Magazine Me XVI
Paul O'Brien penned a thoughtful analysis of the state of comics journalism -- pegging his piece on the success of Wizard magazine -- that parallels the publishing opportunities for the industry to that of music journalism, primarily in the UK. He riffs off of a recent column by Warren Ellis, who contends that comics journalism should possess the same passion as music journalism -- as well as cover as much ground genre-wise.
While Warren and O'Brien's points are well-taken (and the idea is attractive), the rub is that music -- and other popcult media segments -- have mass-market audiences. There are enough music fans in general that a magazine like the Wire (O'Brien's lame jab at Norwegian jazz, aside) can survive serving a small segment of that market. Comic books don't have that mass market, so while the industry struggles to support even one high-profile general-interest magazine (anyone remember Comics Scene?), I don't think it's possible to support more than one.
Instead, we're left with smaller-scale magazines -- Wizard and the Comics Journal the most visible, at least on the newsstand (and Hogan's Alley, and...) -- and, well, the fanzines, which seem to be doing a fine job. I'd rather read an issue of the Comics Interpreter than a back issue of Comics Scene any day.
Tuesday, September 03, 2002
Manna for Media Dieticians IV
This is your final warning. In 24 hours, this very special Manna for Media Dieticians offer end.
DC Shoe Co. USA, maker of DC Shoes, just launched a new online company store. I still have three (3) discount codes that Media Dieticians can use to snag 50% off of online buys of DC Shoes products. If you're interested in taking advantage of this generous hook up courtesy of DC Shoes and Media Diet, email me by 5 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Sept. 4, and I'll send you a unique, single-use discount code. It'll guarantee you 50% off online. I only have three (3) of these left, so first come, first served.
This offer will expire -- as far as Media Diet is concerned -- tomorrow at 5 p.m., so if you're even remotely interested, contact me soon.
Thanks to DC Shoes for the hook up.
This is your final warning. In 24 hours, this very special Manna for Media Dieticians offer end.
DC Shoe Co. USA, maker of DC Shoes, just launched a new online company store. I still have three (3) discount codes that Media Dieticians can use to snag 50% off of online buys of DC Shoes products. If you're interested in taking advantage of this generous hook up courtesy of DC Shoes and Media Diet, email me by 5 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Sept. 4, and I'll send you a unique, single-use discount code. It'll guarantee you 50% off online. I only have three (3) of these left, so first come, first served.
This offer will expire -- as far as Media Diet is concerned -- tomorrow at 5 p.m., so if you're even remotely interested, contact me soon.
Thanks to DC Shoes for the hook up.
Music to My Ears X
The Stillborns in Greensburg, Indiana, recently emailed me a pointer to their MP3 site, which features about 60 songs. Basically, they play fast, scratchy, guttural punk rock. Shouted vocals, razor-wire guitars. Not totally my thing, but fun for an overcast post-holiday tail-end afternoon at work. It seems that they've been putting out CD-R's for quite some time. Up to eight editions, now, the CD's feature as many as 43 (!!!) songs.
The Stillborns in Greensburg, Indiana, recently emailed me a pointer to their MP3 site, which features about 60 songs. Basically, they play fast, scratchy, guttural punk rock. Shouted vocals, razor-wire guitars. Not totally my thing, but fun for an overcast post-holiday tail-end afternoon at work. It seems that they've been putting out CD-R's for quite some time. Up to eight editions, now, the CD's feature as many as 43 (!!!) songs.
Thursday, August 29, 2002
Visually Simulating
This entry is rather random, but over the course of the past week, I've taken some photographs that show you parts of my world. Last Friday, I met up with Coco at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education after one of her cooking classes. As Coco and I walked from Harvard Square to Porter Square, the juxtaposition of the full moon and the night-lit spire of one of the buildings near Harvard Yard really struck me.
I don't think it's Memorial Hall.
That's definitely the moon, though.
Walking up Massachusetts Avenue, I showed Coco Three Aces Pizza, a place I used to frequent when I lived on Chauncy Street. Right next door, there's a barber shop. This sign was in the window:
Slick Tracy.
Last weekend, then, there were two festivals in my neighborhood -- the Grecian Festival right across the street from where I live and the 10th Annual Cambridge Carnival International. The Greek fete ran over the course of several days and featured food and live music. They even set up a bulbous white tent over the church's parking lot. They closed off my block and set up tables and chairs in the street. I quite enjoyed listening to the music on the evening breeze through the window. But Sunday morning, I was startled by the carnival parade around midday. While I didn't have a chance to check out the street fair itself, Coco and I did watch some of the parade -- complete with parade floats on flat-bed trucks adorned with enormous amplifiers and young female dancers dressed up in carnival finery.
Flipping the bird.
And then, as if there weren't enough festivals and parades already, last weekend's St. Anthony's Feast in the North End was capped Monday evening with a small processional celebrating the saint. As I left the office after work, I almost walked straight into the processional, which didn't go too far down North Washington Street.
St. Anthony goes marching in.
We're with the band.
A sidewalk serenade.
Lastly, Tuesday night, Coco and I met my friend Hiromi, who just moved to Boston from Orange County, California, for dinner at Charlie's Kitchen on Harvard Square. It's one of my favorite places, and I wanted to share it with Hiromi and Coco, both of whom had never been there. Walking down the alley toward the restaurant, I pointed out the red house that Charlie's owner hopes to fix up and open as a slightly higher-end restaurant to accompany Charlie's (at least that's what I think is going on).
Drafty plans for the future.
Well, there you go. Good to get that out of my system -- and the images off the camera.
This entry is rather random, but over the course of the past week, I've taken some photographs that show you parts of my world. Last Friday, I met up with Coco at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education after one of her cooking classes. As Coco and I walked from Harvard Square to Porter Square, the juxtaposition of the full moon and the night-lit spire of one of the buildings near Harvard Yard really struck me.
I don't think it's Memorial Hall.
That's definitely the moon, though.
Walking up Massachusetts Avenue, I showed Coco Three Aces Pizza, a place I used to frequent when I lived on Chauncy Street. Right next door, there's a barber shop. This sign was in the window:
Slick Tracy.
Last weekend, then, there were two festivals in my neighborhood -- the Grecian Festival right across the street from where I live and the 10th Annual Cambridge Carnival International. The Greek fete ran over the course of several days and featured food and live music. They even set up a bulbous white tent over the church's parking lot. They closed off my block and set up tables and chairs in the street. I quite enjoyed listening to the music on the evening breeze through the window. But Sunday morning, I was startled by the carnival parade around midday. While I didn't have a chance to check out the street fair itself, Coco and I did watch some of the parade -- complete with parade floats on flat-bed trucks adorned with enormous amplifiers and young female dancers dressed up in carnival finery.
Flipping the bird.
And then, as if there weren't enough festivals and parades already, last weekend's St. Anthony's Feast in the North End was capped Monday evening with a small processional celebrating the saint. As I left the office after work, I almost walked straight into the processional, which didn't go too far down North Washington Street.
St. Anthony goes marching in.
We're with the band.
A sidewalk serenade.
Lastly, Tuesday night, Coco and I met my friend Hiromi, who just moved to Boston from Orange County, California, for dinner at Charlie's Kitchen on Harvard Square. It's one of my favorite places, and I wanted to share it with Hiromi and Coco, both of whom had never been there. Walking down the alley toward the restaurant, I pointed out the red house that Charlie's owner hopes to fix up and open as a slightly higher-end restaurant to accompany Charlie's (at least that's what I think is going on).
Drafty plans for the future.
Well, there you go. Good to get that out of my system -- and the images off the camera.
'Tis the Season to Be... AWOL XI
I'm taking the day tomorrow, the first of my Friday's off to use up my vacation time before it expires. Tomorrow night, I fly to Chicago to visit my grandmother in northwest Indiana. Based on your votes, we plan to spend the weekend visiting the John Dillinger Museum at the Indiana Welcome Center, the Yellow Brick Road Gift Shop and Oz Fantasy Museum in Chesterton, Indiana, and perhaps even the South Bend Chocolate Co. if we feel like that long a drive.
Monday I'll spend with friends in Chicago. Coco's also visiting friends in Chicago, so we'll probably spend most of Monday stomping around the Northwestern University campus in Evanston, Illinois. I went to college there, and it'll be fun to show her some of the sights and sites that are important to me. I'll report on our activities upon my return next Tuesday.
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. See you Tuesday after Labor Day.
I'm taking the day tomorrow, the first of my Friday's off to use up my vacation time before it expires. Tomorrow night, I fly to Chicago to visit my grandmother in northwest Indiana. Based on your votes, we plan to spend the weekend visiting the John Dillinger Museum at the Indiana Welcome Center, the Yellow Brick Road Gift Shop and Oz Fantasy Museum in Chesterton, Indiana, and perhaps even the South Bend Chocolate Co. if we feel like that long a drive.
Monday I'll spend with friends in Chicago. Coco's also visiting friends in Chicago, so we'll probably spend most of Monday stomping around the Northwestern University campus in Evanston, Illinois. I went to college there, and it'll be fun to show her some of the sights and sites that are important to me. I'll report on our activities upon my return next Tuesday.
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. See you Tuesday after Labor Day.
These Links Were Made for Breaking? V
I was doing some research on the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo in Sicily, and while checking out Kim Herring's Web site on the subject, I received the following error message after viewing about 12 photographs:
Seems a bit silly, doesn't it? I realize that Tripod is a free Webfarm and needs to manage its members' bandwidth usage somehow, but this reminds of when I was trying to sign up for Yaccs' comments service. Too small a window to bother returning. Might as well not be on the Web!
I was doing some research on the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo in Sicily, and while checking out Kim Herring's Web site on the subject, I received the following error message after viewing about 12 photographs:
The Tripod page you are trying to reach has exceeded its hourly bandwidth limit. The site will be available again in 2 hours!
Seems a bit silly, doesn't it? I realize that Tripod is a free Webfarm and needs to manage its members' bandwidth usage somehow, but this reminds of when I was trying to sign up for Yaccs' comments service. Too small a window to bother returning. Might as well not be on the Web!
From the In Box: Music to My Ears IX
Thanks to Media Diet, I peaked at #16 on the Label Stations charts on MP3.com.
Sounds like an infomercial, huh. -- Johann Zweifel
Thanks to Media Diet, I peaked at #16 on the Label Stations charts on MP3.com.
Sounds like an infomercial, huh. -- Johann Zweifel
Workaday World VI
For some reason, I'm currently unable to access email via Eudora or Outlook. I am able to access the InterWeb. Still, it's freaking me out how helpless and useless I feel without email access. It's like I lost a lifeline, and so much of what I need to do what I'm working on is in my Outlook in box. Sigh. I think I need to go to lunch. Fingers crossed that it's back up when I get back!
For some reason, I'm currently unable to access email via Eudora or Outlook. I am able to access the InterWeb. Still, it's freaking me out how helpless and useless I feel without email access. It's like I lost a lifeline, and so much of what I need to do what I'm working on is in my Outlook in box. Sigh. I think I need to go to lunch. Fingers crossed that it's back up when I get back!
Pieces, Particles VIII
The following media-related stories recently spotted in print publications might be worth a look. Heads and decks, only. Heads and decks.
Anarchists in Medicine and Pharmacy: Philadelphia, 1889-1930, by Robert Helms, Clamor, December 2000
Artspace: The Neglected Frontier? by Sady Sullivan, The Weekly Dig, Aug. 21, 2002
Beauty Tips and Politics, by Lauren Sandler, The Nation, Sept. 2, 2002
Hot media news: Women want hard-hitting reports on issues that affect them.
A Brief History of Skate Parks, by Jered Bogli, Clamor, December 2000
Comic Relief, by Michael Bronski, The Boston Phoenix, Aug. 23, 2002
Making the incipient homosexuality in superhero comics more visible has prompted a backlash far more complex than the one faced by comic books in the 1950s
From the House of the Dead, by Richard Stirling, Fortean Times, July 2002
Richard Stirling invites us to Sicily's spookiest site -- the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo
Guerrillas in Our Midst, by Kate Haegele, Bitch, No. 13 (Triskadekaphilia 2001)
Harriet & Claudia, Where Have You Gone?, by Monica T. Nolan, Bitch, No. 15 (Winter of Our Discontent 2002)
Notes on the gender divide in children's literature
Hero with a Dirty Face, by Michael Bronski, The Boston Phoenix, Aug. 16, 2002
Samuel Roth -- smut peddler, literary pirate, ruthless businessman, rabidly anti-Semitic Jew -- is not easily venerated. But without his stand for free expression, we might still be gagging on state control.
How to Get on a Game Show, by Jon Regardie, ReadyMade, No. 3 (Summer 2002)
Start by selling yourself
How to Go on a Nationwide Book Tour and Not Get Laid, by Steve Almond, The Boston Phoenix, Aug. 23, 2002
A sexual odyssey through a semiliterate nation
I Hear Voices in My Radiohead, by David Hambling, Fortean Times, July 2002
David Hambling takes a look at the puzzling phenomenon of electrophonics.
The Last Sports Column, by Charles Pierce, Esquire, September 2002
For a decade, I've written about America through its games. That's all over now.
A Life of Crime, by Russell Shorto, The New York Times Magazine, Aug. 25, 2002
Fueled by personal tragedy, John Walsh built a national movement and a remarkably successful television career as the host of "America's Most Wanted" and now has his own talk show. But has the medium overtaken the man?
Lost and Found in America, by Jill Hudes, ReadyMade, No. 3 (Summer 2002)
Making art out of what's left behind
Media Alliance Versus the National Association of Broadcasters, by Eric Zass, Clamor, December 2000
The future of television, radio, and the Internet in America. An interview with Andrea Buffa.
Memos from D.V., by Diana Vreeland, The New Yorker, Sept. 17, 2001
How the legendary Vogue editor kept fashion in line.
The Naked Face, by Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker, Aug. 5, 2002
Can you read people's thoughts just by looking at them?
Odd DUKW, by Thomas Allen, Smithsonian Magazine, August 2002
On land and in the water, World War II's amphibian workhorse showed the skeptics a thing or two -- now it shows tourists the sights
Paper Chase, by Jonathan Kiefer, ReadyMade, No. 3 (Summer 2002)
How to seem like you read several newspapers
The Past Decade Has Seen African-American Men Invade the Science Fiction Genre, but What About the Sci-Fi Sisters?, by Elyce Rae Helford, Bitch, No. 15 (Winter of Our Discontent 2002)
Reclaiming Radical History in the Labadie Collection, by Andrew Cornell, Clamor, December 2000
Romance Novels: True Love Returns, The Economist, July 27, 2002
America rediscovers its heartland
Saints Preserve Us, by Dwight Longenecker, Fortean Times, July 2002
There are more than 100 cases of saintly Catholics whose bodies have resisted the corruption of the grave. Dwight Longenecker reviews one of the world's best attested "miracles" and finds the phenomenon is by no means limited to just Catholics or saints.
