look at the picture and then check out the story here. isn’t it hard to sell something when nobody is buying? you bet your ass it is.
Browsing Category
News
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday
Posted on January 22, 2006
yes, the title says it all. its sunday here and i have spent many hours this weekend watching tv. not just tv really, i watched a couple of movies too. i’m not sure why but it seemed like the thing to do. i watched battlestar galactica, the jacket (with adrien brody and the very cute keira knightley) , both NFL conference championship games (go seahawks) and new episodes of the west wing and grey’s anatomy (yes, i watch grey’s anatomy, so what?).
i also managed to squeeze in a birthday party for a one year old (my friends gil and holly’s son, julian) and also a trip to the santa monica civic to see the photo la exhibit. plus lunch and dinner and some time at whole foods market for a crap load of soy milk and other stuff. a full weekend indeed.
after taking a look around the photo la event, i am even more convinced that i am a mildly skilled photographer at best (one of my photos is in this post). those photos at photo la are really, really good. not just good, really interesting and inspiring. just what great art is supposed to do. inspire. it did for me.
i am more determined than ever to try to improve my photography skills. i have a long way to go. i am prepared to suffer for my art though so i got that going for me, which is nice.
my friend j-rod could tell you many more fascinating details about the various photographers whose work were on exhibit at photo la. i, however, can’t do much of that. i will say that i particularly liked the photos of Eikoh Hosoe and David Hilliard. check them out if you get a chance. unfortunately, photo la ends today i think so maybe you can make it next year. try, its worth it.
perhaps i will have improved by then. fingers crossed.
17″ iMac Review and a quick bit of other stuff
Posted on January 17, 2006i know, i know. again with the light blogging. “what the hell is wrong with you?” you may ask. well, nothing really. just, you guessed it, busy again.
for some reason as yet unknown to me, except perhaps a dose of stupidity and a little boredom, i have decided to do some work back in the world of showbiz. well, not showbiz exactly, more the corporate world. on the plus side this corporate stuff is all very dramatic and will be fun to do so i am looking forward to it. we get to burn stuff and maybe even blow some shit up. good times.
anyway, back to the task at hand. over at ars technica they have a review of the new intel based imac. pretty good article. i enjoyed it. i might have to pick up one of those imacs soon (to install windows on it, of course, just to “see if i can”).
and, in other more serious news, william shatner of well, if you don’t know who he is i don’t know what to say about that, recently sold a kidney stone of his and gave the money to charity. really, it actually happened. i don’t know what more disturbing. the fact he sold a kidney stone or that someone actually bought it. really people, i like star trek but it was just a tv show. jeeez.
and, is the new video ipod responsible for the boots in ratings for NBC’s version of “the office”. if you read this, they seem to think so. could be, i guess, but the show being really funny might have something to do with it also. now if they would just start selling videos of “arrested development” on the itunes store. it might help that show too.
while we’re on the subject, isn’t it about time to change the name of the iTunes Music store to something more in line with what they are selling? how about calling it the Apple Media Store? that’s got a nice ring to it.
or maybe the Apple iStore? anyway, its time to consider a change. i’m sure they will come up with something and i hope its better than “mac book”. that doesn’t really work for me as well as “powerbook”. now that’s a cool name.
CES highlights and the future
Posted on January 8, 2006
apparently, there is some sort of event going on in las vegas called the consumer electronics show (aka CES). at the show, the major and minor electronics companies duke it out with press confrences to announce that they have developed similar products to each other that while new and exciting are not really that new or exciting. what a sad state of affairs indeed.
if you want everything in all of its glorious detail, point your browsers to the big tech blogs engadget and gizmodo. they are doing in-depth coverage of what’s hot, what’s not and what really stinks (including the backed-up toilets at the convention center). for my money, the more interesting announcements should come next week at mac world expo. perhaps on tuesday of next week to be exact.
however, if i must pick some things from CES that look interesting (and i must, for i am a writer who picks things) here they are:
tivo offers up a new box. the series 3. will this be the end all be all and finally replace all of my other boxes? mmm, doesn’t seem like it. in fact, it looks like us directv people are going to be left out in the cold with this one. cable card slots only from the look of it and no provision for satellite?
hopefully, that’s just because i don’t have more info at the moment. fingers crossed as i really, really want to keep using a tivo device and not have to switch over to some bastard child designed by the room of monkeys at directv. tivo knows something about simple and useable interface design. directv not so much.
google announces a video store. gee, what a great idea. they will be selling content from cbs and other sources as well as letting you download stuff for free. no prices yet but more content available online (legally online that is. yes, i’ve heard of bittorrent thanks) should be a good thing.
sony announced its first blu-ray dvd player. its got all the big time features and looks like a monster as well. and toshiba announced it’s HD-DVD players as well which also look pretty good.
