While on a 3 hour detour, the fuselage from a airplane hits turbulence and goes back in time, and our castaways from the sky land on a mysterious island home of the Sleestak who reveals that one of the passengers is a terrorist. To their surprise the survivors find that the world is ruled by apes and by the way, they are already dead.
I was going to make a snarky comment about how the writer's of the show must be Lost but I'll skip it and get right to the meat. I don't like this show for the same reason I don't like Lenny Kravitz: its a sickly-sweet frappe of the genre. Critics are raving "Television audiences wanted something different and ABC seems to be doing that" yeah, but they did it the ABC way which is they formed a committee to try to make a show be all things to all people.
Bring back something controversial like evil Dopplegangers terrorizing an already bizarre lumber town in the Northwest or a brilliant but flawed sports journalist keeping the journalism football with only the help of a Lipton-tea lover and a future wrongful death of his wife liablitier.
Friday, September 24, 2004
Will? Are you nuts?
/beginrant
Ok, I can't argue the indisputable awesomeness of anybody (Lou Reed) whose name is so close to mine (Louren Reed Li). But Mick being better than Bowie! That is just blasphemy. Just being near Keith Richards ages Jagger 38 years. And so what if Bowie did make a big mistake in the late 80's, early 90's (*cough* tin machine *cough*), he is still more with it than that laem-o rollingstonelooser.
/endrant
Ok, I can't argue the indisputable awesomeness of anybody (Lou Reed) whose name is so close to mine (Louren Reed Li). But Mick being better than Bowie! That is just blasphemy. Just being near Keith Richards ages Jagger 38 years. And so what if Bowie did make a big mistake in the late 80's, early 90's (*cough* tin machine *cough*), he is still more with it than that laem-o rollingstonelooser.
/endrant
Memo to Self
Painting with Kindergarteners is a neccessary evil. It is hazardous in many ways, but helps to build fine motor skills. And you can tell the older kids who never got to paint when they were 5 - sad but true. So what if my clothes will be technicolor this next week, and if my floors and sinks will be perma-funky. The kids are learning something important right? Right?
MSN Entertainment - News - O'Connor Wants People to Stop Heckling
I was going to rant about Kenneth Branagh and why the language Shakespeare was tired and worn out and how ham acting hasn't saved it. But as I opened my browser IE proceeded to tell me that poking fun of Sinead O'Connor has finally hurt her feelings.
Which makes me switch to the other thing I was going to blog about: does being dead make you more of a credible celebrity?
This was going to be a very boring essay comparing Bono to John Lennon and then comparing Kurt Cobain to John Lennon. But let's face it: Bono is no John Lennon. What's more Kurt Cobain didn't have a long enough career to make that comparison be at all meaningful.
All that is nonsense however since: Mick Jagger and Lou Reed are still alive and aren't tired out like David Bowie
Wait... I need another link FANCY COFFEE!
Which makes me switch to the other thing I was going to blog about: does being dead make you more of a credible celebrity?
This was going to be a very boring essay comparing Bono to John Lennon and then comparing Kurt Cobain to John Lennon. But let's face it: Bono is no John Lennon. What's more Kurt Cobain didn't have a long enough career to make that comparison be at all meaningful.
All that is nonsense however since: Mick Jagger and Lou Reed are still alive and aren't tired out like David Bowie
Wait... I need another link FANCY COFFEE!
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Deliberately Inflamitory Statement
It don't think mass media outlets in the US are biased. And the polls don't lie either.
Because we have put such enormous commerical pressure on news outlets we see two phenomenon:
1. Only giving people the news that their target audience wants to hear and only saying it the way they want to hear it.
2. The target audience is less well-read in history, culture, and frankly doesn't read as well. That is not to insult Americans so much as it to observe that the educational achievement in this country has seen a net decline.
3. By the way one of the things that mass media news consumers want to hear are news stories that say "Mass media news outlets are biased"
The danger of all of this is that if enough people believe something that was subjective to begin with, then it becomes more true by definition. For some reason the preceeding statement gave lots of people the screaming fits when I would say that at Rice, but its not my fault that they didn't take epistemology. So here's how it works:
"Better cola" is defined by the cola that people prefer.
"Slurm is a better cola than soylent soda" (Get 144 million of your friends to say that three times fast) Boom! Now its true.
Need another example:
"A good political leader gets the public at large to support him"
"Arnold Swarzenegger is a good political leader"
If I believe it then it becomes that much more true.
Not understanding it yet?
"He who smelt it... "
Because we have put such enormous commerical pressure on news outlets we see two phenomenon:
1. Only giving people the news that their target audience wants to hear and only saying it the way they want to hear it.
2. The target audience is less well-read in history, culture, and frankly doesn't read as well. That is not to insult Americans so much as it to observe that the educational achievement in this country has seen a net decline.
