diverted
Monday, November 29, 2004
geekposting
The six-minute trailer for the Return of the King Extended Edition. Hot damn.
http://www.lordoftherings.net/homevideo/frame_special_dvd.html?NoMansExtndCut
¶ 1:39 PM 0 comments
http://www.lordoftherings.net/homevideo/frame_special_dvd.html?NoMansExtndCut
¶ 1:39 PM 0 comments
Sunday, November 28, 2004
What the heck is this?
I saw this on the sidewalk on a streetcorner near my house. Is it a camera? It seems to be a stencil painting. It's on all four corners of this one intersection. Anyone?
¶ 8:07 PM 1 comments
¶ 8:07 PM 1 comments
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
geekposting
FUCK ME.
This is a two-minute teaser for a six-minute trailer for the Return of the Kind Extended Edition DVD, which will have 50 minutes of added footage.
Check this shit out. Fuck me. Spoilers: Aragorn revealing himself to Sauron through the Palantir. Saruman hurling fireballs. Flaming witchking sword. Faramir putting the moves on Eowyn. The Mouth of Sauron. No new Denethor stuff in these two minutes, but I'm betting -- and hoping -- that he gets his full arc. I CAN'T FUCKING WAIT!
¶ 11:39 PM 0 comments
FUCK ME.
This is a two-minute teaser for a six-minute trailer for the Return of the Kind Extended Edition DVD, which will have 50 minutes of added footage.
Check this shit out. Fuck me. Spoilers: Aragorn revealing himself to Sauron through the Palantir. Saruman hurling fireballs. Flaming witchking sword. Faramir putting the moves on Eowyn. The Mouth of Sauron. No new Denethor stuff in these two minutes, but I'm betting -- and hoping -- that he gets his full arc. I CAN'T FUCKING WAIT!
¶ 11:39 PM 0 comments
Monday, November 22, 2004
it has come to this
This is apparently a real billboard in Florida. Does anyone else have a problem with this?
Again, welcome to Dubya's second term. It's a whole new America.
Here's the link to the article on Real Story.
¶ 11:15 PM 0 comments
This is apparently a real billboard in Florida. Does anyone else have a problem with this?
Again, welcome to Dubya's second term. It's a whole new America.
Here's the link to the article on Real Story.
¶ 11:15 PM 0 comments
Friday, November 19, 2004
The Incredibles
I realize I'm late with this, but I just saw The Incredibles last night and I want to talk about it. Well, about one particular aspect of it.
First of all, what a fun movie. Mrs. Lorrimer and I had a great time -- it's been a while since I seriously wanted to stay in the theater and watch the next showing right away. As has become the norm for Pixar, almost everything about this movie simply works -- it's funny when it tries to be funny, surprising when it tries to be surprising, and even has some compelling drama in a couple of places.
The superhero stuff is classy and fun, as it should be in a movie like this. The powers, costumes and names all seem right. Those of you who know where "Lorrimer" comes from know that I have a special place in my heart for superhero stories that focus on the day-to-day real life emotional complications of people with superpowers, and this movie obviously does a thorough job of this. Treating superheroes in this way is no longer anything like a new conceit, but it's still a pleasure.
However. There's a deeper pleasure I take in superhero stories that actually examine the politics of the superhero. The Watchmen is the classic example of this. The essential question is whether superpowers give someone the right to impose their will on the non-powered public -- even if they're doing so out of a desire to do good. With great power comes great responsibility, but that's far more complicated that the latest Spider-Man movies will ever even consider dealing with.
Now, I wasn't expecting or even hoping that a kids movie like The Incredibles would have anything to do with the ethical ramifications of superherodom. I certainly wouldn't complain if it avoided the subject altogether. But Brad Bird's script goes out of its way to raise these very issues -- superheroes being sued and then relocated by the government, superpowered children competing with regular humans, etc etc etc -- and then resolves them in the most backward, fascist, reactionary way imaginable. When Elastigirl tells her superpowered son that everyone is special, he replies, "That's the same thing as saying no one is." The badguy makes a huge point about not having any innate superpowers. He starts the movie ashamed of his lack of specialness, becomes a badguy as a way to compensate for it, and is both mocked and defeated exactly because he is a normal human. The theme of this movie is that some people ARE more special than others, and should act accordingly.
