February 2009

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28

Free speech, exercised both individually and through a free press, is a necessity in any country where people are themselves free.

-Theodore Roosevelt

January 29, 2008

Music Genome Project

My friend D. Miller sure as heckfire lights up the Atlantico email list. Sometimes it takes months to get through all of his backmail... which is what I've been working on 24/7 since my last blog post.

He directs us to a website called Pandora, which bills itself as "radio from the Music Genome Project". He has mentioned it before, and it's been around since 2000 (A.D.), but I haven't had a chance to really take this thing for a ride before today.

It's a beautiful beast.

Basically, you tell it what music you like to listen to, and it tells you what else sounds kinda like it. It seems really fun, and I'm right now letting it riff off of Jamiroquai, which I was once told is a Hebrew word meaning "sounds like Stevie Wonder". So far the site has touched on several artists I know, but with songs I don't. Give it a whirl.

Posted by Wulf | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

August 19, 2007

D'oh! Homer Jumps the Shark

I would say that it’s been about three years now since the venerable Simpson's jumped the shark. Having placed their heavy-handed, didactic agenda forwarding ahead of humor, the show has devolved into a GI Joe cartoon lacking only the ending’s lesson recap (Because knowing is half the battle!). The Simpson's would be only slightly funnier if they simply flashed "Republicans are the Debil" and "Vote Democrat" to a soundtrack of looping Homer "D'oh's." At least then my intelligence wouldn't be insulted at the thought of 27-year old latte-sipping writers freshly graduated from NYU thinking they're pulling a fast one on me by subliminally seducing me with their puerile Marxist worldview.

To the current Twenty-something generation of rotational Simpson's writers, you have the legacy of doing to The Simpson's the same thing that Lorne Michaels eventually did to Saturday Night Live. The episode of The Simpson's where they wrote in a cartoon figure of Peter Griffin and labeled him Plagiarismo is especially ironic, since The Simpson's pathetic attempt at infusing Family Guy's left-driven humor into the previously apolitical Simpson's was a last-gasp, desperate attempt to remain topical and cutting-edge. Or so they thought.

In copying the left-leaning Family Guy, the "next gen" of Simpson's writers have failed at the most important aspect of a situational comedy: Family Guy is funny.

Posted by Rammage | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

March 10, 2007

There is No Dana; Only Fool

It's the opening weekend for 300, and the comparisons to Nazi propaganda have already started to trickle out. Ace of Spades tackles a Slate piece by movie critic Liz Penn/Dana Stevens that starts:

If 300, the new battle epic based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley, had been made in Germany in the mid-1930s, it would be studied today alongside The Eternal Jew as a textbook example of how race-baiting fantasy and nationalist myth can serve as an incitement to total war.

Lovely. What sort of deep-thinking intellectual wordsmith can make this allegorical leap?

Here's the author's background:

Liz Penn has a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in New York City and writes on television for Slate.com under the name Dana Stevens.

Ph.D. Comparative Literature. Berkeley. Manhattan. Of course. [Yawn] Can't there be any surprises anymore? When Ms. Penn/Stevens was asked in an interview what she would do with 24 hours in NYC if the world were coming to an end, she responded:

Realistically, I'd probably hole up and freak out, or call people and say goodbye. But I assume this question is supposed to be about a nice New York day, not the stark horror of mass impending death. So let's say: a cup of perfect coffee at home, a walk uptown to look at the Rembrandt self-portrait at the Frick, a drink at the Grand Central Oyster Bar, and dinner and a movie downtown, at Anthology or someplace. All with the right people, of course -- you know who you are. And it has to be mid-October.

They're all getting far too predictable. I could have written this response for her...verbatim.

Posted by Rammage | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

February 27, 2007

Researching Dracula = "Good Behavior"

I have to share this story about a man released from prison because of his contribution to the literary world:

An American historian sentenced to seven years in prison for sexual perversion and abuse of minors won early release from prison Tuesday because he wrote a book about Dracula, his attorney said.

According to the BBC, his writing counted as “work” in prison. It’s just kooky.

Posted by Wulf | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

October 30, 2006

Copyright Issues

Perhaps the technology industry will tire of the constant whinging that comes from the music and movie and publishing industries and decide instead to build fully functional systems that do not accept the arbitrary limitations put on them by a content industry that fears for its own future.

Commentator Bill Thompson on the inevitable changes in store for the music, movie and publishing industries.

Posted by Wulf | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

October 14, 2006

Billions and Billions

I love this Day By Day strip for two reasons: A nod to Carl Sagan, and a poke at Johns Hopkins. You'll note where Johns Hopkins ranked on Wulf's Civic Ignorance posting.

As a reminder, Chris Muir's Day By Day is displayed every day at the bottom of Atlas Blogged.