3. By the way one of the things that mass media news consumers want to hear are news stories that say "Mass media news outlets are biased"
The danger of all of this is that if enough people believe something that was subjective to begin with, then it becomes more true by definition. For some reason the preceeding statement gave lots of people the screaming fits when I would say that at Rice, but its not my fault that they didn't take epistemology. So here's how it works:
"Better cola" is defined by the cola that people prefer.
"Slurm is a better cola than soylent soda" (Get 144 million of your friends to say that three times fast) Boom! Now its true.
Need another example:
"A good political leader gets the public at large to support him"
"Arnold Swarzenegger is a good political leader"
If I believe it then it becomes that much more true.
Not understanding it yet?
"He who smelt it... "
Sunday, September 19, 2004
6 is not the same as "half-a-dozen"
I want 6 or there is no deal!
What do you mean you don't offer it in specific denominations and only in your "half-a-dozen bundle"? No deal!
Okay then, either you agree to you will sell me two (2) "three-packs" or you must pro-rate your "dozen" after I return 50% of it, waiving any restocking.
I want 6 or there is no deal!
What do you mean you don't offer it in specific denominations and only in your "half-a-dozen bundle"? No deal!
Okay then, either you agree to you will sell me two (2) "three-packs" or you must pro-rate your "dozen" after I return 50% of it, waiving any restocking.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Are they questioning the veracity of this announcement?
The title of this "news" link "Carnie Wilson says she's pregnant" is a perfect example of how to word a fact vs. an opinion. This is something that my 4th and 5th graders work on, and tend to master. However, I am not sure the writers at MSN have got it yet. I mean, if the subject was on musical prospects, then the headline "Carnie Wilson says Wilson-Phillips to win Grammy this year" would make sense, and add the appropriate amount of tongue-in-cheekiness. But the announcement of impending motherhood, especially when the parents to be involved are celebrities (whether a list or r list), is rarely made lightly.
Perhaps I am just an overly sensitive pregnant lady right now, but unless the people in question are living in a place like Port Charles or Pine Valley, pregnancy announcements should be treated with respect, and reported as the truth that they are, not worded oddly so as to induce unnecessary deep thought into their validity.
Perhaps I am just an overly sensitive pregnant lady right now, but unless the people in question are living in a place like Port Charles or Pine Valley, pregnancy announcements should be treated with respect, and reported as the truth that they are, not worded oddly so as to induce unnecessary deep thought into their validity.
Louren joins the blog! - Hope my parents still have a house after tonight
Ok, not really a very exciting post, but I am damned proud of myself anyway.
As hurricane Ivan bears down on my parents houses (the one the currently own, but have contracted to sell, and the one that they were suppossed to close on today), I worry about them in a way that they probably worried about me when I was growning up, and how I worry about Dakota. The hurricane stuff is complicated by the fact that my dad is home alone with the dogs, and my mom is stuck in Colorado at her parents' house (note to self, never buy tickets from Orbitz.com - apparently they will "cancel" you tickets, and resell those same spots to full fare customers when the need presents itself. My mom was booted from her flight to Colorado, and home, which is why she was unable to make it home before the airports closed).
As hurricane Ivan bears down on my parents houses (the one the currently own, but have contracted to sell, and the one that they were suppossed to close on today), I worry about them in a way that they probably worried about me when I was growning up, and how I worry about Dakota. The hurricane stuff is complicated by the fact that my dad is home alone with the dogs, and my mom is stuck in Colorado at her parents' house (note to self, never buy tickets from Orbitz.com - apparently they will "cancel" you tickets, and resell those same spots to full fare customers when the need presents itself. My mom was booted from her flight to Colorado, and home, which is why she was unable to make it home before the airports closed).
Tracey Gold's DUI Pains
E! Online News tactlessly reports about the personal tragedy for a family. At the wheel of an enormous SUV, the 2nd best made-for-TV-movie actress (after Patty Duke) driving drunk, like a character from one of her telepics, had a terrible accident. In the other, some other suburbanites. Normally a non-event except that today is a slow news day.
In fact, the average American will tend to remember this long after they forget about tragedy or politics or anything they learned in 11th grade English.
There is an implicit value judgment here, and I suppose that I am implying that I'm making it. However, I really wonder. The same media outlets that tell us that we should be ashamed of the fact that we don't take the news more seriously shoves this stuff down our throats. And then the serious minded teachers, parents, clergy, librarians, and whomever that remind us not to dwell on trivialities like this and mind the important things in life: they like TV also.
Anyhow, we can relate to Tracey Gold. She's a messed-up suburbanite, like us. Also her latest problem is compelling because it speaks to our darkest fear: now matter how safe and successful and anonymous we think we are in our bedroom communities, we can always do one incredibly stupid act to bring the whole thing crashing down.
Good luck, Tracey. I am geniunely sorry that your husband and children were injured.
In fact, the average American will tend to remember this long after they forget about tragedy or politics or anything they learned in 11th grade English.
