Daily Lobo Blogs
February 7th, 2008
What game? It’s all about the commercials.
By on February 7th, 2008
I forgot it was Super Bowl Sunday until I arrived at work and the game was on. Luckily, my boyfriend’s mother had the game on her Tivo. So, we skipped through the parts where a football game was on and watched the commercials.
As usual, I found a few to be pretty funny. The horse training to work for Budweiser was really cute. The Clydesdale was coached by a Dalmatian. The “Rocky” theme song played in the background. At the end, the horse is hired and he gives the Dalmatian a high five. I was tickled with all the clever little tricks advertisers had up their sleeves.
Aside from special effects, my second favorite commercial was about DWI. It involved a young Hispanic male going out and drinking all night. I love how the script-writers assume every Hispanic mother in New Mexico uses the words “Mi hijo” in every sentence referring to their children. I think it’s interesting that someone felt compelled to reach out to the community of potential Hispanic DWI offenders with this screenplay. I’m not trying to argue that Hispanic people no longer use the words “Mi hijo” or that it’s bad to use those words. It’s just that the commercial exaggerates the extent to which Hispanic people speak them. The woman in the commercial used the words “Mi hijo” more in 30 seconds than my grandmother has in her entire life and I was raised in a small northern New Mexican community.
Furthermore, I love how the producers assume the commercial will appeal to Hispanics. I guarantee any Hispanic who watches that commercial is highly entertained by its ridiculousness. Like I stated earlier, I love the commercial. It’s too funny to be offensive. It’s public service commercials like this that make me proud to be an American.
Eli Manning? Really?
By on February 1st, 2008
I know this is probably going to be beaten to death in the days leading up to the Giants-Patriots Super Bowl, so I’ll try and spit it out before everyone is completely sick of it, but, how exactly did we get to the point where Eli Manning is playing in the NFL’s biggest game? I mean, when did it become OK for Manning — the supposed black sheep to brother Peyton — to be called a conference champion?
Speaking of Peyton, I guess this development means Eli will replace him as the I-will-appear-in-every-commercial-and-you-will-like-it spokesperson for the NFL. What’s annoying is that I know every analyst on ESPN will be yapping about how Eli Manning “grew up before our eyes” and is an “elite” quarterback after his playoff run. I refuse to believe it. Yes, Manning was impressive throughout the NFC playoffs, but I am 102 percent sure he wouldn’t have made it out of the AFC gauntlet which featured the likes of the Patriots, Chargers, Colts and 300 Spartans.
Let’s face it, the NFC has been awful this decade and especially so this year. Even though I am praying for a competitive Super Bowl, I just won’t buy into the rumblings that Eli has made the jump. It was just midway through the season that there were whispers of Eli losing his job. After all, Rex Grossman led the Bears to the Super Bowl last year. You read that sentence correctly. So, don’t be surprised if Eli completely melts down in Arizona on Super Bowl Sunday, followed by all the pundits being forced to retract their premature praise for Manning.
World AIDS Day & November DOTM Conclusion
By on December 2nd, 2007
In belated honor of World Aids Day, Dec. 1, I thought I’d offer up the most poignant visual and aural symbol of artists – and all those suffering from HIV and AIDS – of which I am familiar.
This is a video of the final performance of revolutionary artist Klaus Nomi, one of the first East Village casualties of AIDS, then known as the “gay plague:”
As a YouTube user, anTONYM2M2, notes:
“Klaus had made an impact on new-wave music in the late 70’s and was working to break into the pop mainstream just before he died. His first love however, was Opera.
In this video, Klaus sings Purcell’s strange aria The Cold Song from the English 17th century baroque opera “King Arthur.” The opera’s composer, Purcell, died in 1695 from incurable T.B., aged 36; while in 1983, Klaus sadly died succumbing to complications due to AIDS, aged 39. Both men were remarkably talented but died so young.
———- Purcell’s Cold Genius ———–
What power art thou, who from below
Hast made me rise unwillingly and slow
From beds of everlasting snow
See’st thou not (how stiff) and wondrous old
Far unfit to bear the bitter cold,
I can scarcely move or draw my breath
Let me, let me freeze again to death.
