The All Important Logopolis Endorsement
(via WW)
19 August 2008
04 August 2008
Confidential to my late night adventure buddy
The flag we saw last night in front of the temple that used to be a lodge is The Buddhist Flag... which makes sense though it still doesn't explain how the Masons ended up selling to the Vietnamese Buddhists.
| Blue: | Universal Compassion | |
| Yellow : | The Middle Path | |
| Red : | Blessings | |
| White : | Purity and Liberation | |
| Orange : | Wisdom | |
Related:
21 July 2008
links for 2008-07-21
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Matthew Sweet (not the musician) compares the role of the Doctor with the role of Hamlet and makes an intelligent argument
15 July 2008
National Luddite Radio
So, I was listening to NPR, and they were discussing using the Amazon Kindle for your summertime reading. Onee of the major sticking points -- beyond the fact that with a digital device you don't get the "feel" of really reading a book -- was fear concern that when reading by the pool, you can't get a Kindle wet.
You can get a few drops on it but it is not water resistant in case you drop it into the pool.
And you know what else you can grab with your wet hands but doesn't work if you submerge it?
A book.
Just saying...
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14 July 2008
links for 2008-07-14
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Because tabloids like people to beleive they spent as much money on the photos as possible, because that makes them seem more valuable, which makes the tabloids seem more valuable. It's a ridiculous vicious cycle of meaningless infotainment.
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"Say a cartoon showing him looking about 150 years old and spouting demented non-sequiturs in the middle of a violent temper tantrum while, in the corner, his wife is passed out next to a bottle of pills."
13 July 2008
links for 2008-07-13
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Nifty picture searcher. "We extracted the colours from 3 million 'interesting' Flickr images. Using our visual similarity technology you can navigate the collection by colour."
11 July 2008
links for 2008-07-11
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It's July 11th -- 7/11 -- get it?
09 July 2008
links for 2008-07-09
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Mind not necessarily blown but I want to check these out later.
02 July 2008
links for 2008-07-02
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"The Middleman is fun, fizzy summer entertainment, with a brain in its head and tongue firmly in cheek. When it comes to killing time in a thoroughly pleasant fashion, these superspies definitely accomplish their mission."
28 June 2008
British Game Show Randomly Makes Dirty Picture
I don't know why this made me laugh so much, but maybe the idea of a masturbating banana in a top hat is just universally amusing.
http://view.break.com/527110 - Watch more free videos
25 June 2008
links for 2008-06-25
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More on this later...
20 June 2008
Priorities, Priorities...
This story on Gizmodo is perfectly described by its headline
Video: Teen Brutally Beats Bus Passenger for iPhone
And while you can be totally horrified at the violence or the indifference of the fellow passengers and bus driver, I actually think this is a triumph of humanity because of this line:
Surprisingly, despite sustaining injury from blows to the face and body, the passenger did not lose his iPhone.
To me, there is nothing surprising about this at all. But like I said, priorities...
Habeus Corpus Gotham Style
Abdul Rahim Abdul Razak al Ginco is the first prisoner from Guantánamo Bay to file for a habeas corpus hearing following the Supreme Court's decision in Boumediene v. Bush last week.
Speaking on behalf of those who support the court's decision and who make inappropriate jokes, I have to say this:
"Jeez dude, could you have more inappropriate Western-media unfriendly name? You sound like a Batman villain!"
19 June 2008
Your favorite TV is a window into your soul
So I just read a press pool report that was so utterly trite that it makes Logopolis seem like [insert something deep and meaningful here -- everything I try to use for this metaphor seems...well...utterly trite]. In it, John McCain listed among his favorite TV shows not surprisingly patriotic torture porn 24 and perhaps more surprisingly The Tudors.
At first blush, this seems an odd choice. I wondered "Does he harbor a secret Jonathan Rhys Myers crush?"
I mean, how could he not, right?
But then I thought a little more and realized: The Tudors is a show about a powerful white dude who gets lots and lots of play and is shitty to his wives and gets away with it. Of course, he's going to love it.
Ridiculously Awesome Doctor Who Spoiler Pic...
