robert sapolsky
via the global secular humanist movement
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These Guys?
This is a billboard I would pass every morning after dropping Zack off at daycare. Since we're taking him somewhere else starting Monday, I took this yesterday morning. It's underlit, as the sun was in the wrong direction, but I don't know when, if ever, I'll go back to get a better one. You may want to click it for bigness.
This billboard cracks me up. Look how excited the ad geniuses at Hamer Motors got about sculpting the personality of their inferior rivals Mega Motors. Mega Motors is mega, so it must be a huge company that doesn't care about the little guy -- despite its size, however, their entire staff can be personified by these two characters. "Jerry," who is loud and obnoxioius, will likely be unconcerned about your car's problems because he's constantly on the phone busy with all the wheeling and dealing that is typical of his kind of power position. And then there's hapless "Doug," the mechanic who's so stupid he's going to work on your car with just a hammer and saw. Plus, he's totally intimidated by Jerry.
What really cracks me up is that they thought of these characters, figured out their props and personalities, hired some actors to play them in a photo shoot, stuck them up there with their names in weird, goofy typeface, found an appropriately scornful yet different typeface for "Mega Motors," and then, on the other side of the billboard, on which they get to present their carefully crafted depiction of their superior knowledge and service, they've got...
nothing. Just their name. They were so giggly about making their fictional rivals come to life they reduced themselves to a blank cypher. The catch phrase "experience the difference" becomes largely meaningless, as we're given nothing at all to go by except that they're not like "These Guys." Are they a crack team of well-kempt professionals in snappy uniforms with today's high-tech tools hanging off their belts, or are they a rabid warehouse full of poo-stained, screaching monkeys? Either one fits the bill. Throw us a frickin' bone, Hamer!
Daryl Hall & Billy Ocean - Caribean Queen
Good morning folks... headed to the desert for a few hours to help my buddy, Legion. Starting the day with Mr. Ocean and Hall & Oates! Enjoy your day! I am looking forward to seeing PRINCE again tonight!
It was bothering me so I checked into it...
I didn't sleep well last night because something just didn't add up. I couldn't for the life of me think any logical reason why Rex Morgan MD would dress up like a clown so I did a little research. Turns out the strip JPX used was taken from this website and the clown getup was was added in by a blogging yukster*. Take a look below at the original:
And then the modified version:
Octopunk deserves bonus points for identifying "Zippy".
Here's the original version of JPX's selection:
That is all. Carry on.
*That was the first time I've ever used the word "yukster" and it felt pretty good.
And then the modified version:
Octopunk deserves bonus points for identifying "Zippy".
Here's the original version of JPX's selection:
That is all. Carry on.
*That was the first time I've ever used the word "yukster" and it felt pretty good.
WTFofTheDay: Hey Boy! American Astronaut
What do you believe is happening here?
An excerpt from American Astronaut (2001) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243759
An excerpt from American Astronaut (2001) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243759
Best Actor 1983: Michael Caine in Educating Rita
Michael Caine received his third Oscar nomination for portraying Dr. Frank Bryant in Educating Rita.
Educating Rita is a somewhat enjoyable film about a working class woman Rita (Julie Walters) who tries to learn about literature with a tutor.
The tutor is Dr. Frank Bryant who is a tired drunkard of a professor, and former poet, the second drunkard poet this year after Tom Conti's Gowan McGland. The difference between Caine's and Conti's performance is that Frank Bryant does not hide his sadness behind a facade of joviality. Caine portrays Bryant's sadness and tiredness always completely at the forefront of his performance.
For about the first half of the entire performance Caine just is a completely tired, and uncaring mess basically. This is completely correct to the character of Bryant though, and does show the whole long past of his character in his face. At the same time though it does not make for a particularly entertaining or interesting character, since for the first half I really found myself caring little about what Caine was doing but entirely what Walters was doing as Rita.
Caine though is allowed more to do although not that much more as his relationship grows with Rita. He slowly shows happiness grow in his face over the success of Rita, and Caine is quite good at doing this in a subtle fashion, but still Caine is not given that much to do to really make his performance into something really interesting unfortuantely.
Caine is allowed more when he shows Bryant sadness over losing his time with Rita, as she basically grows past what he can do for her. Caine is again very good in showing his sadness overwhelm him completely. Caine is good all the way through with his drunk scene as well as his final two talks with Rita showing his feelings. Caine is completely authentic, and these are his most effective scenes without seeming ever to visably "act".
Caine is an actor I will admit that I generally always like, he is the type of actor for me that has to really try to be bad, as I find he is good just normally. He is good all the way though with this performance, and I though he always stayed realistic and honest, I just wish really his character was subjected to mostly be an entirely reactive character. Still this is a good job, and I doubt anyone could have done better with how little he is given at times.
The tutor is Dr. Frank Bryant who is a tired drunkard of a professor, and former poet, the second drunkard poet this year after Tom Conti's Gowan McGland. The difference between Caine's and Conti's performance is that Frank Bryant does not hide his sadness behind a facade of joviality. Caine portrays Bryant's sadness and tiredness always completely at the forefront of his performance.
For about the first half of the entire performance Caine just is a completely tired, and uncaring mess basically. This is completely correct to the character of Bryant though, and does show the whole long past of his character in his face. At the same time though it does not make for a particularly entertaining or interesting character, since for the first half I really found myself caring little about what Caine was doing but entirely what Walters was doing as Rita.
Caine though is allowed more to do although not that much more as his relationship grows with Rita. He slowly shows happiness grow in his face over the success of Rita, and Caine is quite good at doing this in a subtle fashion, but still Caine is not given that much to do to really make his performance into something really interesting unfortuantely.