Shining Independently, by Bruce Costa, Comics & Games Retailer, September 2002
A discussion with Eric Reynolds of Fantagraphics
Taking It to the Streets!, by Matthew A. Donahue, Clamor, December 2000
Art cars in America
Theater's Memory Bank Expands, by Jonathan Mandell, The New York Times, Aug. 25, 2002
Playbill, theatergoers' only record of an ephemeral art, has absorbed Stagebill, its sole nationwide competitor.
This Little Piggy Kicked Ass, by Kate Epstein, Bitch, No. 13 (Triskadekaphilia 2001)
Kate Epstein laments the diminished power of her favorite Muppet
An Uninvited Bassist Takes to the Internet, by Neil Strauss, The New York Times, Aug. 25, 2002
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.
Anarchists in Medicine and Pharmacy: Philadelphia, 1889-1930, by Robert Helms, Clamor, December 2000
Artspace: The Neglected Frontier? by Sady Sullivan, The Weekly Dig, Aug. 21, 2002
Beauty Tips and Politics, by Lauren Sandler, The Nation, Sept. 2, 2002
Hot media news: Women want hard-hitting reports on issues that affect them.
A Brief History of Skate Parks, by Jered Bogli, Clamor, December 2000
Comic Relief, by Michael Bronski, The Boston Phoenix, Aug. 23, 2002
Making the incipient homosexuality in superhero comics more visible has prompted a backlash far more complex than the one faced by comic books in the 1950s
From the House of the Dead, by Richard Stirling, Fortean Times, July 2002
Richard Stirling invites us to Sicily's spookiest site -- the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo
Guerrillas in Our Midst, by Kate Haegele, Bitch, No. 13 (Triskadekaphilia 2001)
Harriet & Claudia, Where Have You Gone?, by Monica T. Nolan, Bitch, No. 15 (Winter of Our Discontent 2002)
Notes on the gender divide in children's literature
Hero with a Dirty Face, by Michael Bronski, The Boston Phoenix, Aug. 16, 2002
Samuel Roth -- smut peddler, literary pirate, ruthless businessman, rabidly anti-Semitic Jew -- is not easily venerated. But without his stand for free expression, we might still be gagging on state control.
How to Get on a Game Show, by Jon Regardie, ReadyMade, No. 3 (Summer 2002)
Start by selling yourself
How to Go on a Nationwide Book Tour and Not Get Laid, by Steve Almond, The Boston Phoenix, Aug. 23, 2002
A sexual odyssey through a semiliterate nation
I Hear Voices in My Radiohead, by David Hambling, Fortean Times, July 2002
David Hambling takes a look at the puzzling phenomenon of electrophonics.
The Last Sports Column, by Charles Pierce, Esquire, September 2002
For a decade, I've written about America through its games. That's all over now.
A Life of Crime, by Russell Shorto, The New York Times Magazine, Aug. 25, 2002
Fueled by personal tragedy, John Walsh built a national movement and a remarkably successful television career as the host of "America's Most Wanted" and now has his own talk show. But has the medium overtaken the man?
Lost and Found in America, by Jill Hudes, ReadyMade, No. 3 (Summer 2002)
Making art out of what's left behind
Media Alliance Versus the National Association of Broadcasters, by Eric Zass, Clamor, December 2000
The future of television, radio, and the Internet in America. An interview with Andrea Buffa.
Memos from D.V., by Diana Vreeland, The New Yorker, Sept. 17, 2001
How the legendary Vogue editor kept fashion in line.
The Naked Face, by Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker, Aug. 5, 2002
Can you read people's thoughts just by looking at them?
Odd DUKW, by Thomas Allen, Smithsonian Magazine, August 2002
On land and in the water, World War II's amphibian workhorse showed the skeptics a thing or two -- now it shows tourists the sights
Paper Chase, by Jonathan Kiefer, ReadyMade, No. 3 (Summer 2002)
How to seem like you read several newspapers
The Past Decade Has Seen African-American Men Invade the Science Fiction Genre, but What About the Sci-Fi Sisters?, by Elyce Rae Helford, Bitch, No. 15 (Winter of Our Discontent 2002)
Reclaiming Radical History in the Labadie Collection, by Andrew Cornell, Clamor, December 2000
Romance Novels: True Love Returns, The Economist, July 27, 2002
America rediscovers its heartland
Saints Preserve Us, by Dwight Longenecker, Fortean Times, July 2002
There are more than 100 cases of saintly Catholics whose bodies have resisted the corruption of the grave. Dwight Longenecker reviews one of the world's best attested "miracles" and finds the phenomenon is by no means limited to just Catholics or saints.
Shining Independently, by Bruce Costa, Comics & Games Retailer, September 2002
A discussion with Eric Reynolds of Fantagraphics
Taking It to the Streets!, by Matthew A. Donahue, Clamor, December 2000
Art cars in America
Theater's Memory Bank Expands, by Jonathan Mandell, The New York Times, Aug. 25, 2002
Playbill, theatergoers' only record of an ephemeral art, has absorbed Stagebill, its sole nationwide competitor.
This Little Piggy Kicked Ass, by Kate Epstein, Bitch, No. 13 (Triskadekaphilia 2001)
Kate Epstein laments the diminished power of her favorite Muppet
An Uninvited Bassist Takes to the Internet, by Neil Strauss, The New York Times, Aug. 25, 2002
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.
Manna for Media Dieticians III
DC Shoe Co. USA, maker of DC Shoes, just launched a new online company store. I still have three (3) discount codes that Media Dieticians can use to snag 50% off of online buys of DC Shoes products. If you're interested in taking advantage of this generous hook up courtesy of DC Shoes and Media Diet, email me and I'll send you a unique, single-use discount code. It'll guarantee you 50% off online. I only have three (3) of these left, so first come, first served.
This will probably be the last time I post about this special offer -- before I use the discount codes myself, snagging a full 150% off (That's how it works, no?) -- so if you're even remotely interested, contact me soon.
Thanks to DC Shoes for the hook up.
DC Shoe Co. USA, maker of DC Shoes, just launched a new online company store. I still have three (3) discount codes that Media Dieticians can use to snag 50% off of online buys of DC Shoes products. If you're interested in taking advantage of this generous hook up courtesy of DC Shoes and Media Diet, email me and I'll send you a unique, single-use discount code. It'll guarantee you 50% off online. I only have three (3) of these left, so first come, first served.
This will probably be the last time I post about this special offer -- before I use the discount codes myself, snagging a full 150% off (That's how it works, no?) -- so if you're even remotely interested, contact me soon.
Thanks to DC Shoes for the hook up.
Fan Friction
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recognizes the existence of TV-related fan fiction, juxtaposing '80s mainstay "Remington Steele" with the InterWeb in the lead. MIT media mind Henry Jenkins is quoted in the piece, which indicates that reporter Sonja Lewis did her homework, and she nods to fan fiction's pre-InterWeb past... as well as the seamy backside of slash fiction. Overall, the feature is fair. It doesn't belittle the authors, recognizes the social networks that fan fiction can help solidify, and intersperses fan fiction excerpts throughout the piece.
Interesting timing, because I stumbled across a "Gilmore Girls" fan fiction site yesterday, as well as a site detailing the legal action taken by 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. against another TV fan site. Why don't the networks realize that fan sites have value as promotional tools? Why clamp down on something that only shows how dedicated and engaged your audience is? Why nix the free publicity?
Thanks to I Want Media.
Interesting timing, because I stumbled across a "Gilmore Girls" fan fiction site yesterday, as well as a site detailing the legal action taken by 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. against another TV fan site. Why don't the networks realize that fan sites have value as promotional tools? Why clamp down on something that only shows how dedicated and engaged your audience is? Why nix the free publicity?
Thanks to I Want Media.
Wednesday, August 28, 2002
Cover Story III
The fine folks at PopCult decry the evolution -- or, shall I say, devolution -- of magazine cover design, contending that photographs of celebrities make a poor substitution for the elaborate, lush illustrations of yesteryear. As part of Coury Turczyn's critique, PopCult offers a magazine cover design face-off comparing old-school covers with their less-palatable new-wave counterparts.
Thanks to Bookslut.
The fine folks at PopCult decry the evolution -- or, shall I say, devolution -- of magazine cover design, contending that photographs of celebrities make a poor substitution for the elaborate, lush illustrations of yesteryear. As part of Coury Turczyn's critique, PopCult offers a magazine cover design face-off comparing old-school covers with their less-palatable new-wave counterparts.
Thanks to Bookslut.
Event-O-Dex IX
As if you don't have enough choices for what to do tonight between the Sinkcharmer/Spoilsport SCAT shoot and the Star Star Quarterback show at the Druid, there's also a show at the Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain featuring So & So, Choo Choo La Rouge, and I Love You. Is Santa Claus omniscient or omnipresent? I forget, but I want to be him tonight.
As if you don't have enough choices for what to do tonight between the Sinkcharmer/Spoilsport SCAT shoot and the Star Star Quarterback show at the Druid, there's also a show at the Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain featuring So & So, Choo Choo La Rouge, and I Love You. Is Santa Claus omniscient or omnipresent? I forget, but I want to be him tonight.
From the In Box: Television-Impaired V
Have you seen this? The best (obsessive and funny) reviews of any shows ever -- this is the Gilmore link. Oh, and last season was season #2. The upcoming is the third one. I'm totally and hopelessly addicted to this show. -- Joe Szilagyi
Have you seen this? The best (obsessive and funny) reviews of any shows ever -- this is the Gilmore link. Oh, and last season was season #2. The upcoming is the third one. I'm totally and hopelessly addicted to this show. -- Joe Szilagyi
Television-Impaired V
I think I'm in love. Oh, you might think you know who I'm in love with based on names that pop up in Media Diet entries every so often, but today I'm in love with a TV show. The Gilmore Girls on the WB, to be precise.
Now, I've only seen two or three episodes of the program, all video-taped reruns at this point, as the season premiere doesn't hit the airwaves until late September, but this is one of the best TV programs I've ever seen. In the show's first season, there were more than 20 episodes. In the three that I've seen, I was struck by the character development, the impressive relationship between the main mother-daughter characters, and the quick-witted pacing of the show. Much of the program's dialogue is delivered in a highly caffeinated, rapid-fire, extremely clever manner, and it's a joy to just listen to the banter.
The show is populated by characters you can't help but love, characters you can't help but hate, and relationships you can't help but wonder about and hope for. Until the second season starts, I'm not sure how I'm going to get my Gilmore Girls fix. Maybe I'll have to pick up the Gilmore Girls books.
Mmm, to be young and in love -- with the Gilmore Girls.
I think I'm in love. Oh, you might think you know who I'm in love with based on names that pop up in Media Diet entries every so often, but today I'm in love with a TV show. The Gilmore Girls on the WB, to be precise.
Now, I've only seen two or three episodes of the program, all video-taped reruns at this point, as the season premiere doesn't hit the airwaves until late September, but this is one of the best TV programs I've ever seen. In the show's first season, there were more than 20 episodes. In the three that I've seen, I was struck by the character development, the impressive relationship between the main mother-daughter characters, and the quick-witted pacing of the show. Much of the program's dialogue is delivered in a highly caffeinated, rapid-fire, extremely clever manner, and it's a joy to just listen to the banter.
The show is populated by characters you can't help but love, characters you can't help but hate, and relationships you can't help but wonder about and hope for. Until the second season starts, I'm not sure how I'm going to get my Gilmore Girls fix. Maybe I'll have to pick up the Gilmore Girls books.
Mmm, to be young and in love -- with the Gilmore Girls.
Magazine Me XV
Last night I picked up the Aug. 12 issue of Publishers Weekly, a special 300-plus page edition dedicated to fall titles. Reading PW on the train to work today, aided by a delay at Government Center, I was struck by the feeling that this -- this magazine, but particularly this issue -- is pornography. Just as Folio: magazine strikes me as pornography for magazine publishers (even moreso than Samir Husni's annual guides to new consumer magazines) PW is pornography for book publishers. And booksellers. And active readers.
The Aug. 12 issue is a veritable catalog of forthcoming books, with the first 130-plus pages devoted to publisher-specific display advertisements, a slim news and feature well, and about 150 pages of book listings organized by format, subject, and publisher. My copy is already dog-eared because I've started to fold the corners on pages featuring books I want, books that sparked story ideas for Fast Company, and books by authors I'd like to interview some day.
Publishers Weekly: Nervy, pervy. Who'da thunk?
Last night I picked up the Aug. 12 issue of Publishers Weekly, a special 300-plus page edition dedicated to fall titles. Reading PW on the train to work today, aided by a delay at Government Center, I was struck by the feeling that this -- this magazine, but particularly this issue -- is pornography. Just as Folio: magazine strikes me as pornography for magazine publishers (even moreso than Samir Husni's annual guides to new consumer magazines) PW is pornography for book publishers. And booksellers. And active readers.
The Aug. 12 issue is a veritable catalog of forthcoming books, with the first 130-plus pages devoted to publisher-specific display advertisements, a slim news and feature well, and about 150 pages of book listings organized by format, subject, and publisher. My copy is already dog-eared because I've started to fold the corners on pages featuring books I want, books that sparked story ideas for Fast Company, and books by authors I'd like to interview some day.
Publishers Weekly: Nervy, pervy. Who'da thunk?
Manna for Media Dieticians II
DC Shoe Co. USA, maker of DC Shoes, just launched a new online company store. I now have three (3) discount codes that Media Dieticians can use to snag 50% off of online buys of DC Shoes products. If you're interested in taking advantage of this generous hook up courtesy of DC Shoes and Media Diet, email me and I'll send you a unique, single-use discount code. It'll guarantee you 50% off online. I only have three (3) of these left, so first come, first served.
Thanks to DC Shoes for the hook up.
DC Shoe Co. USA, maker of DC Shoes, just launched a new online company store. I now have three (3) discount codes that Media Dieticians can use to snag 50% off of online buys of DC Shoes products. If you're interested in taking advantage of this generous hook up courtesy of DC Shoes and Media Diet, email me and I'll send you a unique, single-use discount code. It'll guarantee you 50% off online. I only have three (3) of these left, so first come, first served.
Thanks to DC Shoes for the hook up.
Tuesday, August 27, 2002
From the In Box: Event-O-Dex VIII
Ever since receiving one of Brett Rosenberg's emails regarding your review of his album, I've been a fan, daily, of your diet. Thought I'd let you know about a show taking place tomorrow (8/28) at the Druid. I, Star Star Quarterback (Andrew Brooks, Sportswriter), will share the stage with two really great song-players in Soltero and Alexander McGregor. I had the fortune of playing with Alex some weeks ago. Very special. Very Os Mutante. Show starts at 9 o'clock. -- Andrew Brooks
Media Dieticians can look forward to a forthcoming review of the Star Star Quarterback CD. For those of you who might not know, the Druid is on Inman Square in Cambridge, an easy walk from Central Square. Interesting historical tidbit: "The Druid Pub is housed in the oldest wooden mercantile structure in the city of Cambridge." Go for the history; stay for Star Star Quarterback. You can even make it to the Sinkcharmer/Spoilsport TV shoot beforehand.