————————————————-
The lyrics to this old aria are strangely prophetic. Watching it now, knowing what a difficult time Klaus was having, just adds to its intensity and sadness.”
The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day is “Keep the Promise – Leadership.” More information on the campaign can be found here: http://www.worldaidscampaign.info/
November DOTM Pt. 2:
In my last DOTM post, we left off with the reportage of Japanese avant-garde artist Sho Kazakura, who died on November 13.
On November 14, Merle Sande, American pioneer of HIV/AIDS treatment died of multiple myeloma. Sande was 68.
Also on November 14, Michael Blodgett, American actor and screenwriter, best known for “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls” died of a heart attack. Blodgett was also 68.
On November 18, American poet Landis Everson died of apparent suicide by gunshot. Everson was 81.
On November 19, British-born American actor Dick Wilson, best known for his work in “Mr. Whipple,” died of natural causes. Wilson was 91.
Also on November 19, Kevin DuBrow, American rock singer for Quiet Riot, died of unknown causes. He was found in his apartment, with no signs of forced entry, about six days after expiring. DuBrow was 52.
Also on November 19, Italian futurist poet Franca Maria Corneli died of natural causes. Corneli was 92.
On November 20, American jazz musician Ernest “Doc” Paulin died of natural causes. Paulin was known as New Orlean’s oldest traditional jazz musician. Paulin was 100.
On November 22, British TV producer Verity Lambert, the BBC’s first female producer, best known for her work on “Doctor Who,” died of cancer. Lambert was scheduled to be presented with a lifetime achievement award at the Women in Film and Television Awards in December. Lambert was 71.
Also on November 22, Japanese sculptor Reitaro Ito died of a brain tumor. Ito was 82.
On November 23, Russian former KGB chief, Vladimir Kryuchkov, died on an unspecified illness. Kryuchkov led the coup against Mikhail Gorbachev. Kryuchkov was 83.
On November 24, American guitarist for emo/post-hardcore band Hawthorne Heights Casey Calvert of possible asthma complications. Calvert was found dead on the band’s tour bus and toxicology reports are pending. Calvert was 26.
On November 27, American doctor Robert Cade died of kidney failure. Cade invented Gatorade. Cade was 80.
On November 29, American country music singer, comedian and DJ Jim Nesbitt died of natural causes. Nesbitt was 76.
On November 30, American stunt performer Robert “Evel” Knievel died en route to the emergency room after experiencing difficulty breathing. Knievel suffered from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis for many years prior. Knievel was 69.
Rest in peace, y’all.
Play Me Some Robot Orchestra/Satirical Lounge/Mountain Music & Sing Me a Song, DJ Kammo, Man.
By on November 25th, 2007
‘Burqueno musical eclecticists have good reason and ample opportunity to celebrate their far-ranging taste in tunes this week.
Sunday: Oh, play me some mountain music, like my ex-colleagues used to (and still do) play.
Sunday night, the Launchpad, at 618 Central Ave. SW, will host a “Country Trash Jamboree,” featuring Edith Grove & Bottle Tree, the Saltine Ramblers, the Squash Blossom Boys and Young Edward. I’ve only seen Young Edward play live once but I will always remember that night vividly. It was my first date with my partner. We ventured out to the Press Club to see our then-coworkers, Steven Robert Allen and Michael Henningsen, jam and they did. Back then, Henningsen was then the Weekly Alibi’s editor in chief and Allen the arts editor. Henningsen subsequently left the Alibi and Young Edward. I am grateful to Young Edward for gifting me and my fiancé with the first track on the soundtrack to our love story. Henningsen even dedicated a song to us that fateful night, referring to us as “Mr. and Mrs.” Young Edward cranks out some fine Americana bluegrass. And Alibi editor emeritus Allen plays a mean banjo. And I’ve heard good things about Edith Grove. So, give ‘em a listen and, if you like what you hear, head out for a mint julep or Pabst Blue Ribbon and some good, old fashioned Americana, bluegrass, folk and rock. Y’hear? Doors at 7 p.m., 21+, free.
