Monday, July 14, 2003
God speaks to each of us in different ways. TO some of us, He calms us in our moments of turmoil. Others He calls to duty. To Deion Sanders He has spoken and asked him to be really, really cheap and kind of bizarre.
I took an animation class in the final year that the University of Texas at Austin offered a non-digital animation selection. The course taught me quite a bit about film making beyond the boundaries of animation, but it also taught me a Zen-like patience that previously eluded me. You see, animation has traditionally been captured one frame at a time. There are, in traditional film, 24 frames in a single second of film. In order to create the illusion of motion on a large screen, in a single second, 24 images have ticked by. It's called Persistence of Vision.
This means that for every second of an animated film that you watch, 24 times a crew has replaced the image you are currently seeing with the next image in an exacted order. The next image is a minor and minute change, but absolutely essential to the illusion of "realistic" motion. In addition to this, these images must synchronize lip movements in a way that not only matches the audio track (usually of someone speaking), but also must match the shapes our lips create when pronoucning certain consonant noises and vowel sounds that we each intuitively recognize.
Also, timing must be determined for the length of a movement, a realistic bounce must be put into a walk cycle, and one must know exactly how many frames are funniest from an anvil entering a fram to crushing Elmer Fudd (13 frames). Each background must be drawn in detail for these animated characters to dance across. Each time an angle changes, a new background must also be produced. During filiming, each frame is documented as to which "cell" has been shot, how far the camera has been tilted, zoomed, panned, etc... and stored for later retrieval in case something goes wrong and you must do it all over again.
The process is meticulous, it is obsessive and the end results are all too infrequently the ones that the film makers were hoping for. But the two months I spent drawing each cell of a 2 minute animation (which had no beginning, middle or end to it) was possibly the most rewarding portion of my entire film school career. For two months, each night I had to draw the same characters over and over and over in slight changes in positioning, with the slightest alteration in form and movement. I cheated in the end and used photographs for my backgrounds, and I certainly had no desire to attempt dialogue. But i did it. Totally on my own, I created and drew two minutes of character animation. The beats flowed more or less how I wanted them to, and I forgave myself the sliding motion in the walk cycle, because it was STILL a walk cycle.
For two months, I was viewing the world at 24fps. I could see each move I made in the most minute detail. I counted parts of a second from a glass falling to it striking to the shards ceasing their bouncing. I watched not just how long my hands moved, but how they moved, and I watched people's eyes in detail, because how long was too long for one of my own two cartoon creations to look upon one another?
At the screening, no one knew what we had done in that class. Our animation was described as crude and unsubtle. Or it wasn't "funny." My classmates who had shown so little interest in the course from day one did lazy little projects with charcoal and paper. "I did mine all in one night!" one guy bragged to me. I just nodded. The audinece liked his charcoal smudge better than my "traditional" animations. Fair enough. "But you just dissolved between existing drawings..." "You could have done that." And I agreed.
The next year there was no animation course taught, and when it was reborn, it was a modern digital animation course, more interested on effects and generating titles for other folks' student films. And I'm sure they all worked really hard. But they didn't do anything. The computer did it.
I tried digital and couldn't get into it. It was too cold and the rules of engagement had changed. You plotted what you wanted and walked away from the computer to let it render. Gone were the mad evenings spent leaning over a light table tracing one frame from the previous, gone was the midnight to 4:00am slot on the Oxberry. Gone was the chance to try some new madness as your mind explored the mysteries of what makes up a second, and seeing what you could press yourself to do. They were creating new worlds without worrying about how the world they lived in worked. How does sand fall? You don't watch sand, you find a plug-in online. How does someone run? Don't watch them... find a walk cycle in a user-group and accelerate. If you're lucky, it'll add some jiggle to her breasts.
I miss the old tools. Those things used to work. They could be beautiful and wonderful, and nothing... not one shot for even one one moment was ever taken for granted. Everything was plotted and planned and dreamt of. Each hand which went into the projects found their own way to add something unique, something the artists could perform at especially well. They couldn't always improvise, but they could add touches, flourishes that only a mind at an easel will dream up after drawing the same face too many times.