I'm not even sure if this is real or some great Photoshop joke, but the promo picture for the upcoming episode The Stolen Earth has made my year.
links for 2008-06-19
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Gawker says: "Reading a blog... while playing a videogame. I think everyone who's ever written a book just died. Except Cecily von Ziegesar." Mike says: "I think everyone who's ever READ a book might be dead. Except ME!!!"
18 June 2008
Speaking of Strong Women...
After last night's Daily Show interview, I have a huge crush on Lara Logan of CBS News. Beautiful, intelligent, name like a superhero, and unless you yourself are a Navy SEAL or Superman, probably a lot tougher than you could take.
Her comments on the media -- and her implication that we're all culpable when our country goes to war -- are spot-on. She even throws Jon Stewart a bit with her intensity towards the end. Watch it all.
Quote of the Day
"You are amazed sometimes at how deep the lies can be. I mean, 'whitey'? That's something that George Jefferson would say. Anyone who says that doesn’t know me."
Asked about the non-real non-controversy today, John McCain reportedly referred to the questioner as a "meathead," and when the reporter attempted to follow-up McCain instructed him to "stifle it."
17 June 2008
Beginner's Bible Coloring Book!
Holy crap -- and I mean that literally -- this is awesome.
Caption text quoted in full, for righteousness:
Even though we know dinosaurs survived the flood (on Noah's Ark)1 we don't know if Jesus ever rode them.
But he probably did.
Click the image to enlarge its holiness. Especially worth if for the colors at the bottom. Flesh of Christ is an actual color in some crazy ass Christian box of Crayolas.
1 Best use of parenthetic ever.
16 June 2008
Glen Hansard/Markita Irglova/Swell Season at the Chicago Theater
Eighteen hours later, not so much I can say about this show except...
SO.
INCREDIBLE.
Seriously, it was even better than I expected. So worth the agony at missing both of the initial dates when buying tickets. So worth the ectasy of getting good seats when a third show was announced.
Ridiculous talent, ridiculous showmanship. Even more charming than the characters in the movie, if you can imagine.
And they played for nearly two hours straight (which is longer than the runtime of Once come to think of it) though it didn't seem like it at all.
Though there was some ridiculous crowd action (thanks drunk Irish folks), most everybody was entranced. Our favorite was the under-ten year old boy in front of us with his parents who was SO into it and so wanted to clap anytime anybody else did.
It was adorable. And appropriate. They deserved more applause than I can put into words. Fantastc.
links for 2008-06-16
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The New York Times reports on how Russell T. Davies revived "Doctor Who" for mainstream audience...and gets into fights with homophobic guests at weddings...
Midway through MMVIII
Despite the fact that it feels like my life is caught in an endless cycle of work-watch TV-sleep-repeat (Monday through Friday), watch TV-sleep-repeat (Saturday/Sunday), I actually do lots of interesting things.
Maybe not as much as someone who lives in a great city should, but still, I have a horribly bad habit of ignoring the fact that there's things that I'm doing -- and certainly not blogging about them after I do them. If I remember doing them at all.
So in an effort to remember some of the awesomeness that has been ignored on Logopolis recently, I'll be doing some 2008 Midpoint Review posting in the next couple of weeks.
Or I won't. I'm sort of flaky like that.
13 June 2008
Holy Shit Headlines Friday
Sorry -- I know these two things are totally unrelated, but I came back from the bathroom and both of them were in my feed-reader, and it was sort of a unexpected one-two punch.
11 June 2008
Alas...
It seems that the Constance Billard School for Girls...and the upper eschalons of Manhattan...and the poor people of Brooklyn....and especially Blair Waldorf will have Jenny Humphrey to kick around for a while.
Exclusive! Gossip Girl Boss Says Spinoff Rumors Are Not True
And thus concludes today's Gossip Girl non-coverage, unless pictures show up of Chace Crawford fellating an actual man rather than just a beer bottle.
That said...
I would watch The Adventures of Jenny Humphrey: Poor Little Girl at Snooty Boarding School -- or whatever they end up calling it -- loyally and without question. And I fucking hate Jenny Humphrey.
