooh I could see you change from day to day
But you kept me guessing
Playing for fun - Ahhhh...
The Lord is a monkey
Thanksgiving’s coming on the Fourth of July
In the form of a girl with a needle in her eye - Everything is catching
Yes, everything is catching on fire
(Everything’s catching on fire)
Everything is catching on fire (everything’s catching on fire) - Stuck inside these four walls
Sent inside forever
Never seeing no one nice again like you
Mama you, mama you - Summertime and the livin’s easy,
and bradley’s on the microphone with ras m.g.
All the people in the dance will agree
that we’re well qualified - Lyin’, cheatin’, hurtin’, that’s all you seem to do
Messin’ around, every guy in town
Puttin’ me down for thinkin’ of someone new
Always the same, playin’ your game - You’re always dancing down the street
With your suede blue eyes
And every new boy that you meet
He doesn’t know the real surprise - We got somethin’, we both know it, we don’t talk too much about it
Ain't no real big secret, all the same, somehow we get around it
Listen, it don’t really matter to me baby
You believe what you want to believe, you see - People keep on learnin’
Soldiers keep on warrin’
World keep on turnin’
Cause it won't be too long - Hey Joe, where you goin’ with that gun in your hand
Hey Joe, I said where you goin’ with that gun in your hand
I'm goin’ down to shoot my ol’ lady
You know I caught her messin’ ‘round with another man - You know if you break my heart I’ll go, but I’ll be back
Again, ’cause I told you once before goodbye, but I came back again.
I love you so oh I’m the one who wants you, yes, I'm the one
Who wants you, oh ho, oh ho, oh - I saw a man get the beat down
Took his money and his wallet left him dead on the ground
I saw them gather celebrate the crime
Teaching us the laughter another lesson of mankind - Deep in the back of my mind is an unrealized sound
Every feeling I get from the street says it soon could be found
When I hear the cold lies of the pusher, I know it exists
It’s confirmed in the eyes of the kids, emphasized with their fist - Move aside,
and let the man go through.
Let the man go through.
Move aside, - We’re in the basement, learning to print
All of it’s hot!
10-20-30 million ready to be spent
We’re stackin’ ’em against the wall - Funny how secrets travel
I’d start to believe if I were to bleed
Thin skies, the man chains his hands held high
Cruise me blond - The city streets are empty now THE LIGHTS DON’T SHINE NO MORE
and so the songs are way down low TURNING TURNING TURNING
A sound that flows into my mind THE ECHOES OF THE DAYLIGHT
of everything that is alive IN MY BLUE WORLD - I saw you standing on the corner, you looked so big and fine.
I really wanted to go out with you, so when you smiled - I laid my heart on the line.
You read me my rights and then you said “Let’s go” and nothing more.
I thought of my nights, and how they were. - When will we get the time to be just friends
It’s never safe for us not even in the evening
’cos I've been drinking
Not in the morning where your shit works - Hey God, why are you doing this to me?
Am I not living up to what I'm supposed to be?
Why am I seething with this animosity?
Hey God, I think you owe me a great big apology
Posting roulette.
Blogger has this neat feature now in that you can write a post and schedule when it will wind up being published.
I love this!
Some of the things I write about aren’t really topical at all and this gives me the ability to get something written when the mood strikes me and to keep a steady stream of content as well.
As it stands, I’ve started writing some things for way, way out. The reason I call if posting roulette is because some of those things have the capacity to set off bombs. In particular, I have been enormously restrained in writing about a particular topic. Without going into specifics, there is a person I long ago decided to no longer have contact with but, it hasn’t stopped them from nosing about. So, I have my own version of a ticking timebomb just waiting for them... think along the lines of ‘set it and forget it.’
Blogger has this neat feature now in that you can write a post and schedule when it will wind up being published.
I love this!
Some of the things I write about aren’t really topical at all and this gives me the ability to get something written when the mood strikes me and to keep a steady stream of content as well.