Caine is allowed more when he shows Bryant sadness over losing his time with Rita, as she basically grows past what he can do for her. Caine is again very good in showing his sadness overwhelm him completely. Caine is good all the way through with his drunk scene as well as his final two talks with Rita showing his feelings. Caine is completely authentic, and these are his most effective scenes without seeming ever to visably "act".
Caine is an actor I will admit that I generally always like, he is the type of actor for me that has to really try to be bad, as I find he is good just normally. He is good all the way though with this performance, and I though he always stayed realistic and honest, I just wish really his character was subjected to mostly be an entirely reactive character. Still this is a good job, and I doubt anyone could have done better with how little he is given at times.
Caption Contest results, early!
Okay, I lied. I know that I was going to allow the contest to go until midnight but I decided to post the results now because I had an unexpected 2 hours to kill at work and I decided that I might as well get paid to do this!
I love you guys! You really stepped up to the plate for our little captain contest. As the entries trickled in I felt like I was reading a genuine comics page albeit a sarcastic version from an alternate universe. As some of you have told me, this game is not as easy as it first appears. I too found myself struggling to come up with anything for the Archie strip, and Rex Morgan threw me for a loop as well. Thank you for making me laugh all week long! In no particular order these are my favorite from each strip:
Catfreeek made me laugh with the hilarious suggestion that Peter wears the Spider-Man costume in bed and that even a superhero has his limitations!
The Amazing Spider-Man
Panel 1
"Seriously Peter, you need to get over it."
Panel 2
(Peter mumbling incoherently)
Panel 3
"It happens to everyone! Seriously! It's not like the whole world has to know Spider-man has erectile dysfunction!"
The Archie strip was especially challenging. I struggled with it until the 11th hour. It was a toss-up between Stan and JSP but in the end I went with JSP for being the first one to come up with the hallucinogen humor.
Archie
Panel 1:
"Coach Kleats survived the operation and is expected back at school next fall. Can you believe that Mr. Weatherbee chose Archie to take his place in the meantime?"
"Why am I sitting on the ground?"
"I just hope Archie comes up with a solid plan to beat Rival High on Sunday."
Panel 2: "Hey Arch, wanna buy some pot? It makes you creative."
Archie: "Well... now that you mention it, if I'm gonna coach the girls to victory over the River Rats I could use a few clever ideas."
Panel 3:
"Urban purple marshmallows danced the tango as I awaited the arrival of my space train. The butterflies amused themselves by critiquing the omelette that no one dared to eat."
Panel 4:
"Holy crap, this stuff is strong!"
Octo nailed the Hagar strip with a perfect gut-punching joke! When you really think about it, he’s right! Hagar’s wife would probably be shocked if she knew what his job truly entailed.
Hagar the Horrible
Panel 1
Helga: As a welcome back from a successful raid, I present your Hero's Sundae!
Panel 2
Silence
Panel 3
Hagar: I raped a whole family this morning.
I must admit that I pondered a dead Mr. Wilson gag but DCD nailed it perfectly! I want to see more from you, my dear!
Dennis the Menace
"Now remember Joey - if anyone asks, you haven't seen Mr. Wilson in days."
Whirlygirl’s stab at writing a Rex Morgan was absolutely perfect! If you really look at the strip while you read her words you will appreciate how well the rhythm of her prose matches the panels. I love the suggestion that Rex makes house calls and, even more, I love the idea that Rex is such a cheapskate that he goes to flea markets to acquire his attire. In the end I made Whirlygirl the winner because not only did she make me laugh but she did so with one of the more challenging strips. Congrats, Whirly!
Rex Morgan
Panel 1
Woman: Dr. Morgan, thank you for seeing me on such short notice.
Morgan: I expect those hemorrhoids to clear up in a jiffy.
Panel 2
Woman: One more thing...is there a clown convention in town?
Panel 3
Morgan: I have to stop shopping at flea markets.
I know 50 was busy but where are the rest of you (*cough cough AC, H-Town, Tami, Trevor, Landshark…)? Until next week, my friends, enjoy your weekend. I look forward to seeing Whirly’s picks!
What, you want the original strips? Without further ado,
I love you guys! You really stepped up to the plate for our little captain contest. As the entries trickled in I felt like I was reading a genuine comics page albeit a sarcastic version from an alternate universe. As some of you have told me, this game is not as easy as it first appears. I too found myself struggling to come up with anything for the Archie strip, and Rex Morgan threw me for a loop as well. Thank you for making me laugh all week long! In no particular order these are my favorite from each strip:
Catfreeek made me laugh with the hilarious suggestion that Peter wears the Spider-Man costume in bed and that even a superhero has his limitations!
The Amazing Spider-Man
Panel 1
"Seriously Peter, you need to get over it."
Panel 2
(Peter mumbling incoherently)
Panel 3
"It happens to everyone! Seriously! It's not like the whole world has to know Spider-man has erectile dysfunction!"
The Archie strip was especially challenging. I struggled with it until the 11th hour. It was a toss-up between Stan and JSP but in the end I went with JSP for being the first one to come up with the hallucinogen humor.
Archie
Panel 1:
"Coach Kleats survived the operation and is expected back at school next fall. Can you believe that Mr. Weatherbee chose Archie to take his place in the meantime?"
"Why am I sitting on the ground?"
"I just hope Archie comes up with a solid plan to beat Rival High on Sunday."
Panel 2: "Hey Arch, wanna buy some pot? It makes you creative."
Archie: "Well... now that you mention it, if I'm gonna coach the girls to victory over the River Rats I could use a few clever ideas."
Panel 3:
"Urban purple marshmallows danced the tango as I awaited the arrival of my space train. The butterflies amused themselves by critiquing the omelette that no one dared to eat."