This was supposed to be about why I wasn't a fan of the new MTV produced Spider-Man cartoon, but I think I'll save that for later, or I'll leave you to seek it out and draw your own inferences. I'm going to go track down my old film school reeel and have a good laugh. That cartoon is just god awful, but it's mine.
This means that for every second of an animated film that you watch, 24 times a crew has replaced the image you are currently seeing with the next image in an exacted order. The next image is a minor and minute change, but absolutely essential to the illusion of "realistic" motion. In addition to this, these images must synchronize lip movements in a way that not only matches the audio track (usually of someone speaking), but also must match the shapes our lips create when pronoucning certain consonant noises and vowel sounds that we each intuitively recognize.
Also, timing must be determined for the length of a movement, a realistic bounce must be put into a walk cycle, and one must know exactly how many frames are funniest from an anvil entering a fram to crushing Elmer Fudd (13 frames). Each background must be drawn in detail for these animated characters to dance across. Each time an angle changes, a new background must also be produced. During filiming, each frame is documented as to which "cell" has been shot, how far the camera has been tilted, zoomed, panned, etc... and stored for later retrieval in case something goes wrong and you must do it all over again.
The process is meticulous, it is obsessive and the end results are all too infrequently the ones that the film makers were hoping for. But the two months I spent drawing each cell of a 2 minute animation (which had no beginning, middle or end to it) was possibly the most rewarding portion of my entire film school career. For two months, each night I had to draw the same characters over and over and over in slight changes in positioning, with the slightest alteration in form and movement. I cheated in the end and used photographs for my backgrounds, and I certainly had no desire to attempt dialogue. But i did it. Totally on my own, I created and drew two minutes of character animation. The beats flowed more or less how I wanted them to, and I forgave myself the sliding motion in the walk cycle, because it was STILL a walk cycle.
For two months, I was viewing the world at 24fps. I could see each move I made in the most minute detail. I counted parts of a second from a glass falling to it striking to the shards ceasing their bouncing. I watched not just how long my hands moved, but how they moved, and I watched people's eyes in detail, because how long was too long for one of my own two cartoon creations to look upon one another?
At the screening, no one knew what we had done in that class. Our animation was described as crude and unsubtle. Or it wasn't "funny." My classmates who had shown so little interest in the course from day one did lazy little projects with charcoal and paper. "I did mine all in one night!" one guy bragged to me. I just nodded. The audinece liked his charcoal smudge better than my "traditional" animations. Fair enough. "But you just dissolved between existing drawings..." "You could have done that." And I agreed.
The next year there was no animation course taught, and when it was reborn, it was a modern digital animation course, more interested on effects and generating titles for other folks' student films. And I'm sure they all worked really hard. But they didn't do anything. The computer did it.
I tried digital and couldn't get into it. It was too cold and the rules of engagement had changed. You plotted what you wanted and walked away from the computer to let it render. Gone were the mad evenings spent leaning over a light table tracing one frame from the previous, gone was the midnight to 4:00am slot on the Oxberry. Gone was the chance to try some new madness as your mind explored the mysteries of what makes up a second, and seeing what you could press yourself to do. They were creating new worlds without worrying about how the world they lived in worked. How does sand fall? You don't watch sand, you find a plug-in online. How does someone run? Don't watch them... find a walk cycle in a user-group and accelerate. If you're lucky, it'll add some jiggle to her breasts.
I miss the old tools. Those things used to work. They could be beautiful and wonderful, and nothing... not one shot for even one one moment was ever taken for granted. Everything was plotted and planned and dreamt of. Each hand which went into the projects found their own way to add something unique, something the artists could perform at especially well. They couldn't always improvise, but they could add touches, flourishes that only a mind at an easel will dream up after drawing the same face too many times.
This was supposed to be about why I wasn't a fan of the new MTV produced Spider-Man cartoon, but I think I'll save that for later, or I'll leave you to seek it out and draw your own inferences. I'm going to go track down my old film school reeel and have a good laugh. That cartoon is just god awful, but it's mine.