As it stands, I’ve started writing some things for way, way out. The reason I call if posting roulette is because some of those things have the capacity to set off bombs. In particular, I have been enormously restrained in writing about a particular topic. Without going into specifics, there is a person I long ago decided to no longer have contact with but, it hasn’t stopped them from nosing about. So, I have my own version of a ticking timebomb just waiting for them... think along the lines of ‘set it and forget it.’
Jul 25, 2008
FRIDAY PHOTO FUNNIES!
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Jul 24, 2008
VIDEO VAULT THURSDAY!
(because exclamation points make all the difference)
Whenever I think back to the 90’s, I think about all the great music that was created around that time. Over the course of my lifetime, the 60’s are well remembered even if I was a kid at the time, the 70’s were the era where I came of age but the 80’s were like a desert for the most part where music was concerned. Sure there was the occasional oasis, a bright spot of an album, band or song that I liked but for the most part it was a long, arid decade.
Right at the end of the decade though, grunge started to come to prominence and a flood of wonderful new music seemed to issue forth from all corners of the globe.
This week’s video is from 1992 and to me is emblematic of the period.
The video dovetails into the mood of the song and does a good job of speaking to the issue of alienation.
(because exclamation points make all the difference)
Whenever I think back to the 90’s, I think about all the great music that was created around that time. Over the course of my lifetime, the 60’s are well remembered even if I was a kid at the time, the 70’s were the era where I came of age but the 80’s were like a desert for the most part where music was concerned. Sure there was the occasional oasis, a bright spot of an album, band or song that I liked but for the most part it was a long, arid decade.
Right at the end of the decade though, grunge started to come to prominence and a flood of wonderful new music seemed to issue forth from all corners of the globe.
This week’s video is from 1992 and to me is emblematic of the period.
The video dovetails into the mood of the song and does a good job of speaking to the issue of alienation.
The video, directed by Samuel Bayer, stars Heather DeLoach as the “Bee Girl” — a young tap dancer wearing a homemade bee costume and large glasses, modeled after the Blind Melon album’s cover: a family picture of Georgia Graham, younger sister of drummer Glen Graham. The Bee Girl’s story is interspersed with footage of Blind Melon performing in a field against a clear blue sky.
It opens on the girl’s tap routine; the audience responds with laughter, and the girl runs off stage in tears. As the song plays, she wanders through a city, stopping to perform her dance for whoever will watch. Ultimately — at the point in the song where the word “escape” is repeated — she peeks through a gate, astonished, then runs through it to join a group of “bee people” of all shapes and sizes dancing joyfully in a green field.
As a result of the video, DeLoach appeared on the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, and reprised her Bee Girl dance (in full costume) in the video for “Weird Al” Yankovic’s song “Bedrock Anthem.”
VH1 ranked the “No Rain” video 83nd on its “100 Greatest Videos of All Time” list; the song was also No. 99 on the channel’s “100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders” list.
Jul 23, 2008
The sh**ty artist.
A bunch of days back, in my unending quest to rid myself of as much clutter as I can to live a life that is free from the burden of items I don’t need, I came across a sketch book from, must be from about, 26 years ago. I thumbed through it just to see what was in it. Threw out most of it but saved and scanned the ten items in this post.
26 years is a long time, I can hardly believe so much time has passed. Looking at these drawings though, reminded me of what was going on in my life at the time, the things that were important to me and the people around me.
I went to college and studied Illustration. That is to say, in my abortive college career I went to a lot of classes that involved me drawing. I like drawing. Drawing was something I always had fun with and even today as I read the paper or when I’m at work, I’ll be sketching something in the margins.
