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Archive for February, 2010

                    

Easy as One, Two, Three . . . Four?

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Hey – sorry I’ve been away so long. Sometimes I’ve got a dozen things I want to talk about & sometimes I go a week with nothing to say. Funny, that…

Anyway, to make it up to you all, here are the instructions for accessing the WiFi at the Omni Hotel in Charlotte, NC. As you can see, it’s as easy as 1-2-3 (or something like that):

Categories: The World Wide Weird | 1 Comment »

Who, Exactly, Is the World?

Monday, February 15th, 2010

OK, it’s impossible not to compare, so here we go. Two groups of people who boldly claim, “We are the World.” Which group do you prefer?

Obviously, these are both wonderful causes, so I’m comparing only music videos here.

I guess I’m predisposed to prefer the original, since it’s how I first heard the song, and contains a larger percentage of artists that I know and/or identify with. That said, the new version is growing on me. I’m surprised by how much I like the rap breaks, both in the middle and at the end. I think what Wyclef Jean did with Creole lyrics and singing style went a long way toward making this an effort in Haitian relief, and not just a remake of the original song. I like the way they incorporated Michael Jackson into it (the image of Janet singing next to her brother is the first tribute to his legacy that doesn’t feel commercialized in some way), and I love the Ray Charles impression that Jamie Foxx threw in to honor another of the original’s stand-out artists.

On the other hand, I’m mystified about why they changed the lyrics to one of the verses (was there a religious objection to “As God has shown us by turning stone to bread?”). I’m surprised by Celine Dion’s choice to imitate, note for note, what Cyndi Lauper did with her part (with apparent coaching from Lionel Richie?), rather than bringing her own interpretation to the song. I think teen sensation, Justin Bieber, is going to get a big bump in face-recognition from singing the first solo (“There comes a time…”), but that most people will conclude that his voice was too weak to handle it. And I’m deeply, deeply troubled by the acceptance of auto-tune as a musical choice by folks Lil Wayne and others. If melodic singing isn’t his thing, then find someone else to do Bob Dylan’s part, please? That, or for heaven’s sake, someone please improve the auto-tune technology so it doesn’t sound like a robot attempting to sing such soulful lyrics!

In the end, I still prefer the original, but I’m glad they both exist. And if the new one is nearly as successful as the original in raising money for a good cause, then I’m doubly glad they put in the time and effort.

“Let us realize that a change will only come when we stand together as one…”

Categories: Words about Music | Comments Off on Who, Exactly, Is the World?

ISBS Movie Review: Avatar

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Short version: Avatar is a formulaic story with under-developed characters portrayed by good (but not great) actors. None of this matters a single iota. Because Avatar, you see, is not a movie at all. It’s a working prototype. A hugely successful demo of what blockbuster movies will look like in the future. And like most successful demos, it involved a huge investment of time, money and creativity to produce something that the viewer simply cannot take his/her eyes off of. The future is here, folks, and it is Avatar.

Longer version (WARNING: Spoilers lie ahead, although I’m pretty sure I’m the last one on the planet to see the film, so it probably doesn’t matter. Just in case, though, you’ve been warned):

Read the rest of this entry »

Categories: Movie Talk | Comments Off on ISBS Movie Review: Avatar

Man Bites Dog Story: Facebook drives blog traffic

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Lileks, 2/5/10:

Was amused to read that Kids Today have stopped blogging, more or less; they

Categories: Blogging about Blogs | 7 Comments »

Bookstore of Love…

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Ostensibly because of Valentine’s Day, the bookstore at my train station had a table in front of the store today covered with various books about love and/or sex. There were the titles you’d expect to see – The Joy of Sex, Karma Sutra, etc., but this one gave me a real chuckle:

Categories: Random Acts of Blogging | 2 Comments »

New York City Sights – Times Square Advertising, Part Deux

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Two days ago, I posted a picture of a Weatherproof Jacket Ad featuring President Obama that hung over Times Square. Several commenters noted that The White House had complained about the ad and asked me to check if it had been subsequently removed.

Well, I must say, I’m impressed with Weatherproof’s marketing department:

President Obama doesn’t want to be in our ad? Fine, then, we’ll go with four Presidents who won’t complain – because they’re dead! The text in the upper-right corner (click here to see it more clearly) reads, “Fit for a President.” Which one, of course, they’re not saying…

Categories: New York, New York | 3 Comments »