Panel 4:
"Holy crap, this stuff is strong!"
Octo nailed the Hagar strip with a perfect gut-punching joke! When you really think about it, he’s right! Hagar’s wife would probably be shocked if she knew what his job truly entailed.
Hagar the Horrible
Panel 1
Helga: As a welcome back from a successful raid, I present your Hero's Sundae!
Panel 2
Silence
Panel 3
Hagar: I raped a whole family this morning.
I must admit that I pondered a dead Mr. Wilson gag but DCD nailed it perfectly! I want to see more from you, my dear!
Dennis the Menace
"Now remember Joey - if anyone asks, you haven't seen Mr. Wilson in days."
Whirlygirl’s stab at writing a Rex Morgan was absolutely perfect! If you really look at the strip while you read her words you will appreciate how well the rhythm of her prose matches the panels. I love the suggestion that Rex makes house calls and, even more, I love the idea that Rex is such a cheapskate that he goes to flea markets to acquire his attire. In the end I made Whirlygirl the winner because not only did she make me laugh but she did so with one of the more challenging strips. Congrats, Whirly!
Rex Morgan
Panel 1
Woman: Dr. Morgan, thank you for seeing me on such short notice.
Morgan: I expect those hemorrhoids to clear up in a jiffy.
Panel 2
Woman: One more thing...is there a clown convention in town?
Panel 3
Morgan: I have to stop shopping at flea markets.
I know 50 was busy but where are the rest of you (*cough cough AC, H-Town, Tami, Trevor, Landshark…)? Until next week, my friends, enjoy your weekend. I look forward to seeing Whirly’s picks!
What, you want the original strips? Without further ado,
The Monkees' Head: 'Our fans couldn't even see it'
From usatoday, Davy Jones doesn't really want to talk about Head. The former Monkees heartthrob is happy to talk about his old home in Manchester, his new home in Florida, his racehorses, his theatre career – anything, basically, except the cryptic, psychedelic art movie that, in 1968, marked the end of the Monkees' short tenure as the biggest rock band in America. "We were pawns in something we helped create but had no control over," he says crossly. "We should have made Ghostbusters, OK?"
Head could never be mistaken for Ghostbusters. It's a fourth-wall-shattering, stream-of-consciousness black comedy that mocks war, America, Hollywood, television, the music business and the Monkees themselves. These days, it is fondly remembered as one of the weirdest and best rock movies ever made, and a harbinger of the so-called New Hollywood. Quentin Tarantino and Edgar Wright are both fans. DJ Shadow and Saint Etienne have sampled its dialogue. According to director Bob Rafelson, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones both requested private screenings, while Thomas Pynchon attended a screening disguised as a plumber. But to the fans who had made the Monkees household names, it might as well never have existed. "The movie dropped like a ball of dark star," says bassist Peter Tork. "The simile of a rock in the water is too mild for how badly that movie did."
Full article here
Best Actor 1983: Tom Conti in Reuben, Reuben
Tom Conti received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Gowan McGland in Reuben, Reuben.
Reuben, Reuben is not a particularly good, but not really an overly bad film about a famous drinking Scottish poet.
Tom Conti's performance is positioned a bit strangely to begin with. Firstly he is made up with his rather unique hair, as well as his unique, and than he is made up to look like a walking corpse. In his opening scene, which unfortunately for the film and his performance is his best scene where he is reading some of his poetry at a women's literary gathering. Conti makes his very unique look and manner work very well in this one scene, showing a slick charm of the poet, and his incredible ease in talking about his work and other literature as well as life.
Tom Conti's whole performance goes very much downhill from here, along with the film itself. He stops seeming like an actual poet and becomes much too much of a movie character poet. He starts living in a rural town and interacting with the various characters there, not quite colorful characters since it is a mostly dramatic film with small comedic elements, so they are not funny characters, but perhaps underwritten characters, played in an overdone manner.
The downturn of the film, and his performance create scene after seem of him being a colorful poet fellow who walks around the town, stealing tips from waiters, seducing women, and either befriending or making enemies with the local men of the town. Although I do think Conti is at all bad with being the always at least half drunk poet, but I do feel the film overuses or wrongly uses his performance putting too much always in the forefront leading to his constant semi-comedic banter to become extremely tiresome fairly quickly.
Gowan though mostly uses his joking exterior to hide a deeply sad man on the inside. Well I know this anyways because well he does look like a corpse most of the time, and of course there is the cliched scene where after joking in public he goes into private and starts crying. Although Conti cries realistically technically his whole portrayal of the sadness of Gowan never really gets deep enough to be anything all that special. That is until his final scene where he thinks over his life quite effectively well that is until just before the end of the scene where he goes and becomes far too theatrical.
Overall this is a performance that shows some very strong moments, particularly in the opening scene and closing scene. Unfortunately in between is tiresome and repetitive. I did not say he was bad in the middle, but he most certainly could have been much better. His performance, besides the first scene, lacks the right charm, as well as the right power, except for in the last scene, to make an honestly compelling or effective performance.
Tom Conti's performance is positioned a bit strangely to begin with. Firstly he is made up with his rather unique hair, as well as his unique, and than he is made up to look like a walking corpse. In his opening scene, which unfortunately for the film and his performance is his best scene where he is reading some of his poetry at a women's literary gathering. Conti makes his very unique look and manner work very well in this one scene, showing a slick charm of the poet, and his incredible ease in talking about his work and other literature as well as life.
Tom Conti's whole performance goes very much downhill from here, along with the film itself. He stops seeming like an actual poet and becomes much too much of a movie character poet. He starts living in a rural town and interacting with the various characters there, not quite colorful characters since it is a mostly dramatic film with small comedic elements, so they are not funny characters, but perhaps underwritten characters, played in an overdone manner.
