The Madness Begins Again

The Psychotic Hour, the World's Favorite Podcast™ is beginning to record its new season beginning tomorrow in Montreal. A week later a second session will take place here in Toronto.

We know a certain fjord in Norway.

NBA Player Dress Code

This is too funny. Who are they kidding?

1. General Policy: Business Casual

Players are required to wear Business Casual attire whenever they are engaged in team or league business.

"Business Casual" attire means

• A long or short-sleeved dress shirt (collared or turtleneck), and/or a sweater.
  
• Dress slacks, khaki pants, or dress jeans.
  
• Appropriate shoes and socks, including dress shoes, dress boots, or other presentable shoes, but not including sneakers, sandals, flip-flops, or work boots.

2. Exceptions to Business Casual

There are the following exceptions to the general policy of Business Casual attire:

a. Players In Attendance At Games But Not In Uniform

Players who are in attendance at games but not in uniform are required to wear the following additional items when seated on the bench or in the stands during the game:

• Sport Coat
  
• Dress shoes or boots, and socks

b. Players Leaving the Arena

Players leaving the arena may wear either Business Casual attire or neat warm-up suits issued by their teams.

c. Special Events or Appearances

Teams can make exceptions to the Business Casual policy for special events or player appearances where other attire is appropriate -- e.g., participation in a basketball clinic.

3. Excluded Items

The following is a list of items that players are not allowed to wear at any time while on team or league business:

• Sleeveless shirts
  
• Shorts
  
• T-shirts, jerseys, or sports apparel (unless appropriate for the event (e.g., a basketball clinic), team-identified, and approved by the team)
  
• Headgear of any kind while a player is sitting on the bench or in the stands at a game, during media interviews, or during a team or league event or appearance (unless appropriate for the event or appearance, team-identified, and approved by the team)
  
• Chains, pendants, or medallions worn over the player's clothes
  
• Sunglasses while indoors
  
• Headphones (other than on the team bus or plane, or in the team locker room)

A True Hero

Rosa Parks

Batman Begins

Hang your head in shame.

Batman Begins.

It sounds like a threat. There will be more of them?

I didn't see this film in the theatre, but on DVD last Friday with 2 friends. We kept exchanging glances as this over-serious collection of junk paraded before us. "Are they serious?" "Did he really just say that?" "Can you make out what's happening in the fight scenes?"

The poster itself should have warned us. So serious, so profound.

Myth is dead. Or is it just in a new form? Batman as the Hero, Batman as the Archetype.

It's just a fucking comic book.

Chomsky named top intellectual

Noam Chomsky, the American linguistics expert and US foreign policy critic, was named the world's top public intellectual, according to a new British magazine poll released.

The Psychotic Hour, The World's Favorite Radio Show™, once threw him out of a studio. Here's how!

Andrew McLelland from Tph: "Did you guys kick Noam Chomsky out of the studio at Concordia? Was I there? Was I sober?"

Chris Gobeil from Tph: "Actually it was just me who kicked him out. You hadn't arrived yet, but as I recall you were mildly outraged when you arrived and I told you I'd kicked Noam Chomsky out of the studio mere minutes before. ["You threw out Noam Chomsky!?" I believe was the exact quote.] I'm sure you didn't really believe me.

The story is this student was interviewing him and wanted to record the interview. The supply room at CRSG was locked so she couldn't get a portable, the radio station studio was in use so she came into our studio and asked if she could use it for an interview. This gnomish little man was trailing around after her looking sheepish. When I said we were busy using the studio and would be recording all evening she said "but this is Noam Chomsky!" I replied "well, we're The Psychotic Hour!"

After that they left, with Noam Chomsky still looking slightly embarrassed about it all.

Brush-offs with greatness, I guess...

What we should have done was had him to a character on the show in return for studio time....but he never returns our calls now.

Is Uncle Sam mad at us again?

Boldy on CNN.com

Canada 'among worst polluters'

That is terrible, but who is the U.S. to say so.

Buried in the story is this:

European countries such as Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and Germany ranked at the top of the environmental list, while Canada, Belgium and the United States were at the bottom.

The story is filled with graphic detail on just how terrible Canada is.

Just call me X.

#5 with a Bullet

Simone Denny's new single "Cliché" is now #5 on Billboard 'Hot Dance Club Play' this week.

Simone hasn't changed a bit...oh except for the red carpet...and the grapes darling

Never let children play with adult toys

Child as in movie director Martin Campbell.