Sunday, July 13, 2003
Friday, July 11, 2003
Jerry
Thanks, Randy, for the link on Jerry Springer's Senate run. Please see the attached link in the sidebar to the left. Jerry is a man of the people. And is he really so different from Kay Bailey Hutchison?
Social Experiment:
How many hits will I get if I add the phrase: Ann Coulter nude naked ?
I'll keep you posted.
BTW, my job has now assigned me a Blackberry. I was already not too excited about the idea of being followed everywhere by an electronic leash, but I just realized... it's hissing at me. It's making weird little electronic hissing noises...
How many hits will I get if I add the phrase: Ann Coulter nude naked ?
I'll keep you posted.
BTW, my job has now assigned me a Blackberry. I was already not too excited about the idea of being followed everywhere by an electronic leash, but I just realized... it's hissing at me. It's making weird little electronic hissing noises...
The Escapist
If you didn't read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, you should have. It's written by Michael Chabon, and eventually won The Pulitzer Prize. It's the story of immigrant artist/ magician/ escape artist Joe Kavalier and his American cousin (Clay) who become comic artists in pre-WWII America.
It's about a hell of a lot more than that, and, as I found from watching the History Channel's documentary about Superhero comic books, quite a few of the story's plotpoints are lifted from actual events in the history of the comics biz. With Superman squarely at the forefront of the comics revolution, Kavalier and Clay create The Escapist. He's in the tradition of Doc Savage, or possibly The Shadow, but armed with a magical golden key, he's not just an amazing escape artist, he's there to help others escape tyrrany. I leave it to you to read the novel.
At any rate, this winter, Dark Horse comics is going to begin publishing comics based around The Escapist's exploits as described in the novel. The suggestion is that the comics will be done in classic Golden Age style. I very much look forward to seeing what Dark Horse is able to accomplish.
It's about a hell of a lot more than that, and, as I found from watching the History Channel's documentary about Superhero comic books, quite a few of the story's plotpoints are lifted from actual events in the history of the comics biz. With Superman squarely at the forefront of the comics revolution, Kavalier and Clay create The Escapist. He's in the tradition of Doc Savage, or possibly The Shadow, but armed with a magical golden key, he's not just an amazing escape artist, he's there to help others escape tyrrany. I leave it to you to read the novel.
At any rate, this winter, Dark Horse comics is going to begin publishing comics based around The Escapist's exploits as described in the novel. The suggestion is that the comics will be done in classic Golden Age style. I very much look forward to seeing what Dark Horse is able to accomplish.
Spidey Cartoon
Hey, Leaguers...
The 3D animated Spider-Man cartoon is debuting tonight on MTV.
Some of the best animation of the past 10 years has appeared on MTV (the oddly plotless Aeon Flux and the equally challenging The Maxx), so look to see what Marvel studios has cooked up for this show. It's based equally on comics and the movie from what I can tell. I think tonight's villain is Electro.
The 3D animated Spider-Man cartoon is debuting tonight on MTV.
Some of the best animation of the past 10 years has appeared on MTV (the oddly plotless Aeon Flux and the equally challenging The Maxx), so look to see what Marvel studios has cooked up for this show. It's based equally on comics and the movie from what I can tell. I think tonight's villain is Electro.
Thursday, July 10, 2003
As I will frequently complain, I live in the sticks. It's not just that the people of Arizona act like illiterate savages or Canadians from time to time, it's that I live less than a mile from two substantial dairy farms. It smells like cow flop and is generally really ugly. But you're always welcome to come visit.
Anyway, CNN posted this story on the ridiculous town of Gilbert, Arizona today. Apparently, it's the fastest gowing city in the US of A. While my mailing address is Chandler, and my work address is Tempe, I do live almost directly on the border of Chandler (which is listed as being #4 in the top 5 fastest growing cities, I am told) and Gilbert.
I was delighted to see Joe's Bar BQ as the pictured locale which is supposed to represent Gilbert's otherwise smalltown pastiche. This is horsehockey. Gilbert, like everywhere else in the Valley of the Sun, is nothing but a horribly ugly sprawl of cookie cutter houses and strip shopping centers which all feature one of three grocery chains (Basha's, Fry's or maybe an Albertson's), and has a place to do nails, and a Water & Ice store. There's no real industry in these communities. I think it's mostly people just selling stuff to one another.