Check ‘em out here:
MySpace.com/YoungEdward
MySpace.com/EdithGrove
MySpace.com/SaltineRamblers
MySpace.com/SBB
Monday: Robot army and human slave perform musical commentary on the Dubya’s reign.
The ‘Pad hosts the most interesting music in town tonight, as well. Even I am tempted to drag my hermetic self out to see Captured! By Robots Fall 2007 tour, “Dubya: A Musical Adaptation of the Last Seven Years of the George W. Bush Presidency.” Captured! By Robots is as much, if not more, about performance art as it is about music. The concept is simple: A man is captured by the robots he creates and is forced to do their will. In this case, their will is touring across the United States, playing music at bars. But I think it’s easier to truly get a handle on the concept visually, so watch this clip of the robotic army and its captive covering Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” to see what I mean:
YouTube.com/watch?v=WtCCLJvWUp0
Local indie fave/scooter enthusiasts Unit 7 Drain will open.
If you decide to banish your case of the Mondays with a visit to this avant-garde pageant, I recommend a pair of chic earplugs and a single malt. ‘Cause it’s cold outside, baby, and your hearing is worth it.
For more:
MySpace.com/CapturedByRobots
MySpace.com/Unit7Drain
Tuesday: Don’t stop believin’…your voice is better than it is.
Why not make a little music of your own? Consistently voted Best Karaoke in ‘Querque, Atomic Cantina’s Rockstar Karaoke Extravaganza, featuring DJ Kammo, starts at 10 p.m. every Tuesday. It’s a popular event, so if you really want to get up there and wail out Heart’s “Crazy on You,” Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer,” and/or Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” show up early. You’ll need to sign up on the jam-packed roster and undoubtedtly down some firewater to bolster your crooner’s courage. And, if you do decide to belt out “Don’t Stop Believin’,” you will totally be my hero if you dress like Steve Perry in his heyday…
Wednesday: Drink in the ‘80s with Vanilla Pop
And now for something completely different… If you’re in a Richard Cheese-esque mood, head down to the Martini Grille for the satirical lounge covers of Vanilla Pop. The duo also serve as the Powerball spokespeople. The pleasure of downing filthy martinis while listening to the stylings of Al Dente and Lester Moore is well worth three clams. But don’t take my word for it. See for yourself. Show starts at 9:30 p.m., $3.
For more, visit:
VanillaPop.com
MySpace.com/VanillaPop
Hackintosh
By on November 23rd, 2007
Lately I’ve gotten it in my head that I would like to build a so-called “Hackintosh.” Ever since Apple started using Intel processors there has been an interesting, dedicated little group of people trying to make it easy to install OSX on a home-built computer. The whole shebang is starting to hit the mainstream, and I’m seriously considering putting together a Hackintosh of my very own.
The problem is, nobody seems to know exactly what hardware works in a Hackintosh. There are a handful of tests that have been fully and properly documented and tested. My goal here is to compile a list of known-to-work Hackintosh hardware. All this hardware should just work, with no need for additional patches or hacks. Any hardware that I would personally recommend is listed in bold.
Keep in mind that the legality of building a Hackintosh is a little grey. If you own a legal copy of OSX it is probably legal to install on your new Hackintosh as long as you wipe it from any other machines. There are other, less legal ways of getting a pre-patched copy of OSX86, but I’m obligated not to go into detail there…let’s just say that if you don’t know you can’t find a copy you probably shouldn’t bother trying to put together a Hackintosh.
Motherboards
* ASRock 775i945GZ
* ASUS P5W DH Deluxe
o fully tried and tested by Lifehacker
o This one is a winner in a big way. It has been shown to be functional, it includes onboard wireless, and it supports a wide array of processors. ASUS is also a top-notch motherboard manufacturer.
* ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe
* Gigabyte GA-945GCMX-S2
* Intel D915GAV
* MSI 945GM3-F
Processors
* AMD X2 4400+
* Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
* Intel Core 2 Duo E6750
* Intel Core 2 Duo E6400
* Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86GHz
* Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 2.2 GHz
o fully tried and tested by Lifehacker
* Intel Core 2 Duo E4400
* Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33GHz
* Intel Celeron D 310 2.13GHz
* Intel Pentium D 805
* Intel Pentium D 820 2.8GHZ
* Intel Pentium D 915
* Intel Pentium D 930
* Intel Pentium D 930VT
* Intel Pentium D 950
* Intel Pentium 4 2.4GHz
* Intel Pentium 4 2.6GHz
* Intel Pentium 4 3GHz HT
Video Cards
Video card support in OSX appears to be a little touchy. It’s hard to say exactly which ones will work. It would be best to stick with nVidia because Apple uses nVidia for their hardware. Many of them appear to work fine after installing a piece of third party software called nVinject. Cards that may not work right until installing nVinject are listed in italics.
Also make a note of the fact that MSI, nVidia, BFG, PNY, etc. are the actual manufacturers of the cards, and they matter. A PNY GeForce 7300 should work out of the box, while the same chipset on a board built by BFG will require nVinject to work properly.
* AGP
o ATI Radeon X1600
* PCI Express
o MSI GeForce 7300GS
o nVidia Geforce 7300GS
o BFG GeForce 7300GT
o PNY GeForce 7300GT
+ fully tried and tested by Lifehacker
o nVidia GeForce 8800GTS
o nVidia GeForce FX 5200
+ Won’t work for sure, but I wouldn’t recommend it anyway, the FX series was weak.
* Integrated Intel GMA950
o I guess it might be nice if you’re feeling cheap. In all seriousness though, GMA950s aren’t bad video cards unless you’re looking to play new and awesome games. You’re poor and interested in running OSX though, so games probably aren’t really your thing.
Networking cards
If the motherboard you picked doesn’t have ethernet or wireless and you need it, your choices are slim. This is exactly why I recommend the ASUS P5W DH Deluxe motherboard though, it has onboard sound, wifi and ethernet, all of which are reported to work without a single patch.
* Ethernet: 3Com 905-TX 10/100 PCI
* Wireless: U.S. Robotics PCI Adapter 5417 WLAN 125Mbit
Recommended configuration
So here it is, the moment of truth, when I come out and tell you what I would buy if I could afford to build a Hackintosh right at this very moment. Keep in mind that this is somewhat guesswork (as most of the Hackintosh world is right now), but if I had the money I would buy it. That is nothing like a guarantee that it will work though, but I do like to think I know what I’m doing. The specs I’m out to beat are those of a $2,749 iMac. The computer I’m trying to stack up against has 4 GB of RAM, a 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo and a 500 GB SATA hard drive.
* $130 - OSX Leopard License
o You want to be legal, right?
* $180 - ASUS P5W DH Deluxe
o As I mentioned above, this is a clear choice for motherboard. It’s pricey, but it’s an ASUS and has onboard sound, ethernet and wireless that should just work. That’s two less pieces of hardware to buy and futz about with drivers.
* $150 - Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 2.4 GHz
o 2.4 GHz is fine and dandy for almost everything, particularly dual core. Plus this is what’s in the target system.
* $184 - 4GB of RAM
o I went with Corsair, they make good RAM and it’s pretty cheap.
* $70 - PNY VCG7300GXPB GeForce 7300GT 256MB
o It’s a decent video card unless you’re gaming…but once again gaming probably isn’t the focus of a Hackintosh builder. If I’m not mistaken, this is also the video card that is in an iMac.
*
* $105 - Samsung SpinPoint T Series 500GB hard drive
o It’s a Samsung hard drive, need I say more?
* $38 - Linkworld 431-06 C.2828 Case
o Sure it got some bad reviews on Newegg, but it does look a lot like a Mac, and that’s what we’re going for here, yes? The bad reviews mostly looked like they were coming from stupid people, too.
* $320 - Samsung 226BW 22″ widescreen monitor
o I’ve been lusting after one of these for a long time. My roommate got one under my advice and let me tell you, it’s an amazing monitor. It’s also beautiful to look at.
* $30 - Sony NEC Optiarc Silver CD/DVD burner
o It’s the only silver DVD burner on Newegg, and that makes it the one. It’s a perfectly capable component, to boot.