Again, I loved the movie, and I wouldn't bring this up if the movie didn't specifically raise the issue first. But as has been pointed out repeatedly in grownup comics like The Watchmen and in any sort of critical analysis of the superhero genre, there's a big problem with saying that a subset of people should be able to impose their will on the masses, maybe even more so when the identifying characteristic of the subset is innate. The idea of the superman is dangerously close to fascism. If I had a better education or a lot more time to spend on a silly blog, I would quote Nietzsche and whoever else and back up this point with solid research -- but you get the idea.
I'm curious if anyone else agrees with me on this, or if I misread what the movie is actually saying about superheroes. Whether this matters or not is a different discussion; I enjoyed the hell out of the movie and plan to see it again in the theater and to buy the DVD.
¶ 2:12 PM 3 comments
I realize I'm late with this, but I just saw The Incredibles last night and I want to talk about it. Well, about one particular aspect of it.
First of all, what a fun movie. Mrs. Lorrimer and I had a great time -- it's been a while since I seriously wanted to stay in the theater and watch the next showing right away. As has become the norm for Pixar, almost everything about this movie simply works -- it's funny when it tries to be funny, surprising when it tries to be surprising, and even has some compelling drama in a couple of places.
The superhero stuff is classy and fun, as it should be in a movie like this. The powers, costumes and names all seem right. Those of you who know where "Lorrimer" comes from know that I have a special place in my heart for superhero stories that focus on the day-to-day real life emotional complications of people with superpowers, and this movie obviously does a thorough job of this. Treating superheroes in this way is no longer anything like a new conceit, but it's still a pleasure.
However. There's a deeper pleasure I take in superhero stories that actually examine the politics of the superhero. The Watchmen is the classic example of this. The essential question is whether superpowers give someone the right to impose their will on the non-powered public -- even if they're doing so out of a desire to do good. With great power comes great responsibility, but that's far more complicated that the latest Spider-Man movies will ever even consider dealing with.
Now, I wasn't expecting or even hoping that a kids movie like The Incredibles would have anything to do with the ethical ramifications of superherodom. I certainly wouldn't complain if it avoided the subject altogether. But Brad Bird's script goes out of its way to raise these very issues -- superheroes being sued and then relocated by the government, superpowered children competing with regular humans, etc etc etc -- and then resolves them in the most backward, fascist, reactionary way imaginable. When Elastigirl tells her superpowered son that everyone is special, he replies, "That's the same thing as saying no one is." The badguy makes a huge point about not having any innate superpowers. He starts the movie ashamed of his lack of specialness, becomes a badguy as a way to compensate for it, and is both mocked and defeated exactly because he is a normal human. The theme of this movie is that some people ARE more special than others, and should act accordingly.
Again, I loved the movie, and I wouldn't bring this up if the movie didn't specifically raise the issue first. But as has been pointed out repeatedly in grownup comics like The Watchmen and in any sort of critical analysis of the superhero genre, there's a big problem with saying that a subset of people should be able to impose their will on the masses, maybe even more so when the identifying characteristic of the subset is innate. The idea of the superman is dangerously close to fascism. If I had a better education or a lot more time to spend on a silly blog, I would quote Nietzsche and whoever else and back up this point with solid research -- but you get the idea.
I'm curious if anyone else agrees with me on this, or if I misread what the movie is actually saying about superheroes. Whether this matters or not is a different discussion; I enjoyed the hell out of the movie and plan to see it again in the theater and to buy the DVD.