The downturn of the film, and his performance create scene after seem of him being a colorful poet fellow who walks around the town, stealing tips from waiters, seducing women, and either befriending or making enemies with the local men of the town. Although I do think Conti is at all bad with being the always at least half drunk poet, but I do feel the film overuses or wrongly uses his performance putting too much always in the forefront leading to his constant semi-comedic banter to become extremely tiresome fairly quickly.
Gowan though mostly uses his joking exterior to hide a deeply sad man on the inside. Well I know this anyways because well he does look like a corpse most of the time, and of course there is the cliched scene where after joking in public he goes into private and starts crying. Although Conti cries realistically technically his whole portrayal of the sadness of Gowan never really gets deep enough to be anything all that special. That is until his final scene where he thinks over his life quite effectively well that is until just before the end of the scene where he goes and becomes far too theatrical.
Overall this is a performance that shows some very strong moments, particularly in the opening scene and closing scene. Unfortunately in between is tiresome and repetitive. I did not say he was bad in the middle, but he most certainly could have been much better. His performance, besides the first scene, lacks the right charm, as well as the right power, except for in the last scene, to make an honestly compelling or effective performance.
photopic sky survey
another goody via phil plait... a 5000MP photo of the entire night sky. 37440 exposures. zoomable. 360deg interactive. breathtaking.
by nick risinger.
orion
by randy halverson.
loved the sequence with his camera mount, too.
almost always, via the baaaaaad astronomer
loved the sequence with his camera mount, too.
almost always, via the baaaaaad astronomer
Kutiman - My Favorite Color
I have been a fan of Kutiman's work for a while and have been enjoying this for the last month. He VIDEO SAMPLES youtube videos to build amazing song collages. He also provides links to the origins. Enjoy!
Best Actor 1983
Michael Caine in Educating Rita
Tom Conti in Reuben, Reuben
Robert Duvall in Tender Mercies
Albert Finney in The Dresser
Tom Courtenay in The Dresser
Sneaker Pimps - Blue Movie
"I'm the boy on all the girls taking off their bible belts" via Sneaker Pimps - Blue Movie #sneakerpimps #IAMX ... ♫ http://blip.fm/~143aou
Wannabe rapper passes out after taking a hit
WTHahahahahahahaha..... and watch at 2:40 as he recovers from passing out on the floor.
Best Actor 1959: Results
Cary Grant in North by Northwest
The Guilty Hands - Razor
You may have heard of them already or that I was going to be remixing this tune for them. This song grabbed my attention right before Thanksgiving 2010.
If you like: King, White Rose Movement, New Wave, IndieDustrial
If you like: King, White Rose Movement, New Wave, IndieDustrial
Best Actor 1959: Laurence Harvey in Room at the Top
Laurence Harvey received his only Oscar nomination for portraying Joe Lampton in Room at the Top.
Room at the Top is an intelligent film about a working class man who will do what ever he can to reach the top.
Laurence Harvey of course portrays this young man, and if there is one emotion that is featured throughout his performance is just the incredible anger of Joe due to his position in life, and the way he is treated by the upper class as well. Laurence Harvey shows throughout his performance a seething intense anger that has clearly grown throughout Joe's entire life. It is a vicious anger that Harvey shows the cut throat nature of the character.
The other primary feature of Joe is his incredibly ambition. Harvey is extremely good at portraying this aspect of Joe. I find in particular the early scenes of the film where he almost entirely non verbally portrays this aspect of the character. Harvey has just about perfect reactions, and looks at possibly ways or fashions he will be able to "improve" his current condition, showing a completely unshakable desire to reach the top.
The most important part of his performance though is his affair with an unhappily married woman Alice (Simone Signoret). There chemistry is something else, it has this almost mysterious quality to it that it astonishing. There relationship grows from a mutual desperation at first which first springs in an incredible scene due to brilliant direction of the film, and as well as both actors pitch perfect connection in that moment.
Their relationship certainly is a tragic one but it is incredibly the way they develop a love relationship with one another despite the nature of their relationship. It is not an external loving relationship but rather one of a deeper connection between the two, that goes very deeply too deeply due to the situation they are in. Both actors create such an authentic relationship that makes the film as haunting as it is.
Laurence Harvey makes Joe's transition work fantastically as he gives up his actual love for material awards. Firstly through his seduction of a rich young man, which Harvey portrays in a very cruel, and brutally honest fashion. Secondly through Joe's negotiation to a position which Harvey's shows Joe's entire ambitious, and finally with his final dealings with Alice. There final scene is heartbreaking due to Singoret's complete emotional honesty, and Harvey's cold brutal facade Joe uses to hide his true feelings for her.
Harvey's performance is just about perfect particularly his he shows the incredible grief of Joe, as well as his acceptance of finding his Room at the Top at such a price. I hate to do this, but there are just a few minor squabbles I have with his performance. Firstly his accent he uses is a bit inconsistent although, not ever in a distracting manner, and just one brief scene where Joe violently reacts to Alice telling him about a nude photo she had taken in her younger years. Although I believe it is in Joe's character Harvey's performance just seems slightly forced in this brief scene. Still these are incredibly minor details of the performance that certainly do not at all hinder the incredible strength and power of this complex performance.
Laurence Harvey of course portrays this young man, and if there is one emotion that is featured throughout his performance is just the incredible anger of Joe due to his position in life, and the way he is treated by the upper class as well. Laurence Harvey shows throughout his performance a seething intense anger that has clearly grown throughout Joe's entire life. It is a vicious anger that Harvey shows the cut throat nature of the character.
