Neo-Retro

Looks like I've found a use for old 33s.

Sleeveface
one or more persons obscuring or augmenting any part of their body or bodies with record sleeve(s) causing an illusion.




(H/T Webdesignerdepot.com)

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Facebook the Nation

This piece over at Collegehumor.com nails it. While funny, it does strike a little too close to home for my inner troll. Let he or she who is without sin cast the first stone (dammit).

...more

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Jobbed Out

And you thought Bill Gates played rough.

From eHappened.com:

Apple Products Can't Run Flash

The comments have been posed by Adobe that Apple’s refusal to run Adobe Flash on
it’s various products could drastically hurt the company. These comments were brought about in an official quarterly review filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchanges Commission on Friday, April 9, 2010. Adobe believes that with Apple’s refusal to run Adobe Flash, it makes it more difficult for Adobe products to perform and Adobe customers are then forced to try alternative technologies which they may not be familiar with.

It has been reported that Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, has described Adobe Flash as buggy and a memory blog. Almost three quarters of the videos on the worldwide web use Adobe Flash, so this statement doesn’t seem to be very accurate.

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iPlanned Obsolescence

Here's one way to burn through five hundred dollars in two minutes.


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Expendable Income

Guess which movie gets my 2010 action/adventure film dollar:

a. The "A-Team" remake
b. The Expendables" starring a real "A" team

(answer: b)


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Future Shock

This 1969 speculation on is prescient from a technological standpoint. But, it falls short in its social predictions.

Notice how upset the husband (played by Wink Martindale of all people) looks when he sees how much his wife is spending. Of course, in the real world, it's probably the wife who gets annoyed when she finds out how much her husband spends on Internet porn.


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Print The Legend

Near the end of the 1970 bio-pic Patton, released in the U.S. 40 years ago today, the larger-than-life title character, Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., is shown having his likeness captured on canvas. The painting session is interrupted when the volatile old cavalryman has a heated phone call with a superior where he loudly declares that the large American troop presence in Germany should be used to take on their next military adversary, the Russians. Flabbergasted, the higher-ranking general on the other end of the line slams down the receiver exclaiming, “You’re mad!” Patton sends the artist away declaring that no one will be interested in a portrait of a madman.

I’ve often thought that the filmmakers staged this scene as a subtle commentary on their own approach in bringing Patton’s story to the big screen.

Full post at Edward Copeland on Film
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Thunderbill

It was only a matter of time. Hopefully, 007 can infiltrate and destroy his operation before things get out of hand.

From Yahoo News:

Bill Gates, Toshiba in early talks on nuclear reactor

A company backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Toshiba are in early talks to jointly develop a small nuclear reactor, the Japanese electronics giant said Tuesday.

The Nikkei business daily earlier reported that the two sides would team up to develop a compact next-generation reactor that can operate for up to 100 years without refueling to provide emission-free energy.

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For The Many Things She Gave Me

I posted this creepy 1968 American Airlines ad on Basket of Kisses. I think Mad Men's Don Draper would approve.


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Suffer The Children

I think the church is overreacting here. A more vanilla, upbeat Stations of the Cross depiction kinda misses the point. No?

From The Washington Post:

Texas church bans child's photograph of Passion

Some find Jackson Potts II's photograph of a nightstick-wielding policeman beating a fallen, bleeding child violent and offensive, conjuring images of police brutality and child
abuse.

But to Jackson, a talented 10-year-old Houston photographer, and a cadre of art lovers, the disturbing image has religious symbolism.

Jackson shot the photograph for an exhibit depicting the Stations of the Cross, but the show's organizers rejected it, sparking a controversy some say is overshadowing remembrance of Jesus' final hours during the season of Lent.

...Jackson was assigned to portray the seventh Station of the Cross, where Jesus fell for a second time while carrying the cross to the site of his crucifixion. The home-schooled fifth-grader, who is taking a class on religious symbols in art at a Catholic church, decided to do a modern depiction of Christ being beaten by a Roman soldier.

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Cold Cardigan

This was a particularly jarring image. My first thought was "OMIGOD! They've cryogenized Mr. Rogers!"



From MSNBC article:

Volunteer day would honor Mister Rogers

Brad Burmeister, left, and Michael Dubois move a figure of the late Fred Rogers, host of the PBS children's television program "Mister Rogers Neighborhood," at the Heinz History Center before it is placed on exhibit at the museum in Pittsburgh, on Friday, March 19.