In a move that has dumb written all over it, the director of the upcoming James Bond film has said Bond will be a non smoker.

"Ian Fleming’s spy was a 70-a-day smoker but as an iconic hero for a PG-12 film in the 21st century, 'it’s not quite the right thing', the film’s director, Martin Campbell, said yesterday."

Guess the mega violence and power sex is ok for kids. Oh wait, this is aimed at an adult audience...isn't it?

Rome VIII

Good. Finally. Caesar in action. Caesar taking charge. Caesar taking a stand.

He arrives in Egypt and makes straight for the court of Ptolemy, hoping to meet his old friend (and now enemy) Pompey Magnus. Unfortunately, the Egyptians are ahead of him.

People by the combined cast of Dune, Name of the Rose and Different Strokes, the court sequences do portray the decadence of the Ptolemaic period, when one isn't giggling at the hairstyles.

Then just when the episode looked hopeful, true to form, our solider heros are sent suspiciously close to another main character...

Faithfully following 21 centuries of Augustan propaganda, Cleopatra is portrayed as a punk haired crack whore on tour. All is well though as she kicks the habit only, between floods, to get knocked up by...

Goodevening Ladies.

Good God, what kind of audience is this stuff being written for? Last week I commented that the Tweedles seemed to be at the center of all the great events.

This week they outdid themselves, and both Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb are very much at the center of things, Dumb seemingly repeatedly so.

The series does come to life here and there when it adheres however roughly to history. When the writers try to give us characters that they think we will relate to, it just gets dumb.

So now after eight episodes, I must say Rome is not hotter than Vulcan's dick.

Oh look, lesbians. And where the hell is Octavian?

The Psychotic Hour

The World's Favorite Radio Show™ is now available in handy Podcast size.

To kick off the new season, The Psychotic Hour will be hold a massive one day marathon recording event in early November.

A Splendid Time is Guaranteed for All

Jugglers, acrobats and clowns. Whores, beggars and thieves. International singing sensations, financial bigwigs, punch and pie.

...and Mike Wyman.

Madonna

I have just heard the newest Madonna single "Hung Up", the radio edit.

It's shameless.

A shameless recreation of her 80's sound that is.

Good song. 7 out of 10. The Chickens are Delighted

Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc.

Oh goody!

"Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. are preparing to link together their free instant messaging services as they take on entrenched messaging leader AOL and market newcomer Google Inc., a source close to the companies says,"

Because you know, less choice is best for consumers.

"A Microsoft spokeswoman and a Yahoo spokeswoman declined to comment on the alliance."

Bet it will be the only IM service available in China.

Smash This

At a time when Asia has been devastated by a massive earthquake, some bozos here in Toronto are raising money...

"The Plan
After we collect $400 in donations, we will take that money to a local Apple Store. We will purchase the iPod, open it right inside the store, and destroy it right on the spot. The whole thing will be shot on film, and displayed on this site. This is only a social experiment, for the entertainment of the donors, and visitors of this site."

Assholes

Update

When I asked in a email "How about raising money for Asian Earthquake Relief?" I received this response:

"Because I don't care"

Rome VII

On tonight's exciting episode of Rome.

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful ship..."

Well, after pissing off Neptune with some crack about cocksucking, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb find themselves shipwrecked on the island of Plotus Deviceia. After what seemed like only 20 minutes they make a raft out of old audience members and end up washed up on shore not ten feet from one of the main characters, and their sworn enemy.

Whatthefuckadkfadla.

After a sandwich they feel much better, but must have been suffering from the sun as Tweedle Dee lets his enemy go.

"That was a bit excessive"

Cut to Caesar, who also has a touch of the sun stroke as he is accepting ex-enemies back as if nothing has happened.

This is almost believable. But when the Tweedles arrive in camp with news that they (Dee) let Pompeii go, Caesar is first angry but when he realizes that they have been guided by a higher power (the writer or writers), and always seem to be there during the most important events.

Caesar's faith in miracles is restored.

There was other nonsense about matronly lesbians, and where the hell was Octavian, but...

Pompeii's final fate did have a certain power, but I half expected the Tweedles to be there disguised as Egyptian soldiers.

Zoom

Simone Denny and Cliche continue their rise up the Billboard charts, with no small thanks to DJ Chester Wong of becauseimatter.com, and his "Dirty Dragon Mix".

