A Change Could Do You Good
Stub
Check out this tasty image of 40 old ticket stubs (with Spanish writing, maybe?). There's some pleasant type, a few interesting stamps, and some bright colors - the collected lot of them making a pretty mosaic of what would otherwise be thrown away.
(via RVANews)
(via RVANews)
Crossing
Congarbulations
I couldn't let the day pass without seriously congratulating (for the whole world to see...okay, for about five people to see) my brother, Mugs, on landing a full time position with his employer, leaving the uncertain world of "IT Contractor" in the past.
Rock on, bro. CELEBRATE.
Rock on, bro. CELEBRATE.
No Country For Old Men
When I first watched Joel and Ethan Coen's No Country For Old Men I was filled with both a little confusion and a lot of disappointment. Confusion because I couldn't tell what the point was supposed to be, and disappointment because I felt as if the ending was one big anticlimax. I initially gave it 3/5 stars because, while the story felt like a trick, the acting and cinematography were at least high quality.
Tonight I finally got around to watching the movie a second time, and I certainly feel as if that helped. I won't go too deep into this because far more entertaining and capable reviewers have already said most of what can be said. I will say, however, that the whole point of the film seems to be that there is little point to life.
Tommy Lee Jones' soliloquy at the end sums it up perfectly. He recounts the second of two overnight dreams to his wife and describes how his father (a sheriff like Jones' character) rode ahead of him to make a fire in the darkness. No matter where he went, Jones' character knew that there would be that light in the dark.
And then he woke up.
4/5
Tonight I finally got around to watching the movie a second time, and I certainly feel as if that helped. I won't go too deep into this because far more entertaining and capable reviewers have already said most of what can be said. I will say, however, that the whole point of the film seems to be that there is little point to life.
Tommy Lee Jones' soliloquy at the end sums it up perfectly. He recounts the second of two overnight dreams to his wife and describes how his father (a sheriff like Jones' character) rode ahead of him to make a fire in the darkness. No matter where he went, Jones' character knew that there would be that light in the dark.
And then he woke up.
4/5
A Heroic Attempt To Keep Watching
Okay, so here's a slightly more fleshed-out reaction to the 3rd season premier of Heroes than I provided in an earlier comment.
It's been a while since I watched the show, and in that long intermediate period I've since seen a number of fantastic films and become hooked on a show with quality screenwriting and performances. It's likely, as well, that the space between Heroes' second and third seasons as removed me far enough from the pull of the series as to dull my appreciation for it. So it was that I found myself vacillating between MST3K-style mockery and that feeling of forcing myself to find the bright spots that I experienced with each album released by Weezer after Pinkerton.
Is Heroes past it's prime so soon? Was it ever a good show? The show is a half-acknowledged take on the X-Men concept, and the acting and dialogue has never been very good. I think what keeps my watching is the curiosity about the broader plot and characters which comes from having already watched two seasons.
I can tell you one thing for sure, though: If it doesn't pick up after a couple more episodes, it'll be an easy decision to devote one more hour a week to reading instead of television.
Oh yeah, and while I tried to work this into my write-up, I couldn't in any easy way...The AV Club's take on the season premier is HILARIOUS, and pretty much nails what I'm starting to feel about the show in general (especially that, despite all the criticism, the author can still give it a B+).
It's been a while since I watched the show, and in that long intermediate period I've since seen a number of fantastic films and become hooked on a show with quality screenwriting and performances. It's likely, as well, that the space between Heroes' second and third seasons as removed me far enough from the pull of the series as to dull my appreciation for it. So it was that I found myself vacillating between MST3K-style mockery and that feeling of forcing myself to find the bright spots that I experienced with each album released by Weezer after Pinkerton.
Is Heroes past it's prime so soon? Was it ever a good show? The show is a half-acknowledged take on the X-Men concept, and the acting and dialogue has never been very good. I think what keeps my watching is the curiosity about the broader plot and characters which comes from having already watched two seasons.
I can tell you one thing for sure, though: If it doesn't pick up after a couple more episodes, it'll be an easy decision to devote one more hour a week to reading instead of television.
Oh yeah, and while I tried to work this into my write-up, I couldn't in any easy way...The AV Club's take on the season premier is HILARIOUS, and pretty much nails what I'm starting to feel about the show in general (especially that, despite all the criticism, the author can still give it a B+).
