Lost won best drama.
It's good to be a Television.
'Nuff said.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
New Music? You Betcha
What's the latest for the Music Ho?
Paul McCartney - "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard"
Sir Paul continues his late-inning winning streak with his fourth excellent album in a row. Much quieter and lower-key than his previous three (Run Devil Run, Flaming Pie, and Driving Rain), but the melodies are more beautiful on this one and, overall, more consistently good.
White Stripes - "Get Behind Me Satan"
This is my first exposure to the White Stripes other than a live performance on Saturday Night Live. Very low-fi. Very good. The writing is incredible and suprising how full the sound is given that the band IS two people. I've read reviews that say this album is much different from their previous ones. However, different or not, if the other discs are as good as this one, I'll have to check 'em out.
Elton John - "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (Deluxe Edition)"
Excellent album. Not a bad song in the bunch. 'Nuff said. Second disc is a full runthrough of the album done live back in the 70s. Elton John was definitely one of those artists who couldn't do wrong for a while (his 1970s output is a near flawless catalog of music)
Bob Dylan - "No Direction Home"
Soundtrack to the Martin Scorcese documentary that I'll never get around to watching. If you like Dylan, this is a great set to check out. The second disc features some moer upbeat, electic versions of songs that are better know as slower, more acoustic versions. All but two songs are unreleased (well, until now).
Paul McCartney - "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard"
Sir Paul continues his late-inning winning streak with his fourth excellent album in a row. Much quieter and lower-key than his previous three (Run Devil Run, Flaming Pie, and Driving Rain), but the melodies are more beautiful on this one and, overall, more consistently good.
White Stripes - "Get Behind Me Satan"
This is my first exposure to the White Stripes other than a live performance on Saturday Night Live. Very low-fi. Very good. The writing is incredible and suprising how full the sound is given that the band IS two people. I've read reviews that say this album is much different from their previous ones. However, different or not, if the other discs are as good as this one, I'll have to check 'em out.
Elton John - "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (Deluxe Edition)"
Excellent album. Not a bad song in the bunch. 'Nuff said. Second disc is a full runthrough of the album done live back in the 70s. Elton John was definitely one of those artists who couldn't do wrong for a while (his 1970s output is a near flawless catalog of music)
Bob Dylan - "No Direction Home"
Soundtrack to the Martin Scorcese documentary that I'll never get around to watching. If you like Dylan, this is a great set to check out. The second disc features some moer upbeat, electic versions of songs that are better know as slower, more acoustic versions. All but two songs are unreleased (well, until now).
A Rare Sight
Went to Disneyland yesterday.
Around the late afternoon, the clouds started rolling in. Once the sun reached a certain point, it hit the clouds.
We ended up with a triple rainbow. One of the three was a perfectly formed rainbow from end to end and incredibly bright -- every color could be seen.
This was a very rare sight in Southern California.
Once I get my hands on them, I'll put up a few pictures. (There's nothing like a sight of lots of people all pointing their camera phones at the sky all at once...)
Around the late afternoon, the clouds started rolling in. Once the sun reached a certain point, it hit the clouds.
We ended up with a triple rainbow. One of the three was a perfectly formed rainbow from end to end and incredibly bright -- every color could be seen.
This was a very rare sight in Southern California.
Once I get my hands on them, I'll put up a few pictures. (There's nothing like a sight of lots of people all pointing their camera phones at the sky all at once...)
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Blackout!!
We had a blackout a few days ago.
All because some power worker cut one too many wires trying to install an alert device. Hey, it made the workday short. And, fortunately, I work on the second floor so I was able to avoid the crush of people getting on the elevator.
I feel bad for the person who cut the wires. I can totally understand that sinking feeling you get when you've just done a major boo-boo and you KNOW you can't take it back. I can imaging them holding the wirecutters, staring at the snipped wires. Just staring. Staring. For a good five minutes as the blood rushed out of their head.
Fortunately, the power was back in a few hours and all was good again.
Hey, we all make mistakes. It's just that some are doozies!
All because some power worker cut one too many wires trying to install an alert device. Hey, it made the workday short. And, fortunately, I work on the second floor so I was able to avoid the crush of people getting on the elevator.
I feel bad for the person who cut the wires. I can totally understand that sinking feeling you get when you've just done a major boo-boo and you KNOW you can't take it back. I can imaging them holding the wirecutters, staring at the snipped wires. Just staring. Staring. For a good five minutes as the blood rushed out of their head.
Fortunately, the power was back in a few hours and all was good again.