Ignore any PR bullshit coming out of NYC. They had nothing to do with it.

simonedenny.com

Death Comes in Threes

Bob Devner, Don Adams and now Stately Wayne Manor.

It is too much to take.

Oh no

Yoko Ono has a reputation for truly awful music, but few now know where that reputation comes from.

Recent resurrections of her work, such as "Walking on Thin Ice", only hint at the horror.

No, to understand you must go to the source. John. Yoko. Heroin.

Beware and be warned.

Cambridge 1969

Someone at Bell then gave approval

In a move of humbleness and deep sensitivity, Boeing and its joint-venture partner Bell Helicopter have run this ad.

In case you can't read the tag line it says "It descends from the heavens. Ironically it unleashes hell" The ad also stated: "Consider it a gift from above."

Boeing and Bell officials agreed that the ad — touting the capabilities of the vertical-lift Osprey aircraft — was ill-conceived and should never have been published.

"We consider the ad offensive, regret its publication and apologize to those who, like us, are dismayed with its contents," said Mary Foerster, a vice president of communication's for Boeing's military side.

Mike Cox, a Bell vice president, said the ad was developed by TM Advertising of Irving, Texas, and then initially released for publication by his company.

"The bottom line is that the [Bell] people who approved this didn't have authority to approve it," Cox said.

Sorry but I don't buy it. Somebody liked it, somebody approved it. It is now an embarrassment because of "an outcry from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington, D.C.-based Islamic civil-liberties group. The building depicted in the ad has an Arabic sign that translates as "Muhammad Mosque," according to the council.

TM officials yesterday declined to comment on their ad.

Rome VI

Tonight's episode of Rome may of contained mainstream television's largest penis...ever.

That is, if it was real of course.

Other than that, most of the hour was spent with our two solider friends, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb. While Dumb is helping the future emperor meet young prostitutes of unknown origin, Dee has finally melted his wife only to be shipped to Greece in the final moments.

While Dumb is almost a likable character (other than the murderer bit), Dee just frowns and looks troubled constantly.

The second half hour...let me see...oh yes, Marcus had a dilemma.

I can only hope the story gets going next week, as all the forces are in Greece, ready to fight.

Come on you two, fight for real

Caesar was hardly seen this week, and heard only in a voice over.

All and all, a bridge episode.

Now, get on your hands and knees...

When Geeks Rule...

..."Voyager" is called the best Star Trek, but I degress.

No, it's worse.

The astronomers who claim to have discovered the 10th planet in the Earth's solar system have made another intriguing announcement: it has a moon.

Ah, great, but...

[Michael Brown of the California Institute of Technology] labeled the object a planet and nicknamed it Xena after the lead character in the former TV series "Xena: Warrior Princess."

but, but, for over 2,000 years we have names planets after the Gods...

But the newly discovered moon, nicknamed Gabrielle after Xena's faithful traveling sidekick in the TV series, likely will not quell the debate over what exactly is a planet and whether Pluto should keep its status.

So not only are these TechnoGeeks trying to name planets after television stars, they are also attempting to unseat a present planet as well.

Dangerous for planets, as Xena and Gabrielle were never very certain about their spin.

At least there is a glimmer of hope.

The International Astronomical Union, a group of scientists responsible for naming planets, is deciding on formal names for Xena and Gabrielle.

Good. Here's hoping they come up with something noble, like Kirk and Spock.

Told ya so

Simone Denny's new single "Cliché" is now #20 on Billboard 'Hot Dance Club Play' this week.

Way to go Simone.

This upward tread will continue.

He made me an offer I couldn't refuse

I recently came across 15 Sinatra songs (that fell magically from the sky, ok?), and I have to admit, most of them are excellent.

For someone of my generation, Sinatra epitomized all that was not cool, an unpleasant left over from the time of Swing.

Now, old Frank may not have been the nicest of people, and the original "Ocean's Eleven" still makes me cringe, but in these recording from what seems to be from the 1940's & 50's, his reputation is completely understandable.

He has a phrasing that weaves in and out of the musical arrangement, and he is not afraid to stand back and let his excellent orchestras come to the fore.

Gad, socks & sandals, here I come.

Fuck you Yahoo

Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Let's all say it again. Fuck you Yahoo. Fuck you Yahoo. Fuck you Yahoo.

I enjoyed that.

