My personal television lineup is rapidly dwindling. Skin and Coupling we can blame on the networks, and it's probably for my own good. The rest is self-imposed.
After last week's episode I took Tru Calling off of the Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment Server's record list. Even Eliza Dushku can't save that show from being just plain dull. And it's a shame, really, because I like the rest of the cast too along with Eliza, but the new episode was just lame. A twist I saw coming a mile away that wasn't actually twisty enough to make it any different from the first episode, and lots of maudlin weeping. And it was only the second episode! It's just all so tiresome. I appreciate Eliza's breasts as much as any gay guy can, but there's only so much footage of her running I can take. I'm sure I'll watch the show again if I'm around and there's nothing else on, but it's definitely not a taper. Or a digital recorderer. Or whatever. (And thus it's my last chance to use that post title, for which I apologize.)
Elsewhere on Fox, I know I should like it, being a fan of hip, snarky, off-beat comedy, not to mention Jason Bateman (bring back It's Your Move! ) and Jeffrey Tambor (bring back Max Headroom!), but I just find Arrested Development crushingly dull. It's not exactly unfunny, but it's not really funny enough either, and I couldn't care less about any of the characters. I just don't see what all those critics are on about.
I was only interested in 8 Simple Rules for the last John Ritter episodes and the Very Special Episode, so I'm over that now. Joe Millionaire bites the big one, even when David takes his shirt off, and besides I'm totally into Average Joe now and can only handle one trashy dating show at a time. While watching Tru I lost all track of Friends and find that I really don't care. My god, what's happening to me? So...much...free...time...!
In case anyone's keeping score, here's the current rundown:
Monday: Carnivále, Average Joe
Tuesday: 24 (which I still haven't watched yet this season), Queer Eye
Wednesday: It's All Relative, West Wing, The OC (bitch), South Park
Thursday: Survivor
Sunday: Simpsons, Alias
Plus cable reruns of West Wing, Family Guy and the original Coupling.
I don't think I've had this little on my schedule in years!
Monday, November 10, 2003
Tie-in Madness
So I really enjoyed The Matrix Revolutions, although in light of The Devil's Advocate, there should be a law that Keanu Reeves can never say the words "I choose" in a film again.
Meanwhile, the game is pissing me off. Not because it's a bad game -- on the contrary, it's quite enjoyable. But it's the perfect evidence of how the Warchowskis' hubris led to shoddy filmmaking. I find watching the cut-scenes in the game like watching a deleted scene on a DVD and thinking "Well that changes the whole story." It's a great example of how editing can make or break a film. In this case, though, the deleted scenes actually help the movie, y'know, make any kind of sense at all!
Okay, I'm over-stating that, but it would have been really nice to know while watching Reloaded how and why Niobe and Ghost just randomly appear in all sorts of places (turns out it's because some kid with a GameCube plugged into the Matrix and sent them there). It also would have been great to see the scene that's in the game between Jason (the smarmy Zion commander) and Niobe that sheds a great deal of light on their relationship and explains the weird subtext of the council chamber scene in Reloaded (which is repeated in the game).
It's not that either film really needed these scenes, and I appreciate the time and money that was put into making the game. But somehow it's leaving a bad taste in my mouth. It's nice when tie-ins enhance rather than just cash-in on the experience of a movie or TV show or whatever, and it's nice to reward fans with something extra, but I can't shake the sense that the makers of The Matrix fully expect everyone to get everything. "Oh, the second movie doesn't make any sense? Don't worry, just play the game." I got the game because I like this sort of game, not because I'm a particularly die-hard Matrix fan. I imagine there are many more die-hard fans who aren't gamers, or who aren't good at first-person-shooters, to say nothing of the more casual movie-goer.
Well, that was an exceptionally geeky rant. Let's hope I don't get started on Clone Wars.
I'll end on a positive note and say that I really did enjoy the new movie. Not as good as the first, but far more comprehensible and action-packed than the second. I have my quibbles, but it was a good note for the franchise to go out on. If only I'd finished the game first!
Meanwhile, the game is pissing me off. Not because it's a bad game -- on the contrary, it's quite enjoyable. But it's the perfect evidence of how the Warchowskis' hubris led to shoddy filmmaking. I find watching the cut-scenes in the game like watching a deleted scene on a DVD and thinking "Well that changes the whole story." It's a great example of how editing can make or break a film. In this case, though, the deleted scenes actually help the movie, y'know, make any kind of sense at all!
Okay, I'm over-stating that, but it would have been really nice to know while watching Reloaded how and why Niobe and Ghost just randomly appear in all sorts of places (turns out it's because some kid with a GameCube plugged into the Matrix and sent them there). It also would have been great to see the scene that's in the game between Jason (the smarmy Zion commander) and Niobe that sheds a great deal of light on their relationship and explains the weird subtext of the council chamber scene in Reloaded (which is repeated in the game).
It's not that either film really needed these scenes, and I appreciate the time and money that was put into making the game. But somehow it's leaving a bad taste in my mouth. It's nice when tie-ins enhance rather than just cash-in on the experience of a movie or TV show or whatever, and it's nice to reward fans with something extra, but I can't shake the sense that the makers of The Matrix fully expect everyone to get everything. "Oh, the second movie doesn't make any sense? Don't worry, just play the game." I got the game because I like this sort of game, not because I'm a particularly die-hard Matrix fan. I imagine there are many more die-hard fans who aren't gamers, or who aren't good at first-person-shooters, to say nothing of the more casual movie-goer.
Well, that was an exceptionally geeky rant. Let's hope I don't get started on Clone Wars.
I'll end on a positive note and say that I really did enjoy the new movie. Not as good as the first, but far more comprehensible and action-packed than the second. I have my quibbles, but it was a good note for the franchise to go out on. If only I'd finished the game first!
Blast!
I just watched an episode of Family Guy which Cartoon Network has been hyping for two weeks now, because Fox had refused to air it because they deemed it too offensive. Sadly, it was neither very offensive nor very funny.
Saturday, November 08, 2003
Super Grover!
I just saw on NY1 that there's a new balloon in this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (pet peeve side note, there is thankfully no holiday called "Macy's Day," and therefore no event called the "Macy's Day Parade"), my favorite Sesame Street character, Super Grover!
Take that, Elmo, you useless, mentally-challenged little shit!
Take that, Elmo, you useless, mentally-challenged little shit!
Woah.
I went to Blockbuster yesterday to rent a game, and wound up buying a used copy of Enter the Matrix. From a technical standpoint, the game is pretty cool. In addition to the usual game-animated cut-scenes, we get actual DVD-quality film clips, both from Reloaded and an hour of new footage shot for the game (mostly featuring Jada Pinkett Smith, who I really enjoy). The Warschowski Brothers have said they treated the game like a fourth film (it takes place during and after Reloaded, but before Revolutions), and that's all well and good in terms of style and money spent, but you know it's still a video game. The missions don't make any kind of sense, especially given what we know about the world of The Matrix. I just have a hard time believing that before we meet her in the film, Niobe has blown up a post office for no good reason and played a little Grand Theft Auto.
The designers did a great job creating the physics model for the "bullet time" effects, making you feel like you're playing the movie when you walk up walls and do cool corkscrew jumps. But they did so at the expense of the normal physics model or level design, and don't seem to have thought about how to work standard video game tropes into that world. So you're playing a character who can bend the laws of physics, but can't climb up on a desk and can be killed by steam.
Still, it's a lot of fun, and, like The Animatrix, far more compelling than Reloaded itself. Coincidentally, I'm seeing Revolutions tonight, and after shooting things in my red leather coat and cool braids all afternoon I'm totally excited for it. I need to think about how bored I was at the last film to bring my expectations down before I leave the house!
The designers did a great job creating the physics model for the "bullet time" effects, making you feel like you're playing the movie when you walk up walls and do cool corkscrew jumps. But they did so at the expense of the normal physics model or level design, and don't seem to have thought about how to work standard video game tropes into that world. So you're playing a character who can bend the laws of physics, but can't climb up on a desk and can be killed by steam.
Still, it's a lot of fun, and, like The Animatrix, far more compelling than Reloaded itself. Coincidentally, I'm seeing Revolutions tonight, and after shooting things in my red leather coat and cool braids all afternoon I'm totally excited for it. I need to think about how bored I was at the last film to bring my expectations down before I leave the house!
I should never have complained
So here's the problem with having freakishly warm weather until November 8th: 42 degrees is a) perfectly appropriate for November 8th, and b) isn't that cold. The problem is it was so sudden that I was completely unprepared, un-eased-into it, and it might as well be Greenland. When I stepped out of my building this afternoon my first instinct was to run back inside and put on every piece of clothing I own. But if I do that then I have nowhere to go when it gets colder. I'm resisting even putting on my winter jacket when I go back out again tonight, because if I wear the warmest thing I own now, what will happen when it's 22 degrees and snowing?
Oh, it's gonna be a long winter.
Oh, it's gonna be a long winter.
Friday, November 07, 2003
Disclaimer of the Week
I'd love to actually make this a real weekly feature, though I'm not sure I'll be able to find one every week. There's a new prescription drug commercial on now that freaks me out, though I've only seen it once so it'll have to wait until I can get it written down. Meanwhile, I present this...
Avenue Q has not been authorized or approved in any manner by the Jim Henson Company or Sesame Workshop, which have no responsibility for its content.
-liner notes to the Avenue Q cast recording
Avenue Q has not been authorized or approved in any manner by the Jim Henson Company or Sesame Workshop, which have no responsibility for its content.
-liner notes to the Avenue Q cast recording
Thursday, November 06, 2003
I do read too, I swear...
In my froth over Average Joe I forgot the Carnivále-related book recommendation I was going to make.
Back when Side Show, a musical about real-life conjoined twins the Hilton Sisters was about to start previews on Broadway, I read an entirely misinformed post on the net that said the show was based on Katherine Dunn's Geek Love.
My first thought when I read the book was, "How is anyone going to make a musical from this??" (This was before I met Faustus, who is the only person I know who could probably pull it off.) My second thought was, "This is the most fucked up thing I've ever read and I love it."
Without giving anything away, I'll just say that Geek Love begins with husband and wife who run a carnival. When business is in a slump they come up with the brilliant plan to have the mother ingest all kinds of horrible things while pregnant, in an attempt to breed their own freak show. It works, and their offspring include a boy with fins and twin girls who share everything below the waist. You can imagine how well that works out! The novel is narrated by the most "normal" of the children, an albino dwarf with a hump. Oh, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the musical Side Show.
All this Carnivále-watching got me thinking about the book again. Unfortunately, I told Boy he absolutely had to read it and loaned it to him before I decided that I absolutely have to read it again. Still, I tell you all that you must read it too, especially if you want another look into 1930s carnival life. And really, who doesn't?
Back when Side Show, a musical about real-life conjoined twins the Hilton Sisters was about to start previews on Broadway, I read an entirely misinformed post on the net that said the show was based on Katherine Dunn's Geek Love.
My first thought when I read the book was, "How is anyone going to make a musical from this??" (This was before I met Faustus, who is the only person I know who could probably pull it off.) My second thought was, "This is the most fucked up thing I've ever read and I love it."
Without giving anything away, I'll just say that Geek Love begins with husband and wife who run a carnival. When business is in a slump they come up with the brilliant plan to have the mother ingest all kinds of horrible things while pregnant, in an attempt to breed their own freak show. It works, and their offspring include a boy with fins and twin girls who share everything below the waist. You can imagine how well that works out! The novel is narrated by the most "normal" of the children, an albino dwarf with a hump. Oh, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the musical Side Show.
All this Carnivále-watching got me thinking about the book again. Unfortunately, I told Boy he absolutely had to read it and loaned it to him before I decided that I absolutely have to read it again. Still, I tell you all that you must read it too, especially if you want another look into 1930s carnival life. And really, who doesn't?
It's always darkest just before it goes pitch black
I'm temping today for the first time in weeks. Well, that's not strictly true; I've done some work here and there for my friend EK's law firm. I have no interest in working for a law firm full time, but somehow that seems less pointless and soul-destroying than working here. Maybe it's because they pay me better and generally keep me busy the entire time I'm there, so there's a sense of purpose. Maybe it's because no one seems to care if I show up late and they have a fabulous view of Central Park.
Not that I mind getting paid to essentially do nothing, as I am now, but somehow not being around financial analysts for a while makes coming back to them that much harder to take. Like when you get used to that funky smell in your kitchen, but then leave the house and come back to find the Bog of Eternal Stench. (Note to self: Clean kitchen and re-watch Labyrinth DVD.)
I think what's really bugging me is that I started this particular round of temping in July, and so getting up at 6 AM just didn't seem so bad, and when I left the office the world still had hours of life ahead of it. Now it's dark and I'm so not okay with it. I was blaming daylight savings time initially, that first week when it was dark at 4:30 in the afternoon for no earthly reason, but now the sun seems to have caught up with us. It was pitch black when my alarm went off this morning, which is my excuse for not getting out of bed until 45 minutes later. Usually the silver lining to having to be here at 8:30 is that I get to leave at 4:30, and home in time for Golden Girls and double Simpsons (or in tonight's case, a nap before bowling). But now it will probably be night when I leave, and certainly by the time I resurface in Queens.
I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if we were having normal weather. I expect darkness in the dead of winter, or even the dead of fall. But it was 75 degrees last week and I just got all confused. And believe me, I'm not complaining about it being 75 degrees last week, especially today when it's rainy and gross. I guess I need to take what I can get and stop whining, huh? That's rhetorical, everyone, but thanks.
Not that I mind getting paid to essentially do nothing, as I am now, but somehow not being around financial analysts for a while makes coming back to them that much harder to take. Like when you get used to that funky smell in your kitchen, but then leave the house and come back to find the Bog of Eternal Stench. (Note to self: Clean kitchen and re-watch Labyrinth DVD.)
I think what's really bugging me is that I started this particular round of temping in July, and so getting up at 6 AM just didn't seem so bad, and when I left the office the world still had hours of life ahead of it. Now it's dark and I'm so not okay with it. I was blaming daylight savings time initially, that first week when it was dark at 4:30 in the afternoon for no earthly reason, but now the sun seems to have caught up with us. It was pitch black when my alarm went off this morning, which is my excuse for not getting out of bed until 45 minutes later. Usually the silver lining to having to be here at 8:30 is that I get to leave at 4:30, and home in time for Golden Girls and double Simpsons (or in tonight's case, a nap before bowling). But now it will probably be night when I leave, and certainly by the time I resurface in Queens.
I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if we were having normal weather. I expect darkness in the dead of winter, or even the dead of fall. But it was 75 degrees last week and I just got all confused. And believe me, I'm not complaining about it being 75 degrees last week, especially today when it's rainy and gross. I guess I need to take what I can get and stop whining, huh? That's rhetorical, everyone, but thanks.
Come look at the freaks
Boy and I spent all of yesterday afternoon on the couch, so I have nothing to write about except the TV we watched. Oh, wait...
I'm finally caught up on Carnivále. On the one hand, I can't believe it took me this long, but on the other hand I kind of liked watching so many episodes at once. The storytelling is very slow, which I like, but I think it helped not having a week between each piece of the puzzle. People have called it confusing, and I don't agree. There are things I don't know, but that's because I'm not supposed to know yet. I'm an impatient person by nature, so this sort of thing often frustrates me, but here it works well. Our point of view for the story is pretty consistently the same as Ben's (Nick Stahl's character) and he is clueless. It would be much worse if we were watching and yelling "No, don't open that door!" Whenever we get information that he doesn't have it's like a gift.
And the actors are so good. I especially like how they're able to convey knowledge of things that they, as actors may well not know anything about yet (as my understanding of how most TV production works is that you don't get scripts very far in advance). But every sly, knowing look invites the audience deeper into the mystery, makes us want to know more.
I love the look of the show too. As someone who hates to shop for props, I'm in constant awe of all the period details in Carnivále, and also with the designers' and cinematographers' ability to make what must only be a handful of locations that are empty enough to pass for the dust-bowl look different every week. (Deleted scenes on the 28 Days Later DVD of a not-at-all empty London make me wonder if that's all just digital trickery, but either way it looks fantastic.) A couple of critics have snarked about anachronistic speech, but it doesn't bother me too much. It's a show with modern things to say in a period setting, so if they occasionally slip up on their language I'm willing to go there. I'm much more bothered when they dress Clea Duvall like Allyson Hannigan. And while it wouldn't be accurate, I wish they'd let Nick Stahl (who I found so adorable in Terminator 3 but who looks like a sewer rat here) change his clothes and wash once in a while.
From the high-brow to the oh-so-low... Boy wanted to check out Average Joe so we watched a bit of that (still stored on the Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment Server). On second viewing it went from driving by a car wreck to actually being in one, and the pain was too much. I noticed more sad details, hated the guys' personalities more, and realized just how evil the casting people were. I mean, it's fine to not look like a model, but half these guys have serious personality damage too. It's arguable that this is specifically because they don't look like models and have developed complexes about it, but when a girl says "personality is more important than looks," well, this isn't what she means. I hope some of the guys snap out of it, because they're not that bad. I'm especially fond of the film geek (let's call him Dawson), who needs to trim his goatee but is otherwise cute and has one of the better bodies of the group; if only he would get some self-confidence. In the hate category, there's the 21-year-old Phd, who's attractive (save a very odd facial hair choice) but has a severe superiority complex and sense of entitlement (we'll call him Doogie), and the guy who seemed to not get the premise of the show until he arrived, and now is balking about not wanting to be "the best of the second best." Oh honey, don't worry, you're all far from being the second best. And I don't think you're even the best of them! We'll call him Asshole. I feel just terrible for the uber-nerd (how about Gilbert?), who is entirely out of his element, and I'd like someone to step on the very short man, and then drag him out of his closet (I shall dub thee, Niles).
