This was interesting, if only because it illustrates an enormous level of stupidity. Sony, promoting a video game, apparently used a freshly slaughtered goat as a centerpiece at a party celebrating the games release.
Sometimes I think corporate culture has "progressed" to roughly the same point Rome reached in the final days of empire. The usual mea culpa language is thrown out in response: they're conducting an "internal investigation" to find out how this could have happened and "on this occasion we recognize that we fell short of our normal high standards of conduct". I hear that so often that at this point all it does is make me laugh out loud. I'd prefer they just said "we're overzealous idiots who didn't think this thing through and it is our hope you will eventually forget about this and keep buying our stuff". This from a company that just went through a root-kit fiasco, releases proprietary devices like the PSP (UMD? So I can repurchase my video library to view on a two inch screen?) and Blue-Ray, and is busily squandering their market dominance in the video game console market with the overpriced PS3. You could buy a decent and infinitely more versatile computer with a much larger library of games for less money than the PS3. It might not be as "sexy", but let's be honest - we're talking about something that probably isn't going to get you sex anyways.
This was an event for the latest version of God of War, their flagship game. If you don't think this event was micromanaged to excess you're left to believe they are totally incompetent...
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9714156-7.html
Monday, April 30, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
My Dad used to work with his Dad...
This was kind of unbelievable, given the frequency with which John McCain has appeared as a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. But here it is: John McCain was the guest, and Jon Stewart ripped him to shreds.
I once had some respect for McCain, but his commencement address at Falwell's Liberty University destroyed that for me. It was clear to me that McCain was no more noble than any of the other vote-seeking republican shills. He panders to anyone he thinks might advance his political career. As a politician professing to offer "straight talk" John McCain is a horrible disappointment.
Okay, as a disclaimer I'll reveal that my dad and Jon's used to work together. I've never met either one, but I'm a big fan of Jon. Just watch the video (on your computer, because it's TV Turnoff Week)...
Part One:
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/player.jhtml?ml_video=85762&ml_collection=&ml_gateway=&ml_gateway_id=&ml_comedian=&ml_runtime=&ml_context=show&ml_origin_url=%2Fshows%2Fthe_daily_show%2Fvideos%2Fmost_recent%2Findex.jhtml&ml_playlist=&lnk=&is_large=true
Part Two:
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/player.jhtml?ml_video=85843&ml_collection=&ml_gateway=&ml_gateway_id=&ml_comedian=&ml_runtime=&ml_context=show&ml_origin_url=%2Fshows%2Fthe_daily_show%2Fvideos%2Fmost_recent%2Findex.jhtml&ml_playlist=&lnk=&is_large=true
I once had some respect for McCain, but his commencement address at Falwell's Liberty University destroyed that for me. It was clear to me that McCain was no more noble than any of the other vote-seeking republican shills. He panders to anyone he thinks might advance his political career. As a politician professing to offer "straight talk" John McCain is a horrible disappointment.
Okay, as a disclaimer I'll reveal that my dad and Jon's used to work together. I've never met either one, but I'm a big fan of Jon. Just watch the video (on your computer, because it's TV Turnoff Week)...
Part One:
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/player.jhtml?ml_video=85762&ml_collection=&ml_gateway=&ml_gateway_id=&ml_comedian=&ml_runtime=&ml_context=show&ml_origin_url=%2Fshows%2Fthe_daily_show%2Fvideos%2Fmost_recent%2Findex.jhtml&ml_playlist=&lnk=&is_large=true
Part Two:
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/player.jhtml?ml_video=85843&ml_collection=&ml_gateway=&ml_gateway_id=&ml_comedian=&ml_runtime=&ml_context=show&ml_origin_url=%2Fshows%2Fthe_daily_show%2Fvideos%2Fmost_recent%2Findex.jhtml&ml_playlist=&lnk=&is_large=true
Bush lies again
This story isn't getting a lot of coverage - in fact, it's getting no coverage. As it turns out, all that "we'll step down when they step up" bullshit the Bush administration is pushing as a strategy in Iraq is yet another lie. As it turns out the latest "strategery" has been abandoned and a new one is in place, but the neocon talking points haven't quite caught up yet.
It seems the powers that be have decided that the only way to achieve victory is to beat the insurgents. Aside from the fact that this is historically impossible, it's going to require a lot more troops than those provided for the "surge". It would also require a lengthy occupation.
So once again we have shifted to a position more idiotic than the previous. More people will die as a result. Bush won't look any better but he may be able to dump all of his fuck-ups on the next president (most likely a democrat - kudos to Karl Rove).
