Devo and Superman

So, last Friday I saw that Whitney Matheson of Pop Candy was going to interview Devo and opened the gates to her audience to ask questions of the legendary band. Sure that Matheson was going to be flooded with questions, I shot her off a Very League sort of question via e-mail and then, honestly, forgot about it.

Well, lo and behold, Matheson asked my question. It's actually one of the first questions asked from a fan.

How can I repay you for your consistent level of awesome? -- R. Steans

By rejecting stupidity and embracing ideas and information.

You know, when Devo tells you to reject stupidity - you put on your red, art-deco bucket hat and goggles and you say NO to stupidity. And I hope I'm embracing ideas and information the way Devo would have it, but its hard to tell.

If Matheson's column looks familiar to long-time Leaguers, she also once made mention of my celebration of the Super-lifestyle circa May of 2006.

The funny thing is, this isn't really representative of how Super my lifestyle is in 2009. Is it time for a Super update? Is anyone interested in a photo tour of League HQ's Fortress of Solitude and Hall of Justice?

The problem, then, is revealing that I may have given in to stupidity... Must not let Devo down....

My Crystal Ball: Light Blogging Ahead

Tomorrow through Thursday should be fairly busy days. I may not have much time for posting here at The League. I have work and other obligations.

So:

1) Please wish Jamie a happy birthday. Her birthday is Wednesday.
2) If you are lurking and not commenting, please pop up and say "hello" in the comments section, or, better yet, shoot me an e-mail. I can see you on Sitemeter, but I don't know who you are. We've got a big tent here and we're happy to have you. Say "howdy".
3) Let me know if you have any old features you'd like to see me do again. Its always fun to get ideas from you guys.
4) Why not pressure Jamie into additional blogging?
5) I was talking to Doug. We may try to get another domain name or something going here. I dunno. It all seems like a lot of bother.

Party, trek, etc...

Trek

Some of us are cautiously optimistic about the new Star Trek film hitting theaters this summer. While we look at the blow-dried, bottle-blond Kirk and the all-sexy, mail-order catalog crew with no small amount of pessimism, we're still hoping that a reboot of the Trek franchise will breathe some new life into the concept.

Others are seeing something else in the trailer. Got this from Doug.

Zack Snyder directs Wall-E

For Steven and Lauren



Suddenly: Doug!

We had some friends and family over for a pre-Birthday celebration for Jamie last night. The doors opened at 8:00, but Jamie's parents were coming a little early. They arrived at 7:30 while I was still getting cleaned up for the party. Jamie ran downstairs and I just heard all kinds of commotion.

Doug had decided to fly in and surprise Jamie for her birthday. Not a bad surprise, and neither Jamie's folks nor Doug had let on at all that he would be here.

Anyway, heck of a birthday surprise.

For Leaguers who attended: thanks so much for showing up. We sincerely appreciate you guys, and last night was a lot of fun. And we all partook in some delicious Force-infueled "Yoda Soda", thanks to Leaguer Nicole (and thanks to Lauren for the cookies, JAL for the fudge brownies, Susan for the chocolate raspberry treats, Judy for the pigs in a blanket, Juan and Letty for like, 3 different things they brought, Heather for the wine, and all the things I lost track of in the crush of folks coming in the door)

Anyway, we throw these parties mostly so we can eat their food and drink their booze and eat their desserts for weeks after the event.

New Facebook & SXSW

Huh.

So the new Facebook release reconfigured itself as a challenge to Twitter.

Honestly, due to my non-League commitments, I've been cornered into Twittering a bit of late, and I'm no more comfortable with the technology now than I was a month or two ago. Oddly, the Facebook update to compete with Twitter makes a bit more sense to me, what with the stuff that's behind it and the other applications tied to Facebook. Groups, actual social application, etc... (I don't think I need to tell you what's available on Facebook).

I'm still wrapped up in Twitter, and from the Tweets and reports I've been reading from Leaguers at SXSW, Twitter and "social media" are the word of the moment. So when I hear "social media", it may define for me why Facebook works for me and Twitter sort of works, but just barely. I do not consider 150 character bursts and nothing else to be "social". Let alone how Twitter doesn't really manage "conversations". I consider that to be one-to-many broadcast with little in the way of a communication loop.

Without "Direct Tweets", its not entirely unthinkable to think I am likely to miss out on a "Tweet" directed at me, if I do not scroll through enough pages. "Social" connects that loop in a context, and Facebook's new design works well for me in that regard.

My SXSW Not at SXSW Moment

Leaving the AT&T Conference Center yesterday where I'd taken a new co-worker for lunch at the UT Staff/ Faculty Club. Walking out to find not the usual suits and other conference attendees, but a collection of 15 or so sunglassed, skinny-jeans and $200 t-shirt wearing 20-30-somethings with various stages of gelled hair. All waiting for a ride, I'd guess. And all either furiously texting or on their iPhones. Not noticing each other.

I'm a Creep

Amanda Palmer "Creep" Live On Uke From Red Peters' ODDVILLE from Amanda Palmer on Vimeo.

Special thanks to Steven for sending this along.

Comic Fodder

If you're wondering why I didn't have a post last night, I did. It was just over at Comic Fodder. Topics include: More on Watchmen, DCU Animated movies, Joker inspired crimes, Sterling at 40, Moving from Online Ordering Back to the Comic Shop

Birthdays

Also, not too much to discuss. We went out for dinner for Jason's birthday the other night and had a lovely time. We'll be having a few folks over for Jamie's birthday on Saturday, so if you're around, feel free to drop by after 8:00 or so.

Longtime Leaguers know I'm not crazy about my own birthday, but I do enjoy other people's birthdays. I suppose it's pretty typical to want to enjoy the party not feel like you have to be "on". Although last year turned out very nicely when we all just headed down to Artz.

I feel I've been a bit overtly cynical of late, which is fine for me, but I don't want to get my pals down, too. I made mention on Facebook of easing off the throttle a bit for a while, and Meredith suggested giving it until my birthday, which seems like a do-able timeframe. I'm not making a pledge or anything, but I am going to make a concerted effort to not automatically make expressions of assuming the worst for a few eeks. We shall see how that goes.

I will probably fail.

Digital Libraries

I've been increasingly thinking about digital distribution lately. (A) I work for a Digital Library initiative, (B) Many are hoping that comics will take a leap into the digital realm this year with the color Kindle and a rumored larger iPod Touch to be announced in 2009. Throw in the Google Scholar/ Google Books efforts, and we're looking at a brave new world of distribution. Which... no kidding, right?

I guess I was thinking this week that it's kind of cool that we're heading ever closer to the endless library of material on demand that Star Trek promised us in the 1960's. While you can currently find some information at this point about virtually any topic, its been tough to find complete works or the sort of scholarship that used to collect dust on library shelves.

Sure, we're not getting flying cars or hovering skateboards, but its nice to know some part of the sci-fi future is becoming true. And its fun to be a part of it in some miniscule way.

See, that was positive as hell, yo.

Achewood takes on Constructivist Learning Theory

And History as a commodity.

Here.

1-2-3-4

No matter what else happens today, this made today okay.