Ever since receiving one of Brett Rosenberg's emails regarding your review of his album, I've been a fan, daily, of your diet. Thought I'd let you know about a show taking place tomorrow (8/28) at the Druid. I, Star Star Quarterback (Andrew Brooks, Sportswriter), will share the stage with two really great song-players in Soltero and Alexander McGregor. I had the fortune of playing with Alex some weeks ago. Very special. Very Os Mutante. Show starts at 9 o'clock. -- Andrew Brooks
Media Dieticians can look forward to a forthcoming review of the Star Star Quarterback CD. For those of you who might not know, the Druid is on Inman Square in Cambridge, an easy walk from Central Square. Interesting historical tidbit: "The Druid Pub is housed in the oldest wooden mercantile structure in the city of Cambridge." Go for the history; stay for Star Star Quarterback. You can even make it to the Sinkcharmer/Spoilsport TV shoot beforehand.
Event-O-Dex VIII
This Wednesday (tomorrow), Aug. 28, at 7:45 p.m., the rock bands Sinkcharmer and Spoilsport will tape a live performance at Somerville Community Access Television. They want you to be the audience, or at least a portion thereof.
Kind of like Soul Train but without the soul and any railed forms of transportation. Sort of like American Bandstand but without Dick Clark. Resembling MTV's TRL but without Mariah Carey's surprise nervous breakdown (though you never know) and Carson Daley's non-stop butt kissing.
Sinkcharmer is a member of the Handstand Command Somerville-based music collective and conists of Jen and Paul from the Operators and Jef from the Anchormen and the Tardy. Sinkcharmer is the winner.
Spoilsport are Jamaica Plain's most valuable export. Two guys, two gals, sweet melodies, rocking guitars, and beach-party drum beats. For those who like their Pop Rocks mixed with Pepsi.
Free!
All ages, kids welcome!
Bring friends!
For more information and directions, call SCAT at (617) 628-8826, or visit their Web site.
This Wednesday (tomorrow), Aug. 28, at 7:45 p.m., the rock bands Sinkcharmer and Spoilsport will tape a live performance at Somerville Community Access Television. They want you to be the audience, or at least a portion thereof.
Kind of like Soul Train but without the soul and any railed forms of transportation. Sort of like American Bandstand but without Dick Clark. Resembling MTV's TRL but without Mariah Carey's surprise nervous breakdown (though you never know) and Carson Daley's non-stop butt kissing.
Sinkcharmer is a member of the Handstand Command Somerville-based music collective and conists of Jen and Paul from the Operators and Jef from the Anchormen and the Tardy. Sinkcharmer is the winner.
Spoilsport are Jamaica Plain's most valuable export. Two guys, two gals, sweet melodies, rocking guitars, and beach-party drum beats. For those who like their Pop Rocks mixed with Pepsi.
Free!
All ages, kids welcome!
Bring friends!
For more information and directions, call SCAT at (617) 628-8826, or visit their Web site.
Music to My Ears IX
Johann, a friend in Minneapolis -- and a fellow I used to work merch for when he booked shows in the vicinity of Janesville, Wisconsin -- has built an MP3 station featuring songs by Dillinger Four, the Vindictives, Moment, Cheap Trick, and other bands. I'm streaming it now, and so far, so good.
Johann, a friend in Minneapolis -- and a fellow I used to work merch for when he booked shows in the vicinity of Janesville, Wisconsin -- has built an MP3 station featuring songs by Dillinger Four, the Vindictives, Moment, Cheap Trick, and other bands. I'm streaming it now, and so far, so good.
Manna for Media Dieticians
DC Shoe Co. USA, maker of DC Shoes, just launched a new online company store. I have four (4) discount codes that Media Dieticians can use to snag 50% off of online buys of DC Shoes products. If you're interested in taking advantage of this generous hook up courtesy of DC Shoes and Media Diet, email me and I'll send you a unique, single-use discount code. It'll guarantee you 50% off online. I only have four (4) of these, so first come, first served.
Thanks to DC Shoes for the hook up.
DC Shoe Co. USA, maker of DC Shoes, just launched a new online company store. I have four (4) discount codes that Media Dieticians can use to snag 50% off of online buys of DC Shoes products. If you're interested in taking advantage of this generous hook up courtesy of DC Shoes and Media Diet, email me and I'll send you a unique, single-use discount code. It'll guarantee you 50% off online. I only have four (4) of these, so first come, first served.
Thanks to DC Shoes for the hook up.
The Movie I Watched Last Night XXXIV
Sunday: Serving Sara
Well, Coco saw it. Here's her review in Film Monthly.
Sunday: Serving Sara
Well, Coco saw it. Here's her review in Film Monthly.
The Dangers of Auto-Fill
I was just bidding on a postcard of a hotel in Evanston, Illinois, on eBay, and my browser auto-filled a field. I hit Place Bid before I realized that auto-fill had kicked in. This is how eBay replied:
Phew! Thanks, eBay. Good to know you've got my back.
I was just bidding on a postcard of a hotel in Evanston, Illinois, on eBay, and my browser auto-filled a field. I hit Place Bid before I realized that auto-fill had kicked in. This is how eBay replied:
Sorry, your bid amount of $6,179,730,300.00 is too large. Please go back and check it again.
Phew! Thanks, eBay. Good to know you've got my back.
Rock Shows of Note XXXVII
Coco and I arrived at the Middle East Upstairs to find an empty room and a flier saying that the Tommy and the Terrors and Toxic Narcotic show was moved to an address on Boylston Street. Instead of trying to find the new location, we walked around the corner and went to TT the Bear's Place to see the Mayflies USA, Ad Frank and the Fast Easy Women, and Tommy Keene show. That's one of the best things about living on Central Square. If you aren't sure whether you want to go to a show, you can go for a short walk and decide. And if you want to go to a show but don't know who's playing where, you can go for a short walk and have plenty of choices.
The Mayflies USA were energetic pop featuring dual guitars. None of the songs stuck in my head, but I enjoyed their set. We ran into Lisa from Scrapple, who told us that one couple dancing up near the stage lives in Western Massachusetts and comes into Boston every time the Mayflies play in town. The Mayflies are from North Carolina, so both the couple and the band come a long way for these shows. That's dedication! Oh, one song did stay with me. They performed a number with a scaled-back lineup (one guitar) and one band member playing a wonderful organ part. The organ song was definitely my favorite.
Ad Frank played with his full band, the Fast Easy Women. He was dressed up in a somewhat fey sailor get up, complete with cap, and was -- as always -- a front man worth watching. Between his songwriting, his dynamic stage presence, and his penchant for drama, Ad's a lot of fun live. I've seen him play solo at the Washington Street Art Center, which was awesome, but the full stage band does his work more justice. I'm loath to try to describe his sound, but it's slightly '80s drama poppy, slightly gothy, and slightly singer-songwritery a la Leonard Cohen. Fun, fun, fun.
Coco and I left a couple of songs into Tommy Keene's set because we got to talking and needed to go somewhere more quiet. But what I heard sounded more similar to the Mayflies than to Ad -- straight up power pop with a roots element -- and I'd need to hear more to understand why he's one of Coco's friend's favorite musicians.
A happy accident, for sure. I wonder how the Tommy and the Terrors/Toxic Narcotic show went! I picked up the new Toxic Narcotic CD on Go-Kart Records yesterday as preparation for the show, and true to their local releases on Rodent Popsicle, it's heavy, heavy hardcore.
Coco and I arrived at the Middle East Upstairs to find an empty room and a flier saying that the Tommy and the Terrors and Toxic Narcotic show was moved to an address on Boylston Street. Instead of trying to find the new location, we walked around the corner and went to TT the Bear's Place to see the Mayflies USA, Ad Frank and the Fast Easy Women, and Tommy Keene show. That's one of the best things about living on Central Square. If you aren't sure whether you want to go to a show, you can go for a short walk and decide. And if you want to go to a show but don't know who's playing where, you can go for a short walk and have plenty of choices.
The Mayflies USA were energetic pop featuring dual guitars. None of the songs stuck in my head, but I enjoyed their set. We ran into Lisa from Scrapple, who told us that one couple dancing up near the stage lives in Western Massachusetts and comes into Boston every time the Mayflies play in town. The Mayflies are from North Carolina, so both the couple and the band come a long way for these shows. That's dedication! Oh, one song did stay with me. They performed a number with a scaled-back lineup (one guitar) and one band member playing a wonderful organ part. The organ song was definitely my favorite.
Ad Frank played with his full band, the Fast Easy Women. He was dressed up in a somewhat fey sailor get up, complete with cap, and was -- as always -- a front man worth watching. Between his songwriting, his dynamic stage presence, and his penchant for drama, Ad's a lot of fun live. I've seen him play solo at the Washington Street Art Center, which was awesome, but the full stage band does his work more justice. I'm loath to try to describe his sound, but it's slightly '80s drama poppy, slightly gothy, and slightly singer-songwritery a la Leonard Cohen. Fun, fun, fun.
Coco and I left a couple of songs into Tommy Keene's set because we got to talking and needed to go somewhere more quiet. But what I heard sounded more similar to the Mayflies than to Ad -- straight up power pop with a roots element -- and I'd need to hear more to understand why he's one of Coco's friend's favorite musicians.
A happy accident, for sure. I wonder how the Tommy and the Terrors/Toxic Narcotic show went! I picked up the new Toxic Narcotic CD on Go-Kart Records yesterday as preparation for the show, and true to their local releases on Rodent Popsicle, it's heavy, heavy hardcore.
Monday, August 26, 2002
Television-Impaired IV
Despite the fact that several friends and acquaintances are long-time fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've never really watched the show. But Friday, Coco and I stayed in and watched a DVD bootleg of "Once More, with Feeling," the Buffy musical, and now I can understand part of the allure and appeal of the program. Of course, this episode, an episode in which most of the dialogue is delivered in song, is unlike most (if not all) episodes, so my exposure and opinion isn't totally accurate or representative. But if most of the scripts show this level of humor and energy, I might have to see more of the show.
I was struck by several aspects of the episode, least of which was the musical framework. While the songs were interesting, I was more intrigued by the characters' self-consciousness during the musical moments. Instead of merely couching the plot in the guise of a musical, the writers worked the very idea of the musical into the plot itself. An accidental summoning of a demon brings on a curse that causes people to spontaneously break into song and dance -- and eventually spontaneously combust. During the musical numbers, characters reveal aspects of themselves and their relationships that they wouldn't otherwise, which makes for some nice exposition as well as epiphany. Several writers and producers of the show were worked into the plot as incidental characters, as well, which Coco had to point out to me (I wouldn't have realized it otherwise). And I didn't realize that Buffy included a lesbian relationship subplot -- a pleasant surprise.
Solely on the basis of this one episode, I'll be less hesitant to watch Buffy in the future. What that says about me, I'm not sure.
Despite the fact that several friends and acquaintances are long-time fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've never really watched the show. But Friday, Coco and I stayed in and watched a DVD bootleg of "Once More, with Feeling," the Buffy musical, and now I can understand part of the allure and appeal of the program. Of course, this episode, an episode in which most of the dialogue is delivered in song, is unlike most (if not all) episodes, so my exposure and opinion isn't totally accurate or representative. But if most of the scripts show this level of humor and energy, I might have to see more of the show.
I was struck by several aspects of the episode, least of which was the musical framework. While the songs were interesting, I was more intrigued by the characters' self-consciousness during the musical moments. Instead of merely couching the plot in the guise of a musical, the writers worked the very idea of the musical into the plot itself. An accidental summoning of a demon brings on a curse that causes people to spontaneously break into song and dance -- and eventually spontaneously combust. During the musical numbers, characters reveal aspects of themselves and their relationships that they wouldn't otherwise, which makes for some nice exposition as well as epiphany. Several writers and producers of the show were worked into the plot as incidental characters, as well, which Coco had to point out to me (I wouldn't have realized it otherwise). And I didn't realize that Buffy included a lesbian relationship subplot -- a pleasant surprise.
Solely on the basis of this one episode, I'll be less hesitant to watch Buffy in the future. What that says about me, I'm not sure.
The Movie I Watched Last Night XXXIII
Saturday: The Omen
Gregory Peck stars in this atmospheric 1976 horror film that's heavy on the suspense and relatively light on the terror. A moody, slow-paced movie, the film errs on the side of dramatic effect rather than gore or actual horror. The story is relatively basic. An up-and-coming politician adopts a newborn child as his own -- and the boy is the child of Satan! Harvey Stephens' role as Damien is understated and subtle -- no surprise given the actor's age at the time -- so the movie depends on the acting abilities of the supporting cast, as well as on the pacing and intensity of the plot. While I found the film dragged at times, there are several effective scenes, including the suicide of Damien's nanny at his birthday party, Damien's terror as his family nears a church, the baboon attack on Damien's mother's car, the scene in which the mysterious and tenacious priest runs through the cemetery as the wind picks up, and the sequence in which the photographer realizes his photos capture characters' methods of death. Plenty of good scenes and sequences even if the movie as a whole falls a little flat.
Saturday: The Omen
Gregory Peck stars in this atmospheric 1976 horror film that's heavy on the suspense and relatively light on the terror. A moody, slow-paced movie, the film errs on the side of dramatic effect rather than gore or actual horror. The story is relatively basic. An up-and-coming politician adopts a newborn child as his own -- and the boy is the child of Satan! Harvey Stephens' role as Damien is understated and subtle -- no surprise given the actor's age at the time -- so the movie depends on the acting abilities of the supporting cast, as well as on the pacing and intensity of the plot. While I found the film dragged at times, there are several effective scenes, including the suicide of Damien's nanny at his birthday party, Damien's terror as his family nears a church, the baboon attack on Damien's mother's car, the scene in which the mysterious and tenacious priest runs through the cemetery as the wind picks up, and the sequence in which the photographer realizes his photos capture characters' methods of death. Plenty of good scenes and sequences even if the movie as a whole falls a little flat.
Rock Shows of Note XXXVI
Another awesome Anchormen show this Saturday at the Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain. I just love playing shows with friends' bands, and the whole friends of friends dynamic has helped our shows immensely. The audiences are so much more receptive and fun to watch. Saturday's show featured two awesome bands, the Mary Reillys, Deb of Hi-Fi Records' band, and Spoilsport, only the cutest queercore band currently active in the Boston area.
True to form, it rained -- just like it does almost every time we play -- and I was early enough to grab a burger at Doyle's across the street before heading to the Midway for load in. After setting up and hanging out with the Anks and Spoilsport for a spell, we were treated to the "mighty pop" pretense of Top Heavy, which drew a sizable sorority girl crowd and played radio-friendly alt-rock, even name dropping Coldplay. Coldplay? Turns out that the Midway booked Top Heavy before learning that the Spoilsport kids had made plans with the Anks and the Reillys. They were definitely the outlier of the evening and went so far as to describe themselves to one showgoer as follows: "We're from Boston, but we're not really a Boston band. We usually play in New York and DC. When you hear us, you'll understand why we're not a Boston band." Um, because you tease the audience with a Kiss cover and don't deliver? Because you end your set with a Neil Diamond cover? Because you leave early without sticking around to hear the other bands? Huh.
Notice the Tardy T-shirt. Support the scene!