* $22 - i-rocks KR-6170M keyboard
o It’s a nearly perfect Apple lookalike keyboard. It’s pretty slick, it even has the key with that goofy clover leaf thing instead of a Windows key.
* $25 - Microsoft B5V-00001 wireless mouse
o It’s not the Apple clone the keyboard is, but it’s silver and pretty and an Intellimouse. It’ll work in a pinch.
* $3 - Apple logo sticker
o Fun fact, the Leopard license allows its use on Apple labeled machines. So slap an apple sticker on your box and you’re good to go.
I’ve put together a public Newegg list where you can find all of this suggested hardware. It of course does not include the Leopard license or the Apple sticker, as Newegg sells neither.
Comparing the two systems
Macintosh
Hackintosh
Processor 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo
RAM
4GB 667MHz DDR2
4GB 800MHz DDR2
Hard Drive
500GB SATA
500GB SATA
Video Card unknown, supposedly a geForce 7300
geForce 7300GT
Monitor
20″ glossy widescreen LCD
22″ glossy widescreen LCD
Price
$2,449.00
$1163.81 (including Leopard license)
Building your Hackintosh
I haven’t actually built one so I can’t comment on this part of the process. Physically building a computer is easy, and installing the patched copy of Leopard also seems pretty straightforward. If you’re going to do it, read this tutorial posted on Lifehacker for a full set of instructions.
Closing comments
What jumped out at me the most is just how much it costs to upgrade a Mac. They charge $850 to add 4GB of 667MHz DDR2, that RAM wouldn’t cost you more than $100 if you weren’t paying Apple for it. Hard drive upgrades are also noticeably overpriced. Apple charges $100 to go from 320GB to 500GB, which if you were doing it yourself wouldn’t be more than a $50 difference.
On the flipside, they do give you a pretty sweet deal on the Core 2 Extreme. They only charge $250 to upgrade from a $150 Core 2 Duo to a $900 Core 2 Extreme. The probably figure they’ll make it back when they shaft you for the RAM.
All in all this project has confirmed my suspicions about Apple, that their prices are not driven by reality but rather by their marketing department…or voodoo.
Buzz Killington
By on November 23rd, 2007
It is sometimes good to be the party pooper. By that, I mean disrupting complacency, creating ripples inside comfort zones and asking uncomfortable questions when one is supposed to go with the flow. The party pooper, then, is a strange creature, never accepted within groups but never outside it either.
That is a role I am more often called to play. Not that I enjoy it. But considering that the opinion I hold is often in the minority — both in the academic world and outside of it — I have come to accept it as my manifest destiny.
Now, being the oddball could be funny at times. You stand out in a crowd seeped in camaraderie, you get to play the devil’s advocate, you get to push people’s buttons (wittingly or unwittingly), and you also become the purveyor of a counter culture. But then, your iconic status may be your undoing. You make enough enemies, risk the wrath of those in power, end up in situations where friends are not exactly happy about knowing you and, most importantly, may not get invited to parties.
But that’s a fair deal to make. After all, nothing comes without a price. But things go a little awry when you become a party pooper through no choice of your own. It simply happens because of your opinions and it has nothing to do with snobbery or your reluctance to not be a part of the crowd. It is then that the cost involved hits you in the face. Are you willing to pay the price to play a role that you are not comfortable playing?
After all, life is not so bad. There are enough killjoys out there who do it either for fun, for the kick of it or because, like me, they have no choice. The challenge is to build a community of spirit dampeners adept in throwing a wrench into the system. The challenge is to exchange strategies with each other on how best to do it. But more than anything, it is to just know that there are people out there like you who are called into playing roles that they don’t like, but they will continue to enact those roles simply because they believe that there is no other way of going about it.
October/November Deaths of the Month
By on November 19th, 2007
Dear Readers,
I have been remiss in my expiration reporting duties. So, I find myself in late-November, without having reported on the deaths of October or November. I’ll start with October and work my way forward.
October 2007
Artist and musician Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge died on October 9 of a previously undiagnosed heart condition, after a long battle with stomach cancer. Breyer P-Orridge died in the arms of her partner, Throbbing Gristle member and artist Genesis P-Orridge. The couple had been collaborating since the early ’90s on an all-encompassing life-art project in which they analyzed and commented on the fictional “Self” by merging their identities, both physically and psychically.
