Kamis, 20 Juli 2006
Comic-Con Preview Night Images
While checking out Rotten Tomatoes for how well Clerks II was doing (60-70%) I came across a gallery of images from preview night last night. Looks like the guys who made Shaun of the Dead are making another movie called Hot Fuzz, awesome.
13 Reasons Why Comic-Con 2006 Rocks
- Free Stuff
- Awesome Panels
- Finally people who understand my "Rogues Do It From Behind" shirt
- You can legally carry a "weapon" without fear of being tagged as terrorist
- Largest concentration of geek girls in the world
- Realizing there are people who are exponentially nerdier than you are
- Chance to pitch your Star Wars/Star Trek crossover idea
- An excellent oppurtunity to stalk your favorite creators and celebrities
- Wonder Woman
- Snakes on a Plane!
- Finding that old back issue of Spiderman you just NEED to have
- The only time besides Halloween you can dress up and not get weird looks
- Princess Leia
Selasa, 18 Juli 2006
Comic-Con A Coming
With Comic-Con starting tomorrow I'm getting pretty excited. Last year when I went it was only on Saturday and I really just wanted to see the guys from Penny-Arcade and one or two of the panels. I had no idea what I was in store for and afterwards with a bag of free loot in my hands I slowly developed a taste over the last year for much of what I saw.
The insanity this year will start early, with potentially going to preview night on Wednesday to scope out the con, then heading back on Friday and Saturday for panels and walking around. Currently I'm excited for:
Friday
The insanity this year will start early, with potentially going to preview night on Wednesday to scope out the con, then heading back on Friday and Saturday for panels and walking around. Currently I'm excited for:
Friday
- 10:30am-11:30am: Spider-Man: Then and Now
- 2:00pm-3:00pm: Battlestar Galactica with cast members
- 4:30pm-5:30pm: Web comics 102: Finding Your Audience panel which the guys from PA are on
- 5:45pm-7:00: Samuel Jackson promoting Snakes on a Plane
- 10:30am-12:00pm: Lost Season 3 Panel
- 10:30am-11:30: 300 Movie Panel
- 12:00pm-1:00pm: Simpsons Panel
- 1:00pm-2:30pm: Kevin Smith on Clerks II
- 2:45pm-3:30pm: The Spirit Movie
- New PA Book - Epic Legends of the Magic Sword Kings
- Premiere Maddox Book - The Best Damn Comic In the Universe
- 300 by Frank Miller
- Spiderman #530
- The Imaginaries #2
- 30 Days of Night
- Marvel Heroes
- The Red Star
- Astrocity Vol. 1
- Essential X-Men Vol. 1
- Anything free!
Jumat, 14 Juli 2006
Weekly Roundup
Here's a few links that caught my interest this week:
The Cake Song - Video shown to me by Chris, annoying yet vaguely entertaining
Baghdad Burning - Blog written by a girl living in Iraq
Hammer and Tickle - Essay on communist jokes
Propaganda Critic - Site Stephen sent me with nice examples of modern propaganda
Oh My God I Hate Ann Coulter - Old blog post about Ann Coulter's ridiculousness from Anthony
What Shamu Taught Me About Marriage - Article about how to get your spouse to be more cooperative
The Cake Song - Video shown to me by Chris, annoying yet vaguely entertaining
Baghdad Burning - Blog written by a girl living in Iraq
Hammer and Tickle - Essay on communist jokes
Propaganda Critic - Site Stephen sent me with nice examples of modern propaganda
Oh My God I Hate Ann Coulter - Old blog post about Ann Coulter's ridiculousness from Anthony
What Shamu Taught Me About Marriage - Article about how to get your spouse to be more cooperative
Kamis, 13 Juli 2006
Geeks Guide to San Diego
When I first moved to San Diego the summer of 2004 I stumbled around with what exactly to do in a new city. Now after almost two years of living here I feel I have a solid grasp on where to go for things that I like to do. Of course, if you haven't figured it out yet I'm a geek, so these this is a guide to the geekier things you'll find in America's Finest City.
1. Electronics
After years of reading Penny-Arcade and other tech sites I'd heard about Fry's and it's electronic utopia. With miles of aisles stocked full with everything a geek craves, computers, video games, music, movies, book, etc. With the free time abound due to looking for a new job I looked up the nearest location and found it near Aero Road off the I-15.