The other primary feature of Joe is his incredibly ambition. Harvey is extremely good at portraying this aspect of Joe. I find in particular the early scenes of the film where he almost entirely non verbally portrays this aspect of the character. Harvey has just about perfect reactions, and looks at possibly ways or fashions he will be able to "improve" his current condition, showing a completely unshakable desire to reach the top.
The most important part of his performance though is his affair with an unhappily married woman Alice (Simone Signoret). There chemistry is something else, it has this almost mysterious quality to it that it astonishing. There relationship grows from a mutual desperation at first which first springs in an incredible scene due to brilliant direction of the film, and as well as both actors pitch perfect connection in that moment.
Their relationship certainly is a tragic one but it is incredibly the way they develop a love relationship with one another despite the nature of their relationship. It is not an external loving relationship but rather one of a deeper connection between the two, that goes very deeply too deeply due to the situation they are in. Both actors create such an authentic relationship that makes the film as haunting as it is.
Laurence Harvey makes Joe's transition work fantastically as he gives up his actual love for material awards. Firstly through his seduction of a rich young man, which Harvey portrays in a very cruel, and brutally honest fashion. Secondly through Joe's negotiation to a position which Harvey's shows Joe's entire ambitious, and finally with his final dealings with Alice. There final scene is heartbreaking due to Singoret's complete emotional honesty, and Harvey's cold brutal facade Joe uses to hide his true feelings for her.
Harvey's performance is just about perfect particularly his he shows the incredible grief of Joe, as well as his acceptance of finding his Room at the Top at such a price. I hate to do this, but there are just a few minor squabbles I have with his performance. Firstly his accent he uses is a bit inconsistent although, not ever in a distracting manner, and just one brief scene where Joe violently reacts to Alice telling him about a nude photo she had taken in her younger years. Although I believe it is in Joe's character Harvey's performance just seems slightly forced in this brief scene. Still these are incredibly minor details of the performance that certainly do not at all hinder the incredible strength and power of this complex performance.
greta christina: william lane craig defends genocide and infanticide
on alternet:
"
why did this story not make headlines?
in a recent post on his reasonable faith site, famed christian apologist and debater william lane craig published an explanation for why the genocide and infanticide ordered by god against the canaanites in the old testament was morally defensible. for god, at any rate -- and for people following god's orders. short version: when guilty people got killed, they deserved it because they were guilty and bad... and when innocent people got killed, even when innocent babies were killed, they went to heaven, and it was all hunky dory in the end.
no, really.
"
why did this story not make headlines?
in a recent post on his reasonable faith site, famed christian apologist and debater william lane craig published an explanation for why the genocide and infanticide ordered by god against the canaanites in the old testament was morally defensible. for god, at any rate -- and for people following god's orders. short version: when guilty people got killed, they deserved it because they were guilty and bad... and when innocent people got killed, even when innocent babies were killed, they went to heaven, and it was all hunky dory in the end.
no, really.
"
HHD: Caption Challenge!
Wow, has it been 7 days already? Actually, no, it’s only been 6 days. Anyway, I am continuing JSP’s marvelous comic strip contest introduced last week. Below are the strips that I have chosen with dialogue removed thanks to JSP and his magical Photoshop skills. Choosing strips that would generate interesting dialogue proved to be more challenging than I initially believed. I hope you have fun with these! I will take submissions up until Friday midnight (est) and will hopefully post the results in a timely manner. By extending the contest I hope to see some pithy posts from everyone. Only one post each for each strip please!
Hagar the Horrible is set in the Middle Ages in a coastal village somewhere in Norway and is a loose interpretation of Viking and medieval Scandinavian life. The strip waxes and wanes between two gags; Hagar is either being shamed by his battleaxe wife, Helga, or he is engaged in some conflict as he pillages the countryside. Twenty-seven years after its debut Hagar the Horrible remains largely unfunny and redundant.
Dennis the Menace has been around since 1951. Recently while helping my parents clean up their basement I stumbled upon an old scrapbook of my father’s that he made when he was 8 or 9 years old. Within the pages he had pasted a lot of comic strips and among them were a bunch of Dennis the Menaces. I can now report that the strip was no funnier 60 years ago than it is today. Dennis the Menace rankles me in a way other strips don’t. We are supposed to believe that he is “cute”, “precious”, whatever; when the reality is that Dennis is a brat growing up in an environment that provides no consequences for his endless misdeeds. He breaks everything, he’s filthy all the time, and he terrorizes his elderly neighbors by constantly trespassing and causing mayhem.
I make no secret of the fact that I love reading Archie comics. The comic book debuted in 1941 and the comic strip started in 1946. Believe it or not the strips from the 40s are excellent. Written and drawn by Bob Montana the early strips were clever and a bit darker than the Archie comics of today, which have devolved into predictable gags and punch lines. I won’t go into details about the world of Archie as most have some familiarity with it. If you don’t know a thing about Archie comics just know that Archie constantly swings back and forth in an endless love triangle with the rich, self-absorbed Veronica Lodge and the sweet girl-next-door Betty Cooper. His best friend is sarcastic, beatnik Jughead Jones and the stories are generally set at Riverdale High where the gang is involved in endless academic hijinks.
The Amazing Spider-Man newspaper strip has been around since 1977 and was featured heavily on this blog a few years ago. I’ve been following the strip daily for about 8 years (see also Rex Morgan) and can definitely state that its the same story written over and over again; Peter Parker is trying to spend some down-time with his hot wife Mary Jane and his attempts at leading a normal life are frequently interrupted by an endless array of super-villains.
Created by a psychiatrist in 1948 Rex Morgan follows the adventures of family doctor “Rex Morgan”. The strip occasionally deals with patient issues/themes but more often than not Rex and his wife June become mired in the problems of their friends and colleagues. I’ve been following the strip for years after being curious about “serious” comic strips. The stories are glacially paced, each lasting a few months, with little payoff but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I get sucked into them.