¶ 2:12 PM 3 comments
Monday, November 15, 2004
geekposting
Rumor on Aint It Cool News, seems to be repeating an older rumor, that Stoppard may have been brought in to fix up the script for Episode III.
Good god.
I find myself speechless.
I don't want to get my hopes up. I don't want to get my hopes up.
But, shit. I really think that if Lucas had done this for Episode II, if he had only brought in a real writer to fix his terrible dialogue, the movie would have been significantly better. It might even have been a good movie. A good Star Wars movie.
And Stoppard is considerably more than just a good writer.
Shit.
¶ 11:40 PM 1 comments
Rumor on Aint It Cool News, seems to be repeating an older rumor, that Stoppard may have been brought in to fix up the script for Episode III.
Good god.
I find myself speechless.
I don't want to get my hopes up. I don't want to get my hopes up.
But, shit. I really think that if Lucas had done this for Episode II, if he had only brought in a real writer to fix his terrible dialogue, the movie would have been significantly better. It might even have been a good movie. A good Star Wars movie.
And Stoppard is considerably more than just a good writer.
Shit.
¶ 11:40 PM 1 comments
more than meets the eye
This is one of those things that makes me almost wish I watched more tv. Has everyone else already seen this? It's a tv commercial with a very nice CG car/robot transformer.
Thanks to gizmodo for the link.
¶ 10:02 AM 0 comments
This is one of those things that makes me almost wish I watched more tv. Has everyone else already seen this? It's a tv commercial with a very nice CG car/robot transformer.
Thanks to gizmodo for the link.
¶ 10:02 AM 0 comments
Friday, November 12, 2004
New Hitchhiker's Trailer
Check it out.
This is slightly revamped from the early-early teaser that came out at some convention a few months ago. No actual footage or anything; just a teaser. There's some concept art up as well. Opens May 6.
¶ 6:25 PM 1 comments
Check it out.
This is slightly revamped from the early-early teaser that came out at some convention a few months ago. No actual footage or anything; just a teaser. There's some concept art up as well. Opens May 6.
¶ 6:25 PM 1 comments
Los Angeles freeway interchanges
This is where I live. A bunch of strangely hypnotic aerial images of freeway interchanges.
Link. Thanks to LAist for the heads-up.
¶ 11:12 AM 0 comments
This is where I live. A bunch of strangely hypnotic aerial images of freeway interchanges.
Link. Thanks to LAist for the heads-up.
¶ 11:12 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Tanks in my neighborhood
I can't fucking believe this. This intersection is between my apartment and UCLA; my wife walks past this spot every day on her way to school.
A small anti-war protest on the sidewalk, and the powers-that-be decide to send in two fucking tanks.
Welcome to George Bush's second term.
¶ 1:52 PM 0 comments
I can't fucking believe this. This intersection is between my apartment and UCLA; my wife walks past this spot every day on her way to school.
A small anti-war protest on the sidewalk, and the powers-that-be decide to send in two fucking tanks.
Welcome to George Bush's second term.
¶ 1:52 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
I need this
Thanks to Gizmodo for pointing this out.
Room Defender Sentry Turret. Cool.
¶ 7:59 PM 0 comments
Thanks to Gizmodo for pointing this out.
Room Defender Sentry Turret. Cool.
¶ 7:59 PM 0 comments
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Saturday, November 06, 2004
Friday, November 05, 2004
duck and cover
F-16 fighter mistakenly fires at New Jersey school
05.11.2004 1.20 pm
¶ 1:37 PM 1 comments
F-16 fighter mistakenly fires at New Jersey school
05.11.2004 1.20 pm
NEW YORK - A National Guard F-16 fighter plane mistakenly fired off 25 rounds of ammunition at the Little Egg Harbour Intermediate School in South New Jersey on Wednesday night.
The pilot was meant to fire the rounds some 4.82km away at a military target range, Lt Col Roberta Niedt of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs told reporters in the Jersey shore township's police headquarters.
No one was injured as school was out and a lone custodian was inside the building when the bullets hit.