Hey, we all make mistakes. It's just that some are doozies!
From Amoeba Music - MySpace.com - Bulletin Entry
This is from a bulletin entry on MySpace.com made by the fine folks at Amoeba Music -- at this time it's reprinted without permission, but it NEEDS to be reprinted:
the Bush family nightmare: helping poor black people
America must recall the president. That's what this
country needs: a good old-fashioned California-
style recall election complete with petitions, finger-
pointing and a ridiculous cast of replacement
candidates.
Just like Gray Davis had to do here in California,
George W. Bush must now defend his job
against... Russell Crowe! Because at this point, I
want a leader who will throw a phone at somebody.
Naomi Campbell can be vice president - only
phone throwers, people!
Come on, Mr. President, this can't be fun for you
anymore. You can't spend more of our money,
because you used it all up. And you can't start
another war, because you've used up the troops.
And when it comes to reacting to hurricanes, you
made your old man look like St. Francis of Assisi.
Your job has turned into the Bush family
nightmare: helping poor black people.
The cupboards bare, the credit cards maxed out
and no ones speaking to you - mission
accomplished!
Now it's time to do what you do best: lose interest
and walk away, like you did with your military
service and the oil company and the baseball team.
Time to move on and try the next fantasy job. How
about cowboy or spaceman?
Oh, I know what you're saying: "Hey, I've got three
more years, and there's so many other things I
want to touch." Please don't.
I know, I know, there's so much left to do: war with
Venezuela, eliminating the sales tax on yachts
and diamonds, turning the space program over to
the church, handing healthcare over to Halliburton
and Social Security to Fannie Mae, giving embryos
the vote.
But none of that's going to happen now. Why?
Because you're the first American president to
lose a whole city. Jimmy Carter never lost a city.
Herbert Hoover was a lousy president, but he didn't
concede an entire metropolis to rising water and
snakes.
You've performed so poorly you should give
yourself a medal. You're a catastrophe that walks
like a man. On your watch we've lost almost all of
our allies, the budget surplus, four airliners, two
trade centers, a piece of the Pentagon and the city
if New Orleans. Maybe you're just not lucky.
I'm not saying you don't love this country. I'm just
wondering how much worse it could be if you were
on the other side. Yes, God does speak to you.
And he's saying: "Take a hint."
the Bush family nightmare: helping poor black people
America must recall the president. That's what this
country needs: a good old-fashioned California-
style recall election complete with petitions, finger-
pointing and a ridiculous cast of replacement
candidates.
Just like Gray Davis had to do here in California,
George W. Bush must now defend his job
against... Russell Crowe! Because at this point, I
want a leader who will throw a phone at somebody.
Naomi Campbell can be vice president - only
phone throwers, people!
Come on, Mr. President, this can't be fun for you
anymore. You can't spend more of our money,
because you used it all up. And you can't start
another war, because you've used up the troops.
And when it comes to reacting to hurricanes, you
made your old man look like St. Francis of Assisi.
Your job has turned into the Bush family
nightmare: helping poor black people.
The cupboards bare, the credit cards maxed out
and no ones speaking to you - mission
accomplished!
Now it's time to do what you do best: lose interest
and walk away, like you did with your military
service and the oil company and the baseball team.
Time to move on and try the next fantasy job. How
about cowboy or spaceman?
Oh, I know what you're saying: "Hey, I've got three
more years, and there's so many other things I
want to touch." Please don't.
I know, I know, there's so much left to do: war with
Venezuela, eliminating the sales tax on yachts
and diamonds, turning the space program over to
the church, handing healthcare over to Halliburton
and Social Security to Fannie Mae, giving embryos
the vote.
But none of that's going to happen now. Why?
Because you're the first American president to
lose a whole city. Jimmy Carter never lost a city.
Herbert Hoover was a lousy president, but he didn't
concede an entire metropolis to rising water and
snakes.
You've performed so poorly you should give
yourself a medal. You're a catastrophe that walks
like a man. On your watch we've lost almost all of
our allies, the budget surplus, four airliners, two
trade centers, a piece of the Pentagon and the city
if New Orleans. Maybe you're just not lucky.
I'm not saying you don't love this country. I'm just
wondering how much worse it could be if you were
on the other side. Yes, God does speak to you.
And he's saying: "Take a hint."
Friday, September 09, 2005
MySpace.com - A Shrine To Bad HTML
Okay. MySpace.com is very cool. Never has the world come together in a such a huge on-line community as quickly as MySpace has made it possible.
So. MySpace.com is good. Yes.