There is an implicit value judgment here, and I suppose that I am implying that I'm making it. However, I really wonder. The same media outlets that tell us that we should be ashamed of the fact that we don't take the news more seriously shoves this stuff down our throats. And then the serious minded teachers, parents, clergy, librarians, and whomever that remind us not to dwell on trivialities like this and mind the important things in life: they like TV also.
Anyhow, we can relate to Tracey Gold. She's a messed-up suburbanite, like us. Also her latest problem is compelling because it speaks to our darkest fear: now matter how safe and successful and anonymous we think we are in our bedroom communities, we can always do one incredibly stupid act to bring the whole thing crashing down.
Good luck, Tracey. I am geniunely sorry that your husband and children were injured.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Happy 5 years, Trav & Kerry
Through the miracle of the change time and date function of blogger, I can easily mask that this post is nearly 5 days late. I assure you, the sentiments were not, but I couldn't find the address book.
Friday, September 10, 2004
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Vulcan Flipstart
I previously have blogged on the AntelopeTech MCC. Now here the people who are 2nd to market. Vulcan (Paul Allen's company) is about the launch the Flipstart
Why is 2nd to market important? Because we've seen in Technology, 2nd to Market often ends up being the winner. This makes lots of people angry because it looks like innovators are punished, on the other hand, the market rewards companies for getting something "right." Microsoft is a good example of a company that has been excellent at this.
So the market as spoken and essentially said, "BRING BACK THE TWEENER!"
Sigh... we've already been here. A full PC with a real version of windows and not some CE nonsense that looks and behaves like a 50% scale laptop: perfect for a newborn: its so 1997.
I remember that the maid-of-honor's father talked to me about his company's version of this product for something like 30 minutes at our rehersal dinner.
This is the sort of thing that makes me question the accepted capitalist Wisdom about "the genius of the market." However, 2nd to market does not guarantee that the person has gotten it "right." Here are four reasons why I don't thing the current offering is the killer product.
THINGS I want out of my ultraportable computer (UPC):
1. Better ergonomics - the clamshell design is excellent for transport, terrible for use.
a. Screen should be detachable. Even better would be a choice between small LCD screen or small projection. The best would be an 8.5'x14' screen that had the physical properties of a piece of paper (electrical paper). Xerox is working on this.
b. Keyboard should be full size. They've solved this. You can get a fold-up full size keyboard for a Palm
c. Pen interface, at least as a mouse alternative.
2. dockable cell phone. For years they have had Cell phones as PCMCIA cards I want to be able to pull out the card and hold it up to my face like a phone. This should be a relatively clutter-free device as well. tiny display, buttons, that's it. No camera, no PDA, no mp3 plater, no swiss army knife, no washing machine. Nothing looks sillier than people putting these enormous monsters against their face. In the alternative, if handsfree mic was wireless and there was a place to store it in the UPC so I don't lose it.
4. Retail price under $2500. Don't talk to me about "its cache to own, so its a cache price" and Dell makes very cache items and all of them are affordable.
Why is 2nd to market important? Because we've seen in Technology, 2nd to Market often ends up being the winner. This makes lots of people angry because it looks like innovators are punished, on the other hand, the market rewards companies for getting something "right." Microsoft is a good example of a company that has been excellent at this.
So the market as spoken and essentially said, "BRING BACK THE TWEENER!"
Sigh... we've already been here. A full PC with a real version of windows and not some CE nonsense that looks and behaves like a 50% scale laptop: perfect for a newborn: its so 1997.
I remember that the maid-of-honor's father talked to me about his company's version of this product for something like 30 minutes at our rehersal dinner.
This is the sort of thing that makes me question the accepted capitalist Wisdom about "the genius of the market." However, 2nd to market does not guarantee that the person has gotten it "right." Here are four reasons why I don't thing the current offering is the killer product.
THINGS I want out of my ultraportable computer (UPC):
1. Better ergonomics - the clamshell design is excellent for transport, terrible for use.
a. Screen should be detachable. Even better would be a choice between small LCD screen or small projection. The best would be an 8.5'x14' screen that had the physical properties of a piece of paper (electrical paper). Xerox is working on this.
b. Keyboard should be full size. They've solved this. You can get a fold-up full size keyboard for a Palm
c. Pen interface, at least as a mouse alternative.
2. dockable cell phone. For years they have had Cell phones as PCMCIA cards I want to be able to pull out the card and hold it up to my face like a phone. This should be a relatively clutter-free device as well. tiny display, buttons, that's it. No camera, no PDA, no mp3 plater, no swiss army knife, no washing machine. Nothing looks sillier than people putting these enormous monsters against their face. In the alternative, if handsfree mic was wireless and there was a place to store it in the UPC so I don't lose it.
4. Retail price under $2500. Don't talk to me about "its cache to own, so its a cache price" and Dell makes very cache items and all of them are affordable.
Friday, September 03, 2004
Coming January 31st: Jason Thomas Li
I should have more to say about the birth of my son. I should at least talk about who is Jason, or the song I wrote, or
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