The Restaurant I Ate at Last Night XI
On the way to Highwater Books North last night, I stopped off at Theo's Pizza to pick up several slices -- two for me, one for TD. Now, Theo's is on Teele Square, and it's largely unremarkable -- your basic pizza place. But it has several things going for it. One, the people who work there are always really nice. Two, their pizza, while simple, is chewy and cheesy -- yum! -- even if their crust is a little sparse. And three, one of the people who created "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place" -- later aired as "Two Guys and a Girl" -- or perhaps all three of them (I'm not sure.) went to college at Tufts University and worked at Theo's for awhile. I used to go there quite often when I lived with Tom, Tom, and Tom, so it's been awhile since I've stopped in for a slice. Thanks, Theo's!
Tuesday, August 13, 2002
It's an Ad, Ad, Ad, Ad World XIII
Gap has posted some Web previews of its new television ads for this fall. Spots feature Willie Nelson and Ryan Adams singing "Move It on Over," Shalom Harlow gettin' jiggy to American Breed's "Bend Me, Shape Me," and Will Kemp playing the fly guy to QJ's Jook Joint's "Stuff Like That."
Gap has posted some Web previews of its new television ads for this fall. Spots feature Willie Nelson and Ryan Adams singing "Move It on Over," Shalom Harlow gettin' jiggy to American Breed's "Bend Me, Shape Me," and Will Kemp playing the fly guy to QJ's Jook Joint's "Stuff Like That."
Rock Shows of Note XXXI
After helping Jef and TD inventory books stored at Highwater Books North, we grabbed a pint at P.J. Ryan's, formerly the Station, on Teele Square. After that -- and a quick stop home to sort mail, do bills, and relax a bit, I headed out to Toad on Porter Square to meet up with Coco and see a band called Schwang.
I haven't been to Toad for a long time and remembered it as being extremely narrow and crowded. If you get there early enough -- and get a seat on one of the sides -- it's not that bad a showgoing experience. Schwang, a four piece, featured Dave Goodrich on guitar, Anita Suhanin on vocals, Lou Ulrich on bass, and Andy Plaisted on drums. Word is Andy also plays in the Pee Wee Fist.
Schwang specializes in a mix of country swing, torch songs, and rockabilly, and Anita's voice is extremely powerful -- perfect for old-timey love and lovelorn songs. Dave's guitar playing was quite impressive, and because we sat almost in his lap -- his guitar neck almost poking out my eyes -- we got to see him in action up close and personal. It was a solid set -- mostly covers, I'd gather, but good ones, including Merle Haggard and other fine country songwriters.
Next up was the Tim Gearan Band, which was basically the same lineup, only without Anita, with Tim, and with a tenor saxophonist who probably should've been mic'ed. We only stayed to check out several songs -- Coco's seen Schwang a lot but has never stuck around to see Gearan -- and there were several notable differences in the performance. Gearan's tastes seem to run more toward the blues and -- at times -- standard college jam rock, but even though it's not totally my thing, the musicians were still impressive, Gearan has a strong presence, and they do what they do well.
Welcome back to Toad! I'll have to return soon. If you're into area music of this sort, you might be interested in Hellcountry. Their show calendar hasn't been updated since June, but their directory of local bands and venues is useful. It seems they used to host a monthly series at the Kendall Cafe, where I'll be going later this week.
After the show, Coco and I walked down Massachusetts Avenue to see where I used to live on Chauncy Street, the Longy School of Music -- which sports a nice new kinetic sculpture on the corner -- and the neon sign for the Sheraton Commander. In the interest of continuing my thread of nighttime city scenes a la the library on Harvard Common, here are some snaps:
With flash.
Without flash.
Just goes to show that's it always a good idea to travel with a camera.
After helping Jef and TD inventory books stored at Highwater Books North, we grabbed a pint at P.J. Ryan's, formerly the Station, on Teele Square. After that -- and a quick stop home to sort mail, do bills, and relax a bit, I headed out to Toad on Porter Square to meet up with Coco and see a band called Schwang.
I haven't been to Toad for a long time and remembered it as being extremely narrow and crowded. If you get there early enough -- and get a seat on one of the sides -- it's not that bad a showgoing experience. Schwang, a four piece, featured Dave Goodrich on guitar, Anita Suhanin on vocals, Lou Ulrich on bass, and Andy Plaisted on drums. Word is Andy also plays in the Pee Wee Fist.
Schwang specializes in a mix of country swing, torch songs, and rockabilly, and Anita's voice is extremely powerful -- perfect for old-timey love and lovelorn songs. Dave's guitar playing was quite impressive, and because we sat almost in his lap -- his guitar neck almost poking out my eyes -- we got to see him in action up close and personal. It was a solid set -- mostly covers, I'd gather, but good ones, including Merle Haggard and other fine country songwriters.
Next up was the Tim Gearan Band, which was basically the same lineup, only without Anita, with Tim, and with a tenor saxophonist who probably should've been mic'ed. We only stayed to check out several songs -- Coco's seen Schwang a lot but has never stuck around to see Gearan -- and there were several notable differences in the performance. Gearan's tastes seem to run more toward the blues and -- at times -- standard college jam rock, but even though it's not totally my thing, the musicians were still impressive, Gearan has a strong presence, and they do what they do well.
Welcome back to Toad! I'll have to return soon. If you're into area music of this sort, you might be interested in Hellcountry. Their show calendar hasn't been updated since June, but their directory of local bands and venues is useful. It seems they used to host a monthly series at the Kendall Cafe, where I'll be going later this week.
After the show, Coco and I walked down Massachusetts Avenue to see where I used to live on Chauncy Street, the Longy School of Music -- which sports a nice new kinetic sculpture on the corner -- and the neon sign for the Sheraton Commander. In the interest of continuing my thread of nighttime city scenes a la the library on Harvard Common, here are some snaps:
With flash.
Without flash.
Just goes to show that's it always a good idea to travel with a camera.
Monday, August 12, 2002
Reports from the Road II
In early July, I spent some time in Wisconsin for my father's birthday and the July 4 festivities. While in the northwoods, my family and I explored two gangster-related historical sites. The first was the Hideout, Al Capone's retreat near Couderay, Wisconsin. Capone began vacationing here in the early '20s to escape the heat in Chicago -- the high temperatures as well as the heavy pressure exerted on his criminal activities by the police and federal government.
Al Capone slept here.
There's not much else of note in the area, but the Hideout is well worth the trek. Instead of going into detail about Capone's time near Couderay, I'll let the pictures I took speak for themselves.
While the inside of the lodge is rustic, Capone's hired guns weren't allowed on the main floor. They had to use this servants' entrance.
Aquatic airplanes from Canada would smuggle in alcohol for distribution, landing on Cranberry Lake.
Trespassers and prisoners would be locked up in this small cell.
Inside the holding cell.
Believe it or not, this is an "exercise yard" for prisoners.
The watchtower at the end of the long drive to the Hideout.
While sitting on this deck in front of the house, Capone's cronies would fire their guns at wild game.
We also spent some time walking around Little Bohemia, a supper club and former resort lodge near Manitowish Waters. Federal agents shot several unwary locals here, mistaking them for John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson as they left following a dinner. During the shootout, lodge staff holed up in the basement while Dillinger and Baby Face escaped through a second-story window on the lake side of the building.
Loose lead flew at Little Bohemia.
Today, little remains of the Little Bohemia of yore. It's no longer used as a lodge, and the out buildings, which had once been used as guest cabins (Baby Face and his wife were staying in one at the time of the shootout), are no longer rented. It's a restaurant. And it's one I haven't eaten at, so I can't comment on whether the food lives up to Little Bohemia's storied past.
In early July, I spent some time in Wisconsin for my father's birthday and the July 4 festivities. While in the northwoods, my family and I explored two gangster-related historical sites. The first was the Hideout, Al Capone's retreat near Couderay, Wisconsin. Capone began vacationing here in the early '20s to escape the heat in Chicago -- the high temperatures as well as the heavy pressure exerted on his criminal activities by the police and federal government.
Al Capone slept here.
There's not much else of note in the area, but the Hideout is well worth the trek. Instead of going into detail about Capone's time near Couderay, I'll let the pictures I took speak for themselves.
While the inside of the lodge is rustic, Capone's hired guns weren't allowed on the main floor. They had to use this servants' entrance.
Aquatic airplanes from Canada would smuggle in alcohol for distribution, landing on Cranberry Lake.
Trespassers and prisoners would be locked up in this small cell.
Inside the holding cell.
Believe it or not, this is an "exercise yard" for prisoners.
The watchtower at the end of the long drive to the Hideout.
While sitting on this deck in front of the house, Capone's cronies would fire their guns at wild game.
We also spent some time walking around Little Bohemia, a supper club and former resort lodge near Manitowish Waters. Federal agents shot several unwary locals here, mistaking them for John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson as they left following a dinner. During the shootout, lodge staff holed up in the basement while Dillinger and Baby Face escaped through a second-story window on the lake side of the building.
Loose lead flew at Little Bohemia.
Today, little remains of the Little Bohemia of yore. It's no longer used as a lodge, and the out buildings, which had once been used as guest cabins (Baby Face and his wife were staying in one at the time of the shootout), are no longer rented. It's a restaurant. And it's one I haven't eaten at, so I can't comment on whether the food lives up to Little Bohemia's storied past.
Managing Me-Mail II
Today's Phantom comic strip proposes an interesting alternative to email: monkey mail.
Might give the phrase "cleaning up your in box" new meaning.
Thanks to SF Gate.
Today's Phantom comic strip proposes an interesting alternative to email: monkey mail.
Might give the phrase "cleaning up your in box" new meaning.
Thanks to SF Gate.
Among the Literati XIII
Timmy McSweety's Endearing Cleverness is a laughter-inducing send up of McSweeney's. Cracks me up, it does. Be sure to check out the archives.
Thanks to Typing, Typing, Typing.
Timmy McSweety's Endearing Cleverness is a laughter-inducing send up of McSweeney's. Cracks me up, it does. Be sure to check out the archives.
Thanks to Typing, Typing, Typing.
Happy Birthday to Media Dieticians VII
It was celebrated quietly, but Maytag's Ol' Lonely, the Maytag repairman and advertising icon, turned 35 at the end of July. The first Maytag repairman commercial aired during the "Today" show in 1967, and Ol' Lonely, as played by Jesse White and Gordon Jump, has -- according to Maytag -- become the longest-running real-life advertising character in TV history. "The character is known and cherished by millions as the symbol of dependability and icon of loneliness," says a Maytag news release announcing the anniversary. Huh. If you're dependable, prepare to be lonely, people!
Ol' Lonely takes the cake!
Ol' Lonely was inspired by letters Maytag received from customers who wrote about the dependability of their washing machines and other products. (And, perhaps, leagues of underemployed appliance repairmen.) Leo Burnett Co. launched the "Dependability" campaign in 1961, highlighting real Maytag customers singing the praises of Maytag. This campaign sparked even more letters from customers. In Canada, Maytag produced a radio call-in show during which listeners could seek advice from an appliance repairman. This spilled over to television advertisements, with Jesse White starring as Ol' Lonely, the Maytag repairman.
Since Ol' Lonely's debut, he's been joined by a sad-faced bassett hound named Newton and -- after Jesse's 1989 retirement and replacement by Gordon Jump -- an apprentice. Ol' Lonely continues to wait for the phone to ring, but the apprentice spends his time learning more about Maytag's innovations.
While I'd challenge that Ol' Lonely is the longest-running real-life advertising character in history -- Dick Wilson played Mr. Whipple in Charmin adverts from 1964-1990 (36 years by my count) -- I'd like to encourage Media Dieticians the world over to pick up their phones, call Ol' Lonely, and wish him one heck of an anniversary. (Maybe even kick in your washing machine so there's something for him to fix, too.)
It was celebrated quietly, but Maytag's Ol' Lonely, the Maytag repairman and advertising icon, turned 35 at the end of July. The first Maytag repairman commercial aired during the "Today" show in 1967, and Ol' Lonely, as played by Jesse White and Gordon Jump, has -- according to Maytag -- become the longest-running real-life advertising character in TV history. "The character is known and cherished by millions as the symbol of dependability and icon of loneliness," says a Maytag news release announcing the anniversary. Huh. If you're dependable, prepare to be lonely, people!
Ol' Lonely takes the cake!
Ol' Lonely was inspired by letters Maytag received from customers who wrote about the dependability of their washing machines and other products. (And, perhaps, leagues of underemployed appliance repairmen.) Leo Burnett Co. launched the "Dependability" campaign in 1961, highlighting real Maytag customers singing the praises of Maytag. This campaign sparked even more letters from customers. In Canada, Maytag produced a radio call-in show during which listeners could seek advice from an appliance repairman. This spilled over to television advertisements, with Jesse White starring as Ol' Lonely, the Maytag repairman.
Since Ol' Lonely's debut, he's been joined by a sad-faced bassett hound named Newton and -- after Jesse's 1989 retirement and replacement by Gordon Jump -- an apprentice. Ol' Lonely continues to wait for the phone to ring, but the apprentice spends his time learning more about Maytag's innovations.
While I'd challenge that Ol' Lonely is the longest-running real-life advertising character in history -- Dick Wilson played Mr. Whipple in Charmin adverts from 1964-1990 (36 years by my count) -- I'd like to encourage Media Dieticians the world over to pick up their phones, call Ol' Lonely, and wish him one heck of an anniversary. (Maybe even kick in your washing machine so there's something for him to fix, too.)
Music to My Eyes
Shynola has created a video for Danish pop stars Junior Senior's song "Move Your Feet." It's a high-energy bit of pixellated goodness that makes me think of Ben Jones and the Paper Radio posse. Fun stuff! Download the Quicktime movie and watch it full screen. You'll be pleased you did. There's a drinking squirrel, a dancing robot, and plenty of other fun surprises.
Thanks to CommonMe.
Shynola has created a video for Danish pop stars Junior Senior's song "Move Your Feet." It's a high-energy bit of pixellated goodness that makes me think of Ben Jones and the Paper Radio posse. Fun stuff! Download the Quicktime movie and watch it full screen. You'll be pleased you did. There's a drinking squirrel, a dancing robot, and plenty of other fun surprises.
Thanks to CommonMe.
The Restaurant I Ate at Last Night X
After a slow-starting morning and a chore-filled afternoon following one of the most fun house parties I've been to for awhile, I met up with Kurt and Geraldine for dinner at John Harvard's Brewing Co.. The company and conversation was wonderful, but I wasn't that taken with the restaurant itself. The mixed greens salad I ordered was tasty enough -- I highly recommend the balsamic vinagrette dressing -- but the "special" I ordered for my entree was a little lackluster. I had the chicken farfalle pasta dish for several reasons -- the farfalle (my favorite pasta), the tomatoes, and the chicken tenders -- and I was surprised how bland the dish was. Despite a light sauce and menu-mentioned garlic, the entree could certainly have flavored more strongly. That said, everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals fine: calamari, chicken crispadillas with hoison sauce, and the chicken pot pie. I should have ordered the chicken pot pie.
I go to the library at night.
After hanging out at the table for awhile, we all headed to Kurt and Geraldine's car. We crossed Harvard Common as the crickets were chirping -- a wonderful summer sound you don't hear often in the city -- and walked down the tree-lined Harvard Street to find the car jam packed with laundry baskets. It took us awhile to repack the car so all of us would fit inside, but we were eventually successful. Even though I didn't get a chance to see Kurt and Geraldine's new place -- and they only saw the outside of my building -- it was good to catch up with them.
After a slow-starting morning and a chore-filled afternoon following one of the most fun house parties I've been to for awhile, I met up with Kurt and Geraldine for dinner at John Harvard's Brewing Co.. The company and conversation was wonderful, but I wasn't that taken with the restaurant itself. The mixed greens salad I ordered was tasty enough -- I highly recommend the balsamic vinagrette dressing -- but the "special" I ordered for my entree was a little lackluster. I had the chicken farfalle pasta dish for several reasons -- the farfalle (my favorite pasta), the tomatoes, and the chicken tenders -- and I was surprised how bland the dish was. Despite a light sauce and menu-mentioned garlic, the entree could certainly have flavored more strongly. That said, everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals fine: calamari, chicken crispadillas with hoison sauce, and the chicken pot pie. I should have ordered the chicken pot pie.
I go to the library at night.
After hanging out at the table for awhile, we all headed to Kurt and Geraldine's car. We crossed Harvard Common as the crickets were chirping -- a wonderful summer sound you don't hear often in the city -- and walked down the tree-lined Harvard Street to find the car jam packed with laundry baskets. It took us awhile to repack the car so all of us would fit inside, but we were eventually successful. Even though I didn't get a chance to see Kurt and Geraldine's new place -- and they only saw the outside of my building -- it was good to catch up with them.
Television-Impaired III
Two recent TV shows of note:
Two recent TV shows of note:
10 p.m., Friday, HBO: The Wire Bill Taylor's most recent favorite program, the Wire is set in West Baltimore and follows the day-to-day adventures of a police team that's tapped the pay phones used by drug dealers and other criminals. This episode (episode 9, "Game Day") didn't strike me as overly interesting, but the concept is solid -- and the setting is worthwhile. The producers spend equal time on the side of the law and the people on the street, making this another Law & Order-like show. Well done, but I'm not sure it's worth returning to every week.
11:30 a.m., Saturday, WGBX: Under Quabbin Even though TV Guide said this started at noon, I was able to catch the show only 15 minutes into its actual airing. In the late '30s, a handful of cities -- and thousands of people -- were displaced so the area could be flooded to create Quabbin Reservoir, the source of most of Boston's water supply. University of Massachusetts Amherst biologist Ed Klekowski leads a diving team to explore the underwater -- and above-ground -- remains of those flooded communities. It's a fascinating look at the beauty of lost infrastructure, the personal pain associated with losing one's home, and the impact urban planning can have on people's lives, as well as the physical landscape of our world. The program won't be aired outside of New England, so you might want to track down a copy of the video (which, sadly, isn't available via WGBH, PBS, or Amazon). Also of note is Michael Tougias's new book Quabbin: A History and Explorers Guide. Next stop, Dog Town in Gloucester!
The Movie I Watched Last Night XXXI
Friday: Escape from Alcatraz
Clint Eastwood stars in this retelling of the single successful escape from the prison island near San Francisco. The movie is extremely slowly paced, slightly dark, and moody -- but not overly suspenseful or overly dramatic. The escape seems a foregone conclusion, so there's little build up or intensity, and the movie works well primarily because of the characterizations and relational interplay. Roberts Blossom's role as Doc packs the most punch, as his self-mutilation aptly communications the inhumane taking away of rights and identity in the prison setting. All he has left is his painting -- with the image of a flower representing the spark left within him -- and then the wardens take that away. That scene was the most effective in the film.
Saturday: Nancy Drew, Reporter
A 1939 film featuring America's favorite teenage female detective. While on a class trip to the local newspaper, Nancy sneaks an assignment off the desk of an AWOL reporter and finds herself wrapped up in a mystery involving an inquest, a poisoning, and a contested will. The short movie is quick-witted and interesting, and the chemistry between Nancy -- played by Bonita Granville -- and Frankie Thomas' Ted Nickerson is light-hearted yet affectionate. The scene in which the jealous Nancy realizes that the "older woman" Ted's been spending time with is in fact his tennis instructor is a wonderful expose of misguided jealousy. Interestingly, this is one of three Nancy Drew movies released in the late '30s. And 11 years later, Thomas went on to star in "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet." A fun Saturday morning movie.
Friday: Escape from Alcatraz
Clint Eastwood stars in this retelling of the single successful escape from the prison island near San Francisco. The movie is extremely slowly paced, slightly dark, and moody -- but not overly suspenseful or overly dramatic. The escape seems a foregone conclusion, so there's little build up or intensity, and the movie works well primarily because of the characterizations and relational interplay. Roberts Blossom's role as Doc packs the most punch, as his self-mutilation aptly communications the inhumane taking away of rights and identity in the prison setting. All he has left is his painting -- with the image of a flower representing the spark left within him -- and then the wardens take that away. That scene was the most effective in the film.
Saturday: Nancy Drew, Reporter
A 1939 film featuring America's favorite teenage female detective. While on a class trip to the local newspaper, Nancy sneaks an assignment off the desk of an AWOL reporter and finds herself wrapped up in a mystery involving an inquest, a poisoning, and a contested will. The short movie is quick-witted and interesting, and the chemistry between Nancy -- played by Bonita Granville -- and Frankie Thomas' Ted Nickerson is light-hearted yet affectionate. The scene in which the jealous Nancy realizes that the "older woman" Ted's been spending time with is in fact his tennis instructor is a wonderful expose of misguided jealousy. Interestingly, this is one of three Nancy Drew movies released in the late '30s. And 11 years later, Thomas went on to star in "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet." A fun Saturday morning movie.
Friday, August 09, 2002
Comics and Consumerism
Today's Blondie sums up one of the things I like about magazines.
Thanks to the Washington Post.
Today's Blondie sums up one of the things I like about magazines.