MySpace.com is also a free-for-all of every example of bad HTML imaginable. Some pages harken back to the old, old Internet days of "Hi! This is my home page".
The worst offenders (in my opinion, of course):
So. MySpace.com is good. Yes.
MySpace.com is also a free-for-all of every example of bad HTML imaginable. Some pages harken back to the old, old Internet days of "Hi! This is my home page".
The worst offenders (in my opinion, of course):
- Bad colors schemes - hot pink can be cute. On top of a black ground on a computer monitor, however... hot pink can be painful. Choose complimentary colors.
- Pictures. We got pictures. Lots n' lots n' lots of pictures. Some pages are so choke full of photos, all haphazardly arranged that 1) the page takes a day-and-a-half to load and 2) it's virtually impossible to navigate once the pictures are loaded. Consider using a table and smaller thumbnails.
- Speaking of tables. If you're gonna use a table, make sure you rows and cells fit within the table. I've seen one too many sites where, because of bad table usage, half of your page is off the screen. It's enough that I have to scroll down, I don't also wanna have to scroll left and right.
- Fonts. Big, ugly, painful fonts. Please choose fonts that fit on the screen. We know you're a happy and joyful person, but your choice of fonts shouldn't really help convey that message. The content of your page will convey it well enough as well as that picture you smiling for the camera.
- Javascript. Whooooa boy. There's one HUGE violation of Javascript I've seen many times. The dreaded font hover. The font may look normal, but when you hover over it Look out!. Javascript effects should be subtle. Just enough to give it your page a kick. Not kick the viewer in the face.
Franz Ferdinand - "Do You Want To"
Just watched the new video for Franz Ferdinand's first single from their upcoming album.
If the rest of the album is as good as this song, it's gonna be awesome! The single is damn catchy, full of hooks and lots of fun.
Go here and watch it for yourself.
If the rest of the album is as good as this song, it's gonna be awesome! The single is damn catchy, full of hooks and lots of fun.
Go here and watch it for yourself.
Lost DVD Signing
Very cool. Very cool.
Got the LOST Season 1 DVD and was able to get it signed by four of the writers and two of the producers!
Unlike some signings where the artist seems to be obliging at best, these six guys were incredibly friendly and actually took the time to chat and ask how we liked the show and answer most of our question (except for the waaaaaay too obvious, "So, what's in the hatch?")
I can't wait for Season 2 to start up...
Got the LOST Season 1 DVD and was able to get it signed by four of the writers and two of the producers!
Unlike some signings where the artist seems to be obliging at best, these six guys were incredibly friendly and actually took the time to chat and ask how we liked the show and answer most of our question (except for the waaaaaay too obvious, "So, what's in the hatch?")
I can't wait for Season 2 to start up...
Thursday, September 08, 2005
More Music
Got the new one from The Rolling Stones - "A Bigger Bang"
Silly title. Awesome album. The best thing the band has done in a long, long time. As many reviews have rightly mentioned (for once), on this disc the band has stopped trying to compete with the younger bands and just does what this band does best - greasy, sleazy, blues-laden rock n' roll.
Not bad for a band that's been around for 94 years. Pretty much the only thing keeping Keef alive are those baubles in his hair...
Silly title. Awesome album. The best thing the band has done in a long, long time. As many reviews have rightly mentioned (for once), on this disc the band has stopped trying to compete with the younger bands and just does what this band does best - greasy, sleazy, blues-laden rock n' roll.
Not bad for a band that's been around for 94 years. Pretty much the only thing keeping Keef alive are those baubles in his hair...
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
"The City of Louisiana"
A link to a link to a blistering Keith Olberman op/ed about the Gov't's lackluster reponse to Katrina and New Orleans. Excellent reading. Link
Monday, September 05, 2005
Sometimes Mistakes Are Cool
A local Costco made a boo-boo and we took advantage of it.
As many of you fellow CD/DVD junkies know, new content is released on Tuesdays. Well, one of the things slated for this Tuesday is Charmed - Season Two on DVD.
Except we were at this particular Costco on Saturday and what was out on the shelf? Charmed - Season Two on DVD. At first, the staff realized their mistake and thought they might not be able to sell us the set. But after checking, they let us buy it (after realizing they had already sold five copies). So, we've been enjoying it several days before it's actually for sale.
Happened once before -- I was able to get a copy of "Se7en" a few days before it's street date.
These are the mistakes it's okay to take advantage of. No harm done to anyone.
As many of you fellow CD/DVD junkies know, new content is released on Tuesdays. Well, one of the things slated for this Tuesday is Charmed - Season Two on DVD.