This was the first time I've seen a full set by the Mary Reillys, and they didn't disappoint. A three piece, the Reillys traffic in power pop by way of garage rock and feature some excellent boy-girl vocals. The crowd seemed to respond well to their sing-along choruses, and they finished with me needing to see them play again soon. Perhaps this Thursday? After their set ended, I was lucky enough to snag their set list. Here's what they played:
Kudos to the Reillys' drummer Kira for helping her friend deal with a low blood pressure moment. We were concerned!
The Anchormen make their move.
Then we played. Scan gives me a hard time about reviewing Anchormen shows, so I'll go light on the Anks this time. We had a lot of fun, and we hope everyone else did, too. Chris encouraged us all to do tequila shots just before we took the stage, and as someone who never, ever does shots, I was a bit surprised by the warmness in my gullet. Fuel for the fire, I suppose. Our set was fast-paced, raucous, and pretty tight. None of us really screwed up -- unless you count me not knowing the words to Billy Idol's "White Wedding" -- and folks were bopping along on the dancefloor. Hooray to everyone who came out to see us play.
Suzanne and Craig rock the casbah.
Last up, Spoilsport. And you know what? This is the best show of theirs that I've ever seen. In the past, I've described them as unabashed, fun-in-the-sun pop, but Saturday, they rocked. Their sound was bigger than I've ever heard it before, they didn't seem as shy and awkward as they have in the past, and Suzanne, the guitarist, was all over the place! So much fun to listen to. So much fun to watch. I was especially impressed by the new vocal parts they've added to the older songs, and I look forward to more gang vocals and boy-girl harmonies in the future. Spoilsport just keeps getting better and better. Check 'em out.
As an added Media Diet bonus, here's what Jef had to say about the show:
Indeed, it was a fun night. I even avoided a wrestling match with Scott. Oh! And Mike Faloon, publisher of the zine Go Metric! even came up from New York for the festivities. It was super cool to finally meet him.
You can also read Koshka's review of the show. Photographs courtesy of Koshka.
Another awesome Anchormen show this Saturday at the Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain. I just love playing shows with friends' bands, and the whole friends of friends dynamic has helped our shows immensely. The audiences are so much more receptive and fun to watch. Saturday's show featured two awesome bands, the Mary Reillys, Deb of Hi-Fi Records' band, and Spoilsport, only the cutest queercore band currently active in the Boston area.
True to form, it rained -- just like it does almost every time we play -- and I was early enough to grab a burger at Doyle's across the street before heading to the Midway for load in. After setting up and hanging out with the Anks and Spoilsport for a spell, we were treated to the "mighty pop" pretense of Top Heavy, which drew a sizable sorority girl crowd and played radio-friendly alt-rock, even name dropping Coldplay. Coldplay? Turns out that the Midway booked Top Heavy before learning that the Spoilsport kids had made plans with the Anks and the Reillys. They were definitely the outlier of the evening and went so far as to describe themselves to one showgoer as follows: "We're from Boston, but we're not really a Boston band. We usually play in New York and DC. When you hear us, you'll understand why we're not a Boston band." Um, because you tease the audience with a Kiss cover and don't deliver? Because you end your set with a Neil Diamond cover? Because you leave early without sticking around to hear the other bands? Huh.
Notice the Tardy T-shirt. Support the scene!
This was the first time I've seen a full set by the Mary Reillys, and they didn't disappoint. A three piece, the Reillys traffic in power pop by way of garage rock and feature some excellent boy-girl vocals. The crowd seemed to respond well to their sing-along choruses, and they finished with me needing to see them play again soon. Perhaps this Thursday? After their set ended, I was lucky enough to snag their set list. Here's what they played:
No Way Fuck You Pollyanna Shoot the Moon Love You More Almost Lost Enron Girl (Way Somewhere) (Marni & Luara) Hot Rod A Match Made in Dedham
Kudos to the Reillys' drummer Kira for helping her friend deal with a low blood pressure moment. We were concerned!
The Anchormen make their move.
Then we played. Scan gives me a hard time about reviewing Anchormen shows, so I'll go light on the Anks this time. We had a lot of fun, and we hope everyone else did, too. Chris encouraged us all to do tequila shots just before we took the stage, and as someone who never, ever does shots, I was a bit surprised by the warmness in my gullet. Fuel for the fire, I suppose. Our set was fast-paced, raucous, and pretty tight. None of us really screwed up -- unless you count me not knowing the words to Billy Idol's "White Wedding" -- and folks were bopping along on the dancefloor. Hooray to everyone who came out to see us play.
Suzanne and Craig rock the casbah.
Last up, Spoilsport. And you know what? This is the best show of theirs that I've ever seen. In the past, I've described them as unabashed, fun-in-the-sun pop, but Saturday, they rocked. Their sound was bigger than I've ever heard it before, they didn't seem as shy and awkward as they have in the past, and Suzanne, the guitarist, was all over the place! So much fun to listen to. So much fun to watch. I was especially impressed by the new vocal parts they've added to the older songs, and I look forward to more gang vocals and boy-girl harmonies in the future. Spoilsport just keeps getting better and better. Check 'em out.
As an added Media Diet bonus, here's what Jef had to say about the show:
I think that was the rowdiest show that I've been in in a good long. Mosh pits! Stripping drummers! Tequila shots! Wrestling! Dancing! A special appearance by the Goo Goo Dolls!
Now I know to start drinking 12 hours before the show for best effect.
Indeed, it was a fun night. I even avoided a wrestling match with Scott. Oh! And Mike Faloon, publisher of the zine Go Metric! even came up from New York for the festivities. It was super cool to finally meet him.
You can also read Koshka's review of the show. Photographs courtesy of Koshka.
From the In Box: Postcards of the Past II
If you're interested in old-school views of Massachusetts -- and I know from your blog that you are -- you should check this out: Taking Photographs from Tall Buildings. -- Ken Gordon
If you're interested in old-school views of Massachusetts -- and I know from your blog that you are -- you should check this out: Taking Photographs from Tall Buildings. -- Ken Gordon
Event-O-Dex VII
Two shows of note this week:
Monday: Dead Pedestrians, Tommy and the Terrors, and Toxic Narcotic at the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge
Thursday: Faithful, Confront, Mary Reillys, and Chase Scene at the Pond (ex-Hideaway Lounge) in Cambridge
Maybe I'll see you there!
Two shows of note this week:
Monday: Dead Pedestrians, Tommy and the Terrors, and Toxic Narcotic at the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge
Thursday: Faithful, Confront, Mary Reillys, and Chase Scene at the Pond (ex-Hideaway Lounge) in Cambridge
Maybe I'll see you there!
Friday, August 23, 2002
Postcards of the Past II
Forgive my lazy afternoon geek fest involving postcards, but I've been Googling for vintage views of cities in Massachusetts. There are some awesome resources online, although I've yet to find any collections of postcards from Somerville or Cambridge.
Postcards from Framingham sheds flattering light on what is now a rather uninteresting city. When I first moved to Massachusetts in 1996, I worked in Framingham, and this collection of cards acquired over the course of 25 years shows several sides of the city that aren't visible any more. The cards are organized well, and the archivists include publishing and other information. Who'da thunk Framingham could be so interesting?
Shirley Bruso's online exhibit of postcards from North Adams is not as well organized as the Framingham collection, but the cards are still beautiful. Bruso's archive comprises more than 100 cards depicting scenes between 1900-1970. While it is slightly frustrating to pop back and forth between the cards themselves and the menu, I appreciate Bruso's efforts. Some of the cards are accompanied by personal recollections of the scene in question, and Bruso surrounds the card archive with additional historical and local information.
Lastly, Bob Trachimowicz's Worcester, Massachusetts, Postal History provides just that. In addition to the categorized collection of Worcester postcards, "Track" expands on the history of postal markings and methods in this city west of Boston. I didn't find the analysis of "fancy cancels" and auxiliary markings as interesting as the cards themselves, but his approach is innovative and in depth.
Forgive my lazy afternoon geek fest involving postcards, but I've been Googling for vintage views of cities in Massachusetts. There are some awesome resources online, although I've yet to find any collections of postcards from Somerville or Cambridge.
Postcards from Framingham sheds flattering light on what is now a rather uninteresting city. When I first moved to Massachusetts in 1996, I worked in Framingham, and this collection of cards acquired over the course of 25 years shows several sides of the city that aren't visible any more. The cards are organized well, and the archivists include publishing and other information. Who'da thunk Framingham could be so interesting?
Shirley Bruso's online exhibit of postcards from North Adams is not as well organized as the Framingham collection, but the cards are still beautiful. Bruso's archive comprises more than 100 cards depicting scenes between 1900-1970. While it is slightly frustrating to pop back and forth between the cards themselves and the menu, I appreciate Bruso's efforts. Some of the cards are accompanied by personal recollections of the scene in question, and Bruso surrounds the card archive with additional historical and local information.
Lastly, Bob Trachimowicz's Worcester, Massachusetts, Postal History provides just that. In addition to the categorized collection of Worcester postcards, "Track" expands on the history of postal markings and methods in this city west of Boston. I didn't find the analysis of "fancy cancels" and auxiliary markings as interesting as the cards themselves, but his approach is innovative and in depth.
Postcards of the Past
Thanks to Postcard Collector, one of my new favorite magazines, I've come across several interesting Web exhibits of old postcards. David Clause's Vintage Bethlehem archives more than 300 postcards of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The cards are categorized by location, as well as by subject (such as bridges and waterways and planes and trains). Many of the cards are annotated with historic descriptions of the depicted scene. There should be more local postcard archives like this!
Wait, there are! Casey Weaver has developed a site called Austin Postcard that features old photographs of Austin, Texas. While the initial card-description navigation listings are somewhat daunting, once you're viewing the cards, you can just click through them as a series. The backs of the cards are also included in the collection, which is a nice touch, and Weaver provides rudimentary postmark and publisher information. And the site also collects some historical information about the Congress Hotel, Granite Dam, and other local landmarks.
And closer to home, but not concentrating on antique postcards, the Salem, Massachusetts, Postcard Tour collects almost 45 postcard views of various aspects of the historic city. Every time I've driven through Salem has been a traffic hassle, and I'm not planning on returning any time soon. These postcards will do just fine.
Thanks to Postcard Collector, one of my new favorite magazines, I've come across several interesting Web exhibits of old postcards. David Clause's Vintage Bethlehem archives more than 300 postcards of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The cards are categorized by location, as well as by subject (such as bridges and waterways and planes and trains). Many of the cards are annotated with historic descriptions of the depicted scene. There should be more local postcard archives like this!
Wait, there are! Casey Weaver has developed a site called Austin Postcard that features old photographs of Austin, Texas. While the initial card-description navigation listings are somewhat daunting, once you're viewing the cards, you can just click through them as a series. The backs of the cards are also included in the collection, which is a nice touch, and Weaver provides rudimentary postmark and publisher information. And the site also collects some historical information about the Congress Hotel, Granite Dam, and other local landmarks.
And closer to home, but not concentrating on antique postcards, the Salem, Massachusetts, Postcard Tour collects almost 45 postcard views of various aspects of the historic city. Every time I've driven through Salem has been a traffic hassle, and I'm not planning on returning any time soon. These postcards will do just fine.
Corollary: 'Tis the Season to Be... AWOL X
I have 25 days of vacation that technically need to be used up by the end of September. I can't really do that, so I think I might take one day a week off for the rest of the year instead. That feels kind of weird. The Anchormen might finish the overdubs for "Just Because You Sleep on My Floor Doesn't Mean That You're My Girlfriend" on Monday, so it looks like next week might be my first short week. I'm not very good at taking vacation days.
I have 25 days of vacation that technically need to be used up by the end of September. I can't really do that, so I think I might take one day a week off for the rest of the year instead. That feels kind of weird. The Anchormen might finish the overdubs for "Just Because You Sleep on My Floor Doesn't Mean That You're My Girlfriend" on Monday, so it looks like next week might be my first short week. I'm not very good at taking vacation days.
From the In Box: Poll Position
What about the Yellow Brick Road Gift Shop and Museum? I've never been, but as an Oz fan from way back (books more than the movie) I've always been a little curious.
And speaking of Dillinger, I guess the Biograph Theater reopens today (Thursday) at 6 p.m. with a fancy dinner and a rescreening of "Manhattan Melodrama," Dillinger's last movie, and a reenactment of the shooting afterwards! -- Joe Germuska
What about the Yellow Brick Road Gift Shop and Museum? I've never been, but as an Oz fan from way back (books more than the movie) I've always been a little curious.
And speaking of Dillinger, I guess the Biograph Theater reopens today (Thursday) at 6 p.m. with a fancy dinner and a rescreening of "Manhattan Melodrama," Dillinger's last movie, and a reenactment of the shooting afterwards! -- Joe Germuska
Thursday, August 22, 2002
Poll Position
I'm planning a weekend away in Indiana to spend some time with my grandmother before Labor Day. We're planning some day trips, and you can help. The first dilemma can be voted on in the ever-so-quiet discussion forum. Your choices:
The South Bend Chocolate Factory
The John Dillinger Museum
You can help me make my travel plans. Take the poll.
I'm planning a weekend away in Indiana to spend some time with my grandmother before Labor Day. We're planning some day trips, and you can help. The first dilemma can be voted on in the ever-so-quiet discussion forum. Your choices:
You can help me make my travel plans. Take the poll.
'Tis the Season to Be... AWOL X
I just learned that the vacation days I've been accumulating -- and not using, really -- since I started working for the magazine in 1997 will not roll over at the end of the year. That means that I need to take the vacation days I earned while under our previous management by the end of 2002. One colleague just took a five-week sabbatical and still didn't use up all of his vacation. Another works perhaps two days a week. I'm not sure I can take five weeks -- which I've probably racked up, if not more -- but perhaps I can get away with working four-day weeks for the rest of the year. Email sent to HR. This is kind of weird.
I just learned that the vacation days I've been accumulating -- and not using, really -- since I started working for the magazine in 1997 will not roll over at the end of the year. That means that I need to take the vacation days I earned while under our previous management by the end of 2002. One colleague just took a five-week sabbatical and still didn't use up all of his vacation. Another works perhaps two days a week. I'm not sure I can take five weeks -- which I've probably racked up, if not more -- but perhaps I can get away with working four-day weeks for the rest of the year. Email sent to HR. This is kind of weird.
Mention Me! XV
I'd like to give a special shout out to Carol and her blog RawBrick. She recently showed up in my referral log, and because she's leaving Boston for Atlanta soon, we should all wish her safe travels. All together now: Safe travels!
Another local blogger, Brian Kane, whom I've mentioned previously, also links to Media Diet. I've visited his Web site several times, but because of some awkward formatting -- I have to scroll pretty far to the right to actually read the text of his blog entries -- I must admit that he's not a frequent read. Still, I appreciate the linkage. Thanks, Brian.
I'd like to give a special shout out to Carol and her blog RawBrick. She recently showed up in my referral log, and because she's leaving Boston for Atlanta soon, we should all wish her safe travels. All together now: Safe travels!