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Reds

Yesterday, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, MSN published a list of "All Time Hottest Redheads" which I've copied below. As Raquel Welch was omitted to make room for the likes of Lindsey Lohan, Rupert Grint, and Conan O'Brien, I can't personally sanction it.

12. Lindsey Lohan
11. Emma Stone
10. Rupert Grint
9. Julianne Moore
8. Conan O'Brien
7. Ann-Margret
6. Isla Fisher
5. Nicole Kidman
4. Prince Harry
3. Rita Hayworth
2. Ewan McGregor
1. Christina Hendricks

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Periodic Confusion

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, someone throws me a curve.

(h/t The Daily Dish)

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Child's Play

• Pay waitress...check.
  
• Load gifts into car...check.
  
• Pack up left-over pizza and cake...check.

Forgotten anything? Hmmm...oh well, it must not be important. Let's roll!

From The Detroit News:

Warren parents leave boy, 3, at Caesarland birthday party

Charges possible in case; child now in foster care

In a case police call "outrageous and disturbing," the parents of a 3-year-old could face child abuse and abandonment charges today after reportedly leaving the toddler at Caesarland on Saturday following his birthday celebration.

Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer said the parents, a 33-year-old woman and 41-year-old man, took the boy to the Chuck E. Cheese-style restaurant for a party. Around 9 p.m., the manager spotted the child and couldn't find anyone to claim him. Staffers contacted police, who handed him over to Child Protective Services, which placed the boy in foster care.

...Both said that up until Sunday, each thought the other had the child or that he could be with a grandmother, he added.

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Keeping It Rielle

Has it been 15 minutes yet?

From CBS News:

Rielle Hunter Pictures in GQ are "Repulsive," Says John Edwards' Lover

Rielle Hunter may not regret breaking her silence, but the GQ photo shoot which shows her pantless is breaking her heart.

Hunter reportedly "cried for two hours" after she saw the pictures she deemed "repulsive" that accompanied the 10,000 word interview she did with GQ magazine, according to Barbara Walters.

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The Future Is Now

Paul meets Peter.

From MSNBC:

Social Security needs Uncle Sam's IOUs — now

Government expected to borrow more, especially abroad, to start payback

The retirement nest egg of an entire generation is stashed away in this small town along the Ohio River: $2.5 trillion in IOUs from the federal government, payable to the Social Security Administration.

It's time to start cashing them in.

For more than two decades, Social Security collected more money in payroll taxes than it paid out in benefits — billions more each year.

Not anymore. This year, for the first time since the 1980s, when Congress last overhauled Social Security, the retirement program is projected to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes — nearly $29 billion more.

Sounds like a good time to start tapping the nest egg. Too bad the federal government already spent that money over the years on other programs, preferring to borrow from Social Security rather than foreign creditors. In return, the Treasury Department issued a stack of IOUs — in the form of Treasury bonds — which are kept in a nondescript office building just down the street from Parkersburg's municipal offices.

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Close Shave

Phone call or bikini line? Make up your mind, I've got to adjust the car seat.

There's SOOO many unanswered questions in this story. Why was the ex in the car at all? Since she was driving, you'd think it was her car...right? Was he going to use it after dropping her off? Did she grab the razor at the last second while heading out the door OR does she keep it in the glove compartment? And how does the new guy feel about his girlfriend doing her grooming with the ex nearby?

From CBS 4, South Florida:

Driving On Razor's Edge: Shaving Behind The Wheel

You've heard of the dangers of texting while driving, and talking on the phone while behind the wheel of a car. But how many people actually debate the merits of doing a little, well, "landscaping" while on the road?

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a two-car crash on Cudjoe Key was caused by a 37-year-old woman who was shaving her bikini area while in the driver's seat. Her ex-husband was steering from the passenger seat.

Trooper Gary Dunick explained, "She said she was meeting her boyfriend in Key West and wanted to be ready for the visit."

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Cold Stones Are Cool

If the films nominated for Academy Awards in 2010 were Olympic sports, figure skating—full of sights, sounds, and lots of media attention—would be Avatar, the halfpipe—entertaining and edgy—Inglourious Basterds, and hockey—an unglamorous study in grinding perseverance—The Hurt Locker. For Americans, curling wouldn’t appear until “The Best Animated Short” category: "A Matter of Loaf and Death" starring Wallace and Gromit.