I worry that I only enjoyed it last week because anything would look good immediately following Skin. Well, worry isn't the right word, since if it's bad I can always, y'know, turn off the TV. But I just know my addictive personality too well!
I'll get to find out next week, as Skin is no longer with us. And we never got to see Adam and Jewel take their own lives. Out of boredom. The thing is, I didn't hate the show, and would have liked to see where it was going. The same with Coupling, which seemed like it might have been on its way to finding its own voice out of the shadow of the UK version and Friends. I'm not a fan of the way networks cancel things so quickly these days. I understand the economics of it all, but I think it's unfair. Many shows that are now considered classics had slow starts. Of course, that was back when there were only three networks and no cable and no internet, so people had to watch them anyway. And of course, Skin and Coupling are not examples of shows destined to become classics. But what about things like Andy Richter Controls the Universe and Freaks and Geeks? They were critically acclaimed and getting attention, but were never allowed to grow. People don't always tune into things the first week they're on. It's television, they know they can come back later, and as word of mouth spreads more people will watch. It just makes me hostile that Whoopi is still on the air while things that showed promise are dropping like flies. And yet, now I have more free time.
On the other side of that, I guess people are watching It's All Relative because they haven't pulled it yet. I've really been enjoying it. It's not great, pretty formulaic sitcom, but the good acting and the teensy bit of boundary pushing (okay, no real boundaries are being pushed, but the gay jokes are witty and it's nice to see some sitcom homos who aren't celibate) are making me tune in every week. Wow, two ABC sit-coms in one week? Now that's boundary-pushing!
I'm finally caught up on Carnivále. On the one hand, I can't believe it took me this long, but on the other hand I kind of liked watching so many episodes at once. The storytelling is very slow, which I like, but I think it helped not having a week between each piece of the puzzle. People have called it confusing, and I don't agree. There are things I don't know, but that's because I'm not supposed to know yet. I'm an impatient person by nature, so this sort of thing often frustrates me, but here it works well. Our point of view for the story is pretty consistently the same as Ben's (Nick Stahl's character) and he is clueless. It would be much worse if we were watching and yelling "No, don't open that door!" Whenever we get information that he doesn't have it's like a gift.
And the actors are so good. I especially like how they're able to convey knowledge of things that they, as actors may well not know anything about yet (as my understanding of how most TV production works is that you don't get scripts very far in advance). But every sly, knowing look invites the audience deeper into the mystery, makes us want to know more.
I love the look of the show too. As someone who hates to shop for props, I'm in constant awe of all the period details in Carnivále, and also with the designers' and cinematographers' ability to make what must only be a handful of locations that are empty enough to pass for the dust-bowl look different every week. (Deleted scenes on the 28 Days Later DVD of a not-at-all empty London make me wonder if that's all just digital trickery, but either way it looks fantastic.) A couple of critics have snarked about anachronistic speech, but it doesn't bother me too much. It's a show with modern things to say in a period setting, so if they occasionally slip up on their language I'm willing to go there. I'm much more bothered when they dress Clea Duvall like Allyson Hannigan. And while it wouldn't be accurate, I wish they'd let Nick Stahl (who I found so adorable in Terminator 3 but who looks like a sewer rat here) change his clothes and wash once in a while.
From the high-brow to the oh-so-low... Boy wanted to check out Average Joe so we watched a bit of that (still stored on the Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment Server). On second viewing it went from driving by a car wreck to actually being in one, and the pain was too much. I noticed more sad details, hated the guys' personalities more, and realized just how evil the casting people were. I mean, it's fine to not look like a model, but half these guys have serious personality damage too. It's arguable that this is specifically because they don't look like models and have developed complexes about it, but when a girl says "personality is more important than looks," well, this isn't what she means. I hope some of the guys snap out of it, because they're not that bad. I'm especially fond of the film geek (let's call him Dawson), who needs to trim his goatee but is otherwise cute and has one of the better bodies of the group; if only he would get some self-confidence. In the hate category, there's the 21-year-old Phd, who's attractive (save a very odd facial hair choice) but has a severe superiority complex and sense of entitlement (we'll call him Doogie), and the guy who seemed to not get the premise of the show until he arrived, and now is balking about not wanting to be "the best of the second best." Oh honey, don't worry, you're all far from being the second best. And I don't think you're even the best of them! We'll call him Asshole. I feel just terrible for the uber-nerd (how about Gilbert?), who is entirely out of his element, and I'd like someone to step on the very short man, and then drag him out of his closet (I shall dub thee, Niles).
I worry that I only enjoyed it last week because anything would look good immediately following Skin. Well, worry isn't the right word, since if it's bad I can always, y'know, turn off the TV. But I just know my addictive personality too well!
I'll get to find out next week, as Skin is no longer with us. And we never got to see Adam and Jewel take their own lives. Out of boredom. The thing is, I didn't hate the show, and would have liked to see where it was going. The same with Coupling, which seemed like it might have been on its way to finding its own voice out of the shadow of the UK version and Friends. I'm not a fan of the way networks cancel things so quickly these days. I understand the economics of it all, but I think it's unfair. Many shows that are now considered classics had slow starts. Of course, that was back when there were only three networks and no cable and no internet, so people had to watch them anyway. And of course, Skin and Coupling are not examples of shows destined to become classics. But what about things like Andy Richter Controls the Universe and Freaks and Geeks? They were critically acclaimed and getting attention, but were never allowed to grow. People don't always tune into things the first week they're on. It's television, they know they can come back later, and as word of mouth spreads more people will watch. It just makes me hostile that Whoopi is still on the air while things that showed promise are dropping like flies. And yet, now I have more free time.
On the other side of that, I guess people are watching It's All Relative because they haven't pulled it yet. I've really been enjoying it. It's not great, pretty formulaic sitcom, but the good acting and the teensy bit of boundary pushing (okay, no real boundaries are being pushed, but the gay jokes are witty and it's nice to see some sitcom homos who aren't celibate) are making me tune in every week. Wow, two ABC sit-coms in one week? Now that's boundary-pushing!
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
8 Simple Rules for Making Me Cry Like a Baby
If television has taught us anything, it's that fathers shouldn't go out for milk.
But seriously, I was really impressed with 8 Simple Rules' farewell to John Ritter. I imagine it wasn't hard to Method act under these circumstances, but I was extremely impressed with Katey Segal and don't want to sell her short. Her performance was heartbreaking. It was also interesting to see how the writers managed to make testimonials about the character also be testimonials about Ritter without feeling forced.
I didn't even quite realize how emotional I was while watching it until the phone rang and I started to cry when I tried to talk (fortunately, it was Boy, who would be understanding even if he didn't cry at the drop of a hat himself). The thing is, there was absolutely no schmaltz to be found anywhere. They shot it without a studio audience or a laugh track, so it certainly wasn't all sit-commy, but it was also realistic and free of big monologues and cheap sentiment, so it didn't come off as a Very Special Episode of Blossom either.
So as depressing as it was, I'm really glad I watched it. I've never seen a television show handle the death of a character (to say nothing of an actor) and depict the early grieving process so realistically and intelligently, and I'm very impressed. As someone who lost a parent as a child, I really hope lots of parents watched this with their kids.
But seriously, I was really impressed with 8 Simple Rules' farewell to John Ritter. I imagine it wasn't hard to Method act under these circumstances, but I was extremely impressed with Katey Segal and don't want to sell her short. Her performance was heartbreaking. It was also interesting to see how the writers managed to make testimonials about the character also be testimonials about Ritter without feeling forced.
I didn't even quite realize how emotional I was while watching it until the phone rang and I started to cry when I tried to talk (fortunately, it was Boy, who would be understanding even if he didn't cry at the drop of a hat himself). The thing is, there was absolutely no schmaltz to be found anywhere. They shot it without a studio audience or a laugh track, so it certainly wasn't all sit-commy, but it was also realistic and free of big monologues and cheap sentiment, so it didn't come off as a Very Special Episode of Blossom either.
So as depressing as it was, I'm really glad I watched it. I've never seen a television show handle the death of a character (to say nothing of an actor) and depict the early grieving process so realistically and intelligently, and I'm very impressed. As someone who lost a parent as a child, I really hope lots of parents watched this with their kids.
And you're spinning your new 45s, all the misfits and the losers...
Ah, Amazon. I really should stop bad-mouthing them, since I get money if you buy something through one of the links on this page. But really, they're getting silly.
I'm still a big fan of Amazon's prices, and in this case the fact that two of the things I wanted were tricky to find elsewhere, but after the last debacle with UPS, I had the latest order sent to my friend LK's office (and my former office) in Times Square. So of course I've been home all week and could've easily received it here. Oh well. The really strange thing is that LK emailed me this morning to let me know that the box had arrived, when Amazon's website says it hasn't actually shipped yet. I took its early arrival as a nice surprise and went to pick it up.
But I should have known it wouldn't be so simple. One of the five CDs I'd ordered was missing from the shipment. Since Amazon often splits orders up for mysterious reasons, I didn't give this much thought until I read the invoice, which listed the missing CD as being in the box and said "This completes your order" on the bottom.
I called customer service, who told me that according to their computers my order hadn't shipped yet.
"But I'm looking at my order. I'm holding it in my hands."
"Right, but we can't do anything about the missing CD until your order ships."
"How can a CD be missing if the order hasn't shipped yet?"
"We have to wait until the estimated delivery date before we can put a trace on the missing CD. There's obviously been a mistake, but the order might not be showing as shipped because that other CD is still on the way."
It's totally not a big deal, and as long as Amazon thinks the order hasn't shipped it also means they haven't charged me. But I just love that the comedy of errors never seems to end.
I also don't really care about any of that, because I finally have my copy of Wig in a Box: Songs From And Inspired By "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." I think it says a lot that the most exciting album I've heard in ages is of new recordings of music that's five years old. I'd love a new Stephen Trask album, but in the meantime these new recordings of old songs are pretty fabulous. Some of the tracks are very faithful covers, others are slightly more daring and work just as well. Whomever asked Fred Schneider (of the B-52s) to sing backup and do the monologue on "Angry Inch" is a sick genius. The new songs (three of them) are all great. Ben Kweller and Rufus Wainwright do really pretty versions of "Wicked Little Town" and "Origin of Love," respectively. (Normally the sound of Rufus' voice makes my ears bleed, but I guess the reviews of his new album that say that he's, you know, learned to sing are true. He sounds an awful lot like a hoarse John Cameron Mitchell, actually.) Cyndi Lauper's curiously angry-sounding take on "Midnight Radio" is the most weirdly beautiful thing I've heard in a long time; it gave me chills as I listened on the subway home (as that song is meant to do). I really can't recommend strongly enough that you buy this album. If you're not familiar with the show or the film it's a great way to introduce yourself to some really fine "neo-glam-punk" songwriting. And all the proceeds go to a terrific cause.
I also got a couple of cast albums and the new Bowie. I'll report on them later. It's kind of nice to write about some pop-culture other than TV.
In other news, I voted today, and I'm embarrassed to say that I had no idea what I was voting for. It's all minor stuff this year, and I never got a voter's guide in the mail or saw much about the candidates (though I did seem to find a special radio station that only played New Jersey campaign commercials). Even though I don't think I've ever voted for a Republican, and there were no Independents on my local ticket, I don't like voting down the Democrat line just because it's the Democrat line, without knowing anything about who I'm voting for. But I also feel obligated to vote, especially these days, so that's what I did.
There were several interesting-sounding propositions on the ballot, but they all had sneaky clauses worked into them that either gave the Mayor more power or made the city government less accountable. It's a shame, because some of the overall proposals were good ones. And it's scary, because I'm cynical and doubt that many people stand in the voting booth reading as carefully as I do, especially in my neighborhood where a lot of people aren't native English-speakers. And I know, I know it's politics, but I just wish they wouldn't be so sketchy and try to sneak things in like that, especially when it hurts what might be potentially good changes. Fortunately, I just checked and from the early numbers it looks like nothing iffy is going to pass.
I'm still a big fan of Amazon's prices, and in this case the fact that two of the things I wanted were tricky to find elsewhere, but after the last debacle with UPS, I had the latest order sent to my friend LK's office (and my former office) in Times Square. So of course I've been home all week and could've easily received it here. Oh well. The really strange thing is that LK emailed me this morning to let me know that the box had arrived, when Amazon's website says it hasn't actually shipped yet. I took its early arrival as a nice surprise and went to pick it up.
But I should have known it wouldn't be so simple. One of the five CDs I'd ordered was missing from the shipment. Since Amazon often splits orders up for mysterious reasons, I didn't give this much thought until I read the invoice, which listed the missing CD as being in the box and said "This completes your order" on the bottom.
I called customer service, who told me that according to their computers my order hadn't shipped yet.
"But I'm looking at my order. I'm holding it in my hands."
"Right, but we can't do anything about the missing CD until your order ships."
"How can a CD be missing if the order hasn't shipped yet?"
"We have to wait until the estimated delivery date before we can put a trace on the missing CD. There's obviously been a mistake, but the order might not be showing as shipped because that other CD is still on the way."
It's totally not a big deal, and as long as Amazon thinks the order hasn't shipped it also means they haven't charged me. But I just love that the comedy of errors never seems to end.
I also don't really care about any of that, because I finally have my copy of Wig in a Box: Songs From And Inspired By "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." I think it says a lot that the most exciting album I've heard in ages is of new recordings of music that's five years old. I'd love a new Stephen Trask album, but in the meantime these new recordings of old songs are pretty fabulous. Some of the tracks are very faithful covers, others are slightly more daring and work just as well. Whomever asked Fred Schneider (of the B-52s) to sing backup and do the monologue on "Angry Inch" is a sick genius. The new songs (three of them) are all great. Ben Kweller and Rufus Wainwright do really pretty versions of "Wicked Little Town" and "Origin of Love," respectively. (Normally the sound of Rufus' voice makes my ears bleed, but I guess the reviews of his new album that say that he's, you know, learned to sing are true. He sounds an awful lot like a hoarse John Cameron Mitchell, actually.) Cyndi Lauper's curiously angry-sounding take on "Midnight Radio" is the most weirdly beautiful thing I've heard in a long time; it gave me chills as I listened on the subway home (as that song is meant to do). I really can't recommend strongly enough that you buy this album. If you're not familiar with the show or the film it's a great way to introduce yourself to some really fine "neo-glam-punk" songwriting. And all the proceeds go to a terrific cause.
I also got a couple of cast albums and the new Bowie. I'll report on them later. It's kind of nice to write about some pop-culture other than TV.
In other news, I voted today, and I'm embarrassed to say that I had no idea what I was voting for. It's all minor stuff this year, and I never got a voter's guide in the mail or saw much about the candidates (though I did seem to find a special radio station that only played New Jersey campaign commercials). Even though I don't think I've ever voted for a Republican, and there were no Independents on my local ticket, I don't like voting down the Democrat line just because it's the Democrat line, without knowing anything about who I'm voting for. But I also feel obligated to vote, especially these days, so that's what I did.
There were several interesting-sounding propositions on the ballot, but they all had sneaky clauses worked into them that either gave the Mayor more power or made the city government less accountable. It's a shame, because some of the overall proposals were good ones. And it's scary, because I'm cynical and doubt that many people stand in the voting booth reading as carefully as I do, especially in my neighborhood where a lot of people aren't native English-speakers. And I know, I know it's politics, but I just wish they wouldn't be so sketchy and try to sneak things in like that, especially when it hurts what might be potentially good changes. Fortunately, I just checked and from the early numbers it looks like nothing iffy is going to pass.
Monday, November 03, 2003
Average Woah, Part 2
So this wasn't nearly as big of a train wreck as I expected. Despite her obvious horror, Pretty McShinyhair was really sweet to all the guys, and not in a very patronizing way. And she didn't just cut the four ugliest guys as I expected she would. I'm actually curious to see where this goes. Dammit.
Curse you, Television! I take back all the nice things I said about you earlier tonight!
Curse you, Television! I take back all the nice things I said about you earlier tonight!
Average Woah
Okay, so here's the thing: The Average Joes are NOT average. I'm average. These guys are way way way below average. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but wow this show is fucked up.
Quote of the night so far: "On a scale of one to ten, I'm not Brad Pitt, but I'm a good person." Um yeah, that's not so much a scale of one to ten. And not to sink to the level that this show wants me to, but he is U-G-L-Y. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
As this goes on, I realize they introduced the freakiest first. Some of the guys are actually kind of cute. One of the cutest ones has a big mole right above his lip. Dude, how hard is it to get that removed?
I never thought I'd say this, but I love Kathy Griffin. If she plays a larger role than your average (sorry) dating show host, I may be hooked.
Quote of the night so far: "On a scale of one to ten, I'm not Brad Pitt, but I'm a good person." Um yeah, that's not so much a scale of one to ten. And not to sink to the level that this show wants me to, but he is U-G-L-Y. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
As this goes on, I realize they introduced the freakiest first. Some of the guys are actually kind of cute. One of the cutest ones has a big mole right above his lip. Dude, how hard is it to get that removed?
I never thought I'd say this, but I love Kathy Griffin. If she plays a larger role than your average (sorry) dating show host, I may be hooked.
If I had a job, I'd watch less TV...well, no I wouldn't, but I'd have more to write about
TV wrap-up from the last few days...
Despite the Simpsons debacle, there was some good TV on Sunday night. I laughed a lot at Arrested Development, which has a very enjoyable cast and a nice dark twisted streak. But now, a day later, I can't really remember a single specific thing about it, which can't possible be a good sign.