Another local blogger, Brian Kane, whom I've mentioned previously, also links to Media Diet. I've visited his Web site several times, but because of some awkward formatting -- I have to scroll pretty far to the right to actually read the text of his blog entries -- I must admit that he's not a frequent read. Still, I appreciate the linkage. Thanks, Brian.
Comics and Community
I helped staff the Somerville Comics Collaborative table at ArtBeat near the end of last month. Local comics wunderkind Jef Czekaj has scanned the resulting pages -- drawn by people ranging in age from early childhood to post-retirement -- and put them on the Web. You can now read the most recent comics story collectively created by the citizens of Somerville. When we get around to it, Jef, Dan, and I are going to record a voiceover narration and make the comic into a Flash slideshow or something, but we beg your patience. As Jef emailed me, "Someday. Someday." Sounds like a good name for a cafe, eh?
I helped staff the Somerville Comics Collaborative table at ArtBeat near the end of last month. Local comics wunderkind Jef Czekaj has scanned the resulting pages -- drawn by people ranging in age from early childhood to post-retirement -- and put them on the Web. You can now read the most recent comics story collectively created by the citizens of Somerville. When we get around to it, Jef, Dan, and I are going to record a voiceover narration and make the comic into a Flash slideshow or something, but we beg your patience. As Jef emailed me, "Someday. Someday." Sounds like a good name for a cafe, eh?
Rock Shows of Note XXXV
After a long day complete with slow, sleepy morning; Summer Camp party at work; an awesome Anchormen practice; and a walk to Central Square from Inman Square (Jef and Chris stopped off at the Abbey, and I was meeting Coco at home); Coco and I went to the Middle East for the Punk Rock Aerobics anniversary bash.
As soon as we got to the club, bumping into Jef, who ended up beating us there, I got hit by a heavy wave of tiredness. I just wasn't into hanging out in a crowded, loud, and smoky club, regardless of how good the show was. Maura and Hilken seemed pleased with the turnout and birthday celebration despite an inattentive sound woman who kept neglecting to turn on the mics so they could MC. I picked up a Count Me Outs CD after ascertaining that, despite two different CD designs, all of the CD's they had on hand featured the same songs. And we lingered long enough to see two of the bands.
Dead Combo was irritating in an art-damaged kind of way. A two-piece featuring guitars, a drum machine, and a keyboard that produced some interesting sounds, the Combo played lackluster, low-energy art rock -- and seemed to take themselves way too seriously. Backed by some projected graphics, the two created a wall of sound but didn't communicate any sense of fun or humor in their set. Perhaps that's what knocked me out so quickly.
Regardless, we stayed for several songs of the Operators' set before heading home for an early night. After Maura introduced them as her favorite PRA students, the Ops opened with "Bottle" and seemed to be playing quite well for the songs we stuck around to see and hear. We ran into some folks we'd hung out with at Chris and Em's cookout earlier this month, and Coco was a sport to leave as early as I needed to. Mmm, sleep. I needed it.
We were bummed to miss the rest of the Ops' set and the Count Me Outs, but I did get that CD. Next time I'll pace myself better throughout the day so I don't fade so quickly!
You can also read Coco's review of the show.
After a long day complete with slow, sleepy morning; Summer Camp party at work; an awesome Anchormen practice; and a walk to Central Square from Inman Square (Jef and Chris stopped off at the Abbey, and I was meeting Coco at home); Coco and I went to the Middle East for the Punk Rock Aerobics anniversary bash.
As soon as we got to the club, bumping into Jef, who ended up beating us there, I got hit by a heavy wave of tiredness. I just wasn't into hanging out in a crowded, loud, and smoky club, regardless of how good the show was. Maura and Hilken seemed pleased with the turnout and birthday celebration despite an inattentive sound woman who kept neglecting to turn on the mics so they could MC. I picked up a Count Me Outs CD after ascertaining that, despite two different CD designs, all of the CD's they had on hand featured the same songs. And we lingered long enough to see two of the bands.
Dead Combo was irritating in an art-damaged kind of way. A two-piece featuring guitars, a drum machine, and a keyboard that produced some interesting sounds, the Combo played lackluster, low-energy art rock -- and seemed to take themselves way too seriously. Backed by some projected graphics, the two created a wall of sound but didn't communicate any sense of fun or humor in their set. Perhaps that's what knocked me out so quickly.
Regardless, we stayed for several songs of the Operators' set before heading home for an early night. After Maura introduced them as her favorite PRA students, the Ops opened with "Bottle" and seemed to be playing quite well for the songs we stuck around to see and hear. We ran into some folks we'd hung out with at Chris and Em's cookout earlier this month, and Coco was a sport to leave as early as I needed to. Mmm, sleep. I needed it.
We were bummed to miss the rest of the Ops' set and the Count Me Outs, but I did get that CD. Next time I'll pace myself better throughout the day so I don't fade so quickly!
You can also read Coco's review of the show.
Wednesday, August 21, 2002
Workaday World V
I'm a member of Fast Company and Inc.'s "funkomiti," an informal group that occasionally plans silly little social events and parties for the magazines' staffs. Today, we hosted a Summer Camp party over at Commercial Wharf, complete with a vanilla ice cream taste test, s'mores, a crafts table, and T-shirt tie dying. We even decorated a whiteboard in Inc.'s lunch room with graffiti such as "Please don't feed the maintenance man," "No boys in the girls' lodge," and "You are assigned to cabin #3." Here are some photos from the Summer Camp smashup:
Beware the poison oak.
M&M's are the tops!
I scream, you scream, we all scream.
Campers just love the crafts table.
Tara shows off her God's eye.
Daigo readies the rubber bands.
Sodium bicarbonate: My shirt's soaking in it.
Michael's shirt has to sit here for 24 hours.
I snuck into a doorway down the alley. This is what was inside.
Wires, wires everywhere.
The room I snuck into was dominated by this elevator setup.
Is anybody down there? Hello?
Heading out to sea.
Emma Peel gets her "avenge."
We're not sure where the smoke came from.
Now I know where the string is stored.
The funkomiti's previous event.
We didn't organize it, but St. Anthony's Feast is this weekend.
In addition to coming in a little late this morning, this afternoon's fete has really thrown off my day. I feel like it's not a work day. I haven't eaten anything other than M&M's, ice cream, and a s'more. And I'm aiming toward band practice and the Operators' Punk Rock Aerobics anniversary show tonight. T-minus 42 minutes. Then I'm out of here.
I'm a member of Fast Company and Inc.'s "funkomiti," an informal group that occasionally plans silly little social events and parties for the magazines' staffs. Today, we hosted a Summer Camp party over at Commercial Wharf, complete with a vanilla ice cream taste test, s'mores, a crafts table, and T-shirt tie dying. We even decorated a whiteboard in Inc.'s lunch room with graffiti such as "Please don't feed the maintenance man," "No boys in the girls' lodge," and "You are assigned to cabin #3." Here are some photos from the Summer Camp smashup:
Beware the poison oak.
M&M's are the tops!
I scream, you scream, we all scream.
Campers just love the crafts table.
Tara shows off her God's eye.
Daigo readies the rubber bands.
Sodium bicarbonate: My shirt's soaking in it.
Michael's shirt has to sit here for 24 hours.
I snuck into a doorway down the alley. This is what was inside.
Wires, wires everywhere.
The room I snuck into was dominated by this elevator setup.
Is anybody down there? Hello?
Heading out to sea.
Emma Peel gets her "avenge."
We're not sure where the smoke came from.
Now I know where the string is stored.
The funkomiti's previous event.
We didn't organize it, but St. Anthony's Feast is this weekend.
In addition to coming in a little late this morning, this afternoon's fete has really thrown off my day. I feel like it's not a work day. I haven't eaten anything other than M&M's, ice cream, and a s'more. And I'm aiming toward band practice and the Operators' Punk Rock Aerobics anniversary show tonight. T-minus 42 minutes. Then I'm out of here.
Corollary: Magazine Me XIII
While the person who penned the faux Kurt Andersen article in the August issue of Details hasn't been outed yet, investigations continue. Senior Editor Bob Ickes had to hasten his departure because of his handling of the piece. Despite his contentions that the piece was fact checked and that he secured Andersen's social security number in order to pay the man for services rendered, word is that no one ever actually talked to the writer on the phone. The entire assignment, writing, and editing process was handled via email. Another commentator says that it's good form to call big-name writers just to thank them for working with a publication. Lesson: You don't schmooze; you lose.
Thanks to I Want Media.
While the person who penned the faux Kurt Andersen article in the August issue of Details hasn't been outed yet, investigations continue. Senior Editor Bob Ickes had to hasten his departure because of his handling of the piece. Despite his contentions that the piece was fact checked and that he secured Andersen's social security number in order to pay the man for services rendered, word is that no one ever actually talked to the writer on the phone. The entire assignment, writing, and editing process was handled via email. Another commentator says that it's good form to call big-name writers just to thank them for working with a publication. Lesson: You don't schmooze; you lose.
Thanks to I Want Media.
The Song I Just Wrote II
It goes a little like this:
That's all I have right now. Worth finishing?
It goes a little like this:
I didn't shave. I didn't bathe. I haven't washed these clothes in 23 days.
I didn't call you. I didn't eat. I don't look at the people walking down the street.
I didn't say, "Hi." I didn't wave. I didn't tell you that I love you, that I want to be your slave.
I do not miss you. I do not cry. Yet you're the reason why I can't sleep at night.
I've got a problem, and I think I know what it is.
(Heath's got a problem; it involves a relationship.)
I've got a problem. This is what it is:
Our relationship does not exist.
That's all I have right now. Worth finishing?
It's an Ad, Ad, Ad, Ad World XIV
Taxi cabs in Toronto are equipped with GPS-driven video and audio advertising. Advertising rates are in part determined by what block the cab will be on when the ad is triggered.
Thanks to Utne Web Watch.
Taxi cabs in Toronto are equipped with GPS-driven video and audio advertising. Advertising rates are in part determined by what block the cab will be on when the ad is triggered.
Thanks to Utne Web Watch.
Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Corollary: Blogging About Blogging XXX
I've also added some section headings in the right-hand column so it's easier to find all of the different kinds of reviews. These are basically Google searches within Media Diet, so the formatting is search engine-driven -- not organized like a section of a Web site -- but it does the trick. I'll continue to add categories as it makes sense and the need arises.
Thanks to Media Dieticians Tom (again) and Jeremiah Brown for pointing out how challenging it is to find past Media Diet entries.
I've also added some section headings in the right-hand column so it's easier to find all of the different kinds of reviews. These are basically Google searches within Media Diet, so the formatting is search engine-driven -- not organized like a section of a Web site -- but it does the trick. I'll continue to add categories as it makes sense and the need arises.
Thanks to Media Dieticians Tom (again) and Jeremiah Brown for pointing out how challenging it is to find past Media Diet entries.
Blogging About Blogging XXX
I've made a couple of changes to Media Diet. One, Atomz is no longer my search engine of choice. Google is. Using their Free Search service, Media Dieticians can now search the Cardhouse domain or the Web. I've positioned the search field at the bottom of the page, near the Archives link.
To accommodate easier searches -- and so you don't have to scroll down so far to find the search field -- I've altered Media Diet's template so three days of entries are on the main page instead of the seven of the past. Those made for some pretty long pages!
Thanks to Tom for helping push me over the edge to fix something I haven't been pleased with for awhile. Atomz just wasn't passing muster.
I've made a couple of changes to Media Diet. One, Atomz is no longer my search engine of choice. Google is. Using their Free Search service, Media Dieticians can now search the Cardhouse domain or the Web. I've positioned the search field at the bottom of the page, near the Archives link.
To accommodate easier searches -- and so you don't have to scroll down so far to find the search field -- I've altered Media Diet's template so three days of entries are on the main page instead of the seven of the past. Those made for some pretty long pages!
Thanks to Tom for helping push me over the edge to fix something I haven't been pleased with for awhile. Atomz just wasn't passing muster.
From the In Box: Subway Soundtrack III
The Chicago Reader has recently introduced a cartoon which illustrates real-life reader-contributed anecdotes of overheard conversations -- primarily to make fun of and embarass cell-phone users. This week's showed someone putting their transit card into the turnstile while telling someone on the phone "OK, so I'm going to hop into this cab..." I've seen funnier, but they aren't online. The Reader is unfortunately stingy with their section-one content on the Web site. -- Joe Germuska
Indeed they are! Does anyone have any links or scans to share?
The Chicago Reader has recently introduced a cartoon which illustrates real-life reader-contributed anecdotes of overheard conversations -- primarily to make fun of and embarass cell-phone users. This week's showed someone putting their transit card into the turnstile while telling someone on the phone "OK, so I'm going to hop into this cab..." I've seen funnier, but they aren't online. The Reader is unfortunately stingy with their section-one content on the Web site. -- Joe Germuska
Indeed they are! Does anyone have any links or scans to share?
From the In Box: Books Worth a Look VI
One request I have for you, as a reader of your blog -- I was digging back through your "From the Reading Pile" and "Books Worth a Look" sections (which, on a side note, are actually easier to track down using Google than Atomz, but that's a critique for another day), and I would love it if you'd include the publisher of each book, if such an entity exists, as well as the title and author and date. Especially since a fair number of the books you write about are independently produced.
(In this case, I was curious to see if you'd reviewed any of the So New Media books, but I only recognized "Words! Words! Words!" from having seen the title in their catalog.) -- Tom Hopkins
Consider it done. With the next edition of Books Worth a Look, I'll note the publisher, as well. On your side note, I, too, have been frustrated by Atomz. It doesn't seem to find much, ever, and the search results are formatted such that the results are masked, even. Tough to find what you found, if that makes any sense. When I have some time, I'll explore a better search tool option. Does Google do microsite search engines? Any other recommendations?
One request I have for you, as a reader of your blog -- I was digging back through your "From the Reading Pile" and "Books Worth a Look" sections (which, on a side note, are actually easier to track down using Google than Atomz, but that's a critique for another day), and I would love it if you'd include the publisher of each book, if such an entity exists, as well as the title and author and date. Especially since a fair number of the books you write about are independently produced.
(In this case, I was curious to see if you'd reviewed any of the So New Media books, but I only recognized "Words! Words! Words!" from having seen the title in their catalog.) -- Tom Hopkins
Consider it done. With the next edition of Books Worth a Look, I'll note the publisher, as well. On your side note, I, too, have been frustrated by Atomz. It doesn't seem to find much, ever, and the search results are formatted such that the results are masked, even. Tough to find what you found, if that makes any sense. When I have some time, I'll explore a better search tool option. Does Google do microsite search engines? Any other recommendations?
Subway Soundtrack III
Overheard on the Green Line this morning:
Little Girl: (showing her mother a religious tract entitled, "What the Hell?") What does this say?
Mother: It says, "What the Hell?"
Little Girl: (shocked) Mommy!
Overheard on the Green Line this morning:
Little Girl: (showing her mother a religious tract entitled, "What the Hell?") What does this say?
Mother: It says, "What the Hell?"
Little Girl: (shocked) Mommy!
Corollary: An Open Book?