now, if all the kids could just get together and agree on one format, that would be great. what it will come down to will be the programming. as in, what movies will be available on each format. in fact, here’s a list of release titles for blu-ray and hd-dvd(at least for now).
sony also announced a few other things including bigger memory stick pro duo cards (finally) as well as new phones and the sony reader for reading ebooks.
verizon offers up their new v cast wireless music downloads. you can download music to your verizon cell phone for two bucks each and listen to it on your phone. you can also transfer it to your computer via usb. could be interesting. sprint also has a similar offering only theirs includes video. wireless is the new black i guess.
this would be a great gaming rig (or allow you to keep yourself warm in winter) that is, if you are a person who uses a windows pc. not that there’s anything wrong with that.
last but not least, fuji is using my friend nick’s pictures in their booth at CES. so, if you are there, drop over and tell them how great the pictures look. nick would appreciate it.
oh, one more thing. there was also another event going on in vegas this week at the same time as CES. it gets less publicity but it is no less important. its the adult entertainment expo which climaxes (sorry, had to do it) with the AVN awards.
that’s it for CES. tune in next week for even more important announcements from my favorite company, apple. predictions? well, i think we might see one or two new laptops with brand new intel chips. and maybe a mac mini or imac with intel as well. perhaps some new ipod variation and hopefully, a mac-mini like device that can be put in the living room to record television content and play it back to my hd tv. too much to ask? come on apple, make it happen.
————————–
as a side note, i really wrote this for LAist but if you read carefully, i have tailored it for this site. see what i do for you.
Open mouth, insert foot
Posted on December 29, 2005you think you do and say dumb things sometimes? well, wired has compiled a list of the biggest technology-related blunders spoken by people in power who are supposed to know better. they also have lots of people around them who are supposed to stop them from saying stupid stuff.
fortunately, these “handlers” were out to lunch several times so we get to laugh at the silly things grown-ups say. if you are not interested in clicking on the wired link, some of the more choice quotes are below (aka my favorites) but at wired, they do provide “context” and some explanation so it might be a good idea to go there anyway. whatever. enjoy!
“Screw the nano.”
— Motorola CEO Ed Zander
“I’m going to f***ing bury that guy, I have done it before, and I will do it again. I’m going to f***ing kill Google.”
— Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, in statements attributed to him in court documents by former Microsoft engineer and recent Google hire Mark Lucovsky
“Most people don’t even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?”
— Thomas Hesse, president of Sony BMG’s global digital business division
“All research up until now has been conducted in strict observance of the government-set guidelines.”
— Korean stem-cell researcher Hwang Woo-suk
“I know what I don’t know, and to this day I don’t know technology and I don’t know accounting and finance.”
— Bernie Ebbers, ex-CEO of WorldCom
“Lightweight, and crank it on, and you shuffle the shuffle.”
— President George Bush
Xmas post game
Posted on December 26, 2005ok, its the day after christmas. anyone get anything good? i got socks and underwear. plus, some shirts and some other clothes. i remember being a kid and hating it when i got underwear or socks for christmas. it was all toys, toys, toys for me (still is, really).
although now, as a more “mature” person, i really understand the need for clean underwear. so, thanks mom and dad. and thanks to all who called, wrote or whatevered to wish me and mine a happy holidays. much appreciated.
now that i have said the above, i just wanted to point out that i am trying out a new blogging tool. its a firefox extension called performancing and so far, its pretty cool. this post was made with it even. i don’t know if it will replace ecto as my blog tool of choice as i really love it and have gotten used to it. but, its nice to be able to see something online and then grab it and put it into a post. not that i’ve done that here but i will.
happy boxing day all.
Home for the holidays
Posted on December 23, 2005
heading down south (no, not mexico) for a few days for some xmas cheer and whatnot (i’m big on the whatnot, btw). i intend to see a few friends and hang out for a few days and just sort of be. you know, free to be you and me, that kind of thing. (if you don’t know what i’m talking about, check out marlo thomas on imdb for a clue. don’t work too hard at it though, you’re on vacation remember?)
i have done all my shopping online this year and mostly at amazon.com. the great thing about amazon is that they wrap stuff too and just send it right to the person’s door. no transporting boxes of gifts in the car or on a plane. that’s a pain in the ass and you can’t wrap the presents due to security so really, what’s the point?. let ups do the work. you just coast in for the end and feast on the accolades.
some may think that purchasing gifts online and then just sending them to people is somehow less personal or not as in the christmas spirit as physically going to a store, buying something, wrapping it and then presenting it to someone in person. i do do that last part, at least for some people. i will be presenting gifts to the parentals in person. although, i did buy their gifts online.
really, what’s the point of suffering for the gifts by driving to the mall, looking for parking, waiting in line and pushing your way through crowds of angry shoppers pissed off that they can’t find and xbox 360 or an american girl doll either? it doesn’t make the person you give the gift to like it or dislike it. it doesn’t matter how it got there. the point is that it gets there.
a good gift is a good gift and a bad gift can be re-gifted next year. besides, its the thought that counts, right? i gave a great deal of thought to the gifts before i click the button and order. time and effort. just not exactly physical effort. it doesn’t take much physical effort to click a mouse, that’s true. but that’s not the point. the point is in the giving.
anyway, its been a great year and it looks to be a pretty good xmas. i hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season. no matter what you celebrate: christmas, chanuka, kwanza or some combo of all three, just be sure and have a good one.
and take it easy on the ‘nog. the year isn’t over yet. we still have a week until new years.