How could I ever have doubted the creators of Alias? In last night's episode [spoiler]
Due to a still-unexplained mishap with the Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment Server, I managed to lose the second episode of Carnivale, and even though I read the recap on Television Without Pity but never got myself back on schedule and haven't watched it since. HBO2, god bless 'em, ran a marathon of all the episodes so far yesterday, so now I have them all in order on the trusty Explorer 8000. I've only watched the first two so far, but I'm completely hooked. It's just so clever and stylish and well-acted. The storytelling is slow and we're getting information bit-by-bit, but that's not at all frustrating like I expected it would be.
After singing their praises for The West Wing, Queer Eye and Boy Meets Boy for months now, I'm a little disappointed with Bravo. Back in the day (the day when they weren't owned by NBC and didn't show commercials), Bravo did a week every season called "Broadway on Bravo," which consisted mostly of showing taped stage musicals and plays, and a couple of fluffy documentaries and biographies. It was great stuff that didn't get shown much anywhere else. They've brought the theme week back this month, but now it consists of two films on which Broadway shows were based, and one film which happens to be based on the same novel as a Broadway musical. Fine films (well, two of them are), but it doesn't really have much to do with Broadway, especially since two of the shows aren't even running anymore.
The Average Joe commercials make me kind of sad. I know in theory the joke is on the ex-cheerleader, and I'd like to support that, but I can't help feeling like the men are all going to be played for buffoons. Well, I guess that's what they get for choosing to go on this show. Surely they know what the premise is at the start? I know I shouldn't watch it. I know I'll regret it. I know I'll be there at 10:00.
Despite the Simpsons debacle, there was some good TV on Sunday night. I laughed a lot at Arrested Development, which has a very enjoyable cast and a nice dark twisted streak. But now, a day later, I can't really remember a single specific thing about it, which can't possible be a good sign.
How could I ever have doubted the creators of Alias? In last night's episode [spoiler]
Due to a still-unexplained mishap with the Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment Server, I managed to lose the second episode of Carnivale, and even though I read the recap on Television Without Pity but never got myself back on schedule and haven't watched it since. HBO2, god bless 'em, ran a marathon of all the episodes so far yesterday, so now I have them all in order on the trusty Explorer 8000. I've only watched the first two so far, but I'm completely hooked. It's just so clever and stylish and well-acted. The storytelling is slow and we're getting information bit-by-bit, but that's not at all frustrating like I expected it would be.
After singing their praises for The West Wing, Queer Eye and Boy Meets Boy for months now, I'm a little disappointed with Bravo. Back in the day (the day when they weren't owned by NBC and didn't show commercials), Bravo did a week every season called "Broadway on Bravo," which consisted mostly of showing taped stage musicals and plays, and a couple of fluffy documentaries and biographies. It was great stuff that didn't get shown much anywhere else. They've brought the theme week back this month, but now it consists of two films on which Broadway shows were based, and one film which happens to be based on the same novel as a Broadway musical. Fine films (well, two of them are), but it doesn't really have much to do with Broadway, especially since two of the shows aren't even running anymore.
The Average Joe commercials make me kind of sad. I know in theory the joke is on the ex-cheerleader, and I'd like to support that, but I can't help feeling like the men are all going to be played for buffoons. Well, I guess that's what they get for choosing to go on this show. Surely they know what the premise is at the start? I know I shouldn't watch it. I know I'll regret it. I know I'll be there at 10:00.
Sunday, November 02, 2003
Sports Suck
The one thing I was looking forward to most on TV this week was The Simpsons Halloween special. Thanks to freakin' football, it was preempted and I only taped 10 minutes of it. While I was at Scary Movie 3. Which wasn't terrible, but it was no Treehouse of Terror, I can tell you that. Grar.
The End Is Extremely Fucking Nigh
Several things creeped me out on Friday night, and not one of them was an intentional Halloween scare.
First, I hadn't thought through the psychological effects of dressing as myself as a senior in high school. The actual act of getting dressed felt like some kind of death march. I actually felt like I should be going up to Fieldston. The care with which I was putting my outfit together felt very familiar, and it made me nervous. It was also horrifying, because my outfit was so butt ugly. But not butt ugly in an everybody-was-wearing-bell-bottoms kind of way. Ugly in a way that was all my own.
As I left the house another thought hit me: What if people didn't realize I was in costume? My clothes were dated, but not crazy. I had visions of running into someone from school on the train and having him think I just still wore the same clothes he'd seen me in last.
In the end, the only embarrassment was a 10-year-old one: People at the party thought I was doing the 80s. Which just goes to show how behind I'd been back then. I thought the flannel was a giveaway, but I guess not. That I couldn't magically grow my hair overnight and had to settle for spiking it straight up probably didn't help either. Oh well. Now I watch Queer Eye and shop at H&M, so all is well.
As I left my house for the party I saw down the street a small boy in a Batman costume. Free of any kind of horde, I was able to admit how cute this was and smile. From a distance, it looked like the sort of costume I would have worn; maybe store-bought, but more likely made from a pattern or cobbled together by his mom -- grey tights, grey shirt with the old-school yellow-and-black Batman logo (in my day this would have been the top half of my Underoos), and of course the cowl and cape.
Only when I got closer, I saw that the shirt was padded with defined pecs and abs. It was Adam West as costumed by Joel Schumacher. Only he was three years old. I'm not sure why I found it so disturbing. Maybe the way the muscles made the costume weirdly sexual (there were, thank god, no nipples). More likely, just the fact that someone thought it was necessary to do that. What will it do to this kid's body image? I'm sure I'm over-thinking it, but I have on my desk a picture of me and my friend S., aged two or three, me as Batman and she as Wonder Woman. We're both pudgy, my cowl is crooked, my tights are in fact jeans, I have something long-sleeved under my t-shirt (though I still have the home-made bat-cuffs) and she has a coat on over most of her costume. And it was more than enough for us to be superheroes. Now, of course, I want that defined torso, but that's another story.
Right after I saw little Adam West Clooney, I went to buy a bottle of wine. As if the drug store hadn't been bad enough, there were children trick-or-treating in the liquor store. While the staff tried in vain to remove a very drunk man who they were refusing to serve. I didn't see what they were giving out to the kids at the counter. It seems fairly safe to assume it was candy, but I'd like to believe it was ounce bottles of Godiva and Bailey's.
My mood improved immensely once I got on the subway, and saw several adults in costume. This is my favorite thing about Halloween, really. For a kid to dress up is expected, if not obligatory, and requires little to no effort on the child's part. But adults really have to want to dress up, and commit time that would otherwise be spent doing adult things like working, cleaning, or making a costume for your child, to making your costume. I saw some really elaborate, non-store-bought things, from the cute to the scary to the what-the-hell-is-that, and it all made me very happy. I think we should all take that kind of time to embrace our inner imaginative children and go all Martha Stewart on a creative project more often.
At the party we watched 28 Days Later, which is one of my favorite newer movies. Ignore the pretentiousness of the "Rage Virus" and just enjoy it as one of the creepiest, most stylish zombie movies ever made. Boy and I had seen it in the theater, and it's definitely a different experience seeing it after two bottles of wine with people who are allowed to talk. Our hostess' sister was a step ahead of the characters the entire time, though, and Boy decided that she must come with us in the event of an apocalypse.
I happened to have the DVD waiting for me at home from Netflix, so yesterday we watched the bonus materials. Don't be fooled by the commercials that tell you there are "three alternate endings," there are actually three total, including the regular one. The footage itself isn't very interesting at all, but some of the insights to filmmaking on the commentary are. I was fascinated to learn that one of the happier endings had always been in the script, but hadn't been shot because they ran out of money. It also wasn't test audiences who demanded the more upbeat version, but the filmmakers themselves, who found the film relentless with the darker ending and asked Fox, who had by then come onboard as distributor, for more money. The happier endings are shot on film instead of digital video, making them look brighter and more open. I'm not a huge film geek but I do love trivia like that. DVDs make me happy!
Post-Halloween, Boy and I had a great New York afternoon and walked to Long Island City, a neighborhood we'd never explored before, and discovered a cool park along the East River that we didn't know existed. I can't quite deal with the fact that it's November, but I'm pretty happy to have it stay 75 degrees forever.
Today I've done absolutely nothing productive except write this, and I really should change that.…
First, I hadn't thought through the psychological effects of dressing as myself as a senior in high school. The actual act of getting dressed felt like some kind of death march. I actually felt like I should be going up to Fieldston. The care with which I was putting my outfit together felt very familiar, and it made me nervous. It was also horrifying, because my outfit was so butt ugly. But not butt ugly in an everybody-was-wearing-bell-bottoms kind of way. Ugly in a way that was all my own.
As I left the house another thought hit me: What if people didn't realize I was in costume? My clothes were dated, but not crazy. I had visions of running into someone from school on the train and having him think I just still wore the same clothes he'd seen me in last.
In the end, the only embarrassment was a 10-year-old one: People at the party thought I was doing the 80s. Which just goes to show how behind I'd been back then. I thought the flannel was a giveaway, but I guess not. That I couldn't magically grow my hair overnight and had to settle for spiking it straight up probably didn't help either. Oh well. Now I watch Queer Eye and shop at H&M, so all is well.
As I left my house for the party I saw down the street a small boy in a Batman costume. Free of any kind of horde, I was able to admit how cute this was and smile. From a distance, it looked like the sort of costume I would have worn; maybe store-bought, but more likely made from a pattern or cobbled together by his mom -- grey tights, grey shirt with the old-school yellow-and-black Batman logo (in my day this would have been the top half of my Underoos), and of course the cowl and cape.
Only when I got closer, I saw that the shirt was padded with defined pecs and abs. It was Adam West as costumed by Joel Schumacher. Only he was three years old. I'm not sure why I found it so disturbing. Maybe the way the muscles made the costume weirdly sexual (there were, thank god, no nipples). More likely, just the fact that someone thought it was necessary to do that. What will it do to this kid's body image? I'm sure I'm over-thinking it, but I have on my desk a picture of me and my friend S., aged two or three, me as Batman and she as Wonder Woman. We're both pudgy, my cowl is crooked, my tights are in fact jeans, I have something long-sleeved under my t-shirt (though I still have the home-made bat-cuffs) and she has a coat on over most of her costume. And it was more than enough for us to be superheroes. Now, of course, I want that defined torso, but that's another story.
Right after I saw little Adam West Clooney, I went to buy a bottle of wine. As if the drug store hadn't been bad enough, there were children trick-or-treating in the liquor store. While the staff tried in vain to remove a very drunk man who they were refusing to serve. I didn't see what they were giving out to the kids at the counter. It seems fairly safe to assume it was candy, but I'd like to believe it was ounce bottles of Godiva and Bailey's.
My mood improved immensely once I got on the subway, and saw several adults in costume. This is my favorite thing about Halloween, really. For a kid to dress up is expected, if not obligatory, and requires little to no effort on the child's part. But adults really have to want to dress up, and commit time that would otherwise be spent doing adult things like working, cleaning, or making a costume for your child, to making your costume. I saw some really elaborate, non-store-bought things, from the cute to the scary to the what-the-hell-is-that, and it all made me very happy. I think we should all take that kind of time to embrace our inner imaginative children and go all Martha Stewart on a creative project more often.
At the party we watched 28 Days Later, which is one of my favorite newer movies. Ignore the pretentiousness of the "Rage Virus" and just enjoy it as one of the creepiest, most stylish zombie movies ever made. Boy and I had seen it in the theater, and it's definitely a different experience seeing it after two bottles of wine with people who are allowed to talk. Our hostess' sister was a step ahead of the characters the entire time, though, and Boy decided that she must come with us in the event of an apocalypse.
I happened to have the DVD waiting for me at home from Netflix, so yesterday we watched the bonus materials. Don't be fooled by the commercials that tell you there are "three alternate endings," there are actually three total, including the regular one. The footage itself isn't very interesting at all, but some of the insights to filmmaking on the commentary are. I was fascinated to learn that one of the happier endings had always been in the script, but hadn't been shot because they ran out of money. It also wasn't test audiences who demanded the more upbeat version, but the filmmakers themselves, who found the film relentless with the darker ending and asked Fox, who had by then come onboard as distributor, for more money. The happier endings are shot on film instead of digital video, making them look brighter and more open. I'm not a huge film geek but I do love trivia like that. DVDs make me happy!
Post-Halloween, Boy and I had a great New York afternoon and walked to Long Island City, a neighborhood we'd never explored before, and discovered a cool park along the East River that we didn't know existed. I can't quite deal with the fact that it's November, but I'm pretty happy to have it stay 75 degrees forever.
Today I've done absolutely nothing productive except write this, and I really should change that.…
Friday, October 31, 2003
Boo
Some random thoughts on this lovely All Hallows Eve...
I'm not at all embarrassed to say that I greatly enjoy The View. And I have the utmost respect for Barbara Walters both as a serious journalist, and in her reinvention as a daytime personality. However her choice to not only dress as Marilyn Monroe this morning, but to spend the entire show doing the worst impression of her ever, was tragic. There's no way to say this without being mean, but she's just too old to pull it off. She gave drag queens everywhere a bad name.
...
I thought it would be nice to get some candy for trick-or-treaters on my way home, and there were so many children out on the streets that it took me ten minutes to get two blocks from the subway to the Rite Aid. Yes, children in costume are cute, but when there are hundreds of them between you and your goal, to say nothing of their idiot parents and gargantuan strollers...not so much.
Apparently, in this neighborhood, kids trick-or-treat in stores. I can't really explain how odd I find this. When I was growing up in Manhattan, we'd join whichever friend lived in the largest apartment building (in my case my very wealthy friend Josh, who lived in the gigantic Apthorp on Broadway and 79th) and go door-to-door in the building. We got something close to the suburban trick-or-treat experience, but we were indoors and safe and warm and our very happy parents usually didn't need to accompany us. The buildings aren't as big in Queens, but there are also lots of houses, and surely better places to dress up and get candy than the drug store!
It makes me kind of sad. It also makes it extremely difficult to shop. By the time I got to the candy aisle I was so irritated with the little fuckers that I briefly considered getting sugar free "mocklate," because "excessive consumption of malitol may have a laxative effect." That seemed like a fun trick to play on the children of Sunnyside. Then the first candy I saw was a bag of Christmas Hershey's Miniatures. That pissed me off on a whole different level, and I thought it might be a good way to fuck with the kids' heads. But in the end I got Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, because they're my favorite, and I can bring the leftovers to the party I'm going to tonight.
...
Because I know you were all terribly concerned, I thought you'd like to know that my Bill and Opus t-shirt now looks like this:
I didn't think the dye would take to the printing on the shirt, or I would have used a lighter color (it actually photographs better than it looks in real life, thanks to the magic of flash -- the design is a little too dark now), but I'm happy I can wear it in public now without looking like Pigpen. Hopefully I won't need it past 2004.
My vintage tee craft project also inspired me for tonight's Halloween party. I'm going to go as 1993. One of the t-shirts I unearthed at my mom's place (exact one to be determined), slightly too-tight jeans, flannel shirt, Doc Maartens, and a bandana. Okay, so really I'm going as myself in 1993 more than the year itself, but I think it'll read pretty well.
The irony (on a purely personal level) is that just a few months ago at my high school reunion, I did everything in my power to look as little like I did in 1993 as possible!
Old Comments:
The People Have Spoken
I love the creativity expressed in Halloween costumes this year.
This girl in my Bio class came to school on Friday dressed as 'Capitalism in a Prom Dress'.
Kudos to you for the '1993' idea. Sounds like you hit the nail right on the head.
Chelsea | Email | Homepage | 11.01.03 - 6:29 pm | #
I'm not at all embarrassed to say that I greatly enjoy The View. And I have the utmost respect for Barbara Walters both as a serious journalist, and in her reinvention as a daytime personality. However her choice to not only dress as Marilyn Monroe this morning, but to spend the entire show doing the worst impression of her ever, was tragic. There's no way to say this without being mean, but she's just too old to pull it off. She gave drag queens everywhere a bad name.
...
I thought it would be nice to get some candy for trick-or-treaters on my way home, and there were so many children out on the streets that it took me ten minutes to get two blocks from the subway to the Rite Aid. Yes, children in costume are cute, but when there are hundreds of them between you and your goal, to say nothing of their idiot parents and gargantuan strollers...not so much.
Apparently, in this neighborhood, kids trick-or-treat in stores. I can't really explain how odd I find this. When I was growing up in Manhattan, we'd join whichever friend lived in the largest apartment building (in my case my very wealthy friend Josh, who lived in the gigantic Apthorp on Broadway and 79th) and go door-to-door in the building. We got something close to the suburban trick-or-treat experience, but we were indoors and safe and warm and our very happy parents usually didn't need to accompany us. The buildings aren't as big in Queens, but there are also lots of houses, and surely better places to dress up and get candy than the drug store!
It makes me kind of sad. It also makes it extremely difficult to shop. By the time I got to the candy aisle I was so irritated with the little fuckers that I briefly considered getting sugar free "mocklate," because "excessive consumption of malitol may have a laxative effect." That seemed like a fun trick to play on the children of Sunnyside. Then the first candy I saw was a bag of Christmas Hershey's Miniatures. That pissed me off on a whole different level, and I thought it might be a good way to fuck with the kids' heads. But in the end I got Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, because they're my favorite, and I can bring the leftovers to the party I'm going to tonight.
...