Thanks to the Washington Post.
Workaday World IV
With the September issue, Fast Company launches a new design and content architecture. We've developed a Web tour to introduce the new look and feel to people, to explain why we made some of the changes, and to garner feedback.
If you're using IE 6.0 and the above link doesn't work, try this one.
With the September issue, Fast Company launches a new design and content architecture. We've developed a Web tour to introduce the new look and feel to people, to explain why we made some of the changes, and to garner feedback.
If you're using IE 6.0 and the above link doesn't work, try this one.
Thursday, August 08, 2002
Technofetishism XV
A couple of friends recently gave me access to their MP3 servers, and I've been snagging songs for the past few days. One even allows me to tinker around with OS X's Terminal, which has been a fun way to return to my early VT100 days. Kinda neat to think along those lines again.
Anyway, the purpose of this entry is mostly to geek to several solid Chicago bands that y'all should be aware of -- similar to my Wisconsin band name drops in my July 25 "The Red... Sux!" entry. What are those bands?
The Slugs
Ulele
Uptighty
Seek and enjoy, people!
A couple of friends recently gave me access to their MP3 servers, and I've been snagging songs for the past few days. One even allows me to tinker around with OS X's Terminal, which has been a fun way to return to my early VT100 days. Kinda neat to think along those lines again.
Anyway, the purpose of this entry is mostly to geek to several solid Chicago bands that y'all should be aware of -- similar to my Wisconsin band name drops in my July 25 "The Red... Sux!" entry. What are those bands?
Seek and enjoy, people!
Rules for Fools XI
Rule No. 14: All Media Dieticians are encouraged to adhere to the following behavioral guidelines:
The above was written as a disciplinary interlude for a forthcoming Anchormen show, if there be rowdies. Interesting or irritating? You decide.
Rule No. 14: All Media Dieticians are encouraged to adhere to the following behavioral guidelines:
No drinking and driving No dabbling No dowsing No Doppler effects No doubling up No going Dutch No Dutch ovens No cheese danishes No dancing No dropping trou No ducking responsibility No dickering No dicking around No Dancer No Prancer No Donner Definitely no Blitzen No Dick Cheney No Dick Armey No drowsiness No dimples No dunk tanks No whirling dervishes No dappled greys
The above was written as a disciplinary interlude for a forthcoming Anchormen show, if there be rowdies. Interesting or irritating? You decide.
From the In Box: Event-O-Dex VI
The New York Times spotlights your friends' play "In The Wire." -- Kathy Biehl
Well, what do you know? They do.
You might need a New York Times membership to access this article.
The New York Times spotlights your friends' play "In The Wire." -- Kathy Biehl
Well, what do you know? They do.
You might need a New York Times membership to access this article.
Pieces, Particles VII
The following media-related stories recently spotted in print publications might be worth a look. Heads and decks, only. Heads and decks.
Ballbuster, by Art Spiegelman, The New Yorker, July 22, 2002
Bernard Krigstein's life between the panels.
Blog, by William Safire, The New York Times Magazine, July 28, 2002
Do a million hits make a word?
Burma-Shave, by Ricki Thompson, Highlights for Children, August 2002
Burma-Shave signs did more than sell shaving cream.
The Comic Side of Vincente Fox, by Ginger Thompson, The New York Times, July 28, 2002
Consuming Passions, by Dan Bischoff, Ms., December 2000
Can advertisers be activists? When corporations tie their ad campaigns to social causes, their motives are often called into question.
The Curse of Kryptonite, by Terrence Rafferty, GQ, August 2002
With the world's villains more fiendish than ever, Hollywood's use of comic-book superheroes seems clumsy and lacking in wit. Where was the Man of Steel on September 11?
The Death Beat, by Mark Singer, The New Yorker, July 8, 2002
What happens when a bunch of obituary writers get together.
Dysfunction for Dollars, by Pat Jordan, The New York Times Magazine, July 28, 2002
Dave Pelzer has one subject -- himself, as an abused child. He may not have been, but that hasn't stopped his readers from buying millions of his books.
The End of the Digital Gold Rush, by Suzan Revah, American Journalism Review, October 2001
In chronicling the dizzying rise and fall of the Bay Area's online journalism economy, a San Francisco writer realizes that she has lived the story.
Free at Last, by Leif Utne, Utne Reader, May-June 2002
The burgeoning "copyleft" movement is reshaping the idea of intellectual property
Going Local, by John Morton, American Journalism Review, October 2001
A new breed of free papers springs up in cities with already-established dailies.
Goodbye to All That, by Tom Carson, Esquire, December 2001
What TV and Hollywood got right and wrong about September 11 -- before, during, and after
Heropolis, The Economist, May 18, 2002
Superheroes don't commute
The Hidden Life of Your Television, by Matt Weiser, Sierra, July/August 2002
Holden at Fifty, by Louis Menand, The New Yorker, October 1, 2001
"The Catcher in the Rye" and what it spawned
Hooked, by Clea Simon, Ms., December 2000
The average person in the U.S. is bombarded with over 3,000 ads a day, says activist Jean Kilbourne. Is it any wonder we're addicted?
The Hot or Not Guys, by Adam Green, The New Yorker, July 8, 2002
How Far Down Can You Dumb?, The Economist, July 20, 2002
Neun Live is trying to make cheesy interactive television pay
How to Be a Writer, by Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, October 15, 2001
What goes on at America's most competitive literary conference?
How to Win Support and Influence Your Community, by Sarah Hutt, Communication Arts, May/June 2002
Huey Freeman, American Hero, by John Nichols, Utne Reader, May-June 2002
Sure, he's a cartoon character, but it still takes guts to speak out
Issues with Birds, by Noah Strycker, Birder's World, August 2002
Ever wonder which bird is most likely to be pictured in a birding magazine?
Man's Best Friend, by Peter de Jonge, The New York Times Magazine, July 21, 2002
Who cares about the game? How sportscasters evolved from experts to baby sitters for a nation of lonely guys.
Monday Evening Quarterback, by Michael Silver, Sports Illustrated, July 29, 2002
John Madden (Bam!) is coming (Boom!) to Monday Night Football (Pow!), and he's got a plan (Ouch!) to save ABC's bacon
News Flash! Geek Guys Are Hot, by Stephanie Trong, YM, August 2002
Six reasons to go for a misfit
On Politics and Puppetry, Orion Afield, Winter 2000/01
An interview with Peter Schumann of Bread and Puppet Theater
On the Air, by Adam Green, The New Yorker, July 22, 2002
East End Oldie
A Proposal to American Labor, by Richard B. Freeman and Joel Rogers, The Nation, June 24, 2002
Let's create "open-source unions," and welcome millions into the movement.
Public Mailboxes on Postcards, by Barry Krause, Postcard Collector, August 2002
Rethinking the Think Tanks, by Curtis Moore, Sierra, July/August 2002
How industry-funded "experts" twist the environmental debate.
Riders on the Storm, by John Densmore, The Nation, July 8, 2002
Why The Doors don't open when corporate ads come calling
R.I.P. for D.I.Y. by George Musser, Scientific American, May 2002
Science tinkerers continue to take it on the chin
The Sailors' Magazine and Seamen's Friend, by Timothy Harrison, Lighthouse Digest, July 2002
The Talent Myth, by Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker, July 22, 2002
Are smart people overrated?
That's Militainment!, by Ian Frazier, Mother Jones, July/August 2002
What do you get when you mix the war machine and Warner Bros.? A Hollywood ending, of course.
The Trees Fight Back, The Economist, July 6, 2002
Should old media embrace blogging?
A Truly Outstanding Article, by Ray Nedzel, Utne Reader, May-June 2002
Never before has anything ever been this fantastic, amazing, excellent. Unquestionably.
A Vexing Problem, A Definition of a Boating Magazine, and the Jangled Nerve Quotient, by Peter H. Spectre, Maine Boats & Harbors, Autumn 2002
William S. Young's Short Lines and Steam, by John Gruber, Classic Trains, Summer 2002
A master storyteller of the small side of railroading
If you work for a magazine and would like to sign me up for a complimentary subscription, please feel free to do so. My address is in the grey bar over on the left.
The following media-related stories recently spotted in print publications might be worth a look. Heads and decks, only. Heads and decks.
Ballbuster, by Art Spiegelman, The New Yorker, July 22, 2002
Bernard Krigstein's life between the panels.
Blog, by William Safire, The New York Times Magazine, July 28, 2002
Do a million hits make a word?
Burma-Shave, by Ricki Thompson, Highlights for Children, August 2002
Burma-Shave signs did more than sell shaving cream.
The Comic Side of Vincente Fox, by Ginger Thompson, The New York Times, July 28, 2002
Consuming Passions, by Dan Bischoff, Ms., December 2000
Can advertisers be activists? When corporations tie their ad campaigns to social causes, their motives are often called into question.
The Curse of Kryptonite, by Terrence Rafferty, GQ, August 2002
With the world's villains more fiendish than ever, Hollywood's use of comic-book superheroes seems clumsy and lacking in wit. Where was the Man of Steel on September 11?
The Death Beat, by Mark Singer, The New Yorker, July 8, 2002
What happens when a bunch of obituary writers get together.
Dysfunction for Dollars, by Pat Jordan, The New York Times Magazine, July 28, 2002
Dave Pelzer has one subject -- himself, as an abused child. He may not have been, but that hasn't stopped his readers from buying millions of his books.
The End of the Digital Gold Rush, by Suzan Revah, American Journalism Review, October 2001
In chronicling the dizzying rise and fall of the Bay Area's online journalism economy, a San Francisco writer realizes that she has lived the story.
Free at Last, by Leif Utne, Utne Reader, May-June 2002
The burgeoning "copyleft" movement is reshaping the idea of intellectual property
Going Local, by John Morton, American Journalism Review, October 2001
A new breed of free papers springs up in cities with already-established dailies.
Goodbye to All That, by Tom Carson, Esquire, December 2001
What TV and Hollywood got right and wrong about September 11 -- before, during, and after
Heropolis, The Economist, May 18, 2002
Superheroes don't commute
The Hidden Life of Your Television, by Matt Weiser, Sierra, July/August 2002
Holden at Fifty, by Louis Menand, The New Yorker, October 1, 2001
"The Catcher in the Rye" and what it spawned
Hooked, by Clea Simon, Ms., December 2000
The average person in the U.S. is bombarded with over 3,000 ads a day, says activist Jean Kilbourne. Is it any wonder we're addicted?
The Hot or Not Guys, by Adam Green, The New Yorker, July 8, 2002
How Far Down Can You Dumb?, The Economist, July 20, 2002
Neun Live is trying to make cheesy interactive television pay
How to Be a Writer, by Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, October 15, 2001
What goes on at America's most competitive literary conference?
How to Win Support and Influence Your Community, by Sarah Hutt, Communication Arts, May/June 2002
Huey Freeman, American Hero, by John Nichols, Utne Reader, May-June 2002
Sure, he's a cartoon character, but it still takes guts to speak out
Issues with Birds, by Noah Strycker, Birder's World, August 2002
Ever wonder which bird is most likely to be pictured in a birding magazine?
Man's Best Friend, by Peter de Jonge, The New York Times Magazine, July 21, 2002
Who cares about the game? How sportscasters evolved from experts to baby sitters for a nation of lonely guys.
Monday Evening Quarterback, by Michael Silver, Sports Illustrated, July 29, 2002
John Madden (Bam!) is coming (Boom!) to Monday Night Football (Pow!), and he's got a plan (Ouch!) to save ABC's bacon
News Flash! Geek Guys Are Hot, by Stephanie Trong, YM, August 2002
Six reasons to go for a misfit
On Politics and Puppetry, Orion Afield, Winter 2000/01
An interview with Peter Schumann of Bread and Puppet Theater
On the Air, by Adam Green, The New Yorker, July 22, 2002
East End Oldie
A Proposal to American Labor, by Richard B. Freeman and Joel Rogers, The Nation, June 24, 2002
Let's create "open-source unions," and welcome millions into the movement.
Public Mailboxes on Postcards, by Barry Krause, Postcard Collector, August 2002
Rethinking the Think Tanks, by Curtis Moore, Sierra, July/August 2002
How industry-funded "experts" twist the environmental debate.
Riders on the Storm, by John Densmore, The Nation, July 8, 2002
Why The Doors don't open when corporate ads come calling
R.I.P. for D.I.Y. by George Musser, Scientific American, May 2002
Science tinkerers continue to take it on the chin
The Sailors' Magazine and Seamen's Friend, by Timothy Harrison, Lighthouse Digest, July 2002
The Talent Myth, by Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker, July 22, 2002
Are smart people overrated?
That's Militainment!, by Ian Frazier, Mother Jones, July/August 2002
What do you get when you mix the war machine and Warner Bros.? A Hollywood ending, of course.
The Trees Fight Back, The Economist, July 6, 2002
Should old media embrace blogging?
A Truly Outstanding Article, by Ray Nedzel, Utne Reader, May-June 2002
Never before has anything ever been this fantastic, amazing, excellent. Unquestionably.
A Vexing Problem, A Definition of a Boating Magazine, and the Jangled Nerve Quotient, by Peter H. Spectre, Maine Boats & Harbors, Autumn 2002
William S. Young's Short Lines and Steam, by John Gruber, Classic Trains, Summer 2002
A master storyteller of the small side of railroading
If you work for a magazine and would like to sign me up for a complimentary subscription, please feel free to do so. My address is in the grey bar over on the left.
Comics and Commerce
Today's edition of the Boston Herald reports that Heritage Comics Auctions will handle the sale of Nicolas Cage's comic-book collection. Comprising all of 400 comics, the collection includes Acton Comics No. 1, as well as the first appearances of Batman, Captain America, and the Green Lantern. The sale, which is scheduled to take place at the Dallas Comic-Con in October, could net seven figures.
Guess Nic doesn't need to do any more research for the Hellblazer movie now that Keanu Reeves is expected to star in the John Constantine role.
Today's edition of the Boston Herald reports that Heritage Comics Auctions will handle the sale of Nicolas Cage's comic-book collection. Comprising all of 400 comics, the collection includes Acton Comics No. 1, as well as the first appearances of Batman, Captain America, and the Green Lantern. The sale, which is scheduled to take place at the Dallas Comic-Con in October, could net seven figures.
Guess Nic doesn't need to do any more research for the Hellblazer movie now that Keanu Reeves is expected to star in the John Constantine role.
Comics Crackdown III
Julian Darius outlines changes made to The Authority #27 in the wake of 911. His essay compares panels as they were published with Arthur Adams' original art, as well as other changes made to the storyline.
Thanks to BoingBoing.
Julian Darius outlines changes made to The Authority #27 in the wake of 911. His essay compares panels as they were published with Arthur Adams' original art, as well as other changes made to the storyline.
Thanks to BoingBoing.
Television-Impaired II
For lack of anything better to do last night, I hosted another solo TV Party. Here's what I watched:
A Hot Dog Program is available on video cassette. While "Covered Bridges of New England" is not, the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges offers covered bridge-related books and other products.
For lack of anything better to do last night, I hosted another solo TV Party. Here's what I watched:
9 p.m., WGBH: A Hot Dog Program An hour-long celebration of America's love affair with the humble hot dog. Rick Sebak, who's also produced a documentary about flea markets, and the filmmakers visit hot dog stands in Connecticut, Georgia, Colorado, Ohio, Alaska, and other states to document the real red hot. The program considers the architecture of hot dog stands, the history of the hot dog (which includes early popularization sparked by a comic strip!), the subculture of counter staff, hot dogs' association with baseball, the World Hot Dog Eating Championship, condiments, how hot dogs are made, and other aspects of the "cuisine." In the end, the show's not at all about hot dogs; it's about people. The closing of the program positions hot dog stands as valuable third places. Bill Griffith would love this program.
10 p.m., WGBX: Covered Bridges of New England Hosted by New Hampshire TV personality Fritz Wetherbee, this program looks at the past, present, and future of the covered bridge. The opening places covered bridges "on the edge of destruction" before offering a glimpse of the longest covered bridge in America. "Keep the bridge dry, and it will last a long time," Wetherbee says. The documentary expands on bridge construction, the importance of where roads meet rivers, graffiti as a permanent record of romance, restoration efforts, vandalism, and covered bridges' gradual decline. The narration, while poetic, gets a little sappy at times, and Wetherbee's transitional punchlines are often stale. But the program's attention paid to the importance of authentic reconstruction and historically appropriate use of technology is appreciated. Also effective are the soundtrack snippets played on a violin made with 100-year-old wood taken from a covered bridge. How cool is that?
A Hot Dog Program is available on video cassette. While "Covered Bridges of New England" is not, the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges offers covered bridge-related books and other products.
Wednesday, August 07, 2002
From the In Box: Blogging About Blogging XXIX
I made an attempt about seven years ago to scan in some of the material with mixed results, since it is almost entirely typewritten on a wide variety of paper stock, a lot of it two sides on onion skin. I will mention to him to start going through for what he might consider the "best of" and see what he can cook up. And, with improvements in scanning/text recognition, it may be less of a task than before. -- Andy McCaskey
I made an attempt about seven years ago to scan in some of the material with mixed results, since it is almost entirely typewritten on a wide variety of paper stock, a lot of it two sides on onion skin. I will mention to him to start going through for what he might consider the "best of" and see what he can cook up. And, with improvements in scanning/text recognition, it may be less of a task than before. -- Andy McCaskey
Comics and Controlled Substances
In the United Kingdom, a nonprofit drug-counseling organization publishes comic books that combine drug addiction healthcare information with drug use how-to primers. Even though the books have been in print for 15 years, UK political and legal leaders are just now taking notice -- and hope to cut the organization's funding because of its acceptance of drug use as part of UK society. Principles at the nonprofit, Lifeline, say that they're not undercover how-to guides but are instead realistic, practical approaches to drug abuse. "To preach against drugs is an immoral form of propaganda since you are conning people into thinking you can really cure drug use when you can't," says the comics co-designer.
You might need a WSJ.com membership to access this article.
In the United Kingdom, a nonprofit drug-counseling organization publishes comic books that combine drug addiction healthcare information with drug use how-to primers. Even though the books have been in print for 15 years, UK political and legal leaders are just now taking notice -- and hope to cut the organization's funding because of its acceptance of drug use as part of UK society. Principles at the nonprofit, Lifeline, say that they're not undercover how-to guides but are instead realistic, practical approaches to drug abuse. "To preach against drugs is an immoral form of propaganda since you are conning people into thinking you can really cure drug use when you can't," says the comics co-designer.
You might need a WSJ.com membership to access this article.
Flogging Bloggers III
Back to the Web whipping post! A Houston Chronicle reporter was recently fired for his blogging activity. Seems his employers didn't appreciate his commentaries on and coverage of local politicans and media organizations -- including the Chron -- in his blog, Brazosport News. Current entries only date to late July, and one entry says, "The news of our demise has been greatly exaggerated," so I'm guessing that Banjo Jones had to relocate his blog -- it's not possible to scan the archives to find what might have offended his former employers.
Thanks to Jim Romenesko's Media News.
Back to the Web whipping post! A Houston Chronicle reporter was recently fired for his blogging activity. Seems his employers didn't appreciate his commentaries on and coverage of local politicans and media organizations -- including the Chron -- in his blog, Brazosport News. Current entries only date to late July, and one entry says, "The news of our demise has been greatly exaggerated," so I'm guessing that Banjo Jones had to relocate his blog -- it's not possible to scan the archives to find what might have offended his former employers.
Thanks to Jim Romenesko's Media News.
These Links Were Made for Breaking? IV
Don't Link to Us! tracks "stupid linking policies." Entries from July take companies such as Easy Booking Service, Manpower, DKSystems, and BreakTV to task.
Don't Link to Us! tracks "stupid linking policies." Entries from July take companies such as Easy Booking Service, Manpower, DKSystems, and BreakTV to task.
The Most Famous Magazine in America?
An interesting development for the Atlantic Monthly. After a years-long plateau and a relatively recent redesign that's re-energized the periodical, the current issue is now so rare and in demand that people are selling it on eBay. Two people, in fact.
The September 2002 issue is selling out on newsstands, people are signing up for waiting lists where they buy magazines, and the Atlantic is hustling to issue a second printing of the current edition in order to meet demand.
The reason? William Langewiesche's three-part feature on "unbuilding the World Trade Center." As the anniversary of 911 approaches, the ongoing events since the initial tragedies loom large in the collective consciousness, and people scurry to learn as much as they can. Langewiesche will close the series in the October issue of the Atlantic, which will be released in conjunction with the publication of his North Point Press book American Ground.
I just stopped by the Atlantic offices to snag my copies of the July/August and September issues because that might be the only way to secure these on-fire magazines. Don't look for mine on eBay, though. I'm going to read them. Good to know the Atlantic is no longer a sad second to the New Yorker and Harper's.
An interesting development for the Atlantic Monthly. After a years-long plateau and a relatively recent redesign that's re-energized the periodical, the current issue is now so rare and in demand that people are selling it on eBay. Two people, in fact.