One of the noteworthy, albeit minor, stories coming out of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver was some unexpectedly positive murmuring about curling. The genuine curiosity exhibited about the sport could very well be a precursor for more mainstream American interest. U.S. team captain John Shuster expressed satisfaction that Vancouver had helped to put curling “on the map.” Of course, a lot of the attention curling received this year was due to things having nothing to do with the sport itself. Such as the tittering over the Norwegian team’s garishly patterned pants. So, it remains to be seen if curling has the potential to attain more than hacky sack-like fad status in the U.S.

I’ve never set foot on a curling surface myself but I’ve been a closet fan for years. Although, I didn’t realize I was in the closet or that such a closet even existed.

Read the Full Post at The House Next Door...
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Sounds Fishy

In case you missed it, when director Louie Psihoyos accepted his "best documentary" Oscar for “The Cove,” he held up a sign encouraging people to text the word "dolphin" to a certain number.

They cut away from him pretty fast. So, here it is.
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Newsweak

Here's a 1995 Newsweek piece by Clifford Stoll predicting the demise of the Internet. I think there's another article in the same issue discussing why Deep Blue Something, who had just released "Breakfast At Tiffanys," would be the most influential band of the 90's.

FWIW, Stoll recently joked about being wrong here.

The Internet? Bah!

Hype alert: Why cyberspace isn't, and will never be, nirvana

After two decades online, I'm perplexed. It's not that I haven't had a gas of a good time on the Internet. I've met great people and even caught a hacker or two. But today, I'm uneasy about this most trendy and oversold community. Visionaries see a future of telecommuting workers, interactive libraries and multimedia classrooms. They speak of electronic town meetings and virtual communities. Commerce and business will shift from offices and malls to networks and modems. And the freedom of digital networks will make government more democratic.

Baloney. Do our computer pundits lack all common sense? The truth in no online database will replace your daily newspaper, no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher and no computer network will change the way government works.

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Supportive Characters

This list is long overdue.

However, whoever assembled it, sorta breaks their own "Too well known in a particular role" rule with Kevin Tighe (who EVERYONE knows from Emergency) and Bill McKinney, the mean hick who Burt Reynolds kills with an arrow in Deliverance.

And why Sam Elliott is mentioned makes no sense at all!

"That Guy!"

Have you ever been watching TV or a movie and pointed to the screen and said, "Hey! It's That Guy!"? Well, here is where you'll find him. This page is dedicated to the character actors collectively known as "That Guy".

That Guy is easy to recognize and difficult to place. You can describe him but not name him.

If someone asks, "Do you know the old grubby guy with a big belly and wild white hair that always wears a beat up brown derby and plays a drunk in westerns?" You'll know exactly who they mean, but you'll have no idea that his name is Dub Taylor.

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Sharkonomics

The mayor of Amity would disagree.

From MyFox New York:

Shark Attacks Drop in US During Economic Downturn

Human beings weren't the only ones cutting back on their consumption during the economic downturn: Sharks lost their appetites too, according to research released Monday.

The number of shark attacks in the U.S. declined to 28 in 2009 from 41 in 2008, building on a drop from 2007's 50 incidents, University of Florida researchers said.

George Burress, director of the International Shark Atttack File at UF, blamed a familiar culprit.

"The economy could have had an effect on how many times people can afford to put gas in their cars and go to the beach," Burress said in a statement.

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The Man In Black's Birthday

Today is Johnny Cash's birthday. My favorite Cash tune is "The Man Comes Around." Like a lot of his later work, I didn't warm to it right away. But after letting it settle in, I count it as among his best efforts.


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Taran-Tribute

Ibraheem Youssef, a Toronto based Designer/Art Director, has created some some neat prints as part of his Quentin Tarantino graphic movie poster series (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vols. 1 and 2, DeathProof, and Inglourious Basterds).

He crafts an insightful commentary on the whole film in one simple image. For instance, the various culture clashes displayed throughout Inglorious Basterds are neatly summed up through contrasting methods of ordering a round drinks. Or, the last five steps taken by Bill in Kill Bill Vol 2. My favorite one are the colored crayons used for Reservoir Dogs.




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I Don't Do Windows

For once I don't have any real complaints with The New Yorker. As usual, the winners in their 227th "Cartoon Caption Contest" were a mixed lot. But, to be perfectly clear, my entry wasn't all that special either.

I submitted:

"So he says 'If you think you can do better, then be my guest.' And the rest is history."