Because I know you were all terribly concerned, I thought you'd like to know that my Bill and Opus t-shirt now looks like this:
I didn't think the dye would take to the printing on the shirt, or I would have used a lighter color (it actually photographs better than it looks in real life, thanks to the magic of flash -- the design is a little too dark now), but I'm happy I can wear it in public now without looking like Pigpen. Hopefully I won't need it past 2004.
My vintage tee craft project also inspired me for tonight's Halloween party. I'm going to go as 1993. One of the t-shirts I unearthed at my mom's place (exact one to be determined), slightly too-tight jeans, flannel shirt, Doc Maartens, and a bandana. Okay, so really I'm going as myself in 1993 more than the year itself, but I think it'll read pretty well.
The irony (on a purely personal level) is that just a few months ago at my high school reunion, I did everything in my power to look as little like I did in 1993 as possible!
Old Comments:
The People Have Spoken
I love the creativity expressed in Halloween costumes this year.
This girl in my Bio class came to school on Friday dressed as 'Capitalism in a Prom Dress'.
Kudos to you for the '1993' idea. Sounds like you hit the nail right on the head.
Chelsea | Email | Homepage | 11.01.03 - 6:29 pm | #
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Keeping the Faith
Tru Calling doesn't suck! Go figure. It's actually fun. But is it really wise to give your main character the last name of "Davies," and then give her boss the first name of "Davis?" 'Cause that's just gonna get annoying.
And is anyone's attention span really so short that they need a recap of the first half-hour of the show after the second commercial break? Again, Fox panders to the lowest common -- oh look, squirrels!
Old Comments:
I was so excited to enjoy the show, too!!! I kept hearing that it sucks, but I liked it a lot! Yay Eliza!
Carrie | Email | Homepage | 10.31.03 - 5:13 pm | #
And is anyone's attention span really so short that they need a recap of the first half-hour of the show after the second commercial break? Again, Fox panders to the lowest common -- oh look, squirrels!
Old Comments:
I was so excited to enjoy the show, too!!! I kept hearing that it sucks, but I liked it a lot! Yay Eliza!
Carrie | Email | Homepage | 10.31.03 - 5:13 pm | #
Welcome back to the O.C., bitch!
Aaaaaahhh, The O.C. How is it that what should be the worst thing on TV is turning out to be the best?
I think there's something to be said for a show that embraces its badness. Sure, The O.C. is trash, but it's quality trash. It tries to have a certain level of quality in the writing and acting, but at the same time doesn't pretend it's anything other than a cheesy guilty pleasure, revelling in the ridiculousness of the genre (Marissa had to be airlifted out of "T.J.??" What, they don't have hospitals in Mexico?).
Unlike, say, Skin, which is trying to be all high-brow with the Romeo and Juliet thing, or The West Wing, which seems like it won't be satisfied until every character is a miserable wreck, The O.C. is just good clean tawdry fun with the drama queeniest bunch of 25-year-old teenagers west of the Mississippi.
Old Comments:
I love The O.C.! Especially Seth!
Carrie | Email | Homepage | 10.30.03 - 6:02 pm | #
I think there's something to be said for a show that embraces its badness. Sure, The O.C. is trash, but it's quality trash. It tries to have a certain level of quality in the writing and acting, but at the same time doesn't pretend it's anything other than a cheesy guilty pleasure, revelling in the ridiculousness of the genre (Marissa had to be airlifted out of "T.J.??" What, they don't have hospitals in Mexico?).
Unlike, say, Skin, which is trying to be all high-brow with the Romeo and Juliet thing, or The West Wing, which seems like it won't be satisfied until every character is a miserable wreck, The O.C. is just good clean tawdry fun with the drama queeniest bunch of 25-year-old teenagers west of the Mississippi.
Old Comments:
I love The O.C.! Especially Seth!
Carrie | Email | Homepage | 10.30.03 - 6:02 pm | #
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
I make my own fun
My new favorite thing on TV is the commercial with the little girl who was killed on an airplane, and now she haunts the airport, and her father goes to visit her and pretends he's talking on his cell phone when he talks to her so that people don't think he's crazy and take him away to a place where he'll never be able to see his dead daughter again.
Come on, isn't that version better than what AT&T intended?
Come on, isn't that version better than what AT&T intended?
Speaking of creepy and oddly-scented men...
I went out to dinner with my friend LK last night at our favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurant. About halfway through our meal, a man who I can only describe as "oafish" and "slovenly" (fun words, but I'm glad I don't often have occasion to use them) came in and was seated at the table next to ours. He looked around at the orange walls and sombrero lampshades and said to the waitress, "So this is an Irish restaurant, right?" The waitress looked a little baffled, clearly not one for sarcasm in foreign languages. "Ha ha, I'm just kidding," (yes, he actually said "Ha ha"), "you must get that all the time." No, I thought, I bet she doesn't.
He continued to make inane jokes to the waitress, who was either extremely patient or didn't understand his English, and LK and I continued to ignore him. So I barely noticed when he got up and left the table just before his food arrived. On his way back between our two tables to his seat (and it's worth pointing out that there was an empty table on the other side of him), his sizeable backside hit LK's half-full water glass, spilling it all over her lap, her coat, and her purse.
That he did this, I can forgive. (I have many attributes, but grace isn't one of them.) That he didn't notice he'd done this, I can forgive. (I have, in my time, had a larger-than-I-wished bum myself and sometimes you just don't feel it.) What I can't forgive, is when he sat down and looked over at us, realized what had happened, and said only the most obligitory, barely audible "Sorry," before digging into his food. No move to help, no "I can't believe I just did that," no offer of his still-unused napkin. Not even another glance in our direction. While the waitress scurried to get more napkins and LK blotted everything in sight, Oafish and Slovenly shoveled food into his mouth at an alarming rate. It's not like there was much he could do, but couldn't he have at least acknowledged that his fat ass had made a mess? This isn't normal, right?
My only real regret is that there was no way for me to "accidentally" spill anything on his table on my way out.
He continued to make inane jokes to the waitress, who was either extremely patient or didn't understand his English, and LK and I continued to ignore him. So I barely noticed when he got up and left the table just before his food arrived. On his way back between our two tables to his seat (and it's worth pointing out that there was an empty table on the other side of him), his sizeable backside hit LK's half-full water glass, spilling it all over her lap, her coat, and her purse.
That he did this, I can forgive. (I have many attributes, but grace isn't one of them.) That he didn't notice he'd done this, I can forgive. (I have, in my time, had a larger-than-I-wished bum myself and sometimes you just don't feel it.) What I can't forgive, is when he sat down and looked over at us, realized what had happened, and said only the most obligitory, barely audible "Sorry," before digging into his food. No move to help, no "I can't believe I just did that," no offer of his still-unused napkin. Not even another glance in our direction. While the waitress scurried to get more napkins and LK blotted everything in sight, Oafish and Slovenly shoveled food into his mouth at an alarming rate. It's not like there was much he could do, but couldn't he have at least acknowledged that his fat ass had made a mess? This isn't normal, right?
My only real regret is that there was no way for me to "accidentally" spill anything on his table on my way out.
Six inches forward and five inches back...
No one shed any light on my paranoid Best Buy theories, but I've gone ahead and deleted the post with my not-quite-accusation -- not because I'm not still mad at Best Buy (I'm still skeptical about the CD's absence from their website), but because I'm now mad at everyone. (Not, lest those of you who read the old post get confused, that I think "everyone" is homophobic...read on...)
MAK called last night to tell me that he'd tried three different stores and not one of them had the new Hedwig and the Angry Inch album, Wig in a Box, although it was just released.
I'm working near J&R, so I went over there at lunch. A helpful-if-creepy-and-oddly-scented salesperson looked the CD up in the computer, and told me that they'd ordered two of them, which of course immediately sold out yesterday.
Now, I get that this is a charity project on a small label, and that recordings of off-Broadway musicals are harder to find at the Sam Goody in the mall, but this is music from a show that ran for over two years and attracted a HUGE cult following, has had several other productions around the world, and was made into a successful (though again, not terribly mainstream) film. The artists on the new disc include Cyndi Lauper, Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds, Yoko Ono and They Might Be Giants -- not exactly unheard-of talent. Most importantly, this isn't the Sam Goody in the mall, it's New York fucking City! Of course all the rabid fans are going to try to buy this thing the moment it comes out (I guess I'm not quite rabid enough). Why the hell would any store buyer only order TWO???
Okay, rant over. I know it's only a CD but I was really looking forward to it. And the boneheadedness of either these stores or distributor is keeping money away from a really good cause too (not to mention the stores and distributor).
So it's Amazon to the rescue, as usual. Wish me luck with UPS. I'm using a friend's work address, and curiously, the order will ship earlier to Manhattan than to Queens. Not arrive earlier, but ship earlier. Baffling.
Old Comments:
U P S....
I don't turst them.
Yoko Ono? Walking on Thin Ice?
Wayne | Email | Homepage | 10.29.03 - 3:58 pm | #
MAK called last night to tell me that he'd tried three different stores and not one of them had the new Hedwig and the Angry Inch album, Wig in a Box, although it was just released.
I'm working near J&R, so I went over there at lunch. A helpful-if-creepy-and-oddly-scented salesperson looked the CD up in the computer, and told me that they'd ordered two of them, which of course immediately sold out yesterday.
Now, I get that this is a charity project on a small label, and that recordings of off-Broadway musicals are harder to find at the Sam Goody in the mall, but this is music from a show that ran for over two years and attracted a HUGE cult following, has had several other productions around the world, and was made into a successful (though again, not terribly mainstream) film. The artists on the new disc include Cyndi Lauper, Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds, Yoko Ono and They Might Be Giants -- not exactly unheard-of talent. Most importantly, this isn't the Sam Goody in the mall, it's New York fucking City! Of course all the rabid fans are going to try to buy this thing the moment it comes out (I guess I'm not quite rabid enough). Why the hell would any store buyer only order TWO???
Okay, rant over. I know it's only a CD but I was really looking forward to it. And the boneheadedness of either these stores or distributor is keeping money away from a really good cause too (not to mention the stores and distributor).
So it's Amazon to the rescue, as usual. Wish me luck with UPS. I'm using a friend's work address, and curiously, the order will ship earlier to Manhattan than to Queens. Not arrive earlier, but ship earlier. Baffling.
Old Comments:
U P S....
I don't turst them.
Yoko Ono? Walking on Thin Ice?
Wayne | Email | Homepage | 10.29.03 - 3:58 pm | #
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Fox...oh, Fox...
You know, I say "Fox...oh Fox," out of habit, really, as if it's still 1989 and all the other networks haven't sunk as low if not lower. Fox has actually had some quality stuff on the air since the Married With Children days, but I still think of it like it's...well, like it's UPN.
Anyway, I'm done with Joe Millionaire. It's not that the women are skanky without being entertaining or interesting, or that David is pretty and charming without being smart or interesting, that the only vaguely appealing women were voted off last night and tonight, or the terrifying cleavage on Hosty McUseless at the first elimination ceremony. No, it's the condescension of the producers that's driven me away. Do we need to see not only a recap of the entire premise of the show, but of last season at the top of every episode? Do they think anyone is still watching who doesn't know what the deal is? Except for all those women watching in Europe, I mean. Even more disturbing is the fact that Fox seems to think that the average American needs subtitles to understand a woman speaking with a slight accent. I mean, do they? I dare say that these women speak English, despite the occasional goof, far better than most people I know (myself included) speak any of their languages. And these don't all seem to be the brightest of women either. I'm pretty impressed, and the subtitles just baffle me. But let's face it, there's no moral high ground here, it's just dull as dirt.
So I'm done. Of course, when I say "I'm done," I mean I'm going to continue watching it but not tell anyone.
Then there was Skin, which I have to admit I'm enjoying, though I'm not sure why. I realize that Romeo and Juliet was an inspiration for the show, and no one ever intended to make R&J: The Series, but I would have liked them to stick with the idea for a little bit longer. This week was all about Jewel's housekeeper/nanny/whatever taking on the role of the nurse, but otherwise they've pretty much played it out. I mean, it's not like Shakespeare invented forbidden love and political enemies. Adam and Jewel had sex at the end of last week's episode (both awfully soon into their relationship and awfully prettily for two virgins, if you ask me), and by that point in Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt and Mercutio (who seem to have no parallels in Skin -- do these kids have any friends at all?) are already dead, and the next thing that happens is Romeo's banishment, followed shortly by some poison and a happy dagger.
I'm really enjoying the adult actors, though, especially the woman who plays Adam's mom. The adult storylines are far more interesting than the kids' (take that, Lady Montague!) and I'm interested to see where they go. Where can the kids go? If they break up, no more show. So we get to watch them sneak around behind their parents' backs until they (hopefully) die messy senseless deaths.
Meanwhile, over on SpikeTV (which is really worthy of an "Oh, SpikeTV"), the other Joe, He Who Shall Be Called Schmo, was a total let-down as well. Do I really need to spoiler-proof this? I guess I'd better play it safe for any crazy reality-TV fans out there... [spoiler]
I haven't watched 24 yet. And the way things are going I don't have much hope.
Old Comments:
I think most of the stuff out this season is absolute crap. I'm spending my nights working out, drawing, reading or sitting on the patio having a cocktail. Maybe it's a good thing now that I think about it.
Mark | Email | Homepage | 10.29.03 - 9:55 am | #
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's what's disconcerting about Joe Schmo: I was channel surfing the other day and would, of course, have surfed right past "Two and a Half Men"... were it not for the fact that I suddenly thought, "Hey, that's Earl, guest starring on Two and a Half Men!" Similarly, recently saw a car commercial with Brian in it... "Hey, that's Brian, in a car commercial!" I fear these actors are going to haunt me forever....
mcm | Email | Homepage | 10.29.03 - 12:14 pm | #
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Serves us all right for watching, mcm.
And that's ALL that you find disconcerting about it??
Adam875 | Email | Homepage | 10.29.03 - 1:22 pm | #
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, that probably should have said, "Here's what I find disconcerting *today*"
mcm | Email | Homepage | 10.29.03 - 3:14 pm | #
Anyway, I'm done with Joe Millionaire. It's not that the women are skanky without being entertaining or interesting, or that David is pretty and charming without being smart or interesting, that the only vaguely appealing women were voted off last night and tonight, or the terrifying cleavage on Hosty McUseless at the first elimination ceremony. No, it's the condescension of the producers that's driven me away. Do we need to see not only a recap of the entire premise of the show, but of last season at the top of every episode? Do they think anyone is still watching who doesn't know what the deal is? Except for all those women watching in Europe, I mean. Even more disturbing is the fact that Fox seems to think that the average American needs subtitles to understand a woman speaking with a slight accent. I mean, do they? I dare say that these women speak English, despite the occasional goof, far better than most people I know (myself included) speak any of their languages. And these don't all seem to be the brightest of women either. I'm pretty impressed, and the subtitles just baffle me. But let's face it, there's no moral high ground here, it's just dull as dirt.
So I'm done. Of course, when I say "I'm done," I mean I'm going to continue watching it but not tell anyone.
Then there was Skin, which I have to admit I'm enjoying, though I'm not sure why. I realize that Romeo and Juliet was an inspiration for the show, and no one ever intended to make R&J: The Series, but I would have liked them to stick with the idea for a little bit longer. This week was all about Jewel's housekeeper/nanny/whatever taking on the role of the nurse, but otherwise they've pretty much played it out. I mean, it's not like Shakespeare invented forbidden love and political enemies. Adam and Jewel had sex at the end of last week's episode (both awfully soon into their relationship and awfully prettily for two virgins, if you ask me), and by that point in Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt and Mercutio (who seem to have no parallels in Skin -- do these kids have any friends at all?) are already dead, and the next thing that happens is Romeo's banishment, followed shortly by some poison and a happy dagger.
I'm really enjoying the adult actors, though, especially the woman who plays Adam's mom. The adult storylines are far more interesting than the kids' (take that, Lady Montague!) and I'm interested to see where they go. Where can the kids go? If they break up, no more show. So we get to watch them sneak around behind their parents' backs until they (hopefully) die messy senseless deaths.
Meanwhile, over on SpikeTV (which is really worthy of an "Oh, SpikeTV"), the other Joe, He Who Shall Be Called Schmo, was a total let-down as well. Do I really need to spoiler-proof this? I guess I'd better play it safe for any crazy reality-TV fans out there... [spoiler]
I haven't watched 24 yet. And the way things are going I don't have much hope.
Old Comments:
I think most of the stuff out this season is absolute crap. I'm spending my nights working out, drawing, reading or sitting on the patio having a cocktail. Maybe it's a good thing now that I think about it.
Mark | Email | Homepage | 10.29.03 - 9:55 am | #
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's what's disconcerting about Joe Schmo: I was channel surfing the other day and would, of course, have surfed right past "Two and a Half Men"... were it not for the fact that I suddenly thought, "Hey, that's Earl, guest starring on Two and a Half Men!" Similarly, recently saw a car commercial with Brian in it... "Hey, that's Brian, in a car commercial!" I fear these actors are going to haunt me forever....
mcm | Email | Homepage | 10.29.03 - 12:14 pm | #
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Serves us all right for watching, mcm.
And that's ALL that you find disconcerting about it??