The September 2002 issue is selling out on newsstands, people are signing up for waiting lists where they buy magazines, and the Atlantic is hustling to issue a second printing of the current edition in order to meet demand.
The reason? William Langewiesche's three-part feature on "unbuilding the World Trade Center." As the anniversary of 911 approaches, the ongoing events since the initial tragedies loom large in the collective consciousness, and people scurry to learn as much as they can. Langewiesche will close the series in the October issue of the Atlantic, which will be released in conjunction with the publication of his North Point Press book American Ground.
I just stopped by the Atlantic offices to snag my copies of the July/August and September issues because that might be the only way to secure these on-fire magazines. Don't look for mine on eBay, though. I'm going to read them. Good to know the Atlantic is no longer a sad second to the New Yorker and Harper's.
Blogging About Blogging XXIX
Upon my return from Chicago, I received an email from a Company of Friends member who also occasionally reads Media Diet. This is what he said:
Since the end of May, Andy McCaskey, Sr., 86, has been blogging in Topic: Commentary and Essays on Life and Events. Occasionally with awkward line breaks (perhaps given his 28.8 modem), McCaskey comments on topics such as Johnny Appleseed's legacy, the national dream, political ethics, shamanism, and the force of sneezes and coughs. The items are all relatively short -- 450-650 words -- and read as though they could be presented on the radio a la Garrison Keillor or Paul Harvey. That's a large part of their charm -- their cadence and rhythm, like you're sitting on someone's porch listening to a story.
I was intrigued by McCaskey's riffs on people who still believe the Earth is flat and the role jaguars play in shamanism -- pretty far-out themes for an 80-year-old to be expanding on! And I enjoyed McCaskey's occasional use of the call back. Two separate items mention the flat Earth. Interesting.
Here's to you, Andy McCaskey, Sr. I'll add you to my daily reads -- and maybe you can get your son to help you add some of your archival material dating back to 1932. Then, Topic will truly be the longest-running blog.
Upon my return from Chicago, I received an email from a Company of Friends member who also occasionally reads Media Diet. This is what he said:
My father (Andy McCaskey, Sr.) is 86 years old. My dad worked in broadcasting for many years and before that was a newspaperman and writer. As a personal and professional discipline, he has written a column article of about 500 words each day without missing a day since he was 16 years old, including four years of service in World War II. Some have been published, some read on the air, many ending up in the filing cabinet.
He has been doing the hardest part of blogging -- the content -- since 1932, making him arguably the owner of the world's oldest continuous blog -- just recently tapped into a different transmission medium: his 6-year-old Windows 95 PC and a 28.8 modem.
He may also well be one of the world's oldest bloggers, just now able to publish independently thanks to the technology. This fulfills a life long dream of being able to have others regularly read his work. Writers have a lot in common, regardless of generation. He has had to be able to come up with 500 words on anything the editor could dream up -- maybe just like you. -- Andy McCaskey
Since the end of May, Andy McCaskey, Sr., 86, has been blogging in Topic: Commentary and Essays on Life and Events. Occasionally with awkward line breaks (perhaps given his 28.8 modem), McCaskey comments on topics such as Johnny Appleseed's legacy, the national dream, political ethics, shamanism, and the force of sneezes and coughs. The items are all relatively short -- 450-650 words -- and read as though they could be presented on the radio a la Garrison Keillor or Paul Harvey. That's a large part of their charm -- their cadence and rhythm, like you're sitting on someone's porch listening to a story.
I was intrigued by McCaskey's riffs on people who still believe the Earth is flat and the role jaguars play in shamanism -- pretty far-out themes for an 80-year-old to be expanding on! And I enjoyed McCaskey's occasional use of the call back. Two separate items mention the flat Earth. Interesting.
Here's to you, Andy McCaskey, Sr. I'll add you to my daily reads -- and maybe you can get your son to help you add some of your archival material dating back to 1932. Then, Topic will truly be the longest-running blog.
The Movie I Watched Last Night XXX
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
The other day, Jamie from the Picnic and the guy who works at the copy shop across the hall were discussing the rise and fall of one Paul Reubens, Pee-wee Herman. Other than his TV series Pee-wee's Playhouse, this movie might be his magnum opus. Originally released in 1985, the movie holds up well, and several scenes will remain in my memory forever, perhaps -- especially his dance to "Tequila" in the biker bar. To some extent, this is a juvenile -- as in for children -- version of The Jerk, with Pee Wee embarking on misadventures parallel to those of Steve Martin's title character. Danny Elfman's soundtrack is delightful (much better than what he scored for the remake of Planet of the Apes, for sure), and the cast includes some real surprises: Milton Berle, Dee Snider, and Morgan Fairchild. The Twisted Sister video shoot scene was probably thrown in just because they happened to be filming on the same day. The DVD includes some deleted scenes, too, but they're mostly throwaways. The film quality is bad, and it's pretty clear why they were cut.
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
The other day, Jamie from the Picnic and the guy who works at the copy shop across the hall were discussing the rise and fall of one Paul Reubens, Pee-wee Herman. Other than his TV series Pee-wee's Playhouse, this movie might be his magnum opus. Originally released in 1985, the movie holds up well, and several scenes will remain in my memory forever, perhaps -- especially his dance to "Tequila" in the biker bar. To some extent, this is a juvenile -- as in for children -- version of The Jerk, with Pee Wee embarking on misadventures parallel to those of Steve Martin's title character. Danny Elfman's soundtrack is delightful (much better than what he scored for the remake of Planet of the Apes, for sure), and the cast includes some real surprises: Milton Berle, Dee Snider, and Morgan Fairchild. The Twisted Sister video shoot scene was probably thrown in just because they happened to be filming on the same day. The DVD includes some deleted scenes, too, but they're mostly throwaways. The film quality is bad, and it's pretty clear why they were cut.
Tuesday, August 06, 2002
Books Worth a Look VII
These are the books I read in July 2002.
Gangster Holidays: The Lore and Legends of the Bad Guys by Tom Hollatz (1989)
Written by a resident of Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, this book details the adventures and misadventures of several Chicago-area mobsters who vacationed in northern Wisconsin during the '20s and '30s. Providing adequate context for the local stories, the book concentrates on John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson, who were involved in a shootout at Little Bohemia near Manitowish Waters, and Al Capone, who owned a cabin on Cranberry Lake near Couderay, Wisconsin. While the vignettes and descriptions of how the mobsters helped and harmed area communities were interesting, I was particularly intrigued by the details of what old bar or brothel became the site of what modern-day business.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Good.
Hellblazer Book 1: Original Sins by Jamie Delano, John Ridgway, and Alfredo Alcala (1992)
After working my way through the run of Preacher trade paperbacks, and with the coming of the Hellblazer movie, I thought it was high time to check out this classic Vertigo comic. I'm not the biggest fan of the Charlton-esque comic art, and I don't find the protagonist or basic premise very interesting. What we have here is an exorcist of sorts who sees ghosts of former friends and lovers and combats denizens of the underworld. He's particularly good at it because he has some demon blood coursing through his veins. I did enjoy the Mnemoth and Vietnam vet storylines, though. What's up with the Swamp Thing crossover at the end? I'll give this another chance, but it's no great shake.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Fair.
In the Shadow of the Silent Majorities, by Jean Baudrillard (1983)
Subtitled the End of the Social and Other Essays, this Semiotext(e) text collects four pieces. Baudrillard suggests that the mass isn't a good conductor of the political, social, or meaningful. He considers how the aggregate discourages valid analysis -- and how information doesn't mobilize the masses; instead it sedates them. While I'm not totally convinced by his pessimistic analysis of media, I do appreciate his critique of marketing and advertising -- and his coverage of microgroups and the role of capital. Baudrillard also addresses the media's role in terrorism, which is particularly timely given the approaching anniversary of 911.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
A Look at Historic Green Lake: Honoring Our Sesquicentennial 1847-1997 by the City of Green Lake (1996)
This 24-page booklet is a terse yet wide-ranging look at the development of Green Lake, Wisconsin, long a summer resort town. The pamphlet touches on the area's industrial beginnings, boom with the advent of rail service, emergence as a vacation hot spot, retail activity, and civic organizations such as community bands. It's a cursory history that's heavy on archival photos and light on text, but it's a good warm up for better books such as Bob and Emma Heiple's A History of Beautiful Green Lake.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock (1984)
I borrowed this British fantasy novel from Chris years ago and am just now getting around to it. Mythago Wood is a near-epic fantasy in which an adventurous family explores a preternatural forest that gives rise to physical manifestations of mythical figures created by the collective consciousness -- think Robin Hood. Combining shades of Tolkien and Lovecraft, Holdstock carries the concept well, even though the mental construction of the creatures didn't quite wash with me. It's a heroic adventure, a mythological reconception, and a love story. Worth digging up.
Days to read: 7. Rating: Excellent.
Nothing in This Book Is True, But It's Exactly How Things Are by Bob Frissell (1994)
Kook science, conspiracy theory, and New Age theorizing combine in this hot and cold expose of a walk-in, the ascended masters, life on other planets, interdimensional travel, sacred geometry, and the shadow government. While I disagree with Jay Kinney that this could be the next Cosmic Trigger, I do think half of the book is excellent. I had to push through Frissell's description of sacred geometry and meditative construction of the merkaba, but I enjoyed his unified theory of most things esoteric and occult.
Days to read: 11. Rating: Good.
Revolt, She Said by Julia Kristeva (2002)
The Bulgarian psychoanalyst who participated in the May 1968 revolt in France weighs in on the meaning of that political and philosophical uprising. She addresses the causes of psychic isolation, how the French movement was different than the American counterculture, its ties to the revolution of 1789, people's diminishing capacity for revolution, and the role of the media. I didn't find the heavy focus on psychology very interesting, but Kristeva's experience and introspection provides an important look at the roles of revolution, rebellion, and representation.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution by Howard Rheingold (2002)
Subtitled Transforming Cultures and Communities in the Age of Instant Access, this might very well be Howard's most important and prescient book. Building on his previous writings on online communities, Howard considers how developments in cell phones, short message services, open source, collaborative Web filtering, file sharing, and blogging go beyond connecting people in communication networks -- they mobilize them to act collectively. The book bogs down a little in the historical outline of Moore's Law, Metcalfe's Law, etc., but Howard impresses with his healthy and insightful look at the potential impact of these technologies -- as well as the social, political, and legal challenges they may spark.
Days to read: 3. Rating: Excellent.
Toodles and Her Friends by Harry Whittier Frees (1991)
Opening with the disclaimer that "these unusual photographs of real kittens, puppies, and bunnies were made possible only by patient unfailing kindness on the part of the photographer at all times," this well-designed vintage children's book features occasionally disconcerting photos of animals wearing gingham dresses, drinking tea, reading books, washing clothes, cooking, and jumping rope. The story's not much to sneeze at -- Toodles raises funds to purchase a jump rope -- but the photos are a little known example of innovative animal photography.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
The War of Souls Vol. II: Dragons of a Lost Star by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (2002)
Truly, I am a sucker for Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance novels -- have been since junior high. It's a good thing their collaborations -- and characters -- hold up so well. Some of the classic heroes are here, including Tasslehoff and an aging Goldmoon, but it's the new characters and impending return of the gods that held my attention. Gilthas' elven fop turned ostracized king works quite well, and Medan's dark knight marshall lost in love with the elven queen mother is a sensitive study in forbidden affection. It's this interplay of characters that will keep me coming back to these two authors.
Days to read: 11. Rating: Good.
The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog by Rebecca Blood (2002)
A companion volume of sorts to Perseus Books' We've Got Blog, Blood's book steps away from reprinting some of the best of the Web and toward an understanding of what makes blogs work well, as well as the effect they can have on a blogger's life. She addresses blogs' common characteristics, bloggers' motivations, how to find your personal writing voice, and how to interact with other bloggers. Her pointers on link etiquette and how to balance the Web and "real" worlds are useful, although I disagree with her on a couple of key points. (Don't blog at work? Please.) Much more than a Blogging for Dummies how to.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Good.
Why do some books get a link while other books do not? If a publishing company or author sends me review copies for consideration -- and if I review the book in Media Diet -- they get a link as well as a review. I don't review every review copy or galley I receive, and I don't always have time to track down author, publisher, and other book-related links in general.
Most of the books I review should be relatively easy to find via the Harvard Book Store and Powell's Books online ordering services. If something's out of print, check the Advanced Book Exchange first.
And if you'd like to send me a book to consider for review, Media Diet's address is P.O. Box 390205, Cambridge, MA 02139. Thank you very much.
These are the books I read in July 2002.
Gangster Holidays: The Lore and Legends of the Bad Guys by Tom Hollatz (1989)
Written by a resident of Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, this book details the adventures and misadventures of several Chicago-area mobsters who vacationed in northern Wisconsin during the '20s and '30s. Providing adequate context for the local stories, the book concentrates on John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson, who were involved in a shootout at Little Bohemia near Manitowish Waters, and Al Capone, who owned a cabin on Cranberry Lake near Couderay, Wisconsin. While the vignettes and descriptions of how the mobsters helped and harmed area communities were interesting, I was particularly intrigued by the details of what old bar or brothel became the site of what modern-day business.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Good.
Hellblazer Book 1: Original Sins by Jamie Delano, John Ridgway, and Alfredo Alcala (1992)
After working my way through the run of Preacher trade paperbacks, and with the coming of the Hellblazer movie, I thought it was high time to check out this classic Vertigo comic. I'm not the biggest fan of the Charlton-esque comic art, and I don't find the protagonist or basic premise very interesting. What we have here is an exorcist of sorts who sees ghosts of former friends and lovers and combats denizens of the underworld. He's particularly good at it because he has some demon blood coursing through his veins. I did enjoy the Mnemoth and Vietnam vet storylines, though. What's up with the Swamp Thing crossover at the end? I'll give this another chance, but it's no great shake.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Fair.
In the Shadow of the Silent Majorities, by Jean Baudrillard (1983)
Subtitled the End of the Social and Other Essays, this Semiotext(e) text collects four pieces. Baudrillard suggests that the mass isn't a good conductor of the political, social, or meaningful. He considers how the aggregate discourages valid analysis -- and how information doesn't mobilize the masses; instead it sedates them. While I'm not totally convinced by his pessimistic analysis of media, I do appreciate his critique of marketing and advertising -- and his coverage of microgroups and the role of capital. Baudrillard also addresses the media's role in terrorism, which is particularly timely given the approaching anniversary of 911.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
A Look at Historic Green Lake: Honoring Our Sesquicentennial 1847-1997 by the City of Green Lake (1996)
This 24-page booklet is a terse yet wide-ranging look at the development of Green Lake, Wisconsin, long a summer resort town. The pamphlet touches on the area's industrial beginnings, boom with the advent of rail service, emergence as a vacation hot spot, retail activity, and civic organizations such as community bands. It's a cursory history that's heavy on archival photos and light on text, but it's a good warm up for better books such as Bob and Emma Heiple's A History of Beautiful Green Lake.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock (1984)
I borrowed this British fantasy novel from Chris years ago and am just now getting around to it. Mythago Wood is a near-epic fantasy in which an adventurous family explores a preternatural forest that gives rise to physical manifestations of mythical figures created by the collective consciousness -- think Robin Hood. Combining shades of Tolkien and Lovecraft, Holdstock carries the concept well, even though the mental construction of the creatures didn't quite wash with me. It's a heroic adventure, a mythological reconception, and a love story. Worth digging up.
Days to read: 7. Rating: Excellent.
Nothing in This Book Is True, But It's Exactly How Things Are by Bob Frissell (1994)
Kook science, conspiracy theory, and New Age theorizing combine in this hot and cold expose of a walk-in, the ascended masters, life on other planets, interdimensional travel, sacred geometry, and the shadow government. While I disagree with Jay Kinney that this could be the next Cosmic Trigger, I do think half of the book is excellent. I had to push through Frissell's description of sacred geometry and meditative construction of the merkaba, but I enjoyed his unified theory of most things esoteric and occult.
Days to read: 11. Rating: Good.
Revolt, She Said by Julia Kristeva (2002)
The Bulgarian psychoanalyst who participated in the May 1968 revolt in France weighs in on the meaning of that political and philosophical uprising. She addresses the causes of psychic isolation, how the French movement was different than the American counterculture, its ties to the revolution of 1789, people's diminishing capacity for revolution, and the role of the media. I didn't find the heavy focus on psychology very interesting, but Kristeva's experience and introspection provides an important look at the roles of revolution, rebellion, and representation.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution by Howard Rheingold (2002)
Subtitled Transforming Cultures and Communities in the Age of Instant Access, this might very well be Howard's most important and prescient book. Building on his previous writings on online communities, Howard considers how developments in cell phones, short message services, open source, collaborative Web filtering, file sharing, and blogging go beyond connecting people in communication networks -- they mobilize them to act collectively. The book bogs down a little in the historical outline of Moore's Law, Metcalfe's Law, etc., but Howard impresses with his healthy and insightful look at the potential impact of these technologies -- as well as the social, political, and legal challenges they may spark.
Days to read: 3. Rating: Excellent.
Toodles and Her Friends by Harry Whittier Frees (1991)
Opening with the disclaimer that "these unusual photographs of real kittens, puppies, and bunnies were made possible only by patient unfailing kindness on the part of the photographer at all times," this well-designed vintage children's book features occasionally disconcerting photos of animals wearing gingham dresses, drinking tea, reading books, washing clothes, cooking, and jumping rope. The story's not much to sneeze at -- Toodles raises funds to purchase a jump rope -- but the photos are a little known example of innovative animal photography.
Days to read: 1. Rating: Good.
The War of Souls Vol. II: Dragons of a Lost Star by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (2002)
Truly, I am a sucker for Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance novels -- have been since junior high. It's a good thing their collaborations -- and characters -- hold up so well. Some of the classic heroes are here, including Tasslehoff and an aging Goldmoon, but it's the new characters and impending return of the gods that held my attention. Gilthas' elven fop turned ostracized king works quite well, and Medan's dark knight marshall lost in love with the elven queen mother is a sensitive study in forbidden affection. It's this interplay of characters that will keep me coming back to these two authors.
Days to read: 11. Rating: Good.
The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog by Rebecca Blood (2002)
A companion volume of sorts to Perseus Books' We've Got Blog, Blood's book steps away from reprinting some of the best of the Web and toward an understanding of what makes blogs work well, as well as the effect they can have on a blogger's life. She addresses blogs' common characteristics, bloggers' motivations, how to find your personal writing voice, and how to interact with other bloggers. Her pointers on link etiquette and how to balance the Web and "real" worlds are useful, although I disagree with her on a couple of key points. (Don't blog at work? Please.) Much more than a Blogging for Dummies how to.
Days to read: 2. Rating: Good.
Why do some books get a link while other books do not? If a publishing company or author sends me review copies for consideration -- and if I review the book in Media Diet -- they get a link as well as a review. I don't review every review copy or galley I receive, and I don't always have time to track down author, publisher, and other book-related links in general.
Most of the books I review should be relatively easy to find via the Harvard Book Store and Powell's Books online ordering services. If something's out of print, check the Advanced Book Exchange first.
And if you'd like to send me a book to consider for review, Media Diet's address is P.O. Box 390205, Cambridge, MA 02139. Thank you very much.
Weather Report VI
Today has been absolutely beautiful. Waking this morning, it was almost too cool and breezy sleep with just a sheet. The air has been crisp and cool for most of the day, and temps have been in the mid-70s. I could live quite well if the weather were like this all the time. Crisp, clean, cool, breezy, and sunny. Yay, nature.
Today has been absolutely beautiful. Waking this morning, it was almost too cool and breezy sleep with just a sheet. The air has been crisp and cool for most of the day, and temps have been in the mid-70s. I could live quite well if the weather were like this all the time. Crisp, clean, cool, breezy, and sunny. Yay, nature.
Among the Literati XII
David Eggers' forthcoming novel is excerpted in the current issue of the New Yorker. You can pre-order a copy of the yet-to-be-titled book online. The first edition will consist of 10,000 copies -- and will be limited to sale online. Later editions will be available in places like, oh, I don't know, bookstores, I suppose.
David Eggers' forthcoming novel is excerpted in the current issue of the New Yorker. You can pre-order a copy of the yet-to-be-titled book online. The first edition will consist of 10,000 copies -- and will be limited to sale online. Later editions will be available in places like, oh, I don't know, bookstores, I suppose.
Monday, August 05, 2002
The Movie I Watched Last Night XXIX
Saturday: Snowboard Academy
Corey Haim plays a rebellious snowboarder whose uptight brother is general manager of a ski resort. Jim Varney plays a suggested but not proven pothead entertainer who gets more than he bargains for when he's also hired as the resort's head of safety. It turns into the classic snowboarder-versus-skiier rivalry as the resort owner tries to forgo foreclosure by introducing a snowboarding school to the resort's services. There's the stereotypical stoic Native American, the accidentally adventurous Asian American, and the Sharon Stone-inspired mail-order Russian. Cliches abound, but it's a fun, throw-away movie.