Don't Go There. It's crap, absolute rubbish. I mean, it did have all the promised goodies, but I was expecting gleaming halls and a monument of pure techno-utopianism. Instead I was faced with a dreary warehouse looking store that had a shambly and disorganized look about it.
Over a year later, my enthusiasm for Fry's diminished, on our way back from somewhere my girlfriend suggested we stop off at Fry's to get some Christmas gifts. I was confused since we were in North country near San Marcos and not near the Fry's I despise.
We arrived and it was a gift from the Gods themselves. Two giant obelisk towered on each side of the entrance, huge Jacob Ladders inside humming their plasma arcs audibly humming with the electricity providing their life. Inside it has a theme of Atlantis, massive fish tanks filled with huge fish and even sharks. Statues of men in old diving gear gazed upon the pristine aisles of geek marrow and I knew that all the stories were true. Fry's was rock awesome, not only the best presented store I've ever had the pleasure of walking into, but also it's never let me down in my search for some rare connector or piece of hardware.
To make a long story short, don't go to the Fry's in San Diego off Aero road. Spare yourself the agony and spend the extra half hour going up to San Marcos.
The UCSD bookstore also has some good deals on hardware, specifically Apple, since the student discount that's included in the price and you don't have to show a student ID.
The Geek Exit
Occasionally the forces of the universe combine and create a single point multi-disciplinary geekdom. One such example of this is the Clairemont Mesa Blvd exit off the 805 freeway. The next four geek retailers are within a mile of this exit.
2. Comics
The first, on the West side, is Comickaze which sells a variety of major label comics, manga, and assorted collectibles. The store itself isn't impressive in a rational sense, but it appeals to those who enjoy the disorganized and randomness of the comic book geek stereotype. The racks are liad out haphazardly and usually books from labels are kept together, although sometimes you have to dig around until you find what you're looking for.
The store always has some sort of clutter, whether it's the random storage boxes next to the check-out counter or a rack from Free Comic Book Day blocking the way to the collectible section. The employees are generally helpful and occasionally you can catch some authors chatting it up with them or guys who are absurdly into comics boasting about their latest 40,000 book acquisition.
They don't carry much rare or back issues, but you can always find the latest and greatest on the "new" racks near the back left of the store. Their hours vary, usually 11am-9pm, but you'll want to check out the Google local page since their outdated web page doesn't have them.
3. Boardgames
Although I didn't know this till recently geeks love boardgames, and as I expanded my interests here in San Diego I realized that boardgames are something I always liked but never put any energy into. The games now-a-days are a far cry from the simplistic (yet still fun) rules of Monopoly, Operation, Sorry!, and others from my childhood.
The Settlers of Catan started my fascination my senior year of college and I haven't stopped since. Enjoying a variety of new and different types, like Carcassonne, Lost Cities, Captain Treasure Boots, and more. There's even an entire website dedicated to them, with reviews, commentary and alternative modes of play.
Game Empire, East of the highway, has a ton of games, model supplies, a knowledgeable staff, and a large game room that always seems filled with people playing some sort of war or D&D game. Their stock is fleshed out well, although sometimes they're lacking specific titles, all the major ones are there. Almost half their stock is for Warhammer 40k and other wargames, including models, terrain material, paint, and other building supplies.
As much as I like supporting local businesses, Wal-Mart is within walking distance of the store and if you're looking to pick up a more common game and it's too expensive at GE I'd recommend heading there.
4. Music
Although not a whole lot of geeks play guitar, right across from Game Empire is Guitar Trader that specializes in buying and selling used equipment. The store is packed with anything you'll need, and although their music section could stand to have more selection the rest of the store is solid.
Lou's Records (Not off the Geek Exit) is an awesome used and new music store tucked up in Encinitas along Pacific Coast Highway. There are two buildings, one for used wares and the other for newer stuff. It carries a good selection of vinyl, cds, and cassettes arranged in catagories from Indie, Hardcore, Pop, Trance and other electic genres. Every Saturday is Free Stuff Saturday and you can get demo cds, stickers, posters, and an assorsement of other swag. Look near the front for the top 20 albums of the week and employee picks for new stuff you may not have heard before. They also have their catalog in a database system that you can search. Sign up for their newsletter by email to get a weekly run down on almost every music related events in San Diego.