I always considered myself to have some ability, better than most but certainly not as good as others. I’ve seen people who have devoted their lifetimes to art and am both amazed and envious of their abilities at times. If you look through the sidebar, you’ll see Vinnie’s blog, Vinnie really has f%#$ing chops, he draws in a bunch of different mediums and styles. Gerry Acerno whose stuff I put up from time to time can really draw too, his work harkens back to a golden age of comics. I respect and admire them because they have given themselves over to that lifelong avocation.
Whenever an artist is asked about the process, it’s a difficult to describe to someone who doesn’t create art but, talk to a fellow artist and they will all agree about how, in many instances, what is put down on paper is the realization of the image an artist sees in his mind first. It’s very hard work.
I was never entirely happy with the results I got. I got better over time but, I still didn’t approach the kind of results or expectations I had for myself. The good thing is I long ago reconciled with that, I don’t suffer sleepless nights over it so when I got the following comment some time back: you'll ALWAYS be a SHITTY ARTIST.... now you're just a MIDDLE of the road production artist who CAN"T draw... I laughed.
See, I embraced that a long. long time ago. I can live with the ability I have, get my enjoyment from the things I do. At least unlike my anonymous commenter, I’m not a hack.
A bunch of days back, in my unending quest to rid myself of as much clutter as I can to live a life that is free from the burden of items I don’t need, I came across a sketch book from, must be from about, 26 years ago. I thumbed through it just to see what was in it. Threw out most of it but saved and scanned the ten items in this post.
26 years is a long time, I can hardly believe so much time has passed. Looking at these drawings though, reminded me of what was going on in my life at the time, the things that were important to me and the people around me.
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I went to college and studied Illustration. That is to say, in my abortive college career I went to a lot of classes that involved me drawing. I like drawing. Drawing was something I always had fun with and even today as I read the paper or when I’m at work, I’ll be sketching something in the margins.
I always considered myself to have some ability, better than most but certainly not as good as others. I’ve seen people who have devoted their lifetimes to art and am both amazed and envious of their abilities at times. If you look through the sidebar, you’ll see Vinnie’s blog, Vinnie really has f%#$ing chops, he draws in a bunch of different mediums and styles. Gerry Acerno whose stuff I put up from time to time can really draw too, his work harkens back to a golden age of comics. I respect and admire them because they have given themselves over to that lifelong avocation.
Whenever an artist is asked about the process, it’s a difficult to describe to someone who doesn’t create art but, talk to a fellow artist and they will all agree about how, in many instances, what is put down on paper is the realization of the image an artist sees in his mind first. It’s very hard work.
I was never entirely happy with the results I got. I got better over time but, I still didn’t approach the kind of results or expectations I had for myself. The good thing is I long ago reconciled with that, I don’t suffer sleepless nights over it so when I got the following comment some time back: you'll ALWAYS be a SHITTY ARTIST.... now you're just a MIDDLE of the road production artist who CAN"T draw... I laughed.
See, I embraced that a long. long time ago. I can live with the ability I have, get my enjoyment from the things I do. At least unlike my anonymous commenter, I’m not a hack.
Does anyone even notice?!
I go through phases in life where the daily ritual changes. Some periods I’ll find myself listening to a lot of radio and then others where the thing isn’t on at all. The New York city public radio station is WNYC and depending on the time of day or just the way I’m living life it will be on in the background. Sometimes I find I really like it and other times it is just unlistenable because of reasons that escape me - usually this is between the hours of 10 and 2 although both the Brian Lehrer Show and the Leonard Lopate Show both can be very entertaining.
One unsettling thing I’ve noticed though and I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere else, is how WNYC uses Apple’s voice technology to do its between show and promotional announcements. No reason to hire a person and to go through the motion of repeated takes and verbal gaffes, just type it in and it’s ready to go!
It’s just a sign of the times and a cost saving measure for a station that relies heavily on accounting for every dollar but I still think it’s not a good thing for radio.