Sunday: The Endless Summer
A summer classic, this movie is especially interesting when compared to surfing, skateboarding, and other extreme sport videos and movies made today. Case in point: Blue Crush, anyone? The cinematography is beautiful, and the film captures the purity and pristine nature of surfing's earliest days as a subculture. Imagine if all surfers were so clean cut today! (Not that they aren't, but you know.) Some of the scenes get a bit long, and the soundtrack isn't very interesting (another difference from surf films of today), but it's an interesting chronicle of an around-the-world search for the perfect wave. Robert August and Mike Hynson hit some virgin territory as they surf several places in Africa, India, and New Zealand that nobody had ever surfed before. Summer fun.
Saturday: Snowboard Academy
Corey Haim plays a rebellious snowboarder whose uptight brother is general manager of a ski resort. Jim Varney plays a suggested but not proven pothead entertainer who gets more than he bargains for when he's also hired as the resort's head of safety. It turns into the classic snowboarder-versus-skiier rivalry as the resort owner tries to forgo foreclosure by introducing a snowboarding school to the resort's services. There's the stereotypical stoic Native American, the accidentally adventurous Asian American, and the Sharon Stone-inspired mail-order Russian. Cliches abound, but it's a fun, throw-away movie.
Sunday: The Endless Summer
A summer classic, this movie is especially interesting when compared to surfing, skateboarding, and other extreme sport videos and movies made today. Case in point: Blue Crush, anyone? The cinematography is beautiful, and the film captures the purity and pristine nature of surfing's earliest days as a subculture. Imagine if all surfers were so clean cut today! (Not that they aren't, but you know.) Some of the scenes get a bit long, and the soundtrack isn't very interesting (another difference from surf films of today), but it's an interesting chronicle of an around-the-world search for the perfect wave. Robert August and Mike Hynson hit some virgin territory as they surf several places in Africa, India, and New Zealand that nobody had ever surfed before. Summer fun.
Pulling the Plug V
The Ritz Camera I used to go to to get film developed was closed when I walked to it this noon with four rolls of film. It'd been closed since March 15. Mid-March! Has it been that long since I got film developed? Guess I'll have to find a new camera shop.
The Ritz Camera I used to go to to get film developed was closed when I walked to it this noon with four rolls of film. It'd been closed since March 15. Mid-March! Has it been that long since I got film developed? Guess I'll have to find a new camera shop.
Television-Impaired
For the last three years, I have had next to no TV reception. Didn't even have my television at Magazine Street hooked up to the antenna until just a couple of weeks ago. I don't watch a lot of television, mostly video tapes and DVD's. But two weeks ago, I ordered cable. It was to be installed -- and was, eventually -- Saturday.
I signed up for AT&T Digital Cable on the InterWeb, scheduling the installation appointment, etc. Saturday, I woke promptly at 7 a.m. so I could tidy up my apartment -- especially the space right in front of the television. 9 rolled around. Then 11. Then 12. And still no cable guy. No phone calls, no doorbell. I read magazines. I wrote letters. I read the newspaper. I did dishes. I talked to my grandmother.
Because AT&T had left the reminder messages on my work voicemail, I figured I should check it to see if they'd called me there. They had. "Looks like you're not home," the cable guy said. "I guess you'll have to reschedule." I was home. And no one had come by. So I called AT&T to reconfirm and see what the deal was. They only had my work number on file, and the guy was running late. He could still come by Saturday afternoon.
So I waited a little longer. Eventually, the guy showed up. He was sweating -- said he usually did 20 installations a day between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. -- and seemed slightly irritated that I didn't know whether the cable was already turned on, that I hadn't preprogrammed my television, and that I didn't know where the cable lock box was in the building (It's down in the basement behind the stairs, I now know.). No one told me I had to prepare for the cable guy, so I was a little miffed that he was miffed. But that didn't last long.
In any event, it didn't take long for him to hook the cable up, either. Then he used the phone to check on his other appointments -- he'd lost his cell phone that morning but wasn't worried because AT&T would replace it for free. Before long, he was on his way.
I turned on the TV. And the first thing that was on was Little Shop of Horrors. Not a bad welcome to the new world of cable television! But it wasn't until later in the afternoon -- after a trip to the comic shop and Charlie's for a belated lunch -- that my TV Party on the Big Blue Couch began. Here's what I watched:
That was my Saturday night. What did I learn? One, that, despite my intentions to use the television for productive things like CNN, the Weather Channel, nature documentaries, etc., it'll also be easy for me to get sucked into crap TV. Two, that I don't like the lack of control provided by TV. Unless I get Tivo or something, I'll need to sit through programs at their own pace. Can't pause. Can't take a walk. If you want to watch something, you have to watch it. And three, that I'll be as much of a multitasker while watching TV as I am on the Web and at work. I'll flip between multiple shows on multiple channels. I'll read while watching.
Oh, add four, that I might become an extremely boring person. When a friend called late last night, all I could talk about was TV. Getting cable, what I'd watched, what excited or concerned me about television. Um, kind of like this Media Diet entry.
I apologize.
Nevertheless, I did watch the evening news before going to bed last night. And this morning, I ate my oatmeal and banana while watching CNN. That's OK, isn't it?
For the last three years, I have had next to no TV reception. Didn't even have my television at Magazine Street hooked up to the antenna until just a couple of weeks ago. I don't watch a lot of television, mostly video tapes and DVD's. But two weeks ago, I ordered cable. It was to be installed -- and was, eventually -- Saturday.
I signed up for AT&T Digital Cable on the InterWeb, scheduling the installation appointment, etc. Saturday, I woke promptly at 7 a.m. so I could tidy up my apartment -- especially the space right in front of the television. 9 rolled around. Then 11. Then 12. And still no cable guy. No phone calls, no doorbell. I read magazines. I wrote letters. I read the newspaper. I did dishes. I talked to my grandmother.
Because AT&T had left the reminder messages on my work voicemail, I figured I should check it to see if they'd called me there. They had. "Looks like you're not home," the cable guy said. "I guess you'll have to reschedule." I was home. And no one had come by. So I called AT&T to reconfirm and see what the deal was. They only had my work number on file, and the guy was running late. He could still come by Saturday afternoon.
So I waited a little longer. Eventually, the guy showed up. He was sweating -- said he usually did 20 installations a day between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. -- and seemed slightly irritated that I didn't know whether the cable was already turned on, that I hadn't preprogrammed my television, and that I didn't know where the cable lock box was in the building (It's down in the basement behind the stairs, I now know.). No one told me I had to prepare for the cable guy, so I was a little miffed that he was miffed. But that didn't last long.
In any event, it didn't take long for him to hook the cable up, either. Then he used the phone to check on his other appointments -- he'd lost his cell phone that morning but wasn't worried because AT&T would replace it for free. Before long, he was on his way.
I turned on the TV. And the first thing that was on was Little Shop of Horrors. Not a bad welcome to the new world of cable television! But it wasn't until later in the afternoon -- after a trip to the comic shop and Charlie's for a belated lunch -- that my TV Party on the Big Blue Couch began. Here's what I watched:
4 p.m., Discovery: Mystery of the Persian Mummy In the 10 minutes I saw, researchers discovered that the mummy's makers hadn't punched holes up through the mummy's nose but instead drilled up through the chin and palette to reach the skull. Then they liquefied the brain to drain it.
4:30 p.m., Starz!: Snowboard Academy I'll review this in a coming entry of The Movie I Watched Last Night.
6 p.m., WENH: Lawrence Welk Dick Dale hosted this collection of classic Welk vignettes featuring people performing then-pop standards. I imagine that if you lobotomized the king of surf guitar and gave Valium to talented musicians, you could produce this show, too. Welk was a white-bread dictator who squeezed all of the creativity and talent out of his performers. Regardless of my fond memories of watching this show at Gramma's, I can't get past Welk's controlling nature: "Since I'm the boss, I'll hold this and let you dance," he said to Dale. Now, Dale's no stranger to selling out as a pop phenom, but this episode takes the cake. Welk even tried to cash in on Manhattan Transfer's mid-'90s popularity. I could only watch half an hour.
7 p.m., Comedy Channel: Comedy Channel Presents... Dane Cook does extremely unfunny standup about how he wishes he were a lizard, how confusing cab fares are, how frustrating the DMV is, and how cool it'd be to have a time machine. So I bounced back and forth between this and...
7 p.m., E! Entertainment Television: Revealed with Jules Asner Dana Carvey is profiled as a late-'70s/early-'80s standup comedian who talkes about how he met his wife; his show with Mickey Rooney and Nathan Lane; a failed pilot with Desi Arnaz; how he ended up at Saturday Night Live; the elements of his impressions of Ross Perot, George Bush, and Johnny Carson; his friendship with Mike Myers; and other aspects of his career.
7:30 p.m., WFXT: The Simpsons No Simpsons because Seinfeld was delayed -- perhaps because of the Seattle-Cleveland game? At 7:45, the show switched over to programming "already in progress" to catch up with the Simpsons episode, which focused on a controversial mural.
"I went to Tufts. It was my safety school. So don't talk to me about hardship." -- Julia Louise-Dreyfuss as Elaine on Seinfeld
8 p.m., WCVB: The Man with the Golden Gun This James Bond movie won out over Henry Rollins' tired schtick over at the Comedy Channel. By this point in the evening, I was also reading while sitting on the Big Blue Couch. Seems that even television can't hold my attention. I was also bouncing back and forth between this and...
8 p.m., Turner Classic Movies: Charade Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn shine in this suspense movie, but even it didn't hold my attention for long. Walter Matthau's character is also notable, and the dynamic between Grant and Hepburn was delightful.
Quotes of Note from Charade:"Do you know what's wrong with you? Nothing." "May I have a cigarette please? It's like drinking coffee through a veil." "Women make the best spies." "Agents."
Opposite that, on the National Network (gah, please.) was Slamball. I didn't need to see much of it to know it wasn't my bag.
That was my Saturday night. What did I learn? One, that, despite my intentions to use the television for productive things like CNN, the Weather Channel, nature documentaries, etc., it'll also be easy for me to get sucked into crap TV. Two, that I don't like the lack of control provided by TV. Unless I get Tivo or something, I'll need to sit through programs at their own pace. Can't pause. Can't take a walk. If you want to watch something, you have to watch it. And three, that I'll be as much of a multitasker while watching TV as I am on the Web and at work. I'll flip between multiple shows on multiple channels. I'll read while watching.
Oh, add four, that I might become an extremely boring person. When a friend called late last night, all I could talk about was TV. Getting cable, what I'd watched, what excited or concerned me about television. Um, kind of like this Media Diet entry.
I apologize.
Nevertheless, I did watch the evening news before going to bed last night. And this morning, I ate my oatmeal and banana while watching CNN. That's OK, isn't it?
North End Moment XXV
Walking back to my office just now from the mail room, I spotted a little mouse on the hardwood floor in front of the elevator. I stepped on its tail to trap it and quickly realized that I had in fact trapped myself. If I moved, it'd escape. I didn't want to pick it up by its tail -- I'm not squeamish, but I'm not that brave, either -- so all I could do was wait for someone to get off the elevator or walk through the part of the office I was trapped in. Luckily, Tim quickly came along.
"Could you tell someone that I caught a mouse? I'm not quite sure what to do."
"Sounds like a job for Cynthia or Sylvia."
Soon, several people gathered by the elevators to watch me and the mouse. Sylvia soon came with a sticky trap: the Waltham Watchman. We put it on top of the mouse, who promptly died, perhaps from shock. It was pretty shocked when I stepped on it. Then we folded it over to cover the whole mouse and put it in a plastic bag for disposal.
Here is the dilemma. I don't like the idea of killing mice. They're living things. Kinda cute, too, when you look at them. But they shouldn't live in our office -- or our office building, really. As Sylvia said, "They're pests," and pests spread pestilence. So we kill them. How would you have handled this? Catch and release on the back alley? Some other method?
Walking back to my office just now from the mail room, I spotted a little mouse on the hardwood floor in front of the elevator. I stepped on its tail to trap it and quickly realized that I had in fact trapped myself. If I moved, it'd escape. I didn't want to pick it up by its tail -- I'm not squeamish, but I'm not that brave, either -- so all I could do was wait for someone to get off the elevator or walk through the part of the office I was trapped in. Luckily, Tim quickly came along.
"Could you tell someone that I caught a mouse? I'm not quite sure what to do."
"Sounds like a job for Cynthia or Sylvia."
Soon, several people gathered by the elevators to watch me and the mouse. Sylvia soon came with a sticky trap: the Waltham Watchman. We put it on top of the mouse, who promptly died, perhaps from shock. It was pretty shocked when I stepped on it. Then we folded it over to cover the whole mouse and put it in a plastic bag for disposal.
Here is the dilemma. I don't like the idea of killing mice. They're living things. Kinda cute, too, when you look at them. But they shouldn't live in our office -- or our office building, really. As Sylvia said, "They're pests," and pests spread pestilence. So we kill them. How would you have handled this? Catch and release on the back alley? Some other method?
Friday, August 02, 2002
Reports from the Road
Last Friday, I flew to Madison, Wisconsin, where I met up with my parents and sister. I had some trouble with my American connection in Chicago, but even though they'd canceled my original flight, I was able to get a standby seat on an earlier flight (imagine that!). My bag was not so lucky, but it eventually followed. The drive to Green Lake, Wisconsin, took about two hours. We were heading there to meet up with relatives from my father's side of the family for a mini family reunion and golf outing. Most everyone else took the whole week, but we were only able to spend the weekend in Green Lake. Despite not being able to see and catch up with most of the family, we did have some quality time with cousins from Iowa -- and we were able to see quite of a bit in the area.
Oakwood Lodge has been in business since 1867.
We stayed at Oakwood Lodge, a B&B that's been hosting travelers and vacationers since 1867, when it was built as a guest house for the Oakwood Resort, the first resort opened west of Niagara Falls. Because the original resort has been subdivided over the years, most of the buildings have been razed, and several other guest houses have been relocated, you can't really get a good sense of what the original property was like. But checking out a plat map from 1901, you can see that it was huge, stretching from where Oakwood is now toward downtown and the marina.
"Republican" meant something very different back then.
One of the days, we drove to Ripon, home of Ripon College and Ripon Foods Inc., maker of Rippin' Good Cookies. Ripon is also the birthplace of the Republican Party -- one of six or so cities that claim the title, including Jackson, Michigan -- and the little white schoolhouse that housed the first mass meeting in the country March 20, 1854, to organize the Republican Party still stands. When it was founded, the Republican Party was dedicated to fight the spread of slavery. About 55 people gathered to dissolve the local Whig and Free Soiler political parties -- and to protest the extension of slavery into the Kansas and Nebraska territories.
Surprising diversity in the Republican Party!
Today, the birthplace of the Republican Party neighbors the Republican House, a Chinese restaurant. We didn't eat there, but I was amused by the juxtaposition -- and the fact that an Asian eatery was trying to capitalize on the Republicans. Wonder how many conservatives take part of the chop suey.
We also spent some time driving around the Green Lake Conference Center, a Baptist retreat. The center abuts the Golf Courses of Lawsonia, named after Victor Lawson, publisher of the once-defunct Chicago Daily News. The center covers more than 1,000 acres, most of them heavily wooded, and features many interesting concrete-constructed "prayer towers."
Where the chapel car is parked.
Green Lake is also home of a chapel car -- one of two still in existence. "Chapel Car Grace" was used as part of the chapel car ministry of the American Baptist Publication Society and the American Baptist Home Mission Society. Starting in 1891, Baptist evangelists would ride the rails in the American West to spread the Gospel, distribute Bibles, and establish Sunday schools and churches.
By the God of Grace.
Grace, the car resting in Green Lake, was the last Baptist chapel car -- the seventh -- to be constructed. Built in 1915, the car cost only $21,000 to build. It was used primarily in California, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah and ceased service in 1946. Over the course of its history, three missionary couples served on the car, with Rev. A.C. Blinzinger riding the rails with the God of Grace for almost 20 of those years.
Make your ministry mobile!
Inside, there are enough seats for about 65 people to worship. Just behind the lectern is an additional room that served as the minister's bedroom. And on the far end of the chapel car was a small kitchen and rest room. I know I said the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers was so large you almost didn't need to leave to live, but can you imagine living on a train car for 20 years?
Looking back in time.
In the beginning, railways would waive trackage fees so the chapel cars could ride their rails for free. That changed in 1914, when the Publication Society began to pay for the railways' transport of the chapel cars. Despite this cost -- and the declining need for cars as churches were founded throughout the West -- the chapel cars remained in service for another 32 years.
All in all, an extremely fun and comfortable vacation with the family -- and a lot of lost local history.
Last Friday, I flew to Madison, Wisconsin, where I met up with my parents and sister. I had some trouble with my American connection in Chicago, but even though they'd canceled my original flight, I was able to get a standby seat on an earlier flight (imagine that!). My bag was not so lucky, but it eventually followed. The drive to Green Lake, Wisconsin, took about two hours. We were heading there to meet up with relatives from my father's side of the family for a mini family reunion and golf outing. Most everyone else took the whole week, but we were only able to spend the weekend in Green Lake. Despite not being able to see and catch up with most of the family, we did have some quality time with cousins from Iowa -- and we were able to see quite of a bit in the area.
Oakwood Lodge has been in business since 1867.
We stayed at Oakwood Lodge, a B&B that's been hosting travelers and vacationers since 1867, when it was built as a guest house for the Oakwood Resort, the first resort opened west of Niagara Falls. Because the original resort has been subdivided over the years, most of the buildings have been razed, and several other guest houses have been relocated, you can't really get a good sense of what the original property was like. But checking out a plat map from 1901, you can see that it was huge, stretching from where Oakwood is now toward downtown and the marina.
"Republican" meant something very different back then.
One of the days, we drove to Ripon, home of Ripon College and Ripon Foods Inc., maker of Rippin' Good Cookies. Ripon is also the birthplace of the Republican Party -- one of six or so cities that claim the title, including Jackson, Michigan -- and the little white schoolhouse that housed the first mass meeting in the country March 20, 1854, to organize the Republican Party still stands. When it was founded, the Republican Party was dedicated to fight the spread of slavery. About 55 people gathered to dissolve the local Whig and Free Soiler political parties -- and to protest the extension of slavery into the Kansas and Nebraska territories.
Surprising diversity in the Republican Party!
Today, the birthplace of the Republican Party neighbors the Republican House, a Chinese restaurant. We didn't eat there, but I was amused by the juxtaposition -- and the fact that an Asian eatery was trying to capitalize on the Republicans. Wonder how many conservatives take part of the chop suey.
We also spent some time driving around the Green Lake Conference Center, a Baptist retreat. The center abuts the Golf Courses of Lawsonia, named after Victor Lawson, publisher of the once-defunct Chicago Daily News. The center covers more than 1,000 acres, most of them heavily wooded, and features many interesting concrete-constructed "prayer towers."
Where the chapel car is parked.
Green Lake is also home of a chapel car -- one of two still in existence. "Chapel Car Grace" was used as part of the chapel car ministry of the American Baptist Publication Society and the American Baptist Home Mission Society. Starting in 1891, Baptist evangelists would ride the rails in the American West to spread the Gospel, distribute Bibles, and establish Sunday schools and churches.
By the God of Grace.
Grace, the car resting in Green Lake, was the last Baptist chapel car -- the seventh -- to be constructed. Built in 1915, the car cost only $21,000 to build. It was used primarily in California, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah and ceased service in 1946. Over the course of its history, three missionary couples served on the car, with Rev. A.C. Blinzinger riding the rails with the God of Grace for almost 20 of those years.
Make your ministry mobile!
Inside, there are enough seats for about 65 people to worship. Just behind the lectern is an additional room that served as the minister's bedroom. And on the far end of the chapel car was a small kitchen and rest room. I know I said the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers was so large you almost didn't need to leave to live, but can you imagine living on a train car for 20 years?
Looking back in time.
In the beginning, railways would waive trackage fees so the chapel cars could ride their rails for free. That changed in 1914, when the Publication Society began to pay for the railways' transport of the chapel cars. Despite this cost -- and the declining need for cars as churches were founded throughout the West -- the chapel cars remained in service for another 32 years.
All in all, an extremely fun and comfortable vacation with the family -- and a lot of lost local history.
No Media Res(t) for the Weary Traveler
Talk about culture shock! From Oakwood Lodge, a B&B that was originally built in 1867 as a guest house for a resort in Green Lake, Wisconsin, to the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, one of the city's largest conference hotels. The Sheraton has more than 1,200 rooms, and with a steak club, two cafes, and two bars, as well as a health club and swimming pool, you almost don't need to leave to live.
Yet the in-room literature is all about pointing you outside the hotel and into the city. Whether it's the Directory of Guest Services pointing you to barber shops, florists, and restaurants outside the hotel -- in addition to area shopping centers -- or the three in-room visitors guides, the Sheraton doesn't want you to stay inside if you don't want to.