Hagar the Horrible is set in the Middle Ages in a coastal village somewhere in Norway and is a loose interpretation of Viking and medieval Scandinavian life. The strip waxes and wanes between two gags; Hagar is either being shamed by his battleaxe wife, Helga, or he is engaged in some conflict as he pillages the countryside. Twenty-seven years after its debut Hagar the Horrible remains largely unfunny and redundant.
Dennis the Menace has been around since 1951. Recently while helping my parents clean up their basement I stumbled upon an old scrapbook of my father’s that he made when he was 8 or 9 years old. Within the pages he had pasted a lot of comic strips and among them were a bunch of Dennis the Menaces. I can now report that the strip was no funnier 60 years ago than it is today. Dennis the Menace rankles me in a way other strips don’t. We are supposed to believe that he is “cute”, “precious”, whatever; when the reality is that Dennis is a brat growing up in an environment that provides no consequences for his endless misdeeds. He breaks everything, he’s filthy all the time, and he terrorizes his elderly neighbors by constantly trespassing and causing mayhem.
I make no secret of the fact that I love reading Archie comics. The comic book debuted in 1941 and the comic strip started in 1946. Believe it or not the strips from the 40s are excellent. Written and drawn by Bob Montana the early strips were clever and a bit darker than the Archie comics of today, which have devolved into predictable gags and punch lines. I won’t go into details about the world of Archie as most have some familiarity with it. If you don’t know a thing about Archie comics just know that Archie constantly swings back and forth in an endless love triangle with the rich, self-absorbed Veronica Lodge and the sweet girl-next-door Betty Cooper. His best friend is sarcastic, beatnik Jughead Jones and the stories are generally set at Riverdale High where the gang is involved in endless academic hijinks.
The Amazing Spider-Man newspaper strip has been around since 1977 and was featured heavily on this blog a few years ago. I’ve been following the strip daily for about 8 years (see also Rex Morgan) and can definitely state that its the same story written over and over again; Peter Parker is trying to spend some down-time with his hot wife Mary Jane and his attempts at leading a normal life are frequently interrupted by an endless array of super-villains.
Created by a psychiatrist in 1948 Rex Morgan follows the adventures of family doctor “Rex Morgan”. The strip occasionally deals with patient issues/themes but more often than not Rex and his wife June become mired in the problems of their friends and colleagues. I’ve been following the strip for years after being curious about “serious” comic strips. The stories are glacially paced, each lasting a few months, with little payoff but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I get sucked into them.
"I'd rather do U after school like some homework"
Best Actor 1959: James Stewart in Anatomy of A Murder
James Stewart received his fifth and final Oscar nomination for portraying lawyer Paul Biegler in Anatomy of a Murder.
Anatomy of a Murder is a fascinating court room drama since it investigates the interesting psychology of the court room incredibly effectively.
James Stewart is an interesting actor in his transition from the aw shucks passionate young man, which continued his pre-war years, and partially into It's A Wonderful Life, parts of It's a Wonderful Life showed a darker Stewart which continued later into his career especially in Vertigo and certainly in this film. His Paul Biegler is fascinating because he is not fighting for good, or necessarily justice. He is instead only fighting the case of an army soldier who murdered a man who possibly raped his wife, just because it basically is the case he is trying.
It is interesting because he portrays Paul Biegler as a very passionate, and extraordinarily hard working, and not really cynical, but instead Stewart shows Biegler as a man who is doing a job is likes and is incredibly good at. There is not a whole lot of scenes that show the personal life of Biegler, since all the people he interacts with are either witnesses or his colleagues, yet Stewart still makes Biegler an entirely vivid character.
It is fascinating to see Stewart as Biegler, since he shows that Biegler will do about anything within the law to win the case. In particular his early scenes where Stewart brilliantly shows Paul's creation of the case and his defense in his mind. Stewart perfectly shows the intelligence and simply the craftiness of Paul almost entirely non verbally through his perfect indicative glances. Stewart is especially good in show Paul way of coaxing an excuse for the killing by the killer, that will please the jury. Stewart makes it clear that Paul knows there really was not an excuse, but almost had one made to show his ability.
Stewart best scenes of course are the court room scenes, in which he is simply astonishing in every moment. Stewart is perfect in showing how Paul basically puts on a three ring circus since he really practically does not even have a case to speak of. Stewart is outstanding in his complete mastery of these courtroom, and the scenes himself. He holds the attention of scene throughout every single moment, even when not focused on.
Stewart is firstly is completely believable as the lawyer he never loses a beat in his court room performance. He is also incredibly entertaining to watch, as he is simply fun to watch all of these scenes, and I never felt he was "acting" but always showing that this is Biegler's method in winning the trial. It is fascinating how Stewart can be funny in one moment with his perfect delivery of Biegler's one liners, such as when he says he is just an old country lawyer, and the next moment incredibly powerful in his passionate speeches to the court. Stewart makes all these transition it entirely realistic.
Stewart does not have a wrong moment in this performance, and it is one performance I just love to watch because of how incredibly effective it is. Stewart is essential to the film in making every court room scene as good as it is, as well as making Biegler a fascinating and well drawn character despite the little there is about him in the film. Overall this performance shows how an old pro like Stewart could simply do wonders with what could have been a stock or unmemorable role. Stewart though clearly shows everything he had learned over the years into this terrific, and somehow effortless performance.
James Stewart is an interesting actor in his transition from the aw shucks passionate young man, which continued his pre-war years, and partially into It's A Wonderful Life, parts of It's a Wonderful Life showed a darker Stewart which continued later into his career especially in Vertigo and certainly in this film. His Paul Biegler is fascinating because he is not fighting for good, or necessarily justice. He is instead only fighting the case of an army soldier who murdered a man who possibly raped his wife, just because it basically is the case he is trying.