5. Books
A few storefronts down from Game Empire is the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore. I went in it once to check it out and it was completely full of fantasy and sci-fi novels of every type. The prices seemed reasonable and for someone trying to track down a less popular series that larger book chains don't carry I'm sure they have it. From their web page they seem to have a lot of events and author signings as well.
There are probably a host of other more geek friendly bookstores in the city but I either use Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or the UCSD Bookstore for the majority of my purchases.
6. Beer
Geeks love beer, and fortunately San Diego has a large micro-brewery culture many you can find in stores and specialty brew pubs.
Stone Brewery is probably the best known outside of the city, with Arrogant Bastard Ale making a name for itself across the country. They also produce and excellent IPA and Smoked Porter as well as special one time brews. They are located in North county and provide tours as well as a gift shop.
Karl Strauss is well known in California but may not have much clout outside the Western United States (I don't know this for sure). They not only sell in stores but they also have their own chain of restaurants throughout the county. My favorite by far is tucked away in Sorrento Valley in the middle of a business park. The building was a Japanese place so the architecture and garden have a very Zen feel to it. They also sponsor various concerts and events throughout the year. Give their Red Trolley, Woodie Pale Ale, and Amber Lager a try.
There are many other local San Diego micro-brews that you'll find in stores throughout the county. Check out the Beer Advocates Guide to San Diego to find more information.
The city has tons of local bars and pubs to enjoy . My particular favorites are, Pizza Port (excellent pizza), The Oul Sod (authentic Irish pub), The Field (another Irish pub but with food too), The Wits End (for the intellectual), PB Bar and Grill (sports and beach), and The USCD Pub (good prices and student atmosphere).
7. Movies
Out of the all of the places to see a movie in the area, four stand out as a cut above the rest.
The first is Edwards Cinemas 16 in Mira Mesa, and is your standard huge megaplex with stadium seating, multiple concession stands and a expensive tickets. I normally go there to see movies I know I don't want to miss on the big screen.
Secondly is the AMC La Jolla 12 mostly because it's close to my house but also they have the added catch of allowing you to bring outside food in. The location of the theatre is in a small mall like complex which gives you a variety of eateries, from burritos, deli sandwiches, pizza, and even sushi. If you have a current or expired ID use it to get a MovieWatcher card to get a discount on your ticket and eventually it'll acquire points and start getting discounts or free coupons for the concession stand.
The La Jolla Landmark is great for independent film lover, and is located right across the street from the AMC La Jolla 12 (there is also one in Hillcrest). The Hillcrest location is a bit nicer, but they both have that gritty personal quality to them. Every Friday at midnight they have a special showing of a cult or popular geek movie, which includes trivia before the show starts, people dressed up, and all sorts of other festivities.
Cinema Under the Stars is a unique open air theatre with "zero-gravity" chairs that suspend you while you watch old or cult films. Right next door is an excellent BBQ place as well.
8. Videogames
Almost any electronic retailer sells videogames so there's not specific place to go to satisfy your addiction, but there is one area in San Diego that happens to have two great stores across the street from each other. They're you're common Gamespot and Electronic Boutique, but the Gamespot seems to have an unusual amount of quality used wares. I normally run there if I'm trying to find a used title and if they don't have it, my chances of obtaining it are increased by quickly checking out the EB across the street.
They are located in opposite shopping plazas at the cross street of Mira Mesa Blvd and Reagen Road.
9. Cons
San Diego is lucky enough to become the geek Mecca every July with Comic-Con International downtown. The convention gets larger every year, originally starting as just a comic show but over the last few years it's morphed into movies, videogames, fantasy, sci-fi, and just about anything geeky you can imagine. It runs for four days near the end of July and always guarantees plenty of panels and speakers. In addition the amount of free swag is plentiful and you definitely get your moneys worth for the cost of admission.
By far one of the most popular convention in the country is the Electronic Entertainment Expo also known as E3. It doesn't take place in San Diego, but in LA which is only an hour or two drive (depending on traffic) North. I've never actually been but you can always find more info on their website.
San Diego like most major metropolitian areas has a yearly Renaissance Faire held in Balboa Park in August. I've never been there myself but I plan to check it out this summer.