Resting gently by the phone is the trade paperback-sized Front Desk Chicago, a 116-page shopping, dining, and culture quarterly published by Chicago-based Modern Luxury Inc. With an editorial staff dwarfed by its advertising and production teams -- and what must be a cadre of freelance contributors -- Front Desk caters to the Paul Stuart and Kate Spade set. The July 15 edition gives lip service to the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival and Andreas Gursky's MOCA exhibit in between pages devoted to details of the city's best cocktail bars, carry-ons and totes for summer, and a 40-page shopping, gallery, nightlife, and dining guide. Most of the goods and venues featured in Front Desk are way outside of my price range, and the guide's map of Michigan Avenue's Miracle Mile indicates the neighborhood its target demographic is encouraged to stick to.
So I turn to the Chicago Guest Informant -- placed prominently on the glass coffee table in front of the couch -- a European genre comics-formatted (think Tin Tin and Asterix) hardcover. Opening with a custom-published welcome letter from the hotel's VP and managing director (how friendly!), this 168-page annual published by a Woodland Hills, California-based company is slightly less duplicitious in its commercial intent in terms of pastiche listings disguised as articles, and when it comes down to it, is eminently more useful.
On p. 16, we are offered a relatively detailed map of the Loop, stretching north to Old Town and south to Soldier Field -- and including elevated and subway train lines (perhaps for the more adventurous hotel guests). There's a telephone directory of local financial, travel, and other services in the area. And while the content -- features on Chicago's culture, skyline, and seasonal events -- isn't as timely as Front Desk's, it's certainly more contextual.
That said, while Front Desk is quite adept at energizing and mobilizing hotel guests, Guest Informant seems more geared to the bored society matron. Why explain how to buy a diamond? The history and role of the concierge? Customer service quirks in Philadelphia? Nuances of champagne? Despite Guest Informant's focus on regional context, the annual is heavily dominated by dining and retail directories -- skimping on the events and gallery listings given its yearly publication -- and shameless about paid advertorial. A photography how to ran on a page with an ad for Gregory Gaymont Photography. The diamond selection primer ran opposite a full-page ad for Sidney Garber, a local jeweler. And the restaurant guide features 13 paid review/ads ranging from a third page to a full page.
Lastly, the July edition of Where Chicago, which I almost didn't find hidden on a shelf by the television and mini bar. Laudably staffing a Chicago office, Where is a regional visitors guide published by LA-based Miller Publishing Group. The "Where Network" covers more than 40 urban areas in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia, including some real ringers: the Yukon, St. Louis, and Winnipeg. In this month's 112-page magazine-format edition, readers are offered ads to Marshall Field's, Bloomingdale's, and Carson Pirie Scott, as well as some light editorial preceding the entertainment, shopping, and dining guides, which take up about two thirds of the glossy.
Articles address organic produce and cuisine, and the "most luxurious clubs Chicago has to offer," as well as pastiche aggregations of the listings in the entertainment, shopping, and dining guides. The corporate-sponsored Absolut Vision summer gallery series gets heavy play in this -- as it does in Front Desk. But for the most part, Where is all about the ads and listings, despite the detail of its local and regional maps, which are the best of the bunch as well worth tearing out if you don't want to spring for the laminated accordion Streetwise Chicago before you hit the streets.
Perhaps Sheraton's stocking of these three is strategic. Guest Informant goes straight for the blue hairs. Front Desk aims more for the monied near-hipster. And Where caters to the generally white-bread family. The location and placement is sure strategic. Front Desk, the edgy newcomer, rates prominent placement next to the phone. Guest Informant acquires the austere honor of residing on the coffee table. And Where nets the ghetto -- the shadowy shelves of the entertainment center.
But there has to be a better approach. Kudos to Front Desk and Where for publishing locally -- and for being more timely. Kudos to Where and Guest Informant for the depth of their local and regional resources and maps. And kudos to Front Desk for its hipster veneer and relative edginess when compared to the other two. When it comes down to brass tacks, however, you're better off ripping out Where's street map and pounding the pavement to find a copy of Newcity or the Chicago Reader if you really want to know where to go or what to do. Because the people in Guest Informant's California sales office? They have no idea.
Oh. There's one more hotel room media accoutrement you can turn to. Tucked snugly in the drawer on the nightstand on the far side of the bed is a Holy Bible "placed by the Gideons," an organization of Christian business travelers formed in 1898. I refer you to 1 John 2:15, 17 -- "Do not love the world or the things in the world. The world is passing away." As are all of the shops, galleries, and restaurants reviewed and advertised in the above visitors guides. But that's another story.
Talk about culture shock! From Oakwood Lodge, a B&B that was originally built in 1867 as a guest house for a resort in Green Lake, Wisconsin, to the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, one of the city's largest conference hotels. The Sheraton has more than 1,200 rooms, and with a steak club, two cafes, and two bars, as well as a health club and swimming pool, you almost don't need to leave to live.
Yet the in-room literature is all about pointing you outside the hotel and into the city. Whether it's the Directory of Guest Services pointing you to barber shops, florists, and restaurants outside the hotel -- in addition to area shopping centers -- or the three in-room visitors guides, the Sheraton doesn't want you to stay inside if you don't want to.
Resting gently by the phone is the trade paperback-sized Front Desk Chicago, a 116-page shopping, dining, and culture quarterly published by Chicago-based Modern Luxury Inc. With an editorial staff dwarfed by its advertising and production teams -- and what must be a cadre of freelance contributors -- Front Desk caters to the Paul Stuart and Kate Spade set. The July 15 edition gives lip service to the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival and Andreas Gursky's MOCA exhibit in between pages devoted to details of the city's best cocktail bars, carry-ons and totes for summer, and a 40-page shopping, gallery, nightlife, and dining guide. Most of the goods and venues featured in Front Desk are way outside of my price range, and the guide's map of Michigan Avenue's Miracle Mile indicates the neighborhood its target demographic is encouraged to stick to.
So I turn to the Chicago Guest Informant -- placed prominently on the glass coffee table in front of the couch -- a European genre comics-formatted (think Tin Tin and Asterix) hardcover. Opening with a custom-published welcome letter from the hotel's VP and managing director (how friendly!), this 168-page annual published by a Woodland Hills, California-based company is slightly less duplicitious in its commercial intent in terms of pastiche listings disguised as articles, and when it comes down to it, is eminently more useful.
On p. 16, we are offered a relatively detailed map of the Loop, stretching north to Old Town and south to Soldier Field -- and including elevated and subway train lines (perhaps for the more adventurous hotel guests). There's a telephone directory of local financial, travel, and other services in the area. And while the content -- features on Chicago's culture, skyline, and seasonal events -- isn't as timely as Front Desk's, it's certainly more contextual.
That said, while Front Desk is quite adept at energizing and mobilizing hotel guests, Guest Informant seems more geared to the bored society matron. Why explain how to buy a diamond? The history and role of the concierge? Customer service quirks in Philadelphia? Nuances of champagne? Despite Guest Informant's focus on regional context, the annual is heavily dominated by dining and retail directories -- skimping on the events and gallery listings given its yearly publication -- and shameless about paid advertorial. A photography how to ran on a page with an ad for Gregory Gaymont Photography. The diamond selection primer ran opposite a full-page ad for Sidney Garber, a local jeweler. And the restaurant guide features 13 paid review/ads ranging from a third page to a full page.
Lastly, the July edition of Where Chicago, which I almost didn't find hidden on a shelf by the television and mini bar. Laudably staffing a Chicago office, Where is a regional visitors guide published by LA-based Miller Publishing Group. The "Where Network" covers more than 40 urban areas in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia, including some real ringers: the Yukon, St. Louis, and Winnipeg. In this month's 112-page magazine-format edition, readers are offered ads to Marshall Field's, Bloomingdale's, and Carson Pirie Scott, as well as some light editorial preceding the entertainment, shopping, and dining guides, which take up about two thirds of the glossy.
Articles address organic produce and cuisine, and the "most luxurious clubs Chicago has to offer," as well as pastiche aggregations of the listings in the entertainment, shopping, and dining guides. The corporate-sponsored Absolut Vision summer gallery series gets heavy play in this -- as it does in Front Desk. But for the most part, Where is all about the ads and listings, despite the detail of its local and regional maps, which are the best of the bunch as well worth tearing out if you don't want to spring for the laminated accordion Streetwise Chicago before you hit the streets.
Perhaps Sheraton's stocking of these three is strategic. Guest Informant goes straight for the blue hairs. Front Desk aims more for the monied near-hipster. And Where caters to the generally white-bread family. The location and placement is sure strategic. Front Desk, the edgy newcomer, rates prominent placement next to the phone. Guest Informant acquires the austere honor of residing on the coffee table. And Where nets the ghetto -- the shadowy shelves of the entertainment center.
But there has to be a better approach. Kudos to Front Desk and Where for publishing locally -- and for being more timely. Kudos to Where and Guest Informant for the depth of their local and regional resources and maps. And kudos to Front Desk for its hipster veneer and relative edginess when compared to the other two. When it comes down to brass tacks, however, you're better off ripping out Where's street map and pounding the pavement to find a copy of Newcity or the Chicago Reader if you really want to know where to go or what to do. Because the people in Guest Informant's California sales office? They have no idea.
Oh. There's one more hotel room media accoutrement you can turn to. Tucked snugly in the drawer on the nightstand on the far side of the bed is a Holy Bible "placed by the Gideons," an organization of Christian business travelers formed in 1898. I refer you to 1 John 2:15, 17 -- "Do not love the world or the things in the world. The world is passing away." As are all of the shops, galleries, and restaurants reviewed and advertised in the above visitors guides. But that's another story.
Technofetishism XIV
Started using several new applications today. First up, tools for the iPod. xPod from BITcom helps you move MP3's off of your iPod and onto your hard drive. It's freeware, and it's been quite useful in terms of getting all of the MP3's Strand set me up with before I had my own PowerBook moved over to iTunes. PodUtil seems to work similarly, although it has the added feature of managing contacts on the iPod, as well. I've only played around with this one a little bit. Lastly, Podtext. This is an application that allows you to upload text files to your iPod -- files that can be read much like contacts. You can't use it for anything too long -- it runs out at 2,000 characters, which is more than many iPod text apps -- but for short text files, it seems to work pretty well.
I've also started using Opera as my default browser today. Blogger Pro doesn't support Opera, so I have to continue using Explorer to update Media Diet, but otherwise, Opera is an excellent alternative. It's faster, smaller, and more flexible than other browsers, and it offers some interesting features -- such as the 20-100% zoom. Again, I'll use Explorer to manage Media Diet, but for all other things? Opera is my browser.
Started using several new applications today. First up, tools for the iPod. xPod from BITcom helps you move MP3's off of your iPod and onto your hard drive. It's freeware, and it's been quite useful in terms of getting all of the MP3's Strand set me up with before I had my own PowerBook moved over to iTunes. PodUtil seems to work similarly, although it has the added feature of managing contacts on the iPod, as well. I've only played around with this one a little bit. Lastly, Podtext. This is an application that allows you to upload text files to your iPod -- files that can be read much like contacts. You can't use it for anything too long -- it runs out at 2,000 characters, which is more than many iPod text apps -- but for short text files, it seems to work pretty well.
I've also started using Opera as my default browser today. Blogger Pro doesn't support Opera, so I have to continue using Explorer to update Media Diet, but otherwise, Opera is an excellent alternative. It's faster, smaller, and more flexible than other browsers, and it offers some interesting features -- such as the 20-100% zoom. Again, I'll use Explorer to manage Media Diet, but for all other things? Opera is my browser.
Big Brother Is Watching VI
Eleven motion-detecting video cameras are being installed in alleyways in South Los Angeles to help combat litter and graffiti. People triggering the cameras while "loitering" in an alleyway will activate a recording that says, ""Stop! This is the LAPD. We have just taken your photograph. We will use this photograph to prosecute you. Leave now." Littering and tagging can bring six-month jail sentences and $1,000 fines.
Thanks to the Drudge Report.
Eleven motion-detecting video cameras are being installed in alleyways in South Los Angeles to help combat litter and graffiti. People triggering the cameras while "loitering" in an alleyway will activate a recording that says, ""Stop! This is the LAPD. We have just taken your photograph. We will use this photograph to prosecute you. Leave now." Littering and tagging can bring six-month jail sentences and $1,000 fines.
Thanks to the Drudge Report.
Comic Book Collections II
Not so much comic books as pulp magazines, but the family of a recently deceased 92-year-old man donated 35,000 science fiction and pulp magazines dating back to the 19th century to the University of Calgary. We'll see how they catalog and archive the materials -- much less make them accessible to the public, but this amazing research treasure trove might very well dwarf the MIT Science Fiction Society Library, which claims to offer the "world's largest open-shelf collection of science fiction."
Thanks to BoingBoing.
Not so much comic books as pulp magazines, but the family of a recently deceased 92-year-old man donated 35,000 science fiction and pulp magazines dating back to the 19th century to the University of Calgary. We'll see how they catalog and archive the materials -- much less make them accessible to the public, but this amazing research treasure trove might very well dwarf the MIT Science Fiction Society Library, which claims to offer the "world's largest open-shelf collection of science fiction."
Thanks to BoingBoing.
Thursday, August 01, 2002
The Movie I Watched Last Night XXVIII
Sunday: Shaft
I was bored in the hotel room upon arriving in Chicago this weekend -- too early to go to bed, and too late to go out. So I turned to Showtime. Shaft is a movie I didn't want to see in the theater and probably wouldn't even rent, but there it was, on the television, and I watched it. You know what? It's not bad. I'm not too well versed in blaxploitation films -- much less the original Shaft -- but I enjoyed this. It's only a slight revision because Samuel L. Jackson's character is the nephew of the '70s character -- so it's not a totally nostalgic redux a la Charlie's Angels but instead more of an update. The black cop turned renegade tracking down a monied bail-jumping racially motivated killer plot works well, and the interactions among the cast work well. Fun. A good call back to the original, but not worth going out of your way for.
Sunday: Shaft
I was bored in the hotel room upon arriving in Chicago this weekend -- too early to go to bed, and too late to go out. So I turned to Showtime. Shaft is a movie I didn't want to see in the theater and probably wouldn't even rent, but there it was, on the television, and I watched it. You know what? It's not bad. I'm not too well versed in blaxploitation films -- much less the original Shaft -- but I enjoyed this. It's only a slight revision because Samuel L. Jackson's character is the nephew of the '70s character -- so it's not a totally nostalgic redux a la Charlie's Angels but instead more of an update. The black cop turned renegade tracking down a monied bail-jumping racially motivated killer plot works well, and the interactions among the cast work well. Fun. A good call back to the original, but not worth going out of your way for.
Rock Shows of Note XXX
A friend was laid off yesterday, so a bunch of us got together after work for drinks in the North End. Several people were going to go to the Beth Orton show at the Avalon, and in the spirit of spending time with my newly "liberated" friend, I decided to tag along. I'm not the biggest fan of the Avalon, but I do enjoy Beth's "Trailer Park" record -- even though I must admit I momentarily confused her with Gillian Welch.
While Beth Orton's mix of singer songwriter-styled rock and trip hop was fun and interesting -- the band hit an amazing groove as the show neared its end -- I must say that the highlight of the evening was seeing Hem. Even though Comicopia's James Wu went to the show specifically to see Hem, I'd never heard of -- or heard -- them before. Fronted by Sally Ellyson, who has an extremely beautiful voice, Hem blends piano-based music with dual guitars and the occasional mandolin. They're kind of quiet, but very effective. Awesome. Just goes to show how important it is to catch opening bands. They can often be better than the headliner.
A friend was laid off yesterday, so a bunch of us got together after work for drinks in the North End. Several people were going to go to the Beth Orton show at the Avalon, and in the spirit of spending time with my newly "liberated" friend, I decided to tag along. I'm not the biggest fan of the Avalon, but I do enjoy Beth's "Trailer Park" record -- even though I must admit I momentarily confused her with Gillian Welch.
While Beth Orton's mix of singer songwriter-styled rock and trip hop was fun and interesting -- the band hit an amazing groove as the show neared its end -- I must say that the highlight of the evening was seeing Hem. Even though Comicopia's James Wu went to the show specifically to see Hem, I'd never heard of -- or heard -- them before. Fronted by Sally Ellyson, who has an extremely beautiful voice, Hem blends piano-based music with dual guitars and the occasional mandolin. They're kind of quiet, but very effective. Awesome. Just goes to show how important it is to catch opening bands. They can often be better than the headliner.
Other People's Reading Piles VI
Tom Hopkins is almost done designing the 30-year Web archive for Painted Bride Quarterly, an independent literary magazine sponsored in part by the English department at Rutgers University. It's an impressive effort. Issues date back to 1973, and all of the editions are available as downloadable PDF's. I have some qualms with the quality of some of the scans, but overall, the world needs more Web-based archival efforts like this. Kudos to Nester and Tom!
Tom Hopkins is almost done designing the 30-year Web archive for Painted Bride Quarterly, an independent literary magazine sponsored in part by the English department at Rutgers University. It's an impressive effort. Issues date back to 1973, and all of the editions are available as downloadable PDF's. I have some qualms with the quality of some of the scans, but overall, the world needs more Web-based archival efforts like this. Kudos to Nester and Tom!
Happy Birthday to Media Dieticians VI
It's Thomas Madsen-Mygdal's birthday today. Happy, happy!
It's Thomas Madsen-Mygdal's birthday today. Happy, happy!
Wednesday, July 31, 2002
The Restaurant I Ate at Last Night IX
While in Evanston, Illinois, earlier this week, I had dinner with Claire Zulkey at the Lucky Platter. I ordered four side dishes -- mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, beans and rice, and a simple salad -- just like I was at a meat-and-three in Tennessee. Mmm! I also had a tamarind lemonade. It was really good, but I wondered: What the heck is tamarind? I like tamarind nectar, and I like tamarind lemonade, but I couldn't quite peg it. Kind of like figs, kind of like dates. A little like raisins, sort of like prunes. But not really. I thought it was a fruit -- and it is -- but it's also considered a spice. The word "tamarind" derives from tamr hindi, or "date of India." So they are kind of like dates!
***
My friend Lynne-Marie and her husband just opened a cafe near the Art Institute of Chicago at Michigan and Madison. Millennium Perk is a wonderfully comfortable spot with extremely good coffee -- try the Foglifter! -- a shelf full of interesting books ranging from Christopher Locke to Thomas Merton, and a friendly staff and patrons. They cater, too. If you go, be sure to look up toward the front of the cafe from the counter to see the second-story office without windows, and if you're feeling brave, ask to see the narrow, narrow staircase. Depending on how much coffee you drink, you might need to use the restroom. Ask for the key at the counter, and the bathroom's on the second floor -- you can walk up the stairs from the lobby. Congratulations, Lynne-Marie -- Millennium Perk rocks!
***
Last night, I ate at Carton's with Joe, Jennifer, and Kirsten. They called Carton's a diner, but it's probably the nicest diner-cum-family restaurant I've ever been to. The section we sat in was filled to the gills with Gold Coast blue hairs, and there's a pretty large bar on the other end of the restaurant. Decorated like a Denny's, Carton's food is anything but similar. Three of us ordered breakfasts, and Joe ordered a corned beef sandwich. I ordered a Greek scramble -- I forget the word for it -- that had eggs, onion, feta, and tomatoes. Came with Greek toast, which is kind of like scali bread, but thicker, grapefruit juice, and coffee. The coffee was really, really good. You should go there just for coffee.
While in Evanston, Illinois, earlier this week, I had dinner with Claire Zulkey at the Lucky Platter. I ordered four side dishes -- mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, beans and rice, and a simple salad -- just like I was at a meat-and-three in Tennessee. Mmm! I also had a tamarind lemonade. It was really good, but I wondered: What the heck is tamarind? I like tamarind nectar, and I like tamarind lemonade, but I couldn't quite peg it. Kind of like figs, kind of like dates. A little like raisins, sort of like prunes. But not really. I thought it was a fruit -- and it is -- but it's also considered a spice. The word "tamarind" derives from tamr hindi, or "date of India." So they are kind of like dates!
My friend Lynne-Marie and her husband just opened a cafe near the Art Institute of Chicago at Michigan and Madison. Millennium Perk is a wonderfully comfortable spot with extremely good coffee -- try the Foglifter! -- a shelf full of interesting books ranging from Christopher Locke to Thomas Merton, and a friendly staff and patrons. They cater, too. If you go, be sure to look up toward the front of the cafe from the counter to see the second-story office without windows, and if you're feeling brave, ask to see the narrow, narrow staircase. Depending on how much coffee you drink, you might need to use the restroom. Ask for the key at the counter, and the bathroom's on the second floor -- you can walk up the stairs from the lobby. Congratulations, Lynne-Marie -- Millennium Perk rocks!