Adam875 | Email | Homepage | 10.29.03 - 1:22 pm | #
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, that probably should have said, "Here's what I find disconcerting *today*"
mcm | Email | Homepage | 10.29.03 - 3:14 pm | #
Monday, October 27, 2003
Love Your Fellow Man...well, except that guy...and that one over there
I don't know how un-local this has become, but a constant presence on the NYC-area news for the past couple months has been an increasingly awful story about some high school students who were hazed at a football camp just before school began. Allegedly, at least three varsity players attacked younger boys, sodomizing them with whatever was handy, including broomsticks and pinecones. It's unclear how many victims there were, because most of them have been scared into silence, with threats to entire families allegedly coming from the parents of the accused boys, as well as the school. The school has taken a lot of heat for not supervising or disciplining the attackers, and for creating an environment where this kind of thing can happen. And on the other side of things, other members of the school community are angry about all the bad PR casting a negative light on the couple thousand students who have nothing to do with football or any of this ugliness.
The most absurd chapter in this drama so far came today, with this report about a group of eight people from a Kansas church group gathered outside the school to protest its allowance of a Gay-Straight Alliance, claiming this "leniency towards homosexuality" is the reason these attacks occurred.
Without even getting into a big discussion over the differences between rape and consensual sex, given the definition of the word hazing, I think it's pretty safe to assume that no one thought these boys would enjoy having things shoved up their butts! No one's talking about the big football camp orgy. That would be an entirely different story, and I'm pretty sure I've seen it already in an adult video. If anything, this was an extreme act of homophobia and repression, not a case of too much sexual freedom and education. But I don't think it was even that. I think it was simply about causing as much pain and humiliation as possible.
"This is what happens when you stray from the bible," said one of the protestors on my radio this morning. No, this is what happens when you stray from basic human kindness, when you decide abuse is an appropriate way to welcome new people into your community, and when you leave teenagers unsupervised and undisciplined because they happen to play football. You don't have to be Christian or straight to understand that. I can see how the argument against homosexuality can be made from the bible, and it's an argument I'm willing to have although (obviously) my mind will never be changed. So you can object to the diversity or gay rights curriculum if you want to, but I highly doubt that, for all its failings, the Mepham school board doesn't know that saying "homosexuality is okay" is not even remotely the same as saying "sodomizing your teammates with broomsticks is okay." I mean, I'd like to see that lesson plan. Boy and I talked about this this morning, and he speculated that "these people hear the word 'sodomy' and they're on a plane!"
I'm all for freedom of speech and freedom to assemble and freedom to have different religious beliefs from mine and say things I don't agree with. Is it too much to ask that your argument not be completely and totally stupid?? There can be a logical argument for almost anything. This isn't it.
I think I need to go to Ikea.
The as-happy-as-possible ending to this chapter is that the gay-straight alliance and its supporters arrived at the school in full force to protest the protesters, and outnumbered them by the hundreds.
Old Comments:
Did I hear IKEA?!
Jenn | Email | Homepage | 10.27.03 - 5:36 pm | #
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think an even happier ending would be if everyone who showed up from the gay-straight alliance got to go to Ikea.
David | Email | Homepage | 10.27.03 - 6:51 pm | #
The most absurd chapter in this drama so far came today, with this report about a group of eight people from a Kansas church group gathered outside the school to protest its allowance of a Gay-Straight Alliance, claiming this "leniency towards homosexuality" is the reason these attacks occurred.
Without even getting into a big discussion over the differences between rape and consensual sex, given the definition of the word hazing, I think it's pretty safe to assume that no one thought these boys would enjoy having things shoved up their butts! No one's talking about the big football camp orgy. That would be an entirely different story, and I'm pretty sure I've seen it already in an adult video. If anything, this was an extreme act of homophobia and repression, not a case of too much sexual freedom and education. But I don't think it was even that. I think it was simply about causing as much pain and humiliation as possible.
"This is what happens when you stray from the bible," said one of the protestors on my radio this morning. No, this is what happens when you stray from basic human kindness, when you decide abuse is an appropriate way to welcome new people into your community, and when you leave teenagers unsupervised and undisciplined because they happen to play football. You don't have to be Christian or straight to understand that. I can see how the argument against homosexuality can be made from the bible, and it's an argument I'm willing to have although (obviously) my mind will never be changed. So you can object to the diversity or gay rights curriculum if you want to, but I highly doubt that, for all its failings, the Mepham school board doesn't know that saying "homosexuality is okay" is not even remotely the same as saying "sodomizing your teammates with broomsticks is okay." I mean, I'd like to see that lesson plan. Boy and I talked about this this morning, and he speculated that "these people hear the word 'sodomy' and they're on a plane!"
I'm all for freedom of speech and freedom to assemble and freedom to have different religious beliefs from mine and say things I don't agree with. Is it too much to ask that your argument not be completely and totally stupid?? There can be a logical argument for almost anything. This isn't it.
I think I need to go to Ikea.
The as-happy-as-possible ending to this chapter is that the gay-straight alliance and its supporters arrived at the school in full force to protest the protesters, and outnumbered them by the hundreds.
Old Comments:
Did I hear IKEA?!
Jenn | Email | Homepage | 10.27.03 - 5:36 pm | #
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think an even happier ending would be if everyone who showed up from the gay-straight alliance got to go to Ikea.
David | Email | Homepage | 10.27.03 - 6:51 pm | #
Oh, the humanity!
I'm temping today for the first time in a few weeks, at a company which blocks all webmail sites and instant messaging. This would be fine if I had any actual work to do, but so far, not so much. Fortunately, I can (clearly) still blog, but if I do that all day I might scare off some readers. (Boy has been working under similarly horrific conditions at his job for months, so I won't complain too much as I'm only here for two days.)
On the plus side, I have an electric stapler.
On an administrative note, my blog looks entirely different on this version of Explorer than anywhere else I've ever viewed it (Halloween motif aside). I fixed the worst problem (the sidebar was curled up in a little ball on the lower right corner), but if anyone has consistent design troubles please let me know so I can keep everyone happy! Thanks.
On the plus side, I have an electric stapler.
On an administrative note, my blog looks entirely different on this version of Explorer than anywhere else I've ever viewed it (Halloween motif aside). I fixed the worst problem (the sidebar was curled up in a little ball on the lower right corner), but if anyone has consistent design troubles please let me know so I can keep everyone happy! Thanks.
Sunday, October 26, 2003
I'm all a-tingle!
I'm very excited about the last round of fall TV premieres coming up this week now that that game with the stick is finally over and done with. We have 24, which looks promising based on the commercials (I was hooked yet disappointed last season); Tru Calling, in which I have little faith (sorry) but I must watch it because of my love for Eliza and the supernatural drama void in this season's overall lineup; Arrested Development, which looks brilliant and twisted and will therefore probably go the way of Andy Richter Controls the Universe; and the long-awaited returns of The Simpsons and The O.C. (bitch). Something that wasn't on anyone's fall previews, but that I'm drawn to like a car wreck based on the commercials: Average Joe. I'm intrigued, but I have a feeling I'll need to shower after watching it.
Hmm...seeing all that written out I'm no longer sure why I'm excited....
As one door opens, another closes. Tuesday brings the finale of The Joe Schmo Show. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends, and also looking forward to simply seeing it end. I'm smart enough to feel embarrassed and kinda dirty watching this stuff, but dumb enough to get hooked anyway. I guess that's the definition of a "guilty pleasure." You'd think by now I'd know not to even start watching. Not so much.
On another TV note, Boy and I watched this week's Coupling, and it didn't quite suck. Which is ironic because it was the last before NBC puts the show on hiatus until December. It was also the first not based on a BBC script, and not written by Steven Moffatt. And as much as I adore Moffatt and the original series, it was kind of better this way. Not better than the original, but better than watching this cast try to copy that one. The American writers managed to remain true to the characters while finding their own voice. And it worked. Still, a sit-com is a sit-com. I realized that one of the most irritating things about this Coupling is the laugh-track, which is one of the most prominent and annoying I've ever heard. Um, people, that doesn't actually make the show any better. In fact it kind of makes it worse, because instead of the titter I might have had naturally, I'm thinking, Wait, that wasn't that funny....
Y'know, kinda like this post.... [laughtrack]ha ha ha ha whoooo ha ha no he di'in't![/laughtrack]
Hmm...seeing all that written out I'm no longer sure why I'm excited....
As one door opens, another closes. Tuesday brings the finale of The Joe Schmo Show. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends, and also looking forward to simply seeing it end. I'm smart enough to feel embarrassed and kinda dirty watching this stuff, but dumb enough to get hooked anyway. I guess that's the definition of a "guilty pleasure." You'd think by now I'd know not to even start watching. Not so much.
On another TV note, Boy and I watched this week's Coupling, and it didn't quite suck. Which is ironic because it was the last before NBC puts the show on hiatus until December. It was also the first not based on a BBC script, and not written by Steven Moffatt. And as much as I adore Moffatt and the original series, it was kind of better this way. Not better than the original, but better than watching this cast try to copy that one. The American writers managed to remain true to the characters while finding their own voice. And it worked. Still, a sit-com is a sit-com. I realized that one of the most irritating things about this Coupling is the laugh-track, which is one of the most prominent and annoying I've ever heard. Um, people, that doesn't actually make the show any better. In fact it kind of makes it worse, because instead of the titter I might have had naturally, I'm thinking, Wait, that wasn't that funny....
Y'know, kinda like this post.... [laughtrack]ha ha ha ha whoooo ha ha no he di'in't![/laughtrack]
Friday, October 24, 2003
When some people sell out, they go all the way
I wish I still had a land-line phone in my apartment, because I really think I have to own this. Click on the 120-second TV commercial for the full effect. (It's work-friendly but requires sound.)
On the same page of Entertainment Weekly that brought this marvellous invention to my attention was an announcement of some of the cast of the Surreal Life 2: Vanilla Ice, Tammy Faye (Baker), Ron Jeremy and Trishelle from The Real World Las Vegas. I can't believe I ever thought I wouldn't watch this.
On the same page of Entertainment Weekly that brought this marvellous invention to my attention was an announcement of some of the cast of the Surreal Life 2: Vanilla Ice, Tammy Faye (Baker), Ron Jeremy and Trishelle from The Real World Las Vegas. I can't believe I ever thought I wouldn't watch this.
Thursday, October 23, 2003
How much is that Fjällnoppa in the window?
In order to test the effectiveness of the Euro, a clever Swedish economist has created something called the Ikea Index. He compared prices at Ikea stores (or as I like to call it, Church) in different countries in and out of the EU, to see if the Euro is doing its job of equalizing prices across the continent.
Apparently, the Euro is not doing its job of equalizing prices, but what was far more interesting to me is that he included US branches of Ikea in the comparison, and it turns out we have the best prices.
Frankly, these days it's nice to have another reason to be proud to be an American.
Apparently, the Euro is not doing its job of equalizing prices, but what was far more interesting to me is that he included US branches of Ikea in the comparison, and it turns out we have the best prices.
Frankly, these days it's nice to have another reason to be proud to be an American.
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Bah, Humbug
I just saw a commercial for Now That's What I Call Christmas.
It's not yet Halloween.
I am absolutely not ready for this. I don't want to be all Scroogey. I like the holidays, I really do, but lately I get sick of them long before they actually arrive. I mean, how can the holiday season be special if it lasts three months?
It's worse because I'm enjoying the fall so much. I'm not a big fan of the cold, so I tend to forget from year to year how much I love early autumn in New York. It's not really very cold yet, it's beautiful and crisp and the skyline looks fabulous at night. Best of all, we're in between the summer tourist season and the holiday tourist season, so the place feels positively empty.
It's just the calm before the Convention of Stupid People Who Block The Sidewalk arrives in town from Thanksgiving through New Year's, so if the holiday hoopla starts now, so will my dread of clogged streets and impossible lines. I love New York even when it drives me nuts, but I really really love it when it doesn't. Please, Consumer Gods, please let me enjoy this lull for just a little bit longer?
It's not yet Halloween.
I am absolutely not ready for this. I don't want to be all Scroogey. I like the holidays, I really do, but lately I get sick of them long before they actually arrive. I mean, how can the holiday season be special if it lasts three months?
It's worse because I'm enjoying the fall so much. I'm not a big fan of the cold, so I tend to forget from year to year how much I love early autumn in New York. It's not really very cold yet, it's beautiful and crisp and the skyline looks fabulous at night. Best of all, we're in between the summer tourist season and the holiday tourist season, so the place feels positively empty.
It's just the calm before the Convention of Stupid People Who Block The Sidewalk arrives in town from Thanksgiving through New Year's, so if the holiday hoopla starts now, so will my dread of clogged streets and impossible lines. I love New York even when it drives me nuts, but I really really love it when it doesn't. Please, Consumer Gods, please let me enjoy this lull for just a little bit longer?
I'd blocked these out
I'm watching I Love the 80s Strikes Back and they're showing the original Chicken McNuggets commercial featuring little Chicken McNugget...I guess they must be finger puppets? Little squishy faces. They're in a locker room with a coach (also a McNugget, but with a moustache) giving them a pep talk about what special little chicken blobs they are. Then we actually see them all bouncing around happily in a box. McNuggets have always creeped me out a little and I think now I know why. I've been supressing the memory of the odd fuzzy McNugget puppets.
Elsewhere on VH1, Hal "I'm not really gay, I swear" Sparks just ate a Snausage. Ew ew ew.
I'm a little sad that Gedde Watanabe is whoring himself out as Long Duck Dong 20 years later to list the "Nerds of 1983." Fortunately I have no attention span this morning so I won't be sad for long.
Yay, Fraggles!
Elsewhere on VH1, Hal "I'm not really gay, I swear" Sparks just ate a Snausage. Ew ew ew.
I'm a little sad that Gedde Watanabe is whoring himself out as Long Duck Dong 20 years later to list the "Nerds of 1983." Fortunately I have no attention span this morning so I won't be sad for long.
Yay, Fraggles!
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Where's Paula Abdul when I need her?
I didn't watch last season's American Idol past the first couple of audition episodes, but I really like Clay Aiken (especially in his first audition, before the stylists tried (and failed) to un-geek him).
Still, it never really occurred to me to buy his album, especially after I got sucked in and bought the first AI compilation album, and was shocked by how bad and bland even the people I liked sounded.
Then I heard him do his new single (which, as near as I can figure, is a sort of 80s throwback about stalking) on some talk show or other and I really really liked it.
So I went to the iTunes Music Store (since I would never ever download music illegally, of course), which up until now I've been very impressed with. I didn't give it much thought and figured I'd just click and buy the whole album. It's so easy, and lots of new releases only cost $10, so even if I only like half the songs it's a pretty good deal.
Only iTunes doesn't have the full album. They have the full album except for the first single. I assume this is to prevent people from only buying the one song. What does it say about the record company's faith in Clay that they assume no one actually wants his album? Kinda shitty if you ask me. Of course, they may be right. Since the only way to buy songs was individually, I listened to the previews of them all and didn't want to spend 99 cents on any of them. Oops!
I'm still bummed to be without a copy of "Invisible," but I'm glad they managed to screw themselves out of my impulse-purchase money, since now I refuse to buy any of it. And I like how I'm occasionally naïve enough to believe that a company like Bertelsmann gives a shit about my fifteen dollars....
Still, it never really occurred to me to buy his album, especially after I got sucked in and bought the first AI compilation album, and was shocked by how bad and bland even the people I liked sounded.
Then I heard him do his new single (which, as near as I can figure, is a sort of 80s throwback about stalking) on some talk show or other and I really really liked it.
So I went to the iTunes Music Store (since I would never ever download music illegally, of course), which up until now I've been very impressed with. I didn't give it much thought and figured I'd just click and buy the whole album. It's so easy, and lots of new releases only cost $10, so even if I only like half the songs it's a pretty good deal.
Only iTunes doesn't have the full album. They have the full album except for the first single. I assume this is to prevent people from only buying the one song. What does it say about the record company's faith in Clay that they assume no one actually wants his album? Kinda shitty if you ask me. Of course, they may be right. Since the only way to buy songs was individually, I listened to the previews of them all and didn't want to spend 99 cents on any of them. Oops!
I'm still bummed to be without a copy of "Invisible," but I'm glad they managed to screw themselves out of my impulse-purchase money, since now I refuse to buy any of it. And I like how I'm occasionally naïve enough to believe that a company like Bertelsmann gives a shit about my fifteen dollars....
Monday, October 20, 2003
Joe Millionaire by any other name would NOT smell as sweet
Well, The Next Joe Millionaire is certainly good eye-candy, and he seems a lot nicer than Evan (if not any smarter), but the whole redneck shtick is really bugging me. Nothing against rednecks as a rule, but everything about David's backstory and especially the Eliza Doolittle sequence just seemed laid on as thick as his abs. Can he really not manage to call Paul by his name? Is it at all possible that he really only makes $11,000 (especially after the mini-scandal with Evan's earnings last season)? And how much of a "good old-fashioned Southern boy" can you be if you're willing to go make an ass of yourself on television and deceive 14 women?
As for the women... There doesn't seem to be a Zora in the bunch, or a Mojo for that matter. They all seem dumb and shallow and trashy and spoiled, but in an extremely bland way, with nothing to set them apart but their accents. It was sort of fun watching a bunch of European women reacting to David being a "cowboy" (and, as Hosty McUseless called him, the son of "an oil tycoon who made a fortune in the oil business"), which one of them said is like saying he's Santa Claus. They all seem uniformly bitchy and snobby. But every time Paul or the Foxerific announcer says "We've found 14 women who've never heard of Joe Millionaire," I find myself adding, "living in caves with the Taliban." I mean, this is one aspect of American culture I'm glad hasn't spawned itself throughout the rest of the world (and there are many I wish hadn't), but at one point the drunken whores broke into a stirring rendition of the Dallas theme, so how out of it can they really be?