Back in my day...
you actually had to be a successful show to warrant a spin-off. But such are the economics of the new media world:
Spinoff could spread Gossip
10 June 2008
Cable Lesbians May Actually Be Real Life Lesbians
In response to Gay Pride month, here's some news about ladies making out who aren't Lindsay Lohan and her vijayjay-loving DJ.
Defamer reports this rather unimportant news about the new girls-on-girls in town.
Lesbian Chic: Newest Power Lesbian Couple In Town Give Lindsay And Sam A Run For Their Hickey.
This news wouldn't really worth posting about -- except that when I originally read this, I thought that Catherine Keener was getting it on with Jackie Warner.
And that was not acceptable. Because Catherine Keener = awesome. And Jackie Warner = n'awesome. So CK + JW = all kinds of ick.
But said gossip is actually about Catherine Keener's sister.
So my caring = not so much. Which, come to think about it, is like my feelings about gay pride month.
Hard Candy doesn't even suck as much as this...
Madonna hires one of Britain’s most notorious divorce attorneys
(Rumors of the couple's demise have been around forever, so take this with a grain of salt. But even if this isnt' true, I don't want to be the last to report it. Because I suck.)
Sympathy for the Emcee...but not the MC
So Ed McMahon is drunk and broke. Well, we only have confirmation of the latter.
Celebrity Affected! Housing Crisis Now a Big Deal!
And everybody, from Jay Leno to Donald Trump, is trying to help out.
And I'm not such a heartless basatard that I don't feel a tad bit of empathy. God knows I can't manage my money and probably wouldn't be able to do so no matter how many millions I made.
Especially if I was drunk all the time.
But as I see all of these celebrities come out of the woodwork, I have to wonder:
Where were they when Hammer needed them?
06 June 2008
Oh To Be Susan Storm Richards
I watched every season of The West Wing -- which, through dramatic devices of time manipulation like flashbacks and shortened seasons -- covered three seperate elections with primaries and presidential and vice-presidential candidates who generally didn't like each other. Heck, this year, I even watched Brothers and Sisters and saw Rob Lowe turn down the vice-presidential spot from his asshole hyper-Republican rival. What I'm saying is that I've seen more than my share of personal presidential politics psychodrama, played out in all kinds of permutations. That said, I'd give my left nut to have been a fly on the wall in Dianne Feinstein's living room for an hour or so last night.
04 June 2008
Dear Denise Richards
I've now seen three weeks worth of (commercials) for It's Complicated. And you know what - it's not.
Sincerely yours,
Mike
No captions necessary
I'm not sure what I find more awesome:
1) That we have a Democratic presidential candiate who, in moments of triumph, fist-bumps his wife.
OR
2) That we have a potential future First Lady who, on a national stage, has no fear of giving her husband a look that so clearly says "Are you seriously fucking fist-bumping me right now?" and yet still manages to look lovely and lovingly at him.
Okay actually, I am sure. Definitely #2
links for 2008-06-04
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The Onion serves up some chat stew (so meaty) with Joel McHale (so dreamy)
03 June 2008
links for 2008-06-03
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David Tennant is a playa -- having dated FOUR seperate women he's met on the set in three years. If this new one is true, it will make it very awkward if she comes back to play his daughter again in a future season...just saying.
Summer Reality Show Updates
Since scripted TV just ended everything last week (thanks Lost for not sucking and for at least coming back with a full season in 2009 -- which is more than I can say for my beloved Doctor Who or Torchwood), you might think it'd be too early for me to start writing a recap of summer reality shows already. But you'd be wrong.
- Andy asked last night why we bother watching the So You Think You Can Dance auditions. I agreed, especially since we end up fast-forwarding through all the manufactured drama bits and bad dancers and special victims with disabilities who are supposed to tug at our heartstrings like dancers who are blind or have Downs Syndrome or used to be good dancers before they become teenage baby mamas. But then I realized this morning the reason why we watch as much of this show as possible is because
A) It is totally awesome, and
B) Jeremiah Hughes...who I can't find any pictures of to post because I'm at work and they don't like me to have any fun here. But just you wait. He's totally worth it. And not just just in every way that you'd expect a 19 year old shirtless dancer to be.