British actress Deborah Kerr died on October 16 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Kerr was a six-time Academy Award nominee, but never brought home the gold-plated statuette. Kerr was best known for her roles in “An Affair to Remember,” “From Here to Eternity” and the “King and I.”
Albuquerque resident and cofounder of The Dolls performance troupe Matthew Bubb, a/k/a Geneva Convention, died from complications of cancer on October 17. Bubb, along with his partner Kenneth Ansloan, a/k/a Tequila Mockingbyrd, formed the heart of The Dolls, New Mexico’s premier drag performance troupe.
Country music icon Porter Wagoner died of lung cancer on October 28. Wagoner, who often wore flashy, rhinestone-encrusted suits designed by Nudie Cohn, partnered with Dolly Parton at the beginning of her career and the two were a well-known duet for some time. Wagoner was American country music personified.
American actor Robert Goulet died on October 30 of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Goulet was perhaps best known for his Broadway portrayal of Lancelot in a early ’60s run of “Camelot” – opposite Julie Andrews and Richard Burton. Goulet became a household name after a cameo as a lounge singer in Louis Malle’s “Atlantic City.”
November 2007
Pulitzer-prize-winning author Norman Mailer died on November 10 of renal failure. Mailer was best known for penning “The Naked and the Dead,” “An American Dream,” “The Executioner’s Song,” “Tough Guys Don’t Dance,” “The White Negro” and “Why Are We in Vietnam?”
Author Ira Levin died on November 12 of a heart attack. Levin was best known for writing “Rosemary’s Baby,” “The Stepford Wives” and “Deathtrap.”
Japanese avant-garde artist Sho Kazakura died on November 13 of lung cancer. Kazakura was best known for his work within a group of Japanese artists who showed at the Yomiuri Independent exhibitions of the late 1950s and developed “anti-art” activities modeled on those of the Dada movement.
I’ll report on the rest of November’s deaths at the end of the month. As always, rest in peace, ya’ll.
Punk Rockers Exorcise Reading Demons
By on November 19th, 2007
Monday: Is Punk Dead?
“Punk’s Not Dead” begins its three-day run at the Guild Cinema today. The subcultural documentary will screen Monday through Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
According to the film’s Web site, “‘Punk’s Not Dead’ takes you into the sweaty underground clubs, backyard parties, recording studios, and yes, shopping malls and stadium shows where punk rock music and culture continue to thrive. Thirty years after bands like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols infamously shocked the system with their hard, fast, status-quo-killing rock, the longest-running punk band in history is drawing bigger crowds than ever, “pop-punk” bands have found success on MTV, and kids too young to drive are forming bands that carry the torch for punk’s raw, immediate sound. Meanwhile, “punk” has become a marketing concept to sell everything from cars to vodka, and dyed hair and piercings mark a rite of passage for thousands of kids. Can the true, nonconformist punk spirit still exist in today’s corporatized culture? Featuring interviews, performances, and behind-the-scenes journeys with the bands, labels, fans, and press who keep punk alive, ‘Punk’s Not Dead’ dares to juxtapose pop-punk’s music and lifestyle against the roots in the 70s and 80s, resulting in unexpected revelations. A D.I.Y. search for the soul of a subculture and a celebration of all things loud, fast, and spiked, ‘Punk’s Not Dead’ shows punk is stronger and more relevant today than it’s ever been.”
To view the trailer, visit:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xCKzck-8sNM
For more, visit:
http://www.punksnotdeadthemovie.com
http://www.myspace.com/punksnotdeadthemovie
Tuesday: Oi! Oi! Read All About It!
To be honest, I couldn’t find an event that I felt was genuinely worthwhile to recommend to you. So, if you haven’t seen “Punk’s Not Dead,” check it out. If not, why don’t you read a book? And since we’re on the subject of punk, here are a few of my personal favorite punk-rock tomes.
“Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century” by Marcus Greil – I read this book after watching an adaptation of this phenomenal book by equally phenomenal Austin theatre troupe the Rude Mechanicals. It traces the spirit of punk rock through the history of Western civilization – from the Sex Pistols and the Dada movement to medieval heretics.