Except we were at this particular Costco on Saturday and what was out on the shelf? Charmed - Season Two on DVD. At first, the staff realized their mistake and thought they might not be able to sell us the set. But after checking, they let us buy it (after realizing they had already sold five copies). So, we've been enjoying it several days before it's actually for sale.
Happened once before -- I was able to get a copy of "Se7en" a few days before it's street date.
These are the mistakes it's okay to take advantage of. No harm done to anyone.
Music Ho Continued
More CDs!
The New Pornographers - "Electric Version" / "Twin Cinema"
This is an awesome band. I'm a little late in discovering this band for myself, though. What got me interested was buying, and loving, the solo release from Carl "A.C." Newman - "The Slow Wonder". Just pure, hooky, intellegent pop. No pretentions. No attempts to be a superstar band. This is a band that knows how to write songs and enjoys playing them. Highly recommended.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
This very indie album was given a very glowing review by Pitchfork. Apparently, that was enough to sell out the original pressing of this CD making it very hard to find. Finally, the band was able to press more discs and I got my hands on one. Pitchfork's review is dead on. The band is very unique (something, in my opinion, hard to pull off these days) and has it own distinct sound and character. The songs are good. I still need to listen to it some more to truly wrap my opinion around it.
Eric Clapton - "Back Home"
This is definitely a Clapton album that's pissing critics off left-and-right and actually exposes how dumb and one-track-minded most critics are. This is Clapton's follow up album to "Me and Mr. Johnson", an excellent blues tribute to Robert Johnson, in which Clapton indulged in what he does best (and why he was "God" for a while) -- blues. And lots of 'em. However, Clapton's heart lies in two directions -- yes, he loves good, pure blues, but he's also got a soft spot for basic, uncluttered, pop songs. This is his pop song album. Critics, of course, expecting to pigeonhole Clapton into the "If it's not a blues album, it sucks" box, are foaming at the mouths because he didn't deliver what they wanted. Whatever. Get a real job. Anyway, let's judge the album on its own merit. Yes, it's lightweight. It's more sugar than protein. But the songs are good, enjoyable and easy on the aural palette.
Herbie Hancock - "Possibilites"
I've always liked "duets" albums. It's fun to see two musicians, especially disparate ones, work with each other. If done right, the musicans will bring out hidden talents out of each other to create something greater that its parts. Herbie's new CD comes close to achieving this. It's a good, more pop than jazz, CD. Not that adventurous, but it doesn't need to be and really doesn't seem to set out to be. If you like simple jazz with a twist of pop, you'll enjoy this album.
Leftovers... discs I got but haven't formed an opinion on...
Power Ballads - Gold - This is for the wife who LOVES all those power ballads that domainated 1980s radio.
Fruit Bats - "Spelled in Bones"
Nirvana - "With the Lights Out" - the boxset with tons of unreleased tracks. It always takes more time to digest a boxset than a single CD...
The New Pornographers - "Electric Version" / "Twin Cinema"
This is an awesome band. I'm a little late in discovering this band for myself, though. What got me interested was buying, and loving, the solo release from Carl "A.C." Newman - "The Slow Wonder". Just pure, hooky, intellegent pop. No pretentions. No attempts to be a superstar band. This is a band that knows how to write songs and enjoys playing them. Highly recommended.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
This very indie album was given a very glowing review by Pitchfork. Apparently, that was enough to sell out the original pressing of this CD making it very hard to find. Finally, the band was able to press more discs and I got my hands on one. Pitchfork's review is dead on. The band is very unique (something, in my opinion, hard to pull off these days) and has it own distinct sound and character. The songs are good. I still need to listen to it some more to truly wrap my opinion around it.
Eric Clapton - "Back Home"
This is definitely a Clapton album that's pissing critics off left-and-right and actually exposes how dumb and one-track-minded most critics are. This is Clapton's follow up album to "Me and Mr. Johnson", an excellent blues tribute to Robert Johnson, in which Clapton indulged in what he does best (and why he was "God" for a while) -- blues. And lots of 'em. However, Clapton's heart lies in two directions -- yes, he loves good, pure blues, but he's also got a soft spot for basic, uncluttered, pop songs. This is his pop song album. Critics, of course, expecting to pigeonhole Clapton into the "If it's not a blues album, it sucks" box, are foaming at the mouths because he didn't deliver what they wanted. Whatever. Get a real job. Anyway, let's judge the album on its own merit. Yes, it's lightweight. It's more sugar than protein. But the songs are good, enjoyable and easy on the aural palette.