A lot of last season's enjoyment came from the sense that the girls (Zora aside) were so dumb and spoiled that they deserved to be deceived. But as trashy as the girls are this time, David seems to be the dumbest one there. He's definitely the prettiest (in some cases by a long shot). And I'll buy the premise that the women have never heard of the show and maybe never even seen any of the Bachelor clones, but David has no excuse to be crying (in the ads for later in the season) about how hard this all is after seeing Evan do the exact same thing.
So I hate them all. The magic is gone. I'm sure I'll watch it again, but probably on mute so that David remains attractive (most of the women get subtitles anyway, because the producers apparently think we're too dumb to understand their not-very-thick accents), and it's off my DVR's record list.
Then there's Skin, which seemed like it would be exactly the sort of trashy prime-time soap I would normally avoid. But I'm a sucker for a Romeo and Juliet rip-off, and I'm glad I am because I really liked the show. Good acting, good writing, very stylish design and photography. Like The OC, they're giving equal weight to the teen and adult stories, which is good because the politics of the DA vs. the porn industry is far more interesting than the limp teen romance. That said, I like the leads, and I'm curious to see how they keep the whole star-crossed lovers thing going for a full season or more. And like I said back in my fall preview, at series' end they'd better both die.
As for the women... There doesn't seem to be a Zora in the bunch, or a Mojo for that matter. They all seem dumb and shallow and trashy and spoiled, but in an extremely bland way, with nothing to set them apart but their accents. It was sort of fun watching a bunch of European women reacting to David being a "cowboy" (and, as Hosty McUseless called him, the son of "an oil tycoon who made a fortune in the oil business"), which one of them said is like saying he's Santa Claus. They all seem uniformly bitchy and snobby. But every time Paul or the Foxerific announcer says "We've found 14 women who've never heard of Joe Millionaire," I find myself adding, "living in caves with the Taliban." I mean, this is one aspect of American culture I'm glad hasn't spawned itself throughout the rest of the world (and there are many I wish hadn't), but at one point the drunken whores broke into a stirring rendition of the Dallas theme, so how out of it can they really be?
A lot of last season's enjoyment came from the sense that the girls (Zora aside) were so dumb and spoiled that they deserved to be deceived. But as trashy as the girls are this time, David seems to be the dumbest one there. He's definitely the prettiest (in some cases by a long shot). And I'll buy the premise that the women have never heard of the show and maybe never even seen any of the Bachelor clones, but David has no excuse to be crying (in the ads for later in the season) about how hard this all is after seeing Evan do the exact same thing.
So I hate them all. The magic is gone. I'm sure I'll watch it again, but probably on mute so that David remains attractive (most of the women get subtitles anyway, because the producers apparently think we're too dumb to understand their not-very-thick accents), and it's off my DVR's record list.
Then there's Skin, which seemed like it would be exactly the sort of trashy prime-time soap I would normally avoid. But I'm a sucker for a Romeo and Juliet rip-off, and I'm glad I am because I really liked the show. Good acting, good writing, very stylish design and photography. Like The OC, they're giving equal weight to the teen and adult stories, which is good because the politics of the DA vs. the porn industry is far more interesting than the limp teen romance. That said, I like the leads, and I'm curious to see how they keep the whole star-crossed lovers thing going for a full season or more. And like I said back in my fall preview, at series' end they'd better both die.
Well, that didn't take long!
NBC just announced that they've pulled Coupling until December. I'm still sort of mystefied about how they managed to screw this one up, but to those of you who haven't seen it (or who've only seen the NBC version), I say again: go rent the brilliant UK DVDs.
Someone else's take on customer service
Lest there be any doubt that this man is my hero.
Old Comments
good points, but who is this? i felt like i was missing some background.
me | Email | Homepage | 10.21.03 - 11:00 am | #
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I'm sorry, did you just ask me who BOY GEORGE is???
Adam807 | Email | Homepage | 10.21.03 - 12:43 pm | #
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He lived on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific during some formative '80s years. It makes things very confusing for him sometimes.
mcm | Email | Homepage | 10.21.03 - 3:57 pm | #
Old Comments
good points, but who is this? i felt like i was missing some background.
me | Email | Homepage | 10.21.03 - 11:00 am | #
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I'm sorry, did you just ask me who BOY GEORGE is???
Adam807 | Email | Homepage | 10.21.03 - 12:43 pm | #
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He lived on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific during some formative '80s years. It makes things very confusing for him sometimes.
mcm | Email | Homepage | 10.21.03 - 3:57 pm | #
Sunday, October 19, 2003
Random Thoughts
So I'm watching Talk Sex With Sue Johanson, and she's demonstrating (with her hand, thank god!), a dildo with a camera in the end of it, in order to see inside your orifice of choice. I have no joke, I'm just kind of speechless.
In other news, I've just learned of a Netflix-like site for video games. Since new Gamecube games cost about $50 and few are worth playing again after I've finished them, this seems like a really great plan. But I fear that if I sign up I'll never leave the house or get anything productive done again. If I stop blogging suddenly, you'll all know why.
In other news, I've just learned of a Netflix-like site for video games. Since new Gamecube games cost about $50 and few are worth playing again after I've finished them, this seems like a really great plan. But I fear that if I sign up I'll never leave the house or get anything productive done again. If I stop blogging suddenly, you'll all know why.
I hope the real CIA isn't this dumb...
I've been very unhappy with Alias this season. It's still one of the best shows on television, but that just means I hold it to a higher standard. By now I'm used to the show surprising me by taking 180° turns in its mythology, so when last season ended with the cliffhanger that Sydney had lost two years of her life I wasn't the least bit surprised, and trusted JJ Abrams to make it all make sense.
But it just seems like everyone's become stupid during the two years that Sydney was away. I mean, we all know (and the characters do too) that Sloane and Sark and maybe Irina were responsible for the big fight that left Sydney unconscious at the end of last season. But now some other evil group we've never heard of is now believed to be responsible for Sydney's lost time. What, and they just happened to drop by to kidnap her and burn her house down right at the same moment that the other super-villains conveniently took her out of commission? Does no one at the CIA watch television?
As a loyal viewer, I got really invested in the Rimbaldi storyline, the one constant through the various twists and turns of Sloane and SD-6. To have it blown off with one line of exposition after the summer hiatus feels cheap. This is what Sloan has been obsessed over for his whole life, and what the show had supposedly building up to for 2 years, and there's no payoff at all?
Meanwhile, in the land of new characters, Mrs. Vaughn is so clearly evil it's painful. I'm not saying this because I'm all that upset about the whole Syd and Vaughn thing, but just because -- well, look at her, listen to her, how could she not be??! Of course, we all know that in the world of Alias, "obvious" rarely is, but I just really want her to be evil and die badly. Her hair is too shiny to be good. I think it's not the character, but the actress who bugs me.
But tonight things started to come together, and the show seemed to hit its old stride. I was extremely excited by [spoiler]
So things are looking up, and there's a crop of new premieres this week, so life is good. It's a good thing I don't have a job or anything to eat up my free time.
Old Comments:
I haven't watched last night's Alias yet, so I haven't read the spoiler section or know what you are excited about, but I still have faith. I haven't let go of the idea that Sloane and Co. are still at play in this some how. I mean, why keep Sark and Sloane around if they aren't still going to come into play? I could be way off, so we'll see. Oh, and also, I hate Mrs. Vaughn.
Carrie | Email | Homepage | 10.20.03 - 10:13 am | #
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Oh, I have complete faith that Sloane is involved, I'm just baffled that the other characters don't as well.
Adam875 | Email | Homepage | 10.20.03 - 11:58 am | #
But it just seems like everyone's become stupid during the two years that Sydney was away. I mean, we all know (and the characters do too) that Sloane and Sark and maybe Irina were responsible for the big fight that left Sydney unconscious at the end of last season. But now some other evil group we've never heard of is now believed to be responsible for Sydney's lost time. What, and they just happened to drop by to kidnap her and burn her house down right at the same moment that the other super-villains conveniently took her out of commission? Does no one at the CIA watch television?
As a loyal viewer, I got really invested in the Rimbaldi storyline, the one constant through the various twists and turns of Sloane and SD-6. To have it blown off with one line of exposition after the summer hiatus feels cheap. This is what Sloan has been obsessed over for his whole life, and what the show had supposedly building up to for 2 years, and there's no payoff at all?
Meanwhile, in the land of new characters, Mrs. Vaughn is so clearly evil it's painful. I'm not saying this because I'm all that upset about the whole Syd and Vaughn thing, but just because -- well, look at her, listen to her, how could she not be??! Of course, we all know that in the world of Alias, "obvious" rarely is, but I just really want her to be evil and die badly. Her hair is too shiny to be good. I think it's not the character, but the actress who bugs me.
But tonight things started to come together, and the show seemed to hit its old stride. I was extremely excited by [spoiler]
So things are looking up, and there's a crop of new premieres this week, so life is good. It's a good thing I don't have a job or anything to eat up my free time.
Old Comments:
I haven't watched last night's Alias yet, so I haven't read the spoiler section or know what you are excited about, but I still have faith. I haven't let go of the idea that Sloane and Co. are still at play in this some how. I mean, why keep Sark and Sloane around if they aren't still going to come into play? I could be way off, so we'll see. Oh, and also, I hate Mrs. Vaughn.
Carrie | Email | Homepage | 10.20.03 - 10:13 am | #
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Oh, I have complete faith that Sloane is involved, I'm just baffled that the other characters don't as well.
Adam875 | Email | Homepage | 10.20.03 - 11:58 am | #
Get off the road, you glasses-wearing pony-tailed freak!
Last night (or rather, early this morning), Not Another Teen Movie was on HBO. I flipped to it to kill ten minutes, and Boy and I wound up watching the whole thing. Again. It's an embarrassing movie to like, but no more so than the movies it spoofs, almost all of which I've also seen.
And it spoofs them so entertainingly that it's sort of impossible not to enjoy. It's not brilliant stuff, but I love it for sheer randomness, in the form of albino folk singers, retarded football players, and cheerleaders with Tourette's. Not that I'm all about the medical malady humor. There's a running gag of people off-camera shouting incredibly odd things at the people on-screen. It's definitely a "you had to be there" kind of joke, but Boy and I laughed at it until 3 am. It's just an intensely silly movie, and I'm a big fan of intensely silly. It's also a little bit cruel, and we all know how I like my pop-culture cruel.
Then there's intensely violent, and less-fun cruelty. This afternoon, as if for balance (though we'd planned it days ago), Boy and I went to see Kill Bill. I'd never actually seen a Quentin Tarantino film before; I've just never really been interested. (This tends to surprise people, but trust me there are far more surprising things I've never seen in my Netflix queue, which has just topped 400 -- I'd like to be a proper film geek but I just don't have the time or money.) The hype around Kill Bill, plus my affection for Lucy Liu, Boy's desire to see it, and my local theater's $4.50 matinees made me interested in this one.
I never thought I wouldn't like it, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I'd been warned that because of the way the film was never intended to be in two parts, "Volume 1" doesn't really have an ending, and I thought this would annoy me. But it's not really true. I thought the ending was just fine for a film you know has a sequel coming, a clear end of an act. At the same time, I can't think of anything that I would have wanted cut, even during the [spoiler #1], and yet if the film had been twice as long it would have been kind of relentless.
It's just a highly entertaining and beautifully shot film. I've never seen such inspired use of [spoiler #2]. Every shot was probably a reference to something I didn't get, but it didn't matter at all. I got totally wrapped up in the world of the film, and cared about the characters. I've never had any opinion about Uma Thurman one way or another, but she's kinda fabulous in this. And it's either some of the most impressive stunt work by regular actors I've ever seen, or some of the best editing of stuntpeople I've ever seen.
I'm a little afraid that I might actually become a Tarantino fan. I've always had the sense that he's incredibly vain and self-indulgent. Owen Gleiberman, whose reviews in Entertainment Weekly I usually enjoy, sounded like he'd been brainwashed by a cult in his review of Kill Bill. I hate to join that cult, but I suspect that's just my contrary nature coming out. So for now I'm going to rent Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction and say that I can't wait for "Volume 2!"
Old Comments:
I've actually read that some "industry insiders" hypothesize that Tarantino secretly always intended for it to be two movies - given the length of script/amount of footage that was shot, and his apparent lack of concern that he seemed to be making a 4+ hour movie (b/c only Altman's allowed to do that!).
I think you'll like Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, btw. Just my two cents.
mcm | Email | Homepage | 10.20.03 - 9:56 am | #
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dude, your spoilercall links aren't working.
i saw it over the weekend too, and wow. i liked it, but i actually like tarantino's dialogue, which was, well, missing from 'kill bill'. there's lots more quentin to see, and personally i don't think this one even touched 'pulp fiction', which i really want to rewatch now.
go reorder your netflix list and enjoy.
me | Email | Homepage | 10.20.03 - 11:26 am | #
And it spoofs them so entertainingly that it's sort of impossible not to enjoy. It's not brilliant stuff, but I love it for sheer randomness, in the form of albino folk singers, retarded football players, and cheerleaders with Tourette's. Not that I'm all about the medical malady humor. There's a running gag of people off-camera shouting incredibly odd things at the people on-screen. It's definitely a "you had to be there" kind of joke, but Boy and I laughed at it until 3 am. It's just an intensely silly movie, and I'm a big fan of intensely silly. It's also a little bit cruel, and we all know how I like my pop-culture cruel.
Then there's intensely violent, and less-fun cruelty. This afternoon, as if for balance (though we'd planned it days ago), Boy and I went to see Kill Bill. I'd never actually seen a Quentin Tarantino film before; I've just never really been interested. (This tends to surprise people, but trust me there are far more surprising things I've never seen in my Netflix queue, which has just topped 400 -- I'd like to be a proper film geek but I just don't have the time or money.) The hype around Kill Bill, plus my affection for Lucy Liu, Boy's desire to see it, and my local theater's $4.50 matinees made me interested in this one.
I never thought I wouldn't like it, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I'd been warned that because of the way the film was never intended to be in two parts, "Volume 1" doesn't really have an ending, and I thought this would annoy me. But it's not really true. I thought the ending was just fine for a film you know has a sequel coming, a clear end of an act. At the same time, I can't think of anything that I would have wanted cut, even during the [spoiler #1], and yet if the film had been twice as long it would have been kind of relentless.
It's just a highly entertaining and beautifully shot film. I've never seen such inspired use of [spoiler #2]. Every shot was probably a reference to something I didn't get, but it didn't matter at all. I got totally wrapped up in the world of the film, and cared about the characters. I've never had any opinion about Uma Thurman one way or another, but she's kinda fabulous in this. And it's either some of the most impressive stunt work by regular actors I've ever seen, or some of the best editing of stuntpeople I've ever seen.
I'm a little afraid that I might actually become a Tarantino fan. I've always had the sense that he's incredibly vain and self-indulgent. Owen Gleiberman, whose reviews in Entertainment Weekly I usually enjoy, sounded like he'd been brainwashed by a cult in his review of Kill Bill. I hate to join that cult, but I suspect that's just my contrary nature coming out. So for now I'm going to rent Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction and say that I can't wait for "Volume 2!"
Old Comments:
I've actually read that some "industry insiders" hypothesize that Tarantino secretly always intended for it to be two movies - given the length of script/amount of footage that was shot, and his apparent lack of concern that he seemed to be making a 4+ hour movie (b/c only Altman's allowed to do that!).
I think you'll like Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, btw. Just my two cents.
mcm | Email | Homepage | 10.20.03 - 9:56 am | #
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dude, your spoilercall links aren't working.
i saw it over the weekend too, and wow. i liked it, but i actually like tarantino's dialogue, which was, well, missing from 'kill bill'. there's lots more quentin to see, and personally i don't think this one even touched 'pulp fiction', which i really want to rewatch now.
go reorder your netflix list and enjoy.
me | Email | Homepage | 10.20.03 - 11:26 am | #
Talking Food
M&Ms has a fun thing on their website where you can vote for your favorite M&M commercials. I love M&M commercials, not just because they're usually funny and feature interesting guest stars, but because I have serious issues with talking food.
But Adam, I hear you thinking, the M&M commercials feature, um, talking M&Ms don't they?
Well yes, but I should be more specific: I have issues with talking food that wants to be eaten.
When I was a kid there was an ad with a claymation potato sitting on a couch and complaining to the camera that she wasn't "good enough" to be in a particular brand's frozen French fries. She seemed really hurt. Isn't this a good thing? I mean, I know actual potatoes don't have such feelings, but if you're going to be anthropomorphized, I should think you'd want to stay alive for a while and enjoy your TV and knitting.
The California Raisins were fun and all, but ultimately they were selling the public on eating their own kind.
The latest offender I've seen is this commercial for Warm and Chewy Chips Ahoy, in which claymation cookies sing, while they're in the microwave, about how they're about to die. Granted, this doesn't fall into the category of food that wants to be eaten, but it does fall into the category of things that creep me the fuck out! It makes me absolutely not want to go anywhere near those cookies. (Maybe the real enemy is claymation!)
Back in the day, the M&Ms themselves went to boot camp to become the best M&Ms they could so they'd be fit for consumption. (And they ran around naked, which never made sense to me.) But now the Ms have seen the error of their ways, and they address my bizarre issues and speak out for talking food everywhere. They don't want to be eaten, they actively resist capture and fear for their very chocolaty lives. These are some smart and sassy little candies.
Curiously, this only makes me want to eat them more. Well, the real ones. I feel very protective of the talking ones. But their tiny little bretheren are fair game.
I have so many issues.
(In case anyone is wondering, I voted for Hotel for best performance, Lick for best ensemble, Floor for best fall, Vending Machine for best action sequence, and Valentine for both best entrance, and best overall commercial. Yeah, along with issues, I have much too much free time right now.)