10. Sushi
I'm not a huge fan of raw fish myself (although I'm getting used to it), but a lot of geeks I know love it. In San Diego there is no "best sushi place in the city" since everyone one I know who likes it claims that their favorite place is absolutely the best. I'll have to agree, everyone I've gone to has their own style and menu selection and I've liked them all. Some tend to be pricier and others tend to take a while due to a crowd, but they're everywhere so just find and give it a shot, due to the proximity of the sea your raw fish will be fresh and tasty as the next place.
1. Electronics
After years of reading Penny-Arcade and other tech sites I'd heard about Fry's and it's electronic utopia. With miles of aisles stocked full with everything a geek craves, computers, video games, music, movies, book, etc. With the free time abound due to looking for a new job I looked up the nearest location and found it near Aero Road off the I-15.
Don't Go There. It's crap, absolute rubbish. I mean, it did have all the promised goodies, but I was expecting gleaming halls and a monument of pure techno-utopianism. Instead I was faced with a dreary warehouse looking store that had a shambly and disorganized look about it.
Over a year later, my enthusiasm for Fry's diminished, on our way back from somewhere my girlfriend suggested we stop off at Fry's to get some Christmas gifts. I was confused since we were in North country near San Marcos and not near the Fry's I despise.
We arrived and it was a gift from the Gods themselves. Two giant obelisk towered on each side of the entrance, huge Jacob Ladders inside humming their plasma arcs audibly humming with the electricity providing their life. Inside it has a theme of Atlantis, massive fish tanks filled with huge fish and even sharks. Statues of men in old diving gear gazed upon the pristine aisles of geek marrow and I knew that all the stories were true. Fry's was rock awesome, not only the best presented store I've ever had the pleasure of walking into, but also it's never let me down in my search for some rare connector or piece of hardware.
To make a long story short, don't go to the Fry's in San Diego off Aero road. Spare yourself the agony and spend the extra half hour going up to San Marcos.
The UCSD bookstore also has some good deals on hardware, specifically Apple, since the student discount that's included in the price and you don't have to show a student ID.
The Geek Exit
Occasionally the forces of the universe combine and create a single point multi-disciplinary geekdom. One such example of this is the Clairemont Mesa Blvd exit off the 805 freeway. The next four geek retailers are within a mile of this exit.
2. Comics
The first, on the West side, is Comickaze which sells a variety of major label comics, manga, and assorted collectibles. The store itself isn't impressive in a rational sense, but it appeals to those who enjoy the disorganized and randomness of the comic book geek stereotype. The racks are liad out haphazardly and usually books from labels are kept together, although sometimes you have to dig around until you find what you're looking for.
The store always has some sort of clutter, whether it's the random storage boxes next to the check-out counter or a rack from Free Comic Book Day blocking the way to the collectible section. The employees are generally helpful and occasionally you can catch some authors chatting it up with them or guys who are absurdly into comics boasting about their latest 40,000 book acquisition.
They don't carry much rare or back issues, but you can always find the latest and greatest on the "new" racks near the back left of the store. Their hours vary, usually 11am-9pm, but you'll want to check out the Google local page since their outdated web page doesn't have them.
3. Boardgames
Although I didn't know this till recently geeks love boardgames, and as I expanded my interests here in San Diego I realized that boardgames are something I always liked but never put any energy into. The games now-a-days are a far cry from the simplistic (yet still fun) rules of Monopoly, Operation, Sorry!, and others from my childhood.
The Settlers of Catan started my fascination my senior year of college and I haven't stopped since. Enjoying a variety of new and different types, like Carcassonne, Lost Cities, Captain Treasure Boots, and more. There's even an entire website dedicated to them, with reviews, commentary and alternative modes of play.
Game Empire, East of the highway, has a ton of games, model supplies, a knowledgeable staff, and a large game room that always seems filled with people playing some sort of war or D&D game. Their stock is fleshed out well, although sometimes they're lacking specific titles, all the major ones are there. Almost half their stock is for Warhammer 40k and other wargames, including models, terrain material, paint, and other building supplies.
As much as I like supporting local businesses, Wal-Mart is within walking distance of the store and if you're looking to pick up a more common game and it's too expensive at GE I'd recommend heading there.
4. Music
Although not a whole lot of geeks play guitar, right across from Game Empire is Guitar Trader that specializes in buying and selling used equipment. The store is packed with anything you'll need, and although their music section could stand to have more selection the rest of the store is solid.
