Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
The 'peace wreath' will stay; no fines will be levied
That wacko in Colorado who tried to fine a woman for putting up a peace sign shaped Xmas wreath has backed down and resigned.
There is some sanity left in the world.
There is some sanity left in the world.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Woman faces fines for wreath peace sign
Are these people really this stupid?
"DENVER - A homeowners association in southwestern Colorado has threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removes a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti- Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan."
Oh, yes, I guess they are.
"Some residents who have complained have children serving in Iraq, said Bob Kearns, president of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association in Pagosa Springs. He said some residents have also believed it was a symbol of Satan. Three or four residents complained, he said."
Maybe Mr. Kearns will sound a note of sanity...
"Kearns ordered the committee to require Jensen to remove the wreath, but members refused after concluding that it was merely a seasonal symbol that didn't say anything. Kearns fired all five committee members."
Oh...
You're a idiot sir, and now the whole world knows it.
Peace
"DENVER - A homeowners association in southwestern Colorado has threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removes a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti- Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan."
Oh, yes, I guess they are.
"Some residents who have complained have children serving in Iraq, said Bob Kearns, president of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association in Pagosa Springs. He said some residents have also believed it was a symbol of Satan. Three or four residents complained, he said."
Maybe Mr. Kearns will sound a note of sanity...
"Kearns ordered the committee to require Jensen to remove the wreath, but members refused after concluding that it was merely a seasonal symbol that didn't say anything. Kearns fired all five committee members."
Oh...
You're a idiot sir, and now the whole world knows it.
Peace
Sunday, November 26, 2006
New Bond
Might this not be the worst Bond song, ever? Remember, this includes Die Another Day.
This Bond is as nasty as the Dr. No version. You've had your six.
Arise Consumers of all Nations!
From the Chicago Sun Times on the new Zune:
"Throw in the Zune's tail-wagging relationship with music publishers, and it almost becomes important that you encourage people not to buy one.
The iPod owns 85 percent of the market because it deserves to. Apple consistently makes decisions that benefit the company, the users and the media publishers -- and they continue to innovatively expand the device's capabilities without sacrificing its simplicity.
Companies such as Toshiba and Sandisk (with its wonderful Nano-like Sansa e200 series) compete effectively with the iPod by asking themselves, "What are the things that users want and Apple refuses to provide?"
Microsoft's colossal blunder was to knock the user out of that question and put the music industry in its place.
Result: The Zune will be dead and gone within six months. Good riddance."
Agreed. The recording/music industries are trying desperately to rip back control from us (after they lost it with the advent of CDs/Mp3s) without telling us that is what they are doing.
"Take the Zune's one unique and potentially ginchy feature: Wi-Fi. You see this printed on the box and you immediately think "Cool. So I can sync files from my desktop library without having to plug in a USB cable, right? Maybe even download new content directly to the device from the Internet?"
Typical, selfish user: How does your convenience help make money for Universal? No wonder Doug despises you.
No, the Zune's sole wireless feature is "squirting" -- I know, I know, it's Microsoft's term, not mine -- music and pictures to any other Zune device within direct Wi-Fi range. Even if the track is inherently free (like a podcast) the Zune wraps it in a DRM scheme that causes the track to self-destruct after three days or three plays, whichever comes first.
After that, it's nothing more than a bookmark for purchasing the track in the Zune Marketplace. It amounts to nothing more than free advertising."
The music industry does sometimes let their actual feelings slip out:
""These devices are just repositories for stolen music, and they all know it," said Doug Morris, CEO of Universal Music Group. "So it's time to get paid for it."
Well, Morris is just a big, clueless idiot, of course. Do you honestly want morons like him to have power over your music player?"
Absolutely not. We must fight these people with our pocket books. Don't let them take away the digital freedom we now enjoy.
"Throw in the Zune's tail-wagging relationship with music publishers, and it almost becomes important that you encourage people not to buy one.
The iPod owns 85 percent of the market because it deserves to. Apple consistently makes decisions that benefit the company, the users and the media publishers -- and they continue to innovatively expand the device's capabilities without sacrificing its simplicity.