Last night, I ate at Carton's with Joe, Jennifer, and Kirsten. They called Carton's a diner, but it's probably the nicest diner-cum-family restaurant I've ever been to. The section we sat in was filled to the gills with Gold Coast blue hairs, and there's a pretty large bar on the other end of the restaurant. Decorated like a Denny's, Carton's food is anything but similar. Three of us ordered breakfasts, and Joe ordered a corned beef sandwich. I ordered a Greek scramble -- I forget the word for it -- that had eggs, onion, feta, and tomatoes. Came with Greek toast, which is kind of like scali bread, but thicker, grapefruit juice, and coffee. The coffee was really, really good. You should go there just for coffee.
Friday, July 26, 2002
'Tis the Season to Be... AWOL IX
In a couple of hours, I'm heading to the airport to fly to Wisconsin for a mini-family reunion -- and then to Chicago, where I will be judging a marketing competition for architecture, design, and construction professionals. I will be back in the office and online next Wednesday.
While I always hope to update Media Diet while traveling, if I don't, that doesn't mean that Media Diet is dead (long live Media Diet!). It just means that it's resting. Besides, I still owe you a trip report from my previous trip home. Keep your eyes peeled for a report on Al Capone's summer home in northern Wisconsin -- and a supper club that got shot up by the feds because John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson were staying there.
In a couple of hours, I'm heading to the airport to fly to Wisconsin for a mini-family reunion -- and then to Chicago, where I will be judging a marketing competition for architecture, design, and construction professionals. I will be back in the office and online next Wednesday.
While I always hope to update Media Diet while traveling, if I don't, that doesn't mean that Media Diet is dead (long live Media Diet!). It just means that it's resting. Besides, I still owe you a trip report from my previous trip home. Keep your eyes peeled for a report on Al Capone's summer home in northern Wisconsin -- and a supper club that got shot up by the feds because John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson were staying there.
Morning Delusional
This almost never happens to me, but this morning, upon waking (for the first time) at 5:17 a.m., I was completely disoriented. I didn't know where I was, I didn't know what day it was, and I didn't know what I had to do today. This never happens to me -- not even when I'm on the road for two months -- I always know where I am and why I'm there.
But this morning, I woke in a near-panic and totally disoriented. I checked the clock, walked around my apartment, looked outside, and checked my calendar to reaffirm where I was and when it was. Then, having gotten everything settled again ("I'm home, it's Friday, and I'm flying to Wisconsin this afternoon; I need to pack."), I went back to bed for a couple of hours.
When I finally got up at a reasonable hour, I knew exactly who I was, where I was, and what I was doing. Phew! Has anyone else ever experienced this disorientation in the morning?
This almost never happens to me, but this morning, upon waking (for the first time) at 5:17 a.m., I was completely disoriented. I didn't know where I was, I didn't know what day it was, and I didn't know what I had to do today. This never happens to me -- not even when I'm on the road for two months -- I always know where I am and why I'm there.
But this morning, I woke in a near-panic and totally disoriented. I checked the clock, walked around my apartment, looked outside, and checked my calendar to reaffirm where I was and when it was. Then, having gotten everything settled again ("I'm home, it's Friday, and I'm flying to Wisconsin this afternoon; I need to pack."), I went back to bed for a couple of hours.
When I finally got up at a reasonable hour, I knew exactly who I was, where I was, and what I was doing. Phew! Has anyone else ever experienced this disorientation in the morning?
Thursday, July 25, 2002
The Red... Sux!
I am ever so lame today, for many reasons, but the reason I am going to tell you about involves baseball. I had a ticket to last night's Red Sox game. I didn't go, though. You see, I thought the game was tonight. Yesterday a co-worker forwarded an email reminder about the game, and it said "tomorrow" because it had originally been sent two days ago. So "tomorrow" was actually yesterday. You with me?
Also, having just moved into a new office, the ticket was stashed away. Thinking the game was tonight, not last night, I planned to find the ticket today and give it away to someone else. I couldn't go tonight because of recording with the Anchormen. But I could've gone last night. And had I looked for the ticket yesterday, I would've. Certainly should've.
Anyway, I found the ticket more easily than ever expected this morning and was quite surprised that it was dated for yesterday, not today. So I can't even give it away. This is one reason I am lame.
At least the Red Sox lost.
What did I do last night instead of going to the Red Sox game I could've gone to? Stayed home, sat on the Big Blue Couch, and listened to a bunch of great late '80s Wisconsin bands: Couch Flambeau, the Gomers, Cattleprod, and the Tar Babies.
I am ever so lame today, for many reasons, but the reason I am going to tell you about involves baseball. I had a ticket to last night's Red Sox game. I didn't go, though. You see, I thought the game was tonight. Yesterday a co-worker forwarded an email reminder about the game, and it said "tomorrow" because it had originally been sent two days ago. So "tomorrow" was actually yesterday. You with me?
Also, having just moved into a new office, the ticket was stashed away. Thinking the game was tonight, not last night, I planned to find the ticket today and give it away to someone else. I couldn't go tonight because of recording with the Anchormen. But I could've gone last night. And had I looked for the ticket yesterday, I would've. Certainly should've.
Anyway, I found the ticket more easily than ever expected this morning and was quite surprised that it was dated for yesterday, not today. So I can't even give it away. This is one reason I am lame.
At least the Red Sox lost.
What did I do last night instead of going to the Red Sox game I could've gone to? Stayed home, sat on the Big Blue Couch, and listened to a bunch of great late '80s Wisconsin bands: Couch Flambeau, the Gomers, Cattleprod, and the Tar Babies.
Business Media Reportage Goes Boom, Now Bust III
Gruner & Jahr, publisher of the magazine I work for, recently reorganized its business magazine division. Media Life's Jeff Bercovici paints a less than rosy picture of the state of business magazines.
Gruner & Jahr, publisher of the magazine I work for, recently reorganized its business magazine division. Media Life's Jeff Bercovici paints a less than rosy picture of the state of business magazines.
North End Moment XXIV
Written on a little slip of paper found in the Central Square T station on my way to work:
Marilyn Diptych
1962
Flip side:
Warhol
comment on the media status @ the time after Marilyn's death
used garish colors to make masklike
Written on a little slip of paper found in the Central Square T station on my way to work:
Marilyn Diptych
1962
Flip side:
Warhol
From the In Box: Ditherati Down!
Ditherati.com was domain-jacked by a cybersquatter. I'm trying to get it back now. Meanwhile, Ditherati continues. -- Owen Thomas
Ditherati.com was domain-jacked by a cybersquatter. I'm trying to get it back now. Meanwhile, Ditherati continues. -- Owen Thomas
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Business Media Reportage Goes Boom, Now Bust II
Contrary to my previous entry -- and unpopular opinion about the magazine after it merged with the now-defunct and -retitled E-Company Now -- it seems as though Business 2.0 is on the upswing. Time Inc. is going to inject more money into the monthly, and the magazine continues to tweak and redesign how it does what it does.
Contrary to my previous entry -- and unpopular opinion about the magazine after it merged with the now-defunct and -retitled E-Company Now -- it seems as though Business 2.0 is on the upswing. Time Inc. is going to inject more money into the monthly, and the magazine continues to tweak and redesign how it does what it does.
Business Media Reportage Goes Boom, Now Bust
There are a couple of interesting pieces on media coverage of the economic boom and bust in TomPaine.com this week. First off, Michael Dolny analyzes how most mainstream media coverage of the boom was conservative in nature -- not liberal as many media critics contend generally. Conservative think tank representatives got more ink than liberal think tank representatives. Corporate executives got more play than union officials.
In addition, Steven Rosenfeld interviews author Jack Beatty about recent changes in business reportage. Boosterism is ceding to skepticism. There was a "new economy" in the '20s built on automobiles and the radio. And the New York Times and magazines such as Businessweek are increasingly critical in their coverage of large organizations, largely sparked by Enron.
Interesting perspectives as the page counts -- and reporter staffs -- of newspapers' business sections continue to shrink. Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported that business sections were cutting their stock and mutual fund listings. In fact, many business sections have continued to thin -- beefed up slightly by coverage of the recent corporate corruption scandals -- and while I haven't been able to track down stats, I wouldn't be surprised if our former glut of business reporters hasn't been trimmed, as well.
There are a couple of interesting pieces on media coverage of the economic boom and bust in TomPaine.com this week. First off, Michael Dolny analyzes how most mainstream media coverage of the boom was conservative in nature -- not liberal as many media critics contend generally. Conservative think tank representatives got more ink than liberal think tank representatives. Corporate executives got more play than union officials.
In addition, Steven Rosenfeld interviews author Jack Beatty about recent changes in business reportage. Boosterism is ceding to skepticism. There was a "new economy" in the '20s built on automobiles and the radio. And the New York Times and magazines such as Businessweek are increasingly critical in their coverage of large organizations, largely sparked by Enron.
Interesting perspectives as the page counts -- and reporter staffs -- of newspapers' business sections continue to shrink. Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported that business sections were cutting their stock and mutual fund listings. In fact, many business sections have continued to thin -- beefed up slightly by coverage of the recent corporate corruption scandals -- and while I haven't been able to track down stats, I wouldn't be surprised if our former glut of business reporters hasn't been trimmed, as well.
Thought for Food III
I've been cooking at home again lately. Cooking at home is a rarity. In fact, eating is a rarity, as I don't really like food and for some strange reason, my body never really feels hungry. I don't get peckish. My stomach doesn't growl. And because I miss the usual human cues to eat, I regularly skip meals. Eating is something I have to consciously schedule. It doesn't ever just happen.
In any event, I've been trying to cook again. Cooking up a storm, although last night's storm was nowhere as bad in Cambridge as folks had predicted. I didn't need to worry about my windows at all. Elsewhere, others were not so lucky. In West Brookfield, the wind tore the roof off an unoccupied home on Lake Wickaboag. The wind there also uprooted a grove of 30 trees. In Easthampton, wind speed reached more than 70 mph. In Cambridge, it drizzled.
But what have I been cooking? I'm glad you asked! Sunday I whipped up some clam pasta. It's basically a sauce you pour over whatever pasta you prefer. The recipe from Parents magazine suggested linguini. I used rotini. The sauce goes a little like this. Heat up some olive oil. Add some red pepper flakes. Add some garlic. Just before the garlic browns, add a can of V8 -- or about a third of the V8 glass bottle size. Boil and reduce by about half. Stir in some diced tomatoes and cook until it bubbles again. Add some drained clams from a can (the first time I've ever bought clams in a can!), a bit of lemon or lime juice (I used lime, and it was fine), a bit of butter to make it creamy, and basil if you've got some. Heat a little longer and then pour it over the pasta. It's good, it's got bite, and the leftovers reheat well.
Last night's recipe -- gleaned from Fitness magazine -- wasn't as good, but it was worth a shot. Crumble up about a fourth of an extra-firm tofu package. Add some crumbled-up goat cheese. However much you think you can stomach. Crack in four eggs. Add some curry powder, again to taste. Whisk away. Pour all of this into a frying pan -- I melted a bit of butter into mine first. Let the eggs settle and cook on the bottom. When firm, cut into quarters and flip to cook the other side. When done cooking, throw some of the egg into a warm tortilla, add some salsa, roll it up, and eat. I didn't like this dish as much as the previous one for several reasons. I used too much tofu. I didn't add enough curry. I should've added some salt and pepper. The thing needed some green -- maybe some spinach or something. But if done well, this could be quite tasty. It's certainly comfort food and as good for dinner as it would be for breakfast. Mmm, migas.
What have you been cooking lately?
I've been cooking at home again lately. Cooking at home is a rarity. In fact, eating is a rarity, as I don't really like food and for some strange reason, my body never really feels hungry. I don't get peckish. My stomach doesn't growl. And because I miss the usual human cues to eat, I regularly skip meals. Eating is something I have to consciously schedule. It doesn't ever just happen.
In any event, I've been trying to cook again. Cooking up a storm, although last night's storm was nowhere as bad in Cambridge as folks had predicted. I didn't need to worry about my windows at all. Elsewhere, others were not so lucky. In West Brookfield, the wind tore the roof off an unoccupied home on Lake Wickaboag. The wind there also uprooted a grove of 30 trees. In Easthampton, wind speed reached more than 70 mph. In Cambridge, it drizzled.
But what have I been cooking? I'm glad you asked! Sunday I whipped up some clam pasta. It's basically a sauce you pour over whatever pasta you prefer. The recipe from Parents magazine suggested linguini. I used rotini. The sauce goes a little like this. Heat up some olive oil. Add some red pepper flakes. Add some garlic. Just before the garlic browns, add a can of V8 -- or about a third of the V8 glass bottle size. Boil and reduce by about half. Stir in some diced tomatoes and cook until it bubbles again. Add some drained clams from a can (the first time I've ever bought clams in a can!), a bit of lemon or lime juice (I used lime, and it was fine), a bit of butter to make it creamy, and basil if you've got some. Heat a little longer and then pour it over the pasta. It's good, it's got bite, and the leftovers reheat well.
Last night's recipe -- gleaned from Fitness magazine -- wasn't as good, but it was worth a shot. Crumble up about a fourth of an extra-firm tofu package. Add some crumbled-up goat cheese. However much you think you can stomach. Crack in four eggs. Add some curry powder, again to taste. Whisk away. Pour all of this into a frying pan -- I melted a bit of butter into mine first. Let the eggs settle and cook on the bottom. When firm, cut into quarters and flip to cook the other side. When done cooking, throw some of the egg into a warm tortilla, add some salsa, roll it up, and eat. I didn't like this dish as much as the previous one for several reasons. I used too much tofu. I didn't add enough curry. I should've added some salt and pepper. The thing needed some green -- maybe some spinach or something. But if done well, this could be quite tasty. It's certainly comfort food and as good for dinner as it would be for breakfast. Mmm, migas.
What have you been cooking lately?
Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Factsheet Life
I recently reconnected with an old friend I haven't talked to or emailed in about five years -- Seth Friedman, former publisher of Factsheet 5. When I lived near San Francisco, I spent quite a bit of time hanging out with Seth and the F5 gang -- Chris Becker; Ashley Parker Owens; John Held, Jr.; and Jerod Pore. I've fallen out of touch with most of the old F5 gang, and I miss them. Like I miss San Francisco. While I lived in the Bay Area, Jerod introduced me to Japanese cuisine and wasabi, for which I will be eternally grateful.
In an edition of the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this month, Jerod contributed a piece about his bipolar personality. This is what Seth emailed me, and it's what reconnected us. The first-person account of manic depression was inspired by a Rob Morse column about Electroboy. It's a moving and insightful look at how extreme ups and downs can affect your life. What's even more moving and insightful is Jerod's account of the series of events surrounding the publication of the piece -- Morse's original column, Jerod's letter of commment, his original draft, his edited draft, the draft as it was edited by the Chron, and reader response.
The context is as interesting as the content. Jerod experienced waves of mania and depression while writing the piece -- and writing about writing the piece. In fact, Seth says that Jerod's been going through a pretty rough spell lately, and I miss him -- regardless of which him I might be missing. Good to reconnect.
I recently reconnected with an old friend I haven't talked to or emailed in about five years -- Seth Friedman, former publisher of Factsheet 5. When I lived near San Francisco, I spent quite a bit of time hanging out with Seth and the F5 gang -- Chris Becker; Ashley Parker Owens; John Held, Jr.; and Jerod Pore. I've fallen out of touch with most of the old F5 gang, and I miss them. Like I miss San Francisco. While I lived in the Bay Area, Jerod introduced me to Japanese cuisine and wasabi, for which I will be eternally grateful.
In an edition of the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this month, Jerod contributed a piece about his bipolar personality. This is what Seth emailed me, and it's what reconnected us. The first-person account of manic depression was inspired by a Rob Morse column about Electroboy. It's a moving and insightful look at how extreme ups and downs can affect your life. What's even more moving and insightful is Jerod's account of the series of events surrounding the publication of the piece -- Morse's original column, Jerod's letter of commment, his original draft, his edited draft, the draft as it was edited by the Chron, and reader response.
The context is as interesting as the content. Jerod experienced waves of mania and depression while writing the piece -- and writing about writing the piece. In fact, Seth says that Jerod's been going through a pretty rough spell lately, and I miss him -- regardless of which him I might be missing. Good to reconnect.
Rules for Fools X
Rule No. 13: Leaving all of your windows open and saying, "It won't rain; it's such a beautiful day!" won't fend off the storm barreling toward New England.
Rule No. 13: Leaving all of your windows open and saying, "It won't rain; it's such a beautiful day!" won't fend off the storm barreling toward New England.
Technofetishism XIII
And I thought the Activision handheld was a cool idea. Intellivision Productions Inc. has developed a wide-ranging Web site about the classic video game system of the '80s. But the really neat thing is that you can download free games to play on your Mac or PC -- and that they offer CD-ROM collections of more than 80 old games, including games that were never released! They also offer a CD-ROM of Colecovision games. The discs also provide the history of Intellivision, original package art, biographies of programmers, TV commercials, and video interviews with many of the original programmers. Wow.
Thanks to Matt.
And I thought the Activision handheld was a cool idea. Intellivision Productions Inc. has developed a wide-ranging Web site about the classic video game system of the '80s. But the really neat thing is that you can download free games to play on your Mac or PC -- and that they offer CD-ROM collections of more than 80 old games, including games that were never released! They also offer a CD-ROM of Colecovision games. The discs also provide the history of Intellivision, original package art, biographies of programmers, TV commercials, and video interviews with many of the original programmers. Wow.
Thanks to Matt.
Rock Shows of Note XXIX
Apologies for the delay on reporting on the actual Art Beat Sideshow organized by Handstand Command. This was the first time -- that I'm aware of -- that the Somerville Arts Council helped set up an evening event attached to Art Beat, much less an event geared more toward adults than children and families. We were thrilled to be part of it, and Emily, Beth, and Rachel deserve a lot of kudos for putting together such an amazing show.
An actual baby bottle.
Besides the paperboard facades and stage decorations, the Dilboy VFW hall was outfitted with a circus relic display, jarred curiosities, a popcorn and cotton candy machine, and assorted art installations. Folks didn't have a lot of time to explore the space and see the displays, and it was quite dark once the lights went out and the show started, but the installations and circus decorations added a lot to the feeling of the space.
The show opened with Scrapple performing a framing song -- reprised at the end of the show -- welcoming everyone to the Sideshow's "freak flesh parade." I dressed up as a half-man/half-dog and was led onto the stage by Leslie, who performs in Asian Babe Alert with Tom of the Anchormen and Scrapple. The song peaked with a parade around the hall. My dog hat fell off on the way around. I never did find it and hope that someone else picked it up. (Geisslah said he thinks he has it, so things should be cool.)
Laurel the Baton Twirler is a freak.
There was so much going on, it's hard to describe in a linear way. So I'm not going to. An artichoke fought a beet. Baby Man recited poetry. Steak battled a potato chip -- perhaps the best wrestling costume done up in grand Kaiju Big Battel style. Jennifer took photos of people. I made popcorn. Steph made cotton candy. Scads of bands played short, short sets: the Operators, the Anchormen, Asian Babe Alert, Sinkcharmer, and Scrapple. The Anchormen's set was really fun, and people seemed to respond well to our songs about gas stations, Chinese restaurants, and urban planning.
The Operators take the stage.
After the bands played, the show shifted gears. The Burlesque Revival Association (yes, BRA) performed several sultry numbers. Jake the Puppet Master staged a disturbing Punch and Judy show drawing on original scripts. Laurel the Baton Twirler did her thing. And at the very end, a DJ spun records. Folks danced until the place closed around 1 a.m. and Handstand Command broke down the sets.
Overall, the Sideshow was a brilliant ending to Art Beat. Handstand Command enjoyed putting it together. The Somerville Arts Council folks seemed to have a good time. And the place was packed! Thrilled silly that everyone hung around for so much of the show. There was a lot going on, and it lasted about five hours.
Hooray for Art Beat!
Photographs courtesy of Kathleen and Paul Coleman.
Apologies for the delay on reporting on the actual Art Beat Sideshow organized by Handstand Command. This was the first time -- that I'm aware of -- that the Somerville Arts Council helped set up an evening event attached to Art Beat, much less an event geared more toward adults than children and families. We were thrilled to be part of it, and Emily, Beth, and Rachel deserve a lot of kudos for putting together such an amazing show.
An actual baby bottle.
Besides the paperboard facades and stage decorations, the Dilboy VFW hall was outfitted with a circus relic display, jarred curiosities, a popcorn and cotton candy machine, and assorted art installations. Folks didn't have a lot of time to explore the space and see the displays, and it was quite dark once the lights went out and the show started, but the installations and circus decorations added a lot to the feeling of the space.
The show opened with Scrapple performing a framing song -- reprised at the end of the show -- welcoming everyone to the Sideshow's "freak flesh parade." I dressed up as a half-man/half-dog and was led onto the stage by Leslie, who performs in Asian Babe Alert with Tom of the Anchormen and Scrapple. The song peaked with a parade around the hall. My dog hat fell off on the way around. I never did find it and hope that someone else picked it up. (Geisslah said he thinks he has it, so things should be cool.)
Laurel the Baton Twirler is a freak.