Here are the finalists:

• “The revolution has begun!” - comsi comsa
  
  
• “I finally got that desk job I’ve been looking at.” - you're fired
  
  
• “I am telling you this guy is a micromanager.” - I actually like this one

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CILF

Wow. I wonder where I could get a Cheryl Bernard calendar?

From MSN:

Curlers: The new Olympic sex symbols

Are curlers the new sexy beasts?

There was a time when you didn't hear the words curler and fit in the same sentence. But looking at the field at the 2010 Winter Olympics — led by fitness poster boy John Morris of Ottawa and buff fitness freak Cheryl Bernard of Calgary — the sport seems to have been given a sexy makeover.

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Warped

Fail. The medals for the 2010 Olympics look like old vinyl records that have been left out in the sun too long.

From Trendhunter Magazine:

Vancouver Releases Unique Medal Designs for 2010

Athletes competing in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games can look forward to wearing one of these uniquely designed Olympic medals around their neck. The Vancouver Organizing Committeerevealed the new designs today which, for the first time in Olympic history, are not flat.

...The dramatic form of the Vancouver 2010 medals is inspired by the ocean waves, drifting snow and mountainous landscape found in the Games region and throughout Canada.

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The Man Doth Protest Too Much (Methinks)

On his website, Nick Waters sets out to explore the "chick flick" genre in order to better "understand the opposite sex."

Two things occurred to me as I scanned his site.

First, why did he categorize Couples Retreat and Atonement as chick flicks? Instead of just fielding random suggestions from friends and family, he really should have established some sort of clear definition.

Second, while I probably don't understand women, I do get men. I think Waters is just trying to get laid.

From 30 Chick Flicks in 30 Days:

How far would you go to understand the opposite sex?

That question has helped to fuel the idea behind this site, “30 Chick Flicks in 30 Days: One Guy’s Exploration of Romance Through Movies Loved by Women”.

First, you should know that I’m that “guy” exploring these films. Second, my name is Nick. I’m a husband, and have been for seven years. Third, no one put me up to this.
And fourth, I’m not some professional film critic. I live in a small town in southern Oklahoma. I work in communications.

This little experiment will begin Friday, Jan. 15, 2010, and conclude on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010—the day before Valentine’s Day. That’s 30-straight days; 30-straight chick flicks.

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With Arms Wide Open

The Snuggie plus Avatar equals: Hug E Gram.


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The Day The Music Died

MTV programming reminds me of Sears stores. I'm not quite sure what they stock in there anymore.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

MTV redesigns logo, drops 'Music Television' (pic)

After 29 years, MTV has redesigned its logo and finally dropped "Music Television."

Basically it looks just like the old logo, only with some cropping. The design is getting flak from bloggers, but this is long overdue. Having "Music Television" on there was just a constant reminder that MTV was branding itself one way, programming itself another. Here's the logo...

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No Reasonable Expectation of Change

This CNET news proves that the more things "change," the more they stay the same. BTW, I'm not necessarily knocking the Obama administration over this. It just once again demonstrates how complicated the real world can be.

Feds push for tracking cell phones

...the Obama administration has argued that warrantless tracking is permitted because Americans enjoy no "reasonable expectation of privacy" in their--or at least their cell phones'--whereabouts. U.S. Department of Justice lawyers say that "a customer's Fourth Amendment rights are not violated when the phone company reveals to the government its own records" that show where a mobile device placed and received calls.

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Fire In the Hole

Not that the world has been demanding one, but a company in Dallas, Texas is marketing an electric incinerating toilet called the "INCINOLET."

According to their website:

INCINOLET uses electric heat to reduce human waste (urine, solids, paper) to a small amount of clean ash, which is dumped periodically into the garbage. INCINOLET remains clean because waste never touches the bowl surface. A bowl liner, dropped into the bowl prior to use, captures the waste, then both liner and its content drop into the incinerator chamber when the foot pedal is pushed. You can use INCINOLET at any time-even while it is in cycle.

Seems simple enough. But, I'd read the manual VERY carefully.
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Alienation

The winners of The New Yorker's "Cartoon Caption Contest #226" were out of this world (in a bad way).



My attempt was only "okay."

"Don’t worry. We ask everyone if they have a latex allergy."

However, the finalists weren't any better:

• "I’m going to give you something for your humanity.” - ????
  