It's funny, because this place is miserably hot, has no industry, no water or other natural resources, nor any real culture to speak of. I have no idea why I am here, but we're all coming here in the end, it appears.
Anyway, CNN posted this story on the ridiculous town of Gilbert, Arizona today. Apparently, it's the fastest gowing city in the US of A. While my mailing address is Chandler, and my work address is Tempe, I do live almost directly on the border of Chandler (which is listed as being #4 in the top 5 fastest growing cities, I am told) and Gilbert.
I was delighted to see Joe's Bar BQ as the pictured locale which is supposed to represent Gilbert's otherwise smalltown pastiche. This is horsehockey. Gilbert, like everywhere else in the Valley of the Sun, is nothing but a horribly ugly sprawl of cookie cutter houses and strip shopping centers which all feature one of three grocery chains (Basha's, Fry's or maybe an Albertson's), and has a place to do nails, and a Water & Ice store. There's no real industry in these communities. I think it's mostly people just selling stuff to one another.
It's funny, because this place is miserably hot, has no industry, no water or other natural resources, nor any real culture to speak of. I have no idea why I am here, but we're all coming here in the end, it appears.
Those of you who follow The League may have gleaned that I watch an unhealthy amount of television and read only children's books. In that vein, like the rest of you mindless cretins, I was locked into watching America Idol this Spring, a show that, in retrospect, is really pretty awful. Anyway, The Smoking Gun has a great post today about crazy letters people sent to the Federal Communications Commission regarding perceived tampering in the results of American Idol.
It's only in the cold light of hindsight that I realize that I hated all of the contestants on that show, but because it was always on in my livingroom, I HAD to pick who I liked best. And her name was Trenyce.
I really hate this show. It's really boring and lame, but because I love my wife and because of the layout of our suburban bungalow, I pretty much can't get away from it all three nights it's on every week. But it's good to see it's getting somebody all fired up.
It's only in the cold light of hindsight that I realize that I hated all of the contestants on that show, but because it was always on in my livingroom, I HAD to pick who I liked best. And her name was Trenyce.
I really hate this show. It's really boring and lame, but because I love my wife and because of the layout of our suburban bungalow, I pretty much can't get away from it all three nights it's on every week. But it's good to see it's getting somebody all fired up.
One of my favorite parts of American Beauty is when Lester Burnham speechifies upon how great it was to be 18 and flip burgers and have random sex all summer long. Yep, life was easier before taxes, loans and house payments, and there's no small part of everyone who wishes they could go back to a point where straightening their room and keeping socks off the floor were life's biggest worries.
But let's be honest, it's great because it was a long time ago, and it's fun to remember that stuff, but it's not exactly a high benchmark for achievement. High school is a fairly stupid place where you get herded around and have to go see a "tardy lady" if you're late. You can't even just call in sick, you have to have a doctor or parent verify you were sick, and if you run in a hallway, you can wind up in something called "detention." It's a really stupid place to be and it has nothing to do with college, let alone an actual professional life. But not everyone seems to think so...
Last night I stumbled upon a new syndicated program utilizing the grim tools of Jenny Jones and BLind Date and possibly any stalker movie you might have seen. The show is called Classmates (sponsored by, apparently, Classmates.com), and it's a reality show wherein two people are asked to see one another for the first time since college or high school.
Sounds harmless enough, but the two reunions I witnessed last night reminded me of why I am foregoing the Klein Oak Class of '93 reunion which is to be held later this summer. Here's a hint, kids: If high school was THAT great that you MUST return to those golden years by way of rekindling a relationship (on television, no less) which has been petrifying for around 10 years, it's time to re-examine your current lifestyle. I don't really remember high school all that well anymore, and playing Memory with name tags and what could only be vaguely embarassing details could only end in tears.