Damage was minimal as the non-exploding, 20mm bullets left only puncture marks in the school's roof and the asphalt outside the building.
The fighter jet was part of the 113th Wing, District of Columbia Air National Guard assigned to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
An investigation is being conducted into how the pilot mistook the school, located on Frog Pond Road, for a target range.
- REUTERS
¶ 1:37 PM 1 comments
Thursday, November 04, 2004
geekposting
Holy shit, I just watched the first teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode III. Holy shit.
There's a lot to be excited about and a lot to be really fucking wary of.
I'll update this after I watch it some more and think about it. Right now, it's only available if you're a member or StarWars.com or possibly AOL, or if, like me, you can get a torrent file. But I'm sure it will be posted somewhere very soon. It's also supposed to be in front of The Incredibles tomorrow.
Updated: I have not been reading the big spoilers on theforce.net or anywhere else; I'm not doing the total blackout, but I'm sticking just to what Lucas decides to reveal. So this includes freeze-framing the trailers, but not looking at leaked images and plot points.
Updated again: here's the trailer.
Updated one more time: As of now (11:17 PM Thursday), that link for the trailer only has the crappy Windows Media Player version from Access Hollywood. Punks! By tomorrow you should be able to find the rockin' Quicktime version. Or you can get it on the torrent right now.
SPOILERS AHEAD: (highlight to read)
Briefly: Very nice call to use the Ep IV Kenobi voice-over. Why do Anakin's eyes change color like Darth Maul? Were Vader's eyes like that in ROTJ? Are Wookies the new Ewoks?
UPDATED:
Vader says "Yes, Master" in what sounds like James Earl Jones' voice, but he articulates the R sound at the end of "Master" in a way that sounds much less British than I remember Vader from the original trilogy. Did Vader get more British-sounding after 30 years of hanging out with Moff Tarkin? Actually, now that I think about it, Moff Tarkin had the same effect on Princess Leia, too.
Freeze-framing on the space battle sequences reveals some interesting shit -- look at what style spaceships are over which planets. And the designs of the ships themselves is interesting too.
All in all, I'm expecting a slight step up from Episode II, which was pretty bad but significantly better than Ep I. If the dialogue doesn't get any better, we're fucked. But the ships and aliens look pretty cool.
Okay. I might post more a little later. Or not.
¶ 1:39 PM 3 comments
Holy shit, I just watched the first teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode III. Holy shit.
There's a lot to be excited about and a lot to be really fucking wary of.
I'll update this after I watch it some more and think about it. Right now, it's only available if you're a member or StarWars.com or possibly AOL, or if, like me, you can get a torrent file. But I'm sure it will be posted somewhere very soon. It's also supposed to be in front of The Incredibles tomorrow.
Updated: I have not been reading the big spoilers on theforce.net or anywhere else; I'm not doing the total blackout, but I'm sticking just to what Lucas decides to reveal. So this includes freeze-framing the trailers, but not looking at leaked images and plot points.
Updated again: here's the trailer.
Updated one more time: As of now (11:17 PM Thursday), that link for the trailer only has the crappy Windows Media Player version from Access Hollywood. Punks! By tomorrow you should be able to find the rockin' Quicktime version. Or you can get it on the torrent right now.
SPOILERS AHEAD: (highlight to read)
Briefly: Very nice call to use the Ep IV Kenobi voice-over. Why do Anakin's eyes change color like Darth Maul? Were Vader's eyes like that in ROTJ? Are Wookies the new Ewoks?
UPDATED:
Vader says "Yes, Master" in what sounds like James Earl Jones' voice, but he articulates the R sound at the end of "Master" in a way that sounds much less British than I remember Vader from the original trilogy. Did Vader get more British-sounding after 30 years of hanging out with Moff Tarkin? Actually, now that I think about it, Moff Tarkin had the same effect on Princess Leia, too.