Positioning itself in a niche currently occupied by magazines such as Page and Book, the people behind Readerville are planning to launch a print magazine, The Readerville Journal, in September. The magazine will build its circulation on the 20,000 or so people who participate in Readerville's online discussions every month, and the publisher hopes response is early and active. "It's as if a focus group of several thousand people met round-the-clock for two years to lay out an agenda for this content," he says.
Special kudos to Readerville for partnering with Book Sense, the American Booksellers Association's network of more than 1,100 independent bookstores. This alliance might be a worthy challenger to Book, which is backed extensively by Barnes & Noble. Independent bookstores, an online community, and a magazine? What more could we ask for?
Thanks to I Want Media.
Positioning itself in a niche currently occupied by magazines such as Page and Book, the people behind Readerville are planning to launch a print magazine, The Readerville Journal, in September. The magazine will build its circulation on the 20,000 or so people who participate in Readerville's online discussions every month, and the publisher hopes response is early and active. "It's as if a focus group of several thousand people met round-the-clock for two years to lay out an agenda for this content," he says.
Special kudos to Readerville for partnering with Book Sense, the American Booksellers Association's network of more than 1,100 independent bookstores. This alliance might be a worthy challenger to Book, which is backed extensively by Barnes & Noble. Independent bookstores, an online community, and a magazine? What more could we ask for?
Thanks to I Want Media.
Big Brother Is Watching VII
The state of Illinois is spending $4 million to install security cameras and emergency call boxes at more than 50 highway rest stops.
Thanks to Drudge Report.
The state of Illinois is spending $4 million to install security cameras and emergency call boxes at more than 50 highway rest stops.
Thanks to Drudge Report.
Corollary: Rock Shows of Note XXXI
I returned to Toad last night to see Schwang and the Tim Gearan Band with Coco and her friend Mark. I wasn't totally into the idea of seeing the bands again -- they're good but not brilliant -- but I did want to see Coco, so there you go. The show was slightly different. Schwang and Gearan were joined by a new guitarist, Kevin, whose approach was more blues and solo oriented -- not as sparse and ornamental as Dave Goodrich's guitar work. And Schwang was joined by the bartender's sister, who'se visiting from out of town, for several songs. She's got a solid voice and a sultry stage presence. Her harmonies with Anita were especially impressive. Gearan's band added a mohawked hand drum and tambourine player -- who slid in beside us on the side pew, making seating quite tight. He was the most intent tambourine player I've ever seen. Wasn't going to let it get away from him, no sir! The saxophonist was mic'ed this time, which was awesome. You could hear the tenor much better than last week. But still not my thing. We left after several songs to walk home.
Also of note, Andy got a haircut.
I returned to Toad last night to see Schwang and the Tim Gearan Band with Coco and her friend Mark. I wasn't totally into the idea of seeing the bands again -- they're good but not brilliant -- but I did want to see Coco, so there you go. The show was slightly different. Schwang and Gearan were joined by a new guitarist, Kevin, whose approach was more blues and solo oriented -- not as sparse and ornamental as Dave Goodrich's guitar work. And Schwang was joined by the bartender's sister, who'se visiting from out of town, for several songs. She's got a solid voice and a sultry stage presence. Her harmonies with Anita were especially impressive. Gearan's band added a mohawked hand drum and tambourine player -- who slid in beside us on the side pew, making seating quite tight. He was the most intent tambourine player I've ever seen. Wasn't going to let it get away from him, no sir! The saxophonist was mic'ed this time, which was awesome. You could hear the tenor much better than last week. But still not my thing. We left after several songs to walk home.
Also of note, Andy got a haircut.
Among the Literati XIV
David Eggers rates two mentions in the Aug. 19 edition of Advertising Age. Placement one, one of the photographs accompanying Kate Fitzgerald's article "Promoting the Page" about New Yorker Festival sponsorships features Dave sitting in on a panel discussion. Mention two, Richard Linnett's Adages column includes several paragraphs subheaded "Scrambled Eggers." It discusses Dave's book excerpt in the Aug. 12 issue of The New Yorker and suggests that the very premise -- a young man gets paid a lot of money for posing for an advertising logo and, wracked by guilt, gives it all away -- is farcical. Dave builds his book on the idea that the man was paid $80,000 for the use of his silhouette. One ad exec says he would have netted $2,500, max. The caption to the photo adjacent to the blurb is captioned "Dim Bulb: Dave Eggers has money to burn." Well, at least he's flaring brightly!
David Eggers rates two mentions in the Aug. 19 edition of Advertising Age. Placement one, one of the photographs accompanying Kate Fitzgerald's article "Promoting the Page" about New Yorker Festival sponsorships features Dave sitting in on a panel discussion. Mention two, Richard Linnett's Adages column includes several paragraphs subheaded "Scrambled Eggers." It discusses Dave's book excerpt in the Aug. 12 issue of The New Yorker and suggests that the very premise -- a young man gets paid a lot of money for posing for an advertising logo and, wracked by guilt, gives it all away -- is farcical. Dave builds his book on the idea that the man was paid $80,000 for the use of his silhouette. One ad exec says he would have netted $2,500, max. The caption to the photo adjacent to the blurb is captioned "Dim Bulb: Dave Eggers has money to burn." Well, at least he's flaring brightly!
Monday, August 19, 2002
FAQ 'n' Roll
Jef and I frequently receive emails from people wondering whether Handstand Command can book them a show while they're on tour, put out their record, or otherwise help them in the ways that managers, booking agents, and record labels do. Sometimes we can. But not all the time. So I wrote this little Handstand Command primer this morning so we had something we could reply to these folks with promptly. Rereading it, I figured Media Dieticians might find it interesting, as well. So here you go.
Please remember that this will be sent out as an email. It wasn't really written or formatted to be published on the Web, regardless of its presence here. Move along. There's nothing to see here.
Jef and I frequently receive emails from people wondering whether Handstand Command can book them a show while they're on tour, put out their record, or otherwise help them in the ways that managers, booking agents, and record labels do. Sometimes we can. But not all the time. So I wrote this little Handstand Command primer this morning so we had something we could reply to these folks with promptly. Rereading it, I figured Media Dieticians might find it interesting, as well. So here you go.
HANDSTAND COMMAND SAYS: HELLO!
Thank you very much for writing to Handstand Command! You've either contacted us about participating in a compilation CD project, sharing a show, or needing some help while your band is on tour in the Boston area. We've written this handy-dandy email FAQ to let you know more about what Handstand Command does -- and how -- and, even if we're unable to help you right now, where else you might turn for assistance in our area. Let us know if you have further questions, OK? We're still new at this.
WHAT IS THE HANDSTAND COMMAND?
Handstand Command is a Somerville, Massachusetts-based music collective that comprises a handful of pop, punk, rock, and other bands, with some of those musical groups sharing band members. We're like Elephant Six, only not as famous. Currently, the Handstand Command collective includes the Anchormen, the Operators, the Tardy, Scrapple, Sinkcharmer, and Asian Babe Alert.
We collectively organize and promote shows, often involving bands outside of the collective, cooperatively run a small record label called Unstoppable Records, and otherwise help expand and improve the Somerville and Boston-area rock scene. For more information about how Handstand Command came to be, check out http://handstandcommand.tripod.com/about.html
WHOA. YOU LOST ME. WHAT WERE THE NAMES OF THOSE BANDS AGAIN?
The Anchormen The Operators The Tardy Scrapple Sinkcharmer Asian Babe Alert (for more information, contact Tom of the Anchormen)
YOU SAID YOU RUN A LABEL? YOU MAKE RECORDS?
Do we ever! To date, Unstoppable Records has released many fine musical recordings of high quality and widespread enjoyment. Currently, our back catalog offers CD's, CD EP's, and 7-inches recorded by the Anchormen, the Operators, Scrapple, and Jef Czekaj (of the Anchormen and the Tardy). We are all hard at work to produce further examples of our studio wizardry. Of course, our records are merely pale shadows of the awe-inspiring rock we unleash during our live performances, but if you'd like to learn more about Unstoppable's wares, visit http://handstandcommand.tripod.com/recordings.html
WILL YOU PUT OUT _MY_ RECORD?
To be totally honest, no. We'd like to focus on our own releases right now, and we think everyone in a band should learn how to put out at least one record by themselves. It's not that difficult, and it even borders on fun. Regardless, if you'd like to send us examples of your music, we'd certainly enjoy listening to them, will review them on the Web, will consider you for future live shows, and will share them with other friends who might be interested in your music.
And, not to mislead you, but Heath (of the Anchormen) occasionally toys with the idea of a compilation CD or CD series project, much like a cat toys with a mouse. Nothing has happened yet, and other members of the collective doubt that he'll ever get his act together, but we thought it might be worth mentioning. Don't get your hopes up, though.
WAIT. LIVE SHOWS? WHEN DO YOU PLAY NEXT?
All of Handstand Command's upcoming shows are listed at http://handstandcommand.tripod.com/calendar.html in an eminently useful, standard calendar format. We also manage an announcement mailing list called the Handstand Commandments that is more often than not quite funny, even if you can't make it to our shows. You can sign up for the Commandments mailing list at http://handstandcommand.tripod.com/signup.html
OK. ENOUGH ABOUT YOU. LET'S TALK ABOUT ME. CAN YOU HELP ME BOOK A SHOW?
We'd really like to, but we're not often able to meet other bands' needs when they're touring. Requests like, "We'll be in town June 1. Can you get us a show?" are challenging for us, but if you're just generally interested in playing with us -- or at one of our events -- in the future, we'd love to learn more about you. You see, we like music. A lot. And we especially like independent local music. Well, good independent local music, but you know what we mean.
We also organize a couple of annual events of some scale that we might be able to involve you and yours in in one way or another. We organize occasional series at the Abbey Lounge in Somerville, and we're often looking for new, interesting bands to add to bills that include Handstand Command members. Members of the collective have also organized events like the ArtBeat Sideshow and Bazaar Bizarre, the punk rock crafts fair.
But we probably can't help with time-critical tour needs. Sorry. If we're already working on something that fits your calendar and we really like you, maybe something will click, but in general, chances are slim.
CAN YOU LISTEN TO THE MP3'S ON OUR WEB SITE TO SEE IF YOU REALLY LIKE US?
MP3's and the InterWeb are both amazing things, but we're still rather partial to things like cassettes, records, and CD's, even if they're CD-R's. We're not always near a computer, and even if we are, not all of us have fast Net connections -- so MP3's can be a bit of a bother. If you'd _really_ like Handstand Command to give you a listen, you should send us a tape, record, or CD, regardless of its quality and packaging.
They'll be copied and distributed among the collective members, we'll pass them on to other friends who book shows if we think they can help you more than us, and we'll review them on the Web. So it's really worth your while to send us something.
FINE. WHERE SHOULD I SEND STUFF?
You can send material to one of two places.
Heath Row
P.O. Box 390205
Cambridge, MA
02139 USA
Sending it here will guarantee a review on the Web. Heath (of the Anchormen) runs an independent media news and review blog called Media Diet.
Unstoppable Records
P.O. Box 440422
Somerville, MA
02144 USA
This is the collective's general mailing address and is monitored by one Jef Czekaj (of the Anchormen and the Tardy). He also does a zine. Ask him about it.
DO YOU KNOW ANYONE ELSE WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP US GET A SHOW?
We're not promising anything, but Handstand Command has closely aligned with several other bands in the area -- and we can recommend and vouch for a couple of specific clubs that we're particularly fond of. You might consider contacting them to see if they can help you. Tell 'em the Command sent ya.
First, the bands we rub elbows with:
Spoilsport Fightin Dogs Choo Choo la Rouge The Also-Rans
Now, the clubs we love:
The Abbey Lounge, Somerville O'Brien's, Allston The Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain TT the Bear's, Cambridge The Middle East, Cambridge
Other places you should explore:
Book Your Own Fuckin' Life
Chances are good you tracked us down through this. If not, it's an awesome global punk rock resource listing bands, labels, zines, promoters, and venues. DIY, baby!
Just Another Scene
Currently on hiatus, this is still a good guide to New England scene stuff. The club listings offer info about what kinds of shows they put on, who books bands, and what the space is like.
Tony and Pals
An awesome resource including show listings, reviews, scene gossip, local record reviews, and other local stuff. One of the best local Web sites.
Boston Punk
Mostly show listings and classified ads, this site still has its finger on the local show pulse -- they may be able to connect you with show organizers.
East Coast Hardcore
The Show Booking section features a discussion board in which promoters post notices of band needs, upcoming shows, and the like. Looks useful, although this site is new to me.
WELL, THANKS A LOT. YOU'VE GIVEN ME A LOT OF FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Happy to help! We hope you send us stuff because we'd really like to consider you for future events. And we wish you the best of luck! Regardless of whether we're able to get you a show, we hope you'll let us know what happens -- we like going to shows, too. Let us know when you're playing here. Maybe the Handstand Command will show up at one of yours!
Love,
Handstand Command
http://www.handstandcommand.com
OH! I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. THIS THIRD-PERSON, COLLECTIVE VOICE THROWS ME OFF A LITTLE. WAS THIS EMAIL WRITTEN BY ROBOTS?
No. We have nothing against robots, but in the current economy, we cannot afford to enlist their services because of the pay range they demand. Heath (of the Anchormen) volunteered to write this email, and because we all have better things to do with our time, we figured we'd let the chump make himself useful for once. Nevertheless, Heath, don't think that this gets you off the hook. You're still in the dog house. We'll never forgive you for that one band you booked at the Upstairs Lounge, and we really wish you'd get off your butt and write some new songs. And none of that Screeching Weasel stuff either. Wait... is this thing still on? Did everyone hear that? Oops.
Please remember that this will be sent out as an email. It wasn't really written or formatted to be published on the Web, regardless of its presence here. Move along. There's nothing to see here.
Magazine Me XIV
This struck me as slightly funny and overly self-referential, but MediaBistro, a media-related Web site, offers an article on how to pitch stories to the Columbia Journalism Review, a trade magazine for journalists. Now I'm mentioning it in Media Diet, a media-related blog. If we keep this up, pretty soon we'll all write stories about writing stories for people who write stories about us writing stories. Or something like that.
This struck me as slightly funny and overly self-referential, but MediaBistro, a media-related Web site, offers an article on how to pitch stories to the Columbia Journalism Review, a trade magazine for journalists. Now I'm mentioning it in Media Diet, a media-related blog. If we keep this up, pretty soon we'll all write stories about writing stories for people who write stories about us writing stories. Or something like that.
Rock Shows of Note XXXIV
To help celebrate Lydia's birthday Saturday night, Coco and I went to Tir Na Nog near Union Square to meet with Lydia, Alex, and several other people -- and to hear Frank Morey. Ostensibly a blues musician -- Frank's coming out with a record later this year on a Chicago-based blues label -- Frank's set was a pleasant bit of old-timey country blues featuring him singing and playing guitar and Scott Pittman on drums.
Frank chain smokes, lighting one cigarette with another.