And I can still say it (for now) without any knock at the door (yet), though this post may go into a database somewhere, for (future) reference.

Just look at those happy smiling faces! They should be happy, they are getting rich.

I'm sick of the West's dance around China.

Just because they have a huge standing army and nuclear weapons, the potential to become a major world market...and the best lips in Europe.

Sheesh.

Seems our old friend Yahoo has been accused of being "a police informant for the Chinese regime", following allegations that information supplied by the company helped jail a journalist.

This follows reports that Microsoft had aided the Chinese government in repression as well.

"Human rights watchdog Privacy International has called for a worldwide consumer boycott of Yahoo.

"A boycott would send a clear message to Yahoo shareholders and other companies which cheerfully sacrifice human rights in return for a cut of the Chinese market," said Privacy International director Simon Davies.

That's very nice, but are they kidding? No one will do a thing, least of all Yahoo and Microsoft.

" Yahoo has recently made its commitment to the Chinese market clear, buying a $1bn stake in China's second largest e-tailer Alibaba."

My shock knows no bounds. Hope that billion doesn't influence Yahoo.

" Microsoft is yet to respond...for comment on the issues it faces in China."

Would you believe...

...we'll miss him..by that much.

RIP Don Adams

Rome V

Yee-awwwn.

Having to refresh everyone at the top of the show with scenes from earlier episodes, Rome doesn't going until six minutes after the hour.

Because of its episodic nature, it again went from event to event with no highs, no lows.

More domestic goings on.

Who's in who's bed? Who's writing all the (anatomically correct) graffiti? Does Octavian really paint the best toe nails?

Last week Atia is worried about his masculinity, and this week she is congratulating him because she thought he was sleeping with Caesar (for political reasons of course).

The portrait they paint of Octavian is strange, a pale little boy who enjoys torture and beating men to death. Why is he helping Pullo torture and kill Lucius's wife's lover?

So for me, I have no characters to root for. Comparing "Rome" again to "I Claudius", very early on in IC, Liva was brought out as a main focus of the first half of the series, and she was fun to watch.

Here, no character is close her. I knew Liva, and Atia you are no Liva.

I stepped from the room near the end of the episode, and suddenly Lucius is in some temple being painted with blood, looking very grim.

What the hell happened?

Anyway. Best line: "I'm a solider, not a peace keeper."

I wish the show was more focused on the political struggle. Ciaran Hinds (Caesar) is a fine actor, and it is fun to watch emotions play across his stretched, arrogant face.

Will I get to Rome VI?...yes...damn damn damn.

Long Ago

Where are they now?

I only have two

Whimper.

Read all about it

And another thing...

Those ringtones.

I am surrounded by them. Screeching hawks, hidious midis of fragmentary classic themes, Avril fucking Lavigne.

Make it stop!

"I have no taste."

"Really?"

"Yes, call me and see!"

Enough of this infliction of your audio errors on me.

Now I'm off to play some Jethro Tull. There be trannies to crush.

Something about this bugs me

Artists erect giant pink bunny on mountain

Italy, home to the Roman Empire and the Renaissance, have outdone themselves.

"An enormous pink bunny has been erected on an Italian mountainside where it will stay for the next 20 years.

...the bunny is not just for walking around - they are expecting hikers to climb its 20 foot sides and relax on its belly.

The giant rabbit is expected to remain on the mountain side until 2025".

Hummm, what about a giant wooden badger?

You big Superstar you

A big congratulations to Simone Denny, and her new song "Cliché" entering the Billboard 'Hot Dance Club Play' at #33.

It will go up. Count on it.

Visit simonedenny.com for all the latest.

You should have done that 'Fish Heads' remix Simone...

;)

Lord of the Earth

Hardly.

Look, no Russia, no Africa, no Antarctica.

This won't do. No, it won't do at all.

Rome IV

Episode IV of Rome was aired this evening, and though is is not perfect, I am beginning to enjoy the series.

The ancient Rome recreated here is at once more dingy and more brightly coloured than the standard Hollywood version we are used to. Walls both inside and out are brightly painted, yet the streets are narrow and dark. Rich woman sport vivid fabrics and multicoloured wings (the source of this information is unknown to me. Though a student of that period, I was unaware of the punk streak in the Roman aristocracy. Perhaps it's just HBO fucking with me.

So viewers have also noticed a possible anachronism in the poetry reading, as it seems Virgil was quoted. Fine, expect at this period it hadn't been written yet...).