It is interesting because he portrays Paul Biegler as a very passionate, and extraordinarily hard working, and not really cynical, but instead Stewart shows Biegler as a man who is doing a job is likes and is incredibly good at. There is not a whole lot of scenes that show the personal life of Biegler, since all the people he interacts with are either witnesses or his colleagues, yet Stewart still makes Biegler an entirely vivid character.
It is fascinating to see Stewart as Biegler, since he shows that Biegler will do about anything within the law to win the case. In particular his early scenes where Stewart brilliantly shows Paul's creation of the case and his defense in his mind. Stewart perfectly shows the intelligence and simply the craftiness of Paul almost entirely non verbally through his perfect indicative glances. Stewart is especially good in show Paul way of coaxing an excuse for the killing by the killer, that will please the jury. Stewart makes it clear that Paul knows there really was not an excuse, but almost had one made to show his ability.
Stewart best scenes of course are the court room scenes, in which he is simply astonishing in every moment. Stewart is perfect in showing how Paul basically puts on a three ring circus since he really practically does not even have a case to speak of. Stewart is outstanding in his complete mastery of these courtroom, and the scenes himself. He holds the attention of scene throughout every single moment, even when not focused on.
Stewart is firstly is completely believable as the lawyer he never loses a beat in his court room performance. He is also incredibly entertaining to watch, as he is simply fun to watch all of these scenes, and I never felt he was "acting" but always showing that this is Biegler's method in winning the trial. It is fascinating how Stewart can be funny in one moment with his perfect delivery of Biegler's one liners, such as when he says he is just an old country lawyer, and the next moment incredibly powerful in his passionate speeches to the court. Stewart makes all these transition it entirely realistic.
Stewart does not have a wrong moment in this performance, and it is one performance I just love to watch because of how incredibly effective it is. Stewart is essential to the film in making every court room scene as good as it is, as well as making Biegler a fascinating and well drawn character despite the little there is about him in the film. Overall this performance shows how an old pro like Stewart could simply do wonders with what could have been a stock or unmemorable role. Stewart though clearly shows everything he had learned over the years into this terrific, and somehow effortless performance.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Doing Terminator 5, Sequel From Fast Five Director
From cinemablend, The years as California Governor may have moved Arnold Schwarzenegger closer to the middle, but thankfully, they have not squashed his will to destroy all in his path, especially now that Skynet is active. The action star will return to ruin lives as his most beloved character, The Terminator, in at least one but likely two films in the near future.
The move comes almost a year after Pacificor purchased the rights to the franchise for what seemed like an astounding figure of nearly thirty million. With Arnold back in play, that gamble no longer seems like such a foolhardy investment, and the company will make its pitch to Lionsgate, Universal and Sony later this afternoon. Deadline is speculating the Terminator package will sell for upwards of twenty-five to thirty million at minimum, but the ultimate price tag shouldn’t really affect the finished product. Anyone willing to shell out that kind of money will follow it up with at minimum a hundred and fifty million dollar investment to do this thing right. You don’t coax Arnold Schwarzenegger back into the game and then pinch pennies and go cheap. People will expect Terminator 5: He’s Back or whatever the hell it’s going to be called to be a balls to the wall orgasm of death, explosions and eye mutilation.
Beyond Arnold, the only other person officially on board in this package is Robert Cort as producer, but there’s been a ton of internet buzz over the last few weeks that Fast Five helmer Justin Lin would direct a sequel whether or not The Kindergarten Cop was involved or not. Expect that little rumor to be confirmed or disconfirmed as soon as a studio opens the bank and buys the rights.
Aesthetic Perfection - The Bitter Years (Shok's Zeitmahl Mix)
This was released Friday. I worked on this early February. I was sent vocals and created the rest. Enjoy!Aesthetic Perfection - The Bitter Years (Shok's Zeitmahl Mix) by fdaallday
Best Actor 1959: Paul Muni in The Last Angry Man
Paul Muni received his fifth and final Oscar nomination for portraying Doctor Sam Ableman in The Last Angry Man.
The Last Angry Man is partially about a hard working doctor in a working class neighborhood who wants to do the right thing for his patients no matter what, but it is mostly about actually a television producer who wants to make a story about the doctor.
Paul Muni as the doctor really is only sort of the main character, as most of the attention is given to the television producer played by David Wayne who also is the character with an arc of sorts. Muni though received his last nomination though for his last film performance.
Muni's performance here is much like many of his performances. Muni is an actor I get annoyed at because he shows certainly a talent, and does create a potentially interesting characterization, but constantly overacts though.
Paul Muni does create the doctor well by not making him an overly goody good sort of a character. He does show that he really does not do what he does to seem or act like a nice person, but simply that it is what it required of him as a good doctor. He has some honestly good moments as the doctor where he shows the honest ethic of the character who hates freeloaders but refuses to turn the needy away.
Although he does have a good honest emotional moment now and again like his tough dealing with an ill street punk, but he is terribly inconsistent due to Paul Muni's tendency to overact. It would not be so distracting but Muni overacts almost randomly in this performance. There will be a scene where he realistically underplays most of a scene than suddenly sometime mid sentence he starts his overemphasized facial expressions or a very labored sounding line reading.
Muni goes back and forth through his entire performance like this sometimes some scenes are better than others for him entirely on how much he chooses to overact in a particular scene. Muni certainly again shows a talent since there is an honest depiction of this doctor in his performance, but unfortuantely it is always offset by Muni giving a far too self-aware performance.