UPDATED with pictures...because I found them...because the Internet never lets me down.
- Victoria is THE MOLE. On ABC. (It's a show, people... though Zen-like, I have to wonder, if a network brings back a show that nobody watches in the forest, does it make a sound?)
Why Victoria? Why not? TV blogging, like professional network television political punditry, means never have to give a valid argument with your opinion and if you're right early with a guess, hopefully you can make a career of it.
- Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List starts this or next week, and while I think it makes me three years ago gay to admit it, I'm very excited for it to be back.
- Not exactly a reality show, but as a HUGE ASS fan of the original Password (and Password Plus and Super Password), I was not horrifically disappointed by CBS's Million Dollar Password on Sunday. It was full of all the things that prime time game shows must have these days (stupid graphics, over-the-top dramatic sets and lights, too much Regis) but yet it still was somewhat true to the original, simple formula, so it didn't feel ruined. Some of the rule changes dumbed it down; for example, in the bonus rounds, they get 90 seconds to get 5 words, where back in the day, you had to do Alphabetics (10 words) in a minute. Granted, you got the first letter, but still...
However, increasing the prize amount for each round while getting fewer chances to pass/get the word wrong made the bonus round exciting. And a surprising change -- showing the contestant the first five words for which they'd be giving clues before making them decide whether or not to go on -- was an interesting twist, and led to some tragic hubris on the part of at least one contestant who thought "corner" would be easier than it was. And then "fiasco" came up. And it was one. And $100,000 was lost.
Now granted, this hubris wasn't so tragic. Because it befell a contestant named Eric who was a bartender -- which is not bed -- who went by the name E-Rock -- which is very bad. And he was white. Like really. Like whiter than me. Every time I'd want to start rooting for him and Neil Patrick Harris to do well, Regis would call him E-Rock, and I'd cringe (just like NPH did when Regis called him "Doogie"...which is SO. NOT. COOL.). But still, I hate to see gameshow contestants lose when they actually seem to be good at the game. (Unlike idiots who have no sense of the relatively easy math involved with Deal or No Deal...but I digress...)
I bring up E-Rock, not just because of his tragic flaws and name, but because he and NPH earlier got the clue: Rhinocerous. And he gave the clue: Ibsen. While my first response was that E-Rock really wasn't using his theater major tending bar in Providence, Rhode Island, my later reaction was that somewhere, up in game show guest heaven, even a passing reference to Ibsen on a prime time gameshow, would make Bennet Cerf and Dorothy Kilgallen smile.
Now I can't stop imagining what sort of awesome place Game Show Host heaven would be. Like this giant awesome cocktail party of days gone by. Bob Barker and Richard Dawson being totally lecherous to women of multiple generations. Charles Nelson Reilley and Brett Somers getting totally sloshed and being rude to each other, until Paul Lynde shows up so they have to team up on him. And Dorothy Kilgallen sneaking booze and pills and putting itching powder behind Arlene Francis's blindfold because that bitch guessed What's My Line one too many time?
When I die, send me there. And have Nipsey Russel write me eulogy.
30 May 2008
links for 2008-05-30
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Must remember to order these tickets tomorrow. Blog as to do list yet again
Hockey at Wrigley in January?
The best thing about not living in Lakeview/Wrigleyville/The Area Formerly Accurately Described as Boystown is the idea that you can enjoy the theoretical idea of Chicago sporting events on the Northside without ever having to suffer through the clusterfuck that is Chicago sporting events on the Northside.
All that being said, I theoretically think this is very cool but imagine it being a logistial nightmare that I will do my best to avoid.
Comcast SportsNet Chicago has learned that the Blackhawks are going to play the Red Wings at Wrigley Field in January of 2009.Hawks to Reportedly Play Outdoor Game
29 May 2008
Things that make me say "Holy Shit" out loud at work
2007: Anna Nicole - Dead!
2008: Clay Aiken - Dad?
The mother, by artificial insemination, naturally is his fifty-something "best friend" and "record producer" named J. Foster.
But not Jodie Foster. Because that would make my head fucking explode.