Clear your schedule...
Heroes returns tonight with a two-hour season premier. If I'm unreachable this evening, now you know why...
Lens Lust
I Am My Family
The Morning News' Rosecrans Baldwin interviews Rafael Goldchain about his project, "I Am My Family," wherein he creates self-portraits as other members of his family. The photographs are all stunning even when you ignore the makeup and preparation required of each setup. Baldwin's interview itself is also a joy as he discusses the impetus, research, preparation, and the impact of these fictitious portraits on the artist and family.
Bandcamp and 20 Minute Loop
For the love of all that is good, go check out Bandcamp - a new web app designed for bands to present and distribute their music on the Internet. The whole thing looks so gorgeous and easy to set up/use that I practically want to record some music just to have an excuse to set up my own page.
Currently, they include a track on the main page from 20 Minute Loop - a pretty cool rock band if I do say so myself. So in order to show both how easy-to-use/gorgeous Bandcamp can be, and how cool 20 Minute Loop sounds, here's the whole album:
http://bandcamp.mu/EmbeddedPlayer.swf/album=119385304/
Currently, they include a track on the main page from 20 Minute Loop - a pretty cool rock band if I do say so myself. So in order to show both how easy-to-use/gorgeous Bandcamp can be, and how cool 20 Minute Loop sounds, here's the whole album:
http://bandcamp.mu/EmbeddedPlayer.swf/album=119385304/
Wedding Styles
As I mentioned last week, this past weekend was a time for celebration as one of my best friends entered marriage. It was also a time for me to burn through a few rolls of Fuji Neopan 1600. Check out some of my favorite results in the usual place...
WRONG.
Mad Men - Season One
Tonight Valerie and I finished watching Mad Men - Season One thanks to Netflix. As usual, I'm late to the party, but this series is incredible.
With a setup that pulls few punches, we see a cast of nearly unsympathetic characters who, episode after episode, leave me feeling a little hopeless. This doesn't mean the people aren't engaging. Whether it's the acting alone or the window into romanticized 60's culture, I can't help but find myself riveted by Don Draper's shadowy past or Pete Campbell's vaulting ambition.
We watched the first episode of season two on Hulu this evening, and now we're trying to figure out a legitimate place to find episode two (three through the present are available from Comcast's On Demand service, so that's easy enough). And just when I thought I'd be able to start watching fewer programs...
With a setup that pulls few punches, we see a cast of nearly unsympathetic characters who, episode after episode, leave me feeling a little hopeless. This doesn't mean the people aren't engaging. Whether it's the acting alone or the window into romanticized 60's culture, I can't help but find myself riveted by Don Draper's shadowy past or Pete Campbell's vaulting ambition.
We watched the first episode of season two on Hulu this evening, and now we're trying to figure out a legitimate place to find episode two (three through the present are available from Comcast's On Demand service, so that's easy enough). And just when I thought I'd be able to start watching fewer programs...
Ceased to Be
Who'd have thought you could convince a Nigerian scam artist to perform a sketch from Monty Python?
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IQqd17p9_0&hl=en&fs=1&w=580&h=470]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IQqd17p9_0&hl=en&fs=1&w=580&h=470]
Lacking Insight
When I found out that Honda was introducing a hybrid only model for 2010, I was pretty excited. But then I saw a picture of the reincarnation of the Honda Insight:
Honda may have been the first to market with a gas-electric hybrid car, but this design sure looks familiar...
I've been a huge fan of Honda for years, but ripping off the Prius design is just weak sauce.
Honda may have been the first to market with a gas-electric hybrid car, but this design sure looks familiar...
I've been a huge fan of Honda for years, but ripping off the Prius design is just weak sauce.
Chiplog
Chickity-check this handy app from Trey:
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1702404&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1
Chiplog Demo from Trey Piepmeier on Vimeo.
Looks pretty sweet, and I'd like to get my hands on it.
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1702404&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1
Chiplog Demo from Trey Piepmeier on Vimeo.
Looks pretty sweet, and I'd like to get my hands on it.
Dolled Up
There are two new pictures of my lovely wife on Flickr. They're the only two out of 12 which were even remotely worth posting, and they're two of the most spontaneous. I indented to shoot a roll of portraits, but a number of factors caused me to rush, resulting in some awkward composition and poor lighting/direction choices.