When the show works, I guess as much as it's GOING to work, it kind of makes you sad. Last night's episode ended with two people who hadn't seen one another in 9 years GETTING ENGAGED within an hour of seeing each other. That's not sweet. That's creepy and wrong. It wasn't just one person who felt the need to go running back to a time when things were easier, it was two people desperately running from the lives they've created. Or it was really sweet. Ah, i dunno. I was hoping to see someone confront a bully, so maybe if I tune in tonight, i'll get to see that. Of course, I know if I ever get called, it's going to be some random person I don't remember wanting to get back at me for cutting in line at the snack machines, so I need to be prepared.
Here's hint #2 from your old Uncle Ry: If a syndicated television program calls you and tells you somebody wants to surprise you on television, do not go. Instead, alert the police. It's probably a better, safer alternative. I've watched my fair share Springer, and now with Classmates, I am fairly certain it can only end in disaster. Do you really want to know somebody has been thinking about you (and only you) for so long that they've recruited a TV show to track you down? That's not romantic. Kids, that's stalking. So, if you're thinking of using the show to finally tell Mary Sue or Todd or whomever about your crush, I implore you to reconsider. It's better to imagine what could be than to look like a jerk on syndicated television.
But let's be honest, it's great because it was a long time ago, and it's fun to remember that stuff, but it's not exactly a high benchmark for achievement. High school is a fairly stupid place where you get herded around and have to go see a "tardy lady" if you're late. You can't even just call in sick, you have to have a doctor or parent verify you were sick, and if you run in a hallway, you can wind up in something called "detention." It's a really stupid place to be and it has nothing to do with college, let alone an actual professional life. But not everyone seems to think so...
Last night I stumbled upon a new syndicated program utilizing the grim tools of Jenny Jones and BLind Date and possibly any stalker movie you might have seen. The show is called Classmates (sponsored by, apparently, Classmates.com), and it's a reality show wherein two people are asked to see one another for the first time since college or high school.
Sounds harmless enough, but the two reunions I witnessed last night reminded me of why I am foregoing the Klein Oak Class of '93 reunion which is to be held later this summer. Here's a hint, kids: If high school was THAT great that you MUST return to those golden years by way of rekindling a relationship (on television, no less) which has been petrifying for around 10 years, it's time to re-examine your current lifestyle. I don't really remember high school all that well anymore, and playing Memory with name tags and what could only be vaguely embarassing details could only end in tears.
When the show works, I guess as much as it's GOING to work, it kind of makes you sad. Last night's episode ended with two people who hadn't seen one another in 9 years GETTING ENGAGED within an hour of seeing each other. That's not sweet. That's creepy and wrong. It wasn't just one person who felt the need to go running back to a time when things were easier, it was two people desperately running from the lives they've created. Or it was really sweet. Ah, i dunno. I was hoping to see someone confront a bully, so maybe if I tune in tonight, i'll get to see that. Of course, I know if I ever get called, it's going to be some random person I don't remember wanting to get back at me for cutting in line at the snack machines, so I need to be prepared.
Here's hint #2 from your old Uncle Ry: If a syndicated television program calls you and tells you somebody wants to surprise you on television, do not go. Instead, alert the police. It's probably a better, safer alternative. I've watched my fair share Springer, and now with Classmates, I am fairly certain it can only end in disaster. Do you really want to know somebody has been thinking about you (and only you) for so long that they've recruited a TV show to track you down? That's not romantic. Kids, that's stalking. So, if you're thinking of using the show to finally tell Mary Sue or Todd or whomever about your crush, I implore you to reconsider. It's better to imagine what could be than to look like a jerk on syndicated television.
Wednesday, July 09, 2003
onto me
Are my parents on to me? Have they, indeed, found the League of Melbotis web log? It's not that there's confidential information on my site. There's a strange item in my sitemeter. Somebody found the site from rr.com looking only for "Melbotis."
My parents love my dog and my wife as much or more than they love me, so anything centering around Melbotis would have to be fairly attractive to them. I have to assume that when my traitorous brother vacationed with my folks in San Diego last week, he might have spilled the beans and given them a place to keep tabs on me and the dog.
Mom, Dad... I am on to you.
My parents love my dog and my wife as much or more than they love me, so anything centering around Melbotis would have to be fairly attractive to them. I have to assume that when my traitorous brother vacationed with my folks in San Diego last week, he might have spilled the beans and given them a place to keep tabs on me and the dog.