Also, I am again puking in my mouth a little bit. And not just because I linked to TMZ.
Sex and the OVER FUCKING KILL
So I've been doing my whole "I'm not that gay" bit about the Sex and the City movie.. where I pretend that I don't care about something but I secretely really do... but as Friday approaches, my pretend-persona is getting a lot closer to reality.
Jesus fucking Christ, TV and Internet and newspapers and all popular media -- STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS MOVIE! And cosmos! And shoes! And weddings!
Seriously. Give it a rest.
That said, this list of 10 not-really-spoilery spoilers at Best Week Ever is really funny, if only because it starts with this:
10. Samantha Wardrobe Was Borrowed from the Smithsonian's "Hollywood Montrose" Collection. Looks like somebody held onto the wardrobe from back in her Mannequin days... For a lady whose been alive for 51 years, Kim Cattrall looks absolutely unbelievable. Which is why we don't understand the motivation behind many of the wardrobe choices. We're talking bright yellow blazers with "wacky" buttons and GIGANTIC shoulder pads, satin shirts that are reminiscent of the top Denise made Theo on that classic Cosby Show ep, for God's sake: SHE WEARS TURQUOISE METAL SUNGLASSES. And considering Meshach Taylor's classic character was based off of Vogue legend Andre Leon Tally, who makes an appearance in the movie... well, let's just say this is less of a conspiracy theory and more of an insanely factual one.
Image from the extremely awesome Mannequin Drinking Game -- which seems like it might be a lot more fun to do this weekend.
But I'll see you in the theaters Friday. Hold onto your ovaries.
22 May 2008
OMFG GG 24/7 YO!
In my latest attempt to be all Gossip Girl, all the time...
Wait...do the kids even say "yo" anymore?
Anyway, Stephen's comment today, daming me for making him interested in obtaining and viewing the Season 1 DVD of America's most-talked about, least-watched guilty pleasure, made me remember something I thought I'd posted here last fall, commenting on the show's (potential) greatness and saying you should watch it.
However, a quick search shows that I didn't actually make that post here. It was instead a comment in Mr. Rader's blog when he was commenting on the show's (pretty damn awful) promos. And at the time I actually said that I "couldn't recommend it" yet but that I saw the potential for greatness.
Read on to see just how prescient I was. Let me take you back to October 2007 when Barack Obama was a guy most of America confused for a terrorist, far fewer people were noticing the creepy vibe from Miley Cyrus and family, and nobody thought John McCain had a chance at the Republic nomincation.* A simpler time...but not a happier time...but a time when I was right.
While I cannot recommend Gossip Girl, the promos don't exactly tell the whole story.
It is written and produced by people who want it to be an over-the-top near-satire of the genre.
Evidence of such:
1) Previously never-athletic characters playing field hockey just so you can have a girl-on-girl short-skirt smackdown
2) Self-conscious meta-referencing to the fact that they are all high schoolers getting served $20 martinis in swanky bars
3) Public confrontations happen and then everybody reads about it on their Sidekicks/iPhones/gadgets while still at the same party
4) Primary male character whose only defining character trait seems to be "date rapist"
5) The choir from the all-girls school performing a Fergie song during chapel services -- which is one of the most awesome things you've never seen.
These are characters who talk like they are living on a bad soap opera because that's how they think they should talk. They create public confrontation scenes that should be gossiped (and blogged) about -- and sound ridiculous doing so -- because they thrive on the attention. And yes, this is the world we live in.
However, it is acted and directed (and promoted by the CW) straight without camp signifiers of any kind. And they almost get away with this disconnect to create something of subtle genius.
But they don't quite yet. They need to amp up the craziness and remove any sincerity -- but still not tell the actors (which won't be hard -- they don't seem too bright).
XOXO,
Gossip Girl
The very act of naming a character "Georgina Sparks" + Convuluted blackmail plot involving a "murderous" line of coke + Spiking your friends Diet Coke with GHB just so she'll party with you and miss the SATs + somebody selling their show pony for coke = amping up the crazy.