  
• “There’s a cure—but it’s light-years away.” - relatively bad
  
  
• “You won't have to drive to this clinic. Just wait in your cornfield.” - corny

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Sextuagenarian Wasteland

My buddies and I are all growing a bit tired of the NFL once again hiring a band in their sixties for the Super Bowl Half-Time gig. We've got nothing against The Who, Bruce Springsteen, or The Rolling Stones per se. But it's getting comical watching them bounce around onstage as if they were still twentysomethings.

This year's highlight was Pete Townsend's "wardrobe malfunction" as he bared his senior midrift a few times while wailing on his guitar.



On the other hand, Carrie Underwood, in her skin-tight white catsuit, would have kept me from going to the kitchen for another beer.


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Rocket Man

He's not the man they think he is at home.

Best quote: "The man had been drinking before the accident." No kidding. Really?!

From the Detroit Free Press:

Man, 62, is burned in rocket sled stunt

A 62-year-old Independence Township man remained hospitalized Monday with injuries he sustained after authorities said a rocket-like backpack he rigged to power him on a sled exploded.

Oakland County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a backyard sledding party in the 6000 block of Townview at 7:35 p.m. Sunday to aid the host, who had burns over 18% of his body, Undersheriff Mike McCabe said.

"Apparently, he has this sledding party every year, and he always does outrageous things at it, but he's never blown himself up before," McCabe said Monday.

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Dubya-Cross

I love it when a plan comes together.


(H/T Feinsodville)
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Believe It, or Not

A friend of mine forwarded me this today. It's the top grossing movies of all time, based on inflation adjusted dollars (US and Canada only)

1. Gone with Wind $1.46b
2. Star Wars $1.26b
3. Sound of Music $1.05b
4. ET $1.04b
5. 10 Commandments $.98b
6. Titanic $.96b
7. Jaws $.96b
8. Doctor Zhivago $.90b
9. Snow White and 7 Dwarfs (1937) $.81b
10. 101 Dalmations (1961) $.75b

Currently, Avatar is 24th ($.56b).

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To Quote Apple: "The Name Stays. Period!"

I think Apple should double down on the name choice and promote the new iPad wireless device with the slogan: "No Strings Attached!"

From the New York Times:

The iPad’s Name Makes Some Women Cringe

When Apple announced the name of its tablet computer today — the iPad — my mind immediately went to the feminine hygiene aisle of the drugstore. It turns out I wasn’t alone.

The term “iTampon” quickly became a trending topic on Twitter because of Tweets like this one: “Heavy flow? There’s an app for that!” A CNBC anchor, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, said the iPad was a “terrible name” for the tablet. “It reminds me of feminine products,” she said.

“Are there any women in Apple marketing?” asked Brooke Hammerling, founder of Brew Media Relations, a technology public relations firm. “The first impression of every single woman I’ve spoken to is that it’s cringe-inducing. It indicates to me that there wasn’t a lot of testing or feedback.”

BTW, MadTV was ahead of the curve with this 2006 bit (h/t Slant):


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Smoke If You Got 'Em

While I didn't find the last season of the SyFy Channel's Peabody Award winning Battlestar Galactica completely satisfying, I was hooked for its entire run. Like Mad Men, the writing was top-notch and explored complex themes relevent to a contemporary audience. Also (and I say this while ducking), as much as I love January Jones, my vote for television's most sexy blond still goes to Trisha Helfer as the iconic "Number Six."

Season One of Caprica, a spin-off of Battlestar Galactica, officially started last Friday with a rebroadcast of the pilot episode. A prequel, Caprica is set 58 years before the original show and concerns itself with the events surrounding the creation of a race of machines that will ultimately revolt against their human inventors.

I bring this up because whenever someone unfamiliar with Mad Men tries to describe it, they invariably list the time-period in which it's set, the clothes worn by the characters and, more often than not, the fact that everyone "smokes all the time." Interestingly, this description could also apply to Caprica. These generic similiarities even promoted one reviewer to write a piece on the new series titled: "Caprica: Like Mad Men with Robots."

...Full Post at Basket of Kisses
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Bored Room

The New Yorker's "Cartoon Caption Contest" (#224) didn't make good business sense.



My entry:

"...and so, to make a long story short..."

At the risk of sounding bitter, none (let me repeat that, NONE) of the winners fit the illustration better than mine.

• “I say we start the meeting without him.” - fair at best
  
  
• "I'm here to fix the coffee machine." - this just isn't funny
  
  
• "You're right. We'll need a second stimulus plan." - see above

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No Country for Old Men

Sigh. Brett Favre was, as they say, being Brett Favre when he threw away a chance at another Super Bowl ring with a 4th Quarter interception off a pass that made absolutely no sense.