Mom, Dad... I am on to you.
Jim has complained that I have not blogged today. I will ignore Jim's low frequency in blogging, and instead, turn you toward these wonderful pieces by Miguel Calderon. THese are the paintings which appeared in Eli's home in The Royal Tenenbaums.
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
Jim's brief mention on Andrew Sullivan's blog landed him with around 12,500 hits or something last time I checked (he totals in approaching 15,000 as of now). This will forever skew his Sitemeter averages, but it also brings up an interesting point about blogging.
Jim didn't say anything in his article that wasn't true, nor did he really say anything inflamatory or even pass judgement on Ann Coulter. So the reaction he got was pretty venemous.
This, folks, is why I don't have a "Comments" section on my page. I have an e-mail address, and everyone is entitled to their opinion, and you're free to contact me about anything at any time. But I also don't want The League to become a place where people get to publicly lambast me or my dog. Especially with the kind of juvenile rantings reserved for online "talkback" areas and E! television.
Anyway, the troubling part is wanting to lash back at people acting all crazy and irrational, but what are you really going to say to change their minds? I enjoy a little political debate; it keeps you honest and keeps the old gears freshly oiled. Hence, you may notice Jimbo and I will take potshots at one another from time to time, and occasionally there are e-mails which go back and forth for quite a while (he hates puppies and grandmas! I simply will not let it stand!). But if you can't try to be logical or at least reasonable about sentiment, then it's not worth it. Nobody ever changed anybody's mind by screaming at them.
On the other side of tall of this, with 12,000+ hits today, he only got, really, two or three really negative comments, which means he probably had a lot of readers who enjoyed what he had to say. Blogging. it's like MAGIC!
Jim didn't say anything in his article that wasn't true, nor did he really say anything inflamatory or even pass judgement on Ann Coulter. So the reaction he got was pretty venemous.
This, folks, is why I don't have a "Comments" section on my page. I have an e-mail address, and everyone is entitled to their opinion, and you're free to contact me about anything at any time. But I also don't want The League to become a place where people get to publicly lambast me or my dog. Especially with the kind of juvenile rantings reserved for online "talkback" areas and E! television.
Anyway, the troubling part is wanting to lash back at people acting all crazy and irrational, but what are you really going to say to change their minds? I enjoy a little political debate; it keeps you honest and keeps the old gears freshly oiled. Hence, you may notice Jimbo and I will take potshots at one another from time to time, and occasionally there are e-mails which go back and forth for quite a while (he hates puppies and grandmas! I simply will not let it stand!). But if you can't try to be logical or at least reasonable about sentiment, then it's not worth it. Nobody ever changed anybody's mind by screaming at them.
On the other side of tall of this, with 12,000+ hits today, he only got, really, two or three really negative comments, which means he probably had a lot of readers who enjoyed what he had to say. Blogging. it's like MAGIC!
Today Jim D. es muy popular. Jim's review of Ann Coulter's Univ. of Michigan Law Review was cited on Andrew Sullivan's blog/ web site and overnight, Dedman's popularity has soared. It's my personal ambition to run Jim for office one day, as long as I get to be the man behind the man and enjoy the kickbacks and hookers which will inevitably fall into our laps, so I am personally delighted when Jim gets attention of this sort.
His hits are pushing around 9000, and I would bet he hits 10,000 in the foreseeable future. Jim didn't exactly eviscerate Ann Coulter (nor was that his goal), but reviewed her review of some SCOTUS hoo-hah. Most of Jim's post was over my head as I have a serious learning diasability which causes me to tune out anything not involving capes or robots. I think, from Jim's desc. that Coulter's review meant that you shouldn't share your porn collection with minors. Well, hellloooooo internet. Had only you been there for me at age 14. Stupid Circle K clerk.
Ann Coulter's cult of personality is a truly bizarre thing. She says things which are totally crazy, and there is a segment of the population which is buying into her brand of fascism. Note the Comments which follow Jim's posting and see what I mean.
Anyone can get a following no matter how ridiculous they are.