I'll take this as a lesson in photo-shoot planning.
Pet Peeve: Σ Abuse
I dunno how many times I've seen the following on t-shirts, TV shows, or ANYWHERE, really:
GRΣΣK
And we're all supposed to chuckle because we see letters which are clearly not capital "E" but still bear a passing resemblance. I guess it's also supposed to reinforce the Greek-ness (Greekiness?) of something, too, whether a fraternity t-shirt or the title for My Big Fat Greek Feel-good Movie of the Year.
This twists the proverbial knickers because the letter in question isn't pronounced like an "E," it's pronounced like an "S". SIGMA is the Greek letter for "S". EPSILON is the Greek letter for "E" (though not necessarily pronounced like our long "e") but I guess "GREEK" just looks too, well...English.
GRΣΣK
And we're all supposed to chuckle because we see letters which are clearly not capital "E" but still bear a passing resemblance. I guess it's also supposed to reinforce the Greek-ness (Greekiness?) of something, too, whether a fraternity t-shirt or the title for My Big Fat Greek Feel-good Movie of the Year.
This twists the proverbial knickers because the letter in question isn't pronounced like an "E," it's pronounced like an "S". SIGMA is the Greek letter for "S". EPSILON is the Greek letter for "E" (though not necessarily pronounced like our long "e") but I guess "GREEK" just looks too, well...English.
Good Times = Slow Posting
Blog action will be fairly light this week because things are getting busy as the week winds toward my hombre Jake's wedding on Saturday. That coupled with a short work week and plenty to do around the house means I'm going to be distracted from my usual internet tomfoolery (side note - I LOVE that "tomfoolery" didn't trip the system-wide spell checker!).
It should be worth it, though. I'll have plenty to write about after the weekend, and I'll likely have plenty of photos afterward (and hopefully a few before then, too...). Stay tuned, ye faithful handful of readers!
It should be worth it, though. I'll have plenty to write about after the weekend, and I'll likely have plenty of photos afterward (and hopefully a few before then, too...). Stay tuned, ye faithful handful of readers!
Tin Robots
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7-tP12f1Pc&hl=en&fs=1&w=580&h=470]
The above series of shorts comes from San Francisco artist Eric Joyner - a chap who has a strong affinity for vintage toy robots and the donuts they inexplicably crave. I heard about the artist a few years ago via The Sneeze, but only today discovered this glorious collection of clips.
Be sure to check out his paintings, though - there are some true wonders.
The above series of shorts comes from San Francisco artist Eric Joyner - a chap who has a strong affinity for vintage toy robots and the donuts they inexplicably crave. I heard about the artist a few years ago via The Sneeze, but only today discovered this glorious collection of clips.
Be sure to check out his paintings, though - there are some true wonders.
Brrrrwwwaaaaahhrrrp!
eruc·ta·tion
Pronunciation:
i-ˌrək-ˈtā-shən, ˌē-
Function:
noun
Date:
15th century
: an act or instance of belching
Pronunciation:
i-ˌrək-ˈtā-shən, ˌē-
Function:
noun
Date:
15th century
: an act or instance of belching
NFL2008
Consider this my requisite "I'm so excited about the upcoming football season which starts tonight that I just have to write about it even though every major sports outlet in the country already has something far more in depth and insightful than I could hope to pen" blog post.
Kickoff is at 7 pm, EDT, in Giants Stadium.
Kickoff is at 7 pm, EDT, in Giants Stadium.
Mint Voyeurism
Unpolished Chrome
Once again, there's loads of buzz around the whole freaking Internet about the latest thing (well, okay, that's half the reason to be ON the freaking Internet in the first place, I suppose). So I was checking out the web page Google's Chrome browser, only to be stopped by this:
Wait...doesn't Google OWN YouTube? Let's hope they can fix this one in a hurry...
Wait...doesn't Google OWN YouTube? Let's hope they can fix this one in a hurry...
Tape your blood hole shut.
Ladies and gentlemen, DUCT TAPE ADHESIVE BANDAGES:
Now there's no losing that bandage over your vomit-inducing forearm gash. And no losing the grime that's sure to stick to the left-behind residue as well.
(via Uncrate)
Now there's no losing that bandage over your vomit-inducing forearm gash. And no losing the grime that's sure to stick to the left-behind residue as well.
(via Uncrate)