* Actual comment made by me during our trip to Arizona at Thanksgiving when there as a caricatature of McCain on Tucson's free paper in an article re: the election. "Oh they think he's a real candidate. How cute." Morale of the story: I should stick to predicting television shows and stay out of politics. This is not the first time I've realized this. At least Chuck Bass appears to have a soul and won't do anything to win (including poisoning the electoral pool so you can run again in four years saying I told you so) unlike some candidates I know.
(Related: Clinton Evokes Bloody Zimbabwe Election Dispute When Discussing Florida and Michigan)
xoxo, you know you love me...
So everybody online talked about the "best" throwaway line from the season finale of Gossip Girl being that evil Georgina went to rehab in Utah (which she eventually bolted from) but still bragged that she "lasted longer than Lohan."
And although that was funny, it has overshadowed what may be the best revelation in the episode.
No, not that Dan is a judgemental idiot or that Lily would bang poor Rufus but marry rich Bart. We knew those lame plot points would happen -- it's encoded in the show bible and the character's DNA.
No, not that Vanessa and Mr. Bangs didn't last -- to paraphrase the Doctor in Rose, "That will never last. He's gay, she's an illegal alien."
No, not that Serena would be single and want to be alone for exactly three seconds before she ran into Mr. Bangs on the street and invited him to "hang together alone" in the Hamptons. Trust me as one who has gotten up to his share of summer shennanigans: "hanging together alone" -- especially as "friends" -- only leads to trouble. Fun trouble. But trouble nonetheless.
And no, not that Blair and Chuck lasted about five days before he fucked around on her. Because, as he'd say, he's Chuck Bass. And try as we -- and Blair probably -- might, we wouldn't want him any other way than his nasty, scarf-wearing, cheating, date-rape-trying self.
So, as unsurprising yet enjoyable as it all was none of these season finale revelations were the most awesome moment.
The best moment/line in the episode, maybe in the history of the show, was when Blair revealed that Georgina started her most recent spree of terror by...
selling her show pony.
For coke.
OMFG, truly awesome.
20 May 2008
Big! Who! Geek! News!
I've been up since 5:30 this morning because I had some work stuff to catch up on, and I was in a generally craptastic mood because of it. But my entire outlook has shifted because of this...
Seriously, like hold onto your scarves.
This is maybe the best Doctor Who related news since 2003 when they announced the show as coming back.
BBC Wales and BBC Drama has announced that BAFTA and Hugo Award-winning writer Steven Moffat will succeed Russell T Davies as Lead Writer and Executive Producer of the fifth series of Doctor Who, which will broadcast on BBC One in 2010.
It's been rumored for a while that RTD -- who is brilliant in his own yet very different way -- was going to be leaving the show. And since he's done such a fantastic and well-received job (critically and ratings-wise), as a fan, the possibility was sort of terrifying.
Now it's just plain exciting.
Moffat, who even if you don't care to know him from his brilliant Who work you should know from watching the fan-fucking-tastic Jekyll, which you should buy/rent/download RIGHT NOW, is like the British Joss Whedon/J.J. Abrams but without the shark-jumping.
It's also been rumored that he may take over Doctor Who for some time, but since he's hit the big time lately -- with his Steven Spielberg script writing and all, fans, ming-mongs, and others like me had decided it was too "small potatoes" for him now.
And maybe it is. But his inner fanboy, apparently, won out.
As Moffat himself says in the press release:
My entire career has been a Secret Plan to get this job. I applied before but I got knocked back 'cos the BBC wanted someone else. Also I was seven.
Congratulations on making your -- and my (bastard) -- childhood dream come true.
16 May 2008
A Pop Culture Comparison to Illustrate Why Gay Marriage Might not be as Big an Issue in the Presidential Election This Time Around
(Meant to post yesterday on this so here's a summary of what I would have said -- yay yay California blah blah gay marriage blah blerg blah yadda yadda legal honeymoons with butt sex yay.)
My initial response to all of this was "awesome" followed immediately by "shitty political timing." But given further thought, I'm thinking I was being too pessimistic. Or not naive enough. (I've been accused of that a lot lately.) Here's why I'm thinking I might have been wrong to think this particular issue will sink Obama in the fa