Coulter is the kind of boogeyman we ridicule in movies and television. These sort of folks are usually the source of a trememndous amount of comeuppance in fiction, but as history will detail, usually end holding office. The tough question is: how much do you just ignore Coluter and hope she goes away, and how much do you watch your own back? Her latest book, the one getting all the press, is called "Treason" which basically states that anyone not in line with Coulter's view of a hyper-conservative America is treasonous. Yo-kay. We're all entitled to our opinion and 1st Amendment rights. But Treason is an executable offense. Does Ann Coulter want anybody not agreeing with her to be executed? They have a name for that sort of arrangement.
I haven't read Treason or Slander, and I don't really plan to. I'm pretty sure I got the gist of what she's after in a few minutes on CNN and Fox News. Short of calling Coulter bat-shit crazy, one has to wonder... It's one thing to have a single nutjob running about quite literally lionizing Sen. McCarthy, it's quite another to be able to make a mint off of selling books in which this is a major topic of discussion. Clearly my gauge for what the book reading American public wants to believe in is horribly miscalibrated. What is living in the American zeitgeist that drives us at one another with such vitriol?
I would suggest you read up on Coulter as much as possible instead of assuming anyone that blonde and skinny couldn't be all bad. She's a creepy, creepy person.
His hits are pushing around 9000, and I would bet he hits 10,000 in the foreseeable future. Jim didn't exactly eviscerate Ann Coulter (nor was that his goal), but reviewed her review of some SCOTUS hoo-hah. Most of Jim's post was over my head as I have a serious learning diasability which causes me to tune out anything not involving capes or robots. I think, from Jim's desc. that Coulter's review meant that you shouldn't share your porn collection with minors. Well, hellloooooo internet. Had only you been there for me at age 14. Stupid Circle K clerk.
Ann Coulter's cult of personality is a truly bizarre thing. She says things which are totally crazy, and there is a segment of the population which is buying into her brand of fascism. Note the Comments which follow Jim's posting and see what I mean.
Anyone can get a following no matter how ridiculous they are.
Coulter is the kind of boogeyman we ridicule in movies and television. These sort of folks are usually the source of a trememndous amount of comeuppance in fiction, but as history will detail, usually end holding office. The tough question is: how much do you just ignore Coluter and hope she goes away, and how much do you watch your own back? Her latest book, the one getting all the press, is called "Treason" which basically states that anyone not in line with Coulter's view of a hyper-conservative America is treasonous. Yo-kay. We're all entitled to our opinion and 1st Amendment rights. But Treason is an executable offense. Does Ann Coulter want anybody not agreeing with her to be executed? They have a name for that sort of arrangement.
I haven't read Treason or Slander, and I don't really plan to. I'm pretty sure I got the gist of what she's after in a few minutes on CNN and Fox News. Short of calling Coulter bat-shit crazy, one has to wonder... It's one thing to have a single nutjob running about quite literally lionizing Sen. McCarthy, it's quite another to be able to make a mint off of selling books in which this is a major topic of discussion. Clearly my gauge for what the book reading American public wants to believe in is horribly miscalibrated. What is living in the American zeitgeist that drives us at one another with such vitriol?
I would suggest you read up on Coulter as much as possible instead of assuming anyone that blonde and skinny couldn't be all bad. She's a creepy, creepy person.
Monday, July 07, 2003
eye see
well, my eye went back to normal, and within moments, I got me a migraine. Apparently the effect I was having in my left eye was the oft described pre-migraine lights folks sometimes see. The headache is mostly gone now. But I have to admit to being a little proud of myself for treating it with three Tylenol and crawling under my desk and falling asleep for nearly an hour. Thank you, George Constanza. You are truly a beacon of hope unto us all.
Oh, and thank you, Randy for forwarding this to me.
Oh, and thank you, Randy for forwarding this to me.
T3 y mas
I went and saw Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines this weekend. I've seen almost every Arnie movie in the theater since the late-80's, and I was duped into heading off to this one as well. Jim D's review of the movie is very accurate, and I would turn you to his comments for further reading. My only additional comment is that I honestly felt, as I wandered out of the theater and into 110+ Arizona heat, that I had just spent two hours watching somebody else play a really cool video game. It looks great, it has lots of action, and between mammoth action sequences, they tie the story together with something passing for a narrative. Maybe the PS2 game for this is really, really good?