Earlier in the day and friend and I were joking that there had not been much male nudity so far. This oversight was quickly taken care of in the person of Marcus Antonius and the bath/interview scene.



The major drawback is the lack of any kind of arch in the episodes. There is no climax, no rousing endings. Things just happen, and the episodes vary in length accordingly (this and the rather pointless domestic storyline. North American audiences seem to need so called "real people" to identify with, thought I think I know where they might be going with the married soldier, Lucius Vorenus).

News is there is another season coming, but at this pace, the Ides of March won't be coming it the end of this season.

Fucking Brilliant

French aids ad. Ummm, tanline.

If it saves lives, more dick I say!

Turn it off

The Americans are out of their minds.

They have no idea, either do they care.

I have been more focused on American affairs this year, reading blogs, following events on cable news network, reading editorials. I was trying to understand a world power that would elect a President such as GWB.

They are out of their minds. All of them (or at the very least the ones that elected him a *second* time).

Never since the Romans has a country been so convinced of their own right to do what they want in the world.

One would almost think there is no escape.

But then a wonderful can happen. You can, if not get them to shut up, at least turn their incessant whining way down.

Just don't listen. Turn off Fox, stop reading frenzied blogs, ignore pseudo-christians promoting hatred.

Hear that....silence....the silence of a truly civilized country.

Canada

Hehe

The civilized human comes in many forms, and we didn't have to invade anyone.

Kiss Me, You Fool!

Executed Chinese prisoners skinned for collagen treatment

Yes, "Skin from prisoners executed in China is being used to develop cosmetic collagen treatments aimed at the European market, according to The Guardian.

The newspaper says that agents from a China-based company claim the skin, which is taken from prisoners after they have been shot, is being used to develop the collagen for anti-aging treatments such as wrinkle and lip-filling injections."

But, everything is ok because "Company reps reportedly described the practice to undercover reporters as "traditional" and nothing to "make such a big fuss about".

"A lot of the research is still carried out in the traditional manner using skin from the executed prisoner and aborted foetus."

At least they are thoughtful about it all as "The Chinese authorities maintain that any organs harvested from the bodies of executed prisoners are only taken with the consent of the prisoner and his or her family."

Too bad their lives weren't taken with the same consideration.

Media Whore

and how.

Here it is gentle reader, the semi official publicity photo for my website rhodesinternational.com

The Fall of Rome

HBO's Rome continues, and it has become the usual mix of high politics and low domestic goings on.

In this week's exciting episode, Julius Caesar marches on Rome, and our stern solider friend learns his wife has had a baby by another man, and that all woman have a clitoris (here appearing under the technical Latin term "button").

Thank you, domina.

L.S.D.

I've been visiting more and more audioblogs recently, finding rare and wonderful music.

Now, I don't have that large a collection of rare music, but I can offer this little gem, the opening of a 1966 recording called "LSD - A Documentary Report on the Current Psychedelic Drug Controversy".

Legend has it it is none other than Dick Clark narrating, though I can find no proof of this.



Enjoy

gadji beri bimba

glandridi laula lonni cadori

I've been editing together some of The Psychotic Hour's sound experiments for permanent display in the iTunes podcast listings.

gadjama gramma berida bimbala glandri galassassa laulitalomini

It's all be done before.

gadji beri bin blassa glassala laula lonni cadorsu sassala bim

Stoned Again

A Bigger Bang.

Who would have thought. The Rolling Stones have released a good album. Thank goodness some things sometimes never change.

Since the Stones lost the plot with "Goat's Head Soup", their albums have been hit and miss affairs. For every "Some Girls" there was a "Dirty Work" [which btw is the last time their photo graced the cover of a release].

Also, the waits between releases have increased. It's been eight years since the last, and that's longer that some careers.

To knowing ears, one hears echos and shadows of their long career in every song, but all sound remarkably fresh, if not innovative.

There is something reassuring in still having Stones albums released, an event I have followed since "Sticky Fingers", zipper and all.

A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall

MSNBC reporter Keith Olbermann has said "[the U.S. government] has just proved it can not protect its citizens from a biological weapon called...standing water".

The Bush & Co. must follow the same path as they did after 911.

1) Identify the Enemy

Clearly this was not the work a human agency. This was an act of God. One does not question the work of God, nor respond quickly to help the victims of God's wrath.

so

2) Seem to take action

Because it was an intelligently designed act of God, it was right and proper that it has happened. Not problem there.