Posted by Rammage | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

October 9, 2006

Flags of our Fathers / Letters from Iwo Jima

Have you ever seen one trailer for two movies?

I saw a commercial today for the movie Flags of our Fathers, which is due to be released on Oct 20. Seeing that it is directed by Clint Eastwood, I was intrigued and looked it up on line. According to Wikipedia,

Eastwood is also directing a complementary film on the battle from the Japanese viewpoint. Titled Letters from Iwo Jima, it is currently in post-production and is set to be released sometime in December, approximately two months after the release of Flags of Our Fathers.

Now this sounds excellent. Looking at the cast of Letters from Iwo Jima, I note Ken Watanabe is General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in both films. Several minor parts also appear in both films. Released only a couple months apart, eh?

Cleverly, there is a trailer that advertises for both movies simultaneously. Unfortunately, most of it is in Japanese. I’d like to see a version of it released in English, but until then, here is the Japanese version.

Posted by Wulf | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

October 7, 2006

Brave Actors

AMY GOODMAN: How dangerous is it or popular is it to speak out in Hollywood?

MARK RUFFALO: I’m terrified, really, to be honest with you. I know that a lot of people in Hollywood feel the way I do. A lot of people who have come out, have been, you know, severely maligned in the media, this crazy liberal media that we keep hearing about. They come down like a hammer to people who speak out, especially from Hollywood.

From: Actor Mark Ruffalo on His Decision To Speak Out Against the Bush Administration

Yeah, talk about bravery. To be a Hollywood actor, bravely speaking out in favor of Democratic candidates. Wow. I'm so impressed by their risking standing out from the mainstream Hollywood. Kind of like those brave college students, who are all bucking The Man by proving they're different by all getting belly piercings, rallying around The Daily Show, and decrying Republicans. That sort of individuality is rare today.

Posted by Rammage | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

July 30, 2006

I Can't Live on this Salary!

I find that most editorial cartoons are really good at communicating a really bad point. Usually, it is that so-and-so is stupid. I am not sure that this one by Etta Hulme is any different in that respect, but I find it very interesting. I hope it can spark some conversation - I'd like to hear some opinions on it. Is there a fair point being made? Talk to me.

Posted by Wulf | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

July 12, 2006

Dilbert.Blog

Usually, there is no special announcement when a blog is added to (or deleted from) our blog roll. But Dilbert.Blog by Scott Adams is different. Consider his thoughts on conspiracy theories:

My favorite conspiracy theory is the one that says the world is being run by a handful of ultra-rich capitalists, and that our elected governments are mere puppets. I sure hope it’s true. Otherwise my survival depends on hordes of clueless goobers electing competent leaders. That’s about as likely as a dog pissing the Mona Lisa into a snow bank.

The only way I can get to sleep at night is by imagining a secret cabal of highly competent puppetmasters who are handling the important decisions while our elected politicians debate flag burning and the definition of marriage.

This is so in line with my own thoughts on the subject that I am concerned he may be plagarizing me. Although I don't think I've ever put these thoughts into writing, so he is probably reading my brainwaves at night.

I realize this goes against me being an Empiricist, but there is a part of me that would love to be a conspiracy theorist. You know that would be fun. There is an answer to everything. They did it. I suppose some conspiracy groups would be more fun than others - for example, I don't think it would be as much fun to believe that the JEWS run everything. That's sinister. But the Illuminati, or Oil Executives - maybe I could come to blame them for everything.

It has to be reassuring to think that somebody is controlling it all... to believe that somebody is so powerful and prescient as to be able to manipulate the economy and the press and 9/11 and the price of gasoline without anybody knowing about it (except for my email list of pajama-clad conspiracy theorists). If only I could channel my skepticism... maybe someday.

Anyway, welcome aboard Scott Adams. Brace yourself for the AtlasBlogged-alanche.

Posted by Wulf | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

April 30, 2006

Tattoo You

Thanks Jon Henke for passing this along. If you have a couple of minutes to watch a news report from Rhode Island, please follow this link and prepare to be amused. I'm thinking about doing this myself.

Posted by Wulf | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

November 12, 2005

The Friday's Image

There is a lot of new construction near my house, including a T.G.I. Friday's restaurant. I haven't been to a Friday's in years. I remember them as fairly interchangeable with other "casual dining" restaurants, with the quirky faux memorabilia on the walls and a variation-on-a-theme menu.

But Friday's has gone through some changes lately. If you haven't been to one in a while, you might not have heard. First of all, the familiar red and white striped awning is gone, as are many of the familiar quirky items on the wall. The new Friday's exterior looks like Tim Burton may have been consulted. It's not a bad look, and it's aimed at a younger, hipper crowd all around the world, according to the Taipei Times. "Over the next three to five years, all 800 outlets will be remodeled to give the same contemporary and lively tone characterized by a 1960s to 1980s feel."