I love Arnie. I really do. If I were an "actor", i would hope that I could have the keen business sense Arnie has employed throughout his career. Foregoing art for commerce, Arnie has brought us some fabulous entertainment we'll be enjoying on TBS for the next 30-50 years.
But one thing distracted me throughout T3. Claire Danes. Ms. Danes isn't bad in this movie. No, what was really distracting is that despite the fact I haven't seen Ms. Danes in anything in going on four or five years... me likey me some Claire Danes. Instead of going nuts with adrenaline whenever bullets and plasma beams were whizzing around the screen, I was busily envisioning scenarios in which Ms. Danes and I were splitting a bottle of the bubbly, sitting upon a fur rug before a crackling fire. I was dashingly witty and she was gazing upon me adoringly, imploring me to leave Mrs. Steans. I was also wearing a great smoking jackets and very comfy slippers in this fantasy, and a pipe was employed as well. Look, you have your dreams, I'll have mine.
This weekend also saw the appearance of the first new batch of episodes of Cartoon Network's Justice League. For those of you who may have seen the first batch of episodes which debuted somewhere around over a year and half ago, "season 2" promises to be truer to the comic source material and just a better all-around TV show.
The new episodes featured Brainiac as a central villain, working in connection with Darkseid of Kirby's 4th World/ New Gods series. Yup. I was geeking out so hard, I think I was alarming Jamie. "Ooooohhh, the Forever People!" is not something you want to just blurt out after being totally silent for half an hour.
Now if they would just focus on Mr. Miracle, I'd be happy.
BTW, I read Enemy Ace: War in Heaven over the weekend. If you're not into superheroes and are looking for a great comic read, this may be for you. It follows WWI fighter pilot Hans Von Hammer as he is coerced into flying for the Luftwaffe. Great art and attention to detail, as well as being well written. Enemy Ace: War Idyll is also worth your time. It's beautifully painted and tells a great story about Von Hammer in his twilight years.
Tomorrow I return to work, God help me.
I love Arnie. I really do. If I were an "actor", i would hope that I could have the keen business sense Arnie has employed throughout his career. Foregoing art for commerce, Arnie has brought us some fabulous entertainment we'll be enjoying on TBS for the next 30-50 years.
But one thing distracted me throughout T3. Claire Danes. Ms. Danes isn't bad in this movie. No, what was really distracting is that despite the fact I haven't seen Ms. Danes in anything in going on four or five years... me likey me some Claire Danes. Instead of going nuts with adrenaline whenever bullets and plasma beams were whizzing around the screen, I was busily envisioning scenarios in which Ms. Danes and I were splitting a bottle of the bubbly, sitting upon a fur rug before a crackling fire. I was dashingly witty and she was gazing upon me adoringly, imploring me to leave Mrs. Steans. I was also wearing a great smoking jackets and very comfy slippers in this fantasy, and a pipe was employed as well. Look, you have your dreams, I'll have mine.
This weekend also saw the appearance of the first new batch of episodes of Cartoon Network's Justice League. For those of you who may have seen the first batch of episodes which debuted somewhere around over a year and half ago, "season 2" promises to be truer to the comic source material and just a better all-around TV show.
The new episodes featured Brainiac as a central villain, working in connection with Darkseid of Kirby's 4th World/ New Gods series. Yup. I was geeking out so hard, I think I was alarming Jamie. "Ooooohhh, the Forever People!" is not something you want to just blurt out after being totally silent for half an hour.
Now if they would just focus on Mr. Miracle, I'd be happy.
BTW, I read Enemy Ace: War in Heaven over the weekend. If you're not into superheroes and are looking for a great comic read, this may be for you. It follows WWI fighter pilot Hans Von Hammer as he is coerced into flying for the Luftwaffe. Great art and attention to detail, as well as being well written. Enemy Ace: War Idyll is also worth your time. It's beautifully painted and tells a great story about Von Hammer in his twilight years.
Tomorrow I return to work, God help me.
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