I go through phases in life where the daily ritual changes. Some periods I’ll find myself listening to a lot of radio and then others where the thing isn’t on at all. The New York city public radio station is WNYC and depending on the time of day or just the way I’m living life it will be on in the background. Sometimes I find I really like it and other times it is just unlistenable because of reasons that escape me - usually this is between the hours of 10 and 2 although both the Brian Lehrer Show and the Leonard Lopate Show both can be very entertaining.
One unsettling thing I’ve noticed though and I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere else, is how WNYC uses Apple’s voice technology to do its between show and promotional announcements. No reason to hire a person and to go through the motion of repeated takes and verbal gaffes, just type it in and it’s ready to go!
It’s just a sign of the times and a cost saving measure for a station that relies heavily on accounting for every dollar but I still think it’s not a good thing for radio.
Jul 22, 2008
TELEVISION TUESDAY.
So, what were people up to before they were famous? This week for Television Tuesday, we get the treat of seeing a short that Jay Leno made when he was still a vagabond comic, long before his stint as a guest host (and ultimately regular host) of the Tonight Show:
So, what were people up to before they were famous? This week for Television Tuesday, we get the treat of seeing a short that Jay Leno made when he was still a vagabond comic, long before his stint as a guest host (and ultimately regular host) of the Tonight Show:
The show was a mix of music videos (by both himself and others) mixed in with comedy sketches, commercial parodies, and general silliness. It was hosted by Nesmith himself, who also participated in many of the sketches. Television Parts also featured guest appearances by a number of comedians, including Martin Mull, Whoopi Goldberg, Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Martin, The Funny Boys and Garry Shandling, whose appearance on the show was the seed for It's Garry Shandling’s Show. Michael Nesmith produced humorous skits, songs and commercial parodies in this video.
Jul 21, 2008
Hand wringing.
I don’t know who he is but on one level he’s my new hero: Dan McFan STRIKES!
It’s funny because all he did was post an image and suddenly a veritable sh*tstorm arose over nothing. I imagine it just illustrates once again there are people on the internet who will fight about anything. This had me laughing my ass off, just amazing how some people are so desperate to make something out of nothing.
I don’t know who he is but on one level he’s my new hero: Dan McFan STRIKES!
It’s funny because all he did was post an image and suddenly a veritable sh*tstorm arose over nothing. I imagine it just illustrates once again there are people on the internet who will fight about anything. This had me laughing my ass off, just amazing how some people are so desperate to make something out of nothing.
Here’s a good test for you.
I was writing a note to someone and I wanted to use an analogy that had me searching around the internet for the specific wording. I don’t even remember what the note was about now but, during the course of searching I came across this test. I scored 20 out of 20 (thankfully) but, I have to wonder how many people won’t do as well.
You’re an American?
A citizen of these United States?
Well, test your knowledge!
* I’m kind of curious how people do so post your scores in the comments section... IF YOU DARE!
I was writing a note to someone and I wanted to use an analogy that had me searching around the internet for the specific wording. I don’t even remember what the note was about now but, during the course of searching I came across this test. I scored 20 out of 20 (thankfully) but, I have to wonder how many people won’t do as well.
You’re an American?
A citizen of these United States?
Well, test your knowledge!
* I’m kind of curious how people do so post your scores in the comments section... IF YOU DARE!
Jul 20, 2008
I can’t wait.
New York baseball fans can be the most loyal fans in the world or they can be the most brutal. Believe me I’ve seen it time and time again, guys can be beloved or despised. Up until recently, for Mets fans at Shea stadium the one visiting player who was most likely to be designated for raucous booing was (Larry) Chipper Jones. However, after last week’s Home Run Hitting contest at the All Star game at Yankee stadium I believe there is a player who will usurp that special mantle from Atlanta’s third baseman. Here’s the reason why:
and knowing NY fans the way I do, I am sure they’ll come up with some very creative ways to get their message across!