Lou's Records (Not off the Geek Exit) is an awesome used and new music store tucked up in Encinitas along Pacific Coast Highway. There are two buildings, one for used wares and the other for newer stuff. It carries a good selection of vinyl, cds, and cassettes arranged in catagories from Indie, Hardcore, Pop, Trance and other electic genres. Every Saturday is Free Stuff Saturday and you can get demo cds, stickers, posters, and an assorsement of other swag. Look near the front for the top 20 albums of the week and employee picks for new stuff you may not have heard before. They also have their catalog in a database system that you can search. Sign up for their newsletter by email to get a weekly run down on almost every music related events in San Diego.
5. Books
A few storefronts down from Game Empire is the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore. I went in it once to check it out and it was completely full of fantasy and sci-fi novels of every type. The prices seemed reasonable and for someone trying to track down a less popular series that larger book chains don't carry I'm sure they have it. From their web page they seem to have a lot of events and author signings as well.
There are probably a host of other more geek friendly bookstores in the city but I either use Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or the UCSD Bookstore for the majority of my purchases.
6. Beer
Geeks love beer, and fortunately San Diego has a large micro-brewery culture many you can find in stores and specialty brew pubs.
Stone Brewery is probably the best known outside of the city, with Arrogant Bastard Ale making a name for itself across the country. They also produce and excellent IPA and Smoked Porter as well as special one time brews. They are located in North county and provide tours as well as a gift shop.
Karl Strauss is well known in California but may not have much clout outside the Western United States (I don't know this for sure). They not only sell in stores but they also have their own chain of restaurants throughout the county. My favorite by far is tucked away in Sorrento Valley in the middle of a business park. The building was a Japanese place so the architecture and garden have a very Zen feel to it. They also sponsor various concerts and events throughout the year. Give their Red Trolley, Woodie Pale Ale, and Amber Lager a try.
There are many other local San Diego micro-brews that you'll find in stores throughout the county. Check out the Beer Advocates Guide to San Diego to find more information.
The city has tons of local bars and pubs to enjoy . My particular favorites are, Pizza Port (excellent pizza), The Oul Sod (authentic Irish pub), The Field (another Irish pub but with food too), The Wits End (for the intellectual), PB Bar and Grill (sports and beach), and The USCD Pub (good prices and student atmosphere).
7. Movies
Out of the all of the places to see a movie in the area, four stand out as a cut above the rest.
The first is Edwards Cinemas 16 in Mira Mesa, and is your standard huge megaplex with stadium seating, multiple concession stands and a expensive tickets. I normally go there to see movies I know I don't want to miss on the big screen.
Secondly is the AMC La Jolla 12 mostly because it's close to my house but also they have the added catch of allowing you to bring outside food in. The location of the theatre is in a small mall like complex which gives you a variety of eateries, from burritos, deli sandwiches, pizza, and even sushi. If you have a current or expired ID use it to get a MovieWatcher card to get a discount on your ticket and eventually it'll acquire points and start getting discounts or free coupons for the concession stand.
The La Jolla Landmark is great for independent film lover, and is located right across the street from the AMC La Jolla 12 (there is also one in Hillcrest). The Hillcrest location is a bit nicer, but they both have that gritty personal quality to them. Every Friday at midnight they have a special showing of a cult or popular geek movie, which includes trivia before the show starts, people dressed up, and all sorts of other festivities.
Cinema Under the Stars is a unique open air theatre with "zero-gravity" chairs that suspend you while you watch old or cult films. Right next door is an excellent BBQ place as well.
8. Videogames
Almost any electronic retailer sells videogames so there's not specific place to go to satisfy your addiction, but there is one area in San Diego that happens to have two great stores across the street from each other. They're you're common Gamespot and Electronic Boutique, but the Gamespot seems to have an unusual amount of quality used wares. I normally run there if I'm trying to find a used title and if they don't have it, my chances of obtaining it are increased by quickly checking out the EB across the street.
They are located in opposite shopping plazas at the cross street of Mira Mesa Blvd and Reagen Road.
9. Cons
San Diego is lucky enough to become the geek Mecca every July with Comic-Con International downtown. The convention gets larger every year, originally starting as just a comic show but over the last few years it's morphed into movies, videogames, fantasy, sci-fi, and just about anything geeky you can imagine. It runs for four days near the end of July and always guarantees plenty of panels and speakers. In addition the amount of free swag is plentiful and you definitely get your moneys worth for the cost of admission.