Herbie Hancock - "Possibilites"
I've always liked "duets" albums. It's fun to see two musicians, especially disparate ones, work with each other. If done right, the musicans will bring out hidden talents out of each other to create something greater that its parts. Herbie's new CD comes close to achieving this. It's a good, more pop than jazz, CD. Not that adventurous, but it doesn't need to be and really doesn't seem to set out to be. If you like simple jazz with a twist of pop, you'll enjoy this album.
Leftovers... discs I got but haven't formed an opinion on...
Power Ballads - Gold - This is for the wife who LOVES all those power ballads that domainated 1980s radio.
Fruit Bats - "Spelled in Bones"
Nirvana - "With the Lights Out" - the boxset with tons of unreleased tracks. It always takes more time to digest a boxset than a single CD...
The Goodness of Humanity
We humans are an amazing lot. On our day-to-day journeys we sometimes can barely muster up enough energy to acknowledge those around us or even think of their suffering in their daily lives as we go through our own challenges.
Yet, when something on a massive scale occurs, such as Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, we come together as a race of very compassionate creatures.
I was doing laundry yesterday at a local laundromat and the TVs were tuned to CNN, which was going 24/7 with the hurricane aftermath (William Rehnquist's death was barely mentioned). While most of the coverage talked about family members looking for missing family members (with the help of Dr. Phil, who was broadcasting live from Louisiana **), there was one small segment about how several websites had cropped up to help place displaced people into new, temporary homes with families more than happy to give a clean room, hot meals, and fresh showers to people whose homes were, basically, destroyed forever.
We humans are capable of overcoming our daily issues and displaying a level of compassion unparalleled amongst the species living on this planet. Really, the only humans who seem to have lost any form of compassion or sense of humanity are the government officials who we elected to take care of us in such dire needs. Hence, the foot dragging and delays getting help to New Orleans. I wouldn't even dare think of how many lives could have been saved had the response been quicker.
Of course, like every other disaster, this will slowly fade into memory. New Orleans will be rebort. These people will get new homes and start to rebuild their lives.
Let's try and live our lives like every day we were responding to a major disaster. Let's never loose that compassion we can easily pull out of our lives when something major happens and apply it to those around us who are living their everyday normal lives.
** Dr. Phil was broadcasting for CNN talking to those who had lost their homes. At first I thought how shallow -- dumping a celebrity therapist to cheer up the masses (and later, we'll have Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson with a special "Hurricane Katrina Bayou Special!!"). But after watching Phil, I thought, if you're going to send a TV face down there, he's the best person for the job. Never once did he milk it with his regular brand of therapy. You could tell he was there as a therapist, not a celebrity. Someone who truly cared about those who were going through so much and wanted to do his part to help these people get their lives back on track.
Yet, when something on a massive scale occurs, such as Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, we come together as a race of very compassionate creatures.
I was doing laundry yesterday at a local laundromat and the TVs were tuned to CNN, which was going 24/7 with the hurricane aftermath (William Rehnquist's death was barely mentioned). While most of the coverage talked about family members looking for missing family members (with the help of Dr. Phil, who was broadcasting live from Louisiana **), there was one small segment about how several websites had cropped up to help place displaced people into new, temporary homes with families more than happy to give a clean room, hot meals, and fresh showers to people whose homes were, basically, destroyed forever.
We humans are capable of overcoming our daily issues and displaying a level of compassion unparalleled amongst the species living on this planet. Really, the only humans who seem to have lost any form of compassion or sense of humanity are the government officials who we elected to take care of us in such dire needs. Hence, the foot dragging and delays getting help to New Orleans. I wouldn't even dare think of how many lives could have been saved had the response been quicker.
Of course, like every other disaster, this will slowly fade into memory. New Orleans will be rebort. These people will get new homes and start to rebuild their lives.
Let's try and live our lives like every day we were responding to a major disaster. Let's never loose that compassion we can easily pull out of our lives when something major happens and apply it to those around us who are living their everyday normal lives.
** Dr. Phil was broadcasting for CNN talking to those who had lost their homes. At first I thought how shallow -- dumping a celebrity therapist to cheer up the masses (and later, we'll have Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson with a special "Hurricane Katrina Bayou Special!!"). But after watching Phil, I thought, if you're going to send a TV face down there, he's the best person for the job. Never once did he milk it with his regular brand of therapy. You could tell he was there as a therapist, not a celebrity. Someone who truly cared about those who were going through so much and wanted to do his part to help these people get their lives back on track.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)