New York baseball fans can be the most loyal fans in the world or they can be the most brutal. Believe me I’ve seen it time and time again, guys can be beloved or despised. Up until recently, for Mets fans at Shea stadium the one visiting player who was most likely to be designated for raucous booing was (Larry) Chipper Jones. However, after last week’s Home Run Hitting contest at the All Star game at Yankee stadium I believe there is a player who will usurp that special mantle from Atlanta’s third baseman. Here’s the reason why:
and knowing NY fans the way I do, I am sure they’ll come up with some very creative ways to get their message across!
Jul 19, 2008
Grammar junkies.
If you’re a grammar junkie like I am (and I am even though I cleave my way through the English language like a barbarian) you’ll enjoy the newly added blog in the sidebar. Over the coming weeks there will be some updating and modifying of the sidebar but, this blog is just “plain” fun.
I give you The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks.
If you’re a grammar junkie like I am (and I am even though I cleave my way through the English language like a barbarian) you’ll enjoy the newly added blog in the sidebar. Over the coming weeks there will be some updating and modifying of the sidebar but, this blog is just “plain” fun.
I give you The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks.
Why don’t we all just carry guns?
The other day I had posted about how RKB also known as the Lusty Lady had some fool bothering her. In the comments section of her blog I was really amazed that some people advocated shooting the guy. Not just shooting him but, killing him.
Roll that over in your head for a second.
Here‘s the rub... the people advocating shooting the guy would best be described as liberal:
Now, I posted a comment in the thread and two other people posted comments in the thread that didn’t once mention shooting someone but I love the fact that the people advocating shooting as a solution (and not just shooting but killing someone) were women. How f#%$ing ironic is that!
Projection of force? I like that phrase.
I’ve never been one to carry a gun and I have friends who do and have. Thing is, if you have a gun and you pull it out you kinda have to use it. If the person your dealing with also has a gun, well things can get very messy, very quickly and escalate to the point where people who are not involved in the slightest with what is happening, get hurt (these are usually called innocent bystanders or alternately collateral damage).
You might think I’m talking out of my a** on this one too but, I’ve had guns drawn on me twice (at least that I can remember). Once someone was trying to rob me and the other time by several over-zealous sheriffs on the West Coast.
The guy trying to rob me got squat and the cops were just a matter of cooperating but things could have been very different if I had a gun.
Also, while I can’t say I condone the miscreant’s behavior, what we’re talking about is akin to using an elephant gun instead of a fly swatter. Again, is it that f&$#ing hard to just say, ‘NO, I’M NOT INTERESTED!’ and then take things up level by level if and when they escalate?
I posted this here because I’ve gotten beyond the point where I’m inclined to have comment wars with people I consider idiots. The level of stupidity on the internet just amazes me sometimes though particularly when people who advocate the harshest response under one set of circumstances would pillory another if they followed that same course of action in a different set of circumstances.
Better still is the big, swinging dicks comment - penis envy? (LOL) People talk about projection of force and then totally fail to recognize that force is only effective when applied judiciously. Believe me, there’s tons of people in this world saying things I find offensive, hurtful, demeaning, the list goes on and on... but shooting them is not the answer.
The other day I had posted about how RKB also known as the Lusty Lady had some fool bothering her. In the comments section of her blog I was really amazed that some people advocated shooting the guy. Not just shooting him but, killing him.
Roll that over in your head for a second.
Here‘s the rub... the people advocating shooting the guy would best be described as liberal:
Trixie Fontaine said...
That is fuuuuuuuuuuucked. And if he has already contacted you three or more times since you told him not to, it might not be a bad idea to call the cops already.
Sex writing might be part of what's fueled his plan to stalk you, but just plain delusional thought is where it starts and there's no behavior of yours that can change the kind of rationale that thinks having simply seen your myspace page constitutes the forging of a real "friendship".