Companies such as Toshiba and Sandisk (with its wonderful Nano-like Sansa e200 series) compete effectively with the iPod by asking themselves, "What are the things that users want and Apple refuses to provide?"
Microsoft's colossal blunder was to knock the user out of that question and put the music industry in its place.
Result: The Zune will be dead and gone within six months. Good riddance."
Agreed. The recording/music industries are trying desperately to rip back control from us (after they lost it with the advent of CDs/Mp3s) without telling us that is what they are doing.
"Take the Zune's one unique and potentially ginchy feature: Wi-Fi. You see this printed on the box and you immediately think "Cool. So I can sync files from my desktop library without having to plug in a USB cable, right? Maybe even download new content directly to the device from the Internet?"
Typical, selfish user: How does your convenience help make money for Universal? No wonder Doug despises you.
No, the Zune's sole wireless feature is "squirting" -- I know, I know, it's Microsoft's term, not mine -- music and pictures to any other Zune device within direct Wi-Fi range. Even if the track is inherently free (like a podcast) the Zune wraps it in a DRM scheme that causes the track to self-destruct after three days or three plays, whichever comes first.
After that, it's nothing more than a bookmark for purchasing the track in the Zune Marketplace. It amounts to nothing more than free advertising."
The music industry does sometimes let their actual feelings slip out:
""These devices are just repositories for stolen music, and they all know it," said Doug Morris, CEO of Universal Music Group. "So it's time to get paid for it."
Well, Morris is just a big, clueless idiot, of course. Do you honestly want morons like him to have power over your music player?"
Absolutely not. We must fight these people with our pocket books. Don't let them take away the digital freedom we now enjoy.
Friday, November 24, 2006
MTV Bans Faithless Video
Thus guarenteeing that many more will seek it out and watch.
Idiots, mindless idiots at MTV.
Any little thing I can do to fuck over corporate (or whoever's) censorship...
Idiots, mindless idiots at MTV.
Any little thing I can do to fuck over corporate (or whoever's) censorship...
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
I hate Borat part3 - Finally
Yes, finally, someone with some intelligence fights back...
BORAT star Sacha Baron Cohen was beaten up by a passer-by after he tried to play a prank as his alter ego.
He approached the man and said: “I like your clothings. Are nice! Please may I buying? I want have sex with it.”
But the bystander didn’t see the joke [one can not see the invisible]. He took one look at Cohen and punched him in the face.
The funnyman [the article's phrase, not mine] — known for his Borat catchphrase “Jagshemash!” — yelled for help but was slugged again and again.
OH YEAH!
“I guess this guy thought he was being attacked by someone unstable and lashed out. Sacha is very lucky he didn’t get a much worse beating.”
He *was* being attacked by someone unstable.
BORAT star Sacha Baron Cohen was beaten up by a passer-by after he tried to play a prank as his alter ego.
He approached the man and said: “I like your clothings. Are nice! Please may I buying? I want have sex with it.”
But the bystander didn’t see the joke [one can not see the invisible]. He took one look at Cohen and punched him in the face.
The funnyman [the article's phrase, not mine] — known for his Borat catchphrase “Jagshemash!” — yelled for help but was slugged again and again.
OH YEAH!
“I guess this guy thought he was being attacked by someone unstable and lashed out. Sacha is very lucky he didn’t get a much worse beating.”
He *was* being attacked by someone unstable.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Death of a President
"Death of a President", the 'future documentary', has slipped onto Google.
I have no love for Bush & Co., but this film has the touch of the irresponsible about it.
The U.S. and it's policies have cause undoubted damage and hardship, and though assination may have a profound immediate effect, its long term effects are rarely what the assassin plans.
The filmmakes have a viewpoint (even real documentaries have that), but in this case, it may be an irresponsable one.
Watch for yourself, as long as it stays online that is...I spoke too soon, it's gone from Google.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
What did Bush mean by this?
"Whatever your opinion of the outcome, all Americans can take pride in the example our democracy sets for the world by holding elections even in a time of war."