Were some of the calls by the refs in favor of the Saints questionable? Sure.

But the Vikings still should have won by 3.
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As Life Goes On Without Him

"Prostidude?" Would his customers be called "Janes?"

From USA Today:

First legal U.S. gigolo starts work in Nevada

A brothel in a Nevada desert town has hired the state's first male prostitute, a muscular college dropout who abandoned a brief stint as a porn actor in Los Angeles to become the only legal gigolo in the United States.

The Shady Lady Ranch successfully won state and county approval to clear the way for the "prostidude," as Nevada's newest sex worker is already being called. After a slow first week on the job, his first appointments are scheduled for this weekend.

...he created a dustup after telling Details Magazine that his pioneering role in the sex business was "just the same" as civil rights icon Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus during racial segregation in the U.S. South. Not surprisingly, he has been forbidden from doing interviews after the remarks.

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When It Rains...

Dallas linebacker Keith Brooking ragged on Brett Favre after the last Viking touchdown that concluded Minnesota's blowout of the Cowboys.

What the hell did Brooking want Favre to do? Hug him?

Luckily, I don't think that Favre heard him because he was too busy winning.
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In Space No One Can Hear You Snort

Remember when being called a "rocket scientist" meant you were smart?

From CFNews12.com:

Cocaine Found In Restricted Facility Near Shuttle

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER -- NASA is launching an investigation after cocaine was found in one of its shuttle processing facilities.

The discovery caused a large number of workers to be tested before they left for the day Wednesday.

NASA told News 13 that a small amount of while powder residue was found in a plastic bag in the Orbiter Processing Facility Number 3, just west of the VAB on Tuesday. It's the building where maintenance work is done on Shuttle Discovery as it is being prepped for its upcoming March mission.

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M.A.D. for Dummies

Andrew Liszewski at OhGizmo posted this vintage Cold War public service poster. It has great advice like placing a newspaper over your head during the blast.

It occurs to me that if you're reading the chart for the first time ONCE the bombs start falling, then it'd be too late to do #6: "Have food and water for several weeks of isolation."

Otherwise, they could have added a ninth one: "Call Khrushchev to negotiate nuclear disarmament."


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Image of the Day

I'm still not sure why more isn't being made of this.

Aaron Rodgers is clearly getting face masked BEFORE the turnover culminating in Green Bay's 51-45 playoff loss to Arizona last night. It should have been a Packer first down plus fifteen yards instead of a Cardinal touchdown.

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The Audacity of Irony

To quote President Obama (from the White House website):

"My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government."

Meanwhile, C-SPAN has sent a letter to House and Senate leaders asking that negotiations on the health care bill be open to cameras which, as of now, are not going to be (full article).

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Control, Aught, Repeat

Symptomatic of a compulsive streak in my nature, I’ve always been a tad obsessed with seeing the exact moment a digital display on a clock or cell phone clicks off a major milestone. For instance, I often feel a pang of frustration upon glancing down at a car’s odometer to see that it has advanced into a new hundred, thousand, ten thousand, or (heaven forbid) hundred thousand series without my noticing it. If you can recall the extra excitement exhibited ten years ago by New Year’s revelers as 1999 gave way to 2000 even though, technically, the millennium didn’t turn over until the following year, you may be able to empathize.

This probably explains why the cinematic “reboot” phenomenon of the 2000’s decade intrigued me more than it should. More extensive than simply changing lead characters, a reboot involves melting down the component parts of an established film franchise that has run its course and reforging them into a new, yet familiar vision. Successful or not, there’s something about the exercise itself that I gravitate toward. Of course, in addition to being obsessive, I’m also cynical. In my heart of hearts I realize that the decision to breath new life into an otherwise exhausted film series is made on commercial rather than artistic grounds. But that doesn’t mean reboots can’t be done well or aren’t worth the attempt.

Read the Full Post at The House Next Door...
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Check Please

Once again, the results of The New Yorker "Cartoon Caption Contest" (#221), left a bad taste in my mouth.


My caption:

"Surprisingly, their broth is pretty good."

The official winners included:

• “Let Table Seven know that there will be a slight delay on the risotto.” - too many words for too few laughs
  
  
• “This is why I don't need cable TV.” - seems kinda generic to me
  
  
• “There's always room for cello.” - waiter, there's a fly in my joke

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