No, the problem arises out of soft hearted Liberal types, making such a fuss on the airwaves, making it appear the government's lack of action was a bad thing and not what it truly was, a profound expression of faith.

Watch in the next few days as Bush Co. does everything it can to make it seem as if all are to blame but themselves.

They've done it before.

Update

Damn that was fast.

Bush to lead inquiry into Katrina

George Bush, you are a criminal

The is a piece from Fox News making the rounds, and ironically is it the most devastating piece against Bush and his government I have even seen.

May he be tossed from office.

Fucking Do Something

Who's your Daddy now?

From the WTF Department.

Buffing Up The Image Of George Washington
Mt. Vernon Creates A Toothsome Teen

America's obsession with youth continues with this story, where "for the first time, it's possible to see what the teenage Washington probably looked like, and though at this stage he is nude and hairless".

Perfect.

"...it turns out George Washington may have been kind of hot"

Oh, but..."though the figure is being created nude, there are certain parts that are not being, shall we say, reimagined"

Damn Americans, always ruining everyone else's fun.

But why stop there? What about Teenage Iron Lady Margaret (was she hot?) or Baby JFK (oh he'll be fine in the backseat)..

are you psychotic?

I think I will go with these two for The Psychotic Hour talent posters.

Civis romanus sum

HBO's Rome premiered last night, and I give it a cautious thumbs up so far.

I am a fan of the old "I Claudius" series, and this latest offering makes it look tame indeed (but none the less brilliant).

'Rome" sure looks right for the most part, except that Octavius (Augustus) looks too much like Doogie Houser at the moment, and I'm not sure he travelled to Gaul at a young age, it may have been Spain..but who has time to consult their Seutonious.

I'm not sure how far along in history this first 12 episodes take us, but if it goes to season 2 we might have Caligula and Nero to look forward to.

A fire is such a pretty thing.

Marketing can be so difficult

This was my concept for a talent search poster for my radio show/podcast.

Seems this was misunderstood by one of the cast members, who thought it was a general poster for the show, and said:

"Don't wish to appear overly straight-laced but I don't think this type of image is to our advantage or our credit when trying to get new listeners on board."

Interesting...he goes on:

"I prefer the old-style B&W drawings in terms of style. Their images were a reasonable visual representation of important aspects of the show, something I think we ought to look at maintaining."

You mean a poster, like this one?



anyway, another concept...



...elicited this response from another cast memeber:

"I hate to quibble, but if I was going to slash someone up with a kitchen knife, I'd hold it the other way. If that girl tries for a stab and hits a rib, she will wind up slicing her own fingers open.

Safety in the workplace. Not just for normal people."

Such is the clay I have to work with in building a world media empire...

btw, the tagline is "you too may be a psychotic"

Believe nothing you see

Ever

Glenn Feron - The Art of Retouching

Bigger butts I say, bigger!

Flag?

Cool, a Flag button for objectionable content.

What does this mean?

Can I now complain about too many baby pictures?

I can't write better material than this stuff

Televangelist Calls for Chavez' Death
Yes, the loving and caring Pat Robertson is at it again.

Archeologists Find 1.8 Million Years-Old Skull
Thank God some people still practice real science.

Monday Monday

Though I will be watching, HBO's latest offering "Rome", it may be awful. They sure are pushing it.

The Stones are on tour, again.

Is Catholicism in Germany on the brink of a renaissance?

What seems to be an alarming fake. Or not.

10 points to the Italians for annoying the Americans (yes I know, it is not that hard to do).

Designer's Nightmare

Besides being called "developer" that is.

Study: Web site's appearance matters

"British researchers suggest it's not just a Web site's subject or function that determines whether it will draw more men or women. The appearance of the site also might play a subtle role."

A subtle role! This is the kind of thinking we run across all the time.

"Women seemed to like pages with more color in the background and typeface. Women also favored informal rather than posed pictures.

Men responded better to dark colors and straight, horizontal lines across a page. They also were more pleased by a three-dimensional look and images of "self-propelling" rather than stationary objects."

Self-propelling. "Leaping and Jumping" is the technical term.

"So should Web sites consider having two faces, one for male users and another for female visitors? Moss said more research is needed.

"At the very least," she said, "we think there ought to be a combination of aesthetics.""