By far one of the most popular convention in the country is the Electronic Entertainment Expo also known as E3. It doesn't take place in San Diego, but in LA which is only an hour or two drive (depending on traffic) North. I've never actually been but you can always find more info on their website.
San Diego like most major metropolitian areas has a yearly Renaissance Faire held in Balboa Park in August. I've never been there myself but I plan to check it out this summer.
10. Sushi
I'm not a huge fan of raw fish myself (although I'm getting used to it), but a lot of geeks I know love it. In San Diego there is no "best sushi place in the city" since everyone one I know who likes it claims that their favorite place is absolutely the best. I'll have to agree, everyone I've gone to has their own style and menu selection and I've liked them all. Some tend to be pricier and others tend to take a while due to a crowd, but they're everywhere so just find and give it a shot, due to the proximity of the sea your raw fish will be fresh and tasty as the next place.
Thirteen Ways to be a Real Conservative
- Take the bus to work (gas and stress free)
- Walk or bike to places within a mile
- Save plastic bags and deposit them next time to go to the grocery store
- Use a re-usable grocery bag
- Turn off appliances when you're not using them
- Invest in ceiling fans and turn down the AC
- Get a hybrid vehicle
- If you can't get a hybrid, get regular tuneups
- Pay your bills online (saves on stamps too)
- Enable your computers power management settings
- Recycle whatever you can
- Create a compost heap and use it to mulch a vegetable garden
- Just use less
Selasa, 11 Juli 2006
Counting Down
Today the New York Times had a nice article on Keith Olbermann and his MSNBC show Countdown and I thought I'd comment on why it's one of my favorite news shows.
M my brother introduced me to the fast-paced witty commentary of Keith Olbermann last year and since then it's been my favorite actual news show. Along with Countdown, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report I get my current events with a nice blend of fact and humor. Most of the news stories now-a-days are pretty heavy, and having them intermingled with the quirkiness that the show is known for helps the issues sink in easier.
Olbermann as a host is quite energetic, and if it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't watch the show at all. Occasionally he'll be on vacation and someone will fill in for him, but it's just not the same. His commentary is usually right on the mark and he does it with a wit and insight that I find lacking in most other commentators. By far the best reason to watch him is his calling out of right-wing pundits like Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter. Somewhat childish, but funny, they're normally in the "Worst Person in the World" segment for something stupid they said and he gives them names like Coultergeist or Bill'O. This has actually lead to ratings increase by the feud between him and Bill'O.
I know that the show is left leaning, but that's fine by me since it reports on stories I know I want to hear about and won't start yelling things at the TV. The fact the Olbermann also reports things either ahead of time (hence the slogan, "Which of these stories will you be talking about tomorrow?") or ones that other major media outlets won't cover period (election disputes after Nov. 04) keeps me coming back too. The show itself just has an overall quality and polish too it, catering to someone of my age and political knowledge with issues I actually care about.
Even though the show doesn't have as much clout as others, it lands some pretty spectacular interviews. A wonderful example is the recent interview with Jack Murtha, whom it seems is avoided or not allowed to fully speak his mind on other shows. It wasn't even Olbermann asking the questions but Brian Unger who sometimes takes his place when he's gone and it still shone as one of the best interviews I've ever seen. Murtha was ruthless and spoke strongly and passionately about an issue he cares deeply about, something that's lacking in today's politicians. The questions were excellent and resulted in insightful responses from Murtha, and unlike other interviews I've seen with him they weren't negatively attacking him.
Finally, the show always ends with Olbermann signing off with "Good night, and Good Luck", probably one of the greatest quotes in television news history from Edward R. Murrow. He also throws in his modern take on the sign off with a count of how many days have elapsed since "Mission Accomplished" was declared in Iraq.
The show airs daily at 5pm on MSNBC, and if you have a problem missing it there are almost always highlights of it on Crooks and Liars.
M my brother introduced me to the fast-paced witty commentary of Keith Olbermann last year and since then it's been my favorite actual news show. Along with Countdown, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report I get my current events with a nice blend of fact and humor. Most of the news stories now-a-days are pretty heavy, and having them intermingled with the quirkiness that the show is known for helps the issues sink in easier.