With movies, etc. continuing to teach people that certain behaviors are not stalking, it's endearing persistence that leads to marriage, having the cops warn him off might let him know he's not going to break down your resistance to what he thinks are his charms, but will lead to a restraining order and possible jail time.
jessica said...
that is some crazy shit - and good call trixie, on movies romanticizing this kind of behavior.
it's amazing what people think they can get away with when addressing and/or dealing with women who do what they want with their own sexuality. hateful comments, badgering comments, waaaaaay over-the-line comments...fuck this guy, and it took balls (ovaries?) for you to post about it instead of just letting it fester.
MeiLin Miranda said...
We deal with this at Casa de Miranda by being armed. Seriously.
I'm going for my concealed carry permit soon, and Sir already has one. I gots a 12-gauge shotgun named Zoe and a .22 rifle named Martha, and I'm getting a larger caliber Sig Sauer handgun to carry. Sir has his own .38 special named Wash.
Women are not as strong as men. Projection of force evens the odds, and I have zero qualms about shooting a stalker or anyone else who's trying to hurt me or my children.
We're not scary people; we have never drawn on anyone, we store our guns properly, and Sir is a better shot than most cops (I'm working on it). If we ever do draw it will be because we really think we need to shoot someone to save our lives. But we find that people just knowing we're armed cuts down on the bullshit dramatically.
Trixie Fontaine said...
I'm sure Rachel knows this/won't do these things, but contacting his employer and/or potentially putting him in danger by outing his personal information (which is also breaking the law) are pretty bad ideas. Because they're illegal. Because they're ineffectual, unfair things that could set him off and/or be perceived as justification for continuing the "relationship" he imagines, like it's just a bad breakup. Really doing things the legal way getting things documented herself, like she's doing, and with the cops then leading to a restraining order if necessary are the best ways to do it without opening herself up to litigation.
But yeah, being ready to shoot to kill is also an option I love. I can't imagine Rachel doing it, but yeah -- shoot to KILL so he can never testify against you in court. That's my motto.
Trixie Fontaine said...
After the big guys beat him up, she's still just as vulnerable of a target as a woman as she was before unless said big guys are walking around with her 24/7, only now the guy has an additional reason to really hate and resent her and try to feel big and strong and forcibly desirable (if that's the kind of guy he is).
As someone who said (among other things) "shoot to kill" (in response to something someone else said, I didn't bring it up initially) who is also a self-avowed liberal, I stand by it: if you're going to shoot someone who is trying to hurt you (I don't think anyone is saying she should go hunt him down right now and pop a cap in his ass at this point) it will just be much cleaner to end his ability to fuck with you at all, ever again.
I don't know why you would think beating the shit out of him NOW is an option worth championing to "send him a message" and is the liberal thing to do but that shooting him if he steps up his stalking and actually threatens her is not.
Reading the comments quickly, so maybe I missed something/misinterpreted things. . . I did say the shoot to kill thing off the cuff (and twice on accident, or maybe for the sheer pleasure of it).
Trixie Fontaine said...
Oh, my mistake. Your advice is to simply THREATEN him right now with bodily harm. Big swinging dicks instead of a concealed weapon.
Now, I posted a comment in the thread and two other people posted comments in the thread that didn’t once mention shooting someone but I love the fact that the people advocating shooting as a solution (and not just shooting but killing someone) were women. How f#%$ing ironic is that!
Projection of force? I like that phrase.
I’ve never been one to carry a gun and I have friends who do and have. Thing is, if you have a gun and you pull it out you kinda have to use it. If the person your dealing with also has a gun, well things can get very messy, very quickly and escalate to the point where people who are not involved in the slightest with what is happening, get hurt (these are usually called innocent bystanders or alternately collateral damage).
You might think I’m talking out of my a** on this one too but, I’ve had guns drawn on me twice (at least that I can remember). Once someone was trying to rob me and the other time by several over-zealous sheriffs on the West Coast.
The guy trying to rob me got squat and the cops were just a matter of cooperating but things could have been very different if I had a gun.