While I enjoyed Frank's singing and the overall feel of Tom Waits-like dramatic folk blues, I spent most of my time watching Scott play drums. He's got an awesome kit -- modeled after vaudeville, he says -- with a tambourine attached to the high-hat, a loosely coiled spring hanging from a stand, a cowbell, wood block, beaded tom, and a bass drum imprinted with a graphic that reads "Art is the handmaid of human good." He played melodica during one song, and the song in which Frank played the jaw harp accompanied by Scott's duck call was quite enjoyable. In addition, his method of singing backups was interesting. He positions himself pretty far back from the mic, so it created more of a suggestion of vocals underneath Frank's up-front singing. Nice.
Scott just moved from Lowell to Jamaica Plain.
Despite a couple of awkward moments -- girls at the bar giggling over Frank's mention of the "mouth organ" and U2 on the radio interrupting the beginning of their second set -- Frank and Scott played an enjoyable, energetic set. The song from O Brother, Where Art Thou? felt a little cliched, but it's a good song, so I can't fault them. Worth checking out if you like this kind of music. They'd fit well on a bill with Gloria Deluxe, I think.
You can also read another person's review of the show. Photographs courtesy of Koshka.
To help celebrate Lydia's birthday Saturday night, Coco and I went to Tir Na Nog near Union Square to meet with Lydia, Alex, and several other people -- and to hear Frank Morey. Ostensibly a blues musician -- Frank's coming out with a record later this year on a Chicago-based blues label -- Frank's set was a pleasant bit of old-timey country blues featuring him singing and playing guitar and Scott Pittman on drums.
Frank chain smokes, lighting one cigarette with another.
While I enjoyed Frank's singing and the overall feel of Tom Waits-like dramatic folk blues, I spent most of my time watching Scott play drums. He's got an awesome kit -- modeled after vaudeville, he says -- with a tambourine attached to the high-hat, a loosely coiled spring hanging from a stand, a cowbell, wood block, beaded tom, and a bass drum imprinted with a graphic that reads "Art is the handmaid of human good." He played melodica during one song, and the song in which Frank played the jaw harp accompanied by Scott's duck call was quite enjoyable. In addition, his method of singing backups was interesting. He positions himself pretty far back from the mic, so it created more of a suggestion of vocals underneath Frank's up-front singing. Nice.
Scott just moved from Lowell to Jamaica Plain.
Despite a couple of awkward moments -- girls at the bar giggling over Frank's mention of the "mouth organ" and U2 on the radio interrupting the beginning of their second set -- Frank and Scott played an enjoyable, energetic set. The song from O Brother, Where Art Thou? felt a little cliched, but it's a good song, so I can't fault them. Worth checking out if you like this kind of music. They'd fit well on a bill with Gloria Deluxe, I think.
You can also read another person's review of the show. Photographs courtesy of Koshka.
The Movie I Watched Last Night XXXII
Friday: Nine to Five
An extremely satisfying office comedy that rivals more recent attempts such as Office Space. The basic premise is slightly dated, as the film concentrates on a secretarial pool, its relationship with their male manager -- and their eventual rebellion against the hierarchical structure of their workplace. Lily Tomlin leads the charge with her strong-willed character Violet Newstead, and Dolly Parton shines as the southern-bred and misleadingly ditzy Doralee Thodes. But it is Jane Fonda's Judy Bernly who emerges as the most level-headed and leadership-oriented character, evolving from a mousy, unconfident recent divorcee into the group's conscience and reality check. That said, the chemistry between the three is palpable, and the movie rides on their collective acting force. Worth watching if you haven't ever seen it -- and returning to if you had. The messages still mean something.
Sunday: The Importance of Being Earnest
I've never read Oscar Wilde's play, but it's evident that the movie is infused with and quite fond of Wilde's penchant for playful banter and language usage. Colin Firth (Jack/Earnest) and Rupert Everett (Algy) interact quite nicely, and the cast is well rounded out by Judy Dench, whose society matron role is a highlight of the film, and Reese Witherspoon, who surprises with her portrayal of Jack's ward Cecily. Some commentators have remarked on director Oliver Parker's occasional forays into the world of Baz Luhrmann in terms of updating classics, but even it's true that Parker rearranged some of the story, added some details and back stories for the characters, and updated the story slightly, it's a solid movie. Plenty of Wilde's original cleverness and cynicism, and a solid clutch of actors. Wilde would probably approve.
Friday: Nine to Five
An extremely satisfying office comedy that rivals more recent attempts such as Office Space. The basic premise is slightly dated, as the film concentrates on a secretarial pool, its relationship with their male manager -- and their eventual rebellion against the hierarchical structure of their workplace. Lily Tomlin leads the charge with her strong-willed character Violet Newstead, and Dolly Parton shines as the southern-bred and misleadingly ditzy Doralee Thodes. But it is Jane Fonda's Judy Bernly who emerges as the most level-headed and leadership-oriented character, evolving from a mousy, unconfident recent divorcee into the group's conscience and reality check. That said, the chemistry between the three is palpable, and the movie rides on their collective acting force. Worth watching if you haven't ever seen it -- and returning to if you had. The messages still mean something.
Sunday: The Importance of Being Earnest
I've never read Oscar Wilde's play, but it's evident that the movie is infused with and quite fond of Wilde's penchant for playful banter and language usage. Colin Firth (Jack/Earnest) and Rupert Everett (Algy) interact quite nicely, and the cast is well rounded out by Judy Dench, whose society matron role is a highlight of the film, and Reese Witherspoon, who surprises with her portrayal of Jack's ward Cecily. Some commentators have remarked on director Oliver Parker's occasional forays into the world of Baz Luhrmann in terms of updating classics, but even it's true that Parker rearranged some of the story, added some details and back stories for the characters, and updated the story slightly, it's a solid movie. Plenty of Wilde's original cleverness and cynicism, and a solid clutch of actors. Wilde would probably approve.
Friday, August 16, 2002
Magazine Me XIII
You know you're a hot media property when a magazine publishes an article with your byline that you didn't write. Kurt Andersen recently found himself in a media prank of Paul Krassner-Kurt Vonnegut-Mary Schmich proportions when Details accepted a story entitled "Dudes Who Dish" -- and credited to him even though he didn't write it. Andersen plans to help the magazine track down the true perpetrator. Clue one: Where'd Details send its payment?
You know you're a hot media property when a magazine publishes an article with your byline that you didn't write. Kurt Andersen recently found himself in a media prank of Paul Krassner-Kurt Vonnegut-Mary Schmich proportions when Details accepted a story entitled "Dudes Who Dish" -- and credited to him even though he didn't write it. Andersen plans to help the magazine track down the true perpetrator. Clue one: Where'd Details send its payment?
Rock Shows of Note XXXIII
After meeting with my landlord at the apartment to sign the lease for next year, taking out the garbage and recycling (the first time in a couple of weeks because of late nights and laziness), and showing Coco my place, I headed over to the Kendall Cafe with Coco to meet Kurt and Geraldine for dinner. And for the Gloria Deluxe show. Dinner was good. Geraldine and Coco both got the half-pound hamburgers, which come served with red potatoes. Kurt tried the Jamaican jerk chicken. And I fell back on an old standby: black beans and kale. The dish wasn't as well-spiced as I remember -- the first time I had the Kendall's kale was a green epihphany -- but it was still good eating.
Before Cynthia Hopkins, performing solo as Gloria Deluxe (which in the past has been a full band co-starring her brother Tom, an old friend who's since moved to New York City) took the stage, there was a solo singer-songwriter named Aaron Lippert. It seems that Aaron used to play with a band called Expanding Man. Not to be overly critical of the first time I've seen him play, but I was not at all impressed. In fact, it was a rather painful hour. From the very get go, I didn't think I'd like Aaron. During the brief soundcheck, he tried out a Tom Petty song and exuded an attitude that I found kind of pretentious. "Do you need me to check the mic again?" And the set itself? Self-conscious, overly yet flatly dramatic, mid-tempo, falsetto mope pop with extremely cliched lyrics. Just because an experience is universal (i.e. drinking cheap red wine, perhaps) doesn't mean that you need to make it boring and mundane or hold it up as something more than it really is. Besides, really, there are some phrases that just don't need to be song. Like "drinking cheap red wine." Geraldine thought he was inspired by Radiohead given his tempos, key, and falsetto, but I found him pretty uninspiring. I was rather sad that this was the first live music Geraldine had taken in since moving into Boston. I was also bummed that I have an aversion to talking during smaller, intimate shows (a quality not shared by a fellow not too far from us who talked loudly for quite a long time), because I certainly would have welcomed the diversion of conversing with Coco and the others. Sigh. The songs -- and the set -- were just too long.
Needless to say, Cynthia was an extremely appreciated followup to Aaron's laborious set. While Gloria Deluxe is usually a rock-tinged country band highlighting Cynthia's powerful vocals and Tom's plaintive vocal accompaniment, the show last night featured Cynthia solo, singing and playing accordion. Fresh off of a recent residency at AS220 in Providence, Cynthia shared some songs from a show she wrote while living in Boston's sister city to the south. And she played some old Gloria Deluxe favorites, including several requests from the crowd. One request was for an "angry song" about an abusive theater producer who underpays his actors and performers in the name of meeting other, less important expenses -- and the waitress who takes her revenge. The song is a rollicking string of profanities and criticisms, which are largely enjoyable because they're being delivered by a petite woman playing the accordion.
Cynthia is a musical artist and actress. Her singing style is extremely well honed and reminds me of musical theater. Her diction and delivery is interesting, and she punctuates songs with occasionally surprising hesitant pauses that only serve to accentuate what comes next -- and the point she's making. Cynthia also manages to work in fascinating facial expressions that help convey the content of the song, ranging from tight-lipped and coy demurement to almost uncontrolled caterwauls. Lastly, her in-between song banter was quite funny. Some of it was delivered in character and reminded me of the silly inconsistencies and playful falsehoods of some of the Brothers Grimm's shorter fairy tales and nonsense stories.
Thank you, Cynthia, for saving last night's show. I was slightly worried that Coco, Kurt, and Geraldine wouldn't take my next show suggestion seriously, but I think they will. (At least, I hope so!) Also, the band Barn Burning deserves thanks. They invited Cynthia to play with them last night, I hear, and even though all of us were too tired to stick around for their part of the program, they brought Cynthia up from New York for us. And that was awfully nice of them.
You can also read another person's review of the show.
After meeting with my landlord at the apartment to sign the lease for next year, taking out the garbage and recycling (the first time in a couple of weeks because of late nights and laziness), and showing Coco my place, I headed over to the Kendall Cafe with Coco to meet Kurt and Geraldine for dinner. And for the Gloria Deluxe show. Dinner was good. Geraldine and Coco both got the half-pound hamburgers, which come served with red potatoes. Kurt tried the Jamaican jerk chicken. And I fell back on an old standby: black beans and kale. The dish wasn't as well-spiced as I remember -- the first time I had the Kendall's kale was a green epihphany -- but it was still good eating.
Before Cynthia Hopkins, performing solo as Gloria Deluxe (which in the past has been a full band co-starring her brother Tom, an old friend who's since moved to New York City) took the stage, there was a solo singer-songwriter named Aaron Lippert. It seems that Aaron used to play with a band called Expanding Man. Not to be overly critical of the first time I've seen him play, but I was not at all impressed. In fact, it was a rather painful hour. From the very get go, I didn't think I'd like Aaron. During the brief soundcheck, he tried out a Tom Petty song and exuded an attitude that I found kind of pretentious. "Do you need me to check the mic again?" And the set itself? Self-conscious, overly yet flatly dramatic, mid-tempo, falsetto mope pop with extremely cliched lyrics. Just because an experience is universal (i.e. drinking cheap red wine, perhaps) doesn't mean that you need to make it boring and mundane or hold it up as something more than it really is. Besides, really, there are some phrases that just don't need to be song. Like "drinking cheap red wine." Geraldine thought he was inspired by Radiohead given his tempos, key, and falsetto, but I found him pretty uninspiring. I was rather sad that this was the first live music Geraldine had taken in since moving into Boston. I was also bummed that I have an aversion to talking during smaller, intimate shows (a quality not shared by a fellow not too far from us who talked loudly for quite a long time), because I certainly would have welcomed the diversion of conversing with Coco and the others. Sigh. The songs -- and the set -- were just too long.
Needless to say, Cynthia was an extremely appreciated followup to Aaron's laborious set. While Gloria Deluxe is usually a rock-tinged country band highlighting Cynthia's powerful vocals and Tom's plaintive vocal accompaniment, the show last night featured Cynthia solo, singing and playing accordion. Fresh off of a recent residency at AS220 in Providence, Cynthia shared some songs from a show she wrote while living in Boston's sister city to the south. And she played some old Gloria Deluxe favorites, including several requests from the crowd. One request was for an "angry song" about an abusive theater producer who underpays his actors and performers in the name of meeting other, less important expenses -- and the waitress who takes her revenge. The song is a rollicking string of profanities and criticisms, which are largely enjoyable because they're being delivered by a petite woman playing the accordion.
Cynthia is a musical artist and actress. Her singing style is extremely well honed and reminds me of musical theater. Her diction and delivery is interesting, and she punctuates songs with occasionally surprising hesitant pauses that only serve to accentuate what comes next -- and the point she's making. Cynthia also manages to work in fascinating facial expressions that help convey the content of the song, ranging from tight-lipped and coy demurement to almost uncontrolled caterwauls. Lastly, her in-between song banter was quite funny. Some of it was delivered in character and reminded me of the silly inconsistencies and playful falsehoods of some of the Brothers Grimm's shorter fairy tales and nonsense stories.
Thank you, Cynthia, for saving last night's show. I was slightly worried that Coco, Kurt, and Geraldine wouldn't take my next show suggestion seriously, but I think they will. (At least, I hope so!) Also, the band Barn Burning deserves thanks. They invited Cynthia to play with them last night, I hear, and even though all of us were too tired to stick around for their part of the program, they brought Cynthia up from New York for us. And that was awfully nice of them.
You can also read another person's review of the show.
Thursday, August 15, 2002
Corollary: Web Remnants IV
What do you know... Off Message is also listed in Amazon. That's kind of a rush. Again, the descriptive copy is kind of misleading and out of date, but the book's going to be good. Are you going to be good and pre-order a copy?
Oh, and don't forget that I also edited another book, a collection of short, short stories by Dan Buck called This Day's Wait. I haven't.
What do you know... Off Message is also listed in Amazon. That's kind of a rush. Again, the descriptive copy is kind of misleading and out of date, but the book's going to be good. Are you going to be good and pre-order a copy?
Oh, and don't forget that I also edited another book, a collection of short, short stories by Dan Buck called This Day's Wait. I haven't.
Web Remnants IV
It's a big day on the Web where I work. Fast Company's Web site was recently redesigned to accompany the magazine's new design and content architecture -- the redesigned Web debuted moments ago. And the Web site for the 2002 CoF Roadshow, my road trip from Virginia to Vermont later this year, is now live. If you know anyone along the route you think I should meet -- or company's you think I should look into -- let me know. I'd appreciate the leads.
And outside of the office, the book I'm editing, Off Message: Voices from the Business Underground is listed on Capstone-Wiley's Web site. The catalog copy we wrote ages ago isn't a very accurate description of the book as it stands now -- my editor recently described it as "much edgier and funnier than expected" -- but you should still, ahem, pre-order our copy today. You get to read, and I get to eat. Fair enough?