Old Comments:
Food that wants to be eaten has not entered the breakfast food commercial. I always thought that cereal commercials were out to create generations of paranoiacs. In every one, every time someone sits down to eat a bowl, all kinds of thieves and monsters pop up to swipe it. Lordy.
David | Email | Homepage | 10.19.03 - 6:01 pm | #
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True. And I've always been bothered by the Trix Rabbit, who seems to exist to teach children that sharing is bad and ridiculing those who are different than you is good.
Adam875 | Email | Homepage | 10.19.03 - 6:45 pm | #
But Adam, I hear you thinking, the M&M commercials feature, um, talking M&Ms don't they?
Well yes, but I should be more specific: I have issues with talking food that wants to be eaten.
When I was a kid there was an ad with a claymation potato sitting on a couch and complaining to the camera that she wasn't "good enough" to be in a particular brand's frozen French fries. She seemed really hurt. Isn't this a good thing? I mean, I know actual potatoes don't have such feelings, but if you're going to be anthropomorphized, I should think you'd want to stay alive for a while and enjoy your TV and knitting.
The California Raisins were fun and all, but ultimately they were selling the public on eating their own kind.
The latest offender I've seen is this commercial for Warm and Chewy Chips Ahoy, in which claymation cookies sing, while they're in the microwave, about how they're about to die. Granted, this doesn't fall into the category of food that wants to be eaten, but it does fall into the category of things that creep me the fuck out! It makes me absolutely not want to go anywhere near those cookies. (Maybe the real enemy is claymation!)
Back in the day, the M&Ms themselves went to boot camp to become the best M&Ms they could so they'd be fit for consumption. (And they ran around naked, which never made sense to me.) But now the Ms have seen the error of their ways, and they address my bizarre issues and speak out for talking food everywhere. They don't want to be eaten, they actively resist capture and fear for their very chocolaty lives. These are some smart and sassy little candies.
Curiously, this only makes me want to eat them more. Well, the real ones. I feel very protective of the talking ones. But their tiny little bretheren are fair game.
I have so many issues.
(In case anyone is wondering, I voted for Hotel for best performance, Lick for best ensemble, Floor for best fall, Vending Machine for best action sequence, and Valentine for both best entrance, and best overall commercial. Yeah, along with issues, I have much too much free time right now.)
Old Comments:
Food that wants to be eaten has not entered the breakfast food commercial. I always thought that cereal commercials were out to create generations of paranoiacs. In every one, every time someone sits down to eat a bowl, all kinds of thieves and monsters pop up to swipe it. Lordy.
David | Email | Homepage | 10.19.03 - 6:01 pm | #
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True. And I've always been bothered by the Trix Rabbit, who seems to exist to teach children that sharing is bad and ridiculing those who are different than you is good.
Adam875 | Email | Homepage | 10.19.03 - 6:45 pm | #
Saturday, October 18, 2003
In the Cell Phone of Good and Evil
I was on a fairly empty 7 train today, and a young woman across from me was talking on a cell phone. An older (and by that I mean older than the phone user and I, but certainly not a senior citizen) woman sitting next to me suddenly screamed, "Put the phone away, please! You’re very rude!!"
Now, I'm not one of those people who thinks that pointing out bad etiquette is the height of bad etiquette; I shush people in movie theaters and stuff like that, and I am a master of the Evil Glare (tm). But I do think it's much more rude to yelp at someone else on the subway than to talk in a normal voice on a cell phone. And that was the really odd part of the outburst: While we've certainly all seen people shouting into their phones on the street or disturbing the peace in a restaurant this woman was talking in, if anything, a lower than normal "outside voice." I couldn’t really hear her at all over the sound of the train itself. Certainly not over the shrill shrieking of the woman to my right.
It's not considered rude to talk to your traveling companion on the subway, so when did the cell phone itself become such an object of scorn? One could argue that talker was actually making less noise than if she'd been having a live conversation, since there was only one of her! Was the angry woman maybe just annoyed because she couldn't eavesdrop on the one-sided conversation? I wonder if that's the key: It's not rude to converse in public, as long as those around you can listen in?
I wanted to ask the screamer these questions, or at least point out how quietly the phone user was talking and that she didn’t deserve to be yelped at by a total stranger, but of course fear of tipping a clearly unstable woman even more off-balance and the undeniable fact that it was none of my business kept my mouth shut. Then she said to Cell Girl, who had wisely ignored her as well, "Fucking peasant!" and I knew I had made the right choice.
In some weird twist of (bad) karma, when I changed trains I was trapped in a crowded car with a small child -- a boy of about two or three -- who was playing with what I assume was a parent's cell phone. And he knew how to play its ring. The "1812 Overture." Disco version. Over and over and over again. Buy the child a damn toy!!! If anyone else's head was going to explode along with mine they showed no signs of it, and I wondered how that was possible. I actually wished the mean lady had changed trains with me, just to see what she’d do. I gave the kid an Evil Glare (tm) (his parents' backs were to me so I couldn’t EG them), and he actually closed the phone and looked at me sort of sheepishly. Ah, yes, train them young! I smiled at him, 'cause he was admittedly adorable, and for a second felt bad about giving the EG to a toddler. Then he opened the phone and played the 1812 again and all remorse fled.
The kid didn’t even really look like he was enjoying himself. He wasn't dancing or singing or even smiling to the music. That would have been cute and melted even my heart of stone. No, he looked very serious. As if it was in fact his sole mission to drive me completely insane.
I wonder if that's how Screaming Lady got that way. Check back with me in ten years, okay?
Now, I'm not one of those people who thinks that pointing out bad etiquette is the height of bad etiquette; I shush people in movie theaters and stuff like that, and I am a master of the Evil Glare (tm). But I do think it's much more rude to yelp at someone else on the subway than to talk in a normal voice on a cell phone. And that was the really odd part of the outburst: While we've certainly all seen people shouting into their phones on the street or disturbing the peace in a restaurant this woman was talking in, if anything, a lower than normal "outside voice." I couldn’t really hear her at all over the sound of the train itself. Certainly not over the shrill shrieking of the woman to my right.
It's not considered rude to talk to your traveling companion on the subway, so when did the cell phone itself become such an object of scorn? One could argue that talker was actually making less noise than if she'd been having a live conversation, since there was only one of her! Was the angry woman maybe just annoyed because she couldn't eavesdrop on the one-sided conversation? I wonder if that's the key: It's not rude to converse in public, as long as those around you can listen in?
I wanted to ask the screamer these questions, or at least point out how quietly the phone user was talking and that she didn’t deserve to be yelped at by a total stranger, but of course fear of tipping a clearly unstable woman even more off-balance and the undeniable fact that it was none of my business kept my mouth shut. Then she said to Cell Girl, who had wisely ignored her as well, "Fucking peasant!" and I knew I had made the right choice.
In some weird twist of (bad) karma, when I changed trains I was trapped in a crowded car with a small child -- a boy of about two or three -- who was playing with what I assume was a parent's cell phone. And he knew how to play its ring. The "1812 Overture." Disco version. Over and over and over again. Buy the child a damn toy!!! If anyone else's head was going to explode along with mine they showed no signs of it, and I wondered how that was possible. I actually wished the mean lady had changed trains with me, just to see what she’d do. I gave the kid an Evil Glare (tm) (his parents' backs were to me so I couldn’t EG them), and he actually closed the phone and looked at me sort of sheepishly. Ah, yes, train them young! I smiled at him, 'cause he was admittedly adorable, and for a second felt bad about giving the EG to a toddler. Then he opened the phone and played the 1812 again and all remorse fled.
The kid didn’t even really look like he was enjoying himself. He wasn't dancing or singing or even smiling to the music. That would have been cute and melted even my heart of stone. No, he looked very serious. As if it was in fact his sole mission to drive me completely insane.
I wonder if that's how Screaming Lady got that way. Check back with me in ten years, okay?
Rise of the Machines, Part Two
I totally want one of these.
I know (as Boy pointed out) this flies in the face of everything I said yesterday about not wanting machines in the house that are smarter than I am, and unlike the Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment Server, the Roomba can actually move about under its own power. But it's just so cool!
Boy is convinced that when you leave the house, the Roomba will sprout knives and lasers and kill your pets. Or (and this one is much more frighteningly plausible) take readings on the layout of your apartment and beam them to criminals. In the annals of science fiction, from The Matrix to Planet of the Apes, isn't it always the "helpful" robots (or descendents of time-traveling monkeys) we bring into our homes that rise up and destroy us?
Does it say more about me or about our tech-dependent society and the power of advertising that my desire for cool new toys outweighs my perfectly reasonable fear of a machine takeover? And what does it say about my enslavement to pop culture that I think that a fear of a machine takeover is reasonable?
But it's just so cool! It cleans under the furniture! While you're not even home!
Really, I want it because I think it's cool, not because I'm lazy.
Well, okay, yeah, it's because I'm lazy. I'd be a clean-freak if I were less lazy, so really this seems like a good purchase. And that's worth bringing on the extinction of humankind, right?
(In all seriousness, this article about the unfulfilled promise of consumer robotics is pretty interesting. Yeah, I'm a nerd. A big consumer nerd. Shut up.)
I know (as Boy pointed out) this flies in the face of everything I said yesterday about not wanting machines in the house that are smarter than I am, and unlike the Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment Server, the Roomba can actually move about under its own power. But it's just so cool!
Boy is convinced that when you leave the house, the Roomba will sprout knives and lasers and kill your pets. Or (and this one is much more frighteningly plausible) take readings on the layout of your apartment and beam them to criminals. In the annals of science fiction, from The Matrix to Planet of the Apes, isn't it always the "helpful" robots (or descendents of time-traveling monkeys) we bring into our homes that rise up and destroy us?
Does it say more about me or about our tech-dependent society and the power of advertising that my desire for cool new toys outweighs my perfectly reasonable fear of a machine takeover? And what does it say about my enslavement to pop culture that I think that a fear of a machine takeover is reasonable?
But it's just so cool! It cleans under the furniture! While you're not even home!
Really, I want it because I think it's cool, not because I'm lazy.
Well, okay, yeah, it's because I'm lazy. I'd be a clean-freak if I were less lazy, so really this seems like a good purchase. And that's worth bringing on the extinction of humankind, right?
(In all seriousness, this article about the unfulfilled promise of consumer robotics is pretty interesting. Yeah, I'm a nerd. A big consumer nerd. Shut up.)
Friday, October 17, 2003
Rise of the Machines
So it's been a little over a month now since I got my DVR. Or, more accurately, my Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment Server.
And I'm enjoying it, but I’m also kinda terrified of it. Doesn't that name sound like a joke from Futurama? I mean, I love tech toys, but there's also a point where I start to get a little creeped out in a Maximum Overdrive sort of way. The remote, for instance, controls everything in my house. Seriously, I can microwave popcorn from the couch. If I leave food out on the coffee table overnight, it's gone in the morning, and I don't have a pet. Well, I guess I do now!
It does not do the thing I was most afraid of, that I heard somewhere TiVo does do: recommending shows it thinks I might like. This is a relief, because if it's anything like the recommendations system on Amazon we'd have trouble. (You buy a perfectly innocent David Sedaris book and it's like some buzzer goes off that says "Oooh, we've got a gay!" and for the rest of eternity it recommends every crappy gay novel ever published. Just because I like reading people who are smart and funny and happen to be homosexual doesn't make me queer. And just because I am queer doesn't mean I want to read a "a story of teen love, steamy romance, friendship, loyalty, understanding, and an ancient prejudice that still has the power to kill. ...A tale that breaks the stereotypes of the ignorant and peers into the soul of two boys who want what we all want; to love and be loved. The story of...two sixteen-year-old high school athletes, a tale of love and happiness torn asunder by a world that understands too late." (I didn't make that up, but I'm not going to link to it because I don't want to give it that much validation.) And anyway, I'm sure that not everyone who buys The Object of My Affection, thinking it will have something to do with Jennifer Aniston, also wants The Joy of Hot Man-Sex. On the other side of the spectrum, lord help me now that I've clicked on the Olsen Twins' game.)
But I digress. Unfortunately, I don't seem to need a machine to fill the recommendations function, I'm quite capable of destroying all free time myself. I decided on the second day that it would be a good idea to record shows that I really enjoy but often miss and don't care about enough to spend time and space taping on actual tapes. This requires very little effort. The Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment Server will now record Family Guy, the UK Coupling, Graham Norton, The Daily Show, South Park and The Sunday Night Sex Show, and while they're rerunning the Ritter episodes, 8 Simple Rules whenever they're on. And if I run out of room on the drive and haven't watched them yet, they will delete themselves, so it's no big deal to over-tape.
What I didn't think through when I set this up, is that there's now no such thing as nothing on. There's an excellent chance that I will always have something stored away on my little DVR. I've barely left the couch all week. I know in theory I could cancel all the timers and go back to my old channel-flipping ways, but...well, I don't think I have the strength to fight the Explorer 8000. I think it was the brains behind Arnold's victory. [I'm gladly accepting submissions for a better joke, by the way!]
The machine seems to offer a friendly level of control, though if I'm not careful I'll wind up taping Queer Eye all seventeen times it's used as filler for Bravo's overall lack of programming, and I'm worried about what else it might do when I'm not looking. The brochure calls it "A machine that thinks," and I'm fairly certain that one of the things the display said while booting up was "HAL." I'm not kidding. "Dave? What are you doing, Dave? I think you do want to watch that 90210 rerun, Dave. Donna, Donna, give me your answer, do...."
I'm sure I'm being ridiculous, but I'm nervous about having any machine in the house that's smarter than me...or is not as smart as me but still thinks it knows what I want. I really feel like the remote could strangle me in my sleep if I'm not careful. It's all very Terminator 3.
"Sarah Connor? Watch TV if you want to live."
Old Comments:
Why is it that when I worry that the robotic vacuum cleaner might take over the house you laugh at me, but then you go all Maximum Overdrive about the DVR? ;P
And I also note you (for the sake of decency) refuse to link that awful teen gay romance novel (Right here!), but you include two (TWO!) links on your blog to the Mary Kate and Ashley Video game?
I think your judg(e)ment about what is REALLY dangerous is faulty.
boy | Email | Homepage | 10.17.03 - 8:39 pm | #
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Well, I was laughing because you're funny, not because the notion of the RoboVac taking over the world is funny. You just presented it in an amusing manner. There's a forthcoming post about the Roomba and how its coolness just taunts my robot fears.
As for Mary Kate and Ashley, I only link to the game once. The link in this post is to that other post, not to Amazon.
Adam875 | Email | Homepage | 10.17.03 - 9:43 pm | #
And I'm enjoying it, but I’m also kinda terrified of it. Doesn't that name sound like a joke from Futurama? I mean, I love tech toys, but there's also a point where I start to get a little creeped out in a Maximum Overdrive sort of way. The remote, for instance, controls everything in my house. Seriously, I can microwave popcorn from the couch. If I leave food out on the coffee table overnight, it's gone in the morning, and I don't have a pet. Well, I guess I do now!
It does not do the thing I was most afraid of, that I heard somewhere TiVo does do: recommending shows it thinks I might like. This is a relief, because if it's anything like the recommendations system on Amazon we'd have trouble. (You buy a perfectly innocent David Sedaris book and it's like some buzzer goes off that says "Oooh, we've got a gay!" and for the rest of eternity it recommends every crappy gay novel ever published. Just because I like reading people who are smart and funny and happen to be homosexual doesn't make me queer. And just because I am queer doesn't mean I want to read a "a story of teen love, steamy romance, friendship, loyalty, understanding, and an ancient prejudice that still has the power to kill. ...A tale that breaks the stereotypes of the ignorant and peers into the soul of two boys who want what we all want; to love and be loved. The story of...two sixteen-year-old high school athletes, a tale of love and happiness torn asunder by a world that understands too late." (I didn't make that up, but I'm not going to link to it because I don't want to give it that much validation.) And anyway, I'm sure that not everyone who buys The Object of My Affection, thinking it will have something to do with Jennifer Aniston, also wants The Joy of Hot Man-Sex. On the other side of the spectrum, lord help me now that I've clicked on the Olsen Twins' game.)
But I digress. Unfortunately, I don't seem to need a machine to fill the recommendations function, I'm quite capable of destroying all free time myself. I decided on the second day that it would be a good idea to record shows that I really enjoy but often miss and don't care about enough to spend time and space taping on actual tapes. This requires very little effort. The Explorer 8000 Home Entertainment Server will now record Family Guy, the UK Coupling, Graham Norton, The Daily Show, South Park and The Sunday Night Sex Show, and while they're rerunning the Ritter episodes, 8 Simple Rules whenever they're on. And if I run out of room on the drive and haven't watched them yet, they will delete themselves, so it's no big deal to over-tape.
What I didn't think through when I set this up, is that there's now no such thing as nothing on. There's an excellent chance that I will always have something stored away on my little DVR. I've barely left the couch all week. I know in theory I could cancel all the timers and go back to my old channel-flipping ways, but...well, I don't think I have the strength to fight the Explorer 8000. I think it was the brains behind Arnold's victory. [I'm gladly accepting submissions for a better joke, by the way!]
The machine seems to offer a friendly level of control, though if I'm not careful I'll wind up taping Queer Eye all seventeen times it's used as filler for Bravo's overall lack of programming, and I'm worried about what else it might do when I'm not looking. The brochure calls it "A machine that thinks," and I'm fairly certain that one of the things the display said while booting up was "HAL." I'm not kidding. "Dave? What are you doing, Dave? I think you do want to watch that 90210 rerun, Dave. Donna, Donna, give me your answer, do...."