Writing is hard (aka the excuses)
Posted on December 20, 2005
as you may have seen (if anyone actually noticed) there has been larger and larger gaps between posts on this here blog. some of you may be wondering why. yes, i’m talking to you in the back row there. wake up. well, the answer is simple and no, its not burnout. although, that can happen. it’s just that i’m a busy person and more to the point: writing is hard.
ok, there, i said it. writing is hard. anyone who actually gets paid to write or anyone who just sits down and writes something will tell you. writing is work. hard work. you have to actually think about something and write it. it doesn’t just magically appear on the page. the old adage, which i have used many times to torment writers that i know, that something “writes itself” just isn’t true. you actually have to come up with it yourself and put it together. the writing keebler elf is just a myth. although, the cookies can be quite good.
sure, you can come up with a few ideas or something and jot them down (or in this case, type them in). however, getting those ideas into a somewhat coherent form is where the actual work comes in. plus, and this is a real problem for me when writing for this site and for other sites as well, i don’t always have something i want to write about. i guess i’m not angry enough. i’ll try harder.
that brings me to the other problem (yes, another one). subject matter. just writing some random words in some sort of order could be called writing, and often is. just read usa today or watch fox news. it isn’t always compelling or even interesting writing though. sometimes its really quite bad. that’s the rub. and that’s the challenge.
not to say that every word i write is golden, but i have been known to turn a phrase or two from time to time. on one of the sites i write for, LAist.com, i actually like a few of the pieces i have done for them. some relatively solid work there. but believe me, whatever you may think of my work and whatever comments you may make about it, i am a far worse critic of myself than you will ever be. its just the nature of it. most of the time i think that everything i write sucks.
but, if you feel compelled to comment or make critical observations (or even tell me something really blows) i’m ok with that. that’s part of the deal when you put something out there for people to read. you have to expect some reaction. and believe me brother, the reaction is never all good. if it were, you are probably doing something wrong. of course, a negative reaction is better than no reaction at all. as in, if a writer writes in the forest and no one reads is, is he really a writer? actually, it doesn’t really have to be in a forest. although, forests can be quite nice.
well written articles or books or essays should cause people to think and question and explore. sometimes, they even cause people to revolt or take significant steps to make sweeping changes in their lives or the lives of others. i think that’s a good thing and something to strive for. change often is inspired by someone brave enough or dumb enough to write something and put it out there and make people think. thinking is good. try it some time. it can be fun.
and if thinking causes a little conflict or makes others feel uncomfortable or exposes them to new ideas, that means the writing was effective. we shouldn’t worry so much about status quo or political correctness. this country was founded by people who rejected what was politically correct and what was status quo and we turned out pretty well. we shouldn’t forget that now that most people have 2 cars, 2.5 kids, 3.5 bedrooms, HD tv, microwave ovens, cell phones, computers, xboxes and all those other gadgets and luxuries that make life more enjoyable.
of course, if i read this now i could make an observation that this post has gotten off message and has started to meander a bit and i would be right about that. the point here is that writing is hard. and good writing is really hard. but that’s what makes it worth it. if it wasn’t difficult, it probably wouldn’t be worth doing.
i’ll try to remember that the next time i am looking at a blank page and a blinking cursor and i have nothing to say. i guess i can always ramble on about writing or how lame the president is or how much i dislike local news or people who make sweeping generalizations, every last one of them. maybe a point will come of it eventually. then again, maybe not.
i wonder what’s on tv.
RIP Richard
Posted on December 11, 2005
The Christmas Spirit (or spirits, as the case may be)
Posted on December 5, 2005
yes, its that time of year. as i have said on more than one occasion, the holidays bring me mixed emotions. am i happy? am i sad? am i blue? are you? i don’t really know. i guess the real shame of it all is that i am not a kid anymore.
as a kid, the holidays were much more fun. you got presents after waiting up most of the night to catch a glimpse of santa clause and it seemed like a time of infinite possibilities. as an adult, not so much. i guess the next best thing would be to have a kid myself. that way, i could experience the holiday’s from their perspective. through their eyes. that might be something. i guess i should look into that.
in other news, this guy seems, i don’t know, nuts. take a look and you be the, um, judge.
how about some ‘nog? cheers.