Things You Find While Packing
By Brian | March 14, 2010
OK, this post is about eighteen months late, but as they say, better late than never…
When we packed up our house to vacate before the renovation, I had to go through my basement and put everything in boxes. Along the way, I discovered some of those “oh, wow – I can’t believe I still have this” items, and decided to photograph them for posterity (i.e., for posting on Flickr).
The entire set is here, but here’s one to whet your appetite:
Yeah, that’s right. 45 rpm records. Not only that, but Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees, and I Write the Songs by Barry Manilow. The late 70’s were an innocent time, indeed.
If that piques your interest, click through to the whole set. We’re talking Mickey Mouse Club membership buttons, Star Wars trading cards, floppy disk write-protect tabs, and much, much more.
Consider it my personal contribution to the ephemera that is the Internet…
Categories: Random Acts of Blogging | 5 Comments »
The 119 words WGN reporters can’t say on television
By Brian | March 12, 2010
The CEO of the Tribune Company has posted a list of 119 broadcast news cliches that he doesn’t want his anchors or reporters to use anymore on the air.
But what’s even stranger is that Ian Chillag of National Public Radio has put them all in a single sentence:
In other news, stay tuned, because in our top story tonight, some really good (or bad) news: as expected, in a surprise move yesterday, informed sources say, a world class icon, diva, mother of all motorists, and famed undocumented alien, lauded for putting area residents at risk and in harm’s way, but at this point in time behind bars for allegations that — according to sketchy details that, to be fair, have officials and authorities under fire for speaking out — he reportedly engaged in shower activity with all of you folks at 5 am in the morning, underwent surgery, utilized an undisclosed vehicle in torrential rain in a near miss manhunt when it was time for a break, literally fled on foot, completely surprised his mother with a clash with bare naked police behind closed doors, definitely possibly completely destroyed a medical hospital under false pretenses, and is lucky to be alive after, the fact of the matter is, he lent a helping hand to a legendary incarcerated pedestrian lone gunman (the perpetrator who over in a neighboring state, perished in a perfect storm of no brainers and things that went terribly wrong, and was plagued by killing sprees in which he gave 110% only to have his senseless murders marred by the untimely deaths of guys and folks whose fatal deaths came in the wake of auto accidents, and while it may be a mute point, let’s everybody touch base on the fact that he was under seige in the wake of unrest after shots rang out in close proximity of the best kept secret on the campaign trail which had authorities reeling up in one place and down in another, and going forward, the alleged aftermath of the death toll for youths behind the podium exceeds those out there, down there, and out in that other place by a two to one margin), is seeking white stuff for those of you that want it, and thus, we’ll explain what he did when we’ll be back — we’ll be right back, after the break and after these commercial messages, and we say “we’re back,” “welcome back,” or “welcome back everybody.”
For more on this story, film at eleven…
Categories: News and/or Media, The World Wide Weird | Comments Off on The 119 words WGN reporters can’t say on television
Desarmes family to God: Missed us again!
By Brian | March 5, 2010
Think you had a bad couple of months? Check out these folks:
SAN BERNARDO, Chile
Categories: Random Acts of Blogging | 1 Comment »
Oklahoma, it ain’t…
By Brian | March 3, 2010
“Enron,” the Broadway play? Really?
Categories: New York, New York, Random Acts of Blogging | Comments Off on Oklahoma, it ain’t…
Just when you thought Toyota was out of the woods…
By Brian | March 1, 2010
Ya know, some blog posts are just so funny that they bear repeating in their entirety. This post by Matthew Baldwin of Defective Yeti is one such post:
Toyota Recalls Remaining Models Due to Faulty Chick Magnets
February 24th, 2010Toyota suffered yet another setback today, as it was forced to recall all remaining models due to faulty chick magnets. “We’ve received numerous complaints about the complete lack of arousal induced by our dependable, fuel-efficient vehicles,” said Shotaro Kamiya, spokesman for the beleaguered automotive company. “The panty-dropping capacity of our products falls far short of our standards, and for that we apologize.”
Owners are urged to bring their vehicle into local dealerships, where technicians will replace lithium-ion batteries with hemis, install chrome rims, and affix Truck Nutz to the underside of pickups.
Kamiya stressed that the recall was voluntary, and that no deaths were attributable to the defect. “But as no one has ever gotten laid in the backseat of a Yaris, no births are attributable either,” he added. “We regret this senseless loss of life.”
Well done, Mr. Baldwin…
Categories: Random Acts of Blogging | 1 Comment »
What’s in a name?
By Brian | March 1, 2010
This just in: Bernie Madoff’s daughter-in-law, Stephanie Madoff, has asked the New York Supreme Court for permission to change her last name, and the last name of her two sons, from “Madoff” to “Morgan,” citing security concerns amidst death threats received by the Madoff family.
So, just to review: Bernie Madoff’s family wants/needs to change their name, but Osama bin Laden’s wife and son are fine co-authoring a book using their given name.
It’s a strange world, folks. I wonder which family engenders more anger these days…
Categories: The World Wide Weird | 3 Comments »
Easy as One, Two, Three . . . Four?
By Brian | February 25, 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?
By Brian | February 15, 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
By Brian | February 14, 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):
Categories: Movie Talk | Comments Off on ISBS Movie Review: Avatar
Man Bites Dog Story: Facebook drives blog traffic
By Brian | February 11, 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 »