There was so much going on, it's hard to describe in a linear way. So I'm not going to. An artichoke fought a beet. Baby Man recited poetry. Steak battled a potato chip -- perhaps the best wrestling costume done up in grand Kaiju Big Battel style. Jennifer took photos of people. I made popcorn. Steph made cotton candy. Scads of bands played short, short sets: the Operators, the Anchormen, Asian Babe Alert, Sinkcharmer, and Scrapple. The Anchormen's set was really fun, and people seemed to respond well to our songs about gas stations, Chinese restaurants, and urban planning.
The Operators take the stage.
After the bands played, the show shifted gears. The Burlesque Revival Association (yes, BRA) performed several sultry numbers. Jake the Puppet Master staged a disturbing Punch and Judy show drawing on original scripts. Laurel the Baton Twirler did her thing. And at the very end, a DJ spun records. Folks danced until the place closed around 1 a.m. and Handstand Command broke down the sets.
Overall, the Sideshow was a brilliant ending to Art Beat. Handstand Command enjoyed putting it together. The Somerville Arts Council folks seemed to have a good time. And the place was packed! Thrilled silly that everyone hung around for so much of the show. There was a lot going on, and it lasted about five hours.
Hooray for Art Beat!
Photographs courtesy of Kathleen and Paul Coleman.
Red Letter Day
Been fired? Right-sized? Esquire offers an Exit-Memo Generator that will help you torch the bridge or kiss the boot.
Thanks to Metafilter.
Been fired? Right-sized? Esquire offers an Exit-Memo Generator that will help you torch the bridge or kiss the boot.
Thanks to Metafilter.
Pulling the Plug IV
608 closed last night. I know they had trouble with their transition from club to restaurant to club again, but did anyone see this coming? Club III was open so long. 608/Lilli's, we hardly knew ye.
608 closed last night. I know they had trouble with their transition from club to restaurant to club again, but did anyone see this coming? Club III was open so long. 608/Lilli's, we hardly knew ye.
Monday, July 22, 2002
Fill Your Television II
Are you tired of your geeky friend expounding on how Mork & Mindy is really a spin-off of Happy Days and that Charlie's Angels once set sail on the Love Boat? One up the bum with knowledge gleaned from Thom Holbrook's Crossovers and Spin Offs Master List. Like, I betcha didn't know that Col. Klink from Hogan's Heroes cameoed on a 1966 episode of Batman. Well, now you do.
Are you tired of your geeky friend expounding on how Mork & Mindy is really a spin-off of Happy Days and that Charlie's Angels once set sail on the Love Boat? One up the bum with knowledge gleaned from Thom Holbrook's Crossovers and Spin Offs Master List. Like, I betcha didn't know that Col. Klink from Hogan's Heroes cameoed on a 1966 episode of Batman. Well, now you do.
Behind the Scenes: Rock Shows of Note XXIX
This weekend was the weekend of Art Beat on Davis Square in Somerville. I was involved in two Art Beat-related activities. One, I helped work the Somerville Comics Collaborative table, the brainchild of Jef Czekaj. He spent much of the day overseeing a collective comics creation project in which Art Beat participants could contribute panels and pages to an ongoing narrative comic.
Our spot at Art Beat
Even though the day was overcast and near-rain for most of Art Beat, there was a good turnout -- and the sun finally broke later in the afternoon. "The whole city is drawing a comic! You can help!" I would call into the crowds passing by. Young children, young adults, and even the elderly sat down for a spell to help develop a flip-book comic about a giant cat attacking Somerville, rocket ships, its friend Funky Dragon, giant cookies, dancing, and the sea.
Jef, head of the Somerville Comics Collaborative
We're going to produce a minicomic compiling all of the contributions to redistribute to all of the people who contributed. I was pretty pleased with how it came out -- and thrilled to be able to help Jef at the table. We're even discussing making a Web slideshow of the comic with a voiceover narration. I'll let you know if that comes together.
Somervillains co-create a comic
We shared table space with Dan Moynihan, who made Davis Square T-shirts sporting an image from a nearby traffic sign. He also had handmade note cards and minicomics for sale.
This is Dan. He's not glaring, but the sun is.
He only made 100 of the shirts, and they were quite popular. He was down to less than 10 by the end of the day and says that he might make more.
A better view of the sign. But not necessarily of Dan.
All that said, I spent much of the day hanging and helping out at the Dilboy VFW hall to set up for the Art Beat Sideshow organized by Handstand Command. (Mostly, it was organized by Emily and Beth of the Washington Street Art Center, so many thanks and kudos to them!) We gathered at the Dilboy to construct the stage, put together facades for the merch and display tables, and set up the popcorn and cotton candy maker.
The go-away zone.
It's amazing what paperboard, scrap wood, ribbon, thumbtacks, and duct tape can do -- and our constructions really changed the nature of the space. Even Rachel Strutt of the Somerville Arts Council contributed a display of Lemony Snicket-like circus relics.
Emily and Geisslah puttin' up the house.
Between meeting up with Jef at 11, checking out the Dilboy at 12:30, and reconvening for band setup and soundcheck at 6, Saturday was a full day -- and the Handstand Command Sideshow hadn't even happened yet!
Stay tuned for the rest of the story...
This weekend was the weekend of Art Beat on Davis Square in Somerville. I was involved in two Art Beat-related activities. One, I helped work the Somerville Comics Collaborative table, the brainchild of Jef Czekaj. He spent much of the day overseeing a collective comics creation project in which Art Beat participants could contribute panels and pages to an ongoing narrative comic.
Our spot at Art Beat
Even though the day was overcast and near-rain for most of Art Beat, there was a good turnout -- and the sun finally broke later in the afternoon. "The whole city is drawing a comic! You can help!" I would call into the crowds passing by. Young children, young adults, and even the elderly sat down for a spell to help develop a flip-book comic about a giant cat attacking Somerville, rocket ships, its friend Funky Dragon, giant cookies, dancing, and the sea.
Jef, head of the Somerville Comics Collaborative
We're going to produce a minicomic compiling all of the contributions to redistribute to all of the people who contributed. I was pretty pleased with how it came out -- and thrilled to be able to help Jef at the table. We're even discussing making a Web slideshow of the comic with a voiceover narration. I'll let you know if that comes together.
Somervillains co-create a comic
We shared table space with Dan Moynihan, who made Davis Square T-shirts sporting an image from a nearby traffic sign. He also had handmade note cards and minicomics for sale.
This is Dan. He's not glaring, but the sun is.
He only made 100 of the shirts, and they were quite popular. He was down to less than 10 by the end of the day and says that he might make more.
A better view of the sign. But not necessarily of Dan.
All that said, I spent much of the day hanging and helping out at the Dilboy VFW hall to set up for the Art Beat Sideshow organized by Handstand Command. (Mostly, it was organized by Emily and Beth of the Washington Street Art Center, so many thanks and kudos to them!) We gathered at the Dilboy to construct the stage, put together facades for the merch and display tables, and set up the popcorn and cotton candy maker.
The go-away zone.
It's amazing what paperboard, scrap wood, ribbon, thumbtacks, and duct tape can do -- and our constructions really changed the nature of the space. Even Rachel Strutt of the Somerville Arts Council contributed a display of Lemony Snicket-like circus relics.
Emily and Geisslah puttin' up the house.
Between meeting up with Jef at 11, checking out the Dilboy at 12:30, and reconvening for band setup and soundcheck at 6, Saturday was a full day -- and the Handstand Command Sideshow hadn't even happened yet!
Stay tuned for the rest of the story...
It's an Ad, Ad, Ad, Ad World XII
Been digging the new Apple Switch ads featuring fine folks such as Mark Frauenfelder? Now there's a parody of Mark's spot. It made me smile.
Thanks to BoingBoing.
Been digging the new Apple Switch ads featuring fine folks such as Mark Frauenfelder? Now there's a parody of Mark's spot. It made me smile.
Thanks to BoingBoing.
Cashing in on Comics
If you've been inside a comics shop lately -- or scanned the newsstand at your local grocery store -- you might have seen some throwbacks to old standbys: GI Joe, the Transformers, Battle of the Planets, and Thundercats. Why the resurgence of reminiscence? In Ninth Art, Ben Wooler takes a look at the return to time-tested cartoon and comic properties. He consider the market for what he terms a "new nostalgia" and compares the string of rehashed series to Vertigo's revitalization of Doom Patrol, Sandman, Swamp Thing and other titles in the '80s and '90s. While I agree that the new nostalgia is nothing new -- filmmakers, musicians, and cartoonists cyclically return to reconsider successful creative franchises of the past -- I doubt the strength of the Vertigo parallel. The new-old titles we're seeing lately are more media tie-in plays than drastic rewritings a la Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman. Think Archie's repositioning of Josie and the Pussycats in conjunction with the release of the move. Also, the publishers in question are clearing playing to the post-baby boomer nostalgia many post-Generation X'ers are currently experiencing. But Wooler poses an interesting question, hinged on his fond memories of Voltron and the Masters of the Universe: "We don't really remember the sub-par animation, dialogue and characterisation, do we?"
Do we?
If you've been inside a comics shop lately -- or scanned the newsstand at your local grocery store -- you might have seen some throwbacks to old standbys: GI Joe, the Transformers, Battle of the Planets, and Thundercats. Why the resurgence of reminiscence? In Ninth Art, Ben Wooler takes a look at the return to time-tested cartoon and comic properties. He consider the market for what he terms a "new nostalgia" and compares the string of rehashed series to Vertigo's revitalization of Doom Patrol, Sandman, Swamp Thing and other titles in the '80s and '90s. While I agree that the new nostalgia is nothing new -- filmmakers, musicians, and cartoonists cyclically return to reconsider successful creative franchises of the past -- I doubt the strength of the Vertigo parallel. The new-old titles we're seeing lately are more media tie-in plays than drastic rewritings a la Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman. Think Archie's repositioning of Josie and the Pussycats in conjunction with the release of the move. Also, the publishers in question are clearing playing to the post-baby boomer nostalgia many post-Generation X'ers are currently experiencing. But Wooler poses an interesting question, hinged on his fond memories of Voltron and the Masters of the Universe: "We don't really remember the sub-par animation, dialogue and characterisation, do we?"
Do we?
Friday, July 19, 2002
Blogging About Blogging XXVIII
The Media Diet discussion forum is open again! Now you can either comment on a Media Diet entry or take your talk over to the discussion forum.
Why bring it back? Well, I missed other friends' forums, and my recent participation in a discussion in the Atlantic Monthly's Post & Riposte forum heightened that longing. So there you go. Do what you will. We'll see if Delphi Advanced's $1.25/month is worth it.
The Media Diet discussion forum is open again! Now you can either comment on a Media Diet entry or take your talk over to the discussion forum.
Why bring it back? Well, I missed other friends' forums, and my recent participation in a discussion in the Atlantic Monthly's Post & Riposte forum heightened that longing. So there you go. Do what you will. We'll see if Delphi Advanced's $1.25/month is worth it.
Comics and Calamity II
Not only can you help William Messner-Loebs, creator of Journey, through his current financial and housing crisis by making a donation via PayPal -- Bill's email address is billmloebs@aol.com -- but John Roberson is currently working on a benefit e-book for the cause.
Entitled Working for the Man, thanks to Donna Barr, the book will include work by folks such as Sam Henderson, Peter Kuper, David Lasky, and a score of others whose names I do not recognize. Word is that Gary Groth will pen the introduction and that Unbound Comics will publish the e-book.
Thanks to the Warren Ellis Forum.
Not only can you help William Messner-Loebs, creator of Journey, through his current financial and housing crisis by making a donation via PayPal -- Bill's email address is billmloebs@aol.com -- but John Roberson is currently working on a benefit e-book for the cause.
Entitled Working for the Man, thanks to Donna Barr, the book will include work by folks such as Sam Henderson, Peter Kuper, David Lasky, and a score of others whose names I do not recognize. Word is that Gary Groth will pen the introduction and that Unbound Comics will publish the e-book.
Thanks to the Warren Ellis Forum.
Amazon.com Wasted My Money
I'm obsessed with secret societies. And while I realize that the Masons are hardly secret, I've been researching their history, organization, and rituals. So I recently bought Duncan's Ritual of Freemasonry from Amazon. They even recommended that I also purchase a companion volume, Duncan's Masonic Ritual and Monitor, at a discount along with Duncan's Ritual. So I did.
The tomes arrived in the mail yesterday. And while I should have done a little more poking around before making good on that impulse purchase and cross-sell, Amazon wasted my money. They are the same book. One is hardcover, one is softcover. And while the ISBN's are different -- hardcover and softcover editions differ by a single digit -- the title and author is exactly the same. Despite Amazon's positioning on their site.
Thanks a lot, Amazon. This is why I usually buy books from Powell's or the Harvard Book Store. And why Media Dieticians should do the same.
I'm obsessed with secret societies. And while I realize that the Masons are hardly secret, I've been researching their history, organization, and rituals. So I recently bought Duncan's Ritual of Freemasonry from Amazon. They even recommended that I also purchase a companion volume, Duncan's Masonic Ritual and Monitor, at a discount along with Duncan's Ritual. So I did.
The tomes arrived in the mail yesterday. And while I should have done a little more poking around before making good on that impulse purchase and cross-sell, Amazon wasted my money. They are the same book. One is hardcover, one is softcover. And while the ISBN's are different -- hardcover and softcover editions differ by a single digit -- the title and author is exactly the same. Despite Amazon's positioning on their site.
Thanks a lot, Amazon. This is why I usually buy books from Powell's or the Harvard Book Store. And why Media Dieticians should do the same.
Playwright or Wrong
David Mogolov, former editor-in-chief of Knowumsayin, gets his 15 seconds of fame today courtesy of Claire Zulkey. David and Claire chat about a one-man play David wrote about a night he spent at an airport in Warwick, R.I., improvisational acting, and the history of Knowumsayin and 1099, another Webzine David was involved in. He also comments on the differences between the Midwest and New England -- as well as the perceived rivalry between Boston and New York City.
I haven't met David, but I'll be sure to check out his play when it debuts in September. And I know he knows Ken Gordon, so he's probably good people.
David Mogolov, former editor-in-chief of Knowumsayin, gets his 15 seconds of fame today courtesy of Claire Zulkey. David and Claire chat about a one-man play David wrote about a night he spent at an airport in Warwick, R.I., improvisational acting, and the history of Knowumsayin and 1099, another Webzine David was involved in. He also comments on the differences between the Midwest and New England -- as well as the perceived rivalry between Boston and New York City.
I haven't met David, but I'll be sure to check out his play when it debuts in September. And I know he knows Ken Gordon, so he's probably good people.
Event-O-Dex VI
Don't forget the Somerville Arts Council Art Beat festivities this weekend on Davis Square. The Anchormen are performing several short songs about food and fighting as part of the Art Beat Sideshow organized by the Handstand Command music collective. Expect a burlesque show, wrestling vegetables, and other fun. If by fun you mean a baton twirler.
The Handstand Command collective was featured today in the Boston Globe. If you get your hands on the print edition, look for the photograph -- I'm the guy in the red T-shirt with the stringless violin standing on the tree. Reilly Capps, a relatively young and recent transplant to the area pens a piece that is part report on Art Beat and part profile of the collective. He shares our origin story, outlines the kinds of arts and music events we like to organize, and details our place in the Somerville and Boston-area arts community.
Anchormen, aweigh!
Don't forget the Somerville Arts Council Art Beat festivities this weekend on Davis Square. The Anchormen are performing several short songs about food and fighting as part of the Art Beat Sideshow organized by the Handstand Command music collective. Expect a burlesque show, wrestling vegetables, and other fun. If by fun you mean a baton twirler.
The Handstand Command collective was featured today in the Boston Globe. If you get your hands on the print edition, look for the photograph -- I'm the guy in the red T-shirt with the stringless violin standing on the tree. Reilly Capps, a relatively young and recent transplant to the area pens a piece that is part report on Art Beat and part profile of the collective. He shares our origin story, outlines the kinds of arts and music events we like to organize, and details our place in the Somerville and Boston-area arts community.
Anchormen, aweigh!
Thursday, July 18, 2002
Among the Literati XI
If you think that David Eggers' writing is funny, you might find these jokes about Eggers funny.
Thanks to Typing, Typing, Typing: AOPTTWADE.
If you think that David Eggers' writing is funny, you might find these jokes about Eggers funny.
Thanks to Typing, Typing, Typing: AOPTTWADE.
Comics Crackdown II
Chicago-area cartoonist Stu Helm, also known as King VelVeeda, has been ordered to stop using his nickname as part of a court case brought on by Kraft Foods. According to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund:
CBLDF defendant Stu Helm has lost the first round in his battle against corporate censorship. Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys handed down a 32 page decision granting Kraft's request for preliminary injunction against Helm's use of the nickname "King VelVeeda." The injunction prohibits Helm from using the name on his Website or in any commercial context. The decision freezes Helm's ability to sell original art created before the injunction unless he physically removes the nickname from the piece, effectively defacing each original image. It also blocks the sale of "Singles and Seconds," a collection of single page erotic vignettes.
The Magistrate's decision further orders Helm to remove the nickname from all Web pages, metatags, and search engines. Helm has spent the weeks since the decision painstakingly obliterating all references to the name from his site. His next court date is July 29 where he will demonstrate full compliance with the Judge's orders.
The CBLDF's legal team has filed an appeal to the Magistrate's decision. Presently we are awaiting a decision on the appeal, following which a trial date will be set. However, the decision on the appeal may take months to come through. Meanwhile, the Fund is nearing the five figure mark in case expenses and needs to build funds to fight the next round.
"They already took my name," Stu Helm says, "and in court I could be fighting for my life." Part of the terms of Kraft's suit is that if Helm loses he may have to pay Kraft's legal fees plus punitive damages. The Fund's legal team estimates Kraft's expenses are nearing six figures. The longer the case is delayed, the sharper their fees escalate, and the more urgent Stu's plight becomes.
CBLDF Director Charles Brownstein explains, "We leapt onto this case when it was already in motion with all our legal guns. Unfortunately the judge felt that the balance of harms favored Kraft's commercial speech over Helm's artistic speech, but that doesn't mean that Stu's case has been weakened. The preliminary injunction needed to show Kraft having a fair shot at prevailing in the trial, it doesn't mean that they're right, and it certainly doesn't mean that they'll win. It's still early in the process, and we intend to keep fighting."
"With trademark and copyright laws in a state of flux, it's important to fight these instances of corporate censorship," explains Fund Board Member Louise Nemschoff. "If Kraft prevails, the precedent could be damaging not only to comic book creators poking fun at corporate culture, but to musicians, filmmakers, and other artists making use of puns or homonyms of corporate marks."
"This case is about what is protected as free speech," says CBLDF legal counsel Ken Levinson. "We would be remiss in our duties if we didn't protect a comic book artist like Stu while that battle is being waged in the higher courts. Comics are a place where precedents are set in entertainment law, and we have to fight to ensure that a bad precedent isn't set here."
To Support the CBLDF's continuing defense of Stu Helm and other casework make a donation.
Or, boycott Kraft, Phillip Morris, and affiliated products and brands.
Chicago-area cartoonist Stu Helm, also known as King VelVeeda, has been ordered to stop using his nickname as part of a court case brought on by Kraft Foods. According to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund:
CBLDF defendant Stu Helm has lost the first round in his battle against corporate censorship. Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys handed down a 32 page decision granting Kraft's request for preliminary injunction against Helm's use of the nickname "King VelVeeda." The injunction prohibits Helm from using the name on his Website or in any commercial context. The decision freezes Helm's ability to sell original art created before the injunction unless he physically removes the nickname from the piece, effectively defacing each original image. It also blocks the sale of "Singles and Seconds," a collection of single page erotic vignettes.
The Magistrate's decision further orders Helm to remove the nickname from all Web pages, metatags, and search engines. Helm has spent the weeks since the decision painstakingly obliterating all references to the name from his site. His next court date is July 29 where he will demonstrate full compliance with the Judge's orders.
The CBLDF's legal team has filed an appeal to the Magistrate's decision. Presently we are awaiting a decision on the appeal, following which a trial date will be set. However, the decision on the appeal may take months to come through. Meanwhile, the Fund is nearing the five figure mark in case expenses and needs to build funds to fight the next round.
"They already took my name," Stu Helm says, "and in court I could be fighting for my life." Part of the terms of Kraft's suit is that if Helm loses he may have to pay Kraft's legal fees plus punitive damages. The Fund's legal team estimates Kraft's expenses are nearing six figures. The longer the case is delayed, the sharper their fees escalate, and the more urgent Stu's plight becomes.
CBLDF Director Charles Brownstein explains, "We leapt onto this case when it was already in motion with all our legal guns. Unfortunately the judge felt that the balance of harms favored Kraft's commercial speech over Helm's artistic speech, but that doesn't mean that Stu's case has been weakened. The preliminary injunction needed to show Kraft having a fair shot at prevailing in the trial, it doesn't mean that they're right, and it certainly doesn't mean that they'll win. It's still early in the process, and we intend to keep fighting."