“Please Kill Me: The Oral Uncensored History of Punk” by Legs McNeil
“From the Velvets to the Voidoids: A Pre-Punk History for a Post-Punk World” by Clinton Heylin
“Punk” by Julie Davis
“1988: The New Wave Punk Rock Explosion” by Caroline Coon
“No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs” by Johnny Rotten
“Subculture: The Meaning of Style” by Dick Hebdige
Wednesday: Exorcise Your Right to Be Entertained
Basement Films presents Demons, a live analog video and audio synthesis trio, featuring Wolf Eyes’ Nate Young. The experimental audiovisual show will also present Basement Films’ volunteers Sprocket Walkie Talkies’ avant-garde fun, “16mm screw-ups, disarrangements & other filmo things” – followed by Abstrakt Entertainment’s Finest “different but able to relate.” And Albuquerque noise/hip-hop dyad Occasional Detroit will round out the evening. This event promises to be an uncommon experience for a mid-week Duke City evening. And the best part: the show is all-ages. And tickets are a measly 5 clams. So, head down to The Stove, located at 114 Morningside N.E., to see what’s cookin’. Doors at 8 p.m.
For more, visit:
http://www.basementfilms.org
http://www.wolfeyes.net/videomadness.html
http://www.youtube.com/aryanahole
http://www.wolfeyes.net/aaindex.html
Software that everyone should be using.
By on November 5th, 2007
Lifehacker’s list of recommended software just recently popped up on my google reader despite having been originally posted in January 2006. It’s a great list, but it could use a little updating for the new (almost new new) year. So here it is, my own, updated version of the Lifehacker pack.
Productivity/Communication
* Gmail
Lifehacker made some snide little comment about the capabilities of Thunderbird in comparison to Gmail…but I would beg to differ. I was personally an offline email client junkie until I got my Gmail account way back in 2004. Really, Gmail can do all the useful things thunderbird can do, but while looking nicer, requiring no backups and being available wherever the internet is.
* Pidgin (not Trillian)
Trillian is all well and good, but I always found it to be too processing power intensive, and I refuse to pay for the “pro version” of something as simple as an instant messenger. Pidgin is open-source, free as in speech, and since becoming Pidgin instead of GAIM is starting to finally look nice.
* Google Docs & Spreadsheets
The truth is most people don’t actually need real office applications. If it puts words on a page and numbers on a spreadsheet you’re probably set. If that’s the case it’s probably even best to switch online. Your files will be available wherever you have the internet, and backing up will become much less urgent. Especially for students (like me), Google Docs allows collaboration, which can be invaluable. For bloggers, it will even publish to most blog systems without leaving Google Docs. The interface and especially the editor are overdue for improvement, but I still love it. If you don’t feel the love, then try Zoho.
* or OpenOffice
There’s no denying the fact that sometimes you really need desktop-based office software. If you’re a Word or Excel power user…or you just really need that extra bit of control, OpenOffice really does do pretty much everything MS Office does, it’s just not as pretty.
Media
* iTunes
As much as I hate to admit it, iTunes really is a pretty solid media player. It handles almost everything gracefully, it’s fast enough, and it is, after all the homeland of the almighty iPod. A few gripes though, it won’t export m3u playlists without 3rd party software, which is just stupid. It won’t support a lot of non-iPod mp3 players, which is also stupid. It rips CDs to aac by default, which is ok for most people, but it just bugs me.
* or MediaMonkey
If you’re feeling brave/geeky, I highly recommend MediaMonkey. It plays any file, is faster than any other full-featured music library around, and supports most WinAmp plugins. If you’re feeling especially adventurous download the beta of MediaMonkey 3, if you’re not one of the unlucky few who can’t run it for whatever reason you’re in for a treat.
* Combined Community Codec Pack
It might reek of Commies and it might have been made by the unwashed masses of anime nerds, but it sure does work. The CCCP is far and away the best solution to making video files Just Work, regardless of your media player. On a side note, I have some really high quality video files that I can only play with the CCCP and…who’da thunk it?…Windows Media Player.