I'm sure I'm being ridiculous, but I'm nervous about having any machine in the house that's smarter than me...or is not as smart as me but still thinks it knows what I want. I really feel like the remote could strangle me in my sleep if I'm not careful. It's all very Terminator 3.
"Sarah Connor? Watch TV if you want to live."
Old Comments:
Why is it that when I worry that the robotic vacuum cleaner might take over the house you laugh at me, but then you go all Maximum Overdrive about the DVR? ;P
And I also note you (for the sake of decency) refuse to link that awful teen gay romance novel (Right here!), but you include two (TWO!) links on your blog to the Mary Kate and Ashley Video game?
I think your judg(e)ment about what is REALLY dangerous is faulty.
boy | Email | Homepage | 10.17.03 - 8:39 pm | #
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Well, I was laughing because you're funny, not because the notion of the RoboVac taking over the world is funny. You just presented it in an amusing manner. There's a forthcoming post about the Roomba and how its coolness just taunts my robot fears.
As for Mary Kate and Ashley, I only link to the game once. The link in this post is to that other post, not to Amazon.
Adam875 | Email | Homepage | 10.17.03 - 9:43 pm | #
TV Executives Are Stupid
MAK was kind enough to link to this article this morning, confirming that baseball is the reason for all the reruns this week. (Not that I didn't believe MCM when she said it, but CNN has quotes.)
And that's fine, and understandable. It's why we have to wait til the end of the month for 24 and The OC (bitch) because Fox is airing the actual baseball instead, as they do every year.
But what I don't get is why the World Series seems to have been a surprise to the NBC and CBS execs. I know when it is and I couldn't have any less interest in baseball. I also know that lots and lots of people watch the World Series (and playoffs), to the detrement of other shows' ratings, and I don't work in television either.
So why must they toy with our emotions by announcing new shows, only to slap us in the face with a Whoopi that was bad by even Whoopi's standards? So mean!
And that's fine, and understandable. It's why we have to wait til the end of the month for 24 and The OC (bitch) because Fox is airing the actual baseball instead, as they do every year.
But what I don't get is why the World Series seems to have been a surprise to the NBC and CBS execs. I know when it is and I couldn't have any less interest in baseball. I also know that lots and lots of people watch the World Series (and playoffs), to the detrement of other shows' ratings, and I don't work in television either.
So why must they toy with our emotions by announcing new shows, only to slap us in the face with a Whoopi that was bad by even Whoopi's standards? So mean!
Thursday, October 16, 2003
Ludicrous!
Does anyone know what happened to NBC this week? They announced a full schedule of new stuff and instead they're showing all reruns. Reruns three weeks into the season? It's absurd! What a tease!
For god's sake, I was forced to watch Whoopi again!
Anyone know what the deal is?
Old Comments:
Baseball, dude. It's all about the baseball - last night was a pivotal (if ultimately DEPRESSING) game.
mcm | Email | Homepage | 10.17.03 - 9:56 am | #
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Yeah, but it's not like NBC didn't *know* there'd be a game. Yes, I know there might not have been a 7th or whatever, but they shouldn't have announced a week of new eps and then pulled them! Bastards!
Adam807 | Email | Homepage | 10.17.03 - 11:12 am | #
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very, very depressing.
me | Email | Homepage | 10.17.03 - 3:43 pm | #
For god's sake, I was forced to watch Whoopi again!
Anyone know what the deal is?
Old Comments:
Baseball, dude. It's all about the baseball - last night was a pivotal (if ultimately DEPRESSING) game.
mcm | Email | Homepage | 10.17.03 - 9:56 am | #
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Yeah, but it's not like NBC didn't *know* there'd be a game. Yes, I know there might not have been a 7th or whatever, but they shouldn't have announced a week of new eps and then pulled them! Bastards!
Adam807 | Email | Homepage | 10.17.03 - 11:12 am | #
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very, very depressing.
me | Email | Homepage | 10.17.03 - 3:43 pm | #
When Toys Attack
So September was not a good month for me and customer service. Yes, it's rant time!
I got a new Palm Pilot in December. It had more memory than my old one and was all shiny and happy.
Until mid-spring, when the digitizer started to fail. It started small, little drifts in the screen's calibration so I'd have to click a button a little off-center for it to take. Then Graffiti (the handwriting recognition program with which you enter data into a Palm) started to mess up. I went to their website for tech support and found a software patch that addressed the problem. I installed it and it helped for a little while, but the problem soon came back, and by May I was unable to write anything. I tried e-mailing them, but they must have the same people reading e-mails as Amazon because they said if I was having problems with Graffiti that there was a tutorial built right in to the Palm! Really? Thanks, 'cause I haven't been using one of these for three years now.
So I called tech support, and a very nice and helpful man told me that the only thing for me to do was to mail the Palm in to them for repair and have it mailed back to me. Now, the Palm of course is an organizer. It's pretty much designed to be indispensable. If you use the way it's meant to be used, you're not going to be real happy about being without it for a week.
I said to the tech support guy, "So, this patch on your website...that kinda implies that you guys knew something was wrong with these units."
"Um...yeah. There was a problem with the digitizer on some of those models. The patch works for a lot of people, but not for everyone. We need to fix it here."
"So basically what you're telling me is that Palm shipped and sold faulty merchandise, and now I have to be majorly inconvenienced for something that's Palm's fault."
"Well, I'm not exactly telling you that..."
"Right, well I understand that you're not allowed to say that, but I'm right, right?"
"Um...yeah."
"Okay, well I appreciate your honesty and your help. Now what do I do to get this thing back to you...?"
I pulled out my old DayRunner and printed out a month's worth of pages for it from Palm Desktop, hot-synced and backed everything up, and put the Palm in the mail. To their credit, I had it back in three or four days. They'd sent it to my theater (I was working at the time, so none of these crazy UPS issues) via Airborne Express apparently the same day they'd received it. It was all fixed and happy.
Only it wasn't. In August it started to break down again, exactly the same way it had before. Only faster. So I called tech support again. "Yeah, that's a problem with the m125s," they told me. I'd have to send it back again. Once again, the tech support person (this time a woman with a very charming accent) was very casual and nice and straight with me. She reiterated what the first guy had told me about the bug being Palm's fault, and she told me about an upgrade program I could use if I'd had the Palm for a year. Unfortunately, I hadn't had it for a year. "And besides," I asked her, "how do I know this won't happen on another model?" She assured me that the problem was only on the m125s and not even on all of them. "So if I went one model up, in the same series, you can assure me I won't have any problems?" Yes. I asked her to put me through to customer service.
Apparently, all the smart people at Palm work in tech support, and they'll put anyone who can operate a phone in customer service. After explaining my situation I was told that all I could do was a "return-and-repair order." I asked to speak to a supervisor.
After a long wait, during which I assume the man I'd been speaking to was telling my story to his boss and calling me all sorts of nasty names, a lovely-sounding woman came on the line and asked me to explain it all again. Okay, well, I have this Palm, I'm really happy with it except that it keeps not working, and I'm wondering what we can do to fix it since the problem was caused by a bug on your end in the first place. Yadda yadda.
"Okay, sir, no problem. We can just go ahead and start a return-and-repair order."
"But I've done that already."
"Yes."
"And it didn't work."
"I'm very sorry about that, sir."
"I appreciate that. So what can we do about it?"
"Well, I can initiate a return-and-repair order and you can mail it back to us."
"But I already did that and it didn't work."
"That's all I can do for you."
"Even though it doesn't work?"
"Sir, it works just fine, we'll have it back to you in a matter of days via Airborne Express."
"No, I don't mean the system doesn't work, I mean the Palm doesn't work after it's already been 'fixed.' And there's no way to guarantee that if I do this this time it won't break down again?"
"It's very unlikely, sir."
"Wasn't it very unlikely last time?"
"Well, yes."
"I don't mean to be difficult, it's just that...well, it's not like I dropped it or dunked it in water or something. This problem was caused on your end. Palm shipped faulty merchandise, and now I'm suffering for it, so I don't think it's unreasonable to ask if perhaps there is a better way to solve the problem."
"I'm sorry, sir, that's our policy."
"Can you send me a new unit before I send mine back? I know some companies do that with a credit card number so I can't screw you."
"We don't really do that, but hold on." She put me on hold and when she came back she told me that there were no m125s in stock to send me even if she could. Fishy.
"Okay, what about an upgrade? I'm not suggesting you send me a free m130, I'll pay the difference, I just don't trust the m125 anymore, I don't believe that it won't break down again."
"We do have an upgrade program..."
"But I have to have had my Palm for a year."
"That's right."
"And I haven't."
"Oh."
"I've had it for nine months and it's broken twice because of a bug in your software."
"Ah."
"So is there any way we can solve this?"
"Well, I can initiate a repair-and-return..."
Yeah, that would be when I hung up on her.
I repeated this conversation to the manager at my old box office job and she was appalled. The beauty of being in charge is that you sometimes get to bend the rules. Especially when the rules clearly don't work for a given situation, and you're faced with possibly losing a loyal customer. I've often spouted policy at people only to be overruled by my boss. In fact, I've often said to my boss, "I have a really nice person on the phone with a really shitty situation, is there anything I can do for her?" Granted, Palm is a much larger corporation than our little non-profit theater, but that also makes it all the more baffling that there were no other options available.
Since I was willing to spend some money at this point, I devised a plan. I would find a good deal on a new PDA, buy it, transfer all my information, then send back the old one for repair and sell it. The ideal version of this plan involved getting a Handspring or a Sony, but in the end they were too expensive and they had a great deal on a Palm m130 on Overstock.com. (For the record, Overstock's customer service is phenomenal -- of course, that doesn't make for a good story, but I want to give them props amid all my whining). Unlike the customer service people, the tech support folks at Palm had been pretty straight with me. After all, they had both admitted outright that the company had messed up by shipping a buggy product. So I trusted the woman who told me that the m130 was safe, and this way I could keep my case and other accessories since they were the same shape. (Later on, Boy had an experience with Sony's customer service that makes this all look like a walk in the park, so I guess it's for the best that I stuck with the devil I know...though it does often seem like he and I should move to a cabin in the woods without any machines.)
So I got the new model -- rechargeable, color, happy -- and sent the old one in to be fixed. It returned promptly. I can't be 100% sure, but I'm pretty positive that after all that, they sent me a new unit. You know, that they couldn't possibly send out without having my old one back because it wasn't in stock. Bastards.
Still, I suppose all's well that ends well. And if anyone is in the market for a freshly reconditioned Palm m125, you can buy mine here.
Old Comments:
I don't know what's more shameful...that I went so far to plug my Ebay item, or that I actually thought anyone would even consider buying it after reading that.
Well, it's sold now, presumably to someone who doesn't read my blog, so the story ends happily all around.
Adam807 | Email | Homepage | 10.16.03 - 3:06 pm | #
I got a new Palm Pilot in December. It had more memory than my old one and was all shiny and happy.
Until mid-spring, when the digitizer started to fail. It started small, little drifts in the screen's calibration so I'd have to click a button a little off-center for it to take. Then Graffiti (the handwriting recognition program with which you enter data into a Palm) started to mess up. I went to their website for tech support and found a software patch that addressed the problem. I installed it and it helped for a little while, but the problem soon came back, and by May I was unable to write anything. I tried e-mailing them, but they must have the same people reading e-mails as Amazon because they said if I was having problems with Graffiti that there was a tutorial built right in to the Palm! Really? Thanks, 'cause I haven't been using one of these for three years now.
So I called tech support, and a very nice and helpful man told me that the only thing for me to do was to mail the Palm in to them for repair and have it mailed back to me. Now, the Palm of course is an organizer. It's pretty much designed to be indispensable. If you use the way it's meant to be used, you're not going to be real happy about being without it for a week.
I said to the tech support guy, "So, this patch on your website...that kinda implies that you guys knew something was wrong with these units."
"Um...yeah. There was a problem with the digitizer on some of those models. The patch works for a lot of people, but not for everyone. We need to fix it here."
"So basically what you're telling me is that Palm shipped and sold faulty merchandise, and now I have to be majorly inconvenienced for something that's Palm's fault."
"Well, I'm not exactly telling you that..."
"Right, well I understand that you're not allowed to say that, but I'm right, right?"
"Um...yeah."
"Okay, well I appreciate your honesty and your help. Now what do I do to get this thing back to you...?"
I pulled out my old DayRunner and printed out a month's worth of pages for it from Palm Desktop, hot-synced and backed everything up, and put the Palm in the mail. To their credit, I had it back in three or four days. They'd sent it to my theater (I was working at the time, so none of these crazy UPS issues) via Airborne Express apparently the same day they'd received it. It was all fixed and happy.
Only it wasn't. In August it started to break down again, exactly the same way it had before. Only faster. So I called tech support again. "Yeah, that's a problem with the m125s," they told me. I'd have to send it back again. Once again, the tech support person (this time a woman with a very charming accent) was very casual and nice and straight with me. She reiterated what the first guy had told me about the bug being Palm's fault, and she told me about an upgrade program I could use if I'd had the Palm for a year. Unfortunately, I hadn't had it for a year. "And besides," I asked her, "how do I know this won't happen on another model?" She assured me that the problem was only on the m125s and not even on all of them. "So if I went one model up, in the same series, you can assure me I won't have any problems?" Yes. I asked her to put me through to customer service.
Apparently, all the smart people at Palm work in tech support, and they'll put anyone who can operate a phone in customer service. After explaining my situation I was told that all I could do was a "return-and-repair order." I asked to speak to a supervisor.
After a long wait, during which I assume the man I'd been speaking to was telling my story to his boss and calling me all sorts of nasty names, a lovely-sounding woman came on the line and asked me to explain it all again. Okay, well, I have this Palm, I'm really happy with it except that it keeps not working, and I'm wondering what we can do to fix it since the problem was caused by a bug on your end in the first place. Yadda yadda.
"Okay, sir, no problem. We can just go ahead and start a return-and-repair order."
"But I've done that already."
"Yes."
"And it didn't work."
"I'm very sorry about that, sir."
"I appreciate that. So what can we do about it?"
"Well, I can initiate a return-and-repair order and you can mail it back to us."
"But I already did that and it didn't work."
"That's all I can do for you."
"Even though it doesn't work?"
"Sir, it works just fine, we'll have it back to you in a matter of days via Airborne Express."
"No, I don't mean the system doesn't work, I mean the Palm doesn't work after it's already been 'fixed.' And there's no way to guarantee that if I do this this time it won't break down again?"
"It's very unlikely, sir."
"Wasn't it very unlikely last time?"
"Well, yes."
"I don't mean to be difficult, it's just that...well, it's not like I dropped it or dunked it in water or something. This problem was caused on your end. Palm shipped faulty merchandise, and now I'm suffering for it, so I don't think it's unreasonable to ask if perhaps there is a better way to solve the problem."
"I'm sorry, sir, that's our policy."
"Can you send me a new unit before I send mine back? I know some companies do that with a credit card number so I can't screw you."
"We don't really do that, but hold on." She put me on hold and when she came back she told me that there were no m125s in stock to send me even if she could. Fishy.
"Okay, what about an upgrade? I'm not suggesting you send me a free m130, I'll pay the difference, I just don't trust the m125 anymore, I don't believe that it won't break down again."
"We do have an upgrade program..."
"But I have to have had my Palm for a year."
"That's right."
"And I haven't."
"Oh."
"I've had it for nine months and it's broken twice because of a bug in your software."
"Ah."
"So is there any way we can solve this?"
"Well, I can initiate a repair-and-return..."
Yeah, that would be when I hung up on her.
I repeated this conversation to the manager at my old box office job and she was appalled. The beauty of being in charge is that you sometimes get to bend the rules. Especially when the rules clearly don't work for a given situation, and you're faced with possibly losing a loyal customer. I've often spouted policy at people only to be overruled by my boss. In fact, I've often said to my boss, "I have a really nice person on the phone with a really shitty situation, is there anything I can do for her?" Granted, Palm is a much larger corporation than our little non-profit theater, but that also makes it all the more baffling that there were no other options available.
Since I was willing to spend some money at this point, I devised a plan. I would find a good deal on a new PDA, buy it, transfer all my information, then send back the old one for repair and sell it. The ideal version of this plan involved getting a Handspring or a Sony, but in the end they were too expensive and they had a great deal on a Palm m130 on Overstock.com. (For the record, Overstock's customer service is phenomenal -- of course, that doesn't make for a good story, but I want to give them props amid all my whining). Unlike the customer service people, the tech support folks at Palm had been pretty straight with me. After all, they had both admitted outright that the company had messed up by shipping a buggy product. So I trusted the woman who told me that the m130 was safe, and this way I could keep my case and other accessories since they were the same shape. (Later on, Boy had an experience with Sony's customer service that makes this all look like a walk in the park, so I guess it's for the best that I stuck with the devil I know...though it does often seem like he and I should move to a cabin in the woods without any machines.)
So I got the new model -- rechargeable, color, happy -- and sent the old one in to be fixed. It returned promptly. I can't be 100% sure, but I'm pretty positive that after all that, they sent me a new unit. You know, that they couldn't possibly send out without having my old one back because it wasn't in stock. Bastards.
Still, I suppose all's well that ends well. And if anyone is in the market for a freshly reconditioned Palm m125, you can buy mine here.
Old Comments:
I don't know what's more shameful...that I went so far to plug my Ebay item, or that I actually thought anyone would even consider buying it after reading that.
Well, it's sold now, presumably to someone who doesn't read my blog, so the story ends happily all around.
Adam807 | Email | Homepage | 10.16.03 - 3:06 pm | #
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