Olbermann as a host is quite energetic, and if it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't watch the show at all. Occasionally he'll be on vacation and someone will fill in for him, but it's just not the same. His commentary is usually right on the mark and he does it with a wit and insight that I find lacking in most other commentators. By far the best reason to watch him is his calling out of right-wing pundits like Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter. Somewhat childish, but funny, they're normally in the "Worst Person in the World" segment for something stupid they said and he gives them names like Coultergeist or Bill'O. This has actually lead to ratings increase by the feud between him and Bill'O.
I know that the show is left leaning, but that's fine by me since it reports on stories I know I want to hear about and won't start yelling things at the TV. The fact the Olbermann also reports things either ahead of time (hence the slogan, "Which of these stories will you be talking about tomorrow?") or ones that other major media outlets won't cover period (election disputes after Nov. 04) keeps me coming back too. The show itself just has an overall quality and polish too it, catering to someone of my age and political knowledge with issues I actually care about.
Even though the show doesn't have as much clout as others, it lands some pretty spectacular interviews. A wonderful example is the recent interview with Jack Murtha, whom it seems is avoided or not allowed to fully speak his mind on other shows. It wasn't even Olbermann asking the questions but Brian Unger who sometimes takes his place when he's gone and it still shone as one of the best interviews I've ever seen. Murtha was ruthless and spoke strongly and passionately about an issue he cares deeply about, something that's lacking in today's politicians. The questions were excellent and resulted in insightful responses from Murtha, and unlike other interviews I've seen with him they weren't negatively attacking him.
Finally, the show always ends with Olbermann signing off with "Good night, and Good Luck", probably one of the greatest quotes in television news history from Edward R. Murrow. He also throws in his modern take on the sign off with a count of how many days have elapsed since "Mission Accomplished" was declared in Iraq.
The show airs daily at 5pm on MSNBC, and if you have a problem missing it there are almost always highlights of it on Crooks and Liars.
Kamis, 06 Juli 2006
Thursday Thirteen - Open Source Programs
Thirteen Open Source programs you should check out:
- GAIM - Multi-protocol Instant Messenger
- Mozilla Firefox - Web Browser
- Mozilla Thunderbird - Email Client
- ZSNES - Super Nintendo Emulator
- Filezilla and Cyberduck - S/FTP Client
- VLC - Media Player
- Apollon (GNU/Linux Only)- Multi-protocol File Sharing
- Grease Monkey - Firefox Extension
- TightVNC and Chicken of the VNC - Remote Desktop
- OpenOffice.org - Office Suite
- 7zip - File de/compression
- Nethack - Dynamic Text-mode Dungeon Crawler
- ClamAV - Anti-Virus Detection and Removal
Rabu, 05 Juli 2006
Slashdot Comment of the Day - MySpace
I read Slashdot a lot, and have been for years. Normally I lurk around an just read the comments. The constant flow of tech stories was what first attracted me, but over the years I found myself clicking on the stories less, and reading the comments more. Slashdot is a huge geek site, and because of it's notoriety and history a lot of smart and funny people post to it. Thanks to the excellent moderation system it's easy to find some true gems and actually learn something interesting or scathingly funny.
Over the years I've noticed my thinking is almost warped by all the commentary, not because I don't have any thoughts of my own, but a lot of the older and wiser people say exactly what I've had mulling in my head but never put into actual words.
For example, over the last few months I've had a protest of the popular social networking site MySpace. I just plain don't like it. Eventually I put my thoughts together and came to the conclusion that I don't like it because:
The vanity on the site is disgusting, it's like the virtual culmination of a deadly sin. All that "bling" and slang thrown around on a page that looks like it's from the mid nineties. Just look at most of the pictures, and the majority of people trying to be as outlandish or depressing as they can simply to garner the most attention from virtual eyes. Not to mention the friend counter that shows you how popular you are, as if linking to another persons crappy looking site makes you "cooler" somehow. It's just one big me fest, hey, probably why it's called MySpace
Fourthly is the "social cliche" that comes with the above comment. It's just like the high school lunchroom all over again. Finally, the Internet, the great equalizer, where you the celebrities were known for their technical skills and intelligence has been reduced to who can have the most craptastic looking page. Additionally, MySpace spills out into the real world, and everyone has a page on it now. You hear them talking about it in clubs, in the malls, everywhere. People who just a few years ago gave us geeks shit for having your own website or going online are now more addicted than we ever were. To make matters worse, if you don't have a myspace page people give you the look of "what's wrong with you". You know what, I don't want to be on your crappy site looking like an idiot and telling you how cute I thought Jenny looked the other day. I know how to run my own web server and publish stuff online using fully XHTML and CSS compliant pages (course blogspot sorta negates this, but at least it's a bit more professional looking).