Glad to know science is there to show us the way.

Alexander didn't seem to like Bush

I saw the director's cut of "Alexander" over the weekend. It is a film I wanted to like, but can't recommend.

There is a scene or two though that seems to have a not too subtle message for us today.

Listen to this scene, and decide for yourself if it doesn't target a certain country and political party out for criticism.

Required viewing

Two historical series have been airing here recently. Neither of them is strictly brand spanking new (it takes time for them to get to the colonies don't you know)

The first is "A History of Britain" hosted by Simon Schama. Mr. Schama, a renowned professor of art and history is a joy to listen to.

The second is "Battlefield Britain" hosted by Peter and Dan Snow, a father and son team. Here they visit the actual battle sites, and recreate them through narration, actors and CGI.

Check them out if you can.

Post Star Trek

So what is a geek to do these days, now that Star Trek (and that other late comer, Star Wars) have disappeared from our big and small screens?

Battlestar Galactica. God no. Some of the most depressing television every produced. Great action sequences though.

So, I recently watched episodes 18-20 for season 1, and ep. 1 of second 2 of Stargate: Altantis. While the story moves along for the most part, and the characters much more interesting than any late Trek offering, where are the ideas?

The 3 hour and 20 minutes consisted of nonstop bickering, arguing and fighting. Fighting among themselves, fighting with the Marines, fighting with aliens that resemble Johnny Winter.

And then the guy from the X-Files shows up.

This kind of sci-fi seems to be the norm now, with species endless arguing about anything that comes to mind.

Wonder where they get their ideas?

Do I watch? Yup, here and there. Drop in a desert.

Mindless Thugs

I liked the movie "Bowling for Columbine", but in it Mr. Moore made a great point of saying how safe Canada was, how we in Toronto sleep with our doors unlocked.

Nonsense.

When I first arrived here six years ago from Montreal, one of the first things I noticed was the level of violence reported each and every night on the local news shows. Beatings, robberies, shootings.

Once you've been here awhile, it all fades into the background noise.

Except for last night. A four year old boy was shot, apparently just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Luckily the boy will recover.

Mindless thugs. Whither it be gang related violence, or Ayman al-Zawahiri posing with his gun.

Unfortunately these are the kind of people you would never take seriously except if they wave a gun in your face. And they know it.

Only in Canada

Journalist Michaëlle Jean will be Canada's next governor general, replacing Adrienne Clarkson after five years, on September 27.

It's a Canadian thing, this Governor General stuff, but we seem to do it right.

Oh way down south...

in the U.S.A. that is.

WTF is happening down there? Potential traitors in high office, White House officials treating the press as children, religious repression on the march once again, rights of citizens stamped upon or reversed all together, a nation taken to war backed by lies...

It's business as usual.

If true, we shoud be very concerned

Treaty gives CIA powers over Irish citizens

Not sure why this is not the top news story across the Western world.

That, and the fact that random bag searches have begun on the N.Y. subway system.

'[Police Commissioner Raymond] Kelly said that, in general, every 10th rider - or some other set interval - would be stopped before they hit the turnstiles and asked to open their bags or boxes for inspection. If illegal contraband is found in the process, riders will face arrest. If not, they'll be free to go."

Gee, I wonder what types of people will be "asked to open their bags" the most often.

Update

Ha!

House approves renewal of Patriot Act.

The final vote was 257-171. The bill makes permanent 14 of 16 provisions in the act set to expire next year and extends two others for another 10 years.

That's it then. The Americans are stuck with it forever, like income tax.

Glass Houses

Bill O'Reilly called the CBC and all Canadians "far left".

Ok, granted, the CBC is filled with hippies and journalists who jack-off'd their way through university, and our views are "relaxed" (to quote CNN), but to have the obvious distaste of Mr. O'Reilly made my day.

Until this...to have attracted the attention of the far right in the U.S. and the Vatican all in one day is something to be proud of.

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican newspaper on Thursday attacked Canada's legalization of gay marriage, calling it a distortion of God's plan for the family.

Though the Catholic church has done a great deal of good in the West, it's entire record would not hold up to too close a scrutiny.

I mean, would anyone's?

Hitlerjugend indeed.

He's everywhere

A poster I designed is up all over Toronto, and it is very strange to see it there.

Here it is on Yonge St.

Rock Around the Clock

That song was #1 50 years ago this weekend.