"We wanted to lighten it up," said Dennis Greer, director of operations in Metro Detroit for T.G.I.Friday's. Well, lighted up is not the feel I had, but they may have managed to look more hip. Interestingly, I didn't see any adults younger than 30, but that may have been because it was Veteran's Day, and most tables had a family with one middle aged to elderly man with a USN ballcap or a flag on his lapel. We'll have to see how this pans out in the long run.

I am vaguely curious to know how much an image change like this affects the likelihood that I will eat at the restaurant. Clearly it can sometimes be expected to work, or companies wouldn't spend the money on renovations. But is it all cosmetic? Can we judge a book by its cover, a blog by its banner, or a restaurant by its new black, red, and steel decor?

But the real issue that prompted me to write is not just cosmetic. While at Friday's, I noted that Jack Daniel's was mentioned on every single page of the menu I was handed. J.D. BBQ sauce seems to have been incorporated onto at least half of the non-dessert items. (Incidentally, I had the Jack Daniel's pulled pork sandwich, and it was delicious.) I found that to be an interesting combination of brand names, and I am curious to know what possible downside there could be to the Friday's chain. Jack Daniel's brand was literally featured more than twice as much as the T.G.I. Friday's logo on the menus, posters, napkins, etc. Is this an upcoming trend in casual dining restaurants? Will we soon see Applebee's featuring Stoli? Jose Cuervo at Chili's? Ruby Tanqueray's? I can't wait to see whether this becomes like when fast food chains were a battleground in the cola wars, or if it becomes more like the new "flair" - cosmetic, ridiculous, and meaningless to the casual dining experience.

A curious note - as we left the restaurant, a pickup truck pulled up, towing a trailer. Truck bed and trailer were full of traditional Friday's quirky memorabilia. Could the Jack Daniel's / Tim Burton phase be over already?

Posted by Wulf | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

August 9, 2005

Vegas Can Be Beat

Sin City. The Oasis in the Desert. Vegas. Whichever name you want to use for the miles of neon lights in the middle of nowhere, it all means the same thing. Fun.

For any of you that get excited when thinking about Las Vegas or enjoy a fast paced read, I highly recommend the book “Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions,” by Ben Mezrich. This is Mezrich’s first foray into a nonfiction title, and it is partly because he is an acquaintance of one of the students involved.

The book tells us how a group of math whizzes were able to devise a system of counting cards at the blackjack table, and use it to their advantage to win a lot of money. And I mean *a lot* of money. The story itself is very interesting. It’s not just a description of the events, but more of a “put you in the shoes of the character” type of story. It gives you a glimpse of the behind the scenes underworld of Vegas itself.

Word to the wise: Don’t try this at home.

Posted by G-Dawg | TrackBack (0)

July 16, 2005

The Hollywood Touch

“The Hollywood touch.” That’s what my 9th grade history teacher always called it. He was upset that the film industry just couldn’t recreate historical events/periods without adding some sort of feel good story to it. He would go on and on about how “Hollywood knows how to ruin a good history lesson.” I wish I could give you some good examples, but be honest, who pays attention in history class at the 9th grade level? I was having enough trouble trying to stay awake.

But that little tidbit always stuck with me. “The Hollywood touch.”

I started applying it not only to the historical based movies, but also to all movies in general, especially those that were taken from books. I read a lot of Stephen King novels growing up and to me it just seemed that they (producers, directors, whoever else had a say in it) just couldn’t get it right. Then I started reading all of the Jack Ryan novels (in order) by Tom Clancy. Once those movies were getting made, or should I say ruined, I finally accepted the fact that going into the theater, do not expect the movie to be anything like you thought it was going to be based on what you read. At least I thought I did.

It would be hard to argue that Steven Spielberg was anything but a genius in the 1980’s, and maybe into the ‘90’s with his filmmaking. I just wish I knew what happened to him. His latest choice to remake the classic “War Of The Worlds,” could have been fantastic in my eyes. I guess the movie was pretty good in general, but the ending? Come on! If you haven’t seen it, I really won’t ruin it for you by telling you that if the movie would have ended just a mere five minutes before it did, I would have walked out of the theater with a much different attitude. “The Hollywood touch.” I'm just glad that in “I, Robot” they didn’t have Spooner and Calvin hook up at the end.

I know I could bore you to death listing off a multitude of books that have been slaughtered by the film industry, but I’ll spare you the pain. In fact, I bet the list could go on forever. I would imagine the short list would be which movies were made that were actually great based on the book they followed. I’m also willing to bet that most of those failed to include - you guessed it - ”The Hollywood touch.”

Posted by G-Dawg | Comments (1)