Finally, I don't want to see what type of people use the Internet. I already know who's online, and it's scary. To have a bunch of hobgoblin teenagers, stay young forever old people, and club loving twenty something start posting their greatest picture (taken from the side) of all time while telling in their favorite book section that they don't read because "any book good enough will eventually be made into a movie", makes me want to unplug the cable modem.
To conclude, here's the Slashdot Comment of the Day by Monoman:
He sums my thoughts up pretty well. I am a geek elite, I know this, and therefore I look down on the "masses" when they come teeming to the latest greatest newest thing. Right now it's Myspace, before it was Original Napster, and before that was Geocities (which I was guilty of making a crappy looking self promotion website using non-standard web practices in high school).
As much as I hate MySpace I understand and I applaud it. It gives the technologically challenged an outlet for their online lives, doesn't discriminate, and it grants almost total anarchy to those who want it. Too bad all it's users profiles, comments, and anything else published under it is owned by Rupert Murdoch.
Over the years I've noticed my thinking is almost warped by all the commentary, not because I don't have any thoughts of my own, but a lot of the older and wiser people say exactly what I've had mulling in my head but never put into actual words.
For example, over the last few months I've had a protest of the popular social networking site MySpace. I just plain don't like it. Eventually I put my thoughts together and came to the conclusion that I don't like it because:
- It just looks horrible
- Its way to easy for someone to make a horrible crufty looking page
- It plays to peoples vanity
- It creates a "social cliche" on the Internet
- It actually shows you who the millions of Internet users are
The vanity on the site is disgusting, it's like the virtual culmination of a deadly sin. All that "bling" and slang thrown around on a page that looks like it's from the mid nineties. Just look at most of the pictures, and the majority of people trying to be as outlandish or depressing as they can simply to garner the most attention from virtual eyes. Not to mention the friend counter that shows you how popular you are, as if linking to another persons crappy looking site makes you "cooler" somehow. It's just one big me fest, hey, probably why it's called MySpace
Fourthly is the "social cliche" that comes with the above comment. It's just like the high school lunchroom all over again. Finally, the Internet, the great equalizer, where you the celebrities were known for their technical skills and intelligence has been reduced to who can have the most craptastic looking page. Additionally, MySpace spills out into the real world, and everyone has a page on it now. You hear them talking about it in clubs, in the malls, everywhere. People who just a few years ago gave us geeks shit for having your own website or going online are now more addicted than we ever were. To make matters worse, if you don't have a myspace page people give you the look of "what's wrong with you". You know what, I don't want to be on your crappy site looking like an idiot and telling you how cute I thought Jenny looked the other day. I know how to run my own web server and publish stuff online using fully XHTML and CSS compliant pages (course blogspot sorta negates this, but at least it's a bit more professional looking).
Finally, I don't want to see what type of people use the Internet. I already know who's online, and it's scary. To have a bunch of hobgoblin teenagers, stay young forever old people, and club loving twenty something start posting their greatest picture (taken from the side) of all time while telling in their favorite book section that they don't read because "any book good enough will eventually be made into a movie", makes me want to unplug the cable modem.
To conclude, here's the Slashdot Comment of the Day by Monoman:
Myspace is just another proof that quality is always what is important.
My impression after seeing Myspace for the first time was it was like the early days of web page design. The users were more atrracted to the cheap "gee whiz" stuff. Inline audio and video took the place of flashing/scrolling text and huge animated gifs.
I have some friends that like to use Myspace so I check it out every once in a while. It is still a horrible site from a snobby tech geek point of view. To others, it is a great thing.
He sums my thoughts up pretty well. I am a geek elite, I know this, and therefore I look down on the "masses" when they come teeming to the latest greatest newest thing. Right now it's Myspace, before it was Original Napster, and before that was Geocities (which I was guilty of making a crappy looking self promotion website using non-standard web practices in high school).
As much as I hate MySpace I understand and I applaud it. It gives the technologically challenged an outlet for their online lives, doesn't discriminate, and it grants almost total anarchy to those who want it. Too bad all it's users profiles, comments, and anything else published under it is owned by Rupert Murdoch.
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