The fact is there were no WMDs (Bush conservatives, look away from your computer screen right now - what follows may burn your eyes). We weren't greeted as liberators. We have exasperated the terrorist threat. We have destroyed our military. Most of the world regards us in much the same way they once regarded the Soviet Union. We have spent most of the Bush administration destroying America to the point I'm fearful about the possibility of recovery.
So they lied to you again. I'm sure at some point, if the press ever gets off their fat asses and follows this story, the Bush administration will spin the shit out of it. Just remember you heard about it before the spin started, when they were still spinning the previous, outdated line of crap. They're counting on the fact that you're stupid and you have a short memory.
Read more about it here:
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/17104704.html
It seems the powers that be have decided that the only way to achieve victory is to beat the insurgents. Aside from the fact that this is historically impossible, it's going to require a lot more troops than those provided for the "surge". It would also require a lengthy occupation.
So once again we have shifted to a position more idiotic than the previous. More people will die as a result. Bush won't look any better but he may be able to dump all of his fuck-ups on the next president (most likely a democrat - kudos to Karl Rove).
The fact is there were no WMDs (Bush conservatives, look away from your computer screen right now - what follows may burn your eyes). We weren't greeted as liberators. We have exasperated the terrorist threat. We have destroyed our military. Most of the world regards us in much the same way they once regarded the Soviet Union. We have spent most of the Bush administration destroying America to the point I'm fearful about the possibility of recovery.
So they lied to you again. I'm sure at some point, if the press ever gets off their fat asses and follows this story, the Bush administration will spin the shit out of it. Just remember you heard about it before the spin started, when they were still spinning the previous, outdated line of crap. They're counting on the fact that you're stupid and you have a short memory.
Read more about it here:
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/17104704.html
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
TV Turnoff Week
This week is TV Turnoff Week, a national event started in 1995 by the Center for Screen-Time Awareness. The purpose of the event is to help people break or reduce their television viewing habit and hopefully discover other worthwhile pursuits. This years event started on 4/23 and ends on the 29th. Anyone can participate - just don't watch any television this week.
This is from today's Danbury News-Times:
This is from today's Danbury News-Times:
"Usually it's the parents who push TV Turnoff Week on their children but first grader Holly Tomaino was so excited by the suggested alternative activities on the flier Center School sent home, she lobbied her parents to participate and even started the TV-free week a day early.
"I want to play fetch with my dog (Ludwig, a German Shepherd) more," she said, talking about some of the things she will do this week instead of watching television.
"Jennifer Tomaino, Holly's mom, said they have a busy week planned already so it's a good week for TV Turnoff Week to be scheduled. She said her 4-1/2-year-old son may make things more challenging as he is too young to grasp the concept.
""I am excited about this, especially with the good weather," she said, "We started it today (Sunday) and instead of watching cartoons, we made breakfast together."
Holly is my niece, the sweetest, brightest first-grader you will ever encounter. I laughed out loud when I read the News-Times article, because her reaction was typical. She is so curious intellectually and I'm sure she views this as an exciting opportunity to explore new activities.
It's a worthwhile event. Most of us probably watch too much television. Given our current obesity epidemic we could probably all stand to replace at least a portion of our viewing time with an exercise regimen.
You can learn more about TV Turnoff Week by visiting the Center for Screen-Time Awareness website:
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Say it ain't so!
I’d like to start off by thanking those of you who emigrated with me from the Kazakhstan of blog sites, MySpace. I’d also like to welcome any new readers.
I’ve been blocked for a while, in part I think due to my disillusionment regarding my MySpace experience and also because I was anxious to choose a topic which set a tone here for things to come. I believe I’ve found that topic based on the emotional conflict I’ve experienced since I came across this information. Apparently it’s old news – I guess the shit hit the fan sometime in 2005 – but its news to me.
Beck Hansen is a Scientologist. I learned this last night in a chilly moment.
There is a part of me that would like to say “so what?” and simply continue to enjoy his music, as I have for years. I first discovered Beck about a dozen years ago, ordering Mellow Gold as one of my twelve selections when I joined BMG’s music club. When I received my order I popped the album into my CD player, heard the intro to “Loser”, a song I had already heard and hated, and quickly removed it. I’m still not a big fan of the song.