I took that photo in Atlantic City in 1977.

Though the sign says "Bill Haley's Comets", I've always wondered if the man himself was there that night.

Canada approves same-sex marriage

Oh now we've gone and done it. Scott Thompson's show will never go away.

I love the way CNN describes it:

"Canada's relaxed stance on gay marriage, and on other social issues, stands in contrast to that of the United States, where President George W. Bush wants Congress to back a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages."

Not sure about that word "relaxed". Maybe "advanced", "more civilized", "caring" or even (shudder) "Liberal"

Take that George.

Update

Lol. Fox News, true to form, strikes a slightly more ominous tone:

Charles McVety, a spokesman for Defend Marriage Canada and president of Canada Christian College, called the vote an "onerous breach of trust and the deconstruction of so much that is dear to our hearts."

Flanked by clergymen, McVety vowed his group would work to vote out lawmakers who supported the legislation in the next general elections.

"This is the beginning of the formal fight against the redefinition of marriage," McVety said. "We will, in the next election, be able to correct this incredible democratic deficit before us today."

Flanked by clergymen. Cool.

I want a t-shirt with "Incredible Democratic Deficit" emblazoned across it.

Fuck you Microsoft

and Yahoo, and any other corporations aiding repression around the world.

From the BBC:

"Chinese bloggers posting their thoughts via Microsoft's net service face restrictions on what they can write.

Weblog entries on some parts of Microsoft's MSN site in China using words such as "freedom", "democracy" and "demonstration" are being blocked."

Also being restricted on the free parts of the site are journal entries that mention "human rights" and "Taiwan independence".

...are those words still here? Is this page still online? Is Microsoft still allowing me to write what I want?

Talent Needed for Media Empire

As I've mentioned earlier, my radio show/podcast is in the early stages of recording new shows.

So the search for new writers and voice talent has begun. I've spoken to voice talent here in Toronto, and the other Psychotics have begun to work, but..

Visit The Psychotic Hour. You too may be a psychotic.

Marketing Bullshit

No no, it's not from Apple this time.

"'Pink Panther' delayed to 2006"

Hahahahahaha. A film nobody wanted remade has been pushed until February 2006 because "With the recent acquisition of MGM, we wanted to give our marketing department the time and opportunity to launch this very important franchise," Sony Pictures Releasing president Rory Bruer said. "We've seen the movie, and we really love this film. It's a franchise we believe in and are really excited about, and Steve Martin is great as Clouseau."

Liars! Films that suck are released in February. Films the studio would rather you not know about are released in February.

"Other pictures scheduled for release February 10 are New Line Cinema's "Just Friends," a romantic comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart, and Universal's "Curious George," an animated film version of the perennial children's classic starring Will Ferrell and Drew Barrymore."

I rest my case.

The Day Apple...?

What just happened? Mac IS switching to Intel. OSX has always been written for Intel?

wtfjadkalejaldka

Apple just slapped its present users completely and un-ceremonially across the face.

It seems that more and more credence should be placed on the theory that Apple is after the Windows OS market, and if it looses present users, who cares as they will possibly pick up new ones from MS.

And Apple users can't jump ship, as the virus infected waters of Windows are completely unattractive (but if this move to Intel involves viruses making into the Mac world, may lightening strike Mr. Jobs as much as the laws of probability permit).

No more Mac?

The Mac community awaits today the biggest news in many years...will it switch from IBM to Intel?

If it does, many will now reconsider whither to continue using the Mac, with the expense this switch will involve for the end user (remember, I at least have suffered through two of these changes already: the PowerPC change in 1994 and the OSX turnover of this decade...all of which required repurchasing software....)

Apple has been very aggressive of late, not at all the company we grew to love, if such a thing is possible.

Bottom Feeders

CNN reports today:

Online stores are charging "people different prices for the same products based on information collected about their shopping habits"

WTF?

I don't shop online, and so am not really tracked (for shopping habits that is) and was unaware of these practices.

"Stores aggressively try to retain loyal customers who generate the highest sales while discouraging bargain-hunter shoppers who are less profitable because they check many sites for the same product at the lowest price. They are known within the industry as "bottom feeders" who don't show any brand or merchant loyalty."

The "industry" thinks of people who want the best price as "bottom feeders"? One suspects every once and a while that customers are thought of as a necessary evil, but it is good to hear it spelled out that clearly.

Just think what customers are calling "the industry" now...