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Friday, November 10, 2006
Scarface
With all the fuss about Borat recently (and in a year it will be "Borat who?"), I was thinking about another piece of entertainment ( I use the term loosely), namely Scarface.Digg had a link to an article about The Best Worst Movies, and our little friend Scarface comes in at # 3 (#1 is a collection of Sylvester Stallone films. The article itself is rather pointless, as the author has not seemed to have viewed a movie made before 1980).
This little opus, released on an unsuspecting world in 1983, is a remake of the vastly superior original from 1932 (any viewing of the 1983 version *must* at some point be preceded by a viewing of Scarface, the Shame of the Nation. Look for the Xs. They are also used here and there in the 83 version, but without the skill).
Its director, Brian De Palma, has undergone an interesting transformation since then. Well, not so much him, as his reputation.
One of the great truimphs of the 80's has been that what drove the decade has been largely forgotten. Much of 80's music and film was a conscious effort to revisit the styles of an early period. Some of this produced good work. "Blade Runner" or "Back to the Future" for example.
The triumph comes in that today, the works that these works were based on are now largely forgotten, and the 80's films are seen as 100% original.
At the time, De Palma was seen as a hack, a warmed over Hitchcock with little originality. Not so anymore..the 80's babies now see him as a master film maker, an genius.
*smack head to make sure I'm awake*
Not so anymore..the 80's babies now see him as a master film maker, an genius.
*smack* nope, I'm awake.
And this list of "classics"? Dressed to Kill (stolen Hitchcock), Blow Out (stolen Blow Up), The Untouchables (now here I can see that it is a good film, with a classic line "That's the Chicago way", but for me it doesn't work all the way through. And while writing this I have learned he is doing The Untouchables II - Capone Rising).
But, topping the recently compiled list of De Palma's great works is Scarface.
Oh my fucking God. As the above mention article states: Settle down, holmes. I know your Tony Montana silk-screened shirt, bedsheets, pool table cover, and mudflaps bristle at the thought of Scarface being called a "bad" movie, but ignore the hype and the fake gangster posturing and do something you've never done: Watch the movie.
I did just that recently to see if my view of the film had changed since the last time in the 90's when I saw it.
It hasn't. (the article is actually kinder: Still, as generally trashy B-movie stuff goes, it's good stuff, and we don't mind wallowing in Tony's sleaze any chance we get. Just wipe your nose and keep it in perspective.
The movie goes well below B.
Al Pacino, who is no stranger to overacting, outdoes even himself with this performance. Audiences in 1983 immediately heard not a authentic Cubic voice, but Ricky Ricardo gone bad.
Ricky Ricardo?...I love Lucy?...oh never mind.
I can sympathize with U.S. viewers of today not knowing what an actual Cuban sounds like, as your government has protected you from such things since 1959, but believe me, Tony Montana isn't it.
With this revisionist trend continuing, can "The Bonfire of the Vanities" classic status be far behind?
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Monday, November 06, 2006
I hate Borat part2 - #1 at the Box Office
Holy Fuck.
What is just as shocking is that he also appears to be the darling of left leaning blogs in the U.S., which just goes to show Americans can be idiots on both sides of the political spectrum.
Comment retort seems to be "Lighten up, he's a genius".
Ok, whatever Einstein.
Thank God we here in Canada have intellectually uplifting shows such as The Red Green Show and Corner Gas.
What is just as shocking is that he also appears to be the darling of left leaning blogs in the U.S., which just goes to show Americans can be idiots on both sides of the political spectrum.
Comment retort seems to be "Lighten up, he's a genius".
Ok, whatever Einstein.
Thank God we here in Canada have intellectually uplifting shows such as The Red Green Show and Corner Gas.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
George Michael 'has no gay fans'
"Gay fans are only interested when you're 'in the closet'.
"Once you're out, they don't give a toss."
News Flash George: never gave you a toss before or after. Now, back to the bushes with you, run along
"Once you're out, they don't give a toss."
News Flash George: never gave you a toss before or after. Now, back to the bushes with you, run along
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