Two years later, desperate to find something new in my collection, I decided to give the album another chance. I skipped over “Loser”, listened to the rest of the album, and fell in love. I’ve bought every album since, even wrote a blog over in la-la-land praising his latest, The Information, which owned my car’s CD player for two weeks straight. He has eleven of the one hundred most played songs on my iPod. I don’t actively pursue any other artist with the salivating anticipation I grant Beck.
Beck, in interviews, has tried to portray Scientology as a legitimate philosophy, and addressed questions regarding his adherence to this “faith” as intolerance. The fact is that Scientology is a mind-control cult. Ultimately it’s nothing more than a high pressure sales pitch. It pursues rich Hollywood crackpots because they’re cash-cows and useful pitch-men (and –women) and it financially rapes it’s lower income victims. Its followers simply can’t be trusted as objective. What really bothers me is the number of interviewers I see taking him at his word, accepting Scientology as something legitimate but just misunderstood. One review extolled the virtues of the Scientology drug rehabilitation program, neglecting to mention that a full frontal lobotomy would be equally successful. When I look at the effect the faith has had on Cruise and Travolta, essentially melting their brains (did anyone see Battlefield Earth? Thankfully, no.), I am appalled at the laziness these reporters display in attempting to present the truth.
I’m having a very difficult time reconciling this information. I’ve been a diehard fan for years. In fact, the night I learned of this I had a nightmare. I was on a tram which had recently pulled into a station. My brother was with me. He told me that he had taken a few Scientology courses and he was happy with his progress. I tried to explain to him that it was a scam, but I was interrupted by another passenger, who told me that he too was a Scientologist and I should respect my brother’s right to choose his own beliefs. I told him he was interrupting a personal conversation and I had no patience regarding his input. He persisted to the point that I threatened him violently. When it became clear he wouldn’t heed my warnings I made it very clear I was going to kick his ass. He began punching me but the effects were more irritating than harmful, like someone continually poking you with their finger. Eventually I drove him off but when I turned back to my brother he was gone. I started to search for him but woke up before I found him.
At least a half dozen Beck songs randomly worked their way into my iPod playlist as I drove to work yesterday. I skipped over all of them, not sure how I felt or whether I could ever listen to Beck again. It was as if they were mocking me. It is so hard for me to see Beck in this light. His music is sooo fucking good! This is the apple in my Eden. Because I know I have to give it up or sell my soul and the real internal debate regards the merits of damnation, not the right or wrong.
Trying to rationalize a way to reconcile this it occurred to me that logically what I was engaging in was an argumentum ad hominem, an attack against the person. It’s a fallacy, to imbue a logical perspective with what is known of the individual to invalidate their point, ignoring the merits of what they are actually saying.
But this is art. How can you apply logic to art? Do you separate the individual from their work? I sometimes think our increasing ability to do so explains the sorry state of modern art. Art isn’t anonymous. Does it stand on its own or is it somehow tied to its creator? I think it only gains strength the more we know of its origins. As a musician myself, how can I look to Beck for inspiration now that I believe he is nuts, or worse, simply not in control of his own beliefs? There is a picture of L. Ron Hubbard on the cover of Guero!
I love Ted Nugent’s music but I abhor his politics. I was once a casual fan of Limp Bizkit but I saw them live and realized that their lead singer, Fred Duurst, was an imbecile incapable of speaking to me, and I haven’t listened to them with any enthusiasm since. On the extreme side I have no desire to see any of Hitler’s art (he was a painter). However, if I were a historian specializing in World War 2 I might want to study it in an attempt to gain understanding (I am not in any way comparing Beck to Hitler).
I am foundering already with the passing of my moral compass, Kurt Vonnegut, who spoke more truth to me than any man but my father. Beck is still here, and I am tempted to embrace him as my brother. The problem, I realize, is that I have absolutely no idea who or what he is anymore.
Further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Secrets/
http://www.lermanet.com/beck/
http://www.alternet.org/story/29534/
http://www.stylusmagazine.com/feature.php?ID=1710http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/magazine/06BECK.html?ei=5070&en=d4911438e2e245fc&ex=1177300800&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1177146649-mPknNwRuhYMy6ie+gsef7g
I’ve been blocked for a while, in part I think due to my disillusionment regarding my MySpace experience and also because I was anxious to choose a topic which set a tone here for things to come. I believe I’ve found that topic based on the emotional conflict I’ve experienced since I came across this information. Apparently it’s old news – I guess the shit hit the fan sometime in 2005 – but its news to me.
Beck Hansen is a Scientologist. I learned this last night in a chilly moment.