Freeze-framing on the space battle sequences reveals some interesting shit -- look at what style spaceships are over which planets. And the designs of the ships themselves is interesting too.
All in all, I'm expecting a slight step up from Episode II, which was pretty bad but significantly better than Ep I. If the dialogue doesn't get any better, we're fucked. But the ships and aliens look pretty cool.
Okay. I might post more a little later. Or not.
¶ 1:39 PM 3 comments
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Aftermath
This morning I have been searching for a way to think about what has happened in our country. I'm still highly suspicious about those paperless voting machines in Ohio and Florida and how exit polls were accurate everywhere else. But barring a Watergate-style big smoking gun gotcha moment, I think the Bushies have successfully stolen another election. On the other hand, even if they did steal it, it's clear that half the country still supports Bush despite everything. I want to know why this is happening and how it's come to this and what will happen now and what we can do to make America a reality-based community. This is pretty helpful:
From the Guardian:
¶ 10:40 AM 0 comments
This morning I have been searching for a way to think about what has happened in our country. I'm still highly suspicious about those paperless voting machines in Ohio and Florida and how exit polls were accurate everywhere else. But barring a Watergate-style big smoking gun gotcha moment, I think the Bushies have successfully stolen another election. On the other hand, even if they did steal it, it's clear that half the country still supports Bush despite everything. I want to know why this is happening and how it's come to this and what will happen now and what we can do to make America a reality-based community. This is pretty helpful:
From the Guardian:
We put together an unprecedented ground operation, but it was matched by the zealots on the right. We experienced an explosion in the blog world and started a nascent liberal radio network, but our message machine was far outmatched by the rightwing noise machine (Fox News, the Washington Times, Drudge Report, Talk Radio, etc.) We put forth quality candidates in races nationwide, only to see most outclassed and outgunned by a GOP which ran on three simple tenets: God, guns and gays.
It's a bitter pill to swallow, but one that should hopefully lead to a brighter future. Bush owns his messes, and now he'll be forced to clean them up. He won't be able to hide behind 9/11 seven years into his term. Unless the Republicans can engineer a recovery of epic proportions, they will have a great deal to answer to in the 2006 midterms and 2008. And God help Bush if this nation suffers another terrorist attack.
But best of all, we'll continue to see this great resurgence in progressive activism - the kind not seen in American politics in over a generation. None of these new activists heeded the call to arms only to abandon the fight today. We are energised, and will continue to fight for a better future for our country.
Written by the guy who runs Daily Kos.
¶ 10:40 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Monday, November 01, 2004
Creative Commons
Just added the Creative Commons button to this site, over on the right. If you don't know about Creative Commons yet, you will -- smart, sane copyright practices for the digital age. Which doesn't mean a whole lot for a ridiculous blog like this, but could mean quite a bit to the future of the recording industry and the whole idea of intellectual property. Thanks to Fiat Lux, and to my new subscription to Wired magazine.
¶ 11:16 PM 0 comments
Just added the Creative Commons button to this site, over on the right. If you don't know about Creative Commons yet, you will -- smart, sane copyright practices for the digital age. Which doesn't mean a whole lot for a ridiculous blog like this, but could mean quite a bit to the future of the recording industry and the whole idea of intellectual property. Thanks to Fiat Lux, and to my new subscription to Wired magazine.
¶ 11:16 PM 0 comments
What October Surprise?
Uh, did I miss something, or was there no October Surprise after all? Didn't Karl Rove specifically say he had something coming a few weeks ago? Was he just talking about all the voter supression that's going on?
Maybe all the predictions that they've been waiting till October to announce the capture of Osama were giving the Bushies too much credit.
¶ 9:07 PM 0 comments
Uh, did I miss something, or was there no October Surprise after all? Didn't Karl Rove specifically say he had something coming a few weeks ago? Was he just talking about all the voter supression that's going on?
Maybe all the predictions that they've been waiting till October to announce the capture of Osama were giving the Bushies too much credit.
¶ 9:07 PM 0 comments