Paul Muni as the doctor really is only sort of the main character, as most of the attention is given to the television producer played by David Wayne who also is the character with an arc of sorts. Muni though received his last nomination though for his last film performance.
Muni's performance here is much like many of his performances. Muni is an actor I get annoyed at because he shows certainly a talent, and does create a potentially interesting characterization, but constantly overacts though.
Paul Muni does create the doctor well by not making him an overly goody good sort of a character. He does show that he really does not do what he does to seem or act like a nice person, but simply that it is what it required of him as a good doctor. He has some honestly good moments as the doctor where he shows the honest ethic of the character who hates freeloaders but refuses to turn the needy away.
Although he does have a good honest emotional moment now and again like his tough dealing with an ill street punk, but he is terribly inconsistent due to Paul Muni's tendency to overact. It would not be so distracting but Muni overacts almost randomly in this performance. There will be a scene where he realistically underplays most of a scene than suddenly sometime mid sentence he starts his overemphasized facial expressions or a very labored sounding line reading.
Muni goes back and forth through his entire performance like this sometimes some scenes are better than others for him entirely on how much he chooses to overact in a particular scene. Muni certainly again shows a talent since there is an honest depiction of this doctor in his performance, but unfortuantely it is always offset by Muni giving a far too self-aware performance.
No More Prince - YouTube Copyright School
No more Prince video. I believe the fact that the number of views was so fantastic that hours after Youtube sent me a revenue sharing email for it, they followed with a removal notification via NPG Records (Prince New Power Generation). I am glad many folks were able to catch a glimpse the amazing performance while it was online.
A few years ago, NPG Records went after anyone who posted a video on youtube of him performing Radiohead's Creep at Coachella. Radiohead was upset that Prince had the videos removed since the true holder of the song copyright is Radiohead... in the end, Radiohead won and the videos were replaced ;)
A few years ago, NPG Records went after anyone who posted a video on youtube of him performing Radiohead's Creep at Coachella. Radiohead was upset that Prince had the videos removed since the true holder of the song copyright is Radiohead... in the end, Radiohead won and the videos were replaced ;)
Best Actor 1959: Jack Lemmon in Some Like it Hot
Jack Lemmon received his second Oscar nomination for portraying Jerry as well as being disguised as Daphne in Some Like it Hot.
Some Like It Hot is of course the film of craziness about two who dress up as women to run away from murderous gangster, by hiding in an all woman's band.
Some Like it Hot is usually called one of the best comedies ever, in fact it is called simply just the best comedy every sometimes. Now I think it is wholly fine, and certainly enjoyable, but I just did not find it all that funny for it to be really considered the best comedy ever. Jack Lemmon's performance here is also commonly referred to as his best, or at least his best comedic work. Again I must disagree on both parts, finding a better performances by him overall, and I greatly prefer his performance in the Apartment to this film.
The reason I prefer his turn in the Apartment is that I felt he really toned down much of his Lemmonisms and turned in a much better performance. In this film though his Lemmonisms are probably at his highest in any film. He does not stop with them for a moment in the film. His whole performance is basically used for a comedy machine, and his whole purpose in the film is just to generate as many laughs as possibly, since he really lacks any dramatic scenes, where his co-star Tony Curtis as fellow cross dressing does have a few breif ones.
The the most important aspect of his performance is how funny one thinks he is in this. Well his breif moments as Jerry he does his nervous manic Lemmon, and when he is Daphne he acts almost downright insane with his energy. His performance I most certianly will give credit to for always trying to get a laugh, or something out of the audience. He never becomes really annoying with his constant comedic acting, like he did to an unbearable extent in Tribute, although he came a little close at times.
Still the pivotal question is, is he funny? Well most people say he most certainly is, one of the funniest performances ever. Well I can't agree I just never found him laugh out loud funny, since I specifically never laughed out loud at a single moment in his performance. That is the why comedy works though, you either find it funny or not, you cannot convince someone something is funny. I did smile at his performance, and I still did like him well enough. Overall this is a hard working performance, that did not entirely work for me, but I certianly can see how others might love it so much.
Some Like it Hot is usually called one of the best comedies ever, in fact it is called simply just the best comedy every sometimes. Now I think it is wholly fine, and certainly enjoyable, but I just did not find it all that funny for it to be really considered the best comedy ever. Jack Lemmon's performance here is also commonly referred to as his best, or at least his best comedic work. Again I must disagree on both parts, finding a better performances by him overall, and I greatly prefer his performance in the Apartment to this film.
The reason I prefer his turn in the Apartment is that I felt he really toned down much of his Lemmonisms and turned in a much better performance. In this film though his Lemmonisms are probably at his highest in any film. He does not stop with them for a moment in the film. His whole performance is basically used for a comedy machine, and his whole purpose in the film is just to generate as many laughs as possibly, since he really lacks any dramatic scenes, where his co-star Tony Curtis as fellow cross dressing does have a few breif ones.
The the most important aspect of his performance is how funny one thinks he is in this. Well his breif moments as Jerry he does his nervous manic Lemmon, and when he is Daphne he acts almost downright insane with his energy. His performance I most certianly will give credit to for always trying to get a laugh, or something out of the audience. He never becomes really annoying with his constant comedic acting, like he did to an unbearable extent in Tribute, although he came a little close at times.
Still the pivotal question is, is he funny? Well most people say he most certainly is, one of the funniest performances ever. Well I can't agree I just never found him laugh out loud funny, since I specifically never laughed out loud at a single moment in his performance. That is the why comedy works though, you either find it funny or not, you cannot convince someone something is funny. I did smile at his performance, and I still did like him well enough. Overall this is a hard working performance, that did not entirely work for me, but I certianly can see how others might love it so much.
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