There is a part of me that would like to say “so what?” and simply continue to enjoy his music, as I have for years. I first discovered Beck about a dozen years ago, ordering Mellow Gold as one of my twelve selections when I joined BMG’s music club. When I received my order I popped the album into my CD player, heard the intro to “Loser”, a song I had already heard and hated, and quickly removed it. I’m still not a big fan of the song.
Two years later, desperate to find something new in my collection, I decided to give the album another chance. I skipped over “Loser”, listened to the rest of the album, and fell in love. I’ve bought every album since, even wrote a blog over in la-la-land praising his latest, The Information, which owned my car’s CD player for two weeks straight. He has eleven of the one hundred most played songs on my iPod. I don’t actively pursue any other artist with the salivating anticipation I grant Beck.
Beck, in interviews, has tried to portray Scientology as a legitimate philosophy, and addressed questions regarding his adherence to this “faith” as intolerance. The fact is that Scientology is a mind-control cult. Ultimately it’s nothing more than a high pressure sales pitch. It pursues rich Hollywood crackpots because they’re cash-cows and useful pitch-men (and –women) and it financially rapes it’s lower income victims. Its followers simply can’t be trusted as objective. What really bothers me is the number of interviewers I see taking him at his word, accepting Scientology as something legitimate but just misunderstood. One review extolled the virtues of the Scientology drug rehabilitation program, neglecting to mention that a full frontal lobotomy would be equally successful. When I look at the effect the faith has had on Cruise and Travolta, essentially melting their brains (did anyone see Battlefield Earth? Thankfully, no.), I am appalled at the laziness these reporters display in attempting to present the truth.
I’m having a very difficult time reconciling this information. I’ve been a diehard fan for years. In fact, the night I learned of this I had a nightmare. I was on a tram which had recently pulled into a station. My brother was with me. He told me that he had taken a few Scientology courses and he was happy with his progress. I tried to explain to him that it was a scam, but I was interrupted by another passenger, who told me that he too was a Scientologist and I should respect my brother’s right to choose his own beliefs. I told him he was interrupting a personal conversation and I had no patience regarding his input. He persisted to the point that I threatened him violently. When it became clear he wouldn’t heed my warnings I made it very clear I was going to kick his ass. He began punching me but the effects were more irritating than harmful, like someone continually poking you with their finger. Eventually I drove him off but when I turned back to my brother he was gone. I started to search for him but woke up before I found him.
At least a half dozen Beck songs randomly worked their way into my iPod playlist as I drove to work yesterday. I skipped over all of them, not sure how I felt or whether I could ever listen to Beck again. It was as if they were mocking me. It is so hard for me to see Beck in this light. His music is sooo fucking good! This is the apple in my Eden. Because I know I have to give it up or sell my soul and the real internal debate regards the merits of damnation, not the right or wrong.
Trying to rationalize a way to reconcile this it occurred to me that logically what I was engaging in was an argumentum ad hominem, an attack against the person. It’s a fallacy, to imbue a logical perspective with what is known of the individual to invalidate their point, ignoring the merits of what they are actually saying.
But this is art. How can you apply logic to art? Do you separate the individual from their work? I sometimes think our increasing ability to do so explains the sorry state of modern art. Art isn’t anonymous. Does it stand on its own or is it somehow tied to its creator? I think it only gains strength the more we know of its origins. As a musician myself, how can I look to Beck for inspiration now that I believe he is nuts, or worse, simply not in control of his own beliefs? There is a picture of L. Ron Hubbard on the cover of Guero!
I love Ted Nugent’s music but I abhor his politics. I was once a casual fan of Limp Bizkit but I saw them live and realized that their lead singer, Fred Duurst, was an imbecile incapable of speaking to me, and I haven’t listened to them with any enthusiasm since. On the extreme side I have no desire to see any of Hitler’s art (he was a painter). However, if I were a historian specializing in World War 2 I might want to study it in an attempt to gain understanding (I am not in any way comparing Beck to Hitler).
I am foundering already with the passing of my moral compass, Kurt Vonnegut, who spoke more truth to me than any man but my father. Beck is still here, and I am tempted to embrace him as my brother. The problem, I realize, is that I have absolutely no idea who or what he is anymore.
Further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Secrets/
http://www.lermanet.com/beck/
http://www.alternet.org/story/29534/
http://www.stylusmagazine.com/feature.php?ID=1710http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/magazine/06BECK.html?ei=5070&en=d4911438e2e245fc&ex=1177300800&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1177146649-mPknNwRuhYMy6ie+gsef7g
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