* Picasa
Lifehacker hit this one on the head. The first thing I did last year when my mom got a new digital camera was drive over and install Picasa on her computer. Now she can actually organize her digital photos. Putting them online through picasaweb is still a little too geeky for her though.
Utilities
* jZip
A fork of 7zip, jZip adds what was seriously lacking in 7zip: eye candy. It’s no secret, I like eye candy, and jZip fits better into my schnazzy vista system than 7zip ever could. On the performance side, jZip also uses the folder you are extracting to as the working folder. Never again will you spend minutes unzipping a massive file only to have to sit and watch the windows file copy dialog after the unzipping is done. Why jZip is the first program I’ve found to do that is a question that sometimes keeps me up at night. It also has cool icons.
* Filehippo.com Update Checker
I can’t say enough about this one. Keep your computer running at its best by making sure your software is the latest and greatest. I have mine set to run as a scheduled task early Saturday morning. That way every weekend I wake up to a Firefox window with a list of updates to my software. Terribly convenient.
* FileZilla
There’s no denying it, a better FTP client is nowhere to be found. The latest versions are even faster, have more useful little tabs, and rock even harder. The only problem is that they recently switched the orientation of the panes in the main window, confusing their veteran users.
Security
I believe security software is a deeply personal choice, so all I can offer is recommendations. Personally, I just trust Vista’s built-in protection, but that’s because my laptop is only ever connected to the secure networks in my home and office. A few recommendations though, are AVG or Avast! for antivirus, and I’ve never had much use for a firewall that wasn’t ZoneAlarm.
For a little fun
* Google earth
I also like to pretend I’m a pilot sometimes. I also like to pretend that I might find something in the Nevada desert the government doesn’t want me to see.
* Celestia
When I’m not pretending to be a pilot and conspiracy theorist, I like to pretend I’m an astronaut. Celestia gives your inner Picard a 3D model of the known universe to fly around in. Give it a gander, it’s pretty fun to play with.
Horror isn’t doing so well…
By on October 25th, 2007
What ails the horror genre?
That’s a question I have been dying to ask. The last one that gave me goosebumps was The Blair Witch Project. After that, I have been longing to watch a horror movie that will send me packing to the comfort of my bed. But nothing has done the trick for me. Not even The Blair Witch Project II.
Two movies I watched recently — one a new flick and the other an old one — forced me revisit the horror genre. 1408 starring John Cusack is such a dampener you would rather want to run into the woods and kill yourself for all the horror it would generate. The movie tries to mine the age-old haunted hotel theme and, needless to say, it desperately fails at it. It’s sorry that the story had to come from Stephen King. The concept is as hackneyed as the horror movie genre itself, and the unimaginative acting and directing leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. It’s lucky that I watched this at a dollar cinema.
The other flick — The Innocents — is a masterpiece in its own right. Though a black-and-white film and, hence, devoid of all the blood-spewing grisly special effects, the movie has a brilliant cast led by Deborah Kerr, a story splendidly narrated by Jack Clayton, and more importantly, a stupendous plot whose appeal lies in its inconclusiveness. Based on Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw”, the movie is about a governess who arrives at a scenic estate to take care of two children. The governess soon realizes that the children — angels to begin with — have a sinister side to them. She takes it upon herself to protect them. Saying anything more would be killing the fun for you. So where does The Innocents score over 1408? The latter has state-of-the-art special effects at its disposal and uses it lavishly. 1408 has a star cast including Samuel L. Jackson. But all these don’t make up for an incomplete recipe — the missing ingredient is clearly a strong plot. While The Innocents works with many technical handicaps, a
brilliant plot lifts the movie while other things add value to the final product. And did I mention that Truman Capote did the screenplay for The Innocents?
Therein lies the tragedy of the horror films, a genre that gave too much attention to special effects, jettisoning good plots on the way. Heavily drunk on its ability to visually create almost anything it wants to, Hollywood seems to have forgotten that a well-told story is what makes a good movie — or at least a good horror movie — and everything else is incidental. Too bad that good plots are the focus of only small movie houses or those working on a shoestring budget.