Also, while I can’t say I condone the miscreant’s behavior, what we’re talking about is akin to using an elephant gun instead of a fly swatter. Again, is it that f&$#ing hard to just say, ‘NO, I’M NOT INTERESTED!’ and then take things up level by level if and when they escalate?
I posted this here because I’ve gotten beyond the point where I’m inclined to have comment wars with people I consider idiots. The level of stupidity on the internet just amazes me sometimes though particularly when people who advocate the harshest response under one set of circumstances would pillory another if they followed that same course of action in a different set of circumstances.
Better still is the big, swinging dicks comment - penis envy? (LOL) People talk about projection of force and then totally fail to recognize that force is only effective when applied judiciously. Believe me, there’s tons of people in this world saying things I find offensive, hurtful, demeaning, the list goes on and on... but shooting them is not the answer.
You have to be pretty smart,
to be this stupid:
This is the cover to the July 21 issue of the New Yorker magazine. I don’t read the New Yorker regularly, as a matter of fact I can’t say I’ve ever bought an issue.
I always think of the New Yorker as targeted towards a very literate, highbrow and liberal audience. I just can’t say I fit that demographic. Not that there isn’t stuff in there for me to read, it’s just one of those things I never went out of my way to seek out.
Madame X used to subscribe to Harper’s (and Mother Jones) and I would read an article in those from time to time but again, not my thing (and before anyone gets too up in arms I realize Mother Jones is not in the same vein as Harper’s or New Yorker - the comparison was meant between the latter two magazines).
Over the coming days though, I have to imagine you’ll be hearing more about this cover.
Why?
Well, because even a moron like me realizes it is in horribly bad taste. The people at the New Yorker want people to believe that this was a commentary on satire, they even go as far as to show examples of the artist’s previous satirical work for the magazine. However, looking through the other images there is nothing remotely close to this in terms of bigotry... plus it is one of those things that will be used to reinforce a fallacy (Obama being a Muslim).
The same image if it had been the cover of a right-wing, conservative publication would have been pilloried for their lack of editorial scruples and rightfully so. Like I said, you have to be pretty smart to be this stupid, what were they thinking?
to be this stupid:
This is the cover to the July 21 issue of the New Yorker magazine. I don’t read the New Yorker regularly, as a matter of fact I can’t say I’ve ever bought an issue.
I always think of the New Yorker as targeted towards a very literate, highbrow and liberal audience. I just can’t say I fit that demographic. Not that there isn’t stuff in there for me to read, it’s just one of those things I never went out of my way to seek out.
Madame X used to subscribe to Harper’s (and Mother Jones) and I would read an article in those from time to time but again, not my thing (and before anyone gets too up in arms I realize Mother Jones is not in the same vein as Harper’s or New Yorker - the comparison was meant between the latter two magazines).
Over the coming days though, I have to imagine you’ll be hearing more about this cover.
Why?
Well, because even a moron like me realizes it is in horribly bad taste. The people at the New Yorker want people to believe that this was a commentary on satire, they even go as far as to show examples of the artist’s previous satirical work for the magazine. However, looking through the other images there is nothing remotely close to this in terms of bigotry... plus it is one of those things that will be used to reinforce a fallacy (Obama being a Muslim).
The same image if it had been the cover of a right-wing, conservative publication would have been pilloried for their lack of editorial scruples and rightfully so. Like I said, you have to be pretty smart to be this stupid, what were they thinking?
Jul 18, 2008
FRIDAY PHOTO FUNNIES!
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
Reliving past glory of a misspent youth.
Again, foto funnies are posted as a historical analysis of the changing face of humor in our country of the last 25 or so years. They do not present the viewpoint or opinion of the blog owner. Often they are wildly politically incorrect and offensive - if you are offended by the material in a foto funny, you either need to develop a sense of humor or surf elsewhere.
For more fun, check out The National Lampoon site, the originators of the Photo Funny.
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