"With trademark and copyright laws in a state of flux, it's important to fight these instances of corporate censorship," explains Fund Board Member Louise Nemschoff. "If Kraft prevails, the precedent could be damaging not only to comic book creators poking fun at corporate culture, but to musicians, filmmakers, and other artists making use of puns or homonyms of corporate marks."
"This case is about what is protected as free speech," says CBLDF legal counsel Ken Levinson. "We would be remiss in our duties if we didn't protect a comic book artist like Stu while that battle is being waged in the higher courts. Comics are a place where precedents are set in entertainment law, and we have to fight to ensure that a bad precedent isn't set here."
To Support the CBLDF's continuing defense of Stu Helm and other casework make a donation.
Or, boycott Kraft, Phillip Morris, and affiliated products and brands.
Music to My URL's
WebPlayer is one of the most interesting Shockwave projects I've encountered recently. The tool converts Web pages' HTML code into numbers, which are then run through formulas that create sound streams. The Fast Company home page evokes a soothing wash of sound, while this very page results in a stuttering, busy signal-like series of tones.
Thanks to Metafilter.
WebPlayer is one of the most interesting Shockwave projects I've encountered recently. The tool converts Web pages' HTML code into numbers, which are then run through formulas that create sound streams. The Fast Company home page evokes a soothing wash of sound, while this very page results in a stuttering, busy signal-like series of tones.
Thanks to Metafilter.
North End Moment XXIII
In the alley behind the Scotch & Sirloin building, there's a Meola Vending van. Meola is based in Worcester, Massachusetts. On the rear door of the van, there's lettering that reads "Just Say No to Drugs." Quote marks formerly surrounded "No," but they've been removed. You can still see faint traces.
I have two questions. One, why is Meola taking such a public position on the drug issue? And two, grammatically, "Just Say 'No' to Drugs" is correct, while "Just Say No to Drugs" is not, no? I'm no copy editor.
In the alley behind the Scotch & Sirloin building, there's a Meola Vending van. Meola is based in Worcester, Massachusetts. On the rear door of the van, there's lettering that reads "Just Say No to Drugs." Quote marks formerly surrounded "No," but they've been removed. You can still see faint traces.
I have two questions. One, why is Meola taking such a public position on the drug issue? And two, grammatically, "Just Say 'No' to Drugs" is correct, while "Just Say No to Drugs" is not, no? I'm no copy editor.
Wednesday, July 17, 2002
Technofetishism XII
Finally up and running with my new PowerBook G4 full time! Getting all of my preferences set -- printer, etc. -- and making sure everything's here. What a beaut!
***
Just a quick review of the Toymax Activision 10-in-1 TV Game, which I took for a test drive last night. It's important that you use fresh batteries in the controller, or you get these surreal, shifting pixellated graphics on your TV. I thought it was broken at first. Of the games included, Grand Prix and Crack Pots seem to be the most fun. There's a game called Freeway that really perplexes me. You're a chicken, and all you can do is cross the road in a straight line. It's like Frogger, only boring. Additionally, it doesn't seem that you can actually progress through levels in the games. When you complete a run, the game just ends, and you have to select a level manually. So it doesn't bode well for long-time game play. But the biggest frustration is the fire button. You see, it doesn't work very well. The directional keypad works fine, but the keypad used for firing is slightly inconsistent and difficult to work. That'll also affect gameplay. But it's fun revisiting all the old Activism games. And for $20, some cheap design elements can be overlooked.
Finally up and running with my new PowerBook G4 full time! Getting all of my preferences set -- printer, etc. -- and making sure everything's here. What a beaut!
Just a quick review of the Toymax Activision 10-in-1 TV Game, which I took for a test drive last night. It's important that you use fresh batteries in the controller, or you get these surreal, shifting pixellated graphics on your TV. I thought it was broken at first. Of the games included, Grand Prix and Crack Pots seem to be the most fun. There's a game called Freeway that really perplexes me. You're a chicken, and all you can do is cross the road in a straight line. It's like Frogger, only boring. Additionally, it doesn't seem that you can actually progress through levels in the games. When you complete a run, the game just ends, and you have to select a level manually. So it doesn't bode well for long-time game play. But the biggest frustration is the fire button. You see, it doesn't work very well. The directional keypad works fine, but the keypad used for firing is slightly inconsistent and difficult to work. That'll also affect gameplay. But it's fun revisiting all the old Activism games. And for $20, some cheap design elements can be overlooked.
Sketchy Ethics II
In her blog Hangzhou T-Salon, Media Dietician Andrea Leung comments on my recent post about Steve Friess' time working in China. She argues that as a foreigner, Steve probably didn't have any opportunity to initiate change at the paper -- and that any attempts to do so may have written his ticket home.
Valid context. Thanks, Andrea! I must admit that I'm still somewhat bemused by opinion pieces like Steve's, however. American journalist works overseas. American journalist comes home and writes a snarky take on the experience, pointing out the limitations of non-American journalism with some humor. American journalist makes little effort to improve conditions overseas. The columns just write themselves!
In her blog Hangzhou T-Salon, Media Dietician Andrea Leung comments on my recent post about Steve Friess' time working in China. She argues that as a foreigner, Steve probably didn't have any opportunity to initiate change at the paper -- and that any attempts to do so may have written his ticket home.
Valid context. Thanks, Andrea! I must admit that I'm still somewhat bemused by opinion pieces like Steve's, however. American journalist works overseas. American journalist comes home and writes a snarky take on the experience, pointing out the limitations of non-American journalism with some humor. American journalist makes little effort to improve conditions overseas. The columns just write themselves!
Read But Dead VIII
The Oxford American which almost shut up shop this spring, has found a new backer. But don't expect to see the same magazine. OxAm's going to relocate to Little Rock, Arkansas, has let go its existing staff, and will hire a new team after the relocation. I hope they continue publishing the music issue, at least.
***
In other news, it looks like Paul Miller and a gang of others is going to relaunch 21C magazine, an Australian mag that combines elements of Mondo 2000, BoingBoing, Wired, and Shift. The issues of 21C that I've read were quite solid, and this is a way welcome relaunch.
The Oxford American which almost shut up shop this spring, has found a new backer. But don't expect to see the same magazine. OxAm's going to relocate to Little Rock, Arkansas, has let go its existing staff, and will hire a new team after the relocation. I hope they continue publishing the music issue, at least.
In other news, it looks like Paul Miller and a gang of others is going to relaunch 21C magazine, an Australian mag that combines elements of Mondo 2000, BoingBoing, Wired, and Shift. The issues of 21C that I've read were quite solid, and this is a way welcome relaunch.
Telefun and Games
Junkbusters, an organization devoted to helping people eliminate junk mail and messages from their lives -- telemarketing calls, spam, Web ads -- offers an anti-telemarketing script that you can use to gather information about telemarketers who call you, request that they not call you again, and learn what you need to know if you decide to pursue legal action against telemarketers.
The script identifies what questions might be grounds for legal action if the telemarketer responds negatively, and the script is separated into two sections, the first of which is pretty general. "If you feel like making them pay, keep going."
Thanks to Utne Web Watch.
Junkbusters, an organization devoted to helping people eliminate junk mail and messages from their lives -- telemarketing calls, spam, Web ads -- offers an anti-telemarketing script that you can use to gather information about telemarketers who call you, request that they not call you again, and learn what you need to know if you decide to pursue legal action against telemarketers.
The script identifies what questions might be grounds for legal action if the telemarketer responds negatively, and the script is separated into two sections, the first of which is pretty general. "If you feel like making them pay, keep going."
Thanks to Utne Web Watch.
Tuesday, July 16, 2002
Technofetishism XI
In the mail today, I received my Toymax Activision 10-in-1 TV Game. It's got 10 old Activision games stored in the handheld controller, which looks like a Nintendo controller. You just plug it in your TV and go, go, go. Games include Pitfall, Atlantis, River Raid (!!!), and Grand Prix.
Tonight I'll be clickin' it old school!
Thanks to Matt.
In the mail today, I received my Toymax Activision 10-in-1 TV Game. It's got 10 old Activision games stored in the handheld controller, which looks like a Nintendo controller. You just plug it in your TV and go, go, go. Games include Pitfall, Atlantis, River Raid (!!!), and Grand Prix.
Tonight I'll be clickin' it old school!
Thanks to Matt.
Fill Your Television
Marc Weissbot is reviewing the pilot episodes of TV shows slated for the 2002-03 season. The blog is all about pilots -- about 20 tapes worth -- and seems to be geared toward getting more work reviewing TV shows. Weissbot also maintains a more general site, Weissblog.
Thanks to TV Barn.
Marc Weissbot is reviewing the pilot episodes of TV shows slated for the 2002-03 season. The blog is all about pilots -- about 20 tapes worth -- and seems to be geared toward getting more work reviewing TV shows. Weissbot also maintains a more general site, Weissblog.
Thanks to TV Barn.
Adventures in Book Reviewing
Taking a step beyond Katha Pollitt's piece in the Nation in April, Mark Bauerlein contributes a thoughtful look at the differences between peer review in academia and being reviewed in the mainstream press to the July 19 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education. Bauerlein considers the slow pace of reviews in academia -- it can take years for a scholarly tome to have impact -- scholars reaction to reviews written by what they consider "unqualified or uncongenial" writers, the lack of discource in the mainstream media, and how academics can improve their relations with mainstream reviewers.
Thanks to MobyLives.
Taking a step beyond Katha Pollitt's piece in the Nation in April, Mark Bauerlein contributes a thoughtful look at the differences between peer review in academia and being reviewed in the mainstream press to the July 19 edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education. Bauerlein considers the slow pace of reviews in academia -- it can take years for a scholarly tome to have impact -- scholars reaction to reviews written by what they consider "unqualified or uncongenial" writers, the lack of discource in the mainstream media, and how academics can improve their relations with mainstream reviewers.
Thanks to MobyLives.
Products I Love II
Toscanini's ginger snap molasses ice cream. It's like eating gingerbread with vanilla ice cream, only all mixed up. Real pieces of ginger snap -- though they're soft, not snappy. Sooo good. I left the pint in the freezer when I went home to Wisconsin, and it was still tasty when I returned a week later. I usually eat a pint of ice cream in three sittings. How many does it take you?
Toscanini's ginger snap molasses ice cream. It's like eating gingerbread with vanilla ice cream, only all mixed up. Real pieces of ginger snap -- though they're soft, not snappy. Sooo good. I left the pint in the freezer when I went home to Wisconsin, and it was still tasty when I returned a week later. I usually eat a pint of ice cream in three sittings. How many does it take you?
Workaday World III
The bulletin board in my office just fell off the wall. I hardly even touched it.
The bulletin board in my office just fell off the wall. I hardly even touched it.
Personal Daze
I am inexplicably sad today. Absolutely morose. What do you do when you're not quite sure why you're sad? I'd rather be happy.
I am inexplicably sad today. Absolutely morose. What do you do when you're not quite sure why you're sad? I'd rather be happy.
Rules for Fools IX
Rule No. 12: Don't email 43,000 people during the peak of summer. A lot of people will be on vacation, and a lot of those people will set autoreplies to inform you of that fact.
Rule No. 12: Don't email 43,000 people during the peak of summer. A lot of people will be on vacation, and a lot of those people will set autoreplies to inform you of that fact.
Monday, July 15, 2002
Sketchy Ethics
Not one to shy away from controversy, a former colleague of mine, Steve Friess, recently penned an opinion piece for Editor & Publisher. I was originally going to list it in today's Pieces, Particles entry, but I think it begs further comment.
Steve's piece bothers me for several reasons. One, it's an example of the classic Ugly American story. A Western journalist goes to work for an overseas news organization and is appalled by what he finds. He goes on to portray the locals' journalistic gaffes and foibles as humorous and quaint. (Steve secures his rebellious outsider role in his tagline to the piece: "Friess wrote frequently [and illegally] for USA Today from China last year.")
Two, Steve shares his experience giving no real sense that he seriously tried not to be complicit in -- much less to counter -- those very same gaffes and foibles. As an employee of the Chinese Ministry of Information, Steve passed on the party line. Colleagues changed quotes and invented people. Sure, Steve "wrote a query into the text" questioning the veracity of a statistic, but it's unnerving to think that -- if the practices of the Chinese journalists Steve worked beside were so wrong -- he didn't do more than he alludes to in the article.
Now, I didn't spend Steve's time overseas. I'm sure the role he found himself in was challenging. I'm also sure that he was surprised and not always delighted by how the China Daily's journalists worked. But Steve was in the mix. He was complicit in the very practices he's criticizing in what's supposed to be one of professional journalism's trade magazines. The point of this opinion piece -- outside of highlighting the humorous and quaint gaffes and foibles (and romanticizing Steve as a journalist) -- is weak. He helped local staffers apply to American journalism schools, "spreading the subversive gospel of the First Amendment." Please.
Higher up in the last column of the piece, Steve asks himself, "How did we stomach it?"
I ask, how did you sleep at night?
Not one to shy away from controversy, a former colleague of mine, Steve Friess, recently penned an opinion piece for Editor & Publisher. I was originally going to list it in today's Pieces, Particles entry, but I think it begs further comment.
Bull in China Shop
Our man in Beijing and his Year of Living Ridiculously
Steve's piece bothers me for several reasons. One, it's an example of the classic Ugly American story. A Western journalist goes to work for an overseas news organization and is appalled by what he finds. He goes on to portray the locals' journalistic gaffes and foibles as humorous and quaint. (Steve secures his rebellious outsider role in his tagline to the piece: "Friess wrote frequently [and illegally] for USA Today from China last year.")
Two, Steve shares his experience giving no real sense that he seriously tried not to be complicit in -- much less to counter -- those very same gaffes and foibles. As an employee of the Chinese Ministry of Information, Steve passed on the party line. Colleagues changed quotes and invented people. Sure, Steve "wrote a query into the text" questioning the veracity of a statistic, but it's unnerving to think that -- if the practices of the Chinese journalists Steve worked beside were so wrong -- he didn't do more than he alludes to in the article.
Now, I didn't spend Steve's time overseas. I'm sure the role he found himself in was challenging. I'm also sure that he was surprised and not always delighted by how the China Daily's journalists worked. But Steve was in the mix. He was complicit in the very practices he's criticizing in what's supposed to be one of professional journalism's trade magazines. The point of this opinion piece -- outside of highlighting the humorous and quaint gaffes and foibles (and romanticizing Steve as a journalist) -- is weak. He helped local staffers apply to American journalism schools, "spreading the subversive gospel of the First Amendment." Please.
Higher up in the last column of the piece, Steve asks himself, "How did we stomach it?"
I ask, how did you sleep at night?
Pieces, Particles VI
The following media-related stories recently spotted in print publications -- and now online -- might be worth a look. Heads and decks, only. Heads and decks.
A Model Journalist, by Richard Connelly, Houston Press, July 4-10, 2002
A TV anchor does a little promotional work on the side
Board the Weblog Bandwagon Now, Please, by Steve Outing, Editor & Publisher, June 26, 2002
Newspapers missed most Internet trends; isn't it time to catch one?
Journalistic Blogging, by Barb Palser, American Journalism Review, July/August 2002
Mainstream news organizations could steal an idea or two from blogs.
Midgets in Advertising, by Don Preziosi, Postcard Collector, July 2001
No Longer the Cat's Meow?, by Dave Astor, Editor & Publisher, June 17, 2002
Their core daily-newspaper market isn't what it used to be, but syndicates are improvising by finding new revenue sources
Radio: The Rookies, by Ariel Hart, Columbia Journalism Review, July/August 2002
"Sentinel" Seeking Drive-By Business, by Lucia Moses, Editor & Publisher, June 17, 2002
Electronic billboard is designed to steer Orlando motorists to the print product
The following media-related stories recently spotted in print publications -- and now online -- might be worth a look. Heads and decks, only. Heads and decks.
A Model Journalist, by Richard Connelly, Houston Press, July 4-10, 2002
A TV anchor does a little promotional work on the side
Board the Weblog Bandwagon Now, Please, by Steve Outing, Editor & Publisher, June 26, 2002
Newspapers missed most Internet trends; isn't it time to catch one?
Journalistic Blogging, by Barb Palser, American Journalism Review, July/August 2002
Mainstream news organizations could steal an idea or two from blogs.
Midgets in Advertising, by Don Preziosi, Postcard Collector, July 2001
No Longer the Cat's Meow?, by Dave Astor, Editor & Publisher, June 17, 2002
Their core daily-newspaper market isn't what it used to be, but syndicates are improvising by finding new revenue sources
Radio: The Rookies, by Ariel Hart, Columbia Journalism Review, July/August 2002
"Sentinel" Seeking Drive-By Business, by Lucia Moses, Editor & Publisher, June 17, 2002
Electronic billboard is designed to steer Orlando motorists to the print product
Event-O-Dex V
Several upcoming DIY and other media gatherings you might be interested in:
July 18, Allston, Massachusetts: So & So, the In Out, Choo Choo La Rouge, and the Rudds at O'Brien's
Erin says, "Judy and I are playing a set under the name So & So. Dave and Dan of the Fightin Dogs will back us up on bass and/or drums. Plus! I'm gonna wear a Canada shirt." Maybe she'll even sing in Canadian!
July 19-20, Somerville, Massachusetts: Somerville Arts Council Art Beat
Food, folks, and fun, as well as the Art Beat Sideshow organized by Handstand Command. The Anchormen will play several songs at the Sideshow.
August 10-24, New York City: In the Wire
A friend from college who just today re-entered my life is putting on this play with her husband. I don't know if there are puppets involved, but the InterWeb sure is!
Several upcoming DIY and other media gatherings you might be interested in:
July 18, Allston, Massachusetts: So & So, the In Out, Choo Choo La Rouge, and the Rudds at O'Brien's
Erin says, "Judy and I are playing a set under the name So & So. Dave and Dan of the Fightin Dogs will back us up on bass and/or drums. Plus! I'm gonna wear a Canada shirt." Maybe she'll even sing in Canadian!
July 19-20, Somerville, Massachusetts: Somerville Arts Council Art Beat
Food, folks, and fun, as well as the Art Beat Sideshow organized by Handstand Command. The Anchormen will play several songs at the Sideshow.
August 10-24, New York City: In the Wire
A friend from college who just today re-entered my life is putting on this play with her husband. I don't know if there are puppets involved, but the InterWeb sure is!
From the In Box: The Story of Spam III
I like the spam on your site today and kinda thought this was one of the better spams I've seen. Hope you enjoy, too. And hope all is well with you otherwise. -- Marty
I like the spam on your site today and kinda thought this was one of the better spams I've seen. Hope you enjoy, too. And hope all is well with you otherwise. -- Marty
You have just received the Amish virus. Because we don't have any computers or programming experience, this virus works on the honor system.
Please delete all the files from your hard drive and then manually forward this virus to everyone on your mailing list.
Thank you for your cooperation and God bless you.
The Amish Computer Engineering Department
Metafilter Down!
Following the trend set by Ditherati, Metafilter is now down. Happy birthday, server maintenance.
Following the trend set by Ditherati, Metafilter is now down. Happy birthday, server maintenance.
The Story of Spam III
This is the best spam I've received in a long time:
Well, at least they've clearly defined their target market.
This is the best spam I've received in a long time:
Subject: LOOK! Desparately Seeking 100 Lazy People.... Who Wants To Make Money
Dear Friend,
We are desparately looking for 100 lazy people who wish to make lots of money without working.
We are not looking for people who are self-motivated. We are not looking for people who join every 'get rich quick' scheme offered on the internet. We are not looking for class presidents, beautiful people, career builders or even college graduates. We don't even want union workers or trade school graduates.
We want the laziest people that exist - the guys and gals who expect to make money without lifting a finger. We want the people who stay in bed until noon. We want those of you who think that getting out of bed to go lay on the couch is an effort that is best not thought about.
If you meet this criteria, go to this site and join free:
[URL deleted to protect the guilty]
In case you haven't figured it out yet, we want the kind of people who DO NOT take risks. If you are the kind of person who will consider doing something that's NOT a 'sure thing', then do NOT respond.
This is too easy a way to make money and there's no challenge in it.
If you can get to the website, you will be able to see the first home business in history that requires no work. NONE.
By clicking on this link and going to this website, you will be aknowledging the fact that you want to make enough money that you can quit your regular job and sleep all day.
We are not looking for a commitment from youand we don't even want your money.
As a matter of fact, we don't even want you to hear from us again if the idea of making lots of money without working does not interest you.
So if nothing else, remember this -
to make money without working for it just "Join Free". Simple as that.
[URL deleted to protect the guilty]
We look forward to hearing from you.
In all seriousness,
This is NOT a "no work" program that will make you money without lifting a finger.
Advertising effectively requires WORK and plenty of it. Oh, for sure, it's not like picking cotton under a broiling sun, but it IS work, nonetheless.
And we DO want peoples' money ONLY when they see the value of our products, services and upgrades.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Cordially your lazy friend,
[Name deleted to protect the guilty]
Well, at least they've clearly defined their target market.
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