February 2008

On the Web

• Hitchcock Classics: Vanity Fair puts contemporary stars in classic frames.
• Say What You Will (Requiem for a TV News Career): Chez Pazienza recounts the story of being dooced by CNN, and lacerates the television news industry in the process.
• Are Oscars Worth All This Fuss?: Interesting thoughts on what the Academy Awards were, are, and ought to be.
• RIP: Owning Music (1880–2008): Well-reasoned observations on the evolution of music distribution.

In the… See more →

Snooze Bar. Standing proudly between who you are and who you want to be.

Having a heated imaginary discussion with the inventor of the "right turn only" lane.

Trying to decide which inevitability is preferable: death or taxes.

If you find it necessary to put out a special 10th anniversary reissue of your debut record, you need to get the fuck over yourself.

Grasping the great concept behind the old RCA logo for the first time, and discovering its relationship to HMV: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmv

Picking up the pieces.

Contemplating the sharply contrasting perceptions of performance-enhancing drugs in the worlds of sports and the arts.

Losing confidence.

Feeling like a hedonist for thinking that a third monitor for my Mac would be really handy right about now.

Declaring a long-overdue rule: If it's not Dr. Strangelove, you are not allowed to add "or How I Learned to Stop Worrying..." to its title.

El DeBarge's "Rhythm of the Night" is somehow stuck in my head. Despite the song's best efforts, there are still worries on my mind.

still failing to understand what there is for intelligent people to appreciate about Howard Stern.

The Third Man has been chipped off the mountain of classics I have yet to see.

"Cat call" and "cold call" sound similar, don't they? I'm guessing their success rate is similar, too.

Bundled up for a 12º F commute this morning, recalling that I wore a t-shirt for the same ride five days ago.

Just finished Season 1 of The Wire. Really impressed, and looking forward to seeing where it goes in Season 2.

The sunlight through the new curtains in my office gives it a hellish glow. I guess that makes me Lucifer. Finally!

Cracking open an ice cold Flying Rob Irish Stout.

Just realized exactly how complex this little personal project is, which is simultaneously intimidating and intriguing.

Informed by mail that my Feb 12 doctor's appt is cancelled. Earliest they can reschedule me? March 31. Luxurious, this health insurance.

Continental US peeps interested in a visit during my May 2008 US Tour: Please D me your address (I won't share it or stalk you, I promise).

Anyone know a way to use Google Maps to map population density using a collection of addresses (eg, the contents of one's address book)?

Dio is what this afternoon needs, so Dio is what it gets.

Ad Specs : Web Design :: Cousin Oliver : The Brady Bunch

At risk of sounding materialist, seven months in, I love this iPhone thing even more than the day I got it.

A backslash is pretty much the opposite of a slash. Is that really so hard to understand?

Not only did I ride into work today in a t-shirt, but I also broke a sweat. That ain't right.

Lots of sirens in Philly tonight. I hope tomorrow's headlines aren't too nasty.

More accustomed to films than TV, whose cruel episodic nature makes it hard not to watch the entire first season of The Wire in one sitting.

Behold, self-contradiction in a single statement: The World Wide Web is something of a breeding ground for hyperbole.

For all its user-friendliness, Basecamp is tantamount to adultery for clients married to e-mail and Word docs.

Looking for examples of well-designed news/editorial sites with distinct character/personality. Maybe a bit roughed up. Any suggestions?

An entire PsyD program could be devoted to Michael Haneke and his audience.

People need to stop blowing this Audi R8 commercial. It's cute and all, but jeez, get a grip.

It's usually bad news when you're alerted to someone's presence not by sight or sound, but by smell.

Hoping that when the time comes, I will not make an overtly pathetic attempt to not be bald.

Relieved to find that Westboro Baptist Church, like most hate groups, prints its own propaganda. I feared unscrupulous commercial printers.

rounded out the double feature with Torso, whose killer eloquently enlightened us thusly: "Death is the best keeper of secrets."

just watched a pristine print of Tenebre. I forgot how awesome the music is in that movie. Fun!

heading out to a giallo double feature.

spending $21 on Girl Scout Cookies.

just got a letter from the Voter Registration Office demanding I verify my qualifications as an elector within 15 days. Dated Dec 6, 2007.

Well, the day has finally come. Microsoft has offered to buy Yahoo for $44.6 billion: nytimes.com/reuters/business/…