It's a big day on the Web where I work. Fast Company's Web site was recently redesigned to accompany the magazine's new design and content architecture -- the redesigned Web debuted moments ago. And the Web site for the 2002 CoF Roadshow, my road trip from Virginia to Vermont later this year, is now live. If you know anyone along the route you think I should meet -- or company's you think I should look into -- let me know. I'd appreciate the leads.
And outside of the office, the book I'm editing, Off Message: Voices from the Business Underground is listed on Capstone-Wiley's Web site. The catalog copy we wrote ages ago isn't a very accurate description of the book as it stands now -- my editor recently described it as "much edgier and funnier than expected" -- but you should still, ahem, pre-order our copy today. You get to read, and I get to eat. Fair enough?
Products I Love III
Two items of note, one of which I use every single day, and one that I just ordered but am hella excited about.
From L'Oreal's Studio Line, I'm a big, big fan of the Anti-Sticky Invisi-Gel. You can get it in Extra Body or, I believe, Mega Hold. Wonderful stuff. While I'm not sure whether the "anti-sticky" description means that it's not sticky, won't get sticky if your hair gets warm or wet, or if the gel actually repels other sticky things, but I love it. It holds your hair well, and if you run a brush through your hair later in the day, it gets all poofy. At a recent Anchormen show, a friend actually said I had newscaster hair. That means it's working!
And I recently came across Siegel Display Products, a company that manufactures trade-show booths, displays, and literature racks for corporate clients. In their July 2002 catalog, the Magazine Rack 3001V caught my eye. It's a two-tier, baked-on black-enamel wire rack that stands almost three feet high and holds standard-sized magazines. As a frequent reader and media geek, I've oft struggled with my reading pile, which currently stands in two stacks of magazines spilling onto the kitchen floor in my apartment. And I have high hopes that the rack I just ordered moments ago will help control my clutter. Hooray for magazine racks! You can also order wall-mounted magazine stands -- mostly for trade-show display, again (which means the slots aren't that deep) -- as well as rotating wire racks similar to the Hey Kids! Comics! displays you might still see in drug stores.
Two items of note, one of which I use every single day, and one that I just ordered but am hella excited about.
From L'Oreal's Studio Line, I'm a big, big fan of the Anti-Sticky Invisi-Gel. You can get it in Extra Body or, I believe, Mega Hold. Wonderful stuff. While I'm not sure whether the "anti-sticky" description means that it's not sticky, won't get sticky if your hair gets warm or wet, or if the gel actually repels other sticky things, but I love it. It holds your hair well, and if you run a brush through your hair later in the day, it gets all poofy. At a recent Anchormen show, a friend actually said I had newscaster hair. That means it's working!
And I recently came across Siegel Display Products, a company that manufactures trade-show booths, displays, and literature racks for corporate clients. In their July 2002 catalog, the Magazine Rack 3001V caught my eye. It's a two-tier, baked-on black-enamel wire rack that stands almost three feet high and holds standard-sized magazines. As a frequent reader and media geek, I've oft struggled with my reading pile, which currently stands in two stacks of magazines spilling onto the kitchen floor in my apartment. And I have high hopes that the rack I just ordered moments ago will help control my clutter. Hooray for magazine racks! You can also order wall-mounted magazine stands -- mostly for trade-show display, again (which means the slots aren't that deep) -- as well as rotating wire racks similar to the Hey Kids! Comics! displays you might still see in drug stores.
Preying on the Porcelain God
It's a shame that Adweek doesn't publish its archives online for free, because today brought me some silly serendipity.
Item one, a feature in the Aug. 5 edition of Adweek (which requires a paid online subscription to access archived material) entitled "For a Hurl of a Good Time," describes a party invite that includes an image of Speedy, Alka-Seltzer's advertising mascot, embracing a porcelain bowl. The brief says that the appropriation of the marketing icon, which dates back to the '50s, isn't disrespectful because it's a benefit bash. Looks like Speedy could've benefited from a dose of his own medicine.
Item two, this week's installment of Roger Langridge's awesome Hotel Fred Web comic. The Aug. 13 strip is a playful parody of Winnie the Pooh and features an illustration of a bemused Oliver Pippin witnessing Fred the Clown in the throes of, well, throwing up into a toilet.
That's two iconic appropriations and two subtle and funny vomit depictions. Not bad for a Thursday!
It's a shame that Adweek doesn't publish its archives online for free, because today brought me some silly serendipity.
Item one, a feature in the Aug. 5 edition of Adweek (which requires a paid online subscription to access archived material) entitled "For a Hurl of a Good Time," describes a party invite that includes an image of Speedy, Alka-Seltzer's advertising mascot, embracing a porcelain bowl. The brief says that the appropriation of the marketing icon, which dates back to the '50s, isn't disrespectful because it's a benefit bash. Looks like Speedy could've benefited from a dose of his own medicine.
Item two, this week's installment of Roger Langridge's awesome Hotel Fred Web comic. The Aug. 13 strip is a playful parody of Winnie the Pooh and features an illustration of a bemused Oliver Pippin witnessing Fred the Clown in the throes of, well, throwing up into a toilet.
That's two iconic appropriations and two subtle and funny vomit depictions. Not bad for a Thursday!
Happy Birthday to Media Dieticians IX
Megatokyo, a great online manga I check in on several times a week, turned 2 years old yesterday. Belated happies. When is someone going to publish a print edition of Megatokyo? Seems like that'd be a good present for Fred. Congrats, Mr. Gallagher!
Megatokyo, a great online manga I check in on several times a week, turned 2 years old yesterday. Belated happies. When is someone going to publish a print edition of Megatokyo? Seems like that'd be a good present for Fred. Congrats, Mr. Gallagher!
Flogging Bloggers IV
Back to the Web whipping post! Dave Linabury, proprietor of the award-winning blog Davezilla, was recently contacted by Toho Co Ltd., the company that owns the rights to the Godzilla character. You might remember Godzilla: tall, destroys buildings. Dave's tall himself -- 6' 3" -- but to the best of my knowledge, the similarities end there.
Since receiving the cease-and-desist letter from Toho, Dave's chronicled the ongoing events, citing gestures of support within the blogging community, posting a wonderful Davezilla vs. Godzilla cartoon, and mentioning that there are nearly 1,000 other Web sites with "zilla" in their domain names.
That's a lot of cease-and-desist letters, Toho.
Back to the Web whipping post! Dave Linabury, proprietor of the award-winning blog Davezilla, was recently contacted by Toho Co Ltd., the company that owns the rights to the Godzilla character. You might remember Godzilla: tall, destroys buildings. Dave's tall himself -- 6' 3" -- but to the best of my knowledge, the similarities end there.
Since receiving the cease-and-desist letter from Toho, Dave's chronicled the ongoing events, citing gestures of support within the blogging community, posting a wonderful Davezilla vs. Godzilla cartoon, and mentioning that there are nearly 1,000 other Web sites with "zilla" in their domain names.
That's a lot of cease-and-desist letters, Toho.
The Song I Just Wrote
As the Anchormen continue to wrap up work on our third CD, tentatively titled "Just Because You Sleep on My Floor Doesn't Mean That You're My Girlfriend," it's time to start writing some new songs. Here's one -- slightly inspired by a short story by Steve Almond -- that's been running through my mind for the last two days:
That's all I have right now. Worth finishing?
As the Anchormen continue to wrap up work on our third CD, tentatively titled "Just Because You Sleep on My Floor Doesn't Mean That You're My Girlfriend," it's time to start writing some new songs. Here's one -- slightly inspired by a short story by Steve Almond -- that's been running through my mind for the last two days:
Every time I look into your eyes, I thank my congressman that you're my girl.
But when you say that your vote is mine, your backroom patronage games make me hurl.
If we were to truly democratize, the world would surely be a better place.
But if we legislate and do not sympathize, the power of our laws is that of mace.
Cute girls and politics, cute girls and politics, cute girls and politics, cute girls and politics, cute girls and politics, cute girls and politics don't mix.
Cute girls and politics, cute girls and politics, cute girls and politics, cute girls and politics, cute girls and politics, cute girls and politics don't mix.
When I see you standing on the Hill in your collared shirt and pleated skirt
my heart leaps and my head starts to whirl; when your bills become laws we all get hurt.
That's all I have right now. Worth finishing?
Wednesday, August 14, 2002
To Be Sung on the High Seas
In a Pieces, Particles entry, I referenced a magazine article about the fading history of sea shanties. Roger Chartier Music & Publishing has created a wonderful resource about this almost-lost art, featuring some history, related links... and lyrics! Here's an excerpt from "Cape Cod Girls":
All of that might very well be true. I guess my question is, "What about those Cape Anne girls?"
Thanks to Memepool.
In a Pieces, Particles entry, I referenced a magazine article about the fading history of sea shanties. Roger Chartier Music & Publishing has created a wonderful resource about this almost-lost art, featuring some history, related links... and lyrics! Here's an excerpt from "Cape Cod Girls":
Cape Cod girls ain't got no combs. Heave away, haul away.
They comb their hair with codfish bones. Heave away, haul away.
Cape Cod doctors ain't got no pills. Heave away, haul away.
They feed their patients codfish gills. Heave away, haul away.
Cape Cod women don't bake no pies. Heave away, haul away.
They feed their babies codfish eyes. Heave away, haul away.
All of that might very well be true. I guess my question is, "What about those Cape Anne girls?"
Thanks to Memepool.
Happy Birthday to Media Dieticians VIII
Email turned 20 years old yesterday. On that day in history the IETF approved RFC 822, which standardized ARPANet email.
Thanks to BoingBoing.
Email turned 20 years old yesterday. On that day in history the IETF approved RFC 822, which standardized ARPANet email.
Thanks to BoingBoing.
Rock Shows of Note XXXII
I didn't think I'd make it to Jef and Dave's Plunge into Death show last night at O'Brien's, but having met Kendra for drinks after work at Bukowski's, I was already on the Green Line, on the right line (B), and almost all the way there, so I decided to check it out. After all, Jef said they played first, so I could still get home relatively early.
They didn't play first. They played third. But I am super happy I went because all of the bands -- all! -- were absolutely amazing. First up, Tunnel of Love, who are slated to play with the Anchormen at the Abbey in early September. A duo comprising a shirtless drummer and guitarist wearing matching athletic shorts and striped leggings, Tunnel played a spastic set of raucous garage rock that was quite energetic and enjoyable. Andy kept kicking over the microphone stand, and a friend stood near the front to pick it back up every single time. I'm jazzed that we're playing with them. It'll be a lot of fun.
Second up was X27, a garagey three-piece from Chicago. Reminding me of Math, early Scissor Girls, and other Chicago no-wave bands that predated the post-rock scene, X27 was also extremely spazzy. The guitarist undulated like he had no spine, pulling tortured, syncopated skronk sounds from his guitar as the drummer -- whose kit was outfitted with a piece of sheet metal instead of a cymbal -- stood in the back of the band. The boy-girl vocals were rare but well-timed, and the song with the line "feeling asthmatic" stuck in my craw. Awesome!
Jef and Dave's ever-name-changing project Plunge into Death (at least for last night) was next up. It took them quite awhile to set up the stage with the monster boombox, CD beats, keyboard, and guitar, but it was worth the wait. Jef played his guitar with two bottles while singing backup to Dave's new-wave goth lead, and they pulled some favorites out of their hats. The Pac-Man sample song won the crowd over, and they added some new gimmicks. Jef placed the robotic Godzilla on the keyboard so its roaring noise fed through the amplifier, and Dave reached across the stage with a coiled semi truck antenna to play the guitar occasionally. One dark spot was the song in which Dave rants about turning off cell phones and pagers. It seems he lost the original sample CD they used to the vocal track on that number, and it's difficult to replicate the disembodied, inhuman voice that laid such an interesting foundation to the original version. Plunge into Death added a nice, slower side to the so-far rock-and-stomp show.
Lastly, 25 Suaves, which used to call Somerville home but now hail from Michigan. Another wonderful garage-rock two-piece comprising a drummer and a guitarist, the Suaves ended the night on a high note. I think they played the Misfits' "We Are 138," and they covered "Saturday Night" with punch and panache. Glad they came back to town.
I caught a cab home from Allston around 12:30, having spent much of the night SMS'ing with Coco. I called her when I got home, and we talked until the sun started to lighten the sky. So I'm a little tired today.
I didn't think I'd make it to Jef and Dave's Plunge into Death show last night at O'Brien's, but having met Kendra for drinks after work at Bukowski's, I was already on the Green Line, on the right line (B), and almost all the way there, so I decided to check it out. After all, Jef said they played first, so I could still get home relatively early.
They didn't play first. They played third. But I am super happy I went because all of the bands -- all! -- were absolutely amazing. First up, Tunnel of Love, who are slated to play with the Anchormen at the Abbey in early September. A duo comprising a shirtless drummer and guitarist wearing matching athletic shorts and striped leggings, Tunnel played a spastic set of raucous garage rock that was quite energetic and enjoyable. Andy kept kicking over the microphone stand, and a friend stood near the front to pick it back up every single time. I'm jazzed that we're playing with them. It'll be a lot of fun.
Second up was X27, a garagey three-piece from Chicago. Reminding me of Math, early Scissor Girls, and other Chicago no-wave bands that predated the post-rock scene, X27 was also extremely spazzy. The guitarist undulated like he had no spine, pulling tortured, syncopated skronk sounds from his guitar as the drummer -- whose kit was outfitted with a piece of sheet metal instead of a cymbal -- stood in the back of the band. The boy-girl vocals were rare but well-timed, and the song with the line "feeling asthmatic" stuck in my craw. Awesome!
Jef and Dave's ever-name-changing project Plunge into Death (at least for last night) was next up. It took them quite awhile to set up the stage with the monster boombox, CD beats, keyboard, and guitar, but it was worth the wait. Jef played his guitar with two bottles while singing backup to Dave's new-wave goth lead, and they pulled some favorites out of their hats. The Pac-Man sample song won the crowd over, and they added some new gimmicks. Jef placed the robotic Godzilla on the keyboard so its roaring noise fed through the amplifier, and Dave reached across the stage with a coiled semi truck antenna to play the guitar occasionally. One dark spot was the song in which Dave rants about turning off cell phones and pagers. It seems he lost the original sample CD they used to the vocal track on that number, and it's difficult to replicate the disembodied, inhuman voice that laid such an interesting foundation to the original version. Plunge into Death added a nice, slower side to the so-far rock-and-stomp show.
Lastly, 25 Suaves, which used to call Somerville home but now hail from Michigan. Another wonderful garage-rock two-piece comprising a drummer and a guitarist, the Suaves ended the night on a high note. I think they played the Misfits' "We Are 138," and they covered "Saturday Night" with punch and panache. Glad they came back to town.
I caught a cab home from Allston around 12:30, having spent much of the night SMS'ing with Coco. I called her when I got home, and we talked until the sun started to lighten the sky. So I'm a little tired today.
Tuesday, August